I spent my teen years reading Louis L'Amour and Max Brand and Zane Grey. My Great-Great Grandfather served in the famed 7th Iowa cavalry during the Civil War years campaigning against recalcitrant Indians in The Great Plains. Thus it is always a minor thrill when I find myself driving the highways of Kansas, whipping through fabled cow towns like Emporia, Wichita, or Dodge City.
When I look out the windshield at the bleak nothingness I see beauty. I also marvel at the sturdy pioneers that managed to cross the vast American Dessert without a paved road, a GPS, a reliable map. The way west was fraught with peril. Miss your route out of Independence by a mere tenth of a degree and you are hundreds of miles from your intended destination. Sure the Smoky Hill or Arkansas Rivers were reliable landmarks, but are you upstream or downstream from your intended crossing point?
The American pioneer was made from strong stuff. I reflect on the panic throughout the east coast last week over the mere forecast of snow and wonder what the intrepid farmer or plainsman would think as he huddled in his sod house out on the prairie, burning buffalo shit to keep warm. Now we need the Mayor of New York to remind us to wear a coat.
February 5, 2015
February 4, 2015
It is the little things
Bitch and moan. I'm good at it. Today I am irritated at the erstwhile air conditioning / heating unit tucked under the window of room 435 here at my Hampton Inn home for tonight. It has a button that indicates "constant fan" that will not shut off. I will have to listen to the damn thing all night long. I hate the noise of the fan running and even shutting the heat off will not make the mother fucker stop.
Yes, 13 hours of traveling makes me a cranky asshole.
Yes, 13 hours of traveling makes me a cranky asshole.
I see stupid people
I am about as small government minded a fellow you will find short of a true anarchist. But there are some rules a civilized society needs. A codification of most of the Biblical "Thou shalt nots" comes to mind. Traffic laws and other rules to protect the general populace from idiots, malefactors, and evil-doers are certainly necessary. I support, to a significantly lessor extent, those laws created to protect us from ourselves. Maybe, I am more likely to agree with laws that protect kids from parents' stupidity; car seat regulations for example.
I submit that any parent that refuses to vaccinate their kid is stupid, an idiot, a moron of the lowest level. Your actions are borderline, nay, are downright criminal. I abhor frivolous lawsuits, but I would proudly serve on a jury of anyone who could prove they were infected by even casual contact with your unvaccinated offspring. Your failure to protect your children and society as whole from a preventable infectious disease is decidedly criminal. I would encourage the authorities and aggrieved individuals to seek criminal as well as civil remedies.
If you cannot or will not understand the difference between correlation and causation then you are damned fool and a danger to your children, your family, and society as a whole and should be treated as such. A refusal to vaccinate is as morally wrong and as criminally negligent as handing your kid a loaded handgun and sending him off to the local playground.
I submit that any parent that refuses to vaccinate their kid is stupid, an idiot, a moron of the lowest level. Your actions are borderline, nay, are downright criminal. I abhor frivolous lawsuits, but I would proudly serve on a jury of anyone who could prove they were infected by even casual contact with your unvaccinated offspring. Your failure to protect your children and society as whole from a preventable infectious disease is decidedly criminal. I would encourage the authorities and aggrieved individuals to seek criminal as well as civil remedies.
If you cannot or will not understand the difference between correlation and causation then you are damned fool and a danger to your children, your family, and society as a whole and should be treated as such. A refusal to vaccinate is as morally wrong and as criminally negligent as handing your kid a loaded handgun and sending him off to the local playground.
February 3, 2015
He Said, She Said, He Said, They Said
The cool kids all reviewed the film American Sniper last week. Since I am not, and never have been one of the cool kids, I was not asked to participate. Of course, I have never been too good at following the crowd. Back when blogging was cool, many published these memes -- you know, what kind of donut are you and such. I rarely played along. I am an ass like that. So if I had been asked to provide my insight, I probably would have opted out.
Sunday, my youngest son, my daughter, and my son-in-law and I all traipsed to the theater to see American Sniper. It is a powerful movie. I think Eastwood's understating of Kyle's death and showing the actual funeral scenes as part of the credits was brilliant direction. As the lights came on the theater was silent.
After the movie I had an interesting discussion with my son. He is a Junior in college, and I know he is indoctrinated daily with a leftist slant, and also embraces a fairly liberal point of view as most young people tend to do. I don't worry about it too much. He was raised right, and he will find his own political water level. You see, I don;t think it is healthy for us, as Americans, to all think alike. I think liberals and progressives are dead wrong, and naive and a little dangerous. I would never dream of making their speech or politics outlawed. Unfortunately many on the left would, if given the chance, silence those of a conservative political bent. It is what the far left has done every time they have gathered the reins of power.
