Horse Drive

Next weekend will be in Maybell, CO for a family gathering. The excuse is the annual Sombrero Horse Drive, aka, sneering at dudes with too much disposable income.

https://www.sombrerohorses.com/horse-drive/

Much of our extended family history centers around Maybell, CO and Moffat County. My late father was born down the road in Sunbeam, and his home of record when he was drafted was Skull Creek, CO. He was living outside Maybell when he died in his sleep, age 64.

Plan to take off later in the week. The Ute Indian tribe plan a blessing ceremony in the Sand Wash Basin NNE of Maybell where large herds of feral horses roam.  My sister wants to attend. Starts at 0530 Sunday morning.  Yikes!  Since their forefathers and ours were busy killing each other some 100+ years ago, it may be a surreal experience. They may, or may not, hold a ceremony in the Maybell Park.

We will go out to the old homestead and visit the family cemetery.

 A wildfire burned it last fall and the carefully torn down cabin was lost. The fire missed the cemetery area. 

The hillside dugout was completely gutted as was the old outhouse.

Whenever I pass the Rabbit Ears headed west on US 40 and into the Yampa River basin, I start to feel at home like no other place I’ve ever been. And I’ve been everywhere.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGj7-R6WPf4

For an idea of the area, go to the link and start the video.

http://www.visitmoffatcounty.com/

Depending on several factors, weather, roads, mud, commitments, etc. may take a day or two and drive via Irish Canyon to an area in Wyoming called Adobe Town in the Red Desert. This may be my best weather window to see the area.

My sister likes to beat on me about “over thinking”.  In truth I like my maps, plans, check lists and attention to the 6 P’s principal. Let me echo her recent Facebook posting.

Next week is a sit down with my current employer. Several changes have occurred or are forecasted. My route co-driver for the past three years quit. Fed up with problems being ignored. Depending on how the sit down goes, I may join him.

There will probably be a post or two before the trip, or not. Seem to have caught Old AFSarge’s AWOL muse.

Connections

Can’t identify the author. This has been copied and pasted several times. I got it off a Facebook posting by a high school classmate.

Please someone tell us this is fake news? I copied and pasted the following.

From 2001 to 2005 there was an ongoing investigation into the Clinton Foundation. A Grand Jury had been empaneled. Governments from around the world had donated to the “Charity”. Yet, from 2001 to 2003 none of those “Donations” to the Clinton Foundation were declared.

Hmmm, now you would think that an honest investigator would be able to figure this out. Guess who took over this investigation in 2002? Bet you can’t guess. None other than James Comey. Now, that’s interesting, isn’t it?

Guess who was transferred in to the Internal Revenue Service to run the Tax Exemption Branch of the IRS? Your friend and mine, our favorite person in the whole world, Lois Lerner. Now, that’s interesting, isn’t it?

It gets better, well not really, but I am sure this is all just a series of strange coincidences, right? Guess who ran the Tax Division inside the Department of Injustice from 2001 to 2005? None other than the Assistant Attorney General of the United States, Rod Rosenstein. Now, that’s interesting, isn’t it?

Guess who was the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation during this time frame??? I know, it’s a miracle, just a coincidence, just an anomaly in statistics and chances, Robert Mueller.

What do all four casting characters have in common? They all were briefed and/or were front line investigators into the Clinton Foundation Investigation. Now that’s just a coincidence, right?

Ok, lets chalk the last one up to mere chance. Let’s fast forward to 2009, shall we? James Comey leaves the Justice Department to go and cash-in at Lockheed Martin. Hillary Clinton is running the State Department, on her own personal email server by the way. The Uranium One “issue” comes to the attention of the Hildabeast. Like all good public servants do, you know looking out for America’s best interest, she decides to support the decision and approve the sale of 20% of US Uranium to no one other than, the Russians. Now you would think that this is a fairly straight up deal, except it wasn’t, the People got absolutely nothing out of it. However, prior to the sales approval, no one other than Arkansas Bill goes to Moscow, gets paid 500K for a one hour speech then meets with Vladimir Putin at his home for a few hours.

