New Forecasting Tool

 It seems like the NOAA is rolling out a new high resolution forecasting tool that will provide more information on hurricane formations and tracks. That's good, I guess,.  We're still in the midst of the hrricane season, and historically it ramps up in August and September.

They are calling it HFAS, or the "Hurricane Analysis and Forecasting System".

The NHC said its new “Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System,” or HAFS for short, went operational on June 27 alongside older models for the 2023 hurricane season. The system is the first new major forecast model to use NOAA’s updated weather and climate supercomputers.

I hope it helps them help us.  Hurricanes ain't no fun. It's good to know what is happening, just before the lights go out and the fence blows over.

Tuesday Outrage

 I'm packing up the range, getting ready to move it to the venue where we will hold Louisiana State this weekend.  Printing out some last minute documents, and of course, the five-year-old range printer suffers a catastrophic meltdown.

So, I head to Wally World to buy a new printer.  I settled on an HP Envy 6400 series, which should do fine. Still, having to buy a new printer on the cusp of a major event is never any fun. It's white, which means it will show dust like crazy.

Driving around, I hear the talk-radio guys going weird.  It seems that Jack Smith, the special counsel in Washington, is going to indict Trump for something related to January 6th.  They are saying that the indictment could come as early as the first week of August.

It will be interesting to see what the indictments look like.

SOS Pads

 SOS or Brillo pads.  Your grandmother used them.  Basically, steel wool impregnated with soap, used to clean pots and pans.

Recently, I was watching Vise Grip Garage and he used SOS pads to take surface rust off of a car.  Derrick was doing what he called a "Rustoration".  We had an old refrigerator in the shop that Belle wanted to to get the rust off of it and repaint it.  So, I got sot some SOS pads, gave it a good scrubbing, then went to the hardware store and bought a can of paint they call Appliance White.  A little rattle-can, and the fridge came out looking a lot better, certainly good enough for the girls that hang out around here.

More recently, I had a cleaning job, getting permeant marker off of a dry-erase board.  A quick spritzing with Windex, and a light touch with an SOS Pad and the board came out clean.  Of course, they are still useful on pots and pans. Your grandmother used them because they work.

Gender Confusion

Fox News is reporting that a new poll finds that almost half of millennials think that misgendering someone should be a crime.

Oh, bullshit.  If a person is confused about what their gender is, how an I supposed to know what their gender is. If you present as male, I'll call you a man. If you present as female, I'll call you a woman. If I'm wrong, you did a piss-poor job of getting dressed that morning. Don't make your confusion into my crime.

Wild Weekend

 We hosted a family reunion this weekend, and had a blast.  We have a great-grandchild, 11-year-old Brooke staying with us for a couple of weeks, so today, Belle took her to a local zoo, Gone Wild Safaris in Tioga, LA where they saw a variety of exotic wildlife, Camels and Lamas and ostriches and stuff.

It's a drive-thru zoo, and the animals come right up to the car.  Everyone had a good time, including the lamas.

We Will Wait and See

 It appears that the Louisiana legislature is calling a veto session to overturn some vetoes from our Den governor, John Bel (hack, spit) Edwards.  He's on his way out (thankfully) and after November wont be able to damage the state any longer.

Yahoo News is reporting that the legislature will meet in veto session to overturn a veto of several bills, that include a ban on the genital mutilation of minors.

Louisiana lawmakers riding a Republican super majority wave in the state Legislature are officially returning to Baton Rouge next week determined to override Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards' vetoes on anti-LGBTQ bills passed during the regular session in June.

Yahoo! exposes it's bias in the reporting.  This is not anti-LGBT.  Once you turn 18, you can do whatever you want.  This is a bill to protect children, and it is driving the pedophiles crazy. 

But, I have so little faith in the RINOs in the legislature that I'm going to adopt a wait-and-see attitude.  There is a sizeable percentage of out political class who have decided that it is easier to get elected as a Republican, so they switch parties for political advantage, then go to the legislature and vote with the Dem cronies.  People like that are despicable.

Sweating

 The heat and humidity are miserable out there today. So, of course, Brother Fred and I loaded our mowers and went to the church this morning to try to keep up with the grass.  It was a bitter struggle for three hours, but we got it done.  Fred on his tractor and bushhog.  Me on my zero-turn.  But, we got it done.  A person can walk across the church grounds now.