But as usual, I digress. The boy was disturbed by Kyle's reference to Iraqis as "savages". I asked what you would call people who would send a kid forth with a hand grenade? I also said that his opinion might change if he saw his buddies killed, maimed and wounded. I added that many returning soldiers from Vietnam and WWII, harbored deep racial resentments against their former foes. Such, I imagine, is war. I am certain, my son does not share my firm belief that one American life is worth a dozen of our enemy. He will have to come to his own conclusions.
Anyway, the film is a pro-soldier, anti-war, human movie. It is powerful. It is a movie everyone should see. The film makes no political statement about the war. Much like the film Lone Survivor, it is a story of people in extraordinary circumstances, fighting for themselves, their fellow soldiers, and their country.
Sunday, my youngest son, my daughter, and my son-in-law and I all traipsed to the theater to see American Sniper. It is a powerful movie. I think Eastwood's understating of Kyle's death and showing the actual funeral scenes as part of the credits was brilliant direction. As the lights came on the theater was silent.
After the movie I had an interesting discussion with my son. He is a Junior in college, and I know he is indoctrinated daily with a leftist slant, and also embraces a fairly liberal point of view as most young people tend to do. I don't worry about it too much. He was raised right, and he will find his own political water level. You see, I don;t think it is healthy for us, as Americans, to all think alike. I think liberals and progressives are dead wrong, and naive and a little dangerous. I would never dream of making their speech or politics outlawed. Unfortunately many on the left would, if given the chance, silence those of a conservative political bent. It is what the far left has done every time they have gathered the reins of power.
But as usual, I digress. The boy was disturbed by Kyle's reference to Iraqis as "savages". I asked what you would call people who would send a kid forth with a hand grenade? I also said that his opinion might change if he saw his buddies killed, maimed and wounded. I added that many returning soldiers from Vietnam and WWII, harbored deep racial resentments against their former foes. Such, I imagine, is war. I am certain, my son does not share my firm belief that one American life is worth a dozen of our enemy. He will have to come to his own conclusions.
Anyway, the film is a pro-soldier, anti-war, human movie. It is powerful. It is a movie everyone should see. The film makes no political statement about the war. Much like the film Lone Survivor, it is a story of people in extraordinary circumstances, fighting for themselves, their fellow soldiers, and their country.
February 2, 2015
About Last Night
1) That was by far the dumbest play I have ever seen called in football, be it pro, college, high school, or Pop Warner. Even my wife who knows diddly about football asked why didn't they just hand it off?
2) I absolutely must have a giant robot lion to ride. This not a want, this is a need.
Today is my tribute to the film Groundhog Day, if you could nbot guess.
2) I absolutely must have a giant robot lion to ride. This not a want, this is a need.
Today is my tribute to the film Groundhog Day, if you could nbot guess.
About Last Night
1) That was by far the dumbest play I have ever seen called in football, be it pro, college, high school, or Pop Warner. Even my wife who knows diddly about football asked why didn't they just hand it off?
2) I absolutely must have a giant robot lion to ride. This not a want, this is a need.
2) I absolutely must have a giant robot lion to ride. This not a want, this is a need.
About Last Night
1) That was by far the dumbest play I have ever seen called in football, be it pro, college, high school, or Pop Warner. Even my wife who knows diddly about football asked why didn't they just hand it off?
2) I absolutely must have a giant robot lion to ride. This not a want, this is a need.
2) I absolutely must have a giant robot lion to ride. This not a want, this is a need.
About Last Night
1) That was by far the dumbest play I have ever seen called in football, be it pro, college, high school, or Pop Warner. Even my wife who knows diddly about football asked why didn't they just hand it off?
2) I absolutely must have a giant robot lion to ride. This not a want, this is a need.
2) I absolutely must have a giant robot lion to ride. This not a want, this is a need.
About Last Night
1) That was by far the dumbest play I have ever seen called in football, be it pro, college, high school, or Pop Warner. Even my wife who knows diddly about football asked why didn't they just hand it off?
2) I absolutely must have a giant robot lion to ride. This not a want, this is a need.
2) I absolutely must have a giant robot lion to ride. This not a want, this is a need.
February 1, 2015
F-f-football
Yeah, I'm going to whine about football. I thought the Pro Football Hall of Fame was about honoring the best players, not recognizing a guy because "it is his turn". Maybe Tim Brown deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, but not when you compare his numbers to Marvin Harrison's feats on the gridiron. Harrison has more yards, catches, and touchdowns in 65 fewer games. To argue, as some have, that Brown had to get in now because so many great receivers were coming eligible in the next few years is a crock. If you are not the best, you should not be in. Period.
Oh, and if JJ Watt is not the best player in football, then I don't know who is.
