YGTBSM

(P)regressive delusion running full ahead brings an urge to vomit. Google News’ bias is on display daily with the items they choose to feature. Consider this Letter to the Editor in the Washington Post.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/obama-could-have-defeated-trump--by-helping-clinton-win/2016/12/30/10188b60-cddb-11e6-85cd-e66532e35a44_story.html

No contrary factual information seems to be considered by these two womyn. Nor by whoever chose the letter for publication and the Google editor who selected it.

A long term acquaintance  likes to say, “Intelligent people, given enough factual information, can change their minds”. The weakness inherent in that statement is people must first accept the information. (P)regressives seemed determined to hear only what they want to hear.

How do you break through? Damned if I know.

Charity

This is the time of year my mail box starts filling with calendars, personal return address labels and other unsolicited trivia from organizations purported to be charities.

First question that comes to mind is, how did they get my name and address? Did the D.A.V or American Legion sell it along with all other donor’s information? Were their records hacked?

Many charities are out and out scams.

https://www.charitywatch.org/home

Then the question is, how much goes to those in need after all the expenses of the fund raising?

Some worthwhile charities with good reputations seem to be taken over and lose their focus. Military Order of The Purple Heart?

Some don’t just focus on the needs of the people they are supposedly helping but have social/political agendas. Wounded Warriors? Some do get my pennies. Soldier’s Angels.

Circa 1970’s my now ex wife and other parents founded a chapter of the National Autism Association in the Seattle area. The focus was on helping families with autistic children cope. A few years later we founders were ousted in a coup and the chapter became a fund raiser for the professionals at the University of Washington to fund their various studies.

Today I always say “Yes” when asked to “round up” at my local grocery store for the food bank. As far as I know most of what is raised does provide food.

Occasionally when I know of good people struggling I will buy durable food staples and leave a few sacks on their doorstep, or in the bed of their pickup,  and then walk away.

Have you ever watched someone, usually a young mother, counting her change before going in and prepaying for gasoline? Ever walk over and swipe you credit card at her pump and fill her tank? That is giving with a purpose.

It Is Like Deja Vu All Over Again, Yogi

Yesterday sold my 1987 Bronco II. Bought it as a backup vehicle but we need to replace another vehicle and cash from the Bronco sale will help.

The buyer came from a Craigslist advertisement.  Within two minutes of shaking hands, reverted to my car salesman persona – kind of like riding a bicycle, you ever forget. In fact, it wasn’t until later I realized what happened.

Immediately became the friendly face, sympathetic listener, eager to help, and kind of dumb. Established some common ground, both of us ranch raised. 

In my many years of selling cars I never had the need to lie to make a sale. The prospects want to buy or they wouldn’t be here. Let them buy, don’t make it hard! Ask the right questions the right way and they will talk themselves into buying. It was their idea with no pressure from the salesman. Any car mutts out there that think I'm wrong? Somewhere I have a plaque from Suzuki proclaiming me the number one salesman of Suzuki Samurais in the United States.

And then the story began. It is for his girlfriend. Seems he left her on the East Coast seven months ago to return to Colorado and find employment. Okay? About 30 years old, 5’6”, 140 lbs he told me he had been a cop and corrections officer but had to give it up because he was in twenty six fights and had two excessive force charges. Learned about his brothers and sisters and which ones had been in jail. Learned about goat dairy farming. We went on the test drive. He then consulted with family members who were waiting in one of two vehicles the crew arrived in. Made the deal and the bat shit crazy drove away with a winning grin on his face. I returned to my apartment with a wad of Benjis in my pocket.

The very best car salesman I ever knew was my old buddy, the late Dirty Al Imhoff.  He would have said, about the transaction, “You are a baad man, Tankie”.

In case there is any question, I do not, repeat do not, want to start selling cars again.

But WSF, did you make money on the deal? Hell ya, about $500 on a $1,500 sale.

That Will Teach Them, But Who?

The smug self righteous gun grabber (P)regressive crowd managed to “hurt” Colorado’s primer firearms related company with stupid legislation. Turns out leaving Colorado hasn’t hurt them.

http://www.timescall.com/top-stories/ci_30681039/magpul-which-left-colorado-protest-supply-marines-ammunition

http://www.denverpost.com/2016/12/23/magpul-marines-ammunition-magazines/

Do you think Wyoming and Texas resent the drain on their available employment pool caused by Magpuls relocation? No, me either.

