Ah, S**t

 A short blog with no car story for now. The midterm results have depressed me and brought on a negative mindset. Things will change, for better or worse, in the days ahead and my interest in writing will return.

 As I see it, the biggest villain alive at the moment is Sen. John Thune. Had he not blocked/stalled PDJT’s agenda, the midterms might have been vastly different.

 My hope is you Texans kick his sorry ass to the curb next election and turn your backs to him at every opportunity when he is in public until then.

As Always, YMMV

Suffer the Poor Rodents

 

Did you think the title was about politicians?

Prairie Dogs

The fate of prairie dogs is an issue near and dear to the heart of Colorado’s First Gentleman, among others. Now being proposed is a ban on shooting them on public lands.

Very long article. 

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 Some parts seem silly; to wit:

Andersen said there are proven nonlethal ways to keep prairie dogs off agricultural lands, including planting densely packed grass walls that form a barrier prairie dogs are scared to pass through for fear of predators.

Excuse my ignorance, but what stops them from burrowing underneath the tall grass? Then there is this gem.

Lindsey Sterling Krank, senior program director for prairie dog conflict resolution* at Humane World for Animals****, said “Colorado’s public lands should be places where both wildlife and Coloradans can thrive — not places where a keystone species is treated as a recreational target and where hikers and bird watchers need to watch for flying bullets.” 

 *senior program director for prairie dog conflict WTF?

Having spent many enjoyable hours poking around the Pawnee Grasslands, I’ve never been downrange from a recreational shooter.

 **** https://www.humaneworld.org/us/en

Lucky, I guess.

A Wyoming view. 

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How the Rot Spreads

This from Wyoming and mainly Wyoming specific but is the “Blue Print” for much of the country  and  what was used to  turn Colorado blue (and keep it blue).

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Is it happening in your state?

On the above map the blue corner is Teton County (Jackson Hole). The shaded county is Albany County (Home of  the University of Wyoming).

Polyglot

Our common room television only shows NFL games in Spanish. My neighbor Mike speaks Spanish among other languages. Interesting man, he was a Navy Yeoman doing clerical work for SEAL units in Vietnam. I asked him how many languages he spoke. “In my youth, eleven. Now I’m only fluent in English and profanity”.

 Personal Plan to Reduce CO2 Emissions

Stop breathing!

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If they are truly committed, all the eco-warriors should terminate themselves, don’t you agree?

Car Story – sorta kinda

Extended warranties are a large profit adds on purchase contracts. This has grown far beyond automobiles. You likely can get an extended warranty on a toothbrush!

The only extended warranty I would buy is one from the vehicle manufacturer. An extended warranty from say, Ford, must be honored by any franchised Ford Dealer.  No repair business must honor any third party extended warranty, repeat, none!

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Please understand the warranty company will dictate to the repair shop the scope of the work, the parts that will be used, the hours that will be paid, and how soon, if ever, the shop will be paid.

Will any busy repair shop be eager to fix your hooptie? They probably have been fooled too many times and won’t be fooled again.

Another view.

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His business, his decision.

As always

YMMV

Would Paying Weather Tax Prevent This?

 

Four Corners Flooding

September brought heavy monsoon rains to the region leaving the ground soaked with much needed water. When the heavy rains hit at the end of this month, the rain had nowhere to soak and some of the worst floods in a century hit some areas. Other places that were hit last year (Pagosa Springs) were hit again. Twelve counties in Colorado alone have been declared disaster areas by lame duck Emperor Polis. I have relatives and good friends in the area directly affected.  One small reservoir in the area rose nine feet in just days.

Here is a long and comprehensive YouTube video. The moderator’s voice is, to me, most irritating. The information is detailed and accurate.

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Humans are peculiar beasts. There are videos of people rafting and kayaking in the flooded rivers. Likely the same mindset that would surf a tsunami.  

Getting Old

On most Sundays a local VFW Post will have an “All You Can Eat” Buffet” breakfast; usually $11 to $15. The offerings are basic, eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, pancakes, French toast, biscuits, hamburger gravy, orange juice and coffee. Some will offer Green Chile. With the profits staying in the community, I like to support them.

Far too many of us there are shuffling around; moving slow.  You see lots of canes, walkers, and the occasional wheelchair. Then you remember this was once us.

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To be clear, while I’m a veteran I never deployed to a war zone long enough to qualify for a V.F.W. membership. These breakfasts are open to the public and I will often bring guests.