And since I'm bitching, the SnowTeam/ScareTeam missed even their low estimate on snow totals by about two inches. They started the lets all panic and run to the store and buy milk eggs and bread because snow, earlier this week. By Friday night they were claiming we could get upwards of a half foot of snow. Yesterday morning the prediction was 3-7 inches. This morning I doubt there is even one inch of snow. The models are wildly wrong 8 hours out, and I'm supposed to believe these same weather experts can predict the climate ten, twenty, or fifty years from now?
My coffee cup is empty and so is my tank of complaints. Have a great day.
Oh, and if JJ Watt is not the best player in football, then I don't know who is.
And since I'm bitching, the SnowTeam/ScareTeam missed even their low estimate on snow totals by about two inches. They started the lets all panic and run to the store and buy milk eggs and bread because snow, earlier this week. By Friday night they were claiming we could get upwards of a half foot of snow. Yesterday morning the prediction was 3-7 inches. This morning I doubt there is even one inch of snow. The models are wildly wrong 8 hours out, and I'm supposed to believe these same weather experts can predict the climate ten, twenty, or fifty years from now?
My coffee cup is empty and so is my tank of complaints. Have a great day.
January 31, 2015
Super Weekend
It is a bright and chilly Saturday of Super Bowl weekend. I am less than excited to see two of my least favorite teams face off in the big game.
The SnowTeam/ScareTeam s in high panic over the prospect we might get a lot of snow, or maybe a little snow, or perhaps just cold rain overnight and Sunday. It could be bad. Or not. They advise that I keep watching as they continue to guess. One thing is certain, we will have weather outside my office window.
The youngest boy has the weekend off from work, primarily because the restaurant where he works was heavily damaged by fire last Sunday. He is coming home later today. I visited with my daughter and granddaughter Thursday. I had lunch with my oldest son yesterday and my youngest will be home today. Yes, that is a smile on my usually cranky countenance. If I could convince the wife to give up some nookie this morning, the weekend would be complete.
Well you can't have everything.
Have a great weekend and stay warm.
The SnowTeam/ScareTeam s in high panic over the prospect we might get a lot of snow, or maybe a little snow, or perhaps just cold rain overnight and Sunday. It could be bad. Or not. They advise that I keep watching as they continue to guess. One thing is certain, we will have weather outside my office window.
The youngest boy has the weekend off from work, primarily because the restaurant where he works was heavily damaged by fire last Sunday. He is coming home later today. I visited with my daughter and granddaughter Thursday. I had lunch with my oldest son yesterday and my youngest will be home today. Yes, that is a smile on my usually cranky countenance. If I could convince the wife to give up some nookie this morning, the weekend would be complete.
Well you can't have everything.
Have a great weekend and stay warm.
January 30, 2015
Old Habits
Back in the middle years of the 1980's, we traveled up to Merrillville, Indiana to the Holiday Star Theater to see old Hank Jr. in concert. The asshole was wasted. He would start a song, play a little bit then just kind of taper off. Sometimes Bocepheus forgot the lyrics, sometimes he forgot what song he was playing and launched into a different hit. Mayhaps it was on purpose; it came off as amateurish at best. Towards the end of the show they brought out a stool so Hank could sit down before he fell down. He ended the show stripped to the waist, fat belly bouncing as he jumped around the stage. I think he was playing Kaw-Liga. It was thirty years ago, I can't remember every detail. I think beer was involved on my part as well. The primary difference was no one coughed up hard earned dollars for ducats to see me.
In all, it was one of the worst performances I ever paid to see.
Still I like this song, and it sums up my feelings to both the Friday Music feature and the old blog in particular. Plus, Freddie, my favorite lurker-in-chief likes country music*. Perhaps not oldies like this, but it is the effort that counts. Right?
*so I think. I might be wrong. I don't know. Just listen to the music, OK?
January 27, 2015
I believe
You "believe" stuff when there is no verifiable proof. I believe in God. I cannot prove he exists, if you are a sceptic you won't believe.
People claim they believe in man-made global warming/climate change. They cannot prove it exists, but they believe fervently.
I suppose I am a climate agnostic. I used to own a book that used weather, or climate if you prefer, as a means of predicting future events. The author used past weather to map human events and offered a view of the future. Not surprisingly, I picked up the tome for either free or next to nothing at a library book sale. The whole theory is crackpot. You have to love the 1970s.
Weather models fail to forecast with much accuracy 24, heck 12 hours, in advance of a storm. Yet we are supposed to change our way of life, our economy, our behavior based on weather models for ten or twenty years from now? Those same models, ten years ago, predicted a much different reality. In fact they were dead wrong. Too bad I lost my free book, it may have been more accurate.
People claim they believe in man-made global warming/climate change. They cannot prove it exists, but they believe fervently.
I suppose I am a climate agnostic. I used to own a book that used weather, or climate if you prefer, as a means of predicting future events. The author used past weather to map human events and offered a view of the future. Not surprisingly, I picked up the tome for either free or next to nothing at a library book sale. The whole theory is crackpot. You have to love the 1970s.
