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.