1-25-22

W: 345.5

BS: 130

LOLOL... gotta be faster on that mic button. Maybe a wireless kill switch would work.

"The president called Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy a “stupid son of a b*tch” after he asked Biden a question about inflation.

“Do you think inflation is a political liability in the midterms?” Doocy asked.

“It’s a great asset—more inflation. What a stupid son of a b*tch,” the president snapped back.

Seconds later, Biden’s microphone was cut, according to Voice of America."

PJ Media

"The Daily Stock Market Crash" ? Jeffrey Carter pins it down.

Go read interesting and timely words.

1-24-22

W:  347.4

BS: 134

Didn't do numbers over the weekend. Lived, mildly.

Tired today, for no good reason.

I used to know a guy... yeah, that's it... a guy.   Anyway, that guy had a saying I heard fairly often. "Mind over matter.... I don't mind because you don't matter".

I find I'm thinking that phrase more and more often.  People... ugh.

Rationing...

For health and financial reasons, I'll be carefully rationing the spirits for the foreseeable future (Forever).  That being the case, *what* is being rationed might as well be decent stuff.

Templeton is arguably the standard for mid-shelf rye whiskey.  I know the bottles kind of creep around the racks, but there are various levels of age and quality.

This is 4 year old rye, and suits my taste just fine.
 

The Tao of Shut The Fuck Up.

 

 

Greek yogurt from the Instant Pot

Um.... the Instant Pot has a 'Yogurt' setting.

Um... Thems people eat yogurt like it was THEIR JOB.

Um... Pineview dairy is three miles thataway....

Half a gallon whole milk ($2.32) later, the IP gets that yogurt setting put to use.  Boil the milk, wait for it to cool, and add the yogurt culture packets.  Back on the yogurt setting.  Go to bed.

This morning.... it's yogurt!  A fair bit tangy, and kinds loose, but clearly fresh yogurt.

After it cools a few hours in the fridge, to a colander lined with a clean towel, placed in the sink.

A few hours draining, and into a bowl where I whisk in honey and vanilla.

Ta Da!  Two quarts of super creamy and outrageously fresh Greek yogurt.  Carolyn and Child will be licking the bowl clean before the weekend is up, I'll bet.

We've been averaging about $8 a week in yogurt procurement, so this will now be 'A Thing' around here.  Enough that I'm investing in a dedicated yogurt strainer, and looking up Middle Eastern and Greek recipes.

Carhartt

Carhartt (the company CEO) says company employees must be vaccinated for the Chinese Covid flu to keep their jobs.

My thoughts, for what they are worth.

Point 1)  I support the right of a company to choose it's employees based on whatever reasonable criteria it thinks correct, as long as it's mutually agreeable and there's no extortion or force of any kind involved.

Point 2)  As the only means the US Government has of enforcing it's mandates are economic or physical force, I do NOT support the government having authority to demand citizens be vaccinated, and I think any tyrant who attempts it should be answered in a very old and traditional manner.  There should be lamp posts involved.

Point 3)  I think both Carhartt's current and future employees, and all of it's customers have every right to vote on the company CEO's position with their dollars, their feet, their support, and their derision.  The market shall make known the peoples thoughts on the CEO's decision.

 

 

S&W Airweight Bodyguard

 

Ugly beat up old thing, isn't it? Kinda hits me in the feels, also being an ugly beat up old thing.

I hope to pick it up next week. Why did I even bid on this ancient and heavily carried little beast? My thoughts are not clear, but foremost is the desire to rehab this elderly carry pistol and make it look cared for.

There's every chance it's a little older than me, or possibly... possibly.... the same age. I need to see the serial number to determine that.

Do I need this? Hell no. What's that got to do with anything? It's a challenge. An Airweight with an aluminum frame and steel cylinder and barrel. What it will take to make it look good again is unclear at this point, but I expect it will entertaining as I learn some new things.

I'm leaning towards Cerakote (sp?), if I can find someone well experienced in it's use. I think I know a guy.......

With VZ grips that look like this:

1-21-22

W: 345.8

BS: 115

I miss range time.....

 

Looking at that weather report, I'll just go right on missing it too.

Seriously considering snipping the trigger finger off a pair of gloves and just going shooting a bit.  You know.... till I can't feel that finger.

Pretty fair translation.

At the heart of every XXXXXX, is a violent tyrant struggling to  take control.

You fill in the XXXXXX of your choice.

So..... what would YOU like to see as a 'Fair and Accurate Voting Program'?

Here's what I think, and feel free to disagree.

So..... what would YOU like to see as a 'Fair and Accurate Voting Program'?

No, I have no illusions that our elected officials will make any significant changes to a system that suits them just fine.

That said, couldn't we do a better job? I know there are cranks on all sides.... but a large number of sane (ish) and reasonable people doubted the results of the last two major elections. Why?

