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January 2020 Archives
Heh - Benny Hill and the impeachment
By DaveH on January 22, 2020 7:14 AM | No Comments
The video is the House members walking the impeachment to the Senate:
Tip of the hat to Denny at Grouchy Old Cripple for the link.
That Hill show has always been my favorite comedy.
Sound on🔊
(Credit goes to PBS for video.) pic.twitter.com/JlmDtIedJH
— Breitbear News Network (@BearUKnow) January 16, 2020
The Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak
Tyler has some updates at Zero Hedge:
Coronavirus Deaths Double Overnight To 17, Suspected Case Identified In St. Petersburg
Update 2: Just as we suspected, Chinese authorities have revised the death toll for the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak to 17 on Wednesday, meaning that in under 24 hours, the death toll has practically doubled.
Meanwhile, Russia media reports claim that a passenger from Shanghai has been hospitalized, a sign that the virus may now have spread to Russia.
PASSENGER FROM SHANGHAI HOSPITALIZED IN ST PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
NOVEL CRONAVIRUS DEATHS RISE TO 17 IN HUBEI PROVINCE:CHINA NEWS
Update: So much for being 'contained'.
Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador - better known as AMLO - said Wednesday morning that two cases of coronavirus are suspected in Mexico, and that health officials are scrambling to confirm. He added that one of the patients is under observation in Tamaulipas.
China's National Health Commission has revised the total of coronavirus cases higher for at least the second time on Wednesday: there are now 473 confirmed patients infected in China alone, though the death toll remained at 9, Reuters reports.
Internationally, the total number of cases has climbed to 481, according to a running count by the SCMP
The clock is ticking - somewhere out there is something that will rival the 1918 influenza pandemic (worldwide with 500 million infections and 50-100 million deaths) and we are woefully underprepared.
Fake News - an insight from an insider
From Bill O'Reilly writing at Real Clear Politics:
Should You Hate the Media?
1975 was an exciting time to be at Boston University's School of Public Communication. There we were, about 30 students seeking a Master's Degree in Broadcast Journalism. All of us thought our quest was noble, that we would become purveyors of truth, skilled fact-finders and truth-tellers in the Watergate tradition. The lessons presented were well worth the tens of thousands of dollars I had to pay for them.
Forty-five years later, having reached the top of my profession, I generally despise my own industry, something I never could have predicted. Here's why.
The good news is that the pendulum is swinging back towards conservatism and fact-based reality. Was getting worried for a while...
Only in California
The place was paradise until the Democrats took over - from ABC News:
A fight is coming to California over whether to list one of the world's most common over-the-counter drugs as a carcinogen, echoing recent high-profile battles over things like alcohol and coffee.
The drug is acetaminophen, known outside the U.S. as paracetamol and used to treat pain and fevers. It is the basis for more than 600 prescription and over-the-counter medications for adults and children, found in well-known brands like Tylenol, Excedrin, Sudafed, Robitussin and Theraflu.
Acetaminophen has been available in the U.S. without a prescription since 1955. Concerns about its potential link to cancer come from its relationship to another drug: phenacetin. That drug, once a common treatment for headaches and other ailments, was banned by the FDA in 1983 because it caused cancer.
Sometimes you just have to say enough. Whatever agency is promoting this needs to have their budget cut by 90%
Look, I get it - tracking potential carcinogens is a good thing but once you have all the big ones, you need to dial back and not start labeling everything. 90% of everything can cause cancer if you consume enough of it - Paracelcus knew this back in the 1500's when he wrote that The dose makes the poison.
This is good - Flint, Michigan water
The US Supreme Court is allowing the citizens of Flint, Michigan to sue their city and government officials for not maintaining the infrastructure and knowingly allow high levels of lead to contaminate the water supply. Let's hear it for accountability of public "servants". From Reuters:
U.S. Supreme Court lets Flint, Michigan residents sue over water contamination
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday let residents of Flint, Michigan pursue a civil rights lawsuit against the city and government officials that accused them of knowingly allowing the city's water supply to become contaminated with lead.
The justices turned away two appeals by the city and the state and local officials of a lower court ruling that allowed the lawsuit to move forward. The lower court rejected a demand for immunity by the officials, finding that they violated the residents' right to "bodily integrity" under the U.S. Constitution by providing the tainted water after switching water sources in a cost-cutting move in 2014.
Flint switched its public water source from Lake Huron to the Flint River to reduce costs during a financial crisis. The corrosive river water caused lead to leach from pipes.
Lead poisoning can stunt children's cognitive development. No level of exposure is considered safe.
The city switched back to Lake Huron water the next year. The contaminated river water also triggered an outbreak of bacteria-caused Legionnaires' disease, which killed 12 people and sickened dozens of others.
Bone-headed move that was swept under the rug when the consequences were discovered. They were going to sit back and impare a generation of kids until this was discovered by an outside agency.
Rope. Tree. Some assembly required...
Oh joy - Wuhan coronavirus in the USA
By DaveH on January 21, 2020 12:34 PM | No Comments
Just South of here to be exact. From the Seattle Times:
Case of Wuhan coronavirus detected in Everett, first in United States
A Snohomish County resident is infected with the Wuhan coronavirus, the first confirmed case in the United States of a mysterious respiratory infection that has killed at least six people and sickened hundreds more in Asia.
The patient is a man in his 30s who recently had traveled to Wuhan, China, where the outbreak appears to have originated, federal officials have found. He had no symptoms when he arrived at the Seattle-Tacoma airport last Wednesday, but he contacted doctors on Sunday when he started feeling ill, and he was hospitalized with pneumonia, officials said.
Investigators tested samples from the man for the presence of the coronavirus and received positive results. The patient is said to be at Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett in good condition and isn't considered a threat to medical staff or the public.
The newly discovered virus has infected about 300 people, all of whom had been in China, and killed six people in Wuhan. Most of the dead were age 60 or older, and at least some had a previous medical condition.
This is what freaks me out about the highly contageous virusses like Ebola. You can be asymptomatic for a week or more while still being contageous. Wonder how many people on that long flight were exposed. Have they been checked?
Off for the day
Just got back from the storage unit and library and other places. L is fixing some lunch and we are doing flooring today.
Minimal posting if any...
A really nice touch and a tweet
By DaveH on January 20, 2020 8:48 PM | No Comments
From The Last Refuge:
President Trump and Vice-President Pence Make Unscheduled Visit to MLK Memorial…
Moments ago President Trump and Vice President Pence made an unscheduled stop to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington DC to pay their holiday respects.
From President Trump:
It was exactly three years ago today, January 20, 2017, that I was sworn into office. So appropriate that today is also MLK jr DAY. African-American Unemployment is the LOWEST in the history of our Country, by far. Also, best Poverty, Youth, and Employment numbers, ever. Great!
Well, at least she is being honest about it
Alexandria Occasional-Cortex slipped up on the microphone and actually said what she meant. From NOQ Report:
AOC to billionaires: The people 'don't want your money, we want your power'
The radical progressive wing of the New Democratic Party truly fails to understand why their ideas are so horrible. People like Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have this notion that if they could only reach enough people with their extreme message against the rich, they can achieve their goal of complete government control over our lives. You see, to the far-left, authoritarianism is considered a positive so they can protect us from each other… and ourselves.
It's unfortunate that so many people really are starting to listen to her, Senator Bernie Sanders, and other Marxists who envision a utopia dominated by the upper political classes (not to be confused with the upper economic classes) who will make sure we're all comfortable in our morphine-drip existence under Gargantuan Government. This is why the push so hard for the Green New Deal, known in conservative economic circles as the pathway to Modern Monetary Theory.
But here's the problem. Okay, so there are a ton of problems with their socialistic agenda, but here's the problem as it pertains to the messaging depicted in the video below. Their authoritarianism can only be achieved by utilizing "the people" within a power structure that only benefits the elite. You'll notice in her little slip that when she discusses wanting the people to take the power from billionaires like Jeff Bezos, she's framing it within the concept of a "worker cooperative."
Much more at the site - a good and accurate analysis. People like AOC are not about us, they are about securing power and privilege for themselves.
The Richmond Rally
Looks like it turned out really well - self policing. A headline:
Only Person Arrested at Virginia Gun Rights Rally Was a Mask-Wearing LGBT Activist
From The Daily Wire:
VA Sheriff: We Will NOT Enforce 'Unconstitutional' Gun Control Laws
Attending a pro-Second Amendment rally outside Virginia's state capitol on Monday, Grayson County Sheriff Richard Vaughan said he will not be enforcing unconstitutional gun control laws.
"Grayson County Virginia Sheriff Richard Vaughan is here with his deputies. He said he won't enforce stricter gun laws," The Virginian-Pilot's Alissa Skelton reported. "We are here to stand up for the Second Amendment, he said."
The Democrat Governor is not without sin - from Townhall:
Second Amendment Rally Renews Governor Northam's Blackface, KKK Scandal
One year ago, photos from Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's medical school year book surfaced. The photos showed Northam in either black face or full KKK garb. It was also revealed his nickname was "Coonman."
Not good optics in these "woke" times.
I am sure that there will be some good stories coming out in the next day or three - looks like they had a big turnout.
Deception Pass a no-go
L's gig lasted until well after 1PM and I have a meeting tonight so we went up to the communities of Edison and Bow - gorgeous little places turning into quite the food and arts communities.
Time to wolf down a bowl of lentil soup and head out to the meeting - 6:30 but want to get there a bit early to help set up.
Good words for today
"Let no man pull you so low as to hate him."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.
By DaveH on January 20, 2020 11:15 AM | No Comments
Lots of reports coming in but holding off for 48 hours. Looks to be very very well attended and peaceful but there will probably be some false-flag attempts at disruption by the hard left. Need to get all the facts straight first before posting.
Nothing to see here folks, just keep moving. (cough cough)
Happy days in China - from the South China Morning Post:
China coronavirus: Beijing breaks its silence, but only to 'deny rumours'
China's central government has broken its silence on the Wuhan pneumonia outbreak with an online post aimed at "defying the rumours" surrounding the spread of the new coronavirus but without providing any new facts or figures.
In an information poster reproduced on social media and its own website on Saturday night, the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said the new virus was not Sars (severe acute respiratory syndrome), which killed more than 700 people around the world in 2003.
The centre also dismissed suggestions that hospitals outside Wuhan had been secretly treating people infected with the virus, saying that all known cases were being dealt with in the central China city.
Something out there is waiting to break out. The Ebola epidemic is far from over. What and when will it happen.
Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King
Mark Alexander has a great essay at Patriot Post:
"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.' … I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. … And if America is to be a great nation this must become true." —Martin Luther King Jr.
Despite the fact that the Democratic Party claims King's legacy, and Democrats argue they are the sole protectors of his "dream," they have turned this iconic sovereign's message upside down, as if King had said, "I have a dream that my children will one day be judged by the color of their skin, not the content of their character." They've converted it from a dream into a nightmare, and their failed statist "Great Society" programs have enslaved generations of poor, mostly black Americans on urban poverty plantations.
But poor blacks have been a staple constituency, having been inculcated with the belief that they are perpetual "victims of injustice" who must depend on their Democrat masters to take care of them.
King's 1963 address from the Lincoln Memorial was his most famous, but you have likely never read King's 1966 assessment of racial violence in Barack Obama's hometown of Chicago: "This is the most tragic picture of man's inhumanity to man. I've been to Mississippi and Alabama and I can tell you that the hatred and hostility in Chicago are really deeper than in Alabama and Mississippi." King added, "Those who are associated with 'Black Power' and black supremacy are wrong."
