As the holiday season draws to a close, you have another open microphone opportunity to spout off on any topic that moves you. It’s not as if you don’t do that anyway, but it’s more formalized today. It’s good to “be unburdened by what has been” isn’t it?
Bullet Points:
** Consider a wife receipt
** California’s high gasoline prices are primarily driven by state taxes and fees, not excessive profits by oil refiners. The California Energy Commission data reveals that oil refiners often operate on razor-thin or even negative profit margins. Policymakers should focus on reforming California’s tax and regulatory structure to address high gas prices instead of targeting oil companies. When the government makes more profit (tax) off a gallon of gas than the producer, there is something seriously wrong with the system.
** (NY Post) Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres got it 100% right this month when he slammed progressives for their “perversion of compassion” in allowing vagrants to haunt our transit hubs and streets—particularly those who are mentally ill and in need of help. They make life miserable — and dangerous — for everyone, including themselves. Progressives think they’re kind, considerate, and compassionate to these troubled people. Civil libertarians believe they’re protecting their freedoms.
Many believe they’re doing the moral thing by letting these people fester. They’re wrong; it’s not compassionate to let someone sleep on the floor of Penn Station or to permit violent individuals to attack innocent people.
It’s not compassionate to let drug users shoot up and pass out on the streets.
It’s not compassionate to leave a woman who appeared to have a walker and is thought to have been homeless defenseless on an F train. At the same time, another psycho fatally lights her on fire, as an illegal, drug-addled, homeless Guatemalan immigrant did Sunday morning.
“We have the tools to stop the problem,” Rep. Torres told The Post’s Kirsten Fleming. “What is lacking is the political will.”
** Has EdB been exiled? He put a “message in a bottle on Facebook yesterday.” It’s not bad enough that I’m in Canada by myself in a hotel room that, for some reason, doesn’t have Fox News Network. But I can’t access my YouTube TV account as it’s unavailable in Canada. I’m confident that he can find woke programming advertising elective suicide, gender transition, and other critical topics.
** Turn any sofa into a sofabed by telling your wife to calm down.
** Housekeeping – I’ll miss more blogging days but will return before 2025.
Identify the Armor
1
Hint: A large, low-profile, self-propelled artillery piece built on the chassis of a light-medium tank. Its most striking feature was the massive 155mm gun mounted at the rear in an open-top fighting compartment. The gun barrel extended far over the front of the vehicle when in transit, giving it a distinctive appearance. When used as a direct-fire weapon, it collapsed buildings occupied by enemy troops.
2
Used against the Irish Republican Army
3
4
Identify the Aircraft
5
Hint: The aircrews who flew this platform were said to have bad haircuts.
Parting Shot
End
1. M12 Gun Motor Carriage
2. I knew it once upon a time, but now buried under layers of cruft.
3.M60A2 ‘Starship’ The 152mm gun/launcher was a decent concept, but the available technology wasn’t up to the job.
4. M551 Sheridan. The 152mm was just too much gun for such a relatively light vehicle, and the electronics weren’t robust enough for the job.
5. Looks like a De Havilland Mosquito’s single-engined little brother. Probably retarded, since I don’t recall ever seeing this before, so it must’ve been a failed design.
The M-60A2 wasn’t ready for prime time but we built it anyway. The same was true of the M551.
2 is Rolls-Royce armoured car probably 1920 model
Good call, RCC
Identify the Armor:
1. M12 Gun Motor Carriage
2. Rolls-Royce armoured car
3. M60A2
4. M551 Sheridan
Identify the Aircraft:
5. Need coffee. I keep coming back to a single engine Mosquito.
5. AI fake of what is referred to as the De Havilland Mullet.
Enough coffee accomplishes great things!
Check out my delta buddy Brent Tucker. He’s got a great coffee/cigar company. The tier 1 blend will make you feel like your getting a ride on a Falcon 9 rocket.
https://frccoffee.com/
I see Elon and his techlord brethren are busy pushing Pelosi’s Silicon Valley immigration policy all over X. Can’t wait for the new shadow banning- because of racism – to begin again.
The TechnoLords clearly have a great deal of stroke in the Trump Administration.
spicy is en route?
or…
The California Energy Commission- No, they won’t reform confiscatory regulation, instead they’ll “pull a Hochel” and fine the O&G Industry for not providing cheaper fuels.