Our regular Thursday evening event has been cancelled.  The arena is a mud pit.  We have gotten about six inches of rain in the past week, a little every day.  We have a rodeo scheduled for tomorrow night, but the arena master will assess tomorrow morning.

Belle has scheduled a family reunion in out barn for Saturday  Lots of prepping there. The thing about having a wax bullet range is that wax bullets bounce.  I bet I have swept up a five gallon bucket of wax bullets that were under things we normally don't sweep under.  If you move something, it has wax bullets under it.

Family reunion this weekend, then the Louisiana State Championship next weekend.  I'll be busy all week.

This 'N That

UPDATE** The link is fixed (I think) 

Reading the news between chores, I see over at PJMedia where a Georgia legislator has decided to leave the Dems and come into the GOP camp.  More locally, our sitting sheriff, Mark Wood, ran as a Democrat last time and appears as a Republican this time. 

I was once a Democrat, because that's what it took to vote in Louisiana.  I switched in the early 80s, based on a sincere belief that the Republicans best reflected my libertarian beliefs that small government best served individual freedom.  Over the years I have railed at them when they erred, but I still believe that of the two major parties, they best reflect my values.

While I hope that the Georgia legislator and our idiot Sheriff have had a major epiphany, I suspect it is more of a crass political move.  I believe that if a person is elected under one party and opts to go with the other party, they should step down and not serve under false colors.  If they elected you as a Democrat, serve as a Democrat.  

Changing subject, I see where Chinese hackers have breached the US Govt emails using Microsoft Cloud.  Why is that not surprising?  The Cloud, when it was invented, was touted as a mystical place where personal files could be magically stored and accessed from a number of devices.  In reality, the Cloud is a server farm somewhere on the left coast. It can indeed be accessed by a number of devices, including Chinese and Russian hackers.  Be forewarned.

Finally, when I checked the news last night, the day was supposed to be sunny and hot.  We were supposed to have about three days of sunny and hot.  It has rained on my acre every day for the past week, and the lawn shows it.  As I type this, it is raining on my acre again.  The grass will not be mowed today, and it is a matter of clam whether it will be mowed tomorrow. It is not yet knee-deep out there, but the bahia is jumping.

Heavenly Hypocrite

 It seems that ice cream producers Ben and Jerry, did am Instagram post  on July 4th, saying that America was founded on land stolen from native American people. Link here,

The ice cream company chose to attack America as a country on “stolen” land with an Independence Day Instagram post. The company demanded land be returned to Native Americans.

 Well, things took an interesting twist when it was revealed Ben & Jerry’s headquarters in South Burlington, Vermont is on land previously controlled by the Abenaki people, and they want it back.

The only rational thing to do is for Ben and Jerry to title their land back to the tribe. Right?  I mean, since they brought it up.  Or, come up with a new flavor.  Heavenly Hypocrite.

It's hell, sometimes, when reality intrudes on idealism.

Shortage of 155?

Evidently, there is a shortage of 155 artillery ammo, and Biden let that slip during a recent TV interview.

155 is an extremely popular artillery caliber, it is a mainstay of NATO artillery and is used in the M777 platform and related systems.  And, according to our Commander in Chief, we don't have enough of it.  Nor do the Ukrainians.

An active shooting war will burn through ammo stocks in an unbelievable hurry  It seems that we need to start cranking out 155 ammo.  When you need it is not the time to start making it.

In a related note, I see that the Army is bringing out a light tank, the M10 Booker, It's main armament is the old 105mm cannon.  I used the 105 on the old M60 series tank and it is a very capable cannon.  But, it seems that our stocks of 105mm ammo is low, insufficient for training, much less combat.

When I was a young soldier, they taught us that amateurs think about tactics, professionals think about logistics.  If an Army doesn't have the logistical tail necessary to support the troops on the front, then the battle is already lost. 155mm and 105mm ammo isn't sexy, but it is an absolute necessity.  Bullets and beans is what it takes to win wars.

 Mas Ayoob talks about the race to the phone. I'm simply boosting the signal here.  If you have to point your gun at someone, call it in.

Busy Day

 We had a club shot this morning, then a fish fry at Belle's sister's place in Jena, LA.  It has been a very good day.

