Caption: Salina, Utah, where I-70 meets US-89. Is it the best breakfast you’ve ever had? No. But they have a cool old sign. I was by there a couple of years ago, not recently. The sign may or not be present today.
Bullet Points:
** I watched the Charlie Kirk Memorial on television, and of those who spoke, Erika Kirk was the most compelling, and it brought me to tears (not easy to do). I want to state for the record that ‘we’ are not the same as the communist left. We don’t burn cities and we don’t loot stores to salve our sorrow. We are what built and maintain the United States, and the freedom that people enjoy – the butcher’s bill – is paid by us, not them. Therefore, they are irrelevant. Dangerous and mentally ill, but still irrelevant.
Note: Current estimates are that over 200,000 people showed up in person to Charlie Kirk’s memorial in Glendale, AZ. Seventy-three thousand seats were available in the arena, and the others watched on large monitors outside. If you weren’t seated at 5 am, you weren’t going to get a seat. I don’t know what the ratio was between Arizona residents and others, but Arizona had a good showing. There are over 60,000 new applications from schools to form Turning Point chapters.
It’s interesting how all of the leftist “martyrs” these days are illegal alien rapists, human traffickers, Palestinian terrorists, and wife beaters.
** Disney stock is in trouble as the national socialists are abandonging their brand.
** Remember, if they don’t show a picture of the serial killer on television news, he’s black. It is likely that they didn’t obtain a fresh mug photo because a liberal judge ordered his release before they could complete that part of the booking process. No matter how many people he kills and no matter how many babies he rapes, he’s the bigger victim.
** Socialism is so great that people build boats out of trash to float away from it.
** (zerohedge) At least ten separate Russian oil refineries have come under cross-border drone attack from Ukraine since early August, which has served to reduce nationwide refining output by nearly 20% – or roughly 1.1 million barrels per day – and wholesale oil prices in Russia have risen sharply.
** The tolerance for Sharia courts in the UK is nothing short of insanity and self-destruction. The consequences of this will be not only the decline of Western cultural and legal values, but quite possibly a bloody rebellion.
Poland and China
(h/t Claudio) By closing its border with Belarus, Poland has played its Joker card, limiting the flow of Chinese goods to Europe.
By closing its border with Belarus, Poland is effectively cutting China off from a €25 billion-a-year trade route. Approximately 90% of China-EU rail freight passes through Poland, which is now suspended amid the Zapad-2025 drills and a Russian drone incursion. Beijing requested that Warsaw restore the route, but after three hours of talks, Warsaw refused. With sea routes slower and air transport up to 30% more expensive, Europe’s e-commerce supply chains face severe disruption.
Oil in the Golden State
The Wall Street Journal reports California : Wants to Halt Oil Industry Exodus After Years of Climate Focus
“Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office made its first-ever call to Chevron’s refining chief last week, days before state lawmakers passed a bill meant to stop more oil companies from leaving California. Nathan Barankin, Newsom’s chief of staff, extolled the virtues of that bill, which could boost drilling in oil-rich Kern County, and touted the state’s decision to delay putting a cap on refiners’ profits.
“I said, ‘Yeah, Nathan, all those are good, but we’ve got a long way to go,’” Andy Walz, who runs Chevron’s refining, pipeline, and chemical businesses, said in an interview.
California policymakers who had tried to spur a transition away from fossil fuels are now working to entice fuel-makers to stay open, while polls show voter frustration with rising living costs. Gasoline prices in the state averaged $4.66 a gallon Wednesday, among the highest in the nation, and about $1.45 higher than the national average, according to AAA.
Policymakers this year have also discussed ways to keep Valero from closing its 56-year-old Benicia refinery, which has about 10% of the state’s oil refining capacity, political advisers said. Valero cites the state’s 20-year push away from fossil fuels for its decision to close the plant next April.
Rich Walsh, Valero’s general counsel, told analysts on a recent conference call that the company hasn’t changed plans.
“There are no solutions that have materialized, at least not from our perspective,” he said. Last year, Phillips 66 said it planned to close a Los Angeles refinery that produces almost as much fuel as the Benicia site. The prospect of more California-pumped oil hasn’t changed its plans either.
Phillips 66 is moving forward with the property’s redevelopment, CEO Mark Lashier said in an interview.
Redevelopment plans for the larger of the two tracts that make up its Los Angeles operations include shops and restaurants, ballfields, offices, and industrial space.