Prime Example: 90’s Minnesota Building Codes required super tight homes “to save energy”…and ‘the planet’ by association…of course costing people 30% more to build. People started getting sick during Winter months, confounding “officials” and doctors. Turns out just living in tightly built homes in super cold climates caused “sick house syndrome” (cooking, showering…breathing). But not to be outdone “officials” – instead of retracting portions of ‘tight’ codes – enacted air-to-air handlers to the Code, at the cost (then) around $6K-$8K per home, higher figure for retrofitting.
Ex #2: Colorado’s Structural Engineers Association – a club – decided to “revise” the wind and snow load models, then sold it to every county…for “safety”. By all accounts to force higher engineering per residence (aka ‘feather their own nest’). We went from 130mph and 50psf to 158 mph and 72psf. Ridiculous…we don’t live on top of Mt. Washington. This “new and improved” code resulted in a 30% increase in structural cost, which the gal I was “corresponding” with denied…but it’s true (ask me how I know).
So…doubtful the CEC will do anything helpful to allow less expensive energy production, more likely the opposite.
***
Torres- What he is saying is simple: “Misplaced compassion is a sin”…a base Biblical tenet Liberals and The Left have no comprehension…altho, they do manage to throw billions at problems without moving the needle a micron to the positive.
***
Opening ‘salvo’: I resemble that remark. But hey, I think I’m helping by spouting off in PhD-Length dissertations, especially when venting my spleen on a matter (still haven’t heard from Sate Farm…but it is 2 days post Christmas so they get a little leeway).
Case in point: Don’t get me started on yet another Octogenarian gone AWOL (The Irrelevant is now in St. Croix enjoying another beach sit). So this one goes into super secret medical leave hiding while her thievery family collects her [bloated] salary, as if they have a right. I say take every nickel back (no performanc-ee, no pay-ee), see how loud they all howl.
Here’s a thought: If [instead] the DC elected get paid a minimal stipend and are required to live in decent but HUD housing (ie. controlled by We The People), and do not get paid beyond their general expenses…that would go a long way into putting government back to where The Founders wanted ‘the best and brightest’ tenure – done and out. This ‘get elected and work to stay there indefinitely’ mode is …well…we see that result. ‘No largess’ would have them wanting to get their representative time over with and back home to business and community. Think about it, no massive pay scale. No insider trading. No control over their own salary increases. No golden parachute healthcare. Nada. There…fixed it.
***
2025 is already looking up…praying for God’s continued Providence and Shield over APDJT and his Cabinet. Jan 20th can’t come fast enough.
Okay, I missed it, what does APDJT mean? I don’t get the A.
‘Acting’…The Big Dog was let off lead and has bounded off the porch.
By all accounts Mr. Irrelevant has stopped giving even a modicum of appearance operating as President, and his Handlers – who were running the country (treasonous by every statute) – are running scared, which is the EXACT effect We The People demanded and [thankfully] achieved. Trump clearly had a well-defined game plan if he won November’s election (he IS a logistics genius), and he is operating without delay. Seems the world and The Rats in DC have noticed and are acting according to their station.
President Trump has already demanded that the Panama Canal be returned (and the Chinese ejected) and is trying to get the price for Greenland knocked into a number. Maybe Musk will end up buying it? “Bounded off the porch” is the understatement of the year. He’s preventing the Turks from invading Kurdistan, working to end the Ukraine War and has promised to roll back the Green agenda in Detroit for the sake of the auto industry. The Arabs are nervous about “drill baby, drill.”
WINNING!! As it should be for The Greatest Country ever devised. The Founders have stopped their in-grave high RPM’s spin.
PaulM is not tired of winning.
I’m an unabashed work in progress, I’ll take any winning I can get.
** Luigi Mangione – why have we stopped public hangings?
** Sebastian Zapeta-Calil – why have we stopped public hangings?
after a thorough investigation and impeccable trial.
gotta dumb question:
** if an endodontist Rxs a patient Percodan ( Oxycodone) and said pt goes directly to the pharmacy which fills it immediately (agreed: highly unusual that). The patient then sits down with a coffee and washes down three (even though the Rx states 1 q6h, as well as stating do not operate machinery while taking), then goes to his car to drive home. On the way he hits and kills a person. The patient is impaired (no question); is he guilty of manslaughter or murder? Is the prescribing dentist guilty as well – of what?