The political season is upon us here in Louisiana.  Campaign signs sprout like flowers after a shower.  I see that we have a Sheriff's race here in Rapides Parish, and another in LaSalle parish.  I didn't see any campaign signs in Grant Parish, but I may not have been paying close attention.

Battery Cables

 Folks have asked me why I keep that old F150 in the yard.  I bought it in 2003.  It's a 2001 and for ten years it was my daily driver.  It has about a quarter million miles on it, but the oil has been changed regularly and the maintenance has, for the most part, been done.

My daily driver is a Honda Odyssey van, but the truck is paid for, and sometimes I need a truck.

Last week, I noticed that the positive battery cable was loose, and when I tightened it, noticed that the little steel clamps Ford had put on it had finally, after 22 years, rusted through.  So, today I bought a battery cable clamp.  I changed it out this afternoon. Now that's done and one less thing to think about.

I do beed to put a squirt of Freon in the AC unit, but I'll get that done next week.

It's nice to know that when I turn the key on that old truck, it will fire up and do what is required for the mission of a pickup truck. I bought my first pickup truck in 1978, and I've had one ever since. I don't need a truck every day, but when I need one, nothing else will do.

Fingerprint and DNA Analysis

 So, the Secret Service finds a small baggie of cocaine at the White House, and now the FBI is going to do a fingerprint and DNA analysis to find the culprit.

Occam's razor seems not to be an investigative tool.  We have now descended into silliness.  The White House mouthpiece doesn't know how to react to it.  It's not Joe's.  He was out of town when they found it.

I collected a lot of cocaine during my career, but I never had it fingerprinted, much less a DNA analysis. We tagged it, bagged it, and put it in evidence.  Eventually, it was destroyed.  This whole brouhaha is a non-starter, but I am glad to see KJP stammer over it.

Not Too Bad

 The heat wave we have suffered through for the past couple of weeks seems to have moderated.   This morning, the temp is only in the mid 70s and the high today in only supposed to be in the low 90s.

We still have the rest of July, then August and September to live through before it will be gumbo weather, or until I feel compelled to make a pot of chili.  Summer ain't over by any means, but this morning it isn't too bad. The humidity is still at 90%, but that is fairly common in Louisiana.  

At the barber shop yesterday, the talk was all about the weather. Over the past few days we have had plenty of small, pop up thunderstorms that randomly traverse the area.  For example, this weekend, we had a locally severe thunderstorm that dropped about 2 inches of rain on my acre.  Down the road a mile to the east, they got less than one-tenth of an inch.  Last night, it drizzled here for an hour, but someone down the road got their full quota.  That is the way the weather goes this time of year.

Happy Fourth

From the Declaration. 

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Happy Fourth, everyone. 

Beer From the Past

 Reading an article about Bud Light and how they are having to cut production, I took a trip down memory lane to remember some beer from y misspent youth.

Schlitz - Schlitz used to be a big player in the South, although my Dad didn't allow it in the house.  He drank Budweiser or Coors (when he could get it).  However, there was one store who would sell skunked Schlitz at a discount, and didn't care who you were. Four bucks a case and haul it off.  We drank a bunch of that stuff at teen parties, and I thought that was what beer was supposed to taste like.  When I got legal and bought a real beer in a bar, I was amazed.

Falstaff - I had one Sergeant who drank Falstaff beer almost exclusively.  He was a Special Forces Master Sergeant who became sort of a mentor to a young Armor officer.  What he was doing assigned to me was always a bit of a mystery, but looking back, his undiagnosed PTSD and borderline alcoholism may have had something to do with this assignment.  He was short, skinny and mean as a rattlesnake.  But, he took care of me, and the troops.  I remember Falstaff fondly.

Stroh's - We had a lot of this at Fort Knox.  They sold it in the Four Seasons store. A half-keg was only $12.00.  We called it "The Pale, Stale Ale, with the Foam in the Middle".  It was a hit at backyard cookouts.

Those are three that come to mind.  They may still be produced and consumed in some other regions, but I don't see much of them around here.

In Defense Of Freedom

 It seems that there is a new controversy brewing inthe sports world.  Someone I've never heard of is basing America.  Okay.  Fox News reports.

WNBA champion Natasha Cloud doubled down on her criticisms of the United States following the Supreme Court rulings on affirmative action and a case involving artist Lorie Smith.