Lots more at the site - talking about race hustlers and poverty pimps (Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, John Lewis, etc...)
There is nothing new about race-hustlers. In his 1911 work, "My Larger Education," Booker T. Washington wrote: "There is a class of coloured people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs — partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. … There is a certain class of race-problem solvers who don't want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have an easy medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public."
More at the site and Mark concludes with this:
Despite questions about King's personal character and his proper place in history, I encourage you to read his letter from a Birmingham jail, which provides a window into the soul of King's vision for all Americans.
Powerful words in that letter. People like Sharpton, Jackson, Obama need to be truely ashamed of themselves for perpetuating the cruel divide. I am reminded of these inconvenient truths:
Truth hurts the narrative so must preserve the narrative at all costs.
It is not just Hunter Biden that is corrupt
From Peter Schweizer writing at the New York Post:
How five members of Joe Biden's family got rich through his connections
Political figures have long used their families to route power and benefits for their own self-enrichment. In my new book, "Profiles in Corruption: Abuse of Power by America's Progressive Elite," one particular politician — Joe Biden — emerges as the king of the sweetheart deal, with no less than five family members benefiting from his largesse, favorable access and powerful position for commercial gain. In Biden's case, these deals include foreign partners and, in some cases, even US taxpayer dollars.
The Biden family's apparent self-enrichment involves five family members: Joe's son Hunter, son-in-law Howard, brothers James and Frank, and sister Valerie.
When this subject came up in 2019, Biden declared, "I never talked with my son or my brother or anyone else — even distant family — about their business interests. Period."
No wonder Obama chose him as Veep - two birds of a feather. Tell me again just how the Obama family was able to afford a $14 million beach-front house?
Busy but productive day
Stuff to do this morning. L has a class in 30 minutes and we are meeting up to head to Deception Pass around noon. It is gorgeous and she has never been there (new to the area). I have a board meeting later tonight.
The fun never ends 🙂
Fun with lasers
Cheap chineseium for sure - zero guarantees of long life or true rated output power but this caught my eye.
From BangGood (one of the more reputable of the Chinese dealers out there)
Ortur Laser Master 15W Desktop Laser Engraver Cutter Laser Engraving Machine 32-bit Motherboard LaserGRBL Control Software Easy to Install
32-bit Motherboard with STM32 chip for Faster Speed and Higher Precision. Multiple Safety Protection Making You Safe to Operate
Fast and Precise Engraving
Ortur Laser Master is a portable laser engraving machine, which is easy to install and safe to operate. It has a built-in G-sensor. When the machine tilts, it will automatically stop laser work and protect against laser damage. Support for GRBL open source software for operating fun. It supports dynamic control laser module, and PWM power regulation, low brightness regulation. It also supports lasers of different powers, so that this is a great device for DIY project.
Under $200 for the next 12 days. To be sure, that is 15 watts input power with probably about 2-3 watts delivered at the lens but still...
It runs LaserGRBL which runs just fine on an Arduino board. GRBL? From GitHub
An open source, embedded, high performance g-code-parser and CNC milling controller written in optimized C that will run on a straight Arduino
g-code is the command set that makes CNC machines work their magic.
Someone received a lesson
This is from a private email list so I do not want to give out much - public release in a day or so. A local kid (under 18 years old) posted a threat on social media. The TLA determined the house from where the message was sent and some local federales showed up and took the boy into custody. It was a "joke" a "prank" he said.
TLA = Three Letter Agency (ie: NSA (also known as no such agency), TSA, FBI, CIA, ABC, DEF, etc...
Every item connected to a network has a unique MAC address - this is set in hardware and cannot be changed. It can be spoofed but this is something beyond the scope of a kid living in his mama's basement (for specific reasons). Know the MAC address, you know the computer. Know the computer, it is a simple matter to find the computer on the network. Find the computer on the network, you know the physical location down to the network tap.
Monday's rally in Virginia
This is going to be interesting - the eyes of the Nation will be watching. From The Western Journal:
A Virginia state senator has sounded a warning bell three days before a massive rally is set to coalesce in the commonwealth's capital.
Conservative Sen. Amanda Chase of District 11 took to Facebook on Friday with a warning for every patriot who plans to attend the pro-Second Amendment rally Monday in Richmond.
Her warning came the same week that Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued an executive order temporarily banning firearms in the Capitol Square.
Much much more at the site. This fits in with yesterday's report that Antifa members are being bused in to the event wearing far-right logos and insignia with the intent of perpetrating a false-flag incident.
What Governor Northam is not realizing is that the eyes of the Nation are upon him and what he does is going to be subject to very intense scrutiny both by the media and by We The People. This is serious.
Not corrupt, just incompetent - Puerto Rico
Lovely place and great people. Passed through there several times on my way to adventures and would not mind spending a month or two visiting. Unfortunately, this is not a well-run Nation. This latest example from the Washington Examiner:
Puerto Rico fires emergency director after finding warehouse full of wasted Hurricane Maria aid
Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vazquez has fired the island's director of emergency management after officials found a warehouse full of emergency supplies dating back to 2017's Hurricane Maria.
Vasquez dismissed Carlos Acevedo on Saturday and gave officials two days to investigate why the wasted supplies were forgotten. The warehouse was initially investigated for damage following recent earthquakes in the area, and investigators found thousands of items of supplies, including food, water, diapers, and medicine that were intended to help those affected by Hurricane Maria years ago.
I love that she gave them two days to respond. No chance for them to kick the can down the road and gracefully retire on full pension six months later. And this is just the latest:
Nearly 3,000 people reportedly died because of the hurricane and its lasting effects on the island. Mass protests in Puerto Rico in the hurricane's aftermath led to the resignation of former Gov. Ricardo Rossello in July 2019.
In September 2018, hundreds of pallets of water were found abandoned on an airstrip. The water had gone bad sitting in the sun for months, while many in Puerto Rico lacked access to clean water. A month prior, a local radio station found crates of food, water, medicine, and other supplies left to rot in a state elections office. By the time the discovery was made, rats and other animals had already broken into the supplies and torn through trailers full of aid.
I get it. It is easy to get overwhelmed and lose traction. At that point, you need to recognize your problem and call for outside help. There is no shame in that. Some of the CERT and FEMA drills cover just those situations. I am saddened to realize that this could have been prevented had #1) - these people taken their responsibilities more seriously and #2) - they had spent 20-50 hours in a classroom covering some of the basic FEMA course materials. Available for free online. Great stuff. Start here: Emergency Management Institute. This series is incredible if you are working with CERT or Amateur Radio groups: ICS Resource Center This group too: National Incident Management System (NIMS)
These are all free, self-paced study and invaluable in a crisis. The best definition for "Emergency" that I have heard is that it is "an incident that outstrips your ability to cope". A couple of tens of hours spent getting CERT training or with these online classes would make your average emergency a lot less of a crisis.
Nothing much happening today
Slow news day so nothing on the internet.
I am working on the garage and the laundry room today. L is off doing some stuff - meeting for a walk later.
Time for some coffee.
Just WOW - we need more candidates like Dalia
No comments - just watch:
One does not mess with Betty Windsor
The word seismic is an understatement - from The Daily Wire:
'Seismic': Queen Financially Cuts Off Harry And Meghan, Strips Titles. Here's Her Statement
Harry and Meghan Markle, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, shocked the world last week when they announced their plan to step away from royal duties and work to become financially independent.
On Saturday, Queen Elizabeth II pulled the trigger on the exiting royals, announcing that the couple will have their "His Royal Highness and Her Royal Highness" titles stripped, as well as be financially cut off from royal funds, effective this spring.
"Harry, Meghan and Archie will always be much loved members of my family," the Queen said in a statement, adding that she "support[s] their wish for a more independent life."
Harry is hardest hit (and yes, it is Harry now - not Prince Harry). From Associated Press:
Prince Harry is losing his military titles and patronages including Captain General Royal Marines, Honorary Air Commandant Royal Air Force Honington and Small Ships and Diving, Royal Naval Command: Commodore in Chief
I am reminded of this meme I posted five days ago:
Again, you do not mess with The Queen.
Unraveling the Obama Legacy - school lunches
They are now tasty again. From the London Daily Mail:
Happy birthday Michelle Obama, I've canceled your school lunches! Donald Trump's administration lets schools cut back on fruit and veg and sell MORE pizza and burgers - and serve fries every day
Donald Trump's administration proposed new school lunch guidelines Friday that would undo several changes made by Michelle Obama to get more fruit and veggies on the menu: a move that comes on the former first lady's birthday.
The Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Food and Nutrition Service, said it is proposing new rules 'to simplify meal service and reduce food waste.' That would include 'increasing flexibility in the "vegetable subgroups" requirements for school lunches.'
But the changes would allow schools to cut the amount of vegetables and fruits required at lunch and breakfasts while giving them the ability to offer more pizza, burgers and fries instead.
It would also undo rules championed by Michelle Obama as part of her Let's Move initiative and The Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010.
Yeah - I get it. It sounded like a good idea. Problem is that the kids who had the poorest nutrition at home were not eating these lunches because the food was not what they were used to. Their overall nutrition went from poor to worse.
Another great example of unintended consequences. Something that liberals do not seem to take into account when they come up with their grand ideas.
Interesting times - Richmond, Virginia
The rally scheduled for Monday - from The Other McCain:
Governor Northam Couldn't Be Setting Up A "Reichstag Fire" Event, Could He?
Via @deplorable_s on Twitter and Tom DeWeese on FaceBook we have this tidbit:
The whole Charlottesville disaster was bad enough, and Stacy covered it here and here. Given the Left's need to control the conversation coupled with the pending implosion of the impeachment disaster, makes the Democrats more of a rabid, injured, cornered animal than usual.
This will be interesting to follow from 2,300 miles away. Sometimes the people get what they voted for - good and hard and without so much as dinner or flowers first or a thank you after.
More at the site - lots of links in the comments section too.
And top of the morning
Up and at 'em for another day of work on the house. Bear is a bit slow this morning but seems to be fine from his surgery yesterday. Soliciting bids from some drywall people.
That's it - busy day and tired.
More posting tomorrow.
And I wonder when she will no longer be useful to George Soros
It has to happen sometime - a new fresh face to be the advancing figure of the globalist state masquerading as climate change. Thunberg will be dropped like a stone in to a well. Spash. Gone. From Reuters:
Swedish activist Greta Thunberg marched with 10,000 protesters in the Swiss city of Lausanne on Friday and said "you have not seen anything yet" before some head to Davos next week to challenge the global financial elite to fight climate change.
The 17-year-old, who launched the #FridaysforFuture movement that has sparked worldwide protests, denounced a lack of government action to cut heat-trapping emissions before it is too late.
"So, we are now in a new year and we have entered a new decade and so far, during this decade, we have seen no sign whatsoever that real climate action is coming and that has to change," Thunberg said in a speech in Lausanne.
"To the world leaders and those in power, I would like to say that you have not seen anything yet. You have not seen the last of us, we can assure you that. And that is the message that we will bring to the World Economic Forum in Davos next week."
Brushfires? The Australian brushfires were caused by the environmentalists preventing people from doing an annual brush burn to keep the fire load down. (fire load is the availability of combustible materials - you want to maintain a low fire load). These burns were done yearly by the Aboriginal people well before the whites came. The colonists saw the logic of this and kept burning. The environmentalists stopped the burning, the fire load increased every year until they had an unseasonably hot year and then Ka-Boom.