** family (members) of Congresswoman Kay Granger who collected (and benefited) from her $14,500/m salary – trials/prison terms
are politicians (and their families) the new aristocracy – collect from the peasantry and use the proceeds; sometimes to the detriment of the country: these days quite often, viz Joe Biden
I cracked a molar over the holiday season, Boron, and naturally I thought of you. No root canal needed, just superstructure. When they told me what it would cost, I asked if they were going to put in a gold crown. “No, this costs more than gold.” – of course, only the best for me. I noted that the dentist was driving the high-end Tesla S with all sorts of after-market carbon fiber crap on it. I’m doing my best to keeping your people in the lap of luxury, Boron – you’re welcome.
A few weeks back did a Costco run…had the Phillips Sonic Diamond for an in-store special…finally bought the set as the price was very good. Life changing (what the hay took me so long?) Maybe fewer dental visits to “find things” or repair stuff I’ve damaged over the years, or overly aggressive brushing as I tend to do. ‘No crown’ is a good thing at this point of wear-n-tear….but Tesla replacement batteries are pricey.
good choice IMHO. It helps: with the judicious/proper application of dental floss qpm.
I personally love ’em but am highly loathe to recommend ’em: the WaterPik. If you use it improperly, like my mom did, you can initiate severe periodontal problems. WaterPik really has to put out a super-good film/podcast free with every purchase telling people how NOT to use it before even unpacking it.
Probably the earliest electric toothbrush, the Broxodent, (and I’m glad they didn’t name it after its inventor: Dr. Philippe Guy Woog – calling it a Woogle) I purchased a one after graduation from dental school in ’66 when I reached base; the PX had them at ridiculously low prices.
I kept purchasing them (had quite a stock, too) and gave them out as Christmas gifts to my patients on base I knew couldn’t afford them (mostly E-2 thru E-5 with families)
BTW: been retired now for nigh on 15 years – lovin’ every minute of it
nothing, but nothing helps with bruxism – ask me how I know
Even if I fail to ask, I’m sure you’ll tell me.
Actually there are a few things that helped me; retiring and the IR Sauna. I owned my work so would clench or grind when highly stressed (not often but enough to crack a few teeth, 2 bridges and crowns later…but still have the wisdom teeth…not that I employ them all the time). The Sauna relaxes and purges, and the red light is healing (according to those who know such things). Of course stepping out after a good sweat into the cold Winter wind affords the cold dunk system shock effect without getting wet or chopping a hole in the stock tank ice. (no visible neighbors is a plus)
the primary cause for bruxism lies on a trapezoidal path going from the right ear to the right eye to the left eye to the left ear and the matter in between; it percolates therein (mostly during sleep) and the sends an electrical signal to the temporalis on either side (not necessarily equal strength, mind you) to contract in an attempt to shut the bilateral auditory meati to prevent more bovine excrement from entering; your eyes are already closed.
You can see something quite similar when a genius forgets his ear plugs/muffs at the firing range.
Good example. Mrs. and I left Jerome Idaho last March to visit daughter in Truckee Californicate. Fuel in Idaho $3.28 gal. Fuel in Truckee $6.89. Greedy leftist demonrats!
What a wonderful opportunity to fund those less fortunate – illegal aliens in California looking for a leg up. California loops it into just another tax.
I see work from home is back in the news. I did it for five years before retirement. I never see anything on using different overhead rates for work from home people. No building, no ac, no lights, no parking place, no property taxes. For the employee no commute, less gas, more hours on your own.
Most people I know say they do more work from home, not less.
It has its challenges, but I don’t see the profit in the real estate overhead cost. There is money to be made by some who can figure it out.
Not my monkey, not my rodeo anymore. Just chicken little running around. Tom
In some cases, working from a home office makes a lot of sense. In the case of DC – the Swamp being what it is – the feeling is that government workers have turned it into a scam. I work from wherever I am. Portable Starlink and I’m connected. Zoom meetings and e-mail and Tetrising things together can be done from anywhere, but it’s my own business. In the case of government employees, many of whom have fingertip access to your most vital records, there is some trepidation. Add to that, many of their supervision don’t know where they are since they left the DC area and are living in parts unknown.
“Tetrising things together”…love that logistics metaphor!