There is a sense Colorado is moving toward being a red state. For years we have been bombarded with money from George Soros type  junior leaguers and Bloomberg which tilted the state purple.

http://www.5280.com/magazine/2005/05/gang-four?page=full

 Last election the (P)gressive challengers for GOP held congressional seats were soundly defeated despite the state GOP being a exclusive club that needs glass belly buttons to see where they are going with their head up their collective asses. While Shillary carried the state she didn’t carry Pueblo county, the most Democrat county in the state. Lots of Blue Dogs in Pueblo.

Bad To The Bone

The Peoples Republic of Boulder has enough fruit and nut (P)regressives running around that the rest of the population gets overlooked. As an example, the current bigamist and  bad woman poster candidate.

http://www.dailycamera.com/top-stories/ci_30681526/longmonts-topless-barber-charged-bigamy-violating-bond

Kind of makes your heart swell knowing we still have characters that make this state interesting. Bet she doesn’t need any “safe space”.

Total Professional

How many miles did I drive with this?

Holiday greetings.

Commercial Plug

From a site I subscribe.

http://www.corailroads.com/

I have neither the skill or patience to build models. I greatly admire those who can and enjoy seeing their accomplishments.

For many years Colorado was home to the premier source of all things relating to railroad modeling. Sadly, it was closed.

They have reopened at a new location. Good news for anyone with an interest. 

Sports Rant

Three franchises going nowhere. What do they have in common? Same ownership.

Could there be a clue there?

Out With Logic, On With Lunacy*

Once again the residents of the Peoples Republic of Boulder try to prove perception beats realty with their 100% renewable energy by 2030 scheme.

http://www.dailycamera.com/news/boulder/ci_30648828/boulder-seeks-keep-moral-compass-intact-while-pursuing

All their electricity comes over the interconnected electrical grid fed by many different sources of power generation. The majority power generators are natural gas and coal fired. A much smaller amount comes from hydroelectric, mainly the Glen Canyon Dam at Page, AZ.  A miniscule amount comes from wind farms, assuming you have wind.

Nowhere do you see a plan for them to disconnect from the grid.

What they can do is form their own electric utility, buy or lease the infrastructure Xcel Energy has built, and purchase power from the renewable providers like Aspen, CO. The power still comes over the grid.

This will give the smug fuckers a warm and fuzzy feeling and expand their self proclaimed superiority. They get to keep their beautiful surroundings unblemished by ugly windmills and acres of solar panels.

 That infrastructure goes to the poorer rural areas that don’t have the political clout to prevent it. Oh well, not the Boulderites problem, is it?

Oh, WSF, you don’t know what you are talking about.

Yep, I should just crawl back into my basket and stop criticizing my betters. Tomorrow is back to work so I won't have time to post as many rants. Some will be relieved, don't you know?

*Title comes from the Washington State OWL Party.

https://www.sos.wa.gov/legacy/turning-points/timeline_event.aspx?e=62

ADDENDUM;

Social Justice Warriors Are A Cult

The (P)regressives continue to implode with even angrier explanations of Shillary’s loss with a side whine about the down ticket races. This lapsed Blue Dog thinks they have become a cult. From Wikipedia.

The word "cult" has always been controversial because it is (in a pejorative sense) considered a subjective term, used as an ad hominem attack against groups with differing doctrines or practices.^[7][8] Cults range in size from local groups with a few members to international organizations with millions.^[9]

It seems to me the American Media Maggots (h/t Bloviating Zeppelin) are attempting to retain cult membership while creating an illusion of impartiality. What is really up with them is trying to preserve their rice bowls in the face of plummeting revenues. Just as their slavish (cult) devotion to the Shillary campaign failed, so will the current “fake news” narrative.

You can’t stop free speech. I’m old enough to remember duplicating machine produced tracts being passed around. The John Birch Society comes to mind. Now we have the internet. The attacks on content under the false flag of “net neutrality” and blocking “fake news” sites only shows how powerful a tool the internet is for free speech and the dissemination of different views.

Back to my point, if there is one, many of the SJW “issues” find some level of agreement among “basket” members while the interests of “deplorable” are rejected, or given lip service, by the SJWs. Thus, they are a cult.

Officer Dickhead Meets Citizen Hothead

Yeah, got a citation and almost got a trip to jail. Not a good sign when two more patrol cars join the one who stopped you with the blue and reds.

0250, Temp -8°F, clear sky, no moon, enroute to work, and came upon an accident. Street blocked by a patrol car and flares. In my town there are just three North-South arterials separated by eight to eleven blocks East to West. OK, divert into the parking lot of a sprawling shopping center and come back to my original route. Street still blocked but very slowly I moved around various vehicles and continued on my way. Some yoyo had taken out a power pole and left approximately 5,300 homes without electricity. 

