Last week I worked doubles all week, staying in a hotel to turn drive-time into sleep-time.

I didn't see daylight from Sunday afternoon til Saturday morning.

This weekend I looked for peace, and pleasure.  I got a little of one and damn near none of the other.

Tomorrow, I am out of the house at 4am to do it again.  Next daylight..... Saturday morning.

This gets old.

I AM old.

I know the students don't care.  I'm hoping I can keep caring.

Child Rape

 

Yes, it's fun to play with 'Epstein didn't kill himself' memes.

Please, don't lose sight of what matters. With Epstein's death, no matter how it happened, the investigation into his child rape procurement operation died too.

I don't think there is any argument at this point that Epstein was the center figure in a large circle of Very Important People, and his role was to channel money and provide children to satisfy the sick desires of pedophiles. Rich, powerful, and deadly pedophiles.

Pedophiles so 'important' that major news organizations and federal law enforcement agencies have covered for them.

Allow me to be totally blunt here. CHILD RAPISTS are being protected by ABC, CBS, and the FBI, at a minimum.

People who RAPE CHILDREN.... because they want to, and they can, and they know they can get away with it, and THEY ARE GETTING AWAY WITH IT.

Now..... look at the children in your life, and imagine them on Epstein's island, with no way to escape, and their latest RAPIST walking in the door yet again.... and no one who cares will hear them cry.

No one in the major media, law enforcement, or the political establishment is breathing a word of outrage, let alone doing their duty to seek justice for these children.

Go look in the mirror, and tell yourself it's okay to support the people who rape children, or cover for those who do.

I dare you.

 

 

The patience line

Home..... Home..... sigh. Some sleep where I fell, and wake to Babe making fresh coffee and breakfast.

I discovered something yesterday. 

I've known most of my life about that line one crosses in anger, where everything goes cold and emotionless. Calculated, swift, scary... even deadly.

Well, it was somewhere around my 65th hour of teaching for the week, and the nineteenth time I explained the same thing to the same student within only a few days.... that I hit the patience line.
Everything went misty, and slightly golden.... and I felt a beatific smile cross my face.

It didn't matter anymore. I could do that same explanation forever, and smile gently as I slowly did it over, and over.

'"Yes, of course I'll show you how to do that again. I'd love to!"
The student said "You can't be mad at me", and I replied "Yes, I know, there would be no point" without losing my smile or gentle manner.

Yes youngen, I know... and of course I'll show you this for the nineteenth time, and in ten minutes I'll show you for the twentieth time too.

It's all good.

I'm home now. Till next week, when I'll do it all over again.

Quack....... Quack.....

Yeah... so..... we haz ducks.  Three, to be exact.  Herself raised them from $5.95 hatchlings I bought her, and loves the nasty feathered beasts.

Last week, we woke to only two ducks, and one of them seriously injured.  Clearly hit by a car, which is weird since they never went near the road.  The injured one we found had a broken leg and her butt ripped ... off?.... up?..... either way, ugly.  There were tears and antibiotic stuff involved.

Turns out, when we talked with a friend, who knew someone who had 'found' an injured duck on the road.... but supposedly miles from our house..... and gave it to other people to care for.... who it happens herself knows..... but they weren't inclined to give the duck back......

I told her to include the phrase "We haven't reviewed the surveillance video yet'  in her next text, and suddenly they were ALL ABOUT getting that duck back to us ASAP.

Anywho.... some massive vet bills later, she has three ducks spending the nights in our living room near the woodstove, after she hand baths them and feeds them and medicates them and holds them and calls them George.....

You know what stinks?  Ducks.  You know what stinks worse?  WET Ducks.   You know what kills that smell?  Tequila, applied liberally, and held close to the nose.

 

I try to allow for the possibility, sometimes probability, that I am wrong; Also, that I have been lied to and missed it.

Do you?

My, but that judge was kind to that agency....

For some reason, I find this fascinating.  The ATF takes action against some guy who made a business of turning metal into firearms, which is a pretty easy process if one has the minimal common tooling  required.

The guy played the game which the ATF created with it's often confusing and convoluted home made regulations.  Eventually, in a weird slow motion series of events, the agency shuts him down and charges him with a crime.