We have a precident with the Great Yellowstone fires of 1988 - earlier, small fires were allowed to burn unimpeded but this policy was changed in 1960's and the fire load built.
The US has changed its policy although some states refuse to see the wisdom (cough California cough). The world needs to be able to cherry pick ideas that have proven themselves to be science based and useful. Not subscribe to some random rhetoric.
Thunberg's fifteen are well over - she needs to go back to her special-ed classes and leave the world stage.
The Planet is doing just fine. The people are fscked but the Planet is fine.
The Chicago Way - terrorism
Make it pay - from The Epoch Times (which is turning into a really nice balanced news reporting agency)
US Airstrike Kills 2 Terrorists After Attack on Military Base in Kenya
More than a week after an attack by al-Shabaab that killed three Americans, including a soldier, the Pentagon announced a deadly airstrike was carried out in Somalia on the designated terrorist group.
U.S. Africa Command, or AFRICOM, said the strikes were conducted in the area of Qunyo Barrow, Somalia, on Thursday, killing two members of the group. The State Department has designated al-Shabaab as a Foreign Terrorist Organization affiliated with al-Qaeda.
"Al-Shabaab presents a threat to America, the African people, and our international partners," said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. William Gayler of AFRICOM. No civilians were killed or injured in the airstrikes.
Chicago Way? The Untouchables
This great meme has been floating around the internet for the last couple of days:
Heh - better living through chemistry (and electronics and rocketry).
Done for the day
L's client had another medical issue so went into the hospital this morning. She headed over there and came back around noon. Picked up some chain link fencing I had ordered and did yet another dump and recycling run.
Bear is now officially a soprano - had him de-nutted this morning. A number of people had expressed interest in having his pups but nobody stepped up and actually made an appointment so I went ahead. He was starting to mark his territory around the house as well as the yard. Do not need that kind of odor. He went in at 8:30 so feeling tired. We took a nice nap earlier but still looking at an early bedtime.
Here he is about two years ago - such a cutie.
Potentially interesting project - Oceanography for Everyone
Looks like a good idea - they only have a few projects out there but it is a promissing start. From their home page:
Developing low-cost, open-source oceanographic hardware for researchers, educators, and citizen scientists
The tools necessary to study, explore, and understand the ocean are often inaccessible to the vast majority of ocean users. By nurturing a community of open-source hardware developers, scientists, and ocean stakeholders, we want to change that.
Whether you're a researcher looking for alternatives to expensive scientific equipment, a citizen scientist interested in building a marine monitoring program, a fisherman exploring new tools to understand their catch, or an ocean enthusiast seeking new ways to interact with the sea, this community is for you.
Under each project, you will find links to resources, build guides, 3D-printer files, code repositories, and, eventually, databases. Each project section will also point you towards ways that you can help contribute to the project. This website serves as the community portal, but the action really happens in the Oceanography for Everyone GitHub repositories.
The ocean belongs to all of us. Let's ensure that everyone has access to the tools needed to understand it.
Check back from time to time and see what they are developing. Looks interesting so far.
Light posting today
L's birthday was yesterday - 54 orbits around the sun. Went out for Thai food and then an evening of Hawaiian Slack-key guitar music with Keola Beamer & Jeff Peterson. Wonderful stuff.
She is out for a walk now and we will be working on the house some more today.
Got to take care of some emails and fix breakfast.
Offline today
Celebrating a birthday
President Trump's rallies
He has always drawn capacity crowds with people lining up hours before the start to get in to the stadium. What is interesting is that they are not always right-wing republicans. From NOQ Report:
Shocking 57.9% of attendees at President's rally in Milwaukee were NOT Republicans
The worst case scenario for Democrats' hopes in the presidential election seems to have already manifested. For them to have a chance, they'll need to hold fellow Democrats in line with their nominee and pull in as many Independents as possible, especially in swing states like Wisconsin. If the numbers posted by Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale are any indicator, Democrats have a tremendous hill to climb.
According to Parscale, last night's rally, which ran concurrently with the Democratic debate, had a whopping 20,395 voters in attendance. But the President is used to enjoying huge crowds of supporters, so that alone isn't a huge deal. What's most surprising, or as Parscale calls it, "Yuge," if that 57.9% of voters in attendance were NOT Republicans.
It's one of those statistics that would be hard to believe if it weren't so overwhelming. Even if there are inaccuracies in the high-5% range, it still means over half of those coming out to support the President were people who do not identify with his political party.
Polls generally run around 5-10% margin of error so this is a landslide in the making. The people are tired of being lied to and of seeing their cities deteriorating while the cultural elites live in gated communities and living in a bubble. We The People are speaking.
Unreal - the Bloomberg campaign
Some strange tweets out there - they are probably going to go down the memory hole so here is a screen-cap:
There is nothing quite so pitiful as a 77 year old plutocrat trying to sound hip and relevant.
A day of rest
I needed this - took the whole day off. Slept in, ran some errands and basically did nothing.
Met up with L for drinks (coffee-me and tea-her) and some pasteries at the place where we first met.
Back home for now - unloading the van and calling it an early bedtime. L is celebrating her b-day tomorrow so dinner and catching some live music.
Interesting times ahead - Jussie Smollett
Looks like the fun is about to begin - from the New York Post:
Why things are about to get a lot worse for Jussie Smollett
If Jussie Smollett had last year pleaded guilty to some minor charge, done 90 days of community service and paid a substantial fine to reimburse the $130,000 worth of overtime costs rolled up by Chicago police detectives investigating his ludicrous assault claims, he might today be in full rebound mode. Picture it: The tearful, dramatic mea culpa with Robin Roberts. A bold admission — "This is on me" — followed by a deflection of blame to drugs or alcohol or the dark demons of hate we all know are lurking out there, waiting for third-tier television stars to emerge from sandwich shops. A charity concert. A blessing from Al Sharpton. Some lighthearted banter with Stephen Colbert. Then, gradual forgiveness and maybe another TV deal.
What Smollett did instead looks increasingly stupid. He admitted nothing and even doubled down on his fantasy tale of a late-night attack by men supposedly roaming the streets with a noose and a bottle of bleach. He was handed the opportunity by the office of State's Attorney Kim Foxx, which dropped charges without demanding a guilty plea because he had supposedly already been punished enough, by secretly serving a few hours' community service and forfeiting a bond of which he paid a mere $10,000. But if he was the victim of a crime, why should he forfeit one dollar or agree to one hour of community service? Worse: The real criminals are still out there!
Led by the then-mayor and the then-CPD superintendent, outrage about Smollett's lies caused the appointment of a special prosecutor, Dan Webb. So the story lives on. Smollett has not been nailed, and Chicago wants him nailed. He will get nailed. The postman always rings twice.
Webb has won the right to comb through Smollett's e-mails, the Chicago Tribune reported last week. Smollett is not exactly a meticulous master criminal. The day the story broke, Jan. 29, he was already telling different versions of his tall tale to the press and the police (who, if I know anything about police, therefore grokked that he was lying on the very first day).
More at the site - fun to see progressive narratives implode. Time to make another bowl of popcorn.
Great news from Taiwan
They re-elected a conservative President - from Roger Simon:
Taiwan Landslide Signals Bull Market for Democracy
Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen may not owe her entire record-breaking landslide reelection victory to Hong Kong's democracy demonstrators, but she owes a good part of it to those courageous young people.
They made her reelection a referendum on China's leader Xi Jinping's harsh reaction toward protest in that famed city only 450 miles west of Taiwan.
The Taiwanese had already taken notice of the sudden decline in tourism to their island from the mainland. Last summer, the People's Republic of China restricted individuals from traveling to Taiwan lest they learn too much about what was happening in Hong Kong. Only groups that could be more closely watched were allowed to go.
Democracy can be catching. (As I type this, it seems to be spreading all the way from Taipei to Tehran.)
Roger is in Taiwan visiting - one of his observations:
Lurking behind all this is ye olde Two China question. In order to appease Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai and open the door to China, Nixon and Kissinger decreed U.S. policy to be one China only—the People's Republic. Taiwan was left to twist in the wind, figuratively and literally, with but minor exceptions, for decades.
Then Trump broke the code, as he has done with so many things, and called Tsai to congratulate her when she won her first presidential election in 2016, an act of de facto recognition.
The Taiwanese rejoiced and still do. I saw it with my own eyes in the "rock star" status given our delegation leader Steve Yates, who is associated here with Trump's decision.
I love Taiwan - visited there only once but have some fond memories. I own a number of machine tools and prefer the Taiwanese tools to the Chinese - much better manufacturing tolerances and higher quality. I buy a lot from Grizzly tools and their Taiwanese factories are much better than the average Chinese facility.
Yikes - car prowl
Had a county sherriff show up at my door. Some goblin went through one of my cars the other night. Took a ham radio and generally made a mess of the vehicle - stuff scattered everywhere.
Radio was programmed with my call sign so it will be interesting if the a--hole actually tries to use it.
Taking a day of rest - woke up at 6AM, rolled over and napped for a while. Still feeling very sleepy so emailed L and taking a day off. We will get together for a walk later this afternoon.
YouTube and Bed
What it says on the box. Snow is coming down. A bit tired from working on the house. L has been an amazing help.
Long day tomorrow - our meeting (and presentation) has been canceled due to the snow but there is a lot here that needs my attention. Redoing the flooring in the laundry/pantry room and getting some bids for the drywall.
The canonical list of authors by rank
From Larry Correia (an oldie but a goodie):
THE OFFICIAL ALPHABETICAL LIST OF AUTHOR SUCCESS
I've often been derisively referred to as a "D List Author" by my critics. Curious, I had to look up where that list came from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A-list
Sadly, as usual my critics suck at everything. This scale is based on how recognizable movie stars are, and since most regular people wouldn't recognize any but the most famous (or funny looking) authors, it doesn't really work for us at all. So I have created this super helpful guide so critics know what bucket to arbitrarily stick writers in.
What's way better than fame? All fame is good for in Hollywood is determining how much they have to pay actors. So screw recognition. Show me the MONEY!
And the list:
A List – High upon Mount Olympus They Gaze Down Upon the Pathetic Mortals = All the $
Authors who are worth more than the GDP of some countries.
Authors who build their houses out of gold bars.
Characters from their books get their own theme parks.
The lady who wrote Twilight.
B List – The King(s) =$$$$$$$$$$
Authors who have TV shows about their books starring Peter Dinklage.
Authors who sleep on large piles of money.
Politicians who get illegal campaign contributions masquerading as advances.
Oprah's Book Club.
C List – The Perpetual Bestsellers =$$$$$$$$$
Authors who play poker with Castle.
Authors who have lesser TV shows not starring Peter Dinklage.
Authors who always get sold in airport bookstores.
Authors who are rich enough to have sex scandals and it actually makes the news.
And rounding out the list:
X List – The X
Writes violent pornographic bondage fan fiction involving My Little Ponies, Voltron, and Breaking Bad on the internet, while dressed in a stained bunny costume that looks like a strange gimp version of that thing from Donnie Darko.
Don't make any sudden moves.
We're just going to walk away real slow now.
Y List – The Yama
A primordial creature barely capable of vomiting words onto a page in a blasphemous impersonation of the act of writing, so mind shattering and terrible that a single story threatened to end language forever. He is The Thing That Should Not Be. To read his foul creations will summon the Black Goat of the Woods with its Thousand Young, and it will kill your muse and sodomize the corpse.
Is confident that he'd be a much more successful writer than A-X, if only he wasn't too busy stalking Asian women on the internet to actually submit any of his crayon scribbles.
