do the math

Today marks my youngest boys’ 29th birthday. He was playing Little League when I started this blog. I wish him the happiest of days. 

Longtime readers know what is next. I wish my oldest son / middle child a happy birthday tomorrow. Yes, the boys’ birthdays are a day apart. Their sister’s birthday was two weeks ago. 

The Christmas/New Years holidays have always been good at my house.

Did you see Biden calling out for a dead Congresswoman yesterday? Where are those “experts” who claimed Trump had mental issues and needed to be removed via a 25th Amendment process? Chirp, chirp. 

It was a cold night last night. Time to get the blankets out for the bed. I will resist turning on the heat as long as possible. Too many nights in the thirties will chill the house quickly though. 

How about some old Midwest classic rock today?

Have a Good Friday.

After School Special

One day a 12-year-old boy was walking down the street when a car pulled up beside him and the driver lowered a window.

“I’ll give you a large bag of M&Ms if you get in the car,” said the driver.

“No way! Get lost!” replied the boy.

“How about a bag of M&Ms and 10 dollars?” the driver asked.

“I said no way,” replied the boy.

“What about a bag of M&Ms and 50 dollars?” asked the driver.

“No, I’m not getting in the car,” answered the boy.

“Okay, I’ll give you a bag of M&Ms and 100 dollars,” the driver offered.

“No!” replied the boy. “What will it take to get you in the car?” asked the driver.

The boy replied: “Listen, Dad: You bought the Prius, live with it!”

Come to Vegas, leave with the Clap

The state of California is putting up billboards in Indiana inviting Hoosiers to come to California — to get abortions. 

Is abortion tourism a thing? 

No matter where you fall on the abortion spectrum, I would hope it is not something you would promote or encourage, rather it was a tough medical procedure taken after careful consideration. Somehow “Come to California, kill a Baby” is just unseemly. 

Butt Punt and other things

I am sure psychologists have written reams on why we feel better when our sports teams eek out a victory, even an ugly one. I am not going to delve into an internet search. I just don’t care that much. I doubt you do either. If you happen to be interested, Google it yourself. I am merely glad my sports team won. 

I watched the Colts game via a recording last evening. It is nearly impossible to avoid hearing the score, but it did not lesson my enjoyment of the game. The good news is if you watch the game on record, you can skip the commercials and the halftime show. Partial win for me.

This was the funniest thing in the NFL yesterday:

We had a great weekend. I outlined the plans in Saturday’s post. Now I need a bonus weekend to recover from my real weekend. 

Now it is time for Monday. Have a great day.

Like the proverbial beaver

We are heading off late this afternoon for a cruise. No, not on giant ship see the Caribbean kind, a boat cruise and concert on Lake a Freeman in north central Indiana.  This evening we will see venerable Hoosier rocker from the 70s and 80s Henry Lee Summer. You might remember we saw old Henry Lee last summer at a free concert in downtown Fishers, IN. I’m sure I posted about it. 

We have seen Henry Lee more times than we can count. He had a hit record in 1988 with I Wish I Had a Girl. Summer is probably one of the best entertainers I have ever seen on stage. Humor, energy, talent — he brings it all, even as he pushes 70. I expect a good time.

Tomorrow, I promised the wife I would go with her to the Atlanta Earth Festival. I always have a semi-good time walking around the booths and stalls. It is interesting when several thousand suburbanites decent on a small town of a few hundred. The vendors will far outnumber the residents. 

Have a great weekend. I plan on it.

no muskrats were harmed in creating this post

I had a strange dream about my great grandmother and my dad. I won’t relate it here, other people’s dreams are non-sensical. I have had weird dreams all week. That is unusual in itself as I usually do not dream or at least remember them if I do. Shrug. 

I’m up early this morning. Whatever. You don’t care about that either. In fact, based on my page views, you don’t care about much that I post these days. I suppose the blame falls upon me. Content is my purview. It certainly isn’t your problem. 

It is that life has become monotonous. Not in a boring way. I work, I read I watch TV. The small variety is blurred by the utter sameness. Sure, every day is different, but not individually distinctive. I’m not bored. It is just that so little of my current life is remarkable. 

I like my job. It has changed, post-pandemic. There are lots of on-line meetings, far less windshield time. Sometimes I miss the nights in new cities, different hotels, the sights along the highways. Then I think there is a lot to be said for being home every night. I have driven over a million miles. I have flown about one thousand flights. I’ve been to a hundred different airports. I’ve spent more nights than I can count in various hotels. 

Even that volume became monotonous over time. 

Frankly, I am boring. I am not bored, just boring. No wonder my blog is too. 

Actually, I have plenty I could rant about. The world has become such a corrupt, messed up place. I have become  the quintessential out of step “boomer”. Raging against the idiocy and head scratching millennial world is like Don Quixote and his windmills. For instance, if you fail to see why giving kids puberty-blockers while they still eagerly anticipate Santa on Christmas is wrong, then there is really no conversation possible between us. There is no point in preaching to the choir every day.

Maybe I should tell you about this dream I had about my great grandmother...

Hello Fall

Temps were in the low nineties yesterday. Today we are going to have highs in the sixties. Hello fall. Glancing across the cul-de-sac, the neighbors’ maple tree is suddenly showing signs of color in the upper foliage. 

I’m OK with it. 

It doesn’t matter if I am or not, Mother Nature does what she wants. Kind of like my wife does. 

The big question before me today is lunch. We have white bread. We have Kraft American slices. I have the ingredients for the only real grilled cheese. Maybe. I might do with PBJ. Decisions, decisions. 

Once I get lunch figured out, I will have to think about supper..

If wishes were horses we would all ride

 I’ve been to Mexico. I’m talking real Mexico, not just the tourist beaches. I’m talking of Reynosa, Monterrey, Puebla, Mexico City. I’ve seen how poor some people are, how difficult their lives. I’ve seen how people live in some parts of China. I’m told by people who have been there that’s parts of South America, India, and the Middle East are worse. I imagine life in parts of Africa is hard and miserable. 

I get it. I wish we could help them all. If I lived in those conditions I would do everything in my power to improve the lot of my family. 

It doesn’t make it right. 

The fact they are looking for a better life doesn’t mean we should open our borders. Before you tell me what a jerk I am, let me know how many homeless people you let move into your spare bedroom? How many immigrants have you housed in your garage? 

What is the difference? 

Immigration proponents argue that migrants actually commit fewer crimes than American Citizens. I posit that is false on the surface. Every single one committed a crime when they illegally crossed the border. That is 100%. 

I’ve said it before, crack down on the employers of illegal workers. Fine them out of business. Tax bank and wire transactions to Mexico. If any “migrant”  is caught committing a SECOND crime, even a traffic ticket, immediate deportation upon conviction. 

Anyone caught using a stolen SSN should be charged with fraud, just as an American citizen would be. The IRS could do this easily enough. Maybe some of those new 80000 new agents could get on creating that database.

Learn something today

 I know you don’t read links. 

You should read this one. READ THIS

I cannot argue a single point. 

I doubt you can either.

Easy fruit salad

 Happy Monday. I was up mucho early for a meeting with the Euros and Asians. Since things were arranged for their convenience, that meant the alarm was chirping at 3:30 am so I could blink awake and sip a bit of coffee prior to the 4:00 start. I will knock off early this afternoon in compensation this afternoon. 

The weekend was good, I hope yours was too. Friday night we watched the grandgirls while the daughter had a grown-up birthday dinner. Saturday we hung out at the pool, laughing and enjoying the company of great friends. Then came Sunday. I mowed the yard early. I put stuff in the attic and dragged down the fall/Halloween decorations as directed by the wife. Then I watched the absolutely horrid, pathetic, putrid, embarrassing performance by the Colts. I could have switched over and watched the Cubs, but they are pretty much just as awful. Did I say just how awful the Colts were? 

We went out for a quick dinner then I helped the wife put out decorations on the porch as dusk started to settle. 

But hey, I read this morning President Biden says inflation is under control, the border is secure and the check is in the mail. I want some of whatever his speech writer is smoking. 

I am fighting off the yawns. Maybe I need some more coffee. 

Have a great Monday.

Relaxin’

 

Smoke the days’s last cigarette

Happy Friday. It has been a long week. Actually, it has lasted as long as every other week, it just seems like a longer week than normal. 