Years later, it finally comes before a judge who considers the matter for a long.... long.... time, and then coughs up a preliminary ruling.  You know, a kind of 'Here's what I will rule, if you continue this case and force me to make a real ruling' thing

The ATF reads the preliminary ruling, which makes it clear that not only will they lose yet another case due to sloppy and unprofessional creative regulation skullduggery, but this time they may lose FIFTY YEARS worth of such shenanigans as precedent.

In other words, the judge made it clear the ATF's glass walled fun house was about to be hit with a hail storm of reality. 

The agency lost no time at all in dropping the case and running to hide in a closet, rather than face the destruction of their flawed regulatory scheme.

 

What could possibly be wrong with this?

The US Congress gives a foreign government $3.5 Billion (with a B) in 'aid' over the last few years.


At the same time, family members of congressional leaders receive million$ (with a M) in compensation for holding mythical jobs with companies owned by the same foreign government.

She ain't wrong....

Funny, how some folks regard this as a cautionary tale, and others as a game plan.....

“Did you really think we want those laws observed?" said Dr. Ferris. "We want them to be broken. You'd better get it straight that it's not a bunch of boy scouts you're up against... We're after power and we mean it... There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What's there in that for anyone? But just pass the kind of laws that can neither be observed nor enforced or objectively interpreted – and you create a nation of law-breakers – and then you cash in on guilt. Now that's the system, Mr. Reardon, that's the game, and once you understand it, you'll be much easier to deal with.”

― Ayn Rand, Atlas Shrugged
 

On my tired drive home last night, a police officer pulled up next to me at a light.

"Sir! I am showing your registration as expired" she said.
Me: "Really? Well, it is the the first... I'll renew it as soon as I get home then. Thank you!".

At the next light, me: "That was very thoughtful. Thank you for letting me know!"

Her: "It shows here as expired in August of 2019....."
Me: "Wow.... Okay..... thank you even more then!".

I wonder if this is happening more, since the Commonwealth of PA no longer supplies the registration cards they require us by law to have with us? I would not be shocked if quite a few people are like me, and seldom interact with their vehicle registration aside from state inspections and renewals. Yes, I used to rely on seeing that date sticker on my registration plate.... which the state now refuses to provide.

I suspect our officers may have decided pretty quickly they have better things to do than deal with petty issues created by unthinking corruptocrats.

In any case, it's now renewed and I paid the fee to the state.

"What the hell is that bastich doing NOW? WHAT??? He's investigating OUR crimes??? Oh Hell No.... quick.... investigate his investigations and shut them down as fast as possible. No way we will survive being investigated by people we don't own!!"

"Australia? WTF does Australia have to do with anything? We did WHAT? Can he PROVE THAT? Oh Fu...... Jesus, get the media on this ASAP. First he outs Biden's bullshit and now that? Jesus, we are so Fu.... NOW WHAT IS HE INVESTIGATING????"

BJ's club tire shop....

We walked into the tire center at BJ's wholesale club on Centerville Rd. in Lancaster around 2 this afternoon.

"What do you have in stock for 225-60-18's?" I asked.

Tire guy:  "I gotta tell you first, my first opening is on October 11th'.

BJ's.... let me do some math here for you, based on 40 years in the industry and years running tire shops. 

These folks had five stacks of tires in the office, four each, marked for customers.  It was roughly 2 pm.  The shop closed at 8pm. There were two employees there.  The bays were dead empty, but the lunch table was not.

In our industry, an experienced tech working at a *leisurely* pace can do four tires an hour, with no danger of cracking a sweat.

These two employees were planning on doing... at most.... 20 tire mount/balances in the time they should be able to do over 48.

BJ's.... if you ever get curious why your bays at that shop are empty, and the shop is running upside down on cash flow..... give me a call.  I won't consult for free, but I guarantee it will be useful and professional advice.

Impeachment.....

I think people have... misconceptions... about what presidential impeachment is.

If the House manages to impeach a president, that is the equivalent of a prosecutor making a charge against a person. It does not mean the Prez is out, or even down for the count (The only two presidents ever impeached were both acquitted by the Senate).

It's then up to the Senate to hold a trial. A legal trial, with all that entails. That means the President gets any attorneys he can afford who will take the job, and the process of 'discovery' begins. That's where both sides can demand any evidence the other team holds, and basically anything that directly bears on the case from pretty much anyone involved.

Now, I don't think the complainants in this case have any intention of actually going through with impeachment, as I suspect they have FAR more to lose from an actual trial. Not that I believe their party's voters will care, or will think anything more than exactly what their party orders them to think.