Civics

One Monday a month local middle school students come to our building and go door to door offering to take out trash. They travel as a group of three and are very polite and respectful.

While I certainly can take out my own trash, I make a point to have something for them if only Amazon boxes.

Car Story Alternative/Car Dealership Conflicts

“I’d rather have a sister on the streets than a brother in finance”,

My old boss, Ed Jones would say. Think of a football team. The sales side is the defense, the finance office is the offense, and neither side much likes the other.

A question from LL on his blog VM and my answer prompted more responses. Perhaps this rather long post can answer more questions, if you have an interest.

The business model of the sales side of a car dealership usually splits into two sections, sales and finance. The first step is the sale. Once that is negotiated, the next step is moving the customer to the “finance” office where “paper work” is done and big profits for the dealership occur; more to come.

Any car sale involving the financing of the purchase has two buyers. First is the person(s) driving away in the shiny new hooptie. The second is the financial institution actually paying the dealership. Who do you think is more important to the dealership?

The transaction between the lender and the dealership has two components, recourse and non recourse; more about that to follow.

Most dealerships use some version of a 4 square. Most car sales come down to “bore and stroke”, that is to say, down payment and monthly payment. During the back and forth people hate, “I need to talk to my manager”, the sales manager in the “tower” is trying to structure a deal the lender will buy and the customer will  accept. Ideally, the manager will get a “packed payment” as part of the agreement; more on that to follow.

Now you, customer, are off to meet the finance manager. He/she has earned that position by being the best, most ruthless, salesperson in the dealership.

Recourse and non recourse. On the non recourse side, the lender pays the dealer for the vehicle only. After the customer makes one monthly payment (in most states) the lender owns the vehicle and cannot charge back the dealer if the customer defaults. The lender has agreed to a base interest rate (buy rate) and cannot charge back the dealer.

Within certain parameters, the lender will include, in the loan, more profit items and pay the dealer under recourse terms. That is, if the customer defaults on the loan, the lender back charges the dealer. These agreements are very complex, beyond the purpose here, but the base concept is valid.

Now to the finance office. Start with loan interest. Say the buy rate is 6%. The customer doesn’t know this. The finance manager draw up the contract at 9.2% and the customer agrees. The difference is dealer gross profit. The finance manager has various “products” to offer. Extended warranties, roadside assistance, paint sealant, fabric protection, and on and on. All of these can be financed (under recourse terms). Now back to the “packed payment”. If all of this adds $200 to the monthly stroke and if the customer came in after agreeing to a payment with a $150 “pack”, the finance manager’s job is easier.

So how do you, the customer, protect yourself? Work! Spend several hours, if not days, becoming educated. YouTube and the internet*** are your friend.  Do not think you will out negotiate the salesperson. My selling days were before the internet. I bought and consumed every, “How to buy a car” book I could find. You buy four cars in twenty years. I sell twenty cars a month. Who will be the better negotiator?

***Many YouTube creators have something to sell. As ever, buyer beware.

OK, WSF, can you recommend a plan? Yes, it involves work, it involves planning, and it involves time. First, arrange your own financing but keep it in your back pocket. Second, spend the money and discuss your plan with a lawyer as each state is different. How much will an hour’s consultation cost vs a 72 month purchase contract?

Warning! If you are trading in a hooptie you owe money on, you will be fucked. Keep driving it until it is paid off. If it needs expensive repairs, bite the bullet and get it fixed.

You do not want to visit dealership after dealership to see “what you might like”. Car dealerships are not Target/WalMart/Nordstrom/Bass Pro Shop and the salespeople have ways to turn you into a buyer instead of a looker. “We are just looking” will bring out every technique the dealership knows. Believe this, please. There is a whole process every salesperson in the dealership is taught to deal with, “just looking”.

You select the vehicle and do the regular process. Out comes the four square. Fight hard for the sales price, trade if involved, and be soft on the payment and down payment. Once in the finance office say no to the “products” but give them a crumb on something like mop and glow. The finance manager will be fixated on the interest rate and wants the deal. Drive away, make one payment, and refinance the vehicle with your pre-approved lender at a far lower interest rate. At that point cancell any and all the "products".

  NOTE: Many dealerships sell the vehicle just above cost if there is a large profit on the finance side. This is your hidden leverage.

This is the “plan”. When I recommend talking to a lawyer first, you want to insure a clear path to refinancing. Likewise, make sure your pre-approved lender is on board.

