Scaup

 My father called them Butterballs. other folks called them Blue Bills.  The lesser scaup is a duck species native to North America.  They are diving ducks.

The last time we got into a flight of scaup was a day much like today.  A front moving through, low clouds scudding at treetop height.  A misting rain.  Dad and I were in a blind in the Catahoula swamp and as daylight broke, the scaup started flying.  We knocked down our limits in about 15 minutes of shooting, collected the ducks and were walking out of the lake as the other hunt3rs were coming in.  This was pre-1980.

I tell you all this because not 15 minutes ago, I was drinking coffee on my back porch and a flight of scaup came over, looking at the lake that is in the center of our subdivision.  They made two passes, then departed to the northeast, probably headed for that very same lake that Dad and I hunted in all those years ago.

But, it is time for me to get busy with my day, and shooting ducks has no part in it.

This And That

 A Headline

Biden Education Official Says Democracy—And Everything Else—Is White Supremacy

My Thoughts

 WHen everything is "whte supremacy", nothing is "white supremacy".

Suspect Shot

 It seems that another upstanding citizen tried to harm a police officer and got shot for his trouble.  In this case, the suspect will survive to explain his actions before a court.  According to the local station:

Louisiana State Police has taken over the investigation. LSP investigators shared in their initial report that at around 12:30 p.m., APD received a complaint that a man was running into traffic on Rapides Avenue. When an officer got to the area, they came in contact with the man, identified as 34-year-old Jason Shackleford.

According to LSP, Shackleford then initiated a lengthy physical altercation with the officer. During the physical altercation, LSP shared that Shackleford “gained control of the officer’s baton and began choking the officer from behind with the baton.” That’s when the officer fired his gun and shot Shackleford.

Shackleford was transported to a local hospital for treatment. In its update, LSP shared that he was last listed in stable condition. The officer was also transported to a local hospital for treatment, but has since been released.

 Choke an officer, catch a bullet.  It sounds to me like a good shoot.

You might recall that earlier this week, we covered another incident where a suspect tried to disarm an officer and caught a bullet for his trouble. There seems to be a pattern here, and the street idiots need to take both these incidents as object lessons.

Happy Thanksgiving.

 While enjoying the moderate temps outside an hour ago, I heard squawking overhead and noticed a big flight of snow geese headed south.  Which prompted me to open an ap and look at the surface map.

It looks like we are in for some rain later today.  But that's okay, too.  The turkey and the ham are in the roaster, Belle is puttering around in the kitchen, and I have a good roof overhead.  Lots to be thankful for.  Family will show up in a couple of hours, and the feast will be amazing.

The big decision I have now is when I'm going to cook the traditional after-Thanksgiving gumbo.  This evening after the party subsides, I will break up the turkey carcass and drop it into a big stock pot.  That smoked turkey will lend an amazing flavor to the stock, and I'll use that as a base for a gumbo either on Friday or Saturday. I really enjoy the after-Thanksgiving gumbo.

Belle is banging pots in the kitchen, so I suppose I should go see what I can do to help.

Thanksgiving Prep

 The day before Thanksgiving, and we're prepping.  Belle has lots on her list, and by default, I have a list too.  I'm not sure how many people we are going to feed tomorrow, but 20 is a good working average. This is why I built the shop, so that we can entertain a crowd in comfort.

Whatever you may think about the traditions and history of Thanksgiving, it is a time to share with family and friends, to give thanks to our Creator and to enjoy a little time with people we don't see as often as we would like.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all.

What Is The Play

 Something interesting is playing out.

It seems that CBS News now believes that the Hunter Biden laptop is real.  And the evidence on it is damning.

More from Fox News here.

One week after the Republicans flipped the House, and gave notice that they would start investigations, the liberal news organizations now believe that the laptop they dismissed as fake two years ago, now shows the corruption of the Biden family.

Leslie Stahl owes Donald Trump a big, fat apology.  If the laptop is real, then both Hunter and The Big Guy face a host of influence peddling charges.

Gavin Newsome is ecstatic.

Officer Involved Shooting Rapides Parish

On 11-06-22 a deputy with the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office was involved in a shooting following a traffic stop.  The Sheriff of the parish, Mark Wood, asked the Louisiana State Police to conduct a critical incident investigation.  The investigation is not concluded, but the Louisiana State Police has released what they call a Critical Incident Community Briefing to keep the community informed on the status of the investigation.

The briefing is below. It shows the incident from the perspective of the cruiser's dash camera, the officers body camera, and the perspective from a citizen cell phone.

On November 20, 2022, Colonel Lamar Davis of the Louisiana State Police provided an update to the initial briefing.

This investigation ain't over yet.

Back In Service

 My old Model 38, the Smith and Wesson Airweight is back in service.  I found this gun in late 2011 or early 2012, a pawn shop find.  Originally a nickeled aluminum revolver, I bought it very used and it became a pocket gun.  I've always been enamored of J-frame pistols.  A blast from the past.

Here is the old girl as she came from the pawn shop, wearing Herrett grips.

A couple of years ago during routine service, we found some problems with the nickel finish.  It was starting to peel.  My Smith mechanic recommended that we refinish the frame, and I put it on the back burner to fighure out what I wanted to do.

After a couple of years, grandson Zach is now a cerracote gguy at a local AR manufactory.  He took the frame in and stripped it, then coated it with what he calls Armorers Black.  My Smith mechanic was in town today and he reassembled the gun.  I wanted to keep the cylinder and crane nickeledd, with a black frame, to make it a bi-color.

It's back together now, with a new set of cocobolo grips.  This revolver has a pinned barrel, so I know that its date of manufacture pre-dates 1982.  In 1982, SW dropped the pinned barrel as an unnecessary production step.  The revolver is at least 40 years old, and is ready for another 40 years of service.

Chicken Fried Steak

Family is in for Thanksgiving, and the grandkids are out of school, so we'll be cooking all week.

Belle decided today that she wanted to cook chicken fried steak.  Our recipe is a lot like Kent Rollins, with one simple change.  Instead of double-dipping his beading, ours is a three-step process.  First dredge the seasoned meat in flour, then the eg wash, then we dip them in crushed saltine crackers.

About an hour before we cook, I'll put saltine crackers in a gallon size zipper bag, then roll them with her roller until they are a powder.  

Then, the process is seasoned meat (salt, pepper, garlic powder), into the flour dredge, then into the egg wash, then into the crushed saltines.  It gives us a better crust.  Below, Kent Rollins lays it out for you.

With mashed potatoes, cream gravy, and baby lima beans.  

The Labor Gap

 Our governor, the execrable John Bel Edwards (hack, spit) is trumpeting what he believes to be a touchstone in his damnable administration.  It seems that Louisiana has achieved an unemployment rate of 3.7%.  What John Bel doesn't tell you is exactly how many folks in Louisiana have left the labor force.  It's huge.