No, in my opinion they can't afford to inflame the narrow middle between the two parties, which still holds more sway at the polls than cheating and fraud can cover.

On the other hand, I also don't think they are stupid enough to not know what their charges are doing to Joe Biden's presidential bid. What trump may have done is questionable, and probably deniable. What Crazy Unca Joe publicly bragged about, and this case leads directly to, is indefensibly unlawful and flat out wrong in every sense.

Well, at least it is to anyone who thinks law and morality apply equally to all people. I'm not talking about those who excuse their priests of all crimes, in search of their own sad self forgiveness.

Nope, I don't think we shall see an impeachment officially completed... but Dear God, I hope I'm wrong... and it does go to the Senate.

I'm also curious which candidate the party leadership has chosen for their voters to chose, since they seem to be handing Unca Joe his embroidered bus-lube-tech coveralls.

I haz a flashlight I can hand ya Joe.  Come in handy under that bus.

Trump should change his party affiliation to Democrat and run on his own dime, the same as he did in 2016 when he switched to R and used his own money.

Seriously..... we have too many useless people in the world, and all those heads exploding will help our environment.

Hell, I'd consider voting for him this time if he did that... lol.

 

 

300,000,000 in the last 20 years.

Now, lot's of them will be used firearms changing hands. On the other hand, many of these checks will be multiple purchases. Do these balance out? To a degree I suppose.

Still.... 300,000,000 in the last twenty years, with over 6,000,000 firearms purchased in the last three months alone.

Um..... this may indicate something or other about the thinking of people in the USA. Not sure what, but I suspect it's significant.

One thing is, I've certainly been shirking. None of the recent checks can be assigned to me. I should get my ass in gear...

 

 

Firearms sales spike..... this is my surprised face.

 

 As news, it's a ho-hummer. Like announcing that water has been found to be wet.

On the other hand, it provoked a thought that's too good to check. I simply wish it to be true, and I'm happy that it almost certainly is. It's this:

I believe the anti-human rights crowd has once again pushed peoples buttons, and they in turn bought enough firearms in one month to completely surpass the number of firearms collected in every 'buyback' and confiscation scheme over the last twenty years.

 

Our newest Gun Salesman of the Year award winner.....

 

Bobby Francis something or other

 

 

Can you tell the difference?

Look closely at the picture above.  Now, can you tell what that is?
Here are your choices:

1. It's an AR-15, the 'assault rifle' many presidential hopefuls wish to confiscate at gunpoint from American citizens.
2. It's a modern sporting rifle, and the single most common rifle owned by US citizens today.
3. It's the most common rifle used for competition in the US today.
4. It's the most common rifle used for home defense in the US today.
5. It's known as a 'Patrol Rifle' and used by nearly every police agency in the US today. 
6. It's the most popular rifle ever owned by US citizens, with sales outpacing everything else combined for the last 20 years. 
7. It's NOT a full auto M-4 used by the military as their primary weapon for soldiers worldwide.
8. It's NOT the choice of criminals, to the point hammers are more frequently used in crimes than the rifle pictured above. 

Well?

Eco-hypocrit summit plans to create record carbon footprint while telling us peasants to cut our carbon footprint

There is a 'Climate Change Summit' taking place in Glasgow in 2020. It's expected to attract over 30,000 people from around the globe. Every airport parking space in Scotland for a private jet is already booked up in anticipation of a world record number of private jets gathered in one area.

I began researching and adding up the carbon emissions involved in moving 30,000 people around the world by both airline and private jet. The numbers are mind boggling, and I quit adding when it exceeded 100,000 tons of carbon.

That entire summit could be held carbon free by using tele-conferencing technology.

I'll believe it's an emergency when the clowns who tell me it's an emergency begin acting like they believe it's an emergency.

In which Harris beclowns herself.... again.

 A) They misspelled 'Confiscation'. Stupid Fox.

B) Not one rifle I own actually says 'AR-15' on it, so if they plan on stealing certain firearms from me they will have to define them by feature. The most used definition of 'assault rifle' (already a lie) would have about 100,000,000 units in citizen hands at this moment. At an average cost of $600 (low balling here) that means this twat would have to come up with 60 Billion smackers to fulfill her socialist dream. 