Chevron’s Walz, who led a company campaign that laid blame for high gasoline prices on state legislators, said California needs to do more if it wants to be considered a friendly investment environment. He suggests the state roll back regulations that affect oceangoing vessels docked at California ports, among other things. Walz said he has had productive conversations with the energy commission’s leadership. “But they’ve got to reverse 25 years of trying to put us out of business,” Walz said.”
Retrospective
Claudio wrote and said that this was the first VM blog he read. There’s been some water under the keel since 2018 and “Claudio” is now “My friend Claudio” and I also consider his fine wife and boys my friends. Let’s ride the time machine back to the California Department of Motor Vehicles. September 10, 2018:
I had to go to the DMV today. I couldn’t resolve the situation, and California law required that I make a personal appearance. I went to a less-used DMV, predominantly serviced by inner city people. I know that you’re expecting me to say that the experience was horrible, but I had a blast. If I didn’t have other places to be, I would have hung out there through lunch.
Start with the visual: The Star Wars bar scene, only with an inner city cast.
It turns out that Willy is in jail for stealing a car. He might be the baby daddy of the lady who sat behind me for almost an hour, talking to others. Then again, there are 13 other possibilities, and she plans to blame it on a Christian gentleman whom she seduced, who would not ask for a blood test. He’s employed, which seems (in addition to gullibility) to be his only charming attribute. The Christian is a bum lay, but that doesn’t seem to bother our heroin because she has other gentleman callers. Bless her heart.
Willy didn’t steal the car; his other girlfriend, Cleo, has a brother who stole the car, planted some drugs, and then loaned it to Willy and ratted him out to the po-lice. He owes money to Willy for a much larger supply of drugs, but since Willy is on parole, he’ll be going away for a long time. Cleo’s brother is hosting a party tonight at his home to celebrate with other hood rats.
The setup is apparently an open secret, as evidenced by the three or four people seated behind me discussing it and looking forward to the party on Willy’s dope.
Then there’s Otis, who is simple of mind, and is trying to get a job, ‘but he can’t get no job’, because everywhere he goes, he steals compulsively. The longest he’s been employed was about a week. Otis sat behind me for a while, on the phone with his mama. Otis also apparently has a problem with being a ‘ticket magnet’ for the local constabulary, who make their quota on him alone. One of the others at DMV gave him advice as to the best way to get welfare. The City of Los Angeles appears to be the best place to go, offering lavish food kitchens that feature ‘soul food’ every day. They also work harder to get you onto government programs because you’re down on your luck, which led to an unusual display of anger toward Koreans and Chinese. In the ghetto, it is Asians, running the convenience stores, who clash more with inner city people than white people. It’s good that inner city people don’t have the capacity to be racist, because the blaggarding went on and on.
Roland turned out to be the biggest mountebank. He is a pimp by trade, and while he was at DMV, the girls (who can not be trusted) called him, having jacked his pimp ride from the parking lot. The joy ride went on while he fumed. Meanwhile, he made other calls to girls who are part of another pimp’s “bitch line,” promising them a greater share of their own labors if they’d come over to him. The girls driving the car have a planned obsolescence, and I’m sure he’ll dump the bodies in Bakersfield.
Identify the Aircraft
1
348 built
2
450 built
3
4
Parting Shot
Are you an economically challenged homosexual? Having a party in the garage? Make sure you clean it out first. The two per pack is offered because pharma understands how cluttered it can get if you haven’t cleaned in a while—all new potted meat scent.
End
Seen elsewhere – Communism is always one murder away from utopia.
The same could be said for its whining & bratty younger brother named Socialism.
DMV story – mine isn’t as exciting. Sat on the first row of chairs in front of the desk…saves wear & tear on a bad knee. Mother came in with daughter who was getting her first license.
Daughter was dancing and wriggling around in excitement – right in front of me…and she was wearing a very short skirt. Anyone watching me must have thought I found something on the ceiling extremely interesting. At least I didn’t get a permanent crick in my neck.
DMV – and the general public often leads to more amusing time-wasting than the most experienced comedian.
Don’t know why I got a duplicate reply posted. Please feel free to delete one.
(1) Martin B-10
(2) Martin Maryland
(3) Martin Baltimore
(4) TSR-2
– Kle.
That was quick, very well done.
Very nice Kle!
Thx, all.
It’s mostly just due to being awake at the right time, with time to
read the blog and look at the pictures. My school run is amenable to
that this year, so far.