It is hilarious to see the reactions of Blue cities and states on the arrival of a few “migrants”, aka illegal immigrants. Southern states are facing an onslaught of 8,000/day and the Governor of Massachusetts is going nuts over a dozen or so dropped in Martha’s Vineyard. Does the leftist hypocrisy bring no shame? 

I got up early to compile numbers into spreadsheets for a meeting with top management in just a bit. 

In other news, nothing. How about I grab the old phone and post the next song in my queue?  Think of it as musical Russian Roulette.

Looks like we win today.

Have a great Friday.

Lemmings

Can someone, anyone, explain to me how we are going to get the power to charge all of these tens of thousands of new charges Biden is planning for all of the electric cars the lefty government types are forcing upon us? 

I see no plans at all to strengthen the grid to the extent we need to keep up with current demand as we shutter coal plants, let alone increasing demand exponentially.

If we cover the entire Midwest farm land with solar panels, where are we going to get our food?

To the surprise of no one who bought groceries, inflation rose again last month

Dense fog blankets the neighborhood as I nestle in the office recliner. I woke a little after four AM, and after tossing and turning I stumbled down to the kitchen, fired up the coffee maker, and started the day. I read work emails from overnight, personal emails (all junk), and the normal morning first reads. Those internet stops include a daily Bible verse, Dilbert, Kim DuToit, and a couple of news sites. Now I have turned to the old blog. 

I have a TV in the office. I rarely turn it on. About once every few weeks the granddaughter comes in while I’m at work and sits in the recliner and watches kids shows. This lasts about ten minutes before she is dragging in toys and begging to spin in my office chair. That said, I have the morning news playing quietly as I type. I will shut it off before I start the work day in earnest.

Warm weather is in the forecast for the weekend with the temps pushing 90F. We have been invited to go hang out at our friends’ pool on Saturday if the nice weather holds. Those same plans have been canceled due to weather the past few times we were invited. As autumn gains momentum this could’ve one of the last days relaxing around the pool with friends, beer, and nice cigars.

I may try to get in a little nap before the work day starts. I have an online monthly sales meeting this morning. The affair is a snoozer even when I have a whole night’s sleep. It will be a challenge this morning with just a few hours sleep. 

I hope you got a good night’s rest. The soporific tone of this post blog will work like a good melatonin supplement.

As I have often opined, you get what you pay for.

Today is my baby girl’s birthday. She may be thirty-something and a mom herself, but she will always be that little girl with pigtails in her hair to me. 

Update:  The queen is still dead. Can we back off the coverage a little?

I think this was my wife

 After their barn burned down,

Bob’s wife Sally called their insurance agent to file a claim and demand the amount the barn was insured for, $60,000.

“Hold on just a second there, that’s not the way it works. First, we’ll send out an adjuster to assess the damage, then we’ll provide you with a replacement barn, just like the original,” stated the agent.

After a lengthy pause, Sally replied,

“What! Well, if that’s the way it works, cancel the life insurance on my husband immediately.”

Lesson Learned

 One Saturday evening a teenage girl came downstairs for her date and she was wearing a see-through blouse and no bra.

Her grandmother, on seeing her dressed like that, threw a right old fit, telling her that she looked like a slut and not to dare to go out dressed like that!

The teenager told her grandmother:

“Loosen up Grams. These are modern times. You gotta let your rosebuds show!”

And with that, out she went and slammed the door behind her.

The next day, the teenager came down the stairs and was shocked to find her grandmother sitting in the living room with no top on.

The teenager was so embarrassed that she wanted to die.

She explained to her grandmother that she had friends coming over and that the way she was dressed was just not appropriate.

Her grandmother said:

“Loosen up, Sweetie. If you can show off your rosebuds, then I can display my hanging baskets.!”

Maybe underhanded slow pitch is the answer

I suppose there is something incongruous in penning a rant about baseball when I am eagerly anticipating the general start of the NFL season this afternoon. Football replaced baseball as the National Pastime long ago. I’m sure social scientists have mused on the topic somewhere, but the easy reason is football is much better suited for TV. Period. There is nothing baseball can do about it. That is what makes the recent spate of rule changes so senseless. 

In the past few years baseball has tinkered with everything from how managers manage the pitchers to extra inning rules. I’m sorry to tell you baseball, none of this will help. None of your efforts to speed up the game are going to draw in the millennials. Baseball is a slow game. You like it or you don’t. Golf isn’t constantly fidgeting with its rules. Soccer plays an hour with no scoring. Somehow people watch it. 