Weather models fail to forecast with much accuracy 24, heck 12 hours, in advance of a storm. Yet we are supposed to change our way of life, our economy, our behavior based on weather models for ten or twenty years from now? Those same models, ten years ago, predicted a much different reality. In fact they were dead wrong. Too bad I lost my free book, it may have been more accurate.
Mental snooze button
I need more coffee. I am groggy this morning. I got a good night of sleep. I've been up an hour and ,my brain is still in sleep mode. I'll try this thing later.
January 26, 2015
Let's see
It is Monday, so I outta post something. I had a good if uneventful weekend. It snowed a bit on Sunday.
Yesterday the wife and I went out for brunch at Granite City, I ate entirely too much. Too much bacon, too much biscuits and gravy, too much prime rib. Too much of everything. Afterward, the wife dropped me off at home while she walked around the mall. I watched the movie "42" and took a well deserved nap.
Now I am off to do some work.
Things to do for this Monday:
1) write a boring blog post. Check.
Have a great day.
Yesterday the wife and I went out for brunch at Granite City, I ate entirely too much. Too much bacon, too much biscuits and gravy, too much prime rib. Too much of everything. Afterward, the wife dropped me off at home while she walked around the mall. I watched the movie "42" and took a well deserved nap.
Now I am off to do some work.
Things to do for this Monday:
1) write a boring blog post. Check.
Have a great day.
January 24, 2015
Let's Play Two
RIP Ernie. You lived and played with class and gusto.
Say "Hey" to Ronnie when you get to the big game in Heaven.
Say "Hey" to Ronnie when you get to the big game in Heaven.
January 23, 2015
January 22, 2015
But they are tryin' hard
The cool thing about deflategate is that I can republish old stuff. You gotta love the classics.
Look, I will say this, The Colts lost that game. The Patriots were better. Period. Deflated footballs had nothing to do with the Colts inability to tackle.
But cheating is cheating. Writing that algebra formula on your forearm only helps you get one answer correct, but get caught and you still fail the tst.
I will also say this, NFL players are craftsmen. They are experts in their field. A quarterback knows exactly how a ball should feel. I do not buy for a moment Brady did not know the balls were deflated by 15%. Ask any craftsman and he knows intimately the feel of each one of his tools. Eleven out of twelve balls indicates something nefarious.
January 21, 2015
The 1%
So here is the thing, I'm not rich. Not even close. I could best be described as decidedly middle class. I do live in one of the more affluent communities in one of the more affluent counties in the state. Someone has to comprise the bottom half. That said, I think I am missing that gene that makes me angry at the rich folk that surround me.
Sure, I like money. I would gladly take more of it. The fact that there are houses worth two or three times the value of mine just a few blocks away does not bother me a whit. There are millionaires and multi-million dollar houses down the street. Literally just down the street. So what?
Those people have their money. They earned it, inherited it or borrowed it. None of that concerns me. You see, wealth is not static, there is not a defined amount of cash available in the world and every dollar you earn means there is one less dollar available for me. We all can gain wealth.
Most of us would be counted as fantastically rich in many parts of the world, even if you are eating hot dogs and pancakes as part of your regular diet.
I don't think we should be envious of the one percent. I think we should aspire to be one of the club. When I read how the richest pay most of the taxes I don't think for a minute they do not pay their fair share. I wonder why some want to punish success.
Sure, I like money. I would gladly take more of it. The fact that there are houses worth two or three times the value of mine just a few blocks away does not bother me a whit. There are millionaires and multi-million dollar houses down the street. Literally just down the street. So what?
Those people have their money. They earned it, inherited it or borrowed it. None of that concerns me. You see, wealth is not static, there is not a defined amount of cash available in the world and every dollar you earn means there is one less dollar available for me. We all can gain wealth.
Most of us would be counted as fantastically rich in many parts of the world, even if you are eating hot dogs and pancakes as part of your regular diet.
I don't think we should be envious of the one percent. I think we should aspire to be one of the club. When I read how the richest pay most of the taxes I don't think for a minute they do not pay their fair share. I wonder why some want to punish success.
January 20, 2015
State of the Union
I predict* The Obama will trot out the worn pages from the Democrat playbook, namely tax the rich, banks are evil, global warming, but racists, wealth redistribution, amnesty, blah blah. I could just slap up a recording of the Ten Years After classic "I Want To Change The World", but I have done that so many times in the past it is redundant, but this line sure is indicative of Obama's policies:
"I want to change the world, but I don't know what to do"
Indeed.
* at the risk of pissing off EOB, who is obsessed with my predictions and spends significant time, words, and angst over my righteousness.
"I want to change the world, but I don't know what to do"
Indeed.
* at the risk of pissing off EOB, who is obsessed with my predictions and spends significant time, words, and angst over my righteousness.
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