– Kle.
1 – Martin B10
2 – Martin 167 Marylands
3 – Martin 187 Baltimore
4 – BAC TSR-2
The Martin B-10s were used in combat and for combat-supporting roles early during WW2, and through 1942. They’re such odd-looking beasts.
Mom’s Cafe Salina, Utah – According to Maps it opens at 7AM daily – I call a meeting next Saturday morning
Being that I am 1,636 miles away I may or may not be there.
I see you’re using your organizational skills for good and not for evil. Very commendable.
I’m not completely certain, but I expect that I have eaten at Mom’s in the past. I spent a fair bit of time running up and down US 89, mostly for various band gigs back in the 70s. After I-15 replaced US 91, it became easier and faster to go down I-15 and cross over where possible. All at speeds officially limited to the double nickel. I had a 1971 Econoline into which all the gear was loaded. One night, coming north on 89 from a gig at about 3 in the morning, I found myself driving on the wrong side of a divided highway, and uncertain where I crossed over to that side. All the other guys were asleep and never woke while I got back over on the right side. That shocked me to proper wakefulness until we got to our practice room and unloaded.
Socialism is so great that people build boats out of trash to float away from it – I fly into Key West a couple times a year to fish upper Keys – Have seen several “watercraft” that have been used to make the 90 mile trip from Cuba – It is amazing the ingenuity that is involved to use discarded items to make a boat and as amazing that people actually get into those things and sail.
For some, motivation from poverty and oppressive is ‘the mother of invention’ and hope for freedom affords fortitude to make it happen.
Life in Cuba is as depressing as it is in the other communist hellholes. We should lift US passports from the communists and send them there to enjoy the societies they so want us to copy. Norkland and Cuba stand out as ideal destinations.
👌
40 some years ago, when I lived in south Florida and fished offshore every chance I got, guys used to say “the sharks in the Florida straits are well fed.” For every strapped-together raft you see in the keys, some number sank. Nobody really knew how many.
X2 – but they thought that it was worth the effort.
Identify the Aircraft:
1. Martin B-10
2. Handley Page Hampden
3. Martin Baltimore
4. BAC TSR-2
#2 is a Martin Maryland. I went with the Glenn L. Martin Company today and was going to put the famous B-26 Martin Marauder into the mix, but thought it would be too simple to connect those dots so went with the BAC TSR-2, which has been here on the blog more than once. Still simple, but not as simple as the Marauder.
California is like the lying, bum of an in-law. Regardless of what is said, or done, there is no trust, and any effort to have you help with finances is ignored.
You can’t ever trust them. And in many enterprises such as refining crude oil there is a massive long term investment with a long payback. It’s stupid to make an investment in California because they’ll screw you.
I did get the B-10 right . Anyhow I thought this was a neat piece of art. A flight of B-10s with a P-26 escort.
https://www.fiddlersgreen.net/aircraft/Martin-B10/IMAGES/Martin-B10-Bomber-Title.jpg
👍
58 years ago working in the hood as a phoam man (telephone installer} after being discharged from the Marine Corps—–well sorry the stories can’t be written here due to the language I have to use.
I had a coworker who told me of the time he was asked to fix the furnace in a house of Ill repute in Detroit.
They always paid in cash.
And there’s always someone outside the door to take the cash back.
This time, he shot him and walked away.
Peace through superior firepower.
Please stay, please stay! We promise we won’t try to limit your profits as much as before, implying that we’ll limit them anyhow.
At an undisclosed limit to be changed by the next state legislature.
Baby, baby don’t leave me! I promise I won’t hit you no more!
-California, probably.
👍
Well said about communism.
Have a fabulous day and week. :)
I agree Erika’s speech and forgiveness was very compelling. I’m sure that wasn’t easy to do but Christ forgave us, even me. I’d love to hear what everybody’s thoughts are on having DJT and and his entire cabinet almost at the event. I understand all too well the security measures that were put into place but still it would have sucked to have Elizabeth Warren in charge if something happened.
-STA Lethal
On the one hand, incredible security risk.
On the other hand, if there’s one man who’s proven a track record of understanding the tradeoffs of the risks and the rewards, and willing to authorize it anyway, that’d be the guy we have elected right now.
Recognized the header photo immediately. We live in Boise but have eaten at Mom’s many times while going to or returning from petroglyph country. I saved one photo from a breakfast at Mom’s, black coffee and pie.