It was bad enough when they instituted a universal DH (spit). Then they added the stupid “ghost man” on second for extra inning games. They are eliminating the two leagues for all practical purposes (next year every team will play against each other regardless of league). Now we are enlarging bases, putting in a pitch clock, limiting pick off attempts, and designating where players must position themselves on defense.  If we are going to turn baseball into small “L” little league, why don’t we just increase offense like they do for beginners in baseball — get two strikes and we drag out the tee to make it easier to hit the ball. 

All these tweaks and changes are just driving off the die-hard fans who love the game. Want to fix baseball? Figure out how to keep teams from tanking in order to not pay players. Fans will watch competitive games. Twenty-five teams that are competitive is far more interesting than watching the same ten franchises win year after year.

Divide that TV revenue based on win percentage and you would see teams like the Royals, Reds, Pirates, and yes, the Cubs, start to try and win again. 

*yes I’m aware it is the anniversary of 9/11. I’ll never forget. I’ve said enough words over the two plus decades about it. I hope you don’t need me to remind you.

Random Ramblings

The Queen has died. May she Rest In Peace. I don’t know if she was a good person or not. Her progeny and descendants seem like a bunch of privileged dolts. As for the monarchy, I think we threw them out for good reason. But hey, if the Brits want a king or queen, what do I care? My taxes don’t support their lifestyle. All know is if I ever chance meet the King (or Pope), no one better expect me to kneel or bow or even mutter an insincere “Your Grace”. It won’t happen. Charles is just a man born into the lucky sperm club. 

We went to dinner with the youngest’ new girlfriend last night. At some point she mentioned she loves to mess with the boy’s hair (eww). My wife pointed out that I don’t like my hair touched and added “he doesn’t like to be touched at all”. The boy nodded. Fifteen minutes or so later, as we left the restaurant, the new girlfriend proceeded to hug me. I crossed my arms when she hugged my wife before she reached for me, but apparently the new girl is not fluent in body language. I guess she doesn’t listen either. 

The Biden Administration is trying to walk back the despicable characterization of half the country as semi-fascist and a threat to democracy, instead saying that applied only to election deniers. Except those Democrats that denied Bush won, or refused to certify Trump, or called Trump illegitimate, or never conceded the Georgia gubernatorial election....

The Buffalo Bills sure look very, very good.

I hope Bloggers’ spotty counting metrics were nonfunctional again yesterday. I hate to think only eleven of you read my post yesterday. That’s a 26% decrease over my normal fifteen readers. 

Probably you just want more Friday Music:

Me one, ants nothing

My wife gets that eyes glazed look whenever I talk about history. I am not surprised most of you do as well. It is OK. Numbers don’t lie, you like me to rant about politics. Unfortunately, that is one of my least favorite subjects these days. 

I am floored by the strangeness of the world, and I’m not just talking about the liberal’s vision of a perfect society. For instance I noticed a big black spot on the drive as I drug my garbage can to the curb Tuesday afternoon. “Is that oil?”, I wondered. 

Why no, as I got closer I saw it was a moving, undulating teeming herd of ants swarming along the expansion joint of the concrete. No big deal, says you. Well here is the flock of ants compared to my size tens. Three minutes later after a massive coating of bug juice, the mass was no longer swarming, nor moving at all. Take that. Later, I blew them away with the leaf blower. I win.

 

the setting

The shallow valley ran east to west. A road bisected it running north. Three farms were spread in the valley. The chateau  Hougoumont on the west, la Haye-Saint in the center at the foot of the gentle northern slope, right next to the road. To the east lie a scattering of farm buildings called Papelotte . A large elm stood at the top of the northern slope beside the road. The distance from Hougoumont to Papelotte was about 2.5 miles. The valley was around 3/4 mile wide.  By the end of the day, the valley would be filled with the equivalent population of Salt Lake City. 

Beside the road at the center of the southern ridge stood a white ramshackle inn called La Belle Alliance. (aside: I once stayed in a hotel of the same name in Tours, France. Not he same place). 

The southern slope led to a flat plateau. The northern escarpment  was more of a gentle ridge, an east-west track ran behind it. In the northern distance was a thick wood and a scattering of houses called Mont Saint-Jean. Just a bit further north, about a mile away, lie the village of Waterloo.