Five blocks later get lit up with the reds and blues plus about a dozen LEDs. Pull over and things got ugly.

Not being a stranger to discussing my driving habits with the long arm of the law, got out my card case with my driver license, turned on the interior light, rolled down my window, and put my hands on the steering wheel.

A very agitated young officer comes to the window and starts off with,

“Do you know what emergency lights are for?”

“Yes”, I replied “That is why I pulled over”.

The interaction gets into my driving through the accident scene, where am I going (to work), where is my job (give address) and alternate route I could have taken. Then he takes my license, insurance card, hands back my registration, and goes back to his patrol unit. As I wait various other patrol units come and go. Twenty minutes goes by before he comes back. Twenty fucking minutes that makes me more and more pissed off.

Now I’m a full grown man who has never ducked responsibility for my actions. If I’m wrong, write me a citation and send me on my way. No argument from me; that is what courts are for. Making me wait twenty minutes while he dicks around with the other officers, knowing I’m on my way to work, is uncalled for.

Finally he comes back. In addition to the citation, he proceeds to motherfuck me some more.

 My LEO relatives have a policy, either and ass chewing or a citation, never both.

 I have no patience, a character flaw to be sure, am a grumpy old man, and have about a ten second fuse. I tell the pissant badge happy asshole his making me wait twenty minutes is rude and unprofessional. At this point I haven’t used any profanity. He then says heatedly,

“I think you are unprofessional. You could have killed a cop back there”.

“Oh, bullshit!” , I replied. “Furthermore, go fuck yourself”.

We exchange a few more unpleasantries and then he tells me to leave.

I have always tried to speak politely to police officers. I expect the same from them. That said, I don’t, and never will, meekly accept shit from anyone, no matter who they are. I also don’t care about the 4 points and $155. I can afford it, and will torture them in court before they collect. Been there, done that with about a .800 winning average.

My core value? I will die on my feet before I will live on my knees.

That said, I believe I will drive my other vehicle to work tomorrow, just saying.

Peoples Republik of Boulder

Social justice warriors rejoice. You can take your blankie to Boulder and feel safe. Plus, there is a coffee shop in every block where you can get your soothing beverage of choice.

http://coloradopeakpolitics.com/2016/12/06/the-peoples-playpen-safe-and-silly-in-boulder/

Good to see the County Commissioners spending time on such important issues since they can’t be bothered with gridlock, the homeless population, little affordable housing, Byzantine building and land use codes, crime, opiate addiction, and illegal dumping off county roads.

Appearance over substance, Boulder County leads the way and the prairie dogs rejoice!

Sloppy Editors and Writers: A Rant

Driving a 500 miles route three days a week, I find audio books make the day go by faster and help keep me alert.

Recently I started one by a major author and by the second disc boxed it up and took it back to the library. A minor character was a former Army Corpsman. Damnit, the Army has Medics and the Navy Corpsman. Sloppy, and I found myself listening for more mistakes rather than becoming immersed in the narrative.

Some readers of this blog have read books by Jim Curtis and Peter Grant. With great narratives their books also have meticulously researched details. Next on my order list is Larry Lambert’s books. My guess is attention to all details will be found.

If one wants to pick a hugely popular author, consider Patricia Cornwell. If she is writing about something involving SCUBA, she gets or renews her certification. Rifles? She goes and trains until she understands what skills are required. 

I have no aspirations to becoming a writer beyond this blog. Why? I’m too damn lazy and undisciplined even assuming I have the necessary vision. My ex-wife, who is talented, once met and talked to J.J. Jance seeking some insight. Her feelings  were hurt by Jance’s use of a four letter word.

 WORK.   

Am I being too harsh and judgmental? Probably.

Happy Day

Focusing on all the current events and the many challenges of life, we sometimes overlook some of life's happy events. Saw this today and it lifted my spirits. A woman with a new dog.

United Airlines Airfreight in Denver goes out of their way for dog owners with this facility. The only public restroom for the entire airfreight terminals is at United and I always need to pee. Afterwards I pull over by this facility to prepare the medical specimens for shipment, about a fifteen minute process.

This lady had just received her new pup. Scared and nervous, the beast was carried in her arms to the pet area. In the fifteen minutes I was there the dog went from scared to  playful. Warmed my old cynical heart to see the simple pleasure of the woman and her dog as they became acquainted. 

If someone wants to accuse me of being a closeted romantic I have no defense. Pets and small children? Yes, I am a sucker. 

Adventures in Auto Repair

Son's Contour came home on a tow truck. Snapped serpentine belt. Choke each year when I drop $170 or so for AAA+ but we seem to always use it.

The culprit.

Needs to be stretched before you try to install it.

