Bullet Points:
**A Sheep-Dip and it’s back in business
** Five days of snow-in-a-row are predicted at the White Wolf Mine. Will I be snowed in? That’s more defined by the Highway Patrol closing major arteries than by my inability to exit the house or get back if I’ve left.
** Pres. Jimmy Carter was a dismal failure as a president, only exceeded by Pedo Joe. However, he was not a horrible man. His life post-president has been one dedicated to humble service. His opinions of gay marriage are not mine, but I can agree to differ. He’s at home, dying now, in hospice. The last time I saw him was in a grocery store parking lot in Las Vegas, NV at least 25+ years ago when he was stumping for his son who was running for public office. Everyone ignored him. I felt bad at the time. I’m not a Carter apologist, and I wouldn’t shake the Half-Blood Prince’s hand, but Carter was neither Barack nor Pedo Joe. When he flies, he flies commercial and shakes the hands of everyone on the airplane. I’m sure that he’ll do a lot better on the other side than Pedo Joe will.
** (Telegraph) For millennia, it was little more than a myth. Then it remained an archaeological mystery. But now, a British Museum project has finally unearthed a lost wonder which could shed new light on the birth of civilization.
Archaeologists working in southern Iraq have discovered the 4,500-year-old palace associated with a mythical king, whose buried library of clay tablets might fill the gaps in an ancient epic poem that inspired parts of the Bible.
Experts with the British Museum also found a lost “holy of holies” at the ancient city of Girsu, ending a 150-year search that began when a 19th-century archaeologist first discovered the site and the Sumerian culture which built it.
** An Air Yacht – Or a Target? Come on, it’s a fair question. What if it was filled with space aliens?
** The BattleComp Flash Hider (BCFH) is $50 off until March 1. Only at battlecomp dot com. A company owned by a friend of mine.
** ANASA-funded team of researchers has identified a lunar pit on the moon that’s always a balmy 63 degrees Fahrenheit — suggesting it could be the perfect place for future astronauts to establish a moon base. youtube.
Getting in and out of the pit wouldn’t be easy — the bottom is 328 feet below the moon’s surface, so it’d be like rappelling down a 30-story building. But if NASA can make it work, astronauts wouldn’t have to expend energy on yet-to-be-invented climate control systems for their future moon base.
** PaulM sent this chart in an e-mail. How can you be both a democrat and a Christian given the position that the democrat party has taken?
People in Utah should consider themselves lucky that no trains containing toxic chemicals have derailed there recently…
Sailing
The Draken Harald Hårfagre a Viking Ship replica… You have to admire the men who sailed those longships. It took no small degree of courage.
Traveling
When you’re in a place where the toilets look like this… you will need to make sure to either bring your own toilet paper or use a sock. If you flush the soiled sock, it will make things interesting for the next guy/gal.
Lived in Italy almost 10 years – those bomb drops are an improvement over the antique ceramic ones we used in train stations. Thankfully, my knees were still able to function back then.
I was thinking the same. Turkey also.
Most of Asia even today.
Carter was too decent to be in the business of cutthroat politics. He coasted while governor of Georgia, but as president he surrounded himself with like-minded squishy peaceniks who thought we should all just sing Kumbaya and there would be peace in the world. Unfortunately for him, the world had other plans. Post presidency, he was a good man and seemed to be well loved by all. At least he’s no longer considered the worst president in recent history. RIP when it’s your time to go, Jimmy.
meanwhile we’ll be over 80 degrees this week. “this sh@t ain’t right”. okay, a day or two of nice weather in february but the whole month just isn’t normal…..jimmy was just too good of a fellow for life among the snakes. i understand he was basically the father of our nuclear sub program. smart guy….vikings, across the oceans on those little bitty boats. crazy…..
Admiral Hyman G. Rickover directed the original development of naval nuclear propulsion and controlled its operations for three decades as director of the U.S. Naval Reactors office. He personally grilled and sifted every nuclear propulsion officer and nobody wanted to cross him. He was the father of the nuclear submarine program. ADM Rickover selected LTJG Carter to serve in the fledgling nuclear power program and he was there at the beginning. LT Carter served honorably until his father passed away at which time he left the Navy with 7 years of service under his belt to return to the family farm and run that.
Moons ago I heard an interview with the Carter’s after his tenure and deep into Habitat for Humanity, they were expressing how surprised they were in gaining the White House. Genuinely nice people but seriously naive of The Swamp Machine. In business or politics, being a nice guy gets you broke or run over. Yet it is interesting that a savvy international businessman who does things for people behind the scenes then becomes President. Yet he was decried by half the people because “he wasn’t nice”. I don’t want a nice President, I want someone who knows how to get stuff done at the highest level…and he did. PDJT’s was best domestic and foreign policy in my lifetime, maybe ever.