Here's what I think, and feel free to disagree.

1) Voting in person, with ID that matches the voter roll and is checked. Voter ID is free to anyone who asks and can show citizenship by any reasonable means. A pay stub, tax bill, or utility bill is enough, if it matches or exceeds what is required for social benefits in that area.

2) Voting by mail only by applying for a ballot, and then only with a copy of a valid ID which must be mailed in with the ballot... and checked. All mail in ballots will be counted at the same time as regular ballots, and not introduced later after the regular voting is counted.

3) Every step of the way is documented on paper and video, and retained for 24 months under penalty of imprisonment without parole for no less than two years.

4) Severe penalties for any election official who allows, promotes, or engages in proven false balloting of any kind.

5) Any 'found-after-the-deadline' ballots will automatically be discarded.

6) Any proven instance of non-citizen or deceased voter participation triggers a full hands-on-paper audit of that precinct, with mandatory penalties for anyone convicted of being involved in the fraud.

7) Anyone found to have provided falsified voter registration will be prosecuted at the federal level.

8) Any documented and proven instance of voter intimidation will be prosecuted at the federal level, with a minimum two year sentence and no parole. This includes any violation of polling place standards, and any armed presence (other than voters and police) at a polling place.

9) Votes will be counted IN PUBLIC, with anyone who wishes witnessing the process, and all voting records will be made public within 24 hours of the election. Failing to do that will be a prosecutable offence.

Robbin trains, boss

HT to Tam for finding more to the train robbing (ongoing) story.

Lot's of blame to go around for this situation.

Short story... if you *know* what you are ordering coming from west of Rockies, might be best to rethink the sourcing on that purchase.  The shippers, the railroad, and the local authorities have abdicated any responsibility for guarding against theft.  

1-20-22

W: 346.6

BS: 122

No drinkies last night... damnit. 

 "The justice system isn’t really there to protect citizens from criminals. It’s there to protect criminals from citizens. And within limits that’s a good thing, but when you create a state of nature, you get a state of nature. And in the state of nature people absolutely do kill to protect their property from marauders."

Glenn Reynolds.

Smoke....

Way back in August of 2021 I consulted with an attorney regarding an issue with disability insurance. They had double-dipped in their calculation of an over payment, and were demanding twice what they were reasonably entitled to.  At the time, I informed the lawyer that time was an issue, as the insurance company was going to simply confiscate the money from what they were obligated to pay.

Between August of 2021 and January of 2022, the attorney left one phone message with the insurance company, and sent one e-mail.... but only in December *after* I let him know they were already taking the money.  

Well, that completes my lifetime track record of never once having a professional encounter with a lawyer that didn't leave me feeling abused, unsatisfied, or taken advantage of.

Mr. Xxxxx,

This will be the second month that Lincoln Financial has chosen to retain my benefits to themselves rather than pay me. That makes a total of $XXXX.xx, which is getting quite close to the total of what they demanded due to their overpayment calculation.

No matter how incorrect I think their math is, I do not believe this money can be recovered from them short of a judgment, if even then.

I understand you have called once and left them a message, and sent one email... all without response I am aware of.  I see no reason on their part to make that return communication, no reason on their part not to simply take what money they wish, and no real reason to pursue the issue at this rate.  Now that they have taken the funds, I regard it as unrecoverable.  

Thank you for your efforts.

Arthur Welling

She said "Lunch me, Big Boy.."

So I did.

Sadly, she doesn't get the Cranberry wine I'm having with mine.

I received a 1099 from social security. They were kind enough to tell me to not bother filing an income tax form for 2021.

Damn..... I've reached the point where even the IRS says I have nothing left worth taking.

1-19-22

W: 346.2

BS: 155

I just can't drink spirits every day.... okay, I hear that.

Us

Capt. Dain Bramage here is the most skittish cat I've ever met.  I've witnessed him startled into flight by an air current.  Until this week, he's NEVER wanted cuddles and pets.... from birth.

Huh.... maybe that's what the 9-lives thing is really about.  9 different personalities.

HT to Tam for finding this video on gun ownership.  Worth the 4 minutes of your time. 

Wordle 214 3/6

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1-18-22

W: 347.7

BS: 152

Late dinner last night, and well over my calorie goal.  Add in a glass of rum, and X+Y = weak.

Also, that other thing with the pictures, and holy %$#@ I'm old all of a sudden.  Just last week I was..... no, I wasn't.  That was 20 years ago. This is not a good hole to dive headfirst into.

Mine

It was time for the white beard to go.
Looked too much like Thanos.

Welcome to the permanent emergency my friends.

Sammich'n

 

I should have taken pictures all the way through..

Herself wanted lunch, and I wanted to try something different for a change.