3) The last head count had about 210,000,000 adults in the US. The FBI says 40% of them are *known* to own firearms, so 84,000,000 individual firearm owners in the USA, roughly.
If only 1/10th of 1% of them 'object' to having their property stolen, it would exceed the death toll of the entire US involvement in the Vietnam war.

If 1% of gun owners said no, their numbers would exceed the total of every single sworn police officer in the USA.

And finally, D) Every single police officer I personally know is a firearm owner, an 'assault' rifle owner, and uses 'Patrol Rifles' on the job. 'Patrol Rifle' is what newsies call the rifles they want to steal from us, when they are in police hands.

To the point, I don't believe a single police officer *I personally* know would take part in any confiscation scheme. Both because they would not believe them right and won't murder people to make them happen, but also because they know their odds of survival would be less than optimal.

So, hows about 'splaining YOUR plan to us, Kamala Dear?

None shall speak it's name.....

Oh, you want universal background checks?  You mean... like.... when anyone buys a gun, the seller is required by law to do a government background check before selling the item?

Dude.... you know that's CURRENT law, don't you?  All dealers in the US do a background check one way or another on every sale.

Oh... you want PRIVATE sellers required to do that as well? Maybe have all transfers go through dealers, by law?  Ok, I see what you are getting at.

So..... how are you going to enforce that?  How are going to check?

What do I mean?   Well, suppose an officer wants to know if the rifle some woman is carrying during hunting season was legally transferred to her with a background check.  She says she did that.  How's the officer going to check?

Oh.... he'll just check and see if the transfer was listed as authorized.  Where will he check that... some sort of national firearms registry listing every sale of every firearm and who it was to?   Like a nationwide gun registration?

Oh OH..... NOT a gun registration then..... Just a complete nationwide list of who owns what and if they got permission. 

Yeah..... not like a massive totalitarian gun registration scheme at all.   Just a list, ya know?  Like..... who has what.... like that... but not a registration thing at all.

Yeah, and what they did in New Jersey and New York and California and Massachusetts..... yeah..... that will NEVER happen  other places when they get a list too.  Not like it did when those states had registration and tracked down honest Americans after the laws were arbitrarily changed.

Yeah.... That will never happen.

Again. 

One party hates me. The other party just dislikes me.

I'ma doing me some Googlin this morning, to gauge how much the two-party system despises me lately.

It began with this search term:  "(Party Name) policy for-profit schools"  to see which party would like me to be broke and homeless.  You see, I teach at a for-profit school.  No matter our success rate, and our 90% employment rate at graduation, and our students being able to repay their loans 5X faster than traditional universities (Because they can get actual real jobs that pay real money).

Yeah, so one party backs my industry, and the other reviles it to the point of destruction. 

Well, that there alone points out a path I should regard.

Just keep right on searching, and change the terms to things you care about.  See what lovely things those folks have in store for us.

 

 

So...... Herself's little girl (not so little... 11yo and taller than mom) is home with me and brother while mom is off partying at the shore all week. Harumph.

Well, not wanting to see the youngen unhappy, I've been getting up early every morning making her a good breakfast to start her school day.

Yesterday it was homefries with onions, and a three cheese omelette with salsa on top. Today it was homemade crepes wrapped around scrambled eggs, cheese, and salsa.

I don't want her to miss her mom.... or as the little girl says... "Mom Who?"

 

 

Smalls investing....

Unsettled times breed unsettled people.  Unsettled people want insurance.  Nobody pays more for insurance than the man who waits till after the accident to shop for it.

I figure we have about four years til folks get antsy, with a lighter bet on two and no-bet on six.

I'm old enough to recall the way people got 'antsy' back in '08, and the money I made then by betting against the average intelligence of the crowd.  Then, I was selling into the demand, and I expect to be doing that again. 

So, when I run across a deal like this, and I have the scratch, I have to jump.  Average price per is about $9.12 (in my hands).  That is exactly at my expected current price for the aluminum, and a few bucks under my 'buy now' price on the Magpul.  Compared to what they were going for in 2008..... well now.

Now, I know the market became saturated since then, but I am banking on people being people.  At some point in the next few years, there's going to be yet another move towards the stupid.  Someone brain donor is going to push for a pointless feel-good law that does squat as intended. 

$200 at BJ's house-o-consumerism will result in trash cans packed with packaging and a $200 hole in my bank account.

$200 cash in my safe (or the bank) results in $160 in cash value next year.... the stupid-people tax which is inflation.