The reason sci-fi conventions have security.
Z List – The Guardian's Village Idiot = ($)
A kind of Anti-Author.
Motivated by delusions of relevancy, crowd sources witch hunts against writers higher on the list.
Collects the opposite of royalties, and actually has to be paid a strange sort of "Book Welfare" to produce a book.
Heh - Larry is no slouch as an author - his writing is fun to read and he has a sick and twisted sense of humor. I love his work.
And we have snow
Looking at 2-3 inches accumulation tonight - it let up for a while but it is starting to come down with a vengence.
Cliff Mass puts it at 2-3 inches for the area:
Serious Snow Threat Tonight for Puget Sound (and a lot more)
The latest model output supports the threat of serious snow tonight for our region.
The UW's highest resolution forecast model shows substantial regional variations, with the heaviest lowland snow from Seattle northward, with far less over Tacoma. But there is uncertainty on the exact location of the snow band...so keep that in mind. Seattle will face 2-5 inches if this forecast is correct. Road temperatures are now near freezing...so this is going to stick in places where SDOT and WSDOT have not pretreated or where plows are not active.
Hunker down for a day or so.
Working at home today
L is here helping and hanging out. Going to be putting the finishing touches on tomorrow's presentation: "Photographing your artwork" for the monthly meeting of the local arts group. Shooting some example photos.
We are supposed to get dumped on - already have an inch of snow on the ground and more forecast for later so I do not know if we will even have the meeting. Getting snowbound with L would not be a bad thing...
Getting some quotes for drywall work on the house. Starting to come together.
Quote of the Month -
"For real people, if something works in theory, but not in practice, it doesn't work. For academics, if something works in practice, but not in theory, it doesn't exist."
--Nassim Nicholas Taleb
A corollary to what Vox Day said:
In academia there is no difference between academia and the real world; in the real world there is.
And a tip 'o the chapeau to Maggie's Farm for the first quote.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
The ex-royals - not a big surprise. From the New York Post's Page Six:
Canadian billionaire Frank Giustra providing luxe hideout for Prince Harry, Meghan Markle
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been hiding out at the home of Canadian billionaire Frank Giustra, whose close ties to the Clintons have created international controversy, Page Six can exclusively reveal.
Harry and Meghan refused to reveal the owner of the multi-million dollar waterfront mansion near Victoria, British Columbia — the place where they plotted their shock exit from the royal family.
But multiple sources with knowledge of the situation told Page Six that the owner is Giustra, 62, who made his fortune as a stockbroker, co-founded Hollywood studio Lionsgate — producing flicks including "American Psycho" and the Michael Moore documentary "Fahrenheit 9/11" — and is best known in the US as one of the biggest donors to the Clinton Foundation.
Much more at the site - lots of links. Giustra is one of the key players in Hillary's selling 20% of American uranium assets to the Russians. Pay for play - Crooked Hillary. But, it is good to know that things are being taken care of:
One simply does not mess with Betty Windsor...
Up and at 'em
Got a meeting this morning (local arts group budget planning for 2020) so heading out shortly. Bleagh... Hate meetings...
L is coming over later - we are working on the laundry/pantry room. Love L so this day will not be a total loss 🙂
Iran - three headlines
Looks like things might be falling apart sooner rather than later. Three headlines:
Trump 'Couldn't Care Less' If Iran Wants to Negotiate
President Trump Issues Strong Warning to Iran, 'Do Not Kill Your Protesters … USA is Watching'
Iran Opens Fire On Demonstrators. Protesters Chant: 'Our Enemy Is Right Here; They Lie To Us That It's America'
First story is classic negotiating. Let your opponent understand that they have nothing that could bring you to the table. Puts them in a much weaker position when trying to get something out of you.
Second story is a reminder to the Iranian theocrats that we have more cruise missiles and we have very good intelligence. We knew where General Salami was and we got him.
Third story? The Iranian government just justified an operation by us to bring their government down. Firing on your own citizens is not cool.
My only question is how big of a landslide will President Trump's victory be this November.
Blow ye breezes
22MPH with gusts to 34 - not exactly weather for kayaking but a good stiff breeze for sailing. Or hunkering down in some safe harbor with a mug of soup, a nice warm cabin and a book. Take your pick.
Back home for the night
Ran up North for a few errands. Remodeling the laundry/pantry. The previous owners had installed indoor/outdoor carpet with a foam rubber pad. The foam subsequently rotted away to sticky powder. The rug probably felt really nice to walk on for the first year or so but these kinds of pads always rot soon after installation.
Getting it all taken up, sanitizing the floor (this was where my dogs ate and slept) sealing the floor and then laying down some really nice vinyl tile. There are some really good vinyl flooring products these days. Building a kennel for them and until that is done, they are sleeping in the garage. Got all the stuff for that tonight.
Surf for a bit - meeting tomorrow at 10AM.
An abbreviated walk
Got back a short while ago. We like to walk for about two hours. Get some sun, be in nature and get to know each other better.
Had some glorious sunshine for about 45 minute and then this dark cloud started moving in. We tried yelling and I threw a rock but to no avail. Started out along a different trail and the wind shifted and we bailed. It was starting to hail when we reached the parking lot. Great timing but we were only out for 80 minutes or so.
Have a meeting tomorrow morning and then she and I are back to working on the house.
Dodging a bullet - snow
Looks like the snowpocalypse is just going to be a light dusting. Very glad. From Cliff Mass:
Snow is Coming Today to Western Washington, But Not Too Much for Most
I am going to go against one of the rules of the click-baiting online world. I am not going to even hint there is going to be a big snowstorm over Puget Sound land. Yes, most of you will see some flakes, but for most the ground will be barely whitened.
As we shall see, a highly transient Arctic Front/convergence zone will bring a few hours of snow showers, with totals ranging from a few tenths of an inch near the Sound to perhaps 1-2 inches in the far eastern suburbs.
I am going to show you some forecast snow totals....but keep in mind there is lot of uncertainty regarding the exact distribution of snowfall.
The latest super-high resolution (1.3 km grid spacing) UW WRF forecast (below) for 24-h snowfall (through 4 AM Monday), shows light snow (~1 inch( over NW Washington, with 2-4 inches over the northeast Olympic Peninsula. Most of Seattle is around 1 inch, with some heavier snow east of the city. LOTS of snow in the Cascades.
Going out for a walk at Barnum Point - an exposed area with high bluffs shortly. Might be interesting. We both have good senses of self-preservation. Very windy - gusts up to 22MPH.
About time - Saudi military
From the Washington Examiner:
US to expel over a dozen Saudi trainees after review of Naval Air Station Pensacola shooting
The United States is poised to expel more than a dozen Saudi servicemen training at U.S. military installations following a review of last month's shooting at the naval air station in Pensacola, Florida.
According to CNN, the trainees are not accused of aiding the shooter, a 21-year-old Saudi Air Force second lieutenant who killed three American sailors and wounded several others, but are said to have connections to extremist movements. Sources told the outlet that some are also accused of possessing child pornography.
Last month, Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, a Saudi flight student, opened fire at the naval air station before he was killed by responding law enforcement officers.
Since then, about a dozen Saudi trainees at the base have been confined to their quarters while the FBI investigated the shooting as a possible terror attack and the Pentagon reviewed all Saudi military trainees in the country. The Navy also grounded around 300 Saudi military aviation students at three different bases as part of a "safety stand-down."
The Department of Justice is expected to declare that the shooting was an act of terrorism, a U.S. official told CNN. No co-conspirators have been charged.
Door. Ass. Bang. They are here at our convenience and if there is any reason to suspect that they are not loyal, send them back home.
Two rallies
Two rallies - a tweet and a reply:
Meanwhile, Trump can draw a crowd of 10-20,000 any night of the week. Y'all are toast.#Trump2020Landslide pic.twitter.com/WPg9lyZbsN
— Marisa (@MarisaLR2) January 12, 2020
Joe Biden and John Kerry and only eleven people show up. Compare with President Trump's last rally.
And back home again
Heating up some leftover Indian food for lunch. Meeting up with L at 2PM for a walk. We both have a lot on our plates this week. Meetings, etc...
Grasping at straws - the do-nothing Democrats
They are going to lose big in 2020 - sitting back and watching the freak-show evolve. A two-fer.
First - Breitbart:
Pelosi on New Impeachment Articles: 'Let's Just See What the Senate Does'
On Sunday's broadcast of ABC's "This Week," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) did not rule out the possibility of bringing new articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.
Host George Stephanopoulos asked, "You said he's violating the Constitution again and again. Do you think it's possible that the House might have to file new articles of impeachment?"
Pelosi said, "Well, let's just see what the Senate does."
And second - Breitbart as well:
Adam Schiff Backs Pelosi on Bolton Subpoena — 'Something We Are Considering'
On Sunday's broadcast of CBS's "Face the Nation," Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) backed Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), saying if the Senate does not subpoena former National Security Advisor John Bolton, the House will.
Host Margaret Brennan said, "The speaker was on another network today and seemed to leave open the idea of subpoenaing John Bolton, the former national security advisor to the president. Is that something you would be looking at? Are you looking at?"
Schiff said, "It is certainly something we are considering."
They have nothing and yet they will not just sit down and STFU.
Nice online database - you type in your ZIP code and what you want to recycle (second step is optional)
It will return a list of recyclers in your area. Well done.
Check out Earth911
We had dinner in Mt. Vernon yesterday and went to a new-to-us Indian restaurant: Taste of India Really good food. We both love Indian food so this was a real treat.
Furniture shopping did not turn out that well - the stuff was well made but not that comfortable and they used 100% polyester fabric. Fine for winter but when it is warmer out, cotton is much preferred. Heading down to IKEA in a week or two to check out their sofas - they use a cotton / linen blend. Yeah - not as stain resistant but a lot more comfortable.
Out for the day
Meeting someone at 11AM to look at something. Coffee, post office and read for a bit after. Working on some paperwork now plus preparing for a presentation I am giving this Wednesday at a meeting.
L is also busy today but we are meeting up later this afternoon.
Weather forecast is for snow today but not seeing it yet - still in the 40's and dry. Famous last words...
Heh - Obama's Legacy
John Kerry keeps trying to be in the news - from PJ Media:
John Kerry Claims Obama 'Never Had a Whiff of Scandal' So Let's Remind Him Of Some
A lie told often enough becomes the truth.
I keep thinking about the above quote whenever anyone claims that the Obama administration was scandal-free. How many more times are we going to hear people make this claim and see it go unchallenged?
During an interview on CNN on Friday, former Secretary of State John Kerry, who's in Iowa campaigning with Joe Biden, echoed the oft-repeated claim that the Obama-Biden administration lacked scandals.
"I believe Joe Biden is the only person who has the set of relationships around the world, who has had this unbelievable breadth of experience as chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee and then as vice president for eight years — and in an administration, by the way, which never had a whiff of scandal," Kerry said.
The author continues with ten examples of Obama scandals complete with links and descriptions - here are five:
The Iran Ransom scandal
The IRS scandal
The Benghazi attack cover-up
The Fast & Furious cover-up scandal
Obstructing Dozens of Inspectors General
And five more at the site. Those eight years were a failure and an example of why progressivism is not a good form of government.
A sobering look - Chinese military jargon
Reported by writer and futurist Bruce Sterling writing at Wired:
Web Semantics: Chinese Futurist Military Jargon
Pretty standard futurist military stuff for 2020, just in ideograms. Also it's probably meant for offshored unsinkable terraformed aircraft carriers in the South China Sea, which is something not everybody has or does.