What he is not trumpeting is that Louisiana's Labor Force Participation rate is currently at 58.5%.  That tells us that  41.5% of the labor force is not participating at all.  Generous rounding tells us that 60% of the population is being dragged down by the other 40%.

John Bel can crow about these numbers, but the simple fact is that over 40% of our labor force is not working, not looking for work, or is living in the labor force black market.  Combine that with our out-migration and you have a recipe for disaster.

Sunday Morning Dawg

 

Old Masters

 There is an interesting discussion on the Fast Draw Facebook page.  It seems that some of the newer shooters have discovered someone named Elmer Keith.  Heh!

I've been reading Elmer Keith since the 1960s.  His expertise on big-bore handguns was legendary.  The fact that he was able to simultaneously talk Remington and Smith and Wesson into building the .44 Magnum is one of the coolest tales ever told.

There is a great link here about how he pulled it off.

Ain't This Interesting?

 House Republicans are set to launch a deep-dive into Hunter Biden.

Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel to look into Donald Trump.

And, I just saw that some of Jeffrey Epstein's contacts are going to be made public.

This shit is fixing to get real.

Get It Done, Chuck!

Chuck says that he wants a comprehensive immigration bill.

Well, who is stopping him?  He still has a Senate majority, and until Jan 3rd, San Fran Nan still has a House majority.  Who is stopping them?  The simple truth is that they do not want to fix the problem.  They only want to talk about it.

In Comments

 In reference to the Trench post yesterday, Steve asks in comments:

If you don't mind, would you share pictures? Steve

Sorry, Steve, I didn't think about taking photos during the dirt work.  But, it's rather straight-forward, and YouTube is awash in trech videos.   In the past I have used what we locally call a Ditch-Witch, which uses a gasoline engine to cut a trench 6" wide and maybe 3' deep.  This machine was smaller.  It cut a trench 3" wide and a max depth of 18".

I didn't go that deep.  I only cut to just below sod depth.  Maybe six inches max.  Then, I installed 1" PVC with the ethernet cable inside.  Then, used a sweeping curve to come out of the ground and take the cable into the shop.  I then used some strapping to secure the conduit to the building, cut a hole in the wall, and used some Great Stuff to seal the conduit into the wall.  Then, hooked the router t the ethernet cable, plugged it in, and let it go through its opening ceremony.  Voila!   The shop has internet.

Digging Trenches

 I went to Homey Depot this morning and rented a trencher.  Spent the morning digging a trench from the house to the shop. Then, burying the outdoor, burial rated ethernet cable in a PVC conduit.  I'm up to the shop now, and have made the curve our of the ground.  Awaiting second son, who will be here in an hour of so, and we'll finish the installation in just a few minutes after he arrives.  He does this sort of thing for a living, and I want his judgement on where to cut the hole in the wall.

This past Monday, I got a call from my ISP.  Earlier they had said that running internet to the shop was un-possible.  Now, they have decided that it can be done.  They have the work orders approved and want to schedule the installation.  I told them Never Mind.  I wanted to throw money at them, but they could not do it, so I took matters into my own hands.

Digging trenches is not a lot of fun, but it's done now, and we're almost there.

Trump Ammounces

 He's back, seeking the Republican nomination.

I admit I have mixed feelings about it.

Cold and Clammy

 We got up early this morning and went to the hospital where Belle had a follow--up.  Got done under two hours, and went to breakfast.  Back at home now, and the weather is miserable.  40-ish, misting rain, if I were in Kentucky, I'd predict snow.

So, we're doing what any rational person would do, making a big pot of deer chili.

Yeah, it has beans in it.  This ain't Texas chili, this is my chili.

Majority? Not Yet

 According to sources, NBC is projecting that the GOP has won the House majority, although by a very slim margin.

Officially, NBC News says the House majority is undecided at this point. However, the Daily Caller also projected that Republicans will flip the House, and have a 219-216 seat majority.

Meh!  At this point, I'll wait until the ballots are counted. 

Attempted Flight

 A local inmate decided to try his luck jumping off the 3rd floor parking garage after a court session.

At approximately 11:38 am, an inmate being transported from 9th Judicial District Court downtown back to Detention Center 3 attempted to escape by jumping off the third floor parking garage.

According to the initial reports, the inmate, who was handcuffed and shackled, broke away from deputies loading the transport van with inmates returning from court and ran to the corner of the garage.  As deputies approached the inmate giving him verbal commands to get on the ground,  the inmate jumped over the side of the parking garage, landing on the sidewalk at Johnston Street  at Foisy Street.

Deputies were on the street and witnessed the inmate landing on the sidewalk.  The deputies responded and quickly assessed his injuries and called for RPSO Medical Staff and Acadian Ambulance. 

The inmate was alert and conversing when Acadian Ambulance arrived and transported him to a local hospital.

Corrections Security Investigators say his incident is still under investigation.

We don't do Catch and Release in Rapides Parish.

Trailer Maintenance

 I own a little 5X10 trailer that I use for light loads, and it hasn't moved in several (five?) years. I pulled it out yesterday and noticed that the tires are dry-rotted.  So, this morning is trailer maintenance.  New tires, squirt a little grease in the wheel bearings, make sure the lights work.  I'll need the trailer later this week, so it's time to make sure it is road-worthy.

I've hosed everything down with penetrating oil, and giving it a half hour to seep in.

If you use a trailer every day, or once a week, you see things when they crop up.  If you let the trailer sit behind the shop for five years (and I think that is about right) the maintenance comes due all at once.

I could tell you horror stories about folks who let trailers sit for years, then expect them to work in the run up before a major event, like a hurricane.  It never ends well.  I'm trying to avoid a bad ending here.

None Of The Above

 I see that the Senate race in Nevada has been called with Democrat Cortez-Masteo defeating Republican Adam Laxalt by a slim margin.  Candidate None Of The Above won 1.2% of the vote.

The Senate race in Arizona has also been called, to the benefit of the Democrat.

At this point, it really doesn't matter what happens in Georgia.  The Democrats will control the Senate for the next two years.  Good Luck to Hershel Walker, but his race is now officially a side-show.

With 435 seats in the House, and 25 still not decided, I see no reason for Pelosi to start packing her office yet.  Long counts favor Democrats.  She may well retain her speaker post.

It is time for the Republicans to take a hard look at their leadership, their messaging, and their strategy for winning elections.  Ronna McDaniel, Mitch McConnel, and Kevin McCarthy should either step down of be driven from leadership.  They failed spectacularly.  It's time for the Republicans to take a deep breath and reassess everything.

Make no mistake.  I am not accusing anyone of cheating.  The Democrats are winning, and they are dragging the US down the tubes.  The Republicans need to come up with better leaders, better candidates, and a better strategy.  What they are doing now is not working.