Where it goes.

It is cold, the wind is blowing, I'm old and decrepit, and I'm not broke. Solution?

https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x876ea3d062cc6d9f:0x85906ad55a9b576d!2m16!2m2!1i80!2i80!3m1!2i20!16m10!1b1!2m2!1m1!1e1!2m2!1m1!1e3!2m2!1m1!1e4!3m1!7e115!4shttps://picasaweb.google.

Yep, I wimped out. Remember a few years ago putting a water pump in that car. Not fun! Replaced the serpentine belt at the same time. Tight quarters putting a breaker bar on the tensioner pulley. Easiest from underneath.  

Pacific 12 Conference

Another post where WSF lets his sarcasm flow. You have been warned.

Another defeat for SJWs (social justice warriors). High on the hate list of SJWs is college football. Why, all that public attention should be focused on them and their causes.

Despite their best efforts, two college football program crippled for years by SJWs are now playing for the Pac-12 Championship.

What happened? Money. College football generates enormous revenues for the institutions. The indentured servants who perform may end up with a mediocre degree, if they don’t suffer permanent physical damage, but cost the institutions a fraction of the revenues generated.  Problem is, the alumni dollars don’t flow if the programs don’t  produce championships, or at least winning seasons.

Hence, the SJWs have reluctantly backed off while still keeping their image intact. No matter how far out in left field a professor might be, they don’t want their paycheck to bounce.

Lies, Liars, and Damned Lies

From every Blade of Grass

  http://every-blade-of-grass.blogspot.com

 comes a link to CBS New’s Will Rahn and his confession of news bias. Remarkable.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/commentary-the-unbearable-smugness-of-the-press-presidential-election-2016/

Jumping on the way back machine I remember a newspaper reporter neighbor. We lived on a four block long street with no intersections that paralleled a main corridor two blocks away. The corridor had numerous school crossings and low speed limits. Impatient drivers would duck over to our street and drive past houses full of kids dangerously fast.  The wife and I drew up a complaint/petition letter to the city asking for something to be done.

Going door to door for signatures the newspaper reporter refused to sign. His explanation was, as a reporter, he must stay neutral as a matter of ethics. His wife said, “I have no such restraints. Give it to me and I will sign it”. I must say I respected his position.

Yeah, yeah, WSF, is there a point to this tale?

Why yes, there is.

Many jobs bring with it some loss of liberties. Government employees can’t run for public office. Medical personnel are obliged to treat people they otherwise despise. Military members give up a lot.

Ideally media people should be like my old neighbor. That ethic has long since eroded. It is refreshing to see at least one member of the 4^th estate “gets it”.

Once again I am so thankful for the Internet. Let the (P)regressives bemoan “False News” as we great unwashed rejoice in having some chance of learning the truth.

 IMO. YMMV

Millenniums

Thanksgiving dinner was an occasion for learning. My sister always gathers an “eclectic”  group.

My grandniece is attending an Iowa Junior College on a soccer scholarship. She brought two teammates with her. One is from Australia and one from Arizona. Poised and articulate, all three are impressive but the culture barrier with me was immense. None of the music I mentioned, movies, movie directors, or movie actors I mentioned were known to them. Such a fossil I am.

My niece is a long term public health worker in Nevada. She isn’t in a cozy office but out on the gritty streets dealing with the VD and HIV  population. Gutsy woman. I often disagree with her but respect her opinions. She is someone who has walked the walk her entire adult life.

My sister keeps a defacto halfway house. Usually has two or three people staying there that have fallen through the cracks of society and are trying to make it back. She is no pushover, it is a clean and sober house and all pull their weight. For me it brings into focus how hard it can be at the bottom of the barrel and how few people are around like my sister who willing to give a hand up.

Other than a brief conversation with my niece, I avoided politics.  What didn’t escape my notice is the young people gathered have always had Obama in their life. Trump represents a yawning unknown for them, and they have grown up in a Progressive dominated environment. They remind me of Army draftees, circa 1963, thrust in a world they didn’t choose to join, resentful and full of fear.

The ones at dinner are not special snowflakes. In fact, sports are their way up the ladder and it is damn hard work. They have my total respect. What is disheartening is their shared culture and my culture is nearly alien. 

For that, I have no immediate answer.

Why Shillary Lost

Once again WSF goes off his meds and explains why Shillary lost the election in a simplistic way. You have been warned.

Many people, me included, were offended by Shillary’s “Basket of Deplorables” speech. What we tend to overlook is the other “basket” she described. From her speech.