Well, she has the right to her opinion, just like everyone else.  The first thing I thought when reading the article was "Who"?  Never heard of her, don't watch the WNBA.  I'm assuming from reading the article, that Ms. Cloud is in some sort of women's basketball league, which is totally irrelevant to my entire existence.

The only thing that this article does for me is to reinforce my belief that basketball is a woman's sport and that no men should participate it it.  Leave it to the women.  Take up a manly sport, like football or baseball.

But, Ms. Cloud has a right to her opinion.  I will defend that right.

Let Freedom Ring.

Biden Oversteps

 It's been a great week for freedom, and another blow to the Biden agenda has come in, From Instapundit.

This comes from US District Court Judge Reed O'Connor of Texas

“This case presents the question of whether the federal government may lawfully regulate partially manufactured firearm components, related firearm products, and other tools and materials in keeping with the Gun Control Act of 1968,” wrote O’Connor. “Because the court concludes that the government cannot regulate those items without violating federal law, the court holds that the government’s recently enacted final rule … is unlawful agency action taken in excess of the ATF’s statutory jurisdiction. On this basis, the court vacates the final rule.”

It looks like the ATFs "ghost gun" ban just went the way of affirmative action and student-loan forgiveness. Joe Biden has had a very bad week.

Let Freedom Ring.

Big Pig

 I've been watching Davis Ellis' YouTube channel for a year or so. He's a nuisance trapper based in northern Mississippi.  Catching hogs is his bread and butter.  Feral hogs are a problem all across the South, and guys like David help control the populations.

Recently, he caught a big one.  It weighed 300 pounds on the scale.  

That is a screen grab from the video.  The guy cranking the handle looked to be about six feet tall.  That is one large pig.  Link here to the whole video.

That is not as big aw my largest pig.  I was fortunate to shoot one that pegged out a scale that would weigh 350 pounds.  Still, a 300 pound hog is a beast.

The Strawberry Julep

 Belle was talking about a summer cocktail she used to imbibe at a favorite restaurant, long since closed.  It is called the Strawberry Julep and was served a the Cock of the Walk in Natchez, MS.  According to her it requires fresh strawberries, simple syrup and Southern Comfort.  It requires a blender.  

So, I got out the blender, mixed 1 oz simple syrup, 1 oz Southern Comfort and 1 cup of fresh strawberries.  Blended it all in a blender until smooth, then topped it with canned whipped cream.

I'm still playing with proportions, but she says it goes down real smooth.

Woman Face

 Tyrus made a good point on Gutfeld last night.  Tyrus, as you know, is a professional wrestler who contributes on Fox. He has coined a term, Woman Face.  You can watch the clip here.

Basically what he is saying is that if a guy shows up at your party wearing black face and pretending to be black, everyone would he uncomfortable.  Likewise, a guy shows up at your party dressed as a woman, pretending to be something he is plainly not,   That is Woman Face and those people should get the same level of treatment as someone wearing black face.

It makes sense to me.

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.

The Plot Thickens

 Fox News is reporting that Trumps' former VP Mike Pence is expected to launch a campaign bid next week.

I like Pence. He has always struck me as an honorable, moral and ethical man.  Of course, I like Trump, and DeSantis, and Tim Scott.  However, there is room for only one nominee.

It's going to be a crowded field.  Trump seems to be the going-away favorite right now.

The Pyramid of Far-Right Radicalization

 Fox News is reporting that the BIden administration is giving grants to study the rise of white supremacy and far-right extremism.  Federal money.  Your tax dollars.

The watchdog group who found this outrage has published a report, detailing how your tax money is being spent to study how such organizations as Fox News, the NRA, and the Republican party are radicalizing us all.

The Department of Homeland Security is using this pyramid to define what a terrorist looks like.

Here’s How The 2023 Hurricane Season Will Go…

I like Ryan Hall.  I've been following him for a year or so and find that his forecasts are generally reliable.  How is the 2023 hurricane season going to stack up?  There ain't no telling.

Tell Me It Ain't So

 I was talking with a fried last week about motorcycles.  I haven't ridden in fifteen years, but I told him that if I decided to start riding again, I'd probably trot down to the dealer and find a clean, used Harley.

This morning I got up to surf the internet with my coffee and find that Harley Davidson has teamed up with Budweiser to release a limited edition Budweiser can.

WTF?