Times are very complicated and it takes a certain mind to grasp the matrix. Now look what we have, a bunch of weak grifter cowards and weirdos with the reins. Now there’s chaos, threats, war, a lousy economy, and uncertainty at every level in every theater, some on purpose to cover their cheatery. Addled and nice gets America broke and run over. We are the last best hope, except that is not what these morons want, they want power fat bank accounts.
I grew up Catholic in a Christian tenet home. Found my faith as a spiritual person by tromping around in the backcountry when not working (nature does that). By happenstance said “okay to God” when tapped to become a bi-vocational pastor of a non-denominational tiny rural ranching church which forced me to evaluate what I truly believed while trying to stay one step ahead of the congregation. Large church organizations have lost their way, and I believe Jesus would say “I never knew you.” Crushing words to any Believer. There will be surprises on the other side of the veil.
“I don’t want a nice President, I want someone who knows how to get stuff done at the highest level.”
Agreed. I seem to recall that Gordon Liddy was asked what he thought of Carter after Carter commuted his sentence. “A President needs brains, balls, and brawn.” Liddy then went on to say something like “unfortunately he has none of the three.” Which was unfair. As a nuke officer Carter almost certainly had brains, and probably some measure of moral courage as well. But something was missing, which is a pity. That said, Carter didn’t seem to hate or despise the ordinary American, which is more than can be said for the majority of recent administrations.
No, his after the WH stint proves he was good man. Then we have this crew, a bunch of poseurs, no surprise they gravitated to politics. And the nepotism is unreal, a club where they all know each other from college days forward. I have never been “a joiner”.
I enjoyed Liddy’s radio program, direct, smart, no nonsense, and interesting. I never agreed he went to prison because he ‘wouldn’t rat” while Dean blamed Liddy. That sentiment wasn’t – for me – so much about saving his own skin (the usual approach) but because Watergate went so wild in the ‘not saying’ aftermath when he could have silenced all of them by spilling the plan (which from what I have read did not include Nixon, but I could be wrong in that.)
“No…” was agreeing with you. Missed a word in there.
Anyone else watch the voyage of the viking replica ship Sea Stallion from Denmark to Dublin?
Cloistered deep within the overall stuttering cluster-fux of his presidency, Carter did one thing worth remembering: When a bunch of left-wing azz-hats tried to deport General Nguyễn Ngọc Loan, Carter put a stop to it, calling that wretched effort “historical revisionism” and “folly”. He won’t be remembered for it by whoever says his eulogy, but I consider it laudable.
Back in ’76 an uncle of mine headed the state geological survey and as such met a number higher ups both state and federal including Carter during the campaign. His assessment? “Nice guy, but I don’t I’d vote for him.”
Atheists: I’m not surprised. Yesterday I was pulling into the grocery store parking lot when I was cut off by an aggressively incompetent driver in a Subaru sedan. The left bumper sticker said “I think therefore” (top line) “I AM AN ATHEIST” (bottom line, all caps). The right sticker said “I am an advoCATe”. I parked at the far end of the lot (as usual) and saw the Subaru pull awkwardly into a handicap spot near the entrance. Normally I walk quickly but slow rolled my stroll to see who was in the Subaru. It was a tiny (like 4’8”) wizened woman with frizzy white hair. And apparently a godless cat lady. Sigh. And sad. (Yes, NAAALT and all that. But still.)
In a similar vein, a blogger whose writings i (otherwise) quite enjoy was recently bemoaning the changes to his beloved Austin (TX of course). He said something about “we used to be a blue dot of smart, compassionate and kind people in an otherwise red state”. He was unhappy that “Austin is turning purple.” First, how do you think the rest of the state feels about turning purple? Second, really? The smug arrogance of “a blue dot of smart people”.
A proud, godless cat lady …shudder.
Handicap parking spot – was she, by chance, morally handicapped?
I found myself in Saint John’s in the summer of ‘91 when the Gaia, a Viking replica ship sailed in from Bergen. Seems as if they’ve shown the Vikes landed at L’Anse aux Meadows way back when. They had quite the ceremony on the docks of the harbor with marching red coats and a speech by Clyde Wells but the best part for me was the Newfie dogs. I could never afford to feed one but if I knew someone that owned one I’d stop by to play with it often.
The harbor of Saint John’s is quite a sight with only a narrow opening to the sea. Very protected. Above it is the hill from whence Marconi tapped out the first trans Atlantic telegraph message. Something about don’t come here, there is an effeminate dope name Castreaux going to run this place before long and you don’t want to be here when he does. I think that’s what he said.
Who could gainsay the prescient Marconi?
Certainly not little ole me.
Not only is the permanent settlement at L’Anse aux Meadows well-excavated and reconstructed, but another site has been found much further south on the east coast a little ways north of the town of Port aux Basques. Possibly a site for getting timber, but they have found evidence of Viking-type iron smelting there. Nail production would be useful. A long-term seasonal camp with permanent stone buildings has been excavated in recent years on Baffin Island. Fishing and perhaps walrus hunting.
Going viking… With the failure of the Rule of Law here in the US, you could go raiding as long as you picked the right town.
The people in the town might object (think of Northfield MN in 1876) but some places the help won’t show up until after to do the paperwork…
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I am always going to remember Carter as the President who did NOTHING when Iran took the embessay. NOTHING!
But I do agree that when he passes on he won’t have to worry about seeing fjb in the after life…
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There was the debacle at Desert One after the embassy was taken. Operation Eagle Claw was a disaster and Carter’s micromanagement of the situation combined with bad luck led to its failure.
LL, I’m late to the game because of other duties. Desert One was caused because the Navy insisted on using their helicopters and their pilots instead of AF Combat Rescue Pave Lows and crews.
Pave Low crews were trained to aerial refuel in all conditions and were fantastic at the job of low altitude insertion and extraction. To add to the sting, the original Navy pilots did not care about promotions but were guys who could fly anywhere, anytime. They were replaced by fair haired boys who needed a battle star to be promoted.
There was more than Carter’s mismanagement involved.
Anyone: What is the difference between the National Baptist Convention and the National Southern Baptist Convention? I’m referring to the chart (above) that PaulM sent. I seem to have the two mixed up in my head and their politics would seem to be different. It’s an honest open question to the forum.
My (possibly completely flawed) understanding is that they are two completely different churches, with similar names. Perhaps one is a schism of the other?
-Kle.
Grits, red-eye gravy on biscuits, and sweet tea?
Seriously tho, from what I have read it’s governance over individual churches vs. not. I find this group aspect odd as politics always comes into play.
Grits…yes, that would be a leavening factor in the South. They don’t eat grits for breakfast in the North. I wonder why?
Pre-sweetened tea vs add your own sweetener is like deciding which end of the boiled egg should be opened, but yes.
They should rename themselves the “we don’t really believe in Christ, but keep that tithing coming – and it’s cool to kill your kids.”
I don’t know the Doctrinal differences between the two as that gets into secondary minutia I prefer to not argue among “religions” — probably nothing like snake handling I’m sure, but likely some aspects of “belief” (possibly why they are opposite ends of the chart spectrum). The Bible when NOT taken out of context is pretty straight-forward…or at least I prefer to approach it that way.
Because the god-less yankees eat cream-of-wheat, which is bleh compared to good grits.
It’s a long story I should tell some day, but posting “me me” stuff is at the absolute bottom of my priority list.
Short version: I became a born again believer in the mid ’90s, and went to the same church until the end of ’21, after the mandatory Covid lockdowns ended. The pastor was a Pharmacist whose full time job at the time was director of pharmacy at a local hospital. Very intelligent, logical guy. It was a Calvary Chapel, a nationwide bunch of evangelical, non-denominational churches. For decades we joked we’re not from an organized religion, we’re from Calvary Chapel.
In September of ’21, there was what appeared to have been a coup by the elders against the pastor and while it took a while to find enough details, we eventually decided we couldn’t support the group that organized the coup and cut all ties to that church by the end of ’21. People are fallen and this sort of things happens, too often.
We tried several churches both online and in person before settling on a Baptist church near home that appears to be Southern Baptist. I couldn’t prove it or define it better but I also see very little difference between the Calvary Chapel and the Baptist in what they teach. Our former pastor goes to another Southern Baptist church quite a bit further from our home.
I suspect that the differences between factions like between the National Baptist Convention and the National Southern Baptist Convention are based in something like what happened at our old church.
Happens a lot, in the thousands every year. After a dozen years it happened to us, without provocation. Only takes a few who don’t like to be challenged, but instead of leaving they take out the pastor despite [usually] not hearing anything of the sort from the pulpit (i.e. weird doctrine). Like you did, the best thing is to move on.
These are the main differences between Baptist and Southern Baptist.