"biological dominance" (制生权)
biological interdisciplinary (生物交叉)
brain control (脑控)
"brain-machine fusion" (脑机融合)
Cognitive Science Basic Research Team (认知科学基础研究团队)
"combat brain" (作战大脑)
domain of consciousness (意识域)
frontier/cutting-edge interdisciplinary (前沿交叉)
"hybrid intelligence" (混合智能)
human-machine coordination (人机协同)
Many more at the site - you can tell what direction the state is going by the jargon they start using. These terms do not guarantee their sucess (after all, we are dealing with a large, centralized socialist government regieme), but it shows what they are thinking.
The winter storm
An update from Cliff Mass:
The Detailed Snow Forecast for Sunday and Monday
We are now close enough in time that we can apply some of our most powerful prediction tools to the snow forecast problem for Sunday/Monday. Plus, we are close enough so that uncertainties have lessened.
Before I talk about that, let me note that as expected the Cascades are being hit very hard with a large snowfall, with Snoqualmie Pass receiving about 2 feet of snowfall during the past day. Snoqualmie was closed for a while, and both Snoqualmie and Stevens require chains at this time.
And Mount Baker is having some great skiing conditions - from their snow report:
Well, this is starting to sound like a broken record, but we had an amazing powder day at Baker yesterday, and today looks to be another great day with more fresh snow! We've received over 100 inches of snowfall in the past 9 days! It should be another snowy and cold day today with fun conditions, so come enjoy a classic Baker pow day with the family!
Sounds like fun - wish we could take off and do some cross country skiing but we both have a lot on our plates for the next week or two.
Two headlines - Michael Bloomberg
Says it all - these people are just too blind to see that there is no support for their big-government statist ideas:
'I'm Spending All My Money to Get Rid of Trump': Michael Bloomberg
Only 45 people attend Bloomberg rally with Judge Judy despite campaign's big spending
Spend away Michael - spend it all. You will not win. You will not even come close.
We The People are smarter than you are.
Back home again - nothing on the internet
Heading over to YouTube for a bit. L is coming over tomorrow morning to work on a couple of projects and then we are heading out for Thai at the new (to us) restaurant in Mt. Vernon. Heading out to look at some furniture later.
Heading out for a pint or two
Been a while since I hung out at my local - think I will head out there for a couple hours to socialize.
LibreCAD
Got turned on to this software - very simple 2D CAD program designed with CNC in mind.
Completely free and runs on Windows, Mac and Linux - check it out.
Ho. Li. Crap. Cold weather
Forecast analysis from Cliff Mass:
The Coldest Air in Years Will Hit Western Washington
This is a lot of discussion about snow, but there is something we should keep firmly in mind: the arctic air that is going to reach western Washington will be the coldest in years. Backed by strong winds in some areas, this cold will not only test our housing infrastructure (freezing pipes), but will be life threatening to those living outside or for the unprepared in higher terrain.
Highs on Tuesday will be in the 20's. And, it gets better:
And then there are the winds! According to the high-resolution models, northeasterly winds, with gusts to 40-60 mph, will hit NW Washington, resulting in wind chills below zero.
Interesting times. I am not worried about the farm, I have not had running water there for months. Still need to get the well people out to fix it but I am only there for - at most - overnight so no water is not a hassle. Down here should be interesting. Plus, I am scheduled to give a presentation to our local arts group that next day on the 15th.
Got some vegetables roasting in the oven - heading downstairs to fix some pasta with butter and fresh parsley. Doing a salad as well.
News from Florida
These people are just not that smart. From the Palm Beach Daily News:
Palm Beach: Iranian national detained by police had knives, ax, machete, $22K
A man arrested by Palm Beach Police this morning had $22,000, a machete and a pick ax, in addition to knives in his possession, according to an officer with the department.
The man, identified by his passport as Masoud Yareioeill Zoleh, an Iranian national, also had a car parked at Palm Beach International Airport, Public Information Officer Michael Ogrodnick said.
The department is working with other federal partners in the investigation, Ogrodnick said.
Zoleh was arrested just over the Flagler Memorial Bridge at Bradley Park. Initial reports said he had several knives on him. Ogrodnick said the department received a call at about 9:30 a.m. regarding Zoleh. He would not give details on what the caller said.
Like he was going to get within a hundred yards of our President.
The War Powers Resolution in two and a half tweets
Nancy Pelosi:
The House is moving forward with @RepSlotkin's War Powers Resolution limiting the President's military actions regarding Iran. The Admin must work with the Congress to advance an immediate, effective de-escalatory strategy which prevents further violence. https://t.co/i3KU9bqWqh pic.twitter.com/9bwnjBMjnz
— Nancy Pelosi (@SpeakerPelosi) January 8, 2020
And President Trump commenting on a tweet from Ambassador Bolton:
Smart analysis, I fully agree! https://t.co/0YMU7GunDt
Got nothing this morning
Quiet on the internet. L is working with her client. I am running some errands and cleaning the laundry room / pantry today.
More spew sometime later - maybe.
It for the night
By DaveH on January 9, 2020 9:11 PM | No Comments
Long day - some YouTube before bed. L is working with her client tomorrow all day dammit.
Heh - love the expression and the paws
Brilliant business idea
From the: "Why didn't I think of that" department - from Boston, MA's station WHDH:
Airline opening restaurant that only serves plane food
Out of the many repulsive things about air travel, airline food probably ranks high. But not for AirAsia.
Asia's largest low-cost carrier is betting people love its food so much that it opened its first restaurant on Monday, offering the same menu it sells on flights. It's not a gimmick, either: AirAsia, based in Malaysia, said it plans to open more than 100 restaurants globally within the next five years.
The quick-service restaurant's first location is in a mall in Kuala Lumpur. It's called Santan, meaning coconut milk in Malay, which is the same branding AirAsia uses on its in-flight menus.
Entrees cost around $3 USD and include local delicacies such as chicken rice and the airline's signature Pak Nasser's Nasi Lemak dish, a rice dish with chilli sauce. Locally sourced coffee, teas and desserts are also on the menu.
Makes a lot of sense. They already have the delivery infrastructure, the commissaries and their menus have been tried and tested. Because it is fixed portion and a simple menu, they can keep the prices cheap.
Hallelujah – Puddles Pity Party at the SF Regency Lodge Ballroom
An incredible rendition of one of my favorites:
More here: Puddles Pity Party
Busy day today
Worked at the house and then broke early for a dump run, recycling and then up to Mt. Vernon to check out a Thai restaurant that came highly recomended. Really really good. Rachawadee Thai Cafe. They keep funny hours so check the website. We will be going back there. Hey honey - I have to run to Mt. Vernon for a widget? Wanna get some Thai food on the way back? No Brainer...
Fixed some Miso Soup for dinner - we ate lunch around 3PM so not super hungry.
Our climate - a bit of reality
By DaveH on January 9, 2020 9:08 AM | No Comments
Zero hysteria and some actual numbers from Watts Up With That:
The Climate Decade that Was: Failed Predictions, Tour De Paris, and the Gretas
As we step into a new decade, here's a look at the climate drama that just ended.
The 2010s were dominated by the failure of doomsday prophecies, the adoption of a fantasy climate agreement, unexpected weather trends, and the beginning of the climate emergency cult movement that reminded many of the overpopulation hype of the 1970s and 1980s.
Al Gore Prophecies
Al Gore's legacy of lies continued to spill into the second decade of this century. Contrary to his predictions in the famous climate documentary An Inconvenient Truth, polar bear populations increased, the Arctic and Antarctic remained relatively unaffected, and no major coastal economy was threatened by rising sea levels.
Gore would have had nightmares when the Canadian authorities in 2019 pondered culling polar bears because of their excess numbers caused trouble for residents in Nunavut.
No Snow Australia
Australia may be embroiled in historic wildfires—mostly caused by arson—right now. But climate scientists were caught red handed when their predictions of a snow-free Australia failed by massive proportions in the past decade.
The reason was obvious. The warming was not as pronounced as it was forecast to be, and snowfall in Australia is controlled by regional weather patterns. Moreover, there has been no significant change in the number of very hot days since World War I.
More at the site. The author closes with this little bit of truth:
One could go on and on with more amusing and interesting drama that took place in the past decade, but let us end it here. Cheers to the next decade, a decade that may very well end with global cooling doomsayers dominating our news headlines.
Why? Look up into the sky. See that bright, fiery ball? It's in a cooling cycle.
Plain facts - not computer models.
Gorgeous moon tonight
Was letting the pups out for a bit of a run and noticed a silver incandescence from above. Full is on the 10th but still - the skies are nice and clear. Going to be cold - already down to 33°F. Looking at a hard frost tomorrow morning.
About that Ukrainian air crash in Iran
Posted about it yesterday. Shit just got real interesting - from The Last Refuge:
Iran Refuses to Hand Over Black Box From Fatal Boeing Crash Near Tehran – Nose of SAM Missile Discovered Near Crash Site…
In the aftermath of Ukraine Airlines Flight 752 exploding and crashing just north of Tehran airport, the Iranian government is refusing to turn-over the black box flight data recorders recovered from the crash site. Combined with the timing and location, their refusal is leading to increased speculation the flight may have accidentally been targeted by Iranian air-defense systems. The tragedy is being compounded by Iranian politics.
The Boeing 737-800 is a very dependable aircraft with three decades of service. This specific Ukraine aircraft was built in 2016 & just had a service inspection on January 6th. Immediately after the crash, Iranian officials stated the cause was "technical difficulties", and after video surfaced showing the plane was on fire heading to the ground, Iran later stated the cause was one of the engines on fire. However, there was no distress call or report of issue, from very experienced Ukraine pilots to Tehran air-traffic control.
Lots of tweets and pictures of the found nose cone with photos of an un-deployed SAM.
Looks like the airplane was shot down.
No Port Townsend tomorrow
Weather forecast is turning iffy - maybe go for a hike around Deception Pass or maybe just hit one of the island parks.
Made some vegetable barley soup for dinner tonight.
A very nice move - Spectrum Software
They closed their doors after a forty-year run. They opened in 1980 providing software for the Apple ][ personal computers. Their latest product is an electronics simulation program which allows the user to draw the schematic of the circuit, import the various part specifications and then calculate the response of the circuit to various electrical parameters. This is very handy when the circuit is a complex one (audio / radio / laboratory equipment / etc...). Their flagship software was Micro-Cap. The full version retailed for around $4,800 and was worth every last dime. Golden stuff.
Like I said, they closed their doors but when they did, they released the full versions of Micro-Cap without any software locks or copy protection. It is now free to use. For anyone. For anything. Of course, there are no more updates and no maintenance but the software is already very mature and stable so no problems anticipated. They allow customers to build custom parts so if some new widget comes along, it will be possible to incorporate that into a Micro-Cap project. Very cool.
Micro-Cap User Downloads
Micro-Cap 10, 11, and 12 are now free and require no key. You can download the full CD or the executable only.
Download page here. Download the brochure.
The brush fires in Australia
The blame? The environmentalists. From Christopher Monckton of Brenchley writing at Anthony's:
Bush bull
This will be a long posting, because it is necessary to nail the childish myth that global warming caused the bushfires in Australia. The long, severe drought in Australia, culminating in the most extensive bushfires in recent history, ought to have aroused sympathy for the cattle-ranchers who have lost their livestock and the citizens who have lost their homes. But no. Instead, those who profiteer by asserting that global warming is the cause of every extreme-weather event have rushed to state – falsely – that an "overwhelming scientific consensus" (to cite the Greens' website) blames the incidence, extent, duration and severity of the drought and bushfires on the somewhat warmer weather caused by our having increased the atmospheric CO2 concentration by about 1 part in 10,000 from 0.03% to 0.04% by volume.