Kay Granger was working from home.
We don’t need term limits.
We need roll calls
My M551 story.
——
West Germany, mid-70’s. One of our customer units (IIRC, 1/2 ACR) got a new (to them) M551, and shortly thereafter took it on maneuvers and to the range. As the story goes, It being a bit chilly out, the crew decided to turn on the heater. Unfortunately, there was some shipping packing still in place that someone forgot to remove, The heater ignited the packing, which in turn ignited the propellant on one of the ceaseless main gun rounds. The crew bailed per SOP. Again IIRC, all survived but there were some nasty burn injuries. The rest of the ammo cooked off. The main gun tube came to rest some 100 yards down range.
—–
Sometime after the wreckage had been recovered by one of our sister maintenance companies, I was over there and got to look at the pile of parts. The road wheels were in stacks like poker chips, and the hull pieces looked like someone had torn up a cardboard box.
Clearly not ready for prime time.
Granger’s absence runs back to the RNC leadership and members. How can you miss a representative for six months? How can those bills that needed one or two more votes to pass not notice that she was absent? If she voted, who voted for her? Where is her staff? Where are her advisors? For that matter, why didn’t the DNC call it out if for nothing more than to make fun of the RNC?
No, there are lots more questions to be answered besides just jumping on the family.
When I heard that “the Speaker and RNC didn’t know,” my first reaction was, “Don’t piss down my back and tell me it’s raining.” The staffers were pulling down checks, sitting beside Boron in St. Croix on the beach, drinking umbrella drinks, and ordering more steak and lobster on their expense accounts. They’ll tell you they were “studying the tide” or some other vital function. The Swamp needs to end – and the Republicans are part of the same corrupt system.
Oh! my little Aunt Tilly
I stay in the United States; those lows that pass over the Atlantic/Caribbean junction coming all the way from Mali/Mauritania don’t help my sinuses
and, BTW, should the occasion arise, I drink Tennessee whiskey with an ice cube.
A fancy round ice cube or a square one?
Is that “a telling thing”?
neither:nor
run a tube into the liquid outta one of those nitrous canisters; cools it/me down quickly
square
…with this playing in the background: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBLruNfUqUs
Great version of that song. What Fender is that a Jazz Master? Hell of a sound.
Boron!
I’m beyond jealous.
Retirement has truly turned me into slacker
Juan
Term Limits. At age 80, term limits and associated issues related to aging make me uneasy. The answer is to lead by example and recognize your limitations. Check your ego! As an example I had a neat, high paying gig, driving a van full of men out to the patch, and back twice a day. Realizing my night vision was going to hell, I quit the job. It is one thing to put your own life at risk. Putting the lives of eight other people with families is quite another thing.
This getting old is not fun. When did a gallon of milk get heavy?
You need to fit Banner with a backpack to haul groceries.
https://nordkyn.com/product/siwash-cart-harness-4/
And in so doing, Banner becomes your loyal sherpa bearer. You could rename him Tenzing {Norgay} (born Namgyal Wangdi).
Not up to facing the biddy brigade/coven who are the self appointed guardians of his welfare. He has an electric leash. One biddy said she hoped the controller would cause my pacemaker to shock me instead of him.
California brought the gas prices on themselves with their ‘reformulation’ requirements and limited refineries that can produce it. The ‘taxes’ are just and added benefit, if you will. And Chevron and others are seriously looking at closing those refineries as they are loss centers due to age, EPA requirements, etc.
Drill baby, drill, needs to be combined with SIGNIFICANTLY enhanced refining capacity IMHO. I think that hybrid tech maybe the bridge while USA develops the electric grid to a point when there is full support for electric vehicles. It won’t happen in our lifetimes. For the next fifty years, we’re joined at the hip in all respect to oil.
The Kay Granger thing was amazing.Every one had a hard on for Fetterman. Turns out it he seems like an okay guy. I guess there were no close votes and they hid Granger in plain sight. Seems like gov, press and blogs are not doing their job. I wonder how many other places this is happening. When I was off work six months for cancer, lots of people knew and wished me well. Tom
Yes, agreed. Fetterman turned out to be a voice of reason among democrats. He went into Walter Reed, they re-threaded his bolt and he came out a different man. I wonder if they could do that for Chuck Schumer?
NFL – I commented over at Old NFO’s blog on the Houston/Raven half-time show on Christmas Afternoon. I could expand the rant here. The game was on, and it was – modern NFL – then an ocean of inner city people poured onto the field wearing white urban cowboy outfits doing afro-Caribbean dances, lead by a mulatto-looking (likely identified as female) wearing a larger cowboy hat with a long blonde wig. Then, she rode a white horse led by a masked wrangler. I found the display to be odd in the extreme – except that I’m not from the inner city and don’t listen to greats like “Wet Ass Pussy.” I don’t think that she sang Wet Ass Pussy, but maybe she did. Difficult to say. At least she didn’t pull down her pants and publically twerk – popular these days.
–
I realize that I’m part of the Aging Patriarchy, and as a result, I do not fully appreciate that as ‘entertainment’ of any sort. It took “all hat and no cattle” to an absurd parody.
I thought that it would be useful for me to post the lyrics to the popular Wet Ass Pussy as performed by Cardi B –
Whores in this house There’s some whores in this house There’s some whores in this house There’s some whores in this house (hol’ up)
–
I said certified freak, seven days a week
–
Wet ass pussy, make that pullout game weak, woo! (Ah)
–
Yeah, you fucking with some wet ass pussy
–
Bring a bucket and a mop for this wet ass pussy
–
Give me everything you got for this wet ass pussy
–
Beat it up, nigger, catch a charge
–
Extra large, and extra hard
–
Put this pussy right in yo’ face
–
Swipe your nose like a credit card
–
That’s how it goes. It’s a long song and I won’t subject you to more of it. It may not be your favorite holiday song but it’s big in the inner-city.
Maybe an urban dictionary would have helped out. Did she throw up any Blood gang signs during the show? She makes no bones about being a full fledge member of the Bloods and will look for every opportunity to represent her set in songs and during her shows. https://youtu.be/AR2QkQd20Wo?si=K52Hi8RMjFsdwALf
Alternate opinion on the Kay Granger thing: While dementia is tragic no matter who it affects, it might be better for the nation if more Congress persons disappeared into “Memory Care” instead of introducing bad bills, or voting for even worse ones.
Send the War Turtle to the same home.
Now we know why The Stoo-pud Party hasn’t been whining about Senile Joe; too many ghosts in the Re-pub closet.
And the media was quiet about a Republican’s senility, though they had to have known, probably because stories about Granger’s dementia would also bring attention on Slow Joe’s unfitness for office. Mental unfitness for office, I mean. He’s always been unfit, but morons kept electing him anyway.
Interesting to watch Canadian TV news and the downfall of Castro’s kid.
Nobody here wants to be the 51st state.
I have a friend in Alberta who wants Arizona tax rates and gun control laws and is willing to go with the 51st State program to get them. Taxes in Castroland are very high.
I’d settle for Alberta, Yukon, and Saskatchewan as a 51st state. Maybe Manitoba, as well. Northwest Territories are strategically valuable with little population. Keep them as a US Territory. I’m told that British Columbia is mostly sane outside of the Vancouver (Hongcouver?) area, along with a lot of Ontario outside the Toronto-Ottawa metro areas, rather like Washington state outside of the Seattle-Olympia corridor, and Oregon outside the Portland-Salem corridor. But Quebec and the welfare Atlantic provinces? Nah. Hard pass. Let a rump Canada keep the parts we want no part of. Hmm, Trudeau has been determined to make Canada a rump for China’s pleasure, that would be fitting. It would be easy to blockade Hongcouver.
51st state; Was the demolition party really planning on getting Puerto Rico and D.C. into state hood for the sake of seats in the house, and control of the senate ect…? What would Canada look like statisticly compared to blue/ red demographics in the USA? BTW I really appreciate the reposts here from Visual Capitalist.
Yes, they had that in the works to stack the deck. DC should only have two families resident – President and Vice President’s. The Old Dominion and Maryland can fight over the rest.
I agree that the US would want to pick and choose the parts of Canada that we’d want. Ontario and Quebec, no. Vancouver, no. It can remain a leftist island supported from Ontario, but BC is ok.
Canada is our attic, which is technically not part of the house, and like our basement it should stay that way…including a door that only opens from our side.
Why Greenland?
as far as I can see mainly because China wants it
a. for its mineral wealth
b. for its (highly) strategic location