Top. Men. (link fixed)

Security in Ohare and other Chicago airports is airtight.

For a given level of airtight, that is:

She did it AGAIN: Woman gets past TSA without a ticket and boards flight from Ohare to London. Is returned when she can't get past Customs and Immigration 'cause she has no passport.

Layers and layers of Security. Top. Men are working to keep us safe. (did you know that having a High School diploma isn't a requirement to be a TSA agent?)

I feel much safer now. At least our airlines are secure...

For some odd reason, Google seems to be breaking the links to articles lately.
Perhaps I should post direct copy/paste links at the bottom of my postings? 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-serial-stowaway-london-flight-court-20180120-story.html

One year ago today:

Hillary Clinton did not become President.

And that doesn't suck. 

Gunshow!

Will be at the Crown Point gunshow today.

Selling raffle tickets.

(And I will, of course, offer a reward for lost BMW keys) .

Get your tickets from me! I sold 2 of the 3 winners the last two years. 

It would seem to me

That if the Congress and Senate feel that shutting down the government (by not funding it) is that trivial, then they also believe that most of the Government is not really needed.

I mean, if they can shut it down that easily, then they must not think much of all those departments, eh? 

And they breed

Went to the bank Wed.

Withdrew $200....

Asked for small bills.

The teller said "They are all the same size".  And she held up a $1 and a $100. Sure enough, they were the same size.

I asked for twenties. Easier that way.

Amazin', innit?

So....when you let folks (or corporations) keep their profits (or at least more of them) then they choose to invest in the United States, instead of keeping those profits out of the reach of the greedy bureaucrats at the US Treasury, and the Federal Government in general..


Apple to repatriate $252.3 billion (yes, with a "B") and pay a one time tax payment of $38 billion (again, with a "B")...and will create approximately 20,000 jobs here in the US...and will spend about $30 billion (there's that "B" again) in the US. 

Lots of money and lots of jobs, and lots of investment.....which equates to lots of construction jobs and other jobs when they spend that $30 Billion dollars over the next five years.....

And all 'cause now the US isn't taking too much of their money. Strange, that....

That's a Big snapper:

No, I mean a REALLY big snapper.

Apparently the cold in Arkansas is causing the wildlife to do strange things to survive.

Where Dick Durbin admits he's a traitor

He'd rather represent foreign invaders (not immigrants) than the people who elected him to represent their interests.

If the DNC (or RNC) would run anyone who didn't appear to be less smart than the south end of a northbound horse against him, they could replace him.

But then again, the DNC wants all these new voters, don't they? 

Think it's cold where you are?

Wimp. Pussy.

THIS IS REALLY fargin' COLD

There is no way I would live there. Maybe if you kept me in prison.

But -88 F is just too cold.
Screw that.

Ninth Circle and all that. 

Pretty much the way I see it too:

They are testing their systems for when it gets real. I think he is right. Once is happenstance twice is coincidence(maybe). If there is a third time.....


If you don't have some preparations in place, think hard about getting some. A few weeks of food and some water will go a long way towards giving you more options than most folks. Even a few flats of cans of beans and a few pounds of rice will go very far, and they buy you the most important thing in a crisis: The time to consider your situation and plan for what is next. Most people will not have that luxury because they are stupid. Don't be them.

And, if you are smart, a plan for, and the tools to, defend your stash from those folks who are unable or unwilling to plan ahead. 

Proving how disconnected they are

Seems that the Lincoln Navigator has been named the 2019 Truck of the Year.

Have ya seen the thing?

It ain't a truck, it is a glorified (if nicely outfittted) SUV/Station Wagon. Lots of nice goodies, but not a truck. An expensive and somewhat capable luxury car that rides poorly.

Shows the difference between the city folks and real folks. Folks who think Style is more important that, you know, function.

It occurred to me today:

That the Rev. Martin Luther King would likely be very disappointed in what the Black rights/Civil Rights movement has become, and the general attitudes of black people in general and especially the ends pf the spectrum....powerful and wealthy, and poor and undeducated, have become.

He'd likely be ashamed of the movement and his people today.

And lets not get into what the CULTURE has morphed into.

Yeah, I'm white and yeah, I know the above makes me "Raciss"...but at least I can both pronounce and spell "Racist" correctly.

If this offends you, then you are a part of the problem. 

One would think she'd choose better:

So, in preparation for the move, I was helping my brother on Thursday....and as happens to people who use their hands, I took a chunk out of the edge of one finger with a chisel that slipped. Not a big deal, a bit of blood and a curse and all good. Except this was right at a joint, so despite the fact that I clot quickly, it kept breaking open.

Being as it was a new house, no one living there yet, no bandaids, so a bit of paper toweling and some of his finest Scotch 33 tape (only the good stuff , not Jap Wrap) and I'm not bleeding all over his new floor anymore. We finish that job and move to another.

Later that day, I leave to go to a Dentist appointment.

The dental assistant, a nice young lady, asks what is up with my stylish tape on my hand?

I explained how I got the tape, and why.

"My boyfriend would not be able to keep working if that happened to him, he can't take blood, he'd have to go home" She said. "He'd never just tape it up and keep on working...He's not very tough"

I (probably wisely) refrained from pointing out that she needed to find a more manly boyfriend, (seeing as how she would soon be probing onside my mouth with sharp objects....) Perhaps one with a set of cojones putting some testosterone in his blood.....

But seriously, WTF? Why do women go with, and stay with, such wimpy men? One would think she'd want someone tough enough to deal with a very minor injury, and manly enough to suck it up and keep working.

Perhaps he's "sensitive to her needs" or something?

Why would women, seemingly intelligent, want such a wimp? I thought they'd want tough manly men, not pussified ones.
Or is this the new Millennial womanhood? "I am Woman, hear me squeek."  Mates as weak and soft as they are? Raising children to be as weak as they?

Wow

MLK day is actually being celebrated on.....MLK day! It is, actually his birthday on the day it is celebrated instead of kinda-sorta close to that day.....

Usually it is just whatever Monday is closest so that Government employees and leeches (but I repeat myself) get a three day weekend......Which always seemed to me to weaken the impact and import of the holiday and doesn't really honor the person that the holiday is supposed to honor.

Pick the day, and celebrate it when it actually happens. Or not. But the holiday isn't just another excuse for a three day weekend. 

At 5:30 AM it got real.... Solo time:

That's when I woke up and realized that today was the day that I solo;

First time in a week that I could fly (the eather in NW Indiana isn't always cooperative in winter)
It was cold (-5 F) and calm. Like perfectly calm.

So at 7 AM they unlocked the doors and I preflighted the plane. The last user had overtightened the oil cap, but other than that, the plane was good. (I loosened it using a pair of pliers from my toolbox ...oil level was good).

Then a quick flight check with the Chief Instructor. 2 stalls, some slow flight, an engine out procedure, and a landing...then another landing. First one was flat, second one was a go around (my choice) and then a really smooth landing. Touched down as the stall horn went off, exactly where I wanted.

Taxi back to the barn, turn around, he got out, and I taxied back to the hold short line for 18.

Now it REALLY got real. No one next to me. No safety net.

and I called for departure on 18 on CTAF, and warned everyone:

"Look out above,
Watch out below:
Y'all better be ready,
Here I go. "

and with that, I did my first ever solo takeoff .
Around the pattern....
And landing.

Was OK, the second landing was better than the first, and then a third one which was ok.

Then back to the barn and parked it.

Like most first times, it went too fast...

Maybe video later if I can get it off the camera.

ETA: Can't seem to get any good clips from the GoPro, so none at this time.

And yes, I did transmit that. Figured I'd better warn everyone.

I'll be damned

Everyone showed up to help with the move. Plus some brought their kids or whatever.

If it is possible to have too much help, today was that situation.

Moving an entire household took LESS than 3 hours.

We spent the rest of the time putting beds and such back together and unpacking shit.

Moving day:

Today is moving day for my brother.

Let us hope that all the 14 people that promised to help actually show up.

2 LARGE trailers, 1 medium. 10 miles.

If everyone shows up, maybe 3 hours. If not....

And I got a phase check tomorrow at 7 AM. If the weather holds, I will fly.

Hope I can walk.... 

So TSA agents are not only bullies and cowards

They are, apparently, also totally STUPID.

Via Wirecutter:

This Sorority Girl Tried To Show Some School Spirit And Accidentally Pissed Off The TSA

Hassled, searched and reprimanded for a hand gesture. 

Hit him

Help kick him over 14 million. 

Good point

Joe asks:

"We all know many of you who are now in the throes of vapor swoons over this comment secretly call those Third World shitholes..."shitholes". 
Your outrage is that Trump said it.
No? How many of you are saving up your cash to take a dream vacation to Haiti or El Salvador or Uganda?

That is what I thought."

And right there is the issue. If (and it is unlikely) those folks most outraged have ever been to any of those places referred to as Shitholes (if that is what was said), then they went from an airport to a resort (where it was inexpensive because labor was cheap) and likely never saw any of the country. And I doubt that any of them have ever visited Hati or any other true shithole. 

Odd, that:

Make it worthwhile for a company to stay or return to the US, and they do.....

Fiat Chrysler will move Ram Heavy Duty truck manufacturing back to Michigan from Mexico.

"FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne says the company should adjust its manufacturing footprint to reflect “improvement in the U.S. business environment.”"

MAGA and all that. But, at the end of it all, the economic policies make it worthwhile to bring that production back to the US.

A long time ago I did work for a subcontractor  that made wiring harness testers for Ford. The Ford folks hated the fact that they had production in Mexico....the workers sucked, the plant was shit and they wished they could afford to move the pant back. But they couldn't, due to Clinton policies. Bush didn't fix that, and neither did Clinton.

Economic policy dictates where Big Business (and the small businesses that supply and support them) locate.

Now, look what is happening. 

AAAAND this is why

Puerto Rico was a shithole even before the hurricane devastated what they had.

And why half the island is still without power.

One wonders, were they planning on selling the supplies and equipment for profit?
(The Governor, of course,  is investigating )

Note that half the powerline workers are (or WERE) waiting on parts and pieces so they can get the job done.

The problem (as we see once again) with Puerto Rico is the Puerto Ricans....and their Government.

Via Elmtree Forge

CBS can't use the word "Shithole" in their reporting

Seems that the fainting flowers at CBS are afraid to use the word that President TheDonald used to describe some third world countries from which many immigrants are coming.....In particular African countries, El Salvador and Hati. "Shithole"...which adequately and somewhat accurately describes  portions of some of those countries....The thing that gets me is that that is exactly what they mean when they say "Third World" but when they can bias their coverage and (breathlessly) NOT say the word in order to twist what he said....

Note: he was asking WHY we should protect immigration numbers from these countries and not promote immigration from places like Norway....Which to their minds, means "White", rather than "First World".

And why shouldn't we promote immigration from places where people are literate, clean, disease free, skilled and whose values closely approximate those of the US? Why should we "protect" immigration from places where the population hates OUR culture, where diseases are rampant, where there are few (or no) skills, where the immigrants fail to assimilate and dislike and do not want to learn the culture of the US?

The bias of the media becomes ever more plain. 

Thank you Barry

(and the DNC).

I no longer have the same Doctor.

My health insurance cost has gone up by a factor of five:
Yet.....
My deductible has gone from $500 per year to 5 times that.
I no longer have vision insurance.
I have less access to care than I did before your wonderful "Affordable Health Care Act".

I know of NO ONE who is better off now than they were then. No one. Not even the "Poor" people. Even they have lost out in this.

So, from the Heart of my Bottom, I would like to say Thanks, you assholes.

RightSpeak

So when, exactly, are laws upheld?

So if your actions are illegal, but "correct" in the political hysteria climate....and fits the prejudices of the DA.....One can get away with breaking the law.

Durham DA will not pursue Felony charges in toppling of statue

Does this mean that I can start trashing statues of MLK? (No, I wouldn't, even if I could)

(One wonders if RACE had a role to play here? 

It occurs to me

That Oprah's embracing of the "#MeeToo/TimesUp movement will prevent her from being elected President. Not because she is necessarily anti male, but because of what the #Movement will morph into.

Ultimately, it will become a monster from which nearly every woman (except the man hating Feminists) will distance herself. But by then, it will be too late for Oprah.

We shall see. 

Yup

Where was she then?

President Oprah: another hypocrite

So, I'm still waiting:

When will there be charges posted against the Federal Prosecutors in the Bundy Trial? Why are they not currently disbarred? (or in proceedings for such?)

How about those FBI who willfully chose to lie under oath? Why aren't they charged? Under suspension as well?

Any supervisors of those agents and prosecutors should have all their Emails subpoenaed to determine if they were aware of the malfeasance....and if they were involved. Did they condone or order the behavior? How about their bosses?

We should be working our way up the chain of management to root out this rot....Gut them if we need to. Ultimately, the agencies need cleansing....That this behavior happened at all, for any reason, shows that.

So much for oaths. So much for "Sworn" officers. So much for the "Fidelity", "Integrity" parts of the FBI motto.
So now we have 2 instances of the FBI lying and subverting investigations. Manufacturing and/or withholding evidence.....failing their oaths.

I have known a fair number of FBI agents. They may have been foolish, uneducated, idiotic, shortsighted and just plain dumb sometimes....But the ones I knew were honest, at least. The New FBI? I cannot say....I do know that whatever they say I will not believe without corroborating evidence. 

Here's a hint:

All you assholes who think a tax cut for nearly everyone is a Bad Idea:

Fuck you. If you want more money in the treasury, feel free to write a check.

Feel free to reduce your lifestyle and level of living to the subsistence level.

Then write a check for the difference between your needs and your income.

Make it out to "US Treasury".

Until you do that, shut up.

An....interesting.....viewpoint....

So I had the occasion to talk about the "SWAT" shooting (that I posted about here) with an ex cop.

His take: "Dude didn't obey orders, so the shooting is justified".

I pointed out that dude had no idea what was going on, and WAS ON HIS FRONT PORCH..... that some folks he couldn't identify (maybe) shouted at him from across the street....that he was at least 30 yards (more like 60) away from the cops that had cover.

His take: If a cop tells you to do something, you'd better do it so you don't get shot".

I pointed out that it wasn't like a cop was, you know, on the porch...in uniform, giving the orders.

His response: "I don't know, I haven't seen the video".

I then asked, if he hadn't seen the video, how could he judge?

"Doesn't matter, it just matters what the cop on the scene thought. If he thought the dude was a threat, then the shooting was justified."

I pretty much pulled back from the conversation at that point, 'cause it wasn't gonna go anywhere.....

His parting shot? "If you see a cop at 2 am in your bedroom, you'd better do what he says or you could get shot....and that is justified too."

I refrained from pointing out that ANYONE in my bedroom uninvited at 2 AM is probably also gonna get shot...I also refrained from asking him who he, or any cop, was that they thought they were justified in giving me orders?

But if cops really think this way, or even a significant fraction (by "significant", I mean like more than 2%)  of them do, how can we be safe around them? If all they need to be "justified" (at least in their minds) to use deadly force is that they think anyone is a threat, then how can we let them interact with the rest of us? I, as a concealed carry holder have much more stringent rules than that for using deadly force, shouldn't the "trained professionals" have at least as stringent rules of engagement?

More importantly, should we allow officers with that mindset to, you know, police the rest of us?

Have ya noticed????

How there are lots of articles lately trying to whitewash the past actions of the ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (and explosives now too)) and how now they are unable to do their (self defined) job because they are terribly underfunded and all?

Someone who wasn't paying attention might think that the ATF has some pull with some folks in the Media and is trying to keep the agency from disappearing altogether or something...or at least gain funding.

'Bout time:

Cliven Bundy walks free as federal judge dismisses Bundy Ranch standoff case

I never did see what they though he had done wrong, except defy the Feds.

Now, when will we see charges against the Federal lawyers for Malfeasance and Prosecutorial Misconduct?

(And then those Federal officers who threatened all those protesters with firearms?)

You'd never be able

to sleep, nor would you ever not have to have your head on a swivel.

I'd find a way to finish you. And it wouldn't be quick,

Man wrongly taken into custody, forced to take antipsychotic drugs, attorney says

Found at Elmtree Forge

I've known some this tough

And yes, you'd better believe that they were nobody to mess with.

Some little old ladies are just that kind of bad-ass even when they are old.

Nearly 100 year old woman huntress bags a deer. She turns 100 on Tuesday.

420??

Joe is absolutely right.

If the Feds wanna say they can regulate pot, then why don't they regulate the sales (and availability) of booze? Why can i buy it here in Indiana in a bar, but not in a package store on Sunday? Hows come I can buy it in Illinois on a Sunday but not in Indiana? How about county to county in Kaintuky? Some places you can buy it, some places you can't. States rights mean something.

The way I see it, the Feds can prevent inter-state commerce, but not in-state commerce. This is, again, a States Rights issue.

And, as stated in the linked commentary, the best way for the GOP type folks to retain power is to let this go....to allow the STATES to make their choice.

But, realize that one cannot have the Feds stay out of pot and booze, and yet require Federal reciprocal carry rights.  Pick one way or the other.

He's got a point:

If you don’t feel the need to carry a gun because you believe the government will keep you safe, why do you care if I or anyone else decides to Carry a gun? If anyone tries to harm you, the government will stop it right? Where Is your faith in government?

Colion Noir‏ @MrColionNoir

Seen on Facebook:

It is rumored that it is so cold in Massachusetts that Elizabeth Warren now claims to be an Eskimo. 

And why didn't we hear about this "investigation" during the election:

Who ordered the investigation stopped? Why?

The FBI has been investigating the Clinton Foundation for months, reviving a probe that was dialed back during the 2016 campaign amid tensions between Justice Department prosecutors and FBI agents about the politically charged case, according to people familiar with the matter.

Why did they stop investigating "dial back" during the presidential campaign?

Why are we only now hearing about this investigation, rather than during the campaign?
One wonders why it was stopped...Did the FBI think the case about the classified emails/Unsecured server would put her away (It should have, she WAS guilty, and folks have gone to prison for lesser failures with classified info)??? Or did someone...say a guy with big ears who lives in a pale house near a swamp, order Comey and his minions to stop? Perhaps it happened after another "chance meeting" with Loretta Lynch or something. One wonders what leverage the Clintons had over the higher ups in the Justice department.....Were they afraid of being "Fostered"? I cannot find any other reason as to why they would have stopped it.

I still want to know where the press was regarding this investigation before the election, and who ordered them to keep it quiet.

And I want to know why the FBI agents kept it quiet too? They talk about every other investigation, why keep mum on this one?

Weather is screwing with me...But I am getting there nonetheless.

So I was supposed to fly Wednesday. Nope. snow squalls all day, bad viz. So, no flying. It was, of course, clear and nice at my house, 9 miles away....

Same same today. Clear and sunny at my home, viz in excess of 10 miles, unlimited ceiling. But to the east, Lake Effect snow. Viz 1/2 to 3/4, ceiling at 1700. So no flaying at 10 AM.

So I cancelled flying at 10. At 3 pm, it was awesome clear and smooth and no clouds or haze. I went up and did stalls and steep turns and slow flight and then some some landings. Winds 310 at 12 gusting 22.... So runway 27. First approach, wind gust picked me up a quarter mile off the end of the runway. I chose to go around, even though I could have used some more of the 7000 foot runway to set down. Trying to learn to make good decisions.

Second landing was a bit flat, but not too bad. The wind dropped me at the last minute, but I was correcting for it and was prepared for it. I'm actually not having to THINK about it, I am just doing the corrections.

3rd landing was just about perfect.
4th was perhaps the best I've ever done. Just touched on the upwind wheel and then the downwind. If you'd had a cup of coffee it wouldn't have spilled. Didn't even squawk the tires, just a rumble to show I was down.

5th was smooth, but not as smooth as the 4th one.


Taxi back and call it good.
0.9 for the day.

I did learn how much fun a snow covered taxiway can be though.


Gonna do it again today. 

Not ready for prime time.

So all these folks pushing for electric cars: You know, Coal powered cars.

I actually took the time to look at electric cars: Not the expensive Teslas, but the Leafs and the Bolts and the Mitsubishi IMiEV (I tried to get some specs on the Fords, but their web pages either won't load or go to an error page...I finally gave up, so I can't comment on them).

I thought , Hey, much (90+%) of the time we go less than a hundred miles in a day, total, so why not check them out? Might save us a bit of cash, fuel wise, and we'd still have the other car for those longer trips......And the truck to carry anything heavy, long or large.

Ultimately, it comes to this: One can get a small (very small) car for about $30,000 after incentives....government rebates, power company rebates, etc. About $10K off the actual price. One with not a whole lot of features...(the features are available, but at a higher cost...like $5-$7 K more). Less room than most cars, even less cargo capacity. Performance that is not bad, but not great. Of course, the Bolt has a backup camera washer jet that is kinda cool, but not enough to offset the other negatives....

Charge time is more than overnight for most cars from full to empty; at least 6 hours for a half full battery, which only gives you about 100 miles range, tops.

So one gets a smaller car, with less performance, long refuel times, at a cost that is about 25% higher than an equivalent (or even nicer) gasoline fueled car....And a gas or diesel car can be refueled to full 250+ mile range in 10 minutes or so...

And in addition to that inconvenience, one must drive the car for about 45,000 miles to make up the difference in cost....yep, 45,000 miles to break even cost wise. And that isn't figuring any resale value (which seems to be much less for full electric cars). And that isn't counting the cost of the home charger and installation, either, nor the cost of the actual electricity to charge the car.

So:

More money, less car, less range, less convenience, for no monetary savings for at least 4 years for the average person (12K miles per year)...Not counting depreciation and resale losses.

Why should we buy these cars the "green" folks want us to? Less (much less), for more money?

And they are still coal powered cars! Somehow their CO2 savings calculations never take that into account. most of your electrical power still comes from burning a hydrocarbon of some kind....

Thinking out loud here:

Now, up front, I gotta say that I know, and have known, a lot of cops who were and/or are good people, decent police officers and good examples of what a cop should be. This is not directed towards them nor those who are like them.....although, they do allow the bad ones to wear the same uniforms, so I can't tell them apart.......And in most incidents, I have been inclined to give cops the benefit of the doubt when it comes to second guessing their actions....

But......


What would happen, if each time a cop shot an innocent......and got away with it.....I'm not meaning where there is any way to give the cop the benefit of the doubt, but like the last two incidences I posted where a cop shot a man for doing nothing....where the cops were so concerned about their safety that they couldn't use a reasonable set of tactics to secure the person ....

What if....?

What if people of the family of the person slain by the cops were to exact revenge?....Say my brother is shot in a similar incident...... Say he was the dude on the porch in the last SWATting incident....and say the cop(s) get clean away with it in a hearing because they claim it was a "furtive movement" or  "appeared to reach for the waist" or somesuch....
And then, say, I were to resolve the issue by revenging my brother's death (Not saying I would, and not suggesting that people should either) ...from up close on the street, or from 600 or more yards away. (I have the skills for either method of revenge, and enough ways to probably prevent incarceration, should it come to that....as do many of my acquaintances).
If enough of us started doing that: taking cops who killed innocents from the gene pool entirely or at least out of circulation............would the cops start thinking twice if they got got put in prison by the courts or if the rest of us started taking them out? (In the olden days, apparently,  one could hire such work out, if one knew the right people....) Would the cops begin spending a few moments deciding to actually do their jobs rather than shoot first so that all cops get to "go home safe" at night? (even though being a cop isn't in the top 20 of dangerous professions, BTW....and "Going Home Safe" isn't a part of their job description)You really should read the article at that link. Or would these folks who took the job as a cop because they thought it would be easy and would give them power over their fellow citizens find another profession?

Seriously: how do we ENcourage good behavior and DIScourage the referenced bad behavior.....
Wwhat happened to cops I knew when I was growing up that weren't so pants pissing afraid of everyone that they just shot people instead of, you know, doing their jobs?? Why aren't those "GOOD" cops doing something to get these deadly dangerous cops out of their departments?

If cops get to shoot people because they are afraid of them, next time a cop makes an intimidating or threatening movement near me, do I get to shoot him or her preemptively?

The forecast was wrong

It were actually -14 F last night.

Which is, really, a pretty significant amount of error.

But it's a DRY cold...

-10 degrees on the Fahrenheit scale tonight. (For you folks whose countries have never put a man on the moon or sent an interstellar probe beyond Saturn, that is -23 C)

Which is pretty much plain old "fucking cold" no matter what you measure it in. Kelvins or Rankines or Delisles or whatever.
Even Harold the outdoor cat wants to come in when it gets that cold. He's ensconced happily in the barn right now in a warm box out of the wind.

Gotta feel sorry for the deer and the other denizens of the forest when it gets that cold. Plus real wind for even more chill tonight

Don't wanna confuse WEATHER with CLIMATE (I've seen it colder here in winter, and much warmer too), but I wants me some Glowball Warming right now

Pretty much don't need a trial here, do we?

That guy who the cops shot in Wichita? You know, the one who got "SWATTED"?

HERE is the video.

Notice how far away the cops were from the suspect. If (and it was, at that point, an IF) the dude had had a handgun in his waistband, he wasn't much of threat to cops that far away and behind the cover of vehicles. I dislike second guessing cops, but here, it is obvious. I'll call it a really bad shoot. No matter what the circumstances leading up to it, this was a bad thing.

Notice how clearly lit the scene was. (yes, that was sarcasm)

Notice the "movement".

I can, now that I have the video, call it murder.

Remember, these folks are "professionals"....."Trained to handle firearms". (Yes, that was also sarcasm)...."The only ones that should be allowed to have guns" and all that.

I am beginning now to see why so many cops were against the mandatory BodyCams.

Happy New Year.

To each and every one of you who read and comment on my blog.

I wish you happiness and prosperity in the upcoming year.

Hows that Multiculturalism and immigration working out there for ya?

Sweden Government police say "women should not go out after dark, never go out alone, or should use taxis".

Seems that since all those Middle Eastern "children" (male) immigrants are kinda changing the society in Sweden....

And the police, of course, say Women have to change their ways rather than the immigrants. Because MultiCulturalism.

Were I living there, I'd start buying rope and looking for sturdy lampposts for some political attention.....And I'd be making a list of each government official, elected or not, who approved the invasion of my country. And, of course, investing in rope suppliers.

Forgive my ignorance, but...

Can't the Phone Companies do something about the increasing use of spoofed phone numbers? Especially in "SWAT"ting cases like the one I wrote about 2 posts below this?

I mean, it is bad enough that they allow "Suzy from Credit Card Services" to spoof their telephone number...no one gets hurt, only annoyed. But "SWAT"ting and other crimes like this should lead to jail time. Murder charges if someone killed...There should be penalties for this behavior.

But people have been injured and killed by cops that thought they were arriving on the scene of a murder, or a hostage situation (which doesn't excuse the injuries or shootings, IMO, but does lead to some leniency due to the situation). The telephone lines used, be they land lines or cell lines, have specific connections that should not be untrackable. The Phone Companies SHOULD be able to fix this.

Why don't they?

Perhaps the NSA needs to step in and tell us who is responsible....

(I'd bet I could put together a lynch mob for the telemarketers though....if I cared to....)

Right to a speedy trial???

Or is the Justice Department simply hoping that we, as a country, will forget? That we aren't watching?

Awan Brothers trial date, delayed twice, now simply GONE from calendar.....

Were I a suspicious person, and an untrusting soul, I'd have to wonder if, having had access to MANY senators sensetive emails due to their control of the Email servers....DO they have enough dirt on some of those Senators to be able to blackmail their way out of a trial????

We all know that that would never happen, right? All those DNC and RNC folks are as clean as the driven snow and all that.....right?

SO is this Murder?

Is it the cop that did the murder? (The cop that shot an unarmed man answering the door to his house when the cop knocked?)

Or is it the fault of the dude who called in a false report of a hostage situation and gave the cops the cops a false address in an attempt to "SWAT" a rival?

Either way, a cop shot an unarmed (and innocent) man last Thursday. And it looks bad for the cop.

Sad, all the way around.

Luck

So the shower faucet in the master bathroom was dripping.

Not that big a deal, except that it was there when I moved in 20 years ago, and I haven't ever had it apart...and it is a "no name" faucet. Not a name anywhere, not the faucet nor the escutcheon, nor the knob....nothing.

Now, I never had a reason to do anything with it, or the most interesting and thought provoking valving arrangement for the water supply in this area of the house....until now.

Oddly, the faucet came apart with a bit of gentle persuasion and a bit of heat and some more gentle tapping and a few other tricks that most of us who work on shit know. I actually didn't twist the faucet off...which is what generally happens in these cases.

Which was a good thing, because the previous owner did a most interesting install of the faucet valve. To replace it was gonna require that I pull the tub surround off, as the faucet was installed from the tub side, not the backside....so just cutting a bit of drywall on the other side wouldn't have gotten me there. (who uses carriage bolts and lag screws to install a faucet???)

Plus the tub is, apparently, non standard, at 54 inches long and 23 inches wide. Menards/Lowes/Home Depot don't carry anything even close to that size.

But, for once, the locking ring moved and nothing twisted too badly, and lo and behold, not only was the faucet a chinese copy of a Delta faucet, Delta replacement parts fit!!!! Ball, cups, springs, o-rings are all close enough to actually work. It's a GOOD copy of a Delta faucet. 

This saved me from having to find a replacement tub/surround from, I am told, a mobile home supplier (Where this size is apparently standard) but a whole bunch of wall work and such. (Plus the tile floor, which was put in after the tub was installed, so would have had to be pulled up and replaced).

Once in a while the Gods smile upon me.

I'm just not sure what to sacrifice to whom now.

Wow, CBS thinks they can rewrite history.

Watching the blurbs from this show, it is interesting to see the outright lies they state regarding the Waco standoff and the events leading up to it (and the members of the church and David Koresh himself).

One wonders why they feel the need to bring it up at all at this late date, much less the twisted version of facts and innuendo and half truths that they are peddling? I mean, we all know that the ATF version of the story was to cover the ass of the folks in charge of the operation....

Can you spot the outright lies, the half truths, the partial bits of the story, and the bits they fail to mention?

Again, WHY NOW?

HAHAHAHA

Ha.

Questions for the engineers:

Not the pilots, the engineers. Powerplant engineers, specifically. (I am not an aviation powerplant expert, so bear with me).

I was flying today. The air temp was a balmy -4 degrees F at the surface....Neg 10 at altitude. Farking cold for the preflight, especially when I spilled avgas all over my hand.

The flight instructor warmed me on taxi to "be careful and make sure my power adjustments, especially power reductions, were done slowly and smoothly so as to prevent "shock cooling" of the engine". (ETA: Apparently "shock cooling" causes issues with the heads and cylinders...cracking and/or other structural issues)

Now, as I said, I am not an aviation powerplant engineer, nor any sort of powerplant engineer.....I have, however, an engineering degree, and I have lots of thermal management experience under my belt....further, I used to service all sorts of air cooled small engines when I was in college for rent money.

Therefore the theory of "Shock Cooling" an aviation engine simply by closing the throttle quickly sounds fishy to me. Shutting down an already overheated powerplant? Maybe. Immersing it in water (or filling the cowling with a firehose?) maybe...but probably not.  But a gas engine that is still running should not be able to be cooled fast enough to damage it simply by slowing down the engine. What happens to an engine in flight when the airplane flies through a rain shower? Mist? heavy rain? snow?  All these should lead to significant cooling of the engine in a very short time. Water conducts heat better, plus evaporation. Faster cooling. Yet I don't hear of Lycomings or Continentals (or Rotaxes (Rotaxi?)) suddenly shedding cylinders or valves because of rain.

I would think shutting the engine off after use would do more damage (due to sudden changes in cooling vs heat) than closing the throttle suddenly.  Or unloading the prop with quick attitude changes (say climb to level to dive)....And, of course, the sudden dimensional changes in temp due to starting the engine at all......

Again:  not an aviation powerplant expert. But have more experience than most on thermal issues.

Does anyone with real knowledge have some input? Is there something to it, or izzit just some myth carried forward by folks who are pilots but not engineers?

Yep. He's right

Damned Skippy.

Read THIS. Tell me where he's wrong? Seriously,  if you think so, feel free to comment as to why. Be sure to be specific.

Now, you gotta understand that I have met and had a beer with "Mad Mike" a few times at blogmeets over the years (sadly not for a few years though). I like the guy, and if I could, I'd spend more time with him. If we didn't live a few hours apart, we might (maybe) be friends.....Dude is a tiny bit nuts and a whole lot of good sense all rolled into a package that is, among other things, a great writer and a great commentor on life and people in general.

An oldie but a goodie. How to explain tax cuts with beer:

True meaning of socialism and why capitalism wins everytime its tried: (Or how it works that TheDonald's Tax bill helps the Rich:)


Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100… If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this…

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing. The fifth would pay $1. The sixth would pay $3. The seventh would pay $7.. The eighth would pay $12. The ninth would pay $18. The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59. So, that’s what they decided to do.. The ten
men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve ball. “Since you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20”.

Drinks for the ten men would now cost just $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men ? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share? They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they ubtracted that from every body’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by a higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle of the tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the amounts he suggested that each should now pay.

And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% saving). The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% saving). The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% saving). The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% saving). The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% saving). The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% saving). Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free.

But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their savings. “I only got a dollar out of the $20 saving,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, “but he got $10!” “Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!” “That’s true!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back, when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!” “Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison, “we didn’t get anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!” The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D Professor of Economics.

For those who understand, no explanation is needed For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.

And the shoppers are going crazy already

Seems that they expect the crowds to be even greater than the shopping crowd at Black Friday.

Supposedly there are bargains to be had on this day.

I cannot save enough money to make fighting those crowds worthwhile.

Merry CHRISTmas

To each and every one of my readers.

Please, no matter what your religion, remember why this holiday exists.

For some, the birth of their savior, for others the end of one season and the beginning of another: Then end of the transfer to greater darkness, and the beginning of the transition to greater light.

And really, at one scale, there isn't that much difference, is there?

Even a stopped clock....

So for years, my youngest brother (who doesn't get much right, IMO) has been extolling the need for every car to have heated seats and a heated steering wheel.

Yeah, right, I says to myself, what kind pussified man who doesn't live above the arctic circle need a heated seat and a heated steering wheel for, really? ....Especially on a TRUCK? (Note: My car has heated seats as part of the package, but I never use 'em....)

So my new Ram Laramie has heated seats and a heated steering wheel. And I never used either because (see above) I'm not that much of a wuss and it isn't that cold.

Then the other day, I started the truck remotely, with the key fob, to let the engine warm up for a few. Unbeknownst to me, the default for the remote start includes the heated seats and the steering wheel heater to activate below 30 degrees F.

Kinda nice when one is cold.
I may have been wrong about this....
Or, it could be that I am just getting old and weak. 

So where does the UN get off?

Telling the US what they can and cannot recognize as a country, or it's capitol, or where we can put our embassy?

Just who the hell do they think they are? (yes that was Rhetorical)....I know that they think they can run the US...but Barry is gone, so that ain't the case no more....

I am pleased by Nikki Haley's response. And I would LOVE to see the US cut Foreign Aid..... Pretty much everywhere, but especially (and first) to all those that think that they are entitled to an opinion as to how and where the US conducts it's business.

Fuck 'em.

A meme for California Democrats:

"If at first you don't secede,
Try, try again."


Please,please,please,please.

Just GTFO

Reposting 'cause I think it is important that the women see this. They are the only ones that can stop it from crashing and burning.

This Sexual Harassment witch hunt is going to backfire on you ladies.
Badly.

I'm not talking the Matt Lauers or the H. Weinsteins (although Weinstein appears to have paid his debts to the women who used him for advancement with sex...they got movies and screen tests and such See also Uma Turman in "Kill Bill"), I'm talking all the other "Mee Too" whines from women against every man they can find to complain about. Just so those women can feel like part of the victimhood club.

I guarantee that every man is evaluating this...Every single one.

The lesson he is learning today is that every single joke can have consequences, even 20 or 30 years down the line. Even if HE didn't mean it in a naughty connotation, it is how the WOMAN perceives it that matters. No matter how innocent the remark, it is how she takes it that matters. Like "Coded Racism" even if you have to look for it, it is there. If she is looking for it.

If he mistakes interest from a woman, and asks her out to lunch to see where it might go, and he is wrong, it might come back to haunt him when he is successful later in life.

If she declines, but doesn't say "no" ("I can't today") and he asks again a week or so later, then she might write it down and use it against him 15 or 20 years down the road. Especially if another woman suggests that she was "harassed" by him also.

And it is a fact that women are attracted to power and money and flirt with those men who have it. Even if they aren't serious about it. And he will be required to know when she is and when she isn't serious.... And if she is, and he isn't interested, that can come back and haunt him too......'Cause "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned".

So, the lesson being learned here is that women are unable to defend themselves (and aren't strong enough to say "No"), but rather will fester resentment and hate for years. And when she gets the chance, she will do her best to drive a stake through his heart, especially if she can find a sister or two to help her .

And, the real lesson is that it is best to not to hire women, or interact with them in the workplace. Ever. So women, who are just starting to become part of higher level management and higher level engineering and such, mentored by men, will suffer. Because they won't ever get a chance. Attorneys, managers, financiers, engineers, bankers, etc. They will not be let into the club, won't ever interact with men (or will have fewer opportunities to network  and be mentored) and will, ultimately, be hurt because the women in the previous generation couldn't say "no, I won't go out with you"....or couldn't say "if you ever touch me again, I will break your balls" or "I don't find that joke funny, please be more considerate next time"....or who couldn't go to the police when something worse happened.....Or just couldn't deal with life and interactions with people, especially males, in the workplace. Because they were cowards and Fragile Flowers. ( Real Women know how to handle things and still be ladies and engender respect...not so these women)

So, ultimately, women in the next generation, who are just now entering the workplace, will have fewer chances to advance, grow, learn and gain skills.

***And it is happening. Men now refuse to work with women at gyms, Attorneys won't meet with women without another woman as a witness. I will be willing to bet that there will be fewer hirings of women for internships and fewer lady clerks for judges. Fewer women will be hired for Engineering internships next summer (and the women already cry that there aren't enough STEM positions for women). And there will be fewer opprotunities from this day forward.

So VP Pence was a Victorian and a fool because he won't meet with a woman alone......

*********************************************************************************
And we're back to "Women shouldn't be let out without a keeper, either their fathers or another male family member" because they can't defend themselves. Or even make decisions that they won't regret later and use against the male....

"I am Woman, Hear me roar" my ass.

Hope it is as it appears:

Judge declares mistrial in Bundy case. 

I'm not sure they are innocent, but the .GOV sure screwed this one up by the numbers....both in the handling of the issue and the trial itself.


ETA: It is, apparently, true.

Of course, the FedGov drones get to try again in February. So it ain't over yet.

I think I'm getting there.....

So my IP pulls the throttle about midfield on the downwind. Says:

"Engine failure, hit the 1000 foot marker don't land short, don't land long".

I make the trim, do the turn, line up final, trim, add flaps as I cross over the fence, and hit the marker in the first 20 feet ON Centerline.... greased it too. 

"Didn't hit the center of the marker".

"you didn't say the center of the marker, dude...., you said "The marker". I Hit The Marker"


2 weeks ago I'd have been lucky to hit the marker, and likely woulda been off center.

Aim small, miss small.

Not there yet, but improving.

Who knew?

Here, all along, I thought a Pedometer was for finding those terrible folks who like small children in a not so savory way.....

Perhaps SIG heard my cries:

SIG Sauer to offer limited run of commercial version of M17.

(Or perhaps they are finding that folks want a Safety of some kind. I dunno.)

Have to wait and see on pricing too....

I really want an M18 version anyway. Plus I am not a fan of Flat Dark Earth.

Have to wait and see what happens. 

Scientists have varying opinions:

You'd think, if it WAS a disabled spacecraft, that it'd be calling for help already.

HERE. 

Livin' the word

And walkin' the talk.

Guess who fed and watered all those folks at Atlanta Hartsfield airport while they waited for power so they could get out of there?

Yep, "Hate Chicken". Funny how those types of folks always step up, and the other side......doesn't.
Odd, that. 

Make Liberal heads explode:

Buy one of these.

Use it often.

 Especially at places like Starbucks (if you can stand their "Coffee".

Now THAT was exciting.

Went up today, for pattern work. Did 8 decent landings, just not all in a row. 2 bad, 2 go arounds mixed in there.

The highlight of the day was when I had just done a Go Around after a bounce. Climbed out, did a call for crosswind, then left downwind runway 18. Then called the base. Hear another call "Arrow XXXX is base runway 18......". Which is where I was.. Called and asked him to specify his position...Immediately. . "Base,18".  I looked but couldn't find him, and hadn't heard any other  position calls for him.  My instructor heard the same thing and looked and couldn't find him. Heads on a swivel looking....

Then his instructor came on and called CROSSWIND 18.  He'd just departed the runway with a call about a Cessna departing, so I am not sure WTF was going on (Cessna is like an Arrow, right???). He was, however behind me in the pattern.

Whew.

Kinda skary for me and my instructor there, for a few.

You'll notice that they don't show

The "normal" light photos of the area..... At least not current ones....
Just the "false color" infrared.

Wonder why that is.??? Perhaps they hadda use Infrared because they could barely tell in "Normal" imaging that anything had been there?

And, of course, one must realize that this is a VERY small area out of how many MILLIONS of acres? about 6 soccer fields out of 13 Million acres.

Hit piece by the Noo Yawk Thymes on one experimental well drilled in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 30 years ago. 

It may possibly have inconvenienced one Caribou. Maybe. for 5 minutes. 

I remember the terrible cries that the Alaskan Pipeline would destroy the Caribou herds and such. Didn't happen.  Was gonna kill the Tundra. Didn't happen. Destroy the wildlife. Didn't happen.

But environmentalists will believe anything if it sounds like it could be bad....and is presented to them in a manner that tugs their heartstrings. 

When the enviromentalists start walking to work, and using only wool and cotton (picked by hand, and carded and woven without mechanical means) for clothing, and stop using any synthetic fibers (produced from oil) and eating only food that is grown, picked and transported by muscle power, not electrical or oil based energy,.....and when they stop flying from coast to coast, and stop using anything made of or using plastics (including their Apple products) and drinking their organically grown coffees that are transported in ships that use oil for propulsion (and trucks too) then they can talk to me about the environmental impact of sites such as the above. Until then they are hypocrites. 

Remember this?

I bet it makes you smile as soon as you see it.



I'm off to the gunshew to sell raffle tickets for the next gun giveaway.

Last two years I sold two of the three winners.

2 of them to bloggers right here in the sidebar.

Enhance your chances. Buy from me!

Better

Didn't make the trip to the class D airport today. The conditions were as forecast.

Stayed and did more pattern work. And did 3 landings the right way. "Do that every time". Greased all three. Even with the crosswind. I think I am understanding better the energy at roundout.

Then did some stall and slow flight practice.

Then did one more and back to the barn. Got blown off the centerline a bit at the end, but not too far before correcting.

Finally, some progress.

I'd get mad, but what's the use?

'Twon't change nuthin'.....

Seems lately when it is clear, it is windy with fierce gusts. And when it ain't windy and gusty, it is snowing or foggy with terrible visibility.

Therefore not much flying taking place. Hard to learn to land with 15 knot winds GUSTING TO 35....

or IFR conditions. .

Now, after we had cancelled due to snow and 1-1.5 mile, then the snow cleared up 3 hours later and it was light and variable winds and 10 mile visibility...of course, my instructor wasn't available then....I checked.

Frustrating.

Tomorrow I am scheduled to fly again. TAF currently says:
FM150900 26009KT P6SM BKN025
  FM151400 28015G22KT P6SM SCT025 BKN040

And I am supposed to fly at noon (1800Z). 

Damnit. 

Except when there is a metal detector

Or a scanner, like at airports

So innunedo won the day

So lies, mudslinging, and innuendo sufficed to change an election.

The press colluded with the DNC to damage Moore.

Not too much, just enough that Jones won.

Odd, I thought that "Collusion" was bad. Or is it only when russians can be accused of it.....and Republicans.

(Not sure if the accusations against Moire are true or false. The timing of them was suspicious, plus the payments to the accusers damaged the credibility.)

But the election was swayed and the voters of Alabama once again showed their intelligence....and they got the Senator they deserve.

Yes, that last was sarcasm.

It is a shame

That SIG doesn't sell the M17 (actually I'd prefer the M18) version of the 320.


I might have bought myself a Christmas present if they had.

I'm old school. I want a manual safety.

I currently carry a Para 3" LDA for daily carry. Love it. But, sadly, it is wearing out. I'm shooting it less, as I cannot get parts (Remington promised to support the platform when they bought Para, but no, they really don't). If Para was still in business, I'd buy another, but I have to find a daily carry pistol...one where I can get parts for the pistol. . There are lots of "true" 1911 actions out there, but few make a compact that is truly reliable. Not even the vaunted Kimber is really reliable. (to be fair, the Paras went back to the factory 3 or 4 times until I was satisfied).

I have a full size 250 that is a great pistol (but too big for carry, really), and have shot about a hunnerd rounds through a 320 at the range, but I still want at least at thumb safety on my carry gun. (I'd like to see a grip safety too). I don't care for the tabbed trigger safety. Yes, I know they are great. Don't care. Hate the brake being on the gas pedal. It would seem that most of the "AD while reholstering" issues are from Glocks or other similar triggers. Few from 1911 type systems.

Yep, I'm a 1911 guy, but a full 5 inch 1911 is harder to carry concealed. Plus heavy. The 4" versions don't gain much in weight loss or concealability. Plus they are not common (or reliable) in .357 SIG, which is a caliber that interests me.

So I guess I wait for SIG to choose to offer a safety on the 320. Or for someone else to do so. No I won't ever go back to the XD. Reasons. Never ever buy a Springfield gun again.

Not just some poor downtrodden folks (Link works)

You can help only the APPROVED people. ?

'Cause other wise we will fuck up your business so bad you'll never recover.
Then shoot the corpse.

How dare you help, you know, just anybody?

At what point do decent folks get out the axe handles and the Louisville sluggers and the 5 irons and just go to town on these SJW assholes? Seriously.

ETA: Mostly the link works, if not, copy/paste then it seems to.

www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/12/09/liberals-attack-doughnut-shops-good-deed-what-in-sweet-name-santa-claus-is-wrong-with-them.html

Probably true

Check out this restaurant:

People are so stupid, and gullible.

"Turnabout is fair play" and all that

So it would seem that the Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife wanted to do a survey of amphibians on some land belonging to Larry and Amanda Anderson.

Yeah, Gotta love that. I'da just said "no". But some folks are poets.


Here is most of their response:

Dear Mr. Niemela:

Thank you for your inquiry regarding accessing our property to survey for the yellow-legged frog. We may be able to help you out with this matter.

We have divided our 2.26 acres into 75 equal survey units with a draw tag for each unit. Application fees are only $8.00 per unit after you purchase the “Frog Survey License” ($120.00 resident / $180.00 Non-Resident). You will also need to obtain a “Frog Habitat” parking permit ($10.00 per vehicle). You will also need an “Invasive Species” stamp ($15.00 for the first vehicle and $5.00 for each add’l vehicle) You will also want to register at the Check Station to have your vehicle inspected for non-native plant life prior to entering our property. There is also a Day Use fee, $5.00 per vehicle.

If you are successful in the Draw you will be notified two weeks in advance so you can make necessary plans and purchase your “Creek Habitat” stamp. ($18.00 Resident / $140.00 Non-Resident). Survey units open between 8am and 3pm but you cannot commence survey until 9am and must cease all survey activity by 1pm.

Survey Gear can only include a net with a 2″ diameter made of 100% organic cotton netting with no longer than an 18″ handle, non-weighted and no deeper than 6′ from net frame to bottom of net. Handles can only be made of BPA-free plastics or wooden handles. After 1pm you can use a net with a 3″ diameter if you purchase the “Frog Net Endorsement” ($75.00 Resident / $250 Non-Resident). Any frogs captured that are released will need to be released with an approved release device back into the environment unharmed.
As of June 1, we are offering draw tags for our “Premium Survey” units and application is again only $8.00 per application. However, all fees can be waived if you can verify Native Indian Tribal rights and status.

You will also need to provide evidence of successful completion of “Frog Surveys and You” comprehensive course on frog identification, safe handling practices, and self-defense strategies for frog attacks. This course is offered online through an accredited program for a nominal fee of $750.00.

Please let us know if we can be of assistance to you. Otherwise, we decline your access to our property but appreciate your inquiry.

Sincerely,
Larry & Amanda Anderson

No word on the ODFW response to that. 

Y'know

This Sexual Harassment witch hunt is going to backfire on you ladies.
Badly.

I'm not talking the Matt Lauers or the H. Weinsteins (although Weinstein appears to have paid his debts to the women who used him for advancement with sex...they got movies and screen tests and such,,, See also Uma Thurman in "Kill Bill"), I'm talking all the other "Mee Too" whines from women against every man they can find to complain about. Just so those women can feel like part of the victimhood club.

I guarantee that every man is evaluating this...Every single one.

The lesson he is learning today is that every single joke can have consequences, even 30 or 30 years down the line. Even if HE didn't mean it in a naughty connotation, it is how the WOMAN perceives it that matters. No matter how innocent the remark, it is how she takes it that matters. Like "Coded Racism" even if you have to look for it, it is there. If she is looking for it.

If he mistakes interest from a woman, and asks her out to lunch to see where it might go, and he is wrong, it might come back to haunt him when he is successful later in life.

If she declines, but doesn't say "no" (I can't today") (which isn't, BTW, "No") and he asks again a week or so later, then she might write it down and use it against him 15 or 20 years down the road. Especially if another woman suggests that she was "harassed" by him also.

And it is a fact that women are attracted to power and money and flirt with those men who have it. Even if they aren't serious about it. And he will be required to know when she is and when she isn't. And if she is, and he isn't interested, that can come back and haunt him too......'Cause "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned".

So, the lesson being learned here is that women are unable to defend themselves (and aren't strong enough to say "No"), but rather will fester resentment and hate for years. And when she gets the chance, she will do her best to drive a stake through his heart, especially if she can find a sister or two to help her .

And, the real lesson is that it is best to not to hire women, or interact with them in the workplace. Ever. So women, who are just starting to become part of higher level management and higher level engineering and such, mentored by men, will suffer. Because they won't ever get a chance. Attorneys, managers, financiers, engineers, bankers, etc. They will not be let into the club, won't ever interact with men (or will have fewer opportunities to network  and be mentored) and will, ultimately, be hurt because the women in the previous generation couldn't say "no, I won't go out with you"....or couldn't say "if you ever touch me again, I will break your balls" or "I don't find that joke funny, please be more considerate next time"....or who couldn't go to the police when something worse happened.....Or just couldn't deal with life and interactions with people, especially males, in the workplace. Because they were cowards and Fragile Flowers. ( Real Women know how to handle things and still be ladies and engender respect...not so these women)

So, ultimately, women in the next generation, who are just now entering the workplace, will have fewer chances to advance, grow, learn and gain skills.

A point about the shooting:

The one 2 below this one. You know, the one about the SWAT cops in Mesa AZ killing a scared kid they forced to CRAWL down a hotel hallway for the crime of......something.
Turns out it he was innocent of any wrongdoing except not obeying fast enough.

And so they killed an innocent young man. Shot him 5 times at close range. For no reason.

Yet at the time of the shooting, there was no rioting by white people.
They didn't burn down their neighborhoods. They didn't loot the stores in their neighborhood. They didn't trash their neighborhoods.

Odd that. If the kid had been black, I guess the entire city would have burned. (See also Baltimore, St Louis, and other inner cities).

This kid was innocent. Maybe that is it. No riots unless you have a record of arrest a yard long. And, of course, are black.

Must be something different about white people. Something wrong. For some reason, we don't riot. Not at the time of the police crime, nor at the end of the trial.

I will say, however, that it would be best if I never come face to face with ex-Mesa police officer Philip Mitchell Brailsford. I don't think it would end well.

One wonders

Would she have gotten off with probation if SHE had been white and her victim black?

Teen who livestreamed beating and torture of mentally disabled white kid gets PROBATION.

Is it any wonder the South Side of Chicago is a hellhole? They don't even punish for crimes of this magnitude.

They go after other races (except, perhaps Hispanic people and Muslims (yes, I know Muslim is not a race)) for lesser crimes than this as Aggravated Hate Crimes.....Getting longer/stronger punishment. Why probation here?

Where is Justice?

We don't need cops like this

Seems a jury found his actions justified. 

I cannot see how. 
(WARNING: Graphic scene of a man being shot to death by cops)

There were a LOT of ways the cops could have handled this that were better....that would have resulted in the kid being restrained, the cops all being safe, and the kid not being shot in the hotel hallway following the (stupid) instructions to crawl forward. They couldn't handcuff him where he was laying? Or did they just have to prove who was in charge and the situation simply got away from them?

I see manslaughter. I see murder, really. Plain and simple, I see a cop shooting someone for no valid reason.

If the cops can't do better than this, then there really isn't any reason to interact with them except shooting, if only to save your life. If they are that stupidly deadly, then really, why not?

Were I on that jury, the cop would not have walked free. No matter what other evidence or testimony might have been provided, the cop with the camera and the rifle shot a kid in, essentially, cold blood. Every other cop on the scene was complicit in his death as well.

Being a cop can be dangerous. But that does not excuse this behavior.

Not to police officers: If, as a cop, you are that afraid, then find another profession.
Seriously.

(Is it something in the water in Arizona that makes cops psychotically overreact? Or are they trained to like shooting people and leave them to die?)

Good point

It's true though......

Overheard:

"I was gonna go to the range today, but it was cold and windy"

"You think when it is time to go hunting blue helmets that it will always be a sunny day?"


I just kept walkin' past. 

Prediction:

If History can be a guide:


Since National Carry Reciprocity is coming up for a vote (which I actually oppose, because I believe it violates the 10th amendment), I fully expect a mass shooting or two to take place in either a school or a venue where firearms are prohibited.

Police response will, predictably, be slow and uncoordinated.

You can pretty much expect it to happen.

Yes, there are folks vile enough to kill people to make their agenda happen.

Never, ever, forget

Pearl Harbor.

Never forget the Japanese treachery.

The Army's bureaucratic idiocy.

The failures of incompetence by the diplomats.

The Navy's failure to remember that they were supposed to be ready to fight a war.

Never forget.

Collateral Damage

Now, make no mistake, one has to wonder why these women waited so long to come forward.....And, if it was that terrible an experience, why did these women wait so long? Some of them worked for YEARS after the alleged incident. I mean, leaving all those other women at risk and all....

Having said that, seems that the DNC sexual harassment push against Conservatives has, again, netted one of their own.

My brother (a liberal) asked me "why they only found democrats that were harassers". I said because the press had been doing their jobs and rooting out and cleansing the Republicans for many years, but had allowed the DNC folks a free pass time after time. Until now, that is. At the slightest hint of impropriety, they swarmed after any conservative, but they left the liberals alone. 

Huh

Whoda thunk it?

Russians cheated at olympics. 
Doping of athletes and a further cheating of drug testing.

Shocking. Truly shocking.

This is my shocked face.

dunno if it is true or not

(via Wirecutter)

(And I am not a big fan of forced reciprocity, believing, as I do, in the 10th).

But it seems like the sort of shenanigans that our politicians play.

Reciprocity bill is really a gun control bill.

I dunno. Might be worth you taking the time to check yourself and make those calls to your Senators.

Trust NO politician. Ever.

question:

Why is it only Conservative type folks who get in trouble for "lying to Federal Investigators" and/or Congress, and not DNC types?

I mean, if lying under oath were valid reasons for incarceration, Hillary,  Huma,  and all their minions would be in jail so far that they'd have to pipe in daylight.

Gusty

So I had to travel all the last half of the week last week, so no flying.

Then Monday, it was 18 gusting 28 (Pretty much a perfect crosswind to all runways, both at my local airport and the others around us), so we passed.

Today, 25 gusting 48. So not today either.

The only good news is that these winds have moved most of the leaves off the trees. So, when it warms up a bit, I can do the last leaf clean-up of the year.

Probably another 6 tons of leaves. 

And, maybe they ARE draining the swamp

Seems the DOJ is investigating the upper tiers of the FBI.

Maybe, we shall see. I appears that there is a LOT of rot in the FBI, at the upper levels. One does not make a movement. But it is, at least, a start. 

Lying to the FBI is a crime

So why, when the FBI lies to the public, is that not a crime?

Why aren't each individual associated with this coverup not under indictment? Why are they still in positions of power at the FBI?

Why aren't the folks responsible for the witch hunt for the whistleblower also under indictment?

Above all, why are the folks responsible for the failure of the FBI to maintain it's integrity still a part of the FBI? They violated their oaths as Federal employees and as FBI agents. Ultimately, they have destroyed the FBI's integrity and reputation. I can no longer believe anything the FBI tells me, nor can I find anything they say, about anyone or about any investigation to be credible.

(and it isn't limited to the FBI...the Secret Service and the IRS are in the same boat....None of them as an agency, have any integrity.). The fact that each FBI agent (as well as the others) is still employed (by choice) with these agencies tells me that every FBI agent still working sees their association and position with the agency as merely a job, and each one of those agents has no integrity any more either. They are simply following orders. We saw this at Ruby Ridge, where the US Marshalls and the FBI HRT never questioned their orders, and again, at Waco, where, again, the agents (both FBI and US Marshalls as well as ATF) simply did what they were told.

Any agent who chooses to still be employed with any of these agencies no longer has any integrity nor any credibility in my eyes. Once, Duty and Honor mattered. No more.

Cool. they passed a tax bill

Now, y'all gotta do a matching spending bill that cuts spending by at least 10%.

And I liked Democratic complaint: "How can you pass a bill you haven't read?"   Really? Go back 8 years to find out how that happens.

There are some folks

Who just need Bitch Slapped.

And the only thing keeping them from getting what they deserve is the law.