Nearly all of the news media have taken the line that capitalism in general and the non-socialist governing coalition in particular are to blame. Nearly all have failed to mention the true causes of the current firestorm.
Like Lord Monckton said when he opened, this is a very long post but he is an excellent writer and he lays out the real reasons for the fires with historical evidence that these fires are not a new thing. The aborigines used controlled burns to clear out the fire load years before any settlers moved there.
In 1642 Abel Tasman wrote of the smoke in the sky and the scorched trees wherever his expedition landed. Captain James Cook described the same conditions in 1770. This deliberate burning created the grassland landscapes that dominated pre-European Australia.
Just go and read the whole thing.
The pigeon problem - homeless in Ohio
A town did something that sounded good but wound up with unintended consequences. From PJ Media:
Ohio Town Rolls Out Red Carpet for Homeless. Is Shocked When Stream of Homeless Show Up.
They just wanted to do the right thing. The small town of Middletown, Ohio, a town of 49,000 people, has opened all manner of homeless services. There is everything from soup kitchens and shelters that allow you to be high and drunk to rehab facilities to sober up.
And that's the problem. You can come to Middletown to stay drunk and high and get three hots and a cot without having to do much.
Now the homeless are swamping the town. Residents who call Middletown home are shocked that "about 75%" of the homeless are from someplace else, according to the former police chief.
Of course they are.
Pigeon problem - feed pigeons and you get more pigeons showing up. A lot more. Same thing with homeless.
This is the problem with progresssives and liberals in general. They are so wrapped up in the narrative that they refuse to see beyond it. They do something that SOUNDS good instead of doing something that DOES good. They do not take into account that something that sounds good might have unintended consequences that make things worse. Gun laws are a perfect example.
Working at home today - L is coming over shortly. Got a nice fire going - warm the place up. Looking at doing a day-trip to Port Townsend tomorrow - supposed to be some nice weather.
Fake News has its consequences
And Nick Sandmann doesn't have to worry about money ever again. From FOX News:
CNN settles lawsuit with Nick Sandmann
CNN agreed Tuesday to settle a lawsuit with Covington Catholic student Nick Sandmann.
The amount of the settlement was not made public during a hearing at the federal courthouse in Covington, Kentucky.
Sandmann's lawsuit sought $800 million from CNN, the Washington Post and NBC Universal.
Trial dates are still not set for Sandmann's lawsuit against NBC Universal and the Washington Post.
The Washington Post suit sought $250 million. A federal judge let a portion of the suit go forward after The Post filed a motion to dismiss it.
No word as to the settlement amount but betting that it is in the $10 million range. Good - make it hurt. Actions have consequences and if you publish a news story based on narrative instead of the facts, you should be ready to suffer the consequences.
And that is it for the evening
Long day tomorrow so see what is on YouTube for a bit and then to bed.
We were talking about poetry off and on over the last week. L turned me on to Mary Oliver - amazing work:
Sleeping in the Forest
I thought the earth remembered me,
she took me back so tenderly,
arranging her dark skirts, her pockets
full of lichens and seeds.
I slept as never before, a stone on the river bed,
nothing between me and the white fire of the stars
but my thoughts, and they floated light as moths
among the branches of the perfect trees.
All night I heard the small kingdoms
breathing around me, the insects,
and the birds who do their work in the darkness.
All night I rose and fell, as if in water,
grappling with a luminous doom. By morning
I had vanished at least a dozen times
into something better.
Beautiful imagery.
Some of her work can be found here.
Interesting bedfellows
Probably an interesting deep-state story there - two headlines. Click to go to source story:
Iran state TV says Ukrainian airplane crashes near Tehran
Ukrainian plane carrying at least 170 crashes in Tehran, Iran state TV reports
Two nations I would not care to visit right now. The tendrils of the deep-state are too deep.
Mt. Baker snow
From the Mt. Baker snow report:
What an incredible storm we are experiencing up here at Baker! We have received over 50 inches of snow since Friday night, but are in the midst of a temporary warm-up right now and it's rained to mid mountain.
Snow levels are expected to drop to 3000' tonight with continued snowfall and temperatures are forecasted to drop to 1000' by Wednesday!! Given this scenario we are expecting to receive snow at cool temps Tuesday night, Wednesday and Thursday with significant snowfall measured in feet forecasted for Friday at low snow levels.
Very good news. Also, an update from Seattle meteorologist Cliff Mass
The Lowland Snow Threat
I would not run to the food store yet. But there is a significant chance for some light lowland snow over portions of western Washington during the week.
Uncertainty is still high, but sufficiently cold air will be in place to allow snow to reach sea level for substantial portions of time. The issue is getting precipitation during those cold periods.
Much more at the site. What global warming?
The 2020 Golden Globes awards - Ricky Gervais
Absolutely brilliant - spot on:
Put in a solid day
Did a bunch more work on the house today - lots of progress.
Heading out to library and post office and a bite to eat on the road.
Enough lollygagging - working on the house today. L is coming over to help.
From local meteorologist Cliff Mass:
Massive Snowfall and Heavy Precipitation Will Pummel the Cascades This Week
This is going to be a week of superlatives over the region, as heavy precipitation will produce both river flooding and a huge snowfall over regional terrain. Enough snow so that skiers and ski areas will be jubilant, and enough water that fears of lack of drought this summer will be far less.
Much more at the site - making sure that my radio batteries are charged, take the generator out for a test run and thankful that I already have a month or two of food stockpiled.
Much more at the site - should be "interesting" to say the least...
The fires in Australia - one major problem
Idiots - says it all. From Australia's New South Wales Police agency:
Police take legal action against more than 180 people so far during 2019/2020 bushfire season
The NSW Police Force has taken legal action against more than 180 people for bushfire-related offences since late last year.
Numerous bush and grass fires have impacted the state, claiming the lives of 18 people and destroying hundreds of millions of animals and livestock, thousands of homes, and more than 4.9 million hectares of land, so far this bushfire season.
Since Friday 8 November 2019, legal action – which ranges from cautions through to criminal charges – has been taken against 183 people – including 40 juveniles – for 205 bushfire-related offences.
And this is just NSW - do not know the numbers for the rest of Australia. Not climate change, the problem lies at the feet of the environmentalists and the wankers setting the fires.
The fires in Australia - a bit of reality
The conditions there are the result of the environmentalists preventing the seasonal burn of brush. Increases the fire load for when conditions line up. From climate realist James Delingpole writing at Breitbart:
Environmentalists Made Australia's Bush Fires Worse
Australia is on fire, at least 17 people have been killed, hundreds of homes have been destroyed, and an estimated half-billion animals — both livestock and wildlife — have been burned alive. The area burned in the bush fires so far is considerably bigger than the area burned either in last year's Amazon rainforest fires or the fires in California.
The stories and images that have emerged from Australia are vivid and dramatic.
But let us not allow the heartbreak and the emotion to distract us from the truth about this natural disaster: it has nothing whatsoever to do with 'climate change'.
As Paul Homewood pointed out last month, there has been no significant long-term decrease in rainfall or increase in temperatures in the affected regions.
Yes, it has been dry in New South Wales (where most of the worst fires are), but there have been several years, especially pre-1960, when it was drier.
The same applies to temperature. Yes, this has been a hot spring in New South Wales. But there have been times when it has been much hotter — making a nonsense of all stories in the Australian media about temperatures being the hottest evah.
A problem with the environmentalists and bad forest management, not climate change. SImple really...
And that is it
Tired - long day tomorrow as well. House is looking good in places - lots more work needed.
Can he get any lower - Hunter Biden
The guy is pond scum and that is insulting to a lot of wonderful pond scum. From FOX News:
Hunter Biden linked to 2016 identity theft involving deceased brother
Newly submitted court documents link Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden, to an identity theft case from 2016 when he was allegedly being checked into an unidentified Arizona facility.
The court papers were filed Monday in an Arkansas court as part of a paternity battle over a child the Hunter Biden shares with Lunden Roberts, who met the scandal-plagued businessman at a Washington, D.C., strip club where she worked. While the question of whether or not Biden is a father is no longer an issue — a DNA test confirmed he is the baby's father — the parents are at odds over issues such as child support.
They offer a link to the court papers but that link is broken. Still, an interesting and not unsurprising story. Bet that Papa Joe is feeling really proud right about now - so sad about that presidential bid... Wonder if Hunter is going to commit suicide like Epstein or any of the Clinton people.
Now this is interesting - did not hear a peep from anyone...
From September 2019 - CNBC:
Russia conducts massive military drills with China, sending a message to the West
Russia is carrying out a series of large-scale military exercises with China, India and Pakistan in what experts believe is Moscow trying to send a powerful message to the West.
The military drills take place annually but Russia has upped the ante this year by inviting forces from China, India and Pakistan (as well as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) to take part in the drills.
The exercises will involve 128,000 military personnel, more than 20,000 weapons and military equipment, about 600 aircraft and up to 15 ships and support vessels, according to the Russian defense ministry. The drills are designed to test the combat-readiness of the military command and troops within the central military district in Russia (hence being called "Tsentr-2019") and will also see the country test its military capabilities in the Arctic.
The season of Tsentr exercises actually started in June but this week is seen as the culmination of those in the most important "strategic command post exercise," known as the "hot phase" by experts.
This drill is done every year but the one in 2019 was a lot larger and involved more nations than usual. Hmmmm???
A long but very productive day
I had written about the Sound Water Stewards yesterday - L found a brochure for them and we were both interested (her "real career" was in public health). Reading the website, it turned out that their general meetings are on the first Monday of each month and were open to the general public so we went. Had about 30 people show up. A good mix. Some of the people giving the reports seemed to be members of On-Anon Anon Anon but the content was interesting. Signing up for their training, both a one-day "university" and their full 90 hour certification program.
Early day tomorrow so a quick surf and then to bed.
A comparison - two embassy attacks
The difference summed up in an infographic:
Any questions? Thought not.
Time to get to work
Done with breakfast - go out for coffee and post office and then back home to work on the garage. Got some good shelving so taking apart the crappy stuff I had been using then installing that. Clean it up a bit.
Wheels within wheels
Two clickable headlines - we all know about the big Obama election scandal Crossfire Hurricane. Two of the key players seem to be a bit more involved in Iranian machinations than we first understood:
Peter Strzok Grew Up In Iran, Worked As Obama and Brennan's Envoy To Iranian Regime
Lisa Page, whose mom came from Iran, calls it 'smart and strategic … a real and independent country'
That is funny - I thought that people working at this level in the FBI were better vetted. Had better checks on their security clearence and their loyalties.
For more on Operation Crossfire Hurricane here and here for starters.
Heh - looks like someone has been studying their Alinski
From FOX News:
Cruz pushes Senate resolution praising Soleimani mission, daring Dems to oppose
Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, a noted Iran hawk, is circulating a resolution in the Senate that would commend the Trump administration for killing Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, aides told Fox News on Friday.
And Senator Cruz is being very very clever here:
An aide said the resolution is "structured and worded the same way as a 2011 resolution that commended the Obama administration for killing Bin Laden, which received unanimous support in the Senate." Cruz is trying to get Democrats on the record supporting the mission.
It's an apparent effort by Republicans to try to dare Democrats to oppose virtually the same resolution the Senate adopted to applaud then President Barack Obama in 2011 after the killing of Osama bin Laden.