This has to be one of the dumbest marketing moves since Dylan posted his picture on a can of Bud Light.  It wasn't that long ago.  Even the marketing guys at H-D surely could not have forgotten so soon.

So, the marketing execs at Harley Davidson watch Budweiser destroy its flagship brand and decide to hold hands with them as they jump off the cliff? I admit I am amused. And a bit baffled.  WTF?

Memorial Day Tribute | Mansions of the Lord | Hillsdale College

Lay Me Down in the Cold, Cold Ground

"Mansions of the Lord" from We Were Soldiers | West Point Band and West ...

Sunday Mornng Dawg

 

In his chair in the shop.  I checked his breathing.  He's still alive.

That French Bread Recope

A couple of y'all asked about Belle's French Bread recipe, and here is where she found it.  The YouTube channel is called the Wyse Guide, and a printable recipe is in the description under the video.  You'll have to watch it on YouTube to get the description and the printable recipe.

YouTube link here.

Bon apetit!

Study Finds

 A new study finds that left-wing extremists have psychological issues.

Left-wing extremism is linked to toxic, psychopathic tendencies and narcissism, according to a new study published to the peer-reviewed journal Current Psychology.

In layman's terms: They're crazy. 

Pising Away Friday

 I didn't start an engine today.  Not a lawnmower, nor automotive.  I piddled around in the shop for a while, but really didn't do anything of substance.  I basically pissed away the day.  But, I'm retired and I can get away with that occasionally.

Belle started playing with a recipe that she found on the interubes, and over the course of a couple of hours, came up with what she says is a really simple French bread recipe.  She gave me a little taste when it came out of the oven, and OhmyGod.  It's good.  Buttery, with a nice crust, and very light on the inside.

Tomorrow, we're hosting the club for our Monthly Match, so I'll be busy for most of the day.

The Association is talking about different match formats, and we will try one out tomorrow.  It caps the number of shots n an individual bout to 13 shots.  Many matches are over in five shots, but sometimes they tend to go longer.   We'll try it with the club tomorrow and see how everyone likes it.

Cow chase: Meet the cowboy who lassoed a runaway cow on I-75 in Oakland ...

Boycott!

 I was trying to remember the last time I've been in a Target store.  Maybe five years?  Belle and I were traveling, and she was looking for something specific, and she thought Target would have it, so we swung through a Target store, and found what she was looking for.  So, okay, I can't join the Target boycott.

Likewise, Bud Lte.  I didn't drink it before they became a marketing course case study, (Marketing 2053 -How to Wreck a Brand with one ad)

Likewise the LA Dodgers.  They are involved in a marketing kerfuffle, and have invited the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to help them celebrate Pride Week. I did some basic research into this Order and don't think that they are recognized by the Vatican.

I don't go to Dodgers games, I don't shop at Target, and I don't drink Bud Lte.  Not because I want to join the boycott, but because I didn't do those things before the boycott.  I'm not a customer.  But, as a guy whose degrees are in Business, I have to wonder what their marketing departments were thinking.

The Plot Thickens

 I hear that Ron DeSantis is going to throw his hat into the ring tonight.  He'll be what?  The sixth of seventh to announce for the Republican nomination?  They are all following Trump, who holds a commanding lead in the polls right now.

I like DeSantis.  And, I like Tim Scott.  And some of the others.  But Trump is the head gorilla in the band of wannabe presidents. I agree that lots can happen in the next year, but if the primaries were held today, Trump would be the guy.

I'm wondering why Scott and DeSantis are getting in now?  They are both young enough to wait four years.  Trump sucks all the oxygen out of the room, leaving no space for anyone else.

It's going to be an interesting primary.

Pissing Off The BOss

 The Congress is requesting a specific document from the FBI, The FBI doesn't want to turn it loose, citing "sources and methods",  The document was origianally reported to Senator Grassley by a whistleblower. The House Oversight committee believes that the document details a criminal scheme by someone named Biden.

The FBI is basically flipping the bird to Congress.  They believe that their document is more important than the responsibility that Congress has to supervise their activities.  Perhaps they should be more concerned with "dollars and cents" rather than "sources and methods",

There will be, in the next several moths, an annual review of appropriation.  Congress could easily slash the budget of the BFI, or any other federal agency who stonewalls the legitimate oversight.  The House holds the power of the purse, and the various agencies should be reminded of that from time to time.  I do recognize that we don't spend much money on the CCC or the WPA anymore.  Perhaps in the near future, we will find that the services of the FBI are no longer needed.