• Faith in Jesus:
• Baptists do not insist that everyone should accept Christ to be saved.
• Southern Baptists directly say that people should believe in Christ or should face an eternity in Hell.
• Free Will:
• Baptists do not believe in free will.
• Southern Baptists believe in free will.
• Predestination:
• Predestination is accepted by both groups but at different levels.
• In other words, the theory of predestination is not wholeheartedly supported by the Southern Baptists whereas the Baptists teach predestination.
• Ordinance:
• Baptists allow women to be ordained.
• Southern Baptists only allow men to be ordained.
• Opinion towards Homosexuality:
• Baptists are open towards the idea of same sex couples.
• Southern Baptists are strongly against the idea of same sex couples.
• State and Religion:
• Baptists do not demand the religion to have powers separate from the state.
• Southern Baptists demand that the church should be a completely separate entity from the state.
https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-baptist-and-vs-southern-baptist/
Carter: I would say both Corm Pop Slayer Joe and Saint O, the New Black Jesus were worse than him as President. Like you say, a decent man and a nuke boat sailor; I wish him no ill.
I will be glad that I won’t have him preaching at me, nor acting as a volunteer illegal US ambassador to enemy nations anymore, though.
Church politics: I am surprised to see the Naz so heavily Republican, especially as we used to call them “the BJ church” when we were kids. It’s a pragmatic doctrine, but not one I would usually associate with “conservatism”. IDK, maybe it’s just a local NE thing.
The Air Yacht looks pretty cool; aren’t most/all yachts targets anyway though?
-Kle.
While Carter was in office, we had gas rationing, just like during WW2, except the only thing I can figure we were at war with was the government.
It was an odd time, followed by the Reagan Renaissance.
Part of Carter’s problem was that he was a Nuke… There were rules and procedures that were followed slavishly. When he got to the oval office, there weren’t any procedures and he was lost. Re the Vikings, amazing ship handling to manage those long boats in the North Atlantic.
On a visit to Roskilde, Denmark, they have the Viking Ship Museum (happens to be around the corner from the dockside ice cream shop). Walked inside and thought myself, “They ROWED across the Atlantic in THAT?” It was tiny. Deep respect.
There’s a really nice group of different ship exhibit buildings in Oslo. Again, I recommend a visit if you’re in town.
Someday, same trip as Iceland. Saw the specs on your boat above, 115’ long, 26’ beam, not little but still an open boat. The craftsmanship is exceptional.
It’s going to start snowing here tonight, and continue through tomorrow. NWS has 6~8″ forecast, with temps in the -10* range. I’m sure up where Paul_M lives will get more, so take care, sir.
I always thought Carter was a decent person who was in way over his head.
No clue on the political leanings of various religions.
I remember having to use the squatters when I lived in the Middle East. It never occurred to me what the little water hose was for until I looked for the TP. The locals used their left hand, which id why offering your left hand to shake is considered a grievous insult.
Thx DrJim. It’s just Winter, good or bad, nothing we can do about it so we get prepped as best we can.
Yep, same here. I cut, split, and stacked a bunch of wood today, and fueled up the snowblower. We’re going to do some housecleaning tomorrow, and then settle in to watch a movie with a nice fire to warm the house.
Ah, airships. The design needs, for it to be effective, to be as un-lenghty as possible. One of the failings of large airships is that the weather (seriously, the weather) at one end can be radically different at the other end, and that spelled disaster for most of the big ones.
Dunno why they’re going with a tri-hull vehicle, because that makes air movement issues between each hull. A semi-rigid blended wing would be better as it meets the ‘stubbier is better’ rule and doesn’t have any weird areas for wind to get wacky.
Use Hydrogen, as it will give a better lift, and is safe as long as you don’t mix it with Oxygen, and is synthesizable in a portable plant using electricity, and thus is basically an ‘off grid’ solution if using solar cells on the upper surface of the outer envelope.
Actual naval blimps fit the stubby rule, until the last designs where the blimps got a tad bit too large. But they (the blimps) did excellent service during WWII and after.
Longships are remarkably agile and as good a sailor as almost any modern blow-boat, well, any modern blow-boat only sporting a square sail. Thus the one real failing of the Longship. Single mast and square sail. But shallow-draft and a flexible spine allows both deep sea and shallow water performance, able to be shelved (pulled up on a beach) or rowed up a river (as the French found out much to their chagrin, over and over and over…) Really neat thing is you take the square sail, and unstep the mast and put it in the mast holder brackets and toss the sail over it and, poof, you’ve turned your boat into a camper…