Sad Ending for 2013

My sister got a call tonight from a coworker asking my sister for help. The coworker doesn't have a driver license, and received a text from one of her sons that he had been in an accident a few blocks from my sister's house. Please go there and check it out.

Young man caused an accident. Was under the influence. Is now under arrest. Is still on probation from some earlier infraction. The only good news was no one seriously hurt.

So, jail, bail, a tow bill, impound fees, vehicle repair and probation revocation. Court, lawyers, fines, more probation, classes, random whiz tests, and an ignition interlock (and that is a maybe). Depending on his past record, maybe three years in prison.

I have no sympathy for the son. The burden will fall on the mother. Her I feel terrible for. I've been in her shoes, and it hurts! 

You can talk tough love all you want, but, that is your child. You don't stop being a parent.

So many friends, family, and coworkers have been hammered by this problem. A favored cousin was killed by a drunk driver. She had one of the happiest marriages I've ever witnessed, and two young sons.

Here is hoping for a sober 2014. A special thanks to all the first responders that deal with the blood and carnage. Stay safe and go home to your families at the end of you shift, please.

Future Family Fued?

A large number of my relatives are Bronco fans,  while a few of the more discerning types prefer the Seahawks. With both teams in the playoffs, the slight possibility of the Broncos making it to the Super Bowl to face the Seahawks does exist. Such a scenario would make the family reunions look tame.

Now is the time to scout a good bug out location and make sure the bug out bag is well stocked.

In reality, I'm a lukewarm fan at best, but I am a perpetual pot stirrer. The next few weeks should be entertaining. 

Ugly Christmas Sweater?

Poor equine. Wonder who he angered? Worse, not even in Boulder County.

A Good Man Is Gone

Former State Senate Majority Leader (CO) Ken Gordon has passed away at age 63 from a heart attack. An unabashedly liberal Democrat, he was fiercely independent and a man of high principals. In some ways, he was a Don Quixote politician refusing to accept PAC monies and fighting to take big money out of politics. The organization he headed was Clean Slate Now.
 http://www.cleanslatenow.org/

http://www.kengordon.com/

He was admired and respected by people across the political spectrum.

http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24778756/former-state-senate-majority-leader-ken-gordon-dies

Had the jackasses who recently got themselves recalled modeled themselves after the way Ken Gordon served in the Legislature, they would still be in office. When he became Senate Majority Leader, he refused to let his fellow Democrats drub the GOP legislators. "They did it to us, " they said to him. "Yes they did, and it was wrong. We don't need to be that way." He mentored the new House Majority leader to lead the same way. 

He could disagree without being disagreeable. He accepted other people had different views and worked to find common ground. Too few moral people go into politics. The country needs more Ken Gordons.

Scum of the Earth

What is lower than low if it is someone raking in money on the plight of wounded service people? The Wounded Warrior Project may qualify.

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2013/12/08/wounded-warriors-project-a-legal-scam/

This was found on the Facebook pages of DysfunctionalVeterans.

https://www.facebook.com/DysfunctionalVeterans

I follow this site for several reasons including some wonderfully twisted humor. Check it out.

One seemingly legitimate organization you may want to support is Soldier’s Angels. I haven’t heard anything bad about them.

http://www.soldiersangels.org/

For years I supported the Military Order of the Purple Heart until it was overcome by the rat bastards.

http://www.charitywatch.org/articles/mophsf.html

I hope there is a special corner in Hell waiting for these leeches.

Now, I realize charitable organizations need talented people to run them and volunteers have their limitations. Been there, done that, more than once. Full time talented people need to be compensated. There must be oversight as to the compensation and fund raising expense. 

Please, check out organizations before you send them money.

Anniversary

Five years ago today the first entry on this blog was posted. I’m surprised by two things. First, that people read it. Second, I haven’t run out of things to day.

With all the political correct crap going on today, I’m happy to see this Facebook posting.

https://www.facebook.com/USArmyDPG

Of course, that place is so far off the beaten path most people don’t know it exists. The residents call it Area 52.

Sorry, that is all I have today.

Risky Business

Northeast Colorado is in the midst of an oil boom. Unlike North Dakota, a substantial infrastructure is already in place. Also, unlike North Dakota, the area is well populated. A decent article about the energy development is here.

http://www.denverpost.com/business/ci_24721419/new-oil-boom-lurks-denver-julesburg-basin?source=most_viewed

http://oilshalegas.com/niobrarashale.html

What isn’t discussed are some of the political implications. While the gun control uproar has been the most prominent reported part of the 51^st State effort, the core issue is, as always, money. The tax revenues are being grabbed by the dense population area representatives, and spent in the urban areas. The location of the revenue sources, rural areas, gets the problems, and not the benefits. Add a renewable energy mandate, that is not economically feasible, rammed down the rural area’s throats by the urban voters, and the anger grows.

http://www.51ststate.org/tp50/default.asp?ID=314893

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_24461077/11-counties-weigh-secession-from-colorado-formation-51st

One obvious danger of all this development isn’t being discussed. That is a possible contamination of the Ogallala Aquifer. Already being depleted faster than it is replenished, contamination would be a major economic disaster for a wide region. Look at the maps, please. See the overlap? The aquifer is relative shallow as is the drilling in the DJ basin, as shown here.