A simple up or down vote - yes or no. Get them on the record for either approving or disapproving this action.
Seems like Senator Cruz has been taking Saul Alinski's words to heart.
I think I found my tribe
L turned me on to these people: Sound Water Stewards From their About page:
Sound Water Stewards supports highly trained volunteers to do education, outreach, citizen science and stewardship to sustain a healthy Puget Sound environment. We have partners in and around Island County with active chapters on both Whidbey and Camano Island. Our partnerships include researchers, governments, universities, state and local parks and other nonprofit organizations that focus on work in the Salish Sea.
You need to go through 90 hours of training (cost is $150 - this is not a rip-off) and they promote "citizen science".
Considering that my first love was Marine Biology and Physical Oceanography and was what I went to college for, this is right up my alley. I dropped out for several reasons and do not regret that decision but still keep current with the research and still have an abiding love for the ocean.
And that is it for the night
Tired - worked hard today and tomorrow will be just the same. Got a lot done though.
A fun evening
L and I went to a fundraising event at the historic Lincoln Theater in Mt. Vernon, WA - gorgeous old venue. Tonight's event was a fundraiser for a legal group and a housing group for actual refugees trying to immigrate legally. They had some kids doing traditional Mexican dances and a set by a favorite local guitarist Nick Vigarino. Unfortunately, the theater, which usually has great acoustics, was not behaving and the sound was really muddled and unintelligible. We bailed.
Spending tomorrow working on a couple projects and then L is coming over and we are going to a dance event - hopefully a lot better acoustics for this one...
Moving the narrative back to Impeachment
She is delusional - they all are. Except maybe for Tulsi Gabbard. She is the one normal person in the asylum.
From The Washington Free Beacon:
Dem Rep: Trump Killed Soleimani to Distract From Impeachment
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D., Fla.) said President Donald Trump's decision to kill Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani was made because he wanted to distract the public from recent developments in the impeachment inquiry.
"What I think is going on here, frankly, is that this action was taken more in President Trump's self-interest rather than our national interests," Wasserman Schultz said during an appearance on CNN. "We had damning developments in just the last day where emails came out that made it very clear that they covered up the real reason behind the withholding of hundreds of millions of dollars to Ukraine."
Just plain crazy. No other explanation.
Move over Che - there is a new liberal martyr
Meet Qassem Soleimani - from Legal Insurrection:
Liberal media finds its new Che Guevara in dead Iranian terror chief Qassem Soleimani
NY Times reporter posts video of Soleimani reciting poetry, while The New Yorker descibes him as "a flamboyant former construction worker and bodybuilder with snowy white hair, a dapper beard, and arching salt-and-pepper eyebrows…"
Things required to be a liberal media revolutionary icon:
Hate America.
Be A Brutal Murderer and Terrorist
Have a Beard and "Dreamy" Eyes
Be Photogenic
Be Killed by America or Its Allies
Che Guevara had it all. He was anything but liberal, but posters of that murderous, racist monster hang in dorm rooms and faculty offices throughout the country, and he is treated as a revolutionary hero in the media, because he checked all those boxes.
So too, apparently, does Major General Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps, killed by a U.S. drone strike in Iraq. Soleimani was the man responsible for sowing mayhem throughout the Middle East and beyond:
A 2013 New Yorker profile quoted John Maguire, a former CIA officer in Iraq, describing him as "the single most powerful operative in the Middle East today." The piece said that since he took over the Quds Force, whose numbers it put at 10,000-20,000, Soleimani "has sought to reshape the Middle East in Iran's favor, working as a power broker and as a military force: assassinating rivals, arming allies, and, for most of a decade, directing a network of militant groups that killed hundreds of Americans in Iraq."
Much more at the site - the guy was a major terrorist and responsible for the deaths of over 600 US soldiers in Iraq.
Good riddance. Next?
As the losers rattle their small sabers
By DaveH on January 4, 2020 11:46 AM | No Comments
It is all over for them - the clean fresh wind of Liberty is in the air. The head of the dinosaur does not know that the rest of its body is dead quite yet. From Reuters:
Multiple rockets fall in Green Zone, Baghdad, air base: Iraqi military
Several rockets fell on Saturday inside Baghdad's heavily fortified Green Zone, its Jadriya neighborhood, and the Balad air base housing U.S. troops, the Iraqi military said, adding that there were no deaths.
"Several rockets targeting Celebration Square and the Jadriya area in Baghdad, and the Balad air base in Salahuddin province, with no loss of life. Further details to come," the military said in a statement.
Is that the best they can do now? Sounds pretty impotent to me. Looks like terrorism and the state sponsorship thereof is falling out of favor for a while. 2020 is turning out to be a very good year on a lot of fronts.
Did not know that Hell had internet
A tweet from the dead:
Something to always keep in mind
And a wonderful morning
The windstorm has blown itself out and the morning is glorious.
BC still has about 14K people without power but everywhere else is doing fine - just some scattered outages.
Heading out for the usual coffee and post office and then the transfer station. Dropping some stuff at the thrift store and then starting in on cleaning out the garage. Fun day (actually).
That is it - early bedtime, long day tomorrow
A couple YouTubes and that will be it for me.
Mr. Ghaani, Mr. Esmail Ghaani to the white courtesy phone please
(cue Earth Shattering Ka-Boom) - from The Times of Israel:
Iran names Quds Force number 2, Esmail Ghaani, to replace slain Soleimani
Iran's supreme leader named the deputy head of the Revolutionary Guards' foreign operations arm Esmail Ghaani to replace its Quds force commander Friday after he was killed in a US strike in Baghdad.
"Following the martyrdom of the glorious general haj Qassem Soleimani, I name Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani as the commander of the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps," Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said in a statement posted on his official website.
Ghaani was described by Khamenei as one of the "most decorated commanders" of the Guards during the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. He has been deputy commander of the force for some two decades.
Recieving his 72 white grapes or raisins of exceptional purity in 3... 2... 1...
Didn't know about that translation error now did you guys?
Absolutely brilliant idea
From Science:
Biocompatible near-infrared quantum dots delivered to the skin by microneedle patches record vaccination
The précis:
Vaccines prevent disease and save lives; however, lack of standardized immunization recordkeeping makes it challenging to track vaccine coverage across the world. McHugh et al. developed dissolvable microneedles that deliver patterns of near-infrared light-emitting microparticles to the skin. Particle patterns are invisible to the eye but can be imaged using modified smartphones. By codelivering a vaccine, the pattern of particles in the skin could serve as an on-person vaccination record. Patterns were detected 9 months after intradermal delivery of microparticles in rats, and codelivery of inactivated poliovirus led to protective antibody production. Discrete microneedle-delivered microparticle patterns in porcine and pigmented human skin were identifiable using semiautomated machine learning. These results demonstrate proof of concept for intradermal on-person vaccination recordkeeping.
That they made it work with a cell phone and an app is pure genius.
And he is not done yet - President Trump
Excellent news from Zero Hedge:
Round Two: US Drone Airstrikes Kill Six Pro-Iran Militia Commanders
Whether he is eating ice cream or not, Trump appears to be on a rampage to recreate the end of The Godfather.
Less than 24 hours after a US drone shockingly killed the top Iranian military leader, Qasem Soleimani, resulting in equity markets groaning around the globe in fear over Iranian reprisals (and potentially, World War III), the US has gone for round two with Reuters and various other social media sources reporting that US air strikes targeting Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units umbrella grouping of Iran-backed Shi'ite militias near camp Taji north of Baghdad, have killed six people and critically wounded three, an Iraqi army source said late on Friday.
Something to keep in mind. He is not starting World War Three, he is ending it before it ever gets off the ground.
Back for the evening
L and I met up at the place where we first met 31 days ago - took a nice walk, went to see Frozen 2 and had some Mexican food for dinner. Perfect date night. She is back with her client and we both have stuff to do tomorrow morning. Going to a concert tomorrow evening and a dance event Sunday. Getting to know each other has been a real joy.
Fairly windy with more in the forecast - should be interesting to see if the electricity holds. Our local utility has about 60 customers out, Puget Sound Energy has about 4K outages in the Everson and Bellingham areas, Oregon is not affected but Vancouver BC is taking the brunt with over 26,000 customers without power.
The gale warning is in effect through 10AM tomorrow morning.
Out for a few hours
Running some errands. L is doing an intensive Yoga session this morning. Got a couple of fun things planned for this weekend. Back this afternoon.
Waiting for the indictments - Burisma
The net just keeps spreading and spreading. Just the headline - click for the whole sordid story:
BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: Obama's Assistant Defense Secretary, Evelyn Farkas, Pictured in Ukraine in Burisma Outfit with Shady Atlantic Council
100% crooked - the whole lot of them
Calling a spade a spade - John F. Kerry
I am so glad that this moron did not get into the White House - would have been a disaster. From RealClear Politics:
Trump: John Kerry Is Sabotaging Talks With Iran, Should Be Prosecuted For Violating Logan Act
During an impromptu press conference Thursday afternoon, President Trump addressed negotiations with Iran, saying "I'd like to see them call me." Trump also accused former Secretary of State John Kerry of telling the Iranians not to negotiate. Kerry led negotiations with Iran during the Obama administration that culminated in the nuclear deal that the Trump administration withdrew the U.S. from.
"John Kerry tells them not to call," Trump said. "But John Kerry violated the Logan Act. He's talking to Iran and has been, has many meetings and many phone calls. And he's telling them what to do."
And a bit more:
But John Kerry violated the Logan Act. He's talking to Iran and has been, has many meetings and many phone calls. And he's telling them what to do. That is a total violation of the Logan Act, because what they should be doing is--their economy is a mess ever since I took away the Iran deal. They have inflation that's the highest number I've ever heard. They are having riots every weekend and during the week even.
And what they should be doing is calling me up, sitting down. We can make a deal, fair deal. We just don't want them to have nuclear weapons, not too much to ask. And we would help put them back into great shape. They're in bad shape right now. I look forward to the day where we can actually help Iran. We're not looking to hurt Iran. I want them to be strong and great and have a great economy.
But they're listening to John Kerry, who violated a very important element of what he's supposed to be doing. He violated the Logan Act, plain and simple. He shouldn't be doing that. But they should call, and if they do, we're open to talking to them. We have no secrets. And they can be very, very strong financially. They have great potential, very much like North Korea.
That is it in a nutshell - Iran could be an economic powerhouse if it got rid of its theocratic tyrants and installed a democratic republic that rewarded hard work and fiscal responsibility. The citizens of Iran want this - there are demonstrations going on all the time. The ruling elites do not want anyone taking away their rice bowls so they are resisting.
Now that President Trump has shown that he can "Reach out and touch someone", the Iranian regieme might be a little more open to negotiation. And yes, the Logan Act has been on the books since 1799 - it is very much "a thing".
The world's worst translator
Fun little film - from Alternatino at Comedy Central:
And that is it for tonight
Time to get some sleep. 30 minutes of YouTube first.
The people of Iran
Sounds like they are sick and tired of living under theocratic tyrrany - from The Gateway Pundit:
Iranians Celebrate! Thank President Trump for Killing Soleimani Using Hashtag #TnxPOTUS4Soleimani
Iranians online are cheering the assassination of Iran Quds Force leader Major General Qassem Soleimani by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad early Friday local time, with many thanking President Trump with a hashtag that reads: #TnxPOTUS4Soleimani. Many observers regarded Soleimani as the second most powerful person in Iran behind the Supreme Leader.