Paying cash? I wouldn’t,*** but if you must, arrive on a Monday morning and preferable the first Monday of the month. Everyone at the store is starting from zero, the sales manager wants to “get the store open” and the salesperson, if they are any good, knows the numbers at the start of the month will determine their month. The end of the month historically takes care of itself.

***A dealership won't play games with a title when a lender is paying them. They may with a single customer who pays cash.

Personal note. If you can, find out who is the top salesperson at the dealership. That is who you want to work with.  I considered time to be my money. The faster I could make a sale, the more time I could spend getting the next sale. My personal record was eight sales before noon on a Saturday. OK, they were advertised units and my commission was $50 each. My bonus for thirty two sales that month was $5,000.

As always, YMMV.

Stirring the Pot

 

Stirring the pot

The above was copied and posted on my Facebook page. I do many, “Stirring the pot”, posts. This one touched nerves. Over 45 thumbs, 29 comments, and one share so far and growing. (P)regressives and TDS sufferers make up most of the (vile and nasty) comments. Mission accomplished

Wolves

Wolves “saved” Yellowstone.

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This theme is used to support reintroduction of wolves and other predators elsewhere. The above short clip is only one of many, some hours long, fostering the idea.

Not so fast, L.L. Beaners

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 I believe people with a ranch/farm upbringing have a clearer idea of what works. Feral horses and burros, for instance, will reproduce until the land they inhabit won’t support their number.  Then they die of starvation. A memory from my youth is seeing a feral horse, dead of winter, leaning against a power pole because it was too weak to stand. No food was available on that winter range.

Outrage is futile, disgust remains

A Colorado specific rant. Blue Colorado voters eight years ago voted in (P)regressives to every state office. Now we are faced with eight more years of the worst Attorney General becoming Governor. An example of his diminished moral fiber is on display. Likely, he can’t even recognize his own hypocrisy.

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Can anybody be held responsible? Likely not, as one Christopher S.P. Gregory has found.

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David vs Goliath and Mr. Gregory’s sling may be too short.

Car Story

A story of driving while intoxicated.

After leaving my crazy twenties I stopped driving if I had consumed more than one drink. If the wife was sober she drove or we got a cab.

That ended one December night.

The area Isuzu representive was hosting a Christmas dinner in a Burien, WA restaurant banquet room. A nice dinner with open bottles of wine liberally distributed, the atmosphere was congenial but the room was too warm. As I sat there I kept helping myself to some white wine. When I walked out into the cold night air, I realized I was shit faced.

 Pre cell phone days meant calling my house from a pay phone. As a single custodial parent, I wanted one of my sons to come get me. Of course, being young men, they were out doing young men things.

I then made the decision to drive the 8.2 miles home. My ride was one of my $100 acquisitions, a 1970 Dodge 100 long bed step side that was an ex Hanford Nuclear Complex fleet vehicle. I can’t remember what the license plate belonged to but not the Dodge.

The fifteen minute drive home was done at exactly the speed limit with intense concentration to lane discipline and proper use of turn signals. I arrived home without incident greatly relieved and thankful traffic was light.

Yes, I did try to call a cab. Up to one hour wait.

 I kept that Dodge longer than most of my vehicles. Slant six, five speed, it was unusual. Civilian Dodge step sides were short beds and I don’t remember ever seeing one that was a five speed. Most were four speed only or three on the tree.

While one of the better engines ever offered, that slant six was prone to carbon buildup in the exhaust ports. The easy fix was to slowly pour water into the carb and let the steam clean out the carbon. Once the exhaust went from black to white you were done.

Poor people have poor ways.

As always, YMMV

 

Jobs? We Don't Need Anymore Jobs

 

Elites Snobs against jobs and essential commodities

Back in the day in Steamboat Springs CO a sawmill operated on the west end of town. In those days waste wood was burned in large “beehive” furnaces. On the few days a month this one operated smoke would occasionally drift into town.

One day a resident encountered my Dad on the sidewalk and complained, “Bob, this smoke is terrible!”

My Dad paused, sniffed the air deliberately, and replied, “I smell a $100,000 payroll”.

One of three cement plants in Colorado is, woe to them, located in Boulder County where it has operated since 1969. Located at the intersection of Colorado Highway’s 36 and 66 at the outskirts of Lyons, it is very visible to the passing Subaru brigades. They don’t like it.