So, I said to myself.. "Self... how about a grilled cheese with sliced turkey on it?"

"Oh... put on some onion-bacon jam, and...... I know.... Crispy Cold lettuce in the middle!"

Here we go... Self can be a challenging prick at times.

In the pan, two slices of multi-grain bread, buttered side down. A layer of 'murican on each slice. Then, a schmear of onion-bacon jam on one side.  About a teaspoon full.  Then sliced turkey.

Cook till the bread is browned and delicious, and then move to the counter.  Install a fair amount of crisp iceberg lettuce, slap the two sides together, slice the sandwich into halves, and plate.  Serve immediately before the lettuce warms up.

She got hers with 3-bean salad, sliced tomato, and candied bacon.

Mine got a handful of blue corn chips.

Nom away!

Two things that are related to each other.

 

1-17-22

W: 347.7

BS: 132

Lost in my own head lately.

“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” Martin Luther King, Jr.

How radical an idea. I suspect if the man was with us today, and expounded on his theory of love Vs. hate, he'd be roundly blasted by those in power. They got there riding a wave of hatred they concocted, and anything that threatens it must be destroyed.

This quote is one of the reasons I'm not a member of any political party that exists today.

Mine.....

Cleaning out the liqueur locker day. There's a LOT of 'What the hell is this?!?' and "When did we get THIS?!?' and 'Why doesn't this have a label?!?' going on.

I've clearly lost touch with my inner boozeaholic. So many of these bottle have become true surprises to me. On the other hand, we have the makings of some fine cocktails.

On the third hand, believe it or not, there isn't a bottle of true whiskey in that entire lot.

Leftover night....

 

I had a big bag of leftover baked Egyptian Basmati rice, and her boy left half a jar of alfredo in the fridge.  In the freezer, a few baggies of broccoli. Add it all up in a dish, put on some shredded cheddar. bake at 325 for an hour.

I trimmed the meat from a few pork chops, and sautéed it with onion bacon jam.  This went on the bowls of rice.

Tolerable for a leftovers night.

Well now!

It would seem the RNC told the debate commission to take a hike.

That was way overdue.  

1-16-22

No numbers this morning.  Didn't have the desire to see them after last night's excess.   We were invited to dinner and a whiskey tasting table at a friends home.  Dinner was... exceptional, and the whiskey was too.

All in all, I ate WAY too much, consumed roughly 4 shots during the tasting, and was honored with 3 mixed drinks as our host designed me my own cocktail based on our homemade Cherry Complex.

For the tasting, I found this to be on par with the winner, and a very  reasonable price.  It tasted like the epitome of Bourbon.  I recall my comment during the tasting was "Now this is what I expect good Bourbon to taste like".

I'm hoping we repeat the event, only with rye, Scotch, Irish, and maybe Canadian.

Words unsaid again

Minds and hearts untouched again

Passions stilled... again

Good chance of blech, followed by periods of yuck and spotty eww.  Some areas may see significant gross, and travel may become suckish.  Viewers are encouraged to create blanket forts and and find snuggle partners if possible.

Definitive assistance please.

So, a little help dialing in my concepts please....

If someone asked me what Racism is, I'd reply it's 'Making substantive decisions about someone based on their race or skin color'. That's a discussion I had with myself long, long ago.

Am I off base on that? Is there a more accurate definition I should consider? Am I even allowed to ask if it has a definition?

In that moment....

The other day, in the liquor store, I had an opportunity.  The person in front of me in line was an elderly lady, probably buying her weeks supply of enjoyment. As she was handed her bags of happiness, I saw she would have trouble with the door.  I laid my own bottles on the counter and hurried to be at the door before she could get there, and held them open for her.  First the inside, and then the outside.

She favored me with a smile and a thank you, but I saw something more flash across her face.  In that moment, I think she remembered herself as a younger and more attractive woman who often had men race to hold doors for her, among other attentions.  In that moment, she mattered to someone else, and someone was paying attention to her and recognizing her needs and comfort, if in such a small way.

In that moment, I think she felt more connected to her world and the people around her.  More at home, more within her tribe, and just a little more appreciated as a fellow human.

It cost me 30 seconds, and the energy to think of someone else for a change.

We all carry in our minds and deeds the power to change other peoples lives for the better, even if only in the tiniest gesture.  But, what may seem insignificant to us may be a lifetime memory to someone else.  There is no way of telling, except in the doing, and maybe not even then.

Trust.  Trust in the rightness of caring about other folks enough to show them, even in the littlest ways. Trust that doing enough good will shift the balance of the entire world... one tiny fragment of kindness at a time.

Exhausted from marching back and forth across my laptop....

 

1-15-22

W: 345.0

BS: 134

Ugh.

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest our nation become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance."

Or something like that.....

You know, I never had any plans on retiring. None at all. In fact, I always joked the only way I could afford to retire was on disability, and I was far too tough for that.

Yeah, well, it's like my body heard that crap, and one year while I was busy working 12 hours a day and not paying attention... my body said "Here, hold my beer!".

In the words of the immortal Private Pyle... "Surprise Surprise Surprise!".

Thought:

Federal is pushing a new compact carry pistol round that has no platforms available anywhere yet, and Springfield is pushing a new $2K rifle they brought in from Croatia and isn't available anywhere yet, and I'm just sitting here on my porch wearing suspenders, drinking Bourbon, and yelling at those new fangled gun toys to get off my lawn.

Pistol Cart'rige thoughts.

Trying to think of.... popular general use pistol calibers that were NOT chosen by any military or police agencies first.

.22 LR? Most popular of all time, but only used by military in training.... I think.

.32 acp? Military and police.

.380/9mm Kurz? Military and police.

9mm/9mm Luger/9x19mm? Military and police.

.38 Special? Police.

.357 Magnum? Police.

.40? Police.

.45acp? Military and police.

I think most other calibers don't fit the 'general and popular' parameters, but I'm willing to be discussed at.

What brought this to mind is the new Federal 30 Super. It looks interesting, for reasons, but I wonder how deep the market is for it. The .327 Federal and the .32 H&R Magnum look pretty cool too, but they are clearly footnotes in the big book of pistol cartridges.

1-14-22

W: 346.0

BS: 140

I know what I did.  My evening had Bourbon in it, and warm olives. Sigh...

Ugh... 10% inflation on wholesale numbers for 2021.  You know that's coming down the road to smack us in the face soon.

A) No trust government numbers.  Government is lying asshole.

B)  We haven't had a rent increase in 10 years.  Will this be the year Craig caves and asks for more?

Thought this morning.  Is there some breed of human you tend to trust more (or less) based on their profession?  If so.... why?

Police officer?

Scientist?

Professor?

Doctor?

Mechanic?

Priest?

Lawyer?

Nurse?

Mailman?

Farmer?

I'm wheezing a bit today.  Allergies, cold, heart failure? One from column A and one from column B I guess.  Extra Lasix again, I think, and all the usual vitamin suspects.

The usual chores done.  Also, repaired the vacuum.  Fairly new, but it overheated and tripped the thermal protection.  A little hunting found a clog in the handle, and a component installed 90 degrees from it's proper fit.  It partially blocked the tube and caused the full blockage.

Beans.... I tried dry pinks in the Instant Pot, as advised by several friends.   Damn... double damn.... that is easy!  I will be using the hell out of dried beans from now on!

On another note, gonna be some hella good baked beans here around dinner time.

HT to Peter for finding and posting this bit of prose: 

March 6, 2019  · 

A couple years ago I was working security at a bar in northern Virginia. I overheard a table of college kids arguing about gun rights and gun control and it was getting far too emotional so I did what any sane combat veteran would do and attempted to exfiltrate. I must not have withdrawn as surreptitiously as I intended, because I was stopped in my tracks when a 5-foot-nothing brunette seemingly leapt in front of me and blurted out “excuse me, can you help us?”

I’m sure I must have looked irritated as I cycled through the possible quips and excuses I considered available to me but being uncertain that she wasn’t some Senator’s daughter, I caved: “What’s up?”

She basically leads me to this table of 2 other females (probably both named Karen) and a very soft looking male.

Becky: “So, we were just talking about current events and, you know. So, you look like you’re probably in the military, right? Like the Army?”

(When you accuse someone of being in the military you probably don’t need to give an example)

Me: “Similar.. yea”

Becky: “Right. Okay. So, do you think civilians should be allowed to own guns?”

Me: “Most of us. Yes.”

Becky: (clearly not happy with my answer) “Okay, so, why do you think you need a gun?”

(At this point it’s almost 2am and I’ve just given up on patience. Hold my beer)

(With intentionally overt condescension): “Oh, honey, I don’t. I don’t need a gun.”

Becky stares at me blankly, so I continue, but with a more serious tone:

“I could follow you home, walk up your driveway, and beat you to death with the daily newspaper.

I could choke you to death with that purse.

I could take a credit card, break it in half, and cut your throat open with it.

With enough time and effort I could beat your boyfriend here with a rolled up pair of socks.

I could probably dream up six dozen other ways I could easily end your life if you gave me an hour or so.

If I wanted to, I could wrap my hand around that beer mug and kill all four of you before you could make it to the exit. The worst part is, in your utopian little fantasyland, there ain’t a thing any of you could do about it.

I don’t need a gun.

You need a gun.

You need a gun because of men like me.”

For those who stuck this far in....  here's those baked beans:

Really very easy to make.  If you want a recipe.... just ask and I'll write one up.