Lots of tweets at the site - I guess that Mr. Soleimani was not well liked by the citizenry of Iran.
One of the 280+ comments:
Obama: "You better not cross my red line or else."
Trump: "Hold my Diet Coke and watch this."
Heh - spot on.
Now that did not take long at all - Iran
The USA's response to the raid on our Embassy was swift, pinpoint and decisive. From The Washington Free Beacon:
Trump Calls the Ayatollah's Bluff
The successful operation against Qassem Suleimani, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard, is a stunning blow to international terrorism and a reassertion of American might. It will also test President Trump's Iran strategy. It is now Trump, not Ayatollah Khamenei, who has ascended a rung on the ladder of escalation by killing the military architect of Iran's Shiite empire. For years, Iran has set the rules. It was Iran that picked the time and place of confrontation. No more.
Reciprocity has been the key to understanding Donald Trump. Whether you are a media figure or a mullah, a prime minister or a pope, he will be good to you if you are good to him. Say something mean, though, or work against his interests, and he will respond in force. It won't be pretty. It won't be polite. There will be fallout. But you may think twice before crossing him again.
A good analysis - President Trump says what he means and he does what he says he will do. This is #1) - being an adult and #2) - showing leadership.
Now this is downright cute - parking police in Bern Switzerland
From Dosa Schweiz
Tip of the hat to Bayou Renaissance Man for the link.
About that machete attack in New York
You know - the one that the mainstream media have stopped reporting on? What machete attack. From The Heavy:
Grafton Thomas: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know
Grafton Thomas, the suspect accused of stabbing multiple Jewish people with an 18-inch machete at a Monsey, New York rabbi's home during Hanukkah celebrations, left behind journals containing anti-Semitic references, comments about Adolf Hitler and references to the Black Hebrew Israelite group, authorities say.
Thomas's former stepfather, Joe Kennedy, told Heavy in an interview that, through the time he knew him, until 2014, Grafton had grown increasingly aggressive and unstable, even attacking him with a fire extinguisher. He believes Thomas is mentally ill and also provided some biographical details, saying that Thomas had previously served in the military, was born in America to a family with roots in Guyana, once worked on a chicken farm, and identified as Muslim.
Those last four words: and identified as Muslim. That is why the media is in crickets mode. Not a peep.
He is mentally ill, a person of color and identifies as a Muslim. Guaranteed to not get any mention in the press.
Some fun phrases from a hundred years ago
1920 to 2020 - from Thought Catalog (love the name!)
59 Quick Slang Phrases From The 1920s We Should Start Using Again
Get ready to "know your onions," readers. If you've ever wanted to talk like characters from an old movie or the folks from The Great Gatsby, now's your chance. For the twenties lovers among us, here are 59 of the era's best slang phrases. Now you just have to practice talking really, really fast so you can say this old slang.
They are listed alphabetically but here are five that caught my eye:
Berries: like "bee's knees," denotes that something is good, desirable or pleasing. "That sounds like berries to me!"
Dewdropper: like lollygagger, a slacker who sits around all day and does nothing, often unemployed
Giggle water: liquor, alcoholic beverage
Handcuff: engagement ring
Iron one's shoelaces: to excuse oneself for the restroom
Fun stuff.
A two-fer from Woodsterman
Their site has a lot of fun memes - two from today:
Worth 2,000 words with these two...
Quite the list - President Trump
Exclusive: Trump list shows 319 'results' and promises kept in three years
One month shy of completing three years in office, President Trump has fulfilled or is making significant progress on most of his 2016 campaign promises, which aides said give him a strong reelection argument to counter his impeachment by a bitterly partisan House last week.
As the president and his team ready for the 2020 campaign at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, officials said it would be built on the administration's achievements list of 15 categories and 319 "results."
Vice President Mike Pence told Secrets that the message is simple: "Promises made, promises kept." Pence, who has already hit the campaign trail in a specially outfitted Trump-Pence bus, added, "Thanks to President Trump's leadership, we are living in a stronger and more secure America with the best economy in the history of this country."
Pence gets it - Promises made, promises kept. Simple as that. Leadership.
The American Kennel Club
Swirling around the drain - an observation from Terrierman's Daily Dose:
The AKC Continues to Swirl Down the Bowl
In their 2018 annual report (the latest) the AKC doesn't mention total registrations AT ALL. That's called whistling past the grave yard.
If you read the AKC balance sheet, you will see that their pension liabilities exceed their total assets. They're broke, but staying afloat on the cash flow of investment income (which was declining in 2018).
Bottom line: Though Americans have more dogs than ever before, the AKC continues to swirl down the toilet bowl, never looking at its core business model.
Though there are fewer vegetarians in the US than there were 20 years ago, we are told the AKC's failure is due to the mysterious "Animal Rights" movement.
Terrierman offers this:
Maybe that's a thing if you are located in downtown Manhattan (101 Park Avenue) where folks don't mow lawns, own cars, or hunt and fish.
Which raises a question: Why is an organization that is going broke located in downtown Manhattan? Why are the paying New York salaries and rents to ... check notes... run a canine registry that cold just as well be run from Minnesota, Mississippi, or North Carolina?
So true. I have had pure-bred dogs before and share my life with two German Shepherds right now. Did I seek out a good breeder - absolutely. Zero hip problems, no cardiac or temperament issues. Perfect pups. Were their parents AKC registered? Yes. Did I bother to pay the bucks to the AKC and register them? Nope. No reason to.
It is a simple matter to follow the paperwork and see that the sire and dam have had their OFA hip x-rays (or the PennHip - this looks better) and to look at their breeding records and spot check other pups in the lineage. A lot of this stuff is now online. The AKC does nothing for me.
A comparison - embassy attacks
A good look at the Benghazi embassy attack versus the recent attack in Baghdad - from the Daily Sounder:
Obama Waited 13 Hours To Help In Benghazi, Trump Waited 13 Minutes To Help In Iraq
In 2012, it took 13 hours for President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to send help to Americans at the U.S. Embassy in Benghazi. By the time backup arrived, it was too late — four Americans were killed, including U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens.
With President Donald Trump, the era of timidity and lenience is over — he sent help to the besieged U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in just minutes.
100 Marines arrived overnight. Two Apache gunships kept them safe as they were inbound. 750 paratroopers have been on "immediate standby." Two dozen helicopters were ready to rock and roll.
Trump, unlike Obama, knows the drill — America is the first to the fight and the last to leave.
This mighty display is who America has always been, but has remained dormant under Obama as he attempted to negotiate with hostile Middle Eastern countries and implement progressive diplomatic relations.
In fact, not only did it not work, Obama and his top officials lied to the American people about what really happened in Benghazi, claiming that it was a spur-of-the-moment incident over a random Youtube video. It wasn't until two weeks later that they admitted the incident was coordinated and a well-orchestrated attack.
There were no smoke and mirrors with Trump.
There was no deceptive, weeks-long campaign.
There was only swift action by the president to save Americans at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad
Pesident Trump is the adult in the room. This is true leadership. Obama was a big mistake.
What passes for fashion these days
Says it all - from Dr. James Kent's twitter account:
Lynn Yaeger, Vogue Editor says Melania Trumps wardrobe is tasteless, and out of fashion. Honestly, you couldn't write the script. pic.twitter.com/bnB5x1o9VT
— Dr James Kent (@DrJamesKent3) December 26, 2019
Once seen, it can not be unseen. Ms. Yaeger graced this site August 2017 with this post:
Vogue on the outside, vague on the inside
She wore the same basic makeup and hairdo (or hairdon't in this case) over two years ago.
En Vogue? Sûrement pas.
Quite the anniversary - from The Gateway Pundit:
On this day in 1863 Republicans freed the slaves
Republicans rejoiced. Democrats cursed
Grand Old Partisan reported:
On New Year's Day in 1863, the Republican Party's Emancipation Proclamation came into effect. While Republicans rejoiced, Democrat politicians and newspapers denounced President Abraham Lincoln (R-IL) for freeing slaves.
Demonstrating their depravity, New York's Gov. Horatio Seymour, who would be the 1868 Democrat presidential nominee, denounced the Emancipation Proclamation as "a proposal for the butchery of women and children."
The Louisville Daily Democrat called it "an outrage of all constitutional law, all human justice, all Christian feeling."
Although this is often ignored by the revisionists in academia Republicans led the charge on civil rights and women's rights.
157 years gives the Democrats plenty of time to spin their narrative. Who needs facts?
Now that is an adventure - Drake Passage
Not one I would like to undertake but for sheer balls, this is one for the record books. From Associated Press:
6 men become 1st to cross perilous Drake Passage unassisted
As freezing water thrashed their rowboat in some of the most treacherous waters in the world, six men fought for 13 days to make history, becoming the first people to traverse the infamous Drake Passage with nothing other than sheer manpower.
They dodged icebergs, held their breaths as giant whales breached near their small boat and rode building-sized waves while rowing 24 hours a day toward Antarctica.
The team of men from four countries finished crossing the Drake Passage on Wednesday in just under two weeks after pushing off from the southern tip of South America.
A bit more about the conditions on board:
Besides the threat to their lives, the men labored under grueling conditions. Their 29-foot (9-meter) rowboat, named the Ohana, had to be in constant motion to avoid capsizing. That meant three men would row for 90 minutes while the other three rested, still cold and wet.
"You're rowing inside an open hold, 40-foot sea waves are splashing in your face, near-freezing water is splashing over the bow," said 34-year-old Colin O'Brady of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, one of the six men on the boat.
"It was quite harrowing," O'Brady told The Associated Press on Thursday in his first interview after the journey. "By the end, we all lost a good amount of weight and were delirious from the sleep deprivation."
O'Brady has done some other truly epic adventures. The adventure was covered by the Discovery Channel
2019 = 281
The final tally for sunspot-free days for 2019 is 281 days or 77% of the whole year.
The next most quiet year was 2008 with 268 days (73%). To top 2019, you have to go waaay back to 1913 with 331 sunspot-free days.
Interesting times - glad I got a bunch of firewood in last fall...
And I am out
Nothing catches my eye on the web. Grocery store and check the mail.
Gorgeous day today
Very springlike. L worked here for seven hours. Me in the garage and her outside in the yard and soon to be vegetable patch. She is off taking care of her client and I am still puttering in the garage. Head out for some groceries soon but back home to work. Hard to imagine that we first met less than 30 days ago.
And the details come out - the Iraq terrorist raid
Another example of Obama's "legacy" - from Breitbart:
Iranian Militia Leader Leading Iraq U.S. Embassy Raid Listed as Obama White House Guest
Iranian militia leader Hadi al-Amiri, one of several identified as leading an attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad on Tuesday, reportedly visited the White House in 2011 during the presidency of Barack Obama.
On Tuesday, a mob in Baghdad attacked the U.S. embassy in retaliation against last weekend's U.S. airstrikes against the Iran-backed Shiite militia Kataib Hezbollah (KH), responsible for killing an American civilian contractor. KH is one of a number of pro-Iran militias that make up the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF/PMU), which legally became a wing of the Iraqi military after fighting the Sunni Islamic State terrorist group.
President Donald Trump has since accused Iran of having "orchestrated" the embassy attack and stated that the government would be "held fully responsible."
Much more at the site - typical leftist tactic of using a mob of useful idiots to manufacture outrage and advance their narrative. Their problem is that President Trump and his advisers are on to these simple tricks. Like I said yesterday - I bet there is some fascinating munitions being readied right now. Ka Boom.
If the Iraqi government wants to be a player on the world stage, they need to learn how to sit at the adults table.
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