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Never mind cement is essential for nearly every building, bridge, sidewalk and storm sewer. Never mind the 100 jobs. L. L.Bean Karen’s find it offensive and it needs to go away.

Meanwhile in Boulder County.

From Goggle AI.

One manufacturing job typically creates 1.4 to 3.6 additional jobs in supplier and local industries, and can range from 5 to 7+ additional jobs if broader household spending and public-sector jobs are included.

The Deficit: The county has worked to close a total projected $30 million to $40 million General Fund shortfall spanning from 2026 through 2028 because expenses are outpacing tax revenue.

Science

In Montana a decades old murder was linked to the perpetrator from DNA recovered from a set of booking fingerprints.

DNA recovered from 44-year-old booking fingerprint cards successfully broke a major cold case, marking what investigators believe is the first time in U.S. history a homicide has been solved using DNA lifted from old fingerprint records

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Kudos to whoever thought of looking for DNA on a fingerprint card.

NFC West

For my sins I’m a lukewarm Seahawk fan. When they were formed and entered the league our company had season tickets. Every year it seems all the experts miss and the hated San Francisco 49 Niners are firmly in first place in the NFC West. It is hard to be excited when the Seahawks lead the league in fumbles.

CarStory

From way back, two GI’s “meet” the Netherland Queen and her daughter.

This story rambles. US Army circa mid 1960’s, owning a POV usually meant getting permission from you unit commander. In our unit, you needed to be a E4 or above. There were other hoops to jump through. The available pool of “GI cars” rotated owners every two to three years and most had numerous “hillbilly/farm boy” mechanical fixes. Cosmetically, they were seldom much to look at.

The first one I owned was a mid 1950s left hand drive Ford Anglia. A buddy from an adjacent bridge company and I set off on a ten day leave. First stop, of course, was Amsterdam. He was dead set on visiting Stockholm. Leaving Amsterdam with the intent of reaching Copenhagen, I missed some turn but pushed onward northbound. The land was flat and featureless, fog with the sky overcast, and we were pulled over to the side of the road with our maps. Lost, we were!

Two ladies on bicycles pulled up and offered their assistance in giving us directions. We thanked them and they rode off. Trailing behind were four very large men on bicycles, dressed in dark cloths and giving us a hard looking over as they rode pass. Not far ahead the party turned left into a tree lined road and disappeared in the fog.

When we passed the road we glimpsed a large stately house at the end of the road. Consulting our maps, we determined it was some royal palace. It dawned on us the older lady was likely the queen.

Of note, both my buddy and I were “Pathfinder school graduates”.This is not to be confused with real Pathfinders; they are up there with Green Berets, Forward Air Controllers, etc. Our school was ten days of map reading and route planning. bridge load bearing, intersection turn radius, narrow city streets, etc.

One note about the Anglia. It had the old school oil filter canister you removed and the filter was inside. It was leaking; gasket shot and we were in Koblenz parked by a Gasthause. Across the road was a Ford Dealer. We never traveled without tools and I was able to get the gasket out.

We went into the dealership (little German on our part and none on the counterman) but he examined the chewed up gasket, went in the back and returned with a few gaskets. One matched and I asked how much.  He wanted to know what car I had and I pointed out the Anglia up the street.

“Nien!”, he said. “Dat is fur a Deutcher Ford, nist is fur der Englander Ford”.  The bastard wouldn’t sell it to me.

We retired to the Gasthause for a beer. Looking at the cardboard beer coaster, I asked for an extra. Settling the chewed up gasket on the beer coaster, I carved out a gasket. Keeping the coaster, I put the gasket I cut out in the housing and reinstalled the oil filter. We started the Anglia; no leaks!

My companions tried to stop me but I went back to the Ford dealership. Finding the counterman I tossed what was left of the coaster on his counter and said, “Das if fur der GI Ford, arshlick”.

Before anything else happened, my buddies hustled me out of there.

Always made an effort towards German/ American friendship.

As always, YMMV

Sue the Bastards!

 

Coyote vs Acme

The Roadrunner cartoons were my favorite so I went to see the movie. Two hours of escapist silliness I enjoyed.

Steam, Steam, Steam

Longtime readers of this blog know I have an interest in steam engines. I will be looking forward to this event.

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Wolves

How much wishing by starry eyed environment justice warriors can overcome natural selection? We are finding out despite blowing millions of dollars.