The FBI Debriefed

Oh, I lol'd

Pool Maintenance

 The grandkids are getting older, and they don't use the pool as much as they used to, but it is still a hole in the backyard.  With the cool spring we've had, the pool didn't start to "green" up until recently.  Our pool is a salt pool and the device that turns salt to chlorine doesn't work until the water temp gets to a certain point, about 60F.

Belle doesn't like that florescent green color in her pool.  She much prefers a blue tint to the water.  So, yesterday, I shocked the pool with an addition of raw chlorine. This morning, I added afour bags of pool salt, or 200 lbs.  That is normally the amount required to kick-start the maintenance.  I'll wait a day or so, then start balancing pH.

I've heard it said that a boat is a hole in the water that you pour money into.  LIkewise, a pool is a hole in the ground that you pour money into.  Thankfully, as pools go, salt is fairly cheap.  And, as our pool tends to go basic, muriatic acid is also fairly cheap.

In The News

Listening to the news this morning while running errands, I heard a report that the military has some small nuclear reactors under development. These are small enough to put in a shipping container and load on a flat bed truck.

We put these things in submarines, and I've often wondered why we don't have mobile nuclear power plants to use for far-flung military sites and for use during natural disasters. The only recent article I can find is here.

I know that there are a lot of technical hurdles to overcome, and the military would have to train folks to maintain and poerate these things, but this should not be a hurdle that is too high to vault.

Of course, I am almost totally ignorant about such things, so maybe I am way off base.

Headlines

 Both of these from Fox News.

Biden declares himself 'blameless,' demands GOP submit to his debt demandsu

Yeah, right, Joe.  The House has a bill on the table that will get you our of  this mess.  Tell the Senate to pass it and then you can sign it.  Problem solved.  But you would rather grandstand.

Harris' ability to manage WH AI response in doubt after Musk comments, voters say

Yeah, Kamala has done such a great job with everything else she's been given.  I'm sure she will be able to handle artificial intelligence.  She probably thinks that AI stands for Artificial Insemination.   I'm sure she will get right on that.

Sunday Morning Dawg

 The weather is getting warm now in the afternoons, so we tend to hang out in the hop, where it is cool.  We have a couple of old office chairs out there, and the dawg likes to lie in one while I'm surfing the intertubes.

Reflection

 The more I think about the FBI and their investigation into Hunter Biden, particularly the laptop, his influence-peddling and the weapons charge, the more I an convinced that they are actively stalling until the statute of limitations kicks in.  I know that different charges have different age requirements, but at some point that statute kicks in, and the defendant is arrest-proof on that charge.

I'm not sure what the federal limitations are on corruption and weapons charges, but I bet that the President's advisors know what it is.

Beignets

Let's talk about beignets (ben-yeah).  It's nothing but a fried dough, like a donut, but square and sprinkled with powdered sugar rather than a glaze.  I've eaten them at Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans, and I've eaten them at home.  Momma used to make beignets when she had a sweet tooth.

One pro tip.  Do not inhale while you are eating a beignet.  You will invariably inhale powdered sugar and collapse in a fit of coughing.  Everyone around you will laugh.  Another pro tip.  Momma used to get out the flour and make her won dough.  It's simpler to go to the store and buy a box of mix.  The same stuff Bruce is using in the video below.  Amazon link here.

Back when the Swamp People show came out, one of Belle's nieces commented on Bruce, saying that he was a "snappy dresser".  I always thought that was funny.

Pore ol' Jordan

 I'm sure that by now you have all heard the tragic tale of Jordan Neely, the homeless man that terrorized a subway train in New York until a stalwart former Marine put an end to his depredations.  Neely died follwing his encounter with the Marine, who was protecting other passengers, assisted by other riders.  Now the usual suspects are outraged and the Marine is facing manslaughter charges.

I care about Jordan Neely, just like the New York department of homeless cared about him.  They had him on a list of the 50 top homeless in the city, but they didn't help him at all.  They didn't give a shit about Jordan Neely, and that's about how much I care.

I care about Jordan Neely just like his lawyer.  His lawyer didn't try to get him help, didn't care enough to make sure he was fed, didn't give a running crap about him until he was dead.  Now, the lawyer is playing the social justice game, trying to make a profit over Neely's death.  That's about how much I care about Jordan Neely, which is to say I don't give a crap.

I care about Jordan Neely just about like his family cared for him.  Which is to say they didn't give a flying fuck that he was at large in the city, scaring people, making a nuisance of himself. 

The death of Jordan Neely is an indictment of the social services in New York, an abject failure of the criminal justice system who failed to curtail his predations, and a stunning display of neglect from his family, who at this point seems to want to get some free money from his untimely death.

A month ago I had no clue who Jordan Neely was, didn't care to know.  I still don't.  If Neely needed help, his family, that ambulance chasing attorney, and the New York social services should have helped him. They let him fester on the good citizens of New York until he terrorized a train load of people and a stalwart ex-Marine stepped up and put an end to it.  The folks who are crying over Jordan Neely should sit down and shut up.  They didn't care a month ago, and there is no reason to believe that they care now.

Low Rent Housing

 It seems that there is a mini-scandal going on in Rapides Parish.  Some elected officials benefit from abnormally low assessments on their personal property.  As KALB reports, our elected sheriff, Mark Wood, lives in a nice house on an acre of land in a rural area. His house was assessed at $31,000.  Under Louisiana's Homestead Exemption law, he paid no property taxes.

PawPaw, on the other hand, lives in a nice house on an acre of land in a rural area.  PawPaw also has in in-ground pool.  PawPaw's hovel is assessed at $135,000.  PawPaw pays property taxes.

It turns out, our former sheriff, Willian Earl Hilton, also benefited from a likewise low assessment.  Believe me, Hilton's house is at least as nice as mine  He paid no property taxes on his residence.

There were also a number of Police Jurors (for those not in Louisiana, think County Commissioner) who enjoyed low assessments.  Our Tax Assessor says he will look into it.

Mowing Grass

 This morning I loaded the Skag on the trailer and towed it to the church.  We have two events this weekend,  and the arena needed a trim.   Mainly, the bahia was jumping.  The bahiagrass we have locally has a tough, woody seed-head that sprouts about a foot taller than the soft, grassy leaves.  It's tough to mow.  I've seen hay-bines choke down on those trough stems.

There wasn't much area to mow, so I took my time and tried to get it all.  I was a the church for probably two hours.  If anyone complains, I'll gently remind them that they got what they paid for.

One of the things I learned while doing volunteer work is that I am easy to fire.  One of the tenets of good church management is to never fire a volunteer.  Figure out a way to use them.  Volunteers, like any other asset, are scarce.  Whatever labor they do puts the church way ahead.  Many organizations exist solely on the goodwill of volunteers.  Whether it is the local flying club, the neighborhood church, or the American Red Cross, they couldn't exist without volunteer help.

Controversy!

It seems that some folks are outraged at a new ad from Miller Lite.  I saw it a week or so ago, thought it was funny and interesting.  Personally, I have nothing against a comely lass in a bikini, but I don't think that is the point of the ad.

Still, I don't see the outrage.  I'll still buy Miller Lite.  What say ye?

Disgraced

 Now that the Durham report is out, it doesn't bread well for the integrity of the FBI.  But, those of us following the facts knew that.  There is really nothing new here.  Durham really didn't file any charges, and his record of prosecution during this probe is less than stellar.  Two acquittals and one guilty plea doesn't speak strongly to his prosecutorial instincts.

For example, he admits that FBI folks lied to the FISA courts to obtain warrants.  That is plainly against the law.  When I was swearing out warrants as a young cop, I knew that lying to a Court was a prosecutable offense.  But, Durhan says he can't find criminality.  Bullshit.

However, one disgraced FBI agent is speaking out after having been named in the report.   He claims that the probe never should have happened.  And, I agree with him.  The FBI should be so ethical, so honorable, so stringently apolitical that such a probe was never necessary.  But, that isn't the case.  The FBI so destroyed their credibility that no right-thinking person believes a thing they say, and the record is clear that if they want to build a case, they will, the facts and law be damned.

The FBI is soiled as a law enforcement agency, and won't be cleansed without a purging at the highest levels. I know, personally, that if I am ever confronted by an FBI agent, I am going to stand on my Miranda rights and tell then to either produce a valid warrant, or go away.