Sunday Morning Dawg

 Harassing the cat is his second favorite occupation.

Whazzup Wit That?

 Newsmax is reporting that Democrat Mark Kelly (D-AZ) has prevailed in his race over Republican challenger Blake Masters for the US Senate

I didn't think that they were finished with the vote count in Arizona yet. The governors race is still undecided.

I'm just sayin'.

Learn to Count

 Like many of us, I want free, fair elections where every American gets to cast a ballot and have it counted. I want every American to have faith that the electoral process works, and that it accurately reflects the cumulative will of the voters.

The election was over on Tuesday, and this morning, Friday, we still don't know who won in three key races.  Arizona and Nevada have not finished counting the votes.  We may not know the final tally until next week.  This reflects utter failure on the part of the vote-counters in both Arizona and Nevada, and does not engender confidence in the process.  It should not take more than 24 hours to count the vote, and many places do it a whole lot faster.

When this debacle is over, and the votes are finally counted, the election officials in Arizona and Nevada need to scrap whatever process they are using, and go to Florida, or Texas, or even New York, and learn how tose sttes conduct and election.  Because, plainly, what they are doing now does not work.

Sponsor A Liberal For Just $8 A Month

Happy Birthday, Jarheads

 On this day in 1775  the Continental Marines were established, recruiting in Tun's Tavern, Philadelphia. 

Georgia

 Finished running errands this morning, got some lunch and sat down to look at the political climate.

It appears that the Republicans will take the House by a slim majority.  We don't know how slim, but it looks like the GOP will win the house.

Politico tell sus that 97 Senate races are decided.  49 for the Red, and 48 for the Blue.  Georgia is in a runoff between Warnock and Walker.  Utah and Arizona are still counting.  If Arizona and Utah split, it boils down to Georgia.  If Utah and Arizona go blue, it boils down to Georgia.  If Utah and Arizona go red, it still boils down to Georgia.

I would not want to be a voter in Georgia for the next month.

Counting The Votes

 I fondly remember the 2000 presidential election.  I was dating a woman who supported Al Gore, while I supported George W Bush. We were both frustrated when the election hanged on the chads in Florida and it was Too Close To Call.  Florida has since cleaned up their act, and votes are counted quickly.  We knew who won in Florida within five hours of the polls closing.

But, this morning after the election, we are still awaiting totals from Arizona, Georgia, and a number of other states.  For example, the US House races still outstanding.

And, the US Senate

Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, or some in between, we need to do better.  People need to know who won, and dragging it out doesn't help to engender confidence in the process.  Arizona and Georgia really need to clean p their act, along with several other states.  We should know who won an election by daylight the next day.

What Red Wave?

A brief history of midterm elections.  All references from Wikipedia.  GOggle it yourself.

 In 1994, Republicans wrested control of Congress from Bill Clinton, by picking up six Senate seats and 54 House seats.

In the 1998 midterms, Republicans retained control of both the House and Senate.

In 2002 under George W Bush, Republicans had a net gain of 2 in the Senate and gained 8 in the House.

In 2006, the Democrats gained 6 Senate seats and 31 seats in the Hous3.

In the 2010 midterms, during Obana's first term Republicans picked up 6 seats in the Senate and picked up 63 seats in the House.

In the 2014 midterms, the Republicans picked up 9 seats in the Senate and the House picked up an additional 13 seats, giving Republicans the largest majority since 1928

In 2022 as I write this, the day after the elections, we are simply not sure who controls the House or the Senate.  No red wave materialized, in defiance of the pollsters and the history of midterm elections.  Generally, the president's opponents gain seats.  Right now, we're not sure, but even if we gain a slim majority in the House and hold the status quo in the Senate, we can say that the Republicans failed to meet expectations. Biden won this one.

Both Kevin McCarthy and Mitch McConnell should immediately step down as party leaders.  Along with whomever is the head weenie at the RNC.  They failed completely.

Election Day

 It's election day.  The polls are open locally and voting has begun.  Belle and I voted early.  We like doing that, but we realize that not everyone has that opportunity.  We have family members who will vote today.

Who is going to win?  The American people. The pundits I listen to say that we are on the cusp of a red wave, but I realize that I might be listening from inside a bubble.  So, I went over to Larry Sabato's site to see what his team has to say.  Sabato is not known to be conservative, politically, but he is fairly good at reading the tea leaves, or the chicken entrails, or whatever he uses to predict races.  Sabato says that the Republicans are going to win both the House and the Senate.

If you haven't voted, make sure that you vote today.  And, if you are conflicted, vote Republican.  The Republicans are not perfect, but the other side is insane.

Massive Failure - Whatever

 The news is awakening to the simple, undeniable fact that the Covid response was a massive failure.  Even USA Today is covering it.

We've been reporting the failures of the Covid response for two years, but somehow, the memes started coming this week.  For example.

There is a great Twitter meme on it.  Click here for a hilarious video.

More memes at Hot Air.

Unrelated Thoughts

 

At The Grocers

 Yesterday, Belle gave me a list and sent me to the grocers.  This had proven, in the past, to be a disaster, but she figured she would try it once again.  I got to the grocery and worked the list, and headed for the checkout line.  One of the items on the list was a rotisserie chicken.  One of those pre-cooked chickens that we use in recipes.

As I was checking out, I noticed that I had forgotten to load the chicken in the cart, so I mentioned to the cashier, a young lady. "Don't let me forget that dead chicken."

She looked up, startled, "Dead?"

I loaded the bag into the cart.  "Yeah, sweetie.  I'm fairly sure that this chicken is deceased."

As I pushed the cart through the door, she was still laughing.

No Moping

 That's the message that the Lightworker is sending to Democrats ahead of the drubbing they are about to receive.

"Sulking and moping is not an option," former President Barack Obama told Democratic voters in Pittsburgh. "On Tuesday, let's make sure our country doesn’t get set back 50 years."

Sulking and moping would be much preferable to the total meltdown we have come to expect when Democrats lose. 

I am really looking forward to Wednesday morning.

Sunday Moring Dawg

 Laid up beside Belle, taking a nap.

Joe Manchin Learns that Biden Is A Democrat

 It seems that our President, in a recent rally, promised to shut down all the coal fired plants in the US.

Senator Joe Manchin, D-WV, is pissed.  West Virginia digs a lot of coal.

Sen. Joe Manchin, whose state relies heavily on the coal industry, was none too pleased. He ripped Biden in a statement Saturday morning, calling the president’s comments “outrageous and divorced from reality.”

I can't wait until Wednesday morning. 

The Clock Moves

 I am reminded that tomorrow morning at 3:00 a.m., we set the clocks back to 2:00 a.m.

When I was a road cop, I hated working that shift.  First, because it was a night shift, and second, because 2"30 came twice.  There may have once been a valid reson to adjust the clocks twice yearly, but that time is gone.

If Biden wanted to do something useful, he would ram through legislation to simply cancel Daylight Savings Time.  It would be bipartisan and would clear both houses with veto proof majorities.

But, he doesn't want to be useful.

The Basics

 There is a discussion going on in CFDA about basic gun safety, and in this context it always helps to review the basics.  Many years ago, Jeff Cooper famously promulgated his Four Rules.  They are as basic as it gets, yet a strict adherence to these rules have proven to be very effective at preventing accidents.

RULE 1 ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

RULE 2 NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO DESTROY

RULE 3 KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER TIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET

RULE 4 BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

The years have proven that these four simple rules are sufficient for our purposes.  They can lead to greater discussion, but these form the basics. 

Californians Move to Texas Episode 4: The Gun Range

Hey Clyburne! You Lose

 Someone please tell James Clyburn that he just lost the argument.

House Majority Whip: US 'on track to repeat' Nazi Germany, downplays inflation ahead of midterms

According to Godwin's Law, if you invoke the Nazis, you lose. 

These are coming so fast and furious that I'm having to schedule postings.  Tuesday is going to be a hoot.

Covid Amnesty? Not Likely

 Termite linked to some articles in a comment, below.  There are some people who are pushing for an amnesty on the public health officials and elected leaders who led us through the most severe degradation of civil liberties since Reconstruction.

Not likely.  Elected leaders are supposed to know the Constitution, and I see no where in the Bill of Rights that allows a suspension of civil liberties during a virus.  Yes, it is true that thousand died, but it is also true that lives and businesses were wrecked, schools were shuttered to the detriment of students,   It's also true that the elites refused to play by the same rules that they decreed for their citizens.

As a Christian, I routinely ask for Grace, and I tend to forgive those that trespass against me.  But, that doesn't mean that I forget the indignity that was foisted upon me. It's bad enough that the execrable judgement of the so-called "public health officials" has led many of us to never trust them again in any regard.  They squandered the public trust.  They were so completely wrong about Covid that no one listens to them.

There are questions about the pandemic.  Not the least of which is the origin of the virus itself, and whether the CCP pushed it on the world as a form of biological warfare.  We also need to know who in the United States was complicit in furthering the aims of the CCP.

Somebody, Please Tell Joe

Somone, please tell Joe that democracy is not at risk.  Democracy is not on the ballot.  Democracy IS the ballot.

As for that asshole Ron Klain, Who is he to give me a warning? What arrogance, which is one reason we're getting ready to cut your power off.

Every so often, the American people revolt.  Thankfully for us all, we do it at the ballot box.  We realign political power to more closely suit our purposes.  In this republic, The People are in charge.  Our political puppets forget that fact at their own risk.  If the polls are right, next week will bring a realignment of political power.  Peacefully, through the ballot.  I'm buying extra popcorn to watch the inevitable meltdown.

They Are Freaking Out

I'm doing the gag work so you don't have to.  But, it appears that the Democrats are freaking out, with the idea that Republicans might capture Congress. It's mentally crippling to the Dems.

Quelle Horreur!  It's the End Of Democracy.  This bit of reassuring hysteria from CNBC.

It ain't over yet, but it will be (or should be, if they can count votes) late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

I'm really enjoying this, but I admit that I"m tired of watching political news.  I think I"m going to find a good movie to watch.

Remembering Affirmative Action.

 I graduated from high school in 1971 and like many of my peers, went directly into college.  I started at LSUA, a small regional campus that would let a broke student begin his college career while staying at home.  My first semester of college cost me $92.00 plus books.  Not $92.00 per semester hour.  $92.00 total.

My first college class was Accounting 101, basics of accounting.  We had over 40 students in the room, which only had 30 chairs. It was a Wednesday morning.  Our professor told us not to worry, all he wanted us to do was to go to the book store, buy the text and a workbook, study the first four chapters and be ready for a test on Friday morning. Class dismissed.

When I showed up for the test on Friday morning, only about 20 other students were in attendance.  The prof was very pleased that we had made it this far, and started teaching us accounting.

We also had the Draft.  A quaint employment program for able bodied males.  After the first semester, we would look around and ask, "Where's Joe?:"  He flunked out and is in the Army.  The ladies didn't have to worry about the draft, but they could still flunk out.  There were plenty of waitress jobs available, and the Trade School was still teaching hair-dressing.

That was affirmative action when I was growing up.  If you flunked out, you were drafted, or went to trade school.  It was a whole 'muther world. College students were expected to be adults, not over-age children.

Move Along, Joe

 I understand our decrepit president is going to give a speech tonight.  With inflation at 40 year high, an unrestricted border, crime spiking in Democrat cities. high fuel prices and high food prices, he intends to talk about January 6th.  The world has moved on, but the swamp-dwellers are still trying to figure out what happened.

The US House of Representatives is called "The People's House".  On January 6th, some of the people showed up. That is what happened.  The People should be welcome in the US House.

In six days, The People are going to show up again, with their votes.

True, That

 I'll be 69 this year, but I get the point.

Linked

 After offering to throw money at my ISP to get them to put internet in the shop, and being told it was un-possible, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

I had a bunch (several hundred yards) of Cat5 cable we used for fast draw, and the shop is only 70 feet from the house.  I bought a router and ran a test line from the modem in the house to the router in the shop.  A few minutes of setup, and I was connected.  

Now, I have to get some Cat5E, some pvc for conduit, and rent a trencher.  The concept works, and now I have to make it more eye-pleasing, rather than a bare cable run across the grass.  

I now have internet access in the shop, and my ISP can blow soap bubbles out their ass.

Is Affirmative Action Over?

 There is a case wending its way through the legal system that seeks to overturn race-based admissions at UNC. The case has made it to oral arguments at the Supreme Court.

What we today call Affirmative Action stems from a series of legislative bills and executive orders in 1965

Whether you agree or disagree, it has been a topic of discussion ever since.  Oral arguments were very recent, and the Supremes will rule in their time and in their manner.  Many Americans have lived their entire lives under Affirmative Action and cannot conceive a future without it.

This is liable to get interesting.

Stump Politics

 Senator John Kennedy (R-LA) was on the stump tonight and we went to listen to him at the Buckeye High School gym.  It was classic John Kennedy; his I Believe speech.  But, he mingled with the crowd before he took the microphone.

Here, he is chatting with Belle when he came up in the bleachers to visit with the crowd.

Classic Louisiana politics.  We like John Kennedy and believe he represents us well.

That Whole Pelosi THing

I'm sure by now you have heard of that whole Paul Pelosi thing, where he was hit in the head by an intruder and had to have surgery. We wish him a full, complete, and speedy recovery.

