Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Colorado Weather - Beware


 Springtime in the Rockies

My maternal grandfather would always say, “I don’t care if you go naked, bring all the clothes you got”. Toponas, CO circa 1956 an April blizzard shut down both the highway and railroad for four days.

For today, Banner is enjoying his sunbath on the balcony.

A Colorado government program that actually works as intended?

Works more or less as intended. It hasn’t been hijacked (yet) by (P)regressives.

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Volunteer funding by people who are bad at math is a great idea, IMO, and I am one of the volunteers.

Faster than a speeding train

Banner hearing the refrigerator door open

Drones

My sister in an independent insurance adjuster who is often called to investigate truck wrecks in Wyoming and Nebraska. Most are on I-80 and she must contend with traffic speeding by. She is exploring using drones but is hampered by Wyoming winds. More experience will lead to better results. I’m all in favor of anything that lowers her risks.

My criminality thwarted

Recently I parked across the street from the barber shop and jaywalked. Haircut complete, walked up to the curb with car keys in hand and waited for traffic to clear. A Greeley police car pulled up behind my car and sat there until I walked up to the corner and pressed the crosswalk button before moving on. Oh well, exercise is good.

Francis Scott Key Bridge failure

Disclaimer. I’ve no knowledge or experience in ship handling. What surprised me was the damage to one structural support could bring down so much of the bridge. Was that because of faulty engineering? From available pictures it appears the structural steel portion collapsed.

 Some sixty years ago the Army spent several weeks teaching a few of us the rudiments of destroying structures. We were taught bridges have built in shear points. Failure of one portion would be isolated from the rest of the bridge. We were taught to look for these shear points and exploit them.  An example used in our instruction was the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen.

Just to be clear, only enough of the bridge remained intact enough to get troops across to secure a defensible bridge head. Soon a float bridge was across that could support heavy vehicle.

Californication guide

TABOR

Colorado is unique in having passed a Constitution amendment called the Taxpayers Bill of Rights. Two important points are all tax increases must be subject to a vote by the taxpayers and excess taxes collected be returned to the taxpayer. ($800 this year).

IMO, this is the only thing preventing total Californication by (P)regressives. Recently a water district got a TABOR smack down. 

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By national standards home taxes in Colorado are among the lowest in the country. Without TABOR Portland, OR will happen. Portland? Median home value is taxed at $14,000+ annually.

Spendthrift politicians are always seeking ways to get around TABOR. Fees are popular.  For those interested, here is a long and somewhat arcane explanation.

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 As always, YMMV

Saturday, March 23, 2024

Ignored Colorado

 

When many people think of Colorado they envision 14,000’ mountains, deep canyons, and skiing. What they don’t realize half the state lies east of the mountains and is mainly high plains. There is much to see but you need to make an effort. The mountains are in your face.

Between my years in the car biz and my present work, I’ve spent a lot of time and driven a lot of miles in the plains.

The people are a hardy lot; they need to be. Many are of German, Mexican, Germans from Russia, and Slovak descent. They are Trump supporters and the (P)regressive and trust fund snots try to ignore them.

Rural Yard Art

What is slimeball Bill Gates up to now?

Are the environazis changing their view on nuclear energy? Looking for another public stranglehold?

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Environazis, Colorado chapter, want a “conversation” about gas and oil



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My guess is many people in Colorado are tired of their posturing and they are losing popular support (and donors, especially donors). Solution? Bitch louder.

Visiting Colorado in the near future? Be prepared, those all season tires won’t get you anywhere but stuck.



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New ways Climate Change will kill us, infectious diseases.



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Isn’t it more rational to recognize the climate will always be changing and to prepare for the change.

Can’t drive for shit club meeting

Pass by this body shop most Sunday mornings. There is usually double the number of cars parked across the street Sunday mornings.

Guardian dogs

Old friends are Routt County ranchers. In their late seventies, they still  do ranch work but are leaving more and more to their son who is now the 4th generation rancher on a 100+ year old ranch. Several years ago they started using livestock guardian dogs.

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My knowledge of livestock dogs ends with border collies.

They have preserved their ranch against the trust fund snots invasion but are surrounded by recreationists of all stripes, hence their efforts to possibly educate people.

 My friends assure me that a .30-.06 round three inches over interloper heads is no longer acceptable.

 As always, YMMV

Sunday, March 17, 2024

Slippery slope to serfdom. It is here.