$200 in magazines means a MINIMUM of $200 in magazines next year.  In four years, a MINIMUM of $250 in magazines.  If the mob leans the way I expect, it will be more like $1000 in magazines in four years. And hey.... I can always use them myself.

Now, when that sweet, sweet OT hit's the account, it will probably be precious metals going in the safe, in terms of value-added aluminum alloy.

 

I'll believe in it when the people telling me about it start acting like they believe in it...

Over at Silicone Graybeard, some frank comments on This Article at Watts Up With That:

 

"When plots of future temperatures are presented, you usually get what's on the left.  A model showing smoothly increasing measured temperatures.  If the uncertainties are included, errors propagated forward in time, and other standard techniques employed, you get the rescaled plot on the right.  The prediction for the temperature at 2100 isn't that global temperature goes up 4 degrees; it's 4 degrees +22 and -15.  When the uncertainty is 10 times your prediction, your prediction isn't worth much. "

Burger King fakes another burger?

Burger King introduces a 'burger' made with no burger.... all plants. People seem excited, but I can't understand why. I'm pretty sure they have been making fake burgers for many years now.

Goofy O'Rourke has a plan....ish.

I was reading a few articles about this Irish guy who runs for office in Texas under a Mexican name.  I had some concern as he strongly backs confiscating peoples property at gun point.

Then I realized he hasn't offered a whisper of detail on his plan. Looking at his history, I see he was in bed with his buddies in the House, and even with that backing not a single bill he's ever sponsored has made it out of committee. Not one.

No wonder he's looking for a new job. He's at utter failure at the last one he held.

 

On the other hand, he's bounced back well from the burglary charges and the DUI conviction, so he's got that going for him.

Old NFO speaks....

Go read at his site.  He said it better than I can

Wherein Zeke is a tyrant....

A simple Sunday morning breakfast for an old teacher recovering from a week of 14 hour days and hotel nights.

Slow fried potatoes with various cheeses melted on, three sloppy sunny eggs, and a few slices of whole wheat.  Notice though... the toast.  See the slice with a corner missing.  Glance with curiosity at the maimed egg-sopping bread.

It's missing a corner.  An extra heavily buttered corner, as my toast is ALWAYS missing a corner.  Why? One might well ask.

Because Zeke the elderly toddler jerk face parrot will scream her bloody head off if she doesn't get a heavily buttered corner from any toast I ever have in this home.

 Spoiled much?
 

Perspective is important...

So.... there I wuz.....

Once upon a former lifetime, I was speaking with a shop owner who was looking over my job application.  "I called the former employers you listed here.  XXXXX  said you are the worst mechanic he's ever seen.  Anything to say to that?"

Meself:  "I disagree with him, but he's not here to make his case so there's not much else I can say in response".

Shop owner: "Happens I know the man pretty well.  If he says you are the worst mechanic he's ever had, then I'll hire you.  Can you start this week?"

Perspective is.. well... critical.  I learned something that day.  It's simply this:  Don't sweat it when assholes speak badly about you.  They are what they are, and good people will know them for what they are.

I remembered that when a customer I had just fired was yelling at me across the counter one day. "I'll tell everyone I know you are a thief!"

My response?  "Go ahead.  I'd appreciate it if you did"

Fired customer:  "WTF??"

Me:  "Look, if it's anyone who cares what you say, they are probably worthless lying sacks of crap just like you, and I'd rather not have them here.  If it's someone who knows what you really are, then your slander will be a welcome reference for me and I'd love to talk with them".

Him:  ((HEAD EXPLODES as he's screaming profanity)) while I dialed the local police.

Moral of these stories?  The person speaking about you says volumes more than what they are saying about you.

Thieving scammers come in all different sizes..

This cheeses me, because I got nailed by the same scam. No, I'm not investigating if this meme is 100% accurate. I can't work up a care if it is or isn't, since my butthole still twinges over this college scam.

My rapage was committed by PSU, in a mandatory 'education' course we instructors had to take or lose our careers (Nice rape scam you got going there, PSU. How many lawmakers you have to buy to get that law passed?)

The course was taught by a Penn State professor. Professor of what, I never figured out. The class had about 25 tech instructors in it, and we were all required to buy the 'textbook' for the class, at $65 each. The 'textbook' was about the size of a paperback, was written by the 'professor', and was never once even referenced in the course.