I only like two kinds of pie…hot and cold.
I’m out of stuff to say about the world I live in: I wake up, turn on the telly, roll my eyes in disbelief, hope that tea will continue to be the saving grace, the salve of the great island, and I go out into the bubble that is my village. I eat my soup and soldiers (yes, I am this childish) for lunch whilst watching GB News and often choke on my tomato broth at the antics of the lunacy in government, or particularly, mostly, always at The Mayor of London whom I cannot abide, with such a ferocity that he makes my insides curdle – so much so I now have to take turmeric and ginger shots to stop the inflammation. To save myself from getting arrested for such impure thoughts and physical rebellion, I walk along the flower lined streets, say hello to rather lovely people, the church warden, the riders on horses. I wave at the dog walkers, the artists, and the servers at the inn. I remember to pull off the dead heads on the geraniums so the “in Bloom” floral ladies don’t get cross with me and I will be able to have a piece of Mrs Simmon’s lemon Drizzle cake at the church next week. I like it here. It reminds me of how I was brought up. There are manners and respect, cheekiness but not too far.Sarcasm with a stiff upper lip. The flag. There’s consideration and community. I wonder how long that will last.
I didn’t know you did soldiers with soup, not just eggy soldiers! Thank you, I will deploy this on my husband when he’s recovering from surgery and craving comfort food. (That’ll be easier to make than coddled eggs, too!)
I thought that soldiers with dippy eggs were a requirement with soup. I was brought up the same way.
Ah, it’s a trio? Guess I don’t get out of making dippy eggs after all. Oh, well, I embrace the suck until I get better at it!
Not Mom’s, but Nancy’s Airport Cafe in Willows, CA. Back in the late 80’s, I shot on a pistol team in the Glenn County Pistol League. Classic Bullseye pistol competition. On Google earth as of 2023, you can still see the old firing line building. It is the lone tin roof just to east at the end of runway 34. We shot league team matches on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for about six weeks in the spring. Nancy’s always got a boost in business then. Breakfast was served on a platter, not a plate. Good times.
—–
Sadly, the range was closed down when a neighboring land owner complained to the County Board of Supervisors the he was taking fire on his property at distance. At a meeting he presented some spent bullets. Odd thing was, some of them were lead wadcutters from pistol target rounds that could have been surreptitiously dug out of range berm.
I like a full, proper English breakfast. Best served on a platter. Then again I also like waffles and pancakes. I’m not a vegan, so yes, there should be meat with breakfast. English bangers (with hot mustard, plz) are good but what is breakfast without bacon. And a HUGE glass of orange juice – with pulp – freshly squeezed.
Nancy’s is still the top restaurant in Willows. I really enjoy their meals and service. The photos of local planes and pilots is a bonus.
Reading your blog this morning my Dad’s favorite, “Belly flapping principal”, came to mind. “If you are hungry enough, you will do anything”.
Is it a reach to compare that with California politicians facing oil refinery closures? Or, China, with their goods staking up in Belarus? Perhaps Poland is employing, “When you have them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow”.
Kalifornia’s required gas formulations are unique to them, a surprise to no one here I’m sure. I wonder what the price would be if they had to buy all of it from out of state at daily market price, sort of like they did with electricity awhile back.
Given that they burn methane to power the grid and their Teslas, why the hatred for those of us who burn gasoline to power our cars/trucks/rigs?
Hatred is all they know.
It is their religion.
It is their politics.
And they won’t even be happy if they got their way and we all were dead.
What happens when you kill the “Little Red Hen” who does all of the work?
.
You starve.
.
It’s a communist legacy.
I had breakfast at Mom’s a few times back in 2015 when I stayed in Salina for a month. This is what I had to say at the time after my first breakfast. “I had their Vegetable Omelet and sad to say – I did not like it much. It is not just Mom’s, any place that makes ‘fluffy” omelets will not get a recommendation from me. There are not a lot of choices in Salina for breakfast so I will be going back but will not order an omelet.”
I think that the last time I ordered pancakes, eggs over medium, and bacon. That’s sort of my stock order though, so even if my memory is gone, it’s likely what I ordered. I’ll start eating the over-easy eggs with the pancakes. When I’m through the eggs, I add syrup.
I always liked Flo’s Cafe at the Chino airport.
Flo’s is iconic.
Commiefornia is going to be hurting for gasoline next year… And no other refinery is going to manufacture their ‘special’ blend of gas… Gas lines anyone???