 China Model and the end our freedom

It starts with your new automobile purchase. This lawyer lays it out in 20 minutes worth watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwaVO1sPFi8&ab_channel=HamptonLaw

I, for one, will never buy a vehicle with this technology.

 

As always, YMMV

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Colorado Politics and Low Humor - Read at Your Own Peril

(P)gressive bastardy (Sorry, oxymoron)

Several things going on in Colorado now and planned for the future.

First, having the public hear what affects their future is irritating so let’s plan it in secrete. Emperor Polis signed into law a bill to do just that.

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and  MORE

Next, raise the cost of renting a car by $3 a day to fund Front Range and Mountain rail Federal grant monies. 

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Brilliant! All those visitors don’t vote in Colorado.

Environazis and trust fund snots (but I repeat myself) know more about proper animal husbandry that those doing it, wolves subset.

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Sideshow. 

Rep. Ken Buck (R) CO 4th is a piece of work. For years he has made a great living as the Uniparty’s loyal opposition. As a founding member of the ”Freedom Caucus” he manages the headlines while undermining the results. He often appears on American Mainstream Maggot (h/t BZ) television shows to give, “fair and balanced” optics. Not content to decline running for re-election he is resigning this month. This will trigger a special election that roils the upcoming primary election. Well done, blivet! (Blivit. Two pounds of shit in a one pound bag.) 

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Other states have falling acorns. Wyoming has fowl play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKmnJgXyZpU&ab_channel=NBCNews

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Is this why Virtual Mirage relocated to remote Arizona?

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Now we have a clue. Discrete contacts? 

Are some now clients? Probably best not to ‘probe’ too deeply.

As always, YMMV

True, WSF has too much time on his hands and an internet connection.


Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Half Baked Ideas on Civil Insurrection and F**k the Government

 

Drones 

Like any technology, there are good outcomes and bad outcomes.

Here we have a good outcome and potentially a life saved.

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The negative? Any outdoor personal privacy we may have enjoyed is now gone. Wars are now being fought in ways that challenge long held tactics and philosophies. Civil insurrection? SloJo doesn’t need F-16s.

What electronic counter measures can civilians use? Jammers? What thermal shielding is readily available? Since most drones will have an electronic link to an operator, can that link be traced back to the operator? Neutralize the operator?

The Weld County, CO Sheriff’s department is investing in drones and conduct frequent training days. They publicize these training days on Falsebook, among other places.

Why take action?  Full throttle!

If it doesn’t fix the problem, it’ll end the suspense. h/t Rory Irish, Moab, UT

Whiskey Rebellion tradition lives on?

The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by the newly formed federal government.

Smugglers

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Law breakers or entrepreneurs? 

Wamsetter, WY

IMO, one of the bleakest places I know. Live there? No amount of money would make me live there. That said, mega amounts of natural gas money is invested there and more is coming.

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Does anyone else see the irony of the wealthy betting on a big California market for natural gas when the state legislators seem hell bent on their “green” agenda.

(P)regressive Barf

If you can stomach reading this, here is leftist Trump hate spew about keeping Trump off the Colorado Ballot.

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Do these people live in an alternate universe, or do I? What real problem solutions were left unfunded with this waste of taxpayer's money?

Tough Call



Lick the bacon grease from the saucer or the eggs and cheese residual from the bowl first?

 As always, YMMV

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Another Sailor Gone



 Sad news today, John Coffey has died. He infrequently blogged as Coffypot.

John was a survivor of the USS Frank E. Evans sinking as the result of colliding with an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War. 

The sinking occurred more than fifty miles from Vietnam so the casualties were never accorded a place on the wall. John and other survivors worked hard for many years to correct that oversight without success.

R.I.P John.

Wednesday, March 6, 2024

Freedom is scary, deal with it*


 


*John H. Bryan, Esq.

Does an old fool ever mellow?

Recently, visited a grocery store that stocks Anasazi Beans, which was my only reason for being there. Outside on the public sidewalk, in front of the store, was a man soliciting signatures for a ballot petition. He was being berated by a 'uniformed' security employee. The petition gatherer was calling 911.

After making my purchases and returning to my vehicle, I noticed a city policeman and the security employee talking to the petition gatherer. Naturally I stopped and signed the petition. The security employee started to say something and I turned and said, “This is a public sidewalk open to the public. Fuck off!” The city policeman said not a word.

Do you think I should have asked what the petition was for?

To add to the rant, I don’t like seeing policemen geared up like some Special Warfare operator. I get even more irritated when I see some ‘security employee’ emulating a police officer.

As always, YMMV