He arrived on the first night of class with a box of his books, and quite literally pocketed everyone's cash.

After a full semester of this ^%^%#@ing class, not one experienced teacher who'd been forced to take the course could even figure out what the course had been about. It was a load of shear rambling BS shoveled together solely to fill PSU's coffers and give this bozo a way to rake in some cash.

PSU, and the sumbitch 'professor', didn't care a bit that it was all BS and we all knew it. They had a law saying we were required to bend over, and had no way out of it. They engineered the law to do exactly that.

Does my experience make this meme believable? OH. Hell. YES.

China and Hong Kong.....

This situation reminds me of the TSA in action. You see, they can't back down when they are wrong. TSA officers can never back down, no matter how wrong they are, because backing down means giving up authority, and authority is all they have in this world. Their mission is bullshit, and their mandate is as hazy as Muellers memory of his investigation.

China is like that, except they also have generations of brainwashing at this point. That's why they must limit free speech, and act harshly in the face of criticism. It's quite honestly the only power they have.

China is a handyman who owns nothing but one hammer, and Hong Kong is an annoying protruding nail. They either hammer that nail, or give up being a handyman. The Chinese leadership would see the world in flames, and bodies stacked like mountains, before they give up power. It's all they have.

In which Lancaster Newspapers responds....

In regards to a letter to the editor I sent chastising Gov. Wolf for proposing new limitations on gun ownership while ignoring the enforcement of current gun laws.... LNP has responded.

Paula Wolf, an editorial writer, sent this:  "Arthur, Pa. is actually quite active in seeking convictions. See further down in this USA Today story."

First, I must say I am deeply surprised, and just as deeply appreciative, that LNP responded at all.  It's honestly the last thing I expected.  Providing a linked source was downright neighborly as well.  Nicely done, Paula and LNP!

My response:  

Paula,

Thank you for the interesting data, and source.  It's much appreciated.  I gather what the article is saying is that PA is doing the best of a particularly bad showing  on the part of various law enforcement agencies.

Given their 1% number of failed background checks, and the PSP reported number of almost 800,000 firearms sold in PA in 2017.   Only 1900 referrals for prosecution out of 8000 criminal instances, and only 470 convictions, given each fail means a signed confession?

I would surmise that PA, even if it's one of the best at dealing with the issue, is still horrifically bad at using existing laws to keep firearms away from criminals.

Or.... the background check mechanism is deeply flawed, and these are not truly criminal instances.

Or.... and I would guess this the most likely.... the state simply does not have the resources to enforce the current laws regarding firearms.

In all these cases, would any of the proposed new laws make the slightest change at all?

Regards, and thanks again,

Art Welling

In reading through the full report instead of the summary, I see the actual decline number was over 15,000, with about 10% being reversed on challenge as faulty returns.   Aprox. 2500 were referred for prosecution, of which most cases were either declined by prosecutors or not successfully prosecuted. 

These are not good numbers, from my viewpoint, and point to deeply flawed background check system.

On the other hand, in terms of things handled by government agencies, it's probably a stellar performance.

 

Sometimes, doing nothing is everything.

An easy breakfast for little money, and little effort.

The potatoes are sliced about 10mm thick, and fried till crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.  There is a dollop of salsa-queso for dipping the home fries.

The eggs, a simple three egg folded omelette with a bit of Parmesan in the mix, and spooned on chunky salsa to add flavor and heat.

It's all so simple, with patience.  Heat a big, heavy, non-stick fry pan on medium heat, and melt a few tablespoons of butter as it warms.  Slice a couple washed Russet potatoes to desired thickness, tossing the very ends if you like.   It's important to have flat surfaces that will contact the pan.

Lay the sliced potatoes out in the pan in a single layer, and grind on as much fresh black pepper as you fancy.  Also a sprinkle of Kosher salt.

Now, employ the culinary technique I call "Leave It The Hell Alone". 

Seriously... go drink coffee.  Wash dishes.  Give the cat a bath.  Whatever floats your boat... but leave that pan the hell alone for at least 20 minutes.  Set the Leave-It-Alone timer for 20 minutes.

When you come back 20 minutes later for your next cup of coffee, turn the potato slices in the pan, and grind some more pepper on so you don't have one-sided tasting food.  Reset the Leave-It-Alone timer for another 15 minutes.

When that dinger dings again, then and only then may you examine your handiwork.  Turn the slices again if you wish, and let them finish browning while you crack open the eggs into a bowl.