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The Colorado Rockies are not Yellowstone. If the habitat, once suitable but now changed, could support wolves they would have moved in on their own.

7½ Years of Democrats in charge

Who is minding the store?

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The product of not caring about the qualification and proven competency of the candidates they put forth, IMO.

Shut Up! Prole your betters want this

Front Range Rail Service 

Will the  (P)regressive wet dream die?

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Worked well in California, no? Came across a poster who said the cost of our actions dealing with Iran is about the same amount of money that goes to fraud in California annually.

Car Story

“You are overweight, $200 fine”, said the arrogant Dumont, CO  Port of  Entry functionary to Steve Peterson, the operator of a ten car trailer truck driver.

Colorado, winter blizzard, Steve was going from Longmont to Grand Junction with a load. When he went over the scale the added ice and snow accumulated on the cars he was hauling put him 310 lbs overweight.

Steve operated two trucks hauling cars for my employer. He was a great driver but careless in loading cars. I once rode with him to Grand Junction and he made the trip in thirty minutes more than I did in a Lincoln Towncar.

Back to Dumont, Steve kept his cool and paid the fine. Later, Steve Lance, aka Little Hitler who owned the dealership, reimbursed him.

As a standard practice at our dealerships, we gave LEOs and Correctional Officers good deals with the exception of the Colorado State Patrol and associated personnel. Unfair to some? Yeah, what goes around…………

As always, YMMV 

 

Will El Nino Save Us?

 

Severe Drought

The current  picture. By available capacity, Blue Mountain Reservoir is Colorado’s largest. The dam was built at the head of the Black Canyon of the Gunnison. 

The monsoons that have blessed Arizona have finally shifted towards SW Colorado. It is probably too late for most of the fish.

Your Mental Image vs Reality

OK, you are an insignificant octogenarian keyboard warrior. No need wasting a spot at the re-education camp; just block internet service.  

Wyoming Strong

Blocked from West Coast ports by bad politics? Find another port.

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Already smugglers are eyeing all those empty coal cars headed north.

We need Steve Inman to make a FAFO video with this fool.

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OK, Emperor Polis, I will give you one atta boy

Ignore the smug econazi verbiage and virtue signaling in this article, this is something I can applaud.

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Pollinators are crucial to most of the growth of much of the food we eat.

What is my personal dog in the fight? A large spoonful of raw unfiltered honey in a cup of coffee starts my day. Local sourced. $70 a gallon direct from the beekeeper.

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I appreciate their integrity by charging me retail. Local shopkeepers are lax in keeping what I want in stock. Clark’s keeps faith with their wholesale customers.

Yawn, Colorado Politics

Colorado has a “robust” citizen initiative process. The idea is to place laws on the ballot for voters to decide (unless the (P)regressives don’t like them or the courts don’t approve, same thing – WSF sarcasm). Somewhere around 13 will be on the midterm ballot depending on where you live. One, favored by (P)regressives may have shortcomings. No problem, Jabba the Hut’s daughter is Secretary of State.

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Rules for you and rules for us. Move on, nothing to see here.

Should you still be interested, here is a conservative think tank analysis.

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When the Little Head Thinks for the Big Head

You may need to scroll down. Facebook!

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While the county has blue enclaves, the county remains conservative.

Car Story

Revenge is a dish best tasted cold.

One rainy afternoon Sound Ford, Renton WA had a lake growing at the North entrance due to a plugged storm drain. Redwood “beauty bark” was popular at the time and was sovereign for blocking storm drains.

I was wearing a trench coat and hat while working to unblock the drain when a driver deliberately moved over and completely soaked me with a wave of dirty water from his tires. Hah hah!

I was able to look around in time to see a very distinctive vehicle, a  Dodge Lil Red Express complete with the optional wood sideboards. While I didn’t get the plate number I did note it was a personalized plate.

My joy was great when I drove by the Denny’s Restaurant down the street twenty minutes later on my way home to get dry clothing. Sitting in the parking lot was the very same truck! Not now Tonto, that is a local, you have seen it around, and timing is everything.

About two week later the owner came out of a bar at closing time, rainy night, to find all four tires flat. Unless he had four spare valve stem cores, the tires stayed flat until the morning when the parts store opened.

A note on tactics. Step one, open the cores just enough to let out the air with minimal noise. Step two, return in 45 minutes to finish removing the cores after the tires were completely deflated. After step two, leave!

As always, YMMV