As I learned in police work all those decades, initial news reports are often wrong.  I'm happy to wait for a better reporting of the incident, but the corrections simply don't make any sense.  The SFPD doesn't use body cams?  Where is the tape of the original 911 call?  The Pelosi cottage in SanFran doesn't have security video?  The questions keep coming, and the answers don't shed any light on the situation.

I hope that Paul gets better quickly.  I really do, but this whole kerfuffle is starting to look like Jussie Smollett 2.0.

Running Errands

 While running errands today, Belle and I went by the early polling site and voted for the November 8 primary.  Here in Pineville, the early voting site is Kees Park, at the community center.  It's convenient, it is easy, and I feel like it is secure.  It takes about 10 minutes from the time you lock your car until you get back in to drive away. Voting was brisk this morning, but there were no lines.  Just walk in, identify yourself and go vote.

Louisiana is an ID Card state, and has been for the past several decades.  It is neither an issue nor a hindrance.  We are quite baffled as to why other states haven't adopted the practice.

This And That

 We have all been barraged with the news of the prominent San Francisco homeowner who confronted an intruder, was hit with a hammer, and is in the hospital with a fractured skull.  We wish him a speedy recovery.

We turn to page two of the paper and learn of another intruder in Hidalgo County, TX,   It didn't work out that well for him.

Garcia, 36, proceeded to try to break into the bedroom where the family was located, according to authorities. 

"The homeowner warned Garcia that the police had been called and she had a gun.  When Garcia refused to leave and continued to try to get into the bedroom, the homeowner shot once through the door.  Garcia fled the house," the sheriff’s office posted to Facebook of the burglary. 

Authorities launched a search of the area and found Garcia about 100 yards away from the home with a gunshot wound to the left arm. He was medically cleared and booked into the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center for Burglary of Habitation with Intent, the sheriff’s office said on Facebook. 

That's the way it is supposed to work.  Someone breaks in, you shoot him.  Our homeowner in SanFran should have known how to do that.

Sunday Morning Dawg

 

Hanging out on the porch.

Coon

 

Punch C1 and watch him jump.

Investigation

 PJMedia is reporting that Senator Bob Menendez is under some sort of federal criminal investigation.

Who cares?  Being under federal investigation is sort of a badge of honor.  They've been investigating Trump for years now.

Until they actually file indictments, it's just rumor.

Diesel Shortage?

 Zero Hedge is reporting that we might be in dire straits.

Diesel supplies are very scarce across the Northeast and in the Southeast. Supplies are at the lowest seasonal level for this time of year, and the US only has 25 days left of the industrial fuel in storage. The crisis gripping the diesel market appears to be getting out of hand as one fuel supply logistics company initiated emergency protocols this week. 

Thanks, Joe Biden   Diesel is the life-blood of American commerce.

Democracy Dies

 If you've been paying attention to the national screechers, it appears that Republicans might be having a good year.  I doubt that they can hold it, because I call them the Stupid Party, but the other side is insane.  The latest screed is that democracy is going to die if the Rs take over.

Tucker covers it here, but there is one screengrab that tells the tale.  You know that this guy is a Democrat, and it turns out he works for some Washington fish wrap paper.

Okay, Max.  Explain to me again how democracy dies when one side wins a free and fair election?

Evidently, the Ds have finally read the Constitution and learned that state legislatures control the certification of election.  That's not news.  It's been that way since ratification.

It will be interesting to see how the voter turnout goes in Georgia under the new Jim Crow 2.0 law.  By all reports, the Georgia voters are breaking records.

Undecided Voters

 I understand that there was a debate in Pennsylvania last night, and that it was a complete train-wreck for John Fetterman.  But, at this late stage of the election cycle, I wonder how many undecided voters there are in Pennsylvania?  I know nothing about politics in that state, but I know that for the local races we will decide in Louisiana, voters have already made up their minds.  In fact, we are already voting.

Pennsylvania is a tight race. The choice between Fetterman and Oz is stark.  The choice has been stark since the beginning of the race and has not really changed.  Oz is a physician and Fetterman is a career politician.  Fetterman is a Democrat and Oz is a Republican.  Oz seems to have control of his mental faculties and Fetterman is a stroke patient.  That is not Fetterman's fault, and I wish him a clear and complete recovery, bnut that does not change the fact.

In other news, evidently Hillary Clinton has actually read the Constitution and has learned that the state legislatures control the US Presidential election.  Who knew?  It comes as a bit of a shock to her.

According to Hillary Clinton, less than two years after the “fairest and most secure election in history,” the 2024 presidential election is on the verge of being stolen.

Hillary is like the herpes of American politics.  The immune system beats it down, but never really kills it. Then, once the body politic lets its guard down, it erupts again causing discomfort and pain among the afflicted.

High and Dry

 The USS Kidd, a Fletcher-class destroyer from the WWII era is a floating museum in Baton Rouge, LA.

Kidd was featured in the recent WWII movie Greyhound.  Tom Hanks played the skipper who took the ship on convoy duty escorting merchants and troop carriers to the UK.

Normally, she floats in the Mississippi river, providing tours to school kids and veterans groups.

Only problem now is, she ain't floating.  Too little water int he river.

Plenty more photos in the local fish wrapper.  If whoever it is taking care of Kidd, this might be a good time to do hull maintenance.

Mondays

 This was the weekend that kept on giving.

After we learned that my brother had died on Friday, we were trying to adjust to the shock, then on Saturday afternoon, we learned that our Mother had fallen and broken a hip.  Thankfully, Mom lives close and had plenty of support.

The docs did surgery this morning, a complete replacement.  Mom just got out of surgery and the doc reports that she came through it well.

This weekend has been a total skunk-striped bitch.  And, any Monday I have to spend at a hospital cannot be described as a complete success.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.

Election Deniers

I saw this one day last week but glossed over it.  It turned up on my news feed this morning, and I decided to highlight it.

Kari Lake is running to be the governor of Arizona.  She does not suffer fools gladly.

Sunday Morning Dawg

 

Stretching after a nap on the porch.

Horror

 If you follow general aviation, I'm sure by now you have heard of the airplane crash in Keene, NH that took the lives of two people.

David was my little brother.  He turned 599 this year.  David was that kid down at the FBO who would do anything for an hour of flight time.  Sweep hangers, spot planes, clean up messes, he did it all to fly.  He got his pilots lisense shortly after he got his drivers license.

David went in the Army right out of high school and did a tour in Germany, where he worked as a crew chief on UH-1 helicopters.  When he came out of the Army, he met his wife and they settled down in her hometown of Townshend, VT.  He got out of aviation for a while, but after his two kids were out of high school, he went back to it with everything he had.  I looked at David's FAA certification today.  Airplane, single and multi-engine, commercial, instrument instructor.

I last saw David in July, when he came home for a short visit.  We had the opportunity to spend an afternoon together.  He wouldn't have a drink with me because he valued his pilot's license above all else. David worked at what he called the "salt mine" during the day, then went to the airport and taught aviation for a couple of hours before going home.

According from what I can piece together from the news items, David had a student in his plane, and was about a mile or less from the airport.  Something went horribly wrong.  David and his student died.

The family is in shock.

Californians Move to Texas | Episode 3: The Church

And looks who makes a guest appearance.

Internet Access

 One of the continuing challenges of rural America is internet access.  The gold standard is cable-type Inernet, but other options exist in local markets.

Here where I live, we are served by Optimum, a cable company who provides TV, internet, and residential phone services.  We used to be served by SuddenLink, but they went away several months ago, and Optimum is the name on the building today.

Optimum sends me a bill each month.  A big bill.  I had been using my cell phone as a local hotspot for internet services in the shop but wanted something better.  The hotspot has a data limit, and when I reached that limit, they would throttle it dramatically.  So, I went down to the local Optimum office to see if I could get internet access in the shop.

I went in on Thursday, Oct 13, and they told me that someone would be out on Friday, Oct 14 to assess the work.  hung around the shop all day and never saw any cable guys, so on Monday I called the company.  THey told me that their guy had been here and said that it was impossible to put internet in my shop because it was over 300 feet from their access point.  Odd, that/

So, I went back to the store on Tuesday, October 18th.  They told me that someone would be out of Thursday, Oct 20, to re-evaluate. I stayed at the shop all day yesterday, and even made jokes about it with friends and family who dropped by, asking if they had seen a lost cable guy.  No one showed up.  So, this morning, Oct 21st, I went back to the store.  The woman at the store, who has been very helpful, checked the computer and told me that someone had come out yesterday, and said that the local access point is over 325 feet from the shop.

That is very odd.  I checked the acess point on the pole with Google maps, using the same access route that our local electric company used to put power into the shop.  It measured at just over 192 feet.

They are supposed to send a supervisor out later today.  We'll see.

Hilarious

 This story out of Germany warms my heart. It seems some protesters went into a Volkswagen facility and glued themselves to the floor.  VW, by all accounts, told them to have fun, turned off the heat to the building and left.

“[Volkswagen] told us that they supported our right to protest, but they refused our request to provide us with a bowl to urinate and defecate in a decent manner while we are glued, and have turned off the heating.”

So, their basic complaint is that Volkswagen won't let them shit in a bowl?  Okay!

Houdini

 The dawg has become an escape artist, figuring ways to get under the backyard fence to explore the wider world.  Belle is vocally opposed to him running loose.

He's creative, I'll give him that.  For the past week or so, it's been a game.  I'll patch one escape route, he'll find another.  His last gambit was fairly creative.  Shimmy under an old deck and exploit a gap in the fence that I didn't think a cat could get through.   So, this morning, with a little field expedient carpentry, I closed that gap. We'll see how he does with that.

He's a pea-brain, but I learned to deal with pea-brains during my stint in Corrections.  Lots of pea-brains there who learn to study barricades looking for a weak spot.

Pork Stew

 We awoke to freezing temperatures this morning, the first time this season.   After coffee, I asked Belle what she wanted for lunch, and she reminded me about a piece of pork we needed to cook.  So, a stew seemed to be in order.

I want out to the shop, lit the hater near her couch, then started prepping the pork.  Cut it into bite-sized peices and seasoned it well with salt, pepper, garlic powder and a little Tony's seasoning.  I washed and chopped an onion, some russet potatoes, and some carrots.  Then browned the pork in a little oil,  When brown, I added the onions, and a little flour.  I let that sizzle for a bit, then added some brown gravy mix and water.  A little Lea &Perrins for flavor.  I put it on what trail cooks call a "slow walk" and let the flavors blend for an hour or so.

When the carrots were fork tender, I put on a pot of rice.  That's how we did lunch today.

FBI Malfeasance

 Matt Vespa, at Townhall, writes about the FBI under-counting the number of mass shooting prevented or ended by a civilian who happens to be close when the incident begins.

According to the Hoover boys, only four percent of active shooter situations are stopped by ordinary citizens when the actual number is closer to 35 percent. In 2021, the figure was around 50 percent. John Lott’s Crime Prevention Research Center crunched the exact figures in their new study, which also added that the FBI misclassified shooting incidents when a civilian stopped the attacker because the police later arrested the suspect (via CPRC):

So, the FBI is under-counting those situations where a civilian stops a mass shooting, and under-counting them by a factor of 10.  That doesn't surprise me. 

Just another reason not to believe anything that the FBI tells us.  They have lied to the American people almost continuously since 2001. They lock up patriots and ignore crimes committed by Democrats.

Getting Ready

 With cold weather imminent, I decided yesterday to get some propane bottles filled.  Standard, 25 lb bottles.  I took them down to the local feed-and-seed  Filling four bottles cost me $91 and change.  Last year, it was $56 and change.

This morning I was at Wally-World and passed through the camping section to pick up some small 1 lb bottles. $9.87 for a two-pack.

I can see that heating the shop is going to be expensive this winter, and I'll have to pick up one of those adapters to refill the small bottles.  Belle likes a small Mr. Heater down by her feet when we're in the shop.  It runs on 1 lb bottles, and I may have to get an adapter to run it off one of the big bottles.  But, I hear from others that the Mr. Heater really doesn't like to run off the big bottles.  Something about the hose degrading and getting trash in the heater that clogs up the works.

Freeze Warning

 The weather weenies are telling me that we have a freeze warning in effect for Wednesday, Oct 19th.

It's only supposed to get down to 30F, but technically that is freezing.

We'll see, I reckon.  I went and got some propane bottles filled today in case I have to break out the heater for the shop.

Mayorkas is a Damned Fool

 Mayorkas is now complaining that Republican rhetoric on the open border is causing a problem, because the Mexican cartels think that that border is open.

Mayorkas is a damned fool.  The reason that Republicans are saying that the border is open is because the border is, in fact, open.  Not only is Mayorkas stupid, but he is ugly.  Belle commented recently, while watching him on TV, that I have a better-looking head on my dick.

In a same world, Mayorkas would be in prison for malfeasance.  The amount of damage that he has personally done to the United States is incalculable.  If we had a functioning DOJ, Mayorkas would have already been run out of town on a rail, but with Garland in charge, he's only interested in J6 revelers and covering up for Hunter Biden.

If we take the Senate in three weeks, these sonsofbbitches need to find a hole to crawl in.

Red Wave

 PJMedia is opining that Colorado might elect a GOP senator.

Both parties quietly say the Colorado senate seat currently held by Democrat empty suit Michael Bennet could very well flip to GOP challenger Joe O’Dea — despite him lagging far behind in every poll taken so far.