Ok, no big deal right? Well, not so fast, the FBI had a mole inside the money laundering and bribery scheme. Guess who was the FBI Director during this timeframe? Yep, Robert Mueller. He even delivered a Uranium Sample to Moscow in 2009. Guess who was handling that case within the Justice Department out of the US Attorney’s Office in Maryland. None other than, Rod Rosenstein. Guess what happened to the informant? The Department of Justice placed a GAG order on him and threatened to lock him up if he spoke out about it. Interesting, huh?

How does 20% of the most strategic asset of the United States of America end up in Russian hands when the FBI has an informant, a mole providing inside information to the FBI on the criminal enterprise? Guess what happened soon after the sale was approved? ~145 million dollars in “donations” made their way into the Clinton Foundation from entities directly connected to the Uranium One deal. Guess who was still at the Internal Revenue Service working the Charitable Division? None other than, Lois “BOLO” Lerner. Interesting, huh?

Ok, that’s all just another series of coincidences, nothing to see here, right? Let’s fast forward to 2015.
Due to a series of tragic events in Benghazi and after the 9 “investigations” the House, Senate and at State Department, Trey Gowdy who was running the 10th investigation as Chairman of the Select Committee on Benghazi discovers that the Hildabeast ran the State Department on an unclassified, unauthorized, outlaw personal email server. He also discovered that none of those emails had been turned over when she departed her “Public Service” as Secretary of State which was required by law.
He also discovered that there was Top Secret information contained within her personally archived email. I will spare you the State Departments cover up, the nostrums they floated, the delay tactics that were employed and the outright lies that were spewed forth from the necks of the Kerry State Department, we shall leave it with this…… they did everything humanly possible to cover for the Hildabeast.

Now this is amazing, guess who became FBI Director in 2013? Guess who secured 17 no bid contracts for his employer with the State Department and was rewarded with a six million dollar thank you present when he departed his employer. No one other than James “Wassup Homey” Comey. Amazing how all those no-bids just went right through at State, huh? Now he is the FBI Director in charge of the “Clinton Email Investigation” after of course his FBI Investigates the Lois Lerner matter at the Internal Revenue Service and exonerates her. Nope, couldn’t find any crimes there. Can you guess what happened next? In April 2016, James Comey drafts an exoneration letter of Hillary Rodham Clinton, meanwhile the DOJ is handing out immunity deals like candy. They didn’t even convene a Grand Jury.
Like a lightning bolt of statistical impossibility, like a miracle from God himself, like the true “Gangsta” Homey is, James steps out into the cameras of an awaiting press conference on July the 8th of 2016, and exonerates the Hildabeast from any wrongdoing. Can you see the pattern?

I could go on, Rosenstein becomes Asst. Attorney General, Comey gets fired based upon a letter by Rosenstein, Comey leaks government information to the press, Mueller is assigned to the Russian Investigation sham by Rosenstein to provide cover for decades of malfeasance within the FBI and DOJ and the story continues. FISA Abuse, political espionage….. pick a crime, any crime, chances are…… this group and a few others did it. All the same players. All compromised and conflicted. All working fervently to NOT go to jail themselves. All connected in one way or another to the Clinton’s. They are like battery acid, they corrode and corrupt everything they touch. How many lives have these two destroyed? It cannot be numbered.

Incest, it’s Incestuous. As of this writing, the Clinton Foundation, in its 20+ years of operation of being the largest International Charity Fraud in the history of mankind, has never been audited by the Internal Revenue Service.

Do believe all us bitter clinging deplorables have ample reason to distrust our “betters”.

Without the election of President Trump, little of this would have been exposed IMO.

“See how they run”

Struck A Nerve?

Most of my posts get 50-70 views according to Blog-spot stats. Small potatoes compared to many on my sidebar.

The post HR 280 LEOSA has nearly 600 views, the most, by far, for any post I've put up since starting this blog. I'm dumbfounded.

What does it mean? I don't know but I'm probably now on the first draft for the train to FEMA camps. If not, I will be so disappointed.

Persians

A trip down memory lane prompted by comments exchanges with Virtual Mirage (LL). http://symbolic-mirage.blogspot.com/.