Part Two - The Cast: whenever I feel like it.

Stolen Shamelessly

We didn’t have a lot of money growing up. Most of my school clothes and supplies were hand-me-downs. My calculator was missing the multiplication button.

Times were hard.

No rights were trampled in the name of the State

The weekend has been a sorta rainy bust. The threat of rain canceled the pool party, but we did get together with our friends for some catfish and euchre. 

Yesterday I accompanied the wife to the mall in afternoon. She shopped, I walked around and sat on a bench listening to music on my ear buds. After a quick hamburger (I actually had a salad) we went to the movies. We saw Bullet Train. I will leave no review beyond one star out of five possible. Pay the ticket price at your own peril. The popcorn was good though.

Today? Who knows? I’m not the social director. More rain is predicted. Will we get it? Who knows, rain was forecasted hourly both Saturday and Sunday. It didn’t happen. I suppose we will clean house. It needs it. 

Welcome to my boring fascist life. 

How about some music?

Have a great Labor Day

firing up the way back machine.

I’ve often described I had a baby face and looked far younger than my years for decades. Only in the past few years do I look my age (perhaps even older). 

Sorry, gone. you should read here every day

Here is 14 year-old me in the fall of my freshman year in high school. I could have passed for a 10 year old. For some reason this is one of my favorite pictures of young me. Despite the assumed scowl, the real sarcastic me was about to erupt in wry humor. Trust me. I found much of life amusing in those years. 

My thick wavy hair didn’t lend itself to the styles of 1976, yet I am certain I was probably wearing bell bottoms of moderate flair. 

Since this was my freshman year, I can guess I was about 5’3 or so and weighed right at 100 lbs.. So no, I wasn’t a ninety-eight pound weakling. 

Had any girl spoken to me I would have turned six shades of red. 

I wasn’t one of the cool kids. I wasn’t a nerd/ loser either. I just was. 

this and that and the other thing

It is with a little reluctance that I step away from the rancor of politics today. I have a point I want to make about the current state of things, but I will hold off until next week. Today is the start of the Labor Day weekend. If the weather cooperates, a borderline proposition, we will head off for a pool day today. 

Since the chances of rain increase on the morrow, I think I will try to get the yard mowed this morning. At this point we have no other plans for the weekend. I might smoke some ribs, depending on the rain situation. I do have a very special post already canned and ready for Sunday. You won’t want to miss it. 

No, it is not the account of the Battle of Waterloo I considered. You are welcome.

I have a 3am conference call on the calendar for Monday. These things happen when you have global account responsibilities for customers. This one is pretty much German engineers talking to Chinese engineers so my contributions to the discussion will be nil. I may just skip it. We shall see.

That is the boring stuff of my life. I think I’ll catch up on last week’s House of Dragon before I fire up the lawnmower. 

Enjoy your Saturday.

straight out of the 1930s

Under a backdrop of menacing red lighting and US Marines the President gave a purely political speech where he threatened half of Americans that they better get with his leftist political program or else. The military component was far less than subtle. Just  like telling us we need F-15s if we are going to oppose him earlier this week.

He has labeled me a fascist. A threat to democracy. The irony is so deep. It wasn’t two minutes of hate, it was twenty. 

I thought Biden was going to unite the country? Instead he has denigrated 70 million Americans.

I won’t bother with the Brandon chant. It’s gone too far.

Fuck Joe Biden.

You get what you vote for, or stupid is as stupid does

Liberal stupidity doesn’t stop in California, ultra blue Hawaii is also deep into the Climate Cult:

But critics say that, while ending the state’s dirtiest source of energy is ultimately a good move, doing so now is not. Renewable sources meant to replace coal energy are not yet online because of permitting delays, contract issues and pandemic-related supply-chain problems. So the state will instead burn costlier oil, which is only slightly less polluting than coal. 

If you are a believer that climate change is going to end because we shut down this coal plant, this is a great day for you,” said Democratic state Sen. Glenn Wakai, chair of the Committee on Economic Development, Tourism and Technology. “But if you pay an electricity bill, this is a disastrous day for you.” Source

Sure, we cannot replace that coal fired plant, but we did something. 

Sheesh.