I'm no politico, as I proved in my run for Sheriff, but even I can see that the Democrats have a lot of headwinds to fight against.  The national party isn't helping them much, what with energy and crime climbing at exorbitant rates.  The national Dems don't seem to be talking about the issues that affect every-day Americans.

Louisiana will do its part and re-elect John Kennedy That race is simply a requirement.  John is going back in easily.  Other states with Donk senators need to step up and throw the bums out.

Sunday Morning Dawg

 

RIP, Denny

 I just finished with my Saturday festivities and sat down to surf.

I went to the Grouchy Old Cripple and learned that Denny has died.

That is a damned shame.  He's been a regular read since I started this blogging thing.  He is going to be missed, and I'm raising a glass to him right now.  Rest in peace, brother.  The rest of us will be along directly.

Tulsi Gabbard: Our leaders are lying to us

Tulsi Gabbard is making noise, and more importantly, that noise is about democracy and leadership.

Recently, she left the Democrat party, and she is telling us that Democrats do not have our best interest at the forefront of their agenda.  Skip ahead to about 2:20 and she talks about the very definition of truth and how the leadership is trying to redefine it.

It will get crazy in the run-up to the midterms, and we're going to hear a lot of stuff.  What I will tell you is that the Republicans may not be able to fix all your problems, but the Democrats are the cause of all your problems.  Anyone who votes for a Democrat at any level, is voting against their own best interest.

Mayorkas Lied

 Remember the incident at the border last year?  We talked about it here.  Border Patrol agents on horseback?  Yeah, you remember.

Our lying DHS Secretary, Mayorkas said it was terrible, horrible, conjuring up images from our racist past.

Truns out, he knew it was a lie.  The whole thing.  Never happened.

According to the newly released emails, Department of Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was aware the popular narrative that Border Patrol agents whipped a group of Haitian migrants was false hours before he declared the incident “horrific” during a White House press conference. One of Mayorkas’s staffers sent him an email less than three hours before the press conference relaying the account of photographer Paul Ratje, who took the viral photos and said the salacious account of what happened was false.

He knew it was a false narrative and he went with it anyway.  That fact proves that Mayorkas is a lying sonofabitch. He willfully and knowingly lied to the American people. He willfully and knowingly threw his own employees under the bus of racism.  He furthered a narrative that damaged American law enforcement.  

Mayorkas is the very worst of the American deep state.  He has neither shame nor honor.

The Migrant Problem

 I have a close friend with extremely close ties to the migrant community.  His wife was born in Brazil, where they met. She came over legally, did the paperwork, got a visa and a green card, and over the space of several years, became an American citizen.  They have sponsored close friends and family members who are all here legally.

My friend runs a successful business, along with his sons.  He is semi--retired, letting the kids run the business, but he keeps a close eye on things.  In the shop, they speak Portuguese, which is the native tongue of the wife's side of the family.

He dropped by my shop today to shoot the bull and we started talking about the illegal migrant problem.  He is not sure what the answer is but believes that it needs to be solved quickly.  He tells me that the legal immigrants are totally pissed off at Biden for letting things get out of hand.  The legal migrants spent tots of time, energy, and money doing it right, and they are outraged that Biden is letting people jump the line. They don't think it is fair.

My buddy also tells me that if these illegals are allowed to stay, with a path to citizenship, then at some point soon, they will become natural Republicans.  They are escaping corrupt governance and socialistic problems.  If these people are ever allowed to vote, they won't vote Democrat.

I trust his analysis. He is a lot more familiar with the migrant community than I am.

Bidenflation

 The Producer Price Index is in, and it ain't good.  It looks like producer prices are running at 8.5%.

“Excluding food, energy and trade services, the index increased 0.4% for the month and 5.6% from a year ago,” CNBC’s report added.

If you add in food and energy, there is no telling how high the number might be. 

The Consumer Price Index is supposed to come out tomorrow, and it spells very bad news for the Biden economic plan.  Which is to say, he doesn't have an economic plan.

Duct Tape or Duck Tape

 It's duct tape.  That is not open for discussion.  It was invented during WWII as a general purpose adhesive tape.  After the war it was used as a building material, to connect ventilation ducts.  These days, better tapes exist, so duct tape has become a redneck fix-all.  I have several rolls in my shop.

There is a Duck Brand tape, but even they admit that the type is duct tape.  It's right there on the label.

It was never used for taping ducks.  That would be cruel.

Duct Tape

 From Termite:

Biden Regrets

 It seems that our commander in chief is pissed off that OPEC decided to cut production of crude oil.  

President Joe Biden was outraged on October 5 when the oil-and-gas cartel OPEC+ announced that it would cut production by two million barrels of oil per day. He had reason to be angry. The dis was personal. And the move has global implications. OPEC+ includes Russia, and rising oil prices will help Vladimir Putin, undermine Europe’s ability to keep the lights on, and reduce food supply in the Global South. 

I would remind our president that on Day One of his administration, he did the same thing.  He cut production, increased prices and started on a path of inflation that harms lower and middle income families. But, what really bothers Joe is that it comes at a time when his party is particularly vulnerable.

President Biden has been around long enough to understand the special relationship between fuel prices and presidential job approval. He’s incensed that OPEC+ may have helped the Republican opposition weeks before the midterm election.

I'm one of those guys who link presidential approval and fuel prices.  I know what I paid for fuel on the last day of Trumps administration, and I consider any price above that as abject failure on the current administration. 

The midterms are less than 30 days away, and rising gas prices do not bode well for the Democrats.

Fearmongering

 It seems that the good folks on Nantucket are worried about a possible airplane full of migrants descending into their little slice of heaven.

Nantucket Police have issued an alert that a flight is set to arrive this week that has “many similarities to the flight and incident that occurred on Martha’s Vineyard” last month — when Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent dozens of migrants from Texas to the Bay State island.

Is Nantucket a sanctuary island? If so, they should welcome these people with open arms.  However, if their sanctuary status is as solid as those on Martha's Vineyard, perhaps they should re-think their virtue signaling.

Tyson Leaving Chigago

 Tyson Foods says that it is consolidating its executives from Chicago to their global headquarters in Arkansas.  I wonder why?

The poultry producer said Wednesday that it’s bringing together its corporate employees at its global headquarters in Arkansas, resulting in the closure of three offices, including downtown Chicago, Downers Grove, Illinois, and Dakota Dunes in South Dakota. Roughly 1,000 employees work in the three offices and will begin relocation in early next year.

Living in Arkansas beats being shot in a drive-by. Or, having your car jacked at a stop sign.

Sunday Morning Dawg

 

Boiling 600 Pounds of Pig Parts in Louisiana!! RARE Cajun American Food!!!