To the three eggs, a splash of heavy cream and a few grinds of pepper.  Blend with a fork till uniform and floofed.

Move the potato slices to a plate covered by a paper towel to soak away some of that butter, and pour the egg mix into the pan.  Set on medium low, add a pinch of salt, and swirl the pan once to make sure the egg mixture coats the whole bottom of the pan.

Sprinkle on some Parmesan, or a little of whatever cheese gives you the giggles.  Next..... that technique again.  Leave It The Hell Alone.

Just leave it, till the eggs are nearly set.  When there is just a bit of unset egg mix left, lift the edges with a rubber spatula thingy and fold one side towards the middle.  Then the other side to the middle.  Leave it there a moment as you ready a plate.

Slide the omelette from the pan, turning it over on the plate as you do so.  Give the pan a rinse while the eggs rest a second.  They will finish cooking from their own heat in just a few moments.

Add all the potatoes you wish, whatever toppings you wish, and refill that coffee mug.

Enjoy!



 

Mirrors....

Mirrors don't lie, do they?  They merely reflect, and any lies come from within the person looking into the mirror.

I'm coming to grips with what my mirror shows me every day, and that's the undeniable fact of getting older....of getting old, period. 

There are parts of me, the majority of me in fact, which bear the scars of a lifetime of hard work.  There are parts that just don't work as well, or even barely at all.

There are things which my mind can still conceive yet my body can no longer fulfill, and that is a harsh fact to realize.  Sometimes memories, dreams, and regrets become a form of soul crushing gruel that a man doesn't wish to live on.  That leaves him wanting more, and having to learn what new horizons open, and what new limitations mean.

Getting old is not for the weak. 

 

When that guy is digging his pit, don't take away his shovel.

If an update comes before the post is posted, is it a predate?

I wrote what follows a while back, and then thought second thoughts about posting it.  It unsettles my soul to be mean, and I'm thankful for that.

The results didn't sit right, because not handling it better means I failed, and I dislike failing.  I went back to the situation, examined the subject at hand, and found a way to deal with him in a way that encouraged positive outcomes.

You see, he's not a bad guy.  He's just different, as we all are.  Every single one of us has our ways, and other people may not, usually won't, understand them right away.

Part of being professional is finding the way to a positive outcome when working with difficult people.

I found that path with this man, so far.  

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Sometimes, you just have to allow people to have their way, without arguing with them.  What is it Napoleon is reported as saying?  Something like "Never interrupt an enemy when they are making a mistake".... or something close to that.

Enemies?  Yeah... not so much.  I don't really have any that I know of.  

People who I have no fondness of?  Yeah... *those* I have my share of. 

Yesterday one of the latter types made an unforced technical error on a curriculum issue.... and I just shut up and went along with it.  Since he is assigned as a 'lead', I followed his 'lead' on the issue, except I documented my actions and a manager signed off on it.

Now, I would have been happy to help the sad sack understand what he misunderstood about the technical issue, and show him exactly where in the material it explains why he's wrong.... but history with him has proven it's wasted breath.  Even gently pointing out an obvious error, understandable since he's never been a tech, has resulted in attitude and blow back.

Hell... I've had students come to me, book in hand, and ask what the hell he's talking about as they point to material refuting his notions.

So be it sparky.  Now you can explain to the company why you violated policy over lack of subject matter expertise.
 
There are ways to 'lead' which don't involve alienating those who can help you do the job.

 

Coffee

 

 The coffee I made this morning seems stronger, a little more bitter than usual. I like it.

I'm trying to recall when coffee became a thing for me. It's possible, just possible, that I was born liking it...

I have early memories of my mother giving me coffee and milk to drink at the table. There were few days where there wasn't iced coffee in the fridge; My dad never wasted a drop from that percolator.

I recall Saturdays, grocery shopping with mom, and the rich smell as she ground her bag of A&P beans in the coffee aisle. I loved that smell so much, she always let me take a deep breath of it before she closed the bag.

These days, I grind a cinnamon stick up, and then pour in a handful of dark roasted coffee beans. Grind till fine, almost like an espresso.

The drip coffee maker is filled with bottled spring water, a natural paper filter, and the coffee ground mere seconds before.

Like this morning, I usually pull that first mug before the pot is even half done. The very first is stronger, richer, deeper.

I spoil myself in this.