I’m in no way qualified to answer these questions, but as a resident of the area, I feel free to ask them. What I see on the surface is a lot of care by the petroleum industry to mitigate the impact of their operations. What is happening underground? We know contamination can happen. Natural gas has bubbled up in streams in the Silt, CO area (Garfield County).

As always, development brings risk. Questioning risk management and mitigation is appropriate.

Lights On For The Progressive's View Of The Lightbringer?

Reading “the other side” stuff on the Internet makes me realize they see as much to criticize Obama as does the right. This article isn’t, IMO, too profound, but the 200+ comments are surprising.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2013/12/11-2

What surprised me was the amount of negative Hillary comments, and the criticism of the MSM along with the scathing Obama remarks. Looks like the next presidential election run up will be “interesting.”

I have hope, faint though it is, that there are many non free cheese sheeple left in the country. 

Arapahoe High School

One confirmed dead, one seriously wounded, and one slightly wounded is about all the facts known right now.

Already Facebook has exploded with, "See, see, see, I told you so, I told you so, I told you so" postings.

Don't worry about facts, emotions and feelings are FAR more important. Once again it will be the firearms owner's fault. If we didn't insist on having our dangerous toys, something like this WOULD NEVER happen. What, you don't AGREE??? You vile person!

Here come the waves of smug self righteous and indignant posturing. How nice to target a group with spite and hate, and have it socially acceptable.

Kiss my ass, gun grabbers.

Family Lore

This is a post about some family history for family members. It may be of interest to others.

My father’s family was in dire financial condition during the Great Depression. There was a total of twelve children. One passed during infancy. My father was number five in the birth order. Each year they did attend the Moffat County (Colorado) Fair where each child received their annual allowance, 25 cents.

One year at the fair, when my father was five, he disappeared while a barnstormer was preparing for his show. The brothers and sisters were becoming concerned when they couldn’t find him.

After the barnstormer landed, my father climbed out of the plane. He had convinced the pilot to accept his quarter to give him a ride. During the barnstormer’s performance, my father sat between the pilot’s feet. The story goes that he had a grin from ear to ear.

My father never lost his interest in aviation. His eighth grade education kept him out of pilot training during WWII, but, in the CBI theater,  he did make some trips “over the Hump” as what he called a cargo kicker.

In later years, he and I shared a Piper J-4 while getting our Private License. He then bought a Cessna 182. The man could fly an airplane as well as anyone you might meet, but was damn careless. We had a few heated conversations about that. The Cessna pictured wasn't his but is the same model.

He died at age 64, probably from undiagnosed Obstructive Sleep Apnea complications. I miss him to this day.

Tired of Being Called a Racist

I’m so tired of being called a racist when I criticize Obama. Why does he get a pass because of his skin color? How racist is it to think, or say, someone’s performance can’t be discussed because of their race; that they are somehow inferior and need to be protected? That they are judged by a lesser standard? That is plain bullshit!

Any long term readers of this blog (boy, are you a glutton for punishment) know I criticized George W. Bush. His assault on the Constitution by way of his “signing statements” was as wrong as Obama’s trying to rule by fiat.  The economic mess created by removing the firewall between commercial and investment banks continue to drag us down. The end game on that is financial ruin for the common citizen.

Methinks the Obama supporters are beginning to sense the disaster that his administration is proving to be, and they can’t stand the idea they were duped. It’s time for that Egyptian River.

Now, when they play their race card, my response, mentally or verbally, is, “Is that all you got?”

Am I a racist? Most assuredly, I have some deep seated racist thoughts and feelings. I can say I have never discriminated against anyone in the workplace based on their skin color, ethnic makeup, religion or sex.  Socially? I hope not. I do reserve the option of treating assholes like assholes, and do so with some vigor.

Yea For The Grand Nephew!

 Grand nephew from Reno is playing today at San Diego in a tournament. Yea Kayden! His team has won all their tournaments to get there, and the parents and sponsors have raised the money so they could go. What an experience for an eleven year old!

Winter Storms

My sister is an insurance adjuster/investigator. Yesterday, she had a bizarre case in the Nebraska panhandle to investigate, and other follow up calls. With the weather moving in, decided to accompany her. Four hundred miles later, we made it home. We beat most of the weather, but this morning we have snow.

The case? A commercial driver going down a busy through street came upon a man face down in the street. The driver stopped, got out of his vehicle, and approached the man to see if he needed help. The man got up, ran to the driver’s vehicle, and head butted it. The man then ran off and has not been located. 

Still, scene photographs needed to be taken, statements taken, and a police report obtained to complete the file. Why? In case the man decides to sue sometime in the future. Any wonder our insurance rates are high? Sisty doesn’t work for free.

(Note to Rev. Paul. Alaskans have no monopoly on fools on drugs/alcohol.)

The snow this morning is welcome as we are experiencing a mini drought. Ah, Colorado! A 1,000 year flood event followed by a drought.

 We are on the fringe of the storm system with most of the weather to the North. So happy we made it back before the worst of the storm hit.