Because it's Saturday night and I'm enjoying a bourbon.  So, it's time to watch silly YouTube videos.

Toward the end, they talk about hogs-head cheese.  It's not cheese, and it isn't made (anymore) form a hog's head, but when it's done right, it's wonderful.

Well, This is Interesting.

The news is abuzz with speculation that Hunter Biden may soon face accountability, if even in a minor way.

Will this bring down the whole Biden crime family?  Don't bet the rent.  Remember, Joe is a slippery old machine politician who happens to be a sitting president.

I seem to recall a lot of legal analysts during the Trump years who said that it is impossible, constitutionally, to indict a sitting President.  Will this bring down the Biden presidency?  Well, other than the border problems, inflation, and crime, 

Don't look for a perp walk before the midterm elections.

Californians Move to Texas | Episode 2: The Cookout

The Decline of New Orleans

New Orleans has always been a tourist mecca.  Beautiful architecture, wonderful food, a thriving night life. History and culture combined to make New Orleans a wonderful city.

But, decades of Democratic governance have eroded the city to the extent that it is now the murder capital of the US.  These figures are not in dispute, except in the mayor's office.  The mayor of the city, Latoya (the Destroyer) Cantrell is denying that New Orleans has a problem with crime.  Of course, Cantrell has problems of her own with crime.  She is in trouble for travel expenses and other corruption that seem to follow her like a shadow.

It's so bad that even Tucker Carlson took notice.

Belle and I used to love spending the odd weekend in New Orleans.  With rising crime and a general decline of the city, we haven't been there for several years.  And, we have no plans to return.  We'll spend our tourist money elsewhere.

Helicopter Door Gunners in Vietnam - The Shotgun Riders | US Army Docume...

More FBI Nonsense

 One of the things that we rely on when tracking crime in a certain place is the FBI's crime report.  Only, it turns out that they have been under-reporting certain types of incidents, like the frequency of a good guy with a gun stopping a bad guy with a fun.  According to Jazz Shaw at HotAir.com:

One thing we have traditionally relied on when analyzing trends in violent crime is the FBI’s annual reports covering a variety of crime statistics. But what if those statistics are wildly inaccurate? In at least one category, that appears to have been the case in recent years. A new report from John Lott’s Crime Prevention Research Center demonstrates that the FBI records very few active shooting incidents where armed citizens have stepped up to put an end to the killing. But according to these statistics, it happens far more often than the Bureau’s records claim. How far off was the FBI? During the seven-year period from 2014 through 2021, the agency reported that only 4.4% of active shooting events were ended by armed citizens, but Lott’s figures indicate that the number was actually more than 34%. That’s a very large discrepancy to account for. (Fox News)

Here is the link from Fox News. 

I trust John Lott's analysis more than I trust the FBI.  Lott has done exemplary work over the years.  The FBI, not so much.  But, if they are manipulating crime stats to reflect political agendas, I don't think they could sink much lower.

First, He Is. Then He Wasn't. Now He Is Again

 Remember several months ago, Elon Musk was going to buy Twitter?  THen he backed out of the deal.  Now, it appears that the deal is back on the front burner.

On Tuesday, we learned that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk intends to proceed with the purchase of Twitter. The deal had been mired in complex legal maneuverings, but it appears that Musk now believes he’ll be getting his money’s worth from the arrangement. Before the ink was dry on Musk’s Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, an NBC reporter, who is apparently assigned to the “dystopia beat”—we don’t know if that line in his bio is tongue-in-cheek, but we suspect not—went full Chicken Little upon learning there will soon be a new boss at Twitter.

I don't much care one way or the other.  Obviously, I have no financial stake, and I don't even play on the platform.  But, it is interesting to see the left collectively lose their minds.

Rest In Peace, Loretta

The Brace Issue

 You know, the brace that some folks put on their pistols to make them fore accurate?  Yeah, those braces.  It seems that the ATF has once again changed its mind, and wants them regulated.  As in, buy a stamp.

Owners will be faced with two choices, GOA warns, “Give the ATF your name, Social Security number, address, phone number, email, payment information, FINGERPRINTS, as well as the make, model, and serial number of your firearm – and provide photographic evidence of your compliance OR Face jail time and pay a $250,000 fine.”

That ain't much of a choice.  

I have a better idea.  When the Republicans take Congress, simply repeal all federal firearms laws, going back to the turn of the last century.  Repeal them all.  Make the ATF the department of AT, and don't worry about firearms.  All of those ATF assholes can regulate Alcohol and Tobacco.  Until we get tired of them futzing with our drinks and our smokes, and we can just repeal those laws too.

Decimation

 You hear it everywhere.  This place, or that place was decimated in the recent storm.

Historically, a decimation was a punishment for a group of soldiers who failed to perform in combat.  The unit would be formed, and one man in ten would be killed. To encourage the others to greater exertion.

Nowadays, decimation is used to describe storm damage, when the best word to use might be devastation If an area is decimated, I expect that one in ten buildings were damaged.

It's a minor critique, but the use of one word when another is more accurate or descriptive seems to be a form of journalistic laziness these days. I know that journalists are lazy, but they should not also be stupid.  One would hope that a journalist in the US would have a basic working knowledge of the English language.  That does not seem to be the case.

Monday Update

 I spent the morning helping a disabled friend run errands.  I take him to run errands on the first business day of the month, to do his banking, hit the grocers and the pharmacy.  I enjoy his company and it gets me out of the house.  It makes for an enjoyable morning.

I see that Susan Collins is worried about the level of violent political discourse.  This country has gotten stranger, and people have lost their filters.  Maybe everyone needs to dial back the rhetoric.  It doesn't help when the president calls his political adversaries "extreme".

With the midterms approaching, it doesn't help to have this type of messaging.

Apocalypse now: Democrats embrace a dark midterm message

They say that we are threatened with right-wing fascism, but I don't think they know what the word means.  They certainly hope that the unwashed masses don't know that it mans.  And, I would question the utility of worrying about right wing power after being assaulted by left-wing power for the past two years.  

In the meantime, my gut is telling me that we are approaching the noon hour, so it is probably time to see what is in the fridge.

The Great Conundrum

So, here is the deal, and we in Louisiana and South east Texas have learned it over the past decade.

If you own a home in a hurricane zone, your storm deductible is set at about 20% of the value of the home.  And, if you don't have flood insurance, nothing is covered if you are house floods.

In the clip below, Varney talks about the economic impacts of the recent hurricane in Florida.  These impacts are on the property owners, and if his figures are correct, many of them will be wiped out.  Property in southwest Florida just got a whole lot cheaper, and I'm not in the market for any of it.

Sunday Morning Dawg

 He has something evil planned, and I doubt the cat will be a willing participant.

Priceless

 Gufteld rules!  I can't get it to embed, but click the link.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1575706127916204033