"But the other basket -- and I know this because I see friends from all over America here -- I see friends from Florida and Georgia and South Carolina and Texas -- as well as, you know, New York and California -- but that other basket of people are people who feel that the government has let them down, the economy has let them down, nobody cares about them, nobody worries about what happens to their lives and their futures, and they're just desperate for change. It doesn't really even matter where it comes from. They don't buy everything he says, but he seems to hold out some hope that their lives will be different. They won't wake up and see their jobs disappear, lose a kid to heroin, feel like they're in a dead-end. Those are people we have to understand and empathize with as well."

What I took from that was, oh your poor people. We, the smart people, need to take care of you. There, there, it will all be alright. Smug, patronizing and demeaning remarks lapped up by an audience many ordinary people feel uncomfortable to be around.

For people still sitting on the fence, their silent reaction was probably, “Fuck you bitch. Just get the hell out of my way and I will take care of myself and my family”.

What people label as “privilege” should be labeled “tribalism”. We tend to identify with, and protect, family, clan, and groups that are similar to us. It has been the survival mechanism of humanoids throughout history. You see the same behavior in all species.

 In this country we have moved beyond that in many respects because we use our intellect.  What we have on the (P)regressive side is a demand to have the “privilege” without having to do the work to earn it. I believe few people favor barriers to individual success and a safe environment to grow and prosper. 

What Shillary and her fellow travelers demand is various groups must prosper to the determent of other, in their view, less deserving groups. That, more than any other reason, cost her the election IMO. As always, YMMV.

(P)regressives Freaking

A site I visit (but don’t support financially) is Common Dreams. Like to see what the moonbats are bleating about.

Occasionally there is something there of value but mainly it is a (P)regressive cheerleader that is oh so serious, just ask them.

Today nine out of ten articles are attacks on Trump.

https://outlook.live.com/owa/?path=/mail/inbox/rp

It is getting harder to understand their point of view because they seem to have invented a different vocabulary. What their words mean to them doesn’t mean the same to me.

They should be thanking Trump as they have had trouble raising money to keep their site running. With all the (P)regressives now foaming at the mouth their fund raising should be easier.

Hillary won Colorado. According to the Secretary of State analysis, the largest block of voters were women 40-65. Sorry ladies, unless you find a better candidate, you won’t see a woman President in your lifetime. Next time pick someone who isn’t corrupt to her core, just saying.

Yes I Am Deplorable

Received this from a friend.

Making Nice

See where Obama is calling for everyone to accept the results of the election blah blah blah.

My cynical and suspicious mind thinks he is laying the ground for a Gerald Ford - Richard Nixon situation. I think we all know some real ugly shit will be coming out from Shillary's emails, the Clinton RICO, and  at what level Obama is involved, just saying.

Nah, couldn't happen.

Seldom Seen, Buick Reatta

Buick Reatta 1988-1991. Could have been a classic but the quality control was terrible. They were unreliable money pits. Any over five years old were nearly sale proof. Other than Credit Unions, few lenders would touch them.

GM earned their decent into bankruptcy. Take the Pontiac Fiero. 1984-1988. Fun cars, utterly unreliable with a reputation for catching fire. The 2nd generation with a V-6 was a great car but too late to undo the damage of the money pits before it. Same money bought you a Toyota MR-2. Great car but my rotund body couldn't slide past the side bolsters.

You can have great engineers and great designers but lose your customers by seeing how damn cheap you can build them. Dodge Intrepid comes to mind.
In 1993 it was miles ahead of the competition. However, the rear seat was terrible. Blasts of cold air coming from the door handle area just right to hit the legs of a child in a car seat. So much noise coming in from the trunk the rear seat passengers couldn't hear the front seat passengers talking. 

Ford? Using cheap plastic parts in their automatic transmissions which failed around 60,000 miles.

Still, it made me smile today in Scottsbluff to see that older car carefully maintained and still going.

Oh No, No Snow

Once again, Nature shows who is boss. All along the Colorado/New Mexico Rockies there hasn’t been enough snow for the ski resorts to open. A huge negative economic impact for the tourist industry but a boon to commercial travels and truckers.

Last winter snow started early and stayed late. Spring followed with a lot of moisture making the prairies greener than I’ve seen them in many years. Now they are going back to brown.

This time last year my SHTF winter backpack went into the Prius I drive 500 miles a day three days a week each start of shift.This year, other than unpacking it, checking the contents, replacing batteries, etc. it hasn’t been touched.

A mild winter isn’t good news. The areas East and West of the Rockies are high desert. Water is life.

On a personal level I’m enjoying the mild weather. Soon enough I will be driving in Wyoming blizzards.

You take the bad with the good and I do it gladly to live where my roots are.