The retail car sales game is chaotic for the most part but one hard and fast rule seems to be found anywhere in the country; the deal comes first! When a salesperson has a customer sitting at a desk and figures are being discussed at the “tower” with whoever is “desking” the deal (sales manager) no one interrupts.  Woe is he who violates this rule.

This incident went down in a Seattle suburb involving the sales manager, “Beefy Boy”, a wholesaler of Iranian origins, and myself, “The Tank”. 

Beefy Boy was a shot putter in college and was on the scrubbed  Moscow Olympics Team. He outweighed me by fifty pounds or so but gave me my nickname after a scuffle in 1986 when we were both mere salesmen. He ended up on his butt. When he got up, he said, “Damn you are a tank”. (Thankfully, two managers had put themselves between us).

The building we worked from was built on a slope with the rear portion some ten feet above the ground. Large windows were along one wall and left open in the summer as we didn’t have a/c.

The Iranian was an arrogant asshole and thought the rules didn’t apply to him. He and Beefy Boy did coke together, among other things, and he forgot his place in the scheme of things.

I was selling a car and Beefy Boy was desking the deal. The Iranian kept interrupting. Wanted to conclude his business and be on his way. Upon his third interruption, I threw his scrawny 200 lb ass out the window. Ten feet down he landed in blackberry bushes. Turning back to Beefy Boy, I snarled, “Now desk my damn deal”. He did.

The Iranian took it upon himself to complain to the General Manager. That got him banned from the premises for six months. I got an “attaboy” from the GM and Beefy Boy got an ass chewing he didn’t soon forget. The sale? Closed it on the third “pencil” for a nice gross and helped me be top salesman for the weekend (worth $200).

In today’s environment I probably would have ended up in jail convicted of a “hate” crime.

My “attaboy” wouldn’t have sounded like one to an outside observer. That same observer wouldn’t understand, “YOU kinky motherfucker”,  is high praise. Like most activities, the car biz is a world unto itself.

Just a bit of free advice about car dealerships. Put some work in before you go “looking”. I always appreciated an “adult” customer who came in prepared. Time is money and a quick transaction will usually result in a fair deal for the customer. If I have to be your “adult”, your “parent”, you will pay for my time and knowledge. Plus, if you are stupid about finances, I will certainly let you be stupid. Real world people, unless you can find Unicorn Motors.

   

Poor Victim Selection

Want to indulge in a little road rage sport? Don’t choose someone with a dash cam.

https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/news-briefs/deputies-seek-assistance-in-identifying-suspects-in-alleged-assault/

No arrests yet but a matter of time. How would you like to be their lawyer when they go to trial?

Same general area, different crime.

https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/local/deputies-search-for-2-suspects-in-stabbing-near-evans/

Note the very detailed description of the perps.

HR 218 LEOSA

From Wikipedia.

The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) is a United States federal law, enacted in 2004, that allows two classes of persons—the "qualified law enforcement officer" and the “qualified retired or separated law enforcement officer"—to carry a concealed firearm in any jurisdiction in the United States, regardless of state or local laws, with certain exceptions.

The gun control cabal never rests and no slimy tactic is beneath them, so it seems. Latest target? County sheriffs.

http://www.yumacountysheriff.net/fakenews-comes-to-yuma-county/

Their premise. “Billionaires” can bribe sheriffs in hardscrabble counties into giving them a LEOSA certificate. Utter bullshit.

How prevalent is this smear across the country?

Yuma County, Colorado is one example I know of. Something similar is happening in San Juan County, New Mexico with smears against candidates for Sheriff in the upcoming election.

The American Mainstream Maggots (h/t BZ) laud billionaires like Bloomberg and Tom Steyer who dump millions into local races. They demonize billionaires who set up foundations to help local law enforcement agencies.  Along the way they besmirch the reputations of decent men and women doing a necessary job for little appreciation or earnings.

I’m asked from time to time why I remain a registered Democrat. Short answer, stubbornness. Longer answer, it pisses off the (P)regressives on one hand and on the other I loathe the smