Tuesday, March 29, 2011

New Fool Story

Recently, a comment was made that the blog hasn’t had a FOOL story in a long time. How about a Utah stripper story?

Utah has a long history of wierd liquor laws. During the early 1970’s the action was mainly in “private” clubs.

One bright afternoon my procrastination in replacing a car battery caught up with me. The Mustang died but I was able to roll into a parking lot a few miles from home. Looking for a pay phone, I entered a private club.

Transitioning from harsh sunlight to a dim bar, my eyes took time to adjust. Standing just inside the entrance, nearly blind, I could vaguely seen a light colored form moving around in front of me. When the eyes finally focused, I was staring at a naked woman doing a dance. This wasn’t the first naked woman I had ever seen, but: Utah, afternoon, mind focused on finding a phone, it was a shock.

I assume my expression was the reason she, and most of her spectators, were laughing and making crude remarks (think “turnip truck” was mentioned).

While they were having their fun I found a pay phone and called the wife. After discussing which vehicle to bring and my location, she wanted to know where I was calling from, what was the background noise? My totally honest answer, in a bar watching a stripper, wasn’t well received.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

FUN FUN FUN


I may get older but I'll be damned if I will grow up. What I recently tested.

Sorry, can't discuss any specifics.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Japan's Pain

Can't bring myself to look at all the videos and pictures. Talking with my sister, we agree it is akin to driving by a traffic accident and gawking at the blood and destruction.

Seems like an invasion of their privacy; all that they have torn asunder and exposed to anyone who cares to look.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

King Coal

We are being hosed. Recently, Bloviating Zeppelin had a post on the real amounts of energy within the USA borders

http://bloviatingzeppelin.blogspot.com/2011/03/us-oil-national-abomination-writ.html

In years past, many towns and cities were heated and lit by “coal gas” or “water gas”. Each municipality had a plant to convert coal to gas. Once natural gas became available at a lower cost, this technology was abandoned.

In 1925 two European scientists, Fischer and Tropsch, came up with a process to convert coat into liquid fuel suitable for internal combustion engines. By 1941, Germany had commercial plants up and running. By the end of WWII, a large part of their military vehicles and aircraft were operating on synthetic fuels.

South Africa, responding to years of international embargoes, used this technology to provide about 50% of their energy needs. Today, they lead the world in this technology. Not only coal, but natural gas, is turned into liquid fuels.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sasol

Looking at our own Department of Energy websites, you can find they are looking into it in an uncoordinated manner. No focus that I can see.

What I am unable to find is how much water is required for these processes. We have huge coal deposits. Most are in arid regions where “whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting”.

The benefits of developing our resources are many. One, stop funding the Islamists. We are giving them the rope to strangle ourselves. Two, free up these energy sources for the rest of the world. Hungry bellies fuel wars. Prosperity encourages peace.

Obstacles to developing our resources are not technology but social. How many “greens” are from the lowest economic strata? They come from affluence and are well schooled in pushing their agenda.

Time the rest of us pushed back and take back our destiny. Easy to say. Someone smarter than me needs to figure out how.

A quote from another source.

America's corporate, political, media, academic and other leaders aren't. They're not leaders — because they refuse to stand tall, be bold, offer vision, inspire and ... well, lead. We've got too many 5-watt bulbs sitting in 100-watt sockets. They're squishing the historic can-do spirit of the American people, reducing it to a dispiriting ethic of surrender that says we-shouldn't-even-try.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/03/16-7

From Jim Hightower. A progressive? Possibly. A man with a grasp of the real world? Most assuredly.

Friday, March 11, 2011

UTAH, You're OK!


Driving South on Utah I-15 from I-70, the speed limit has been raised to 80 mph in places. Why not? Cars are much safer now.

Bet this knots the knickers of the nanny crowd who “know what’s best for us” and have forced car manufacturers to incorporate many features in cars few people want. Unintended consequences?

In 1990, it took 31 weeks of the median US income to buy the average priced new car. In 2008-2009, it took 39 weeks of the median US income to buy the average priced new car. In dollars, about $6,000 before adjusting to constant dollars (and I’m not willing to make the effort).

The same crowd pushing the “safety” agenda are natural allies with the greenhouse gas gang and fellow travelers. Their mindset is slower, not faster, speeds.

Bravo to the Utah folks who are giving their citizens what THEY want, and a stick in the eye to the intellectual “elite”.

On a more pleasant note, sunrise in the Rockies is a treat to the eyes and spirit.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Men vs. Women - Shopping Experience

Middle son is struggling in this current job market. He has found a temporary job that requires safety toes boots and asked for my help.

Entering the boot store, we encountered a pallet of safety toes boots on sale. He found his size, tried them on, declared they fit and expressed his preference for black instead of brown.

Off to the cashier, payment made, and out the door. Total time, under twenty minutes. Darned if he isn’t his father’s son.

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Meanwhile, Out at The Ranch

Check out this new blogger.

http://meanwhileoutattheranch.blogspot.com/

Her blog is aimed at school age children who know little about ranching.

She and her husband are the type of people who make up the backbone of this country. I'm proud they think of me as their friend.

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

You Are Willfully Ignorant

Story about a couple who were stranded in their Jeep. What the story doesn't tell is this: They couldn't get it into four wheel drive!

http://www.oregonlive.com/clark-county/index.ssf/2011/02/couple_who_went_missing_from_vancouver_tell_tale_of_surviving_days_in_the_snow.html

Just how stupid do you need to be? Turn off a paved road onto a dirt road. Encounter snow, then more snow. Continue on in two wheel drive.

Reminds me of a story many years ago in LOOK magazine. Man, wife and daughter, flying in mountains in winter, crashed their single engine airplane. Father decided to walk out for help. He was never found. Mother and daughter kept a diary. When the wreckage was located, the diary was recovered. They wrote the diary on the pages of an Airman's Information Manual directly over the section giving information on what to do if you crash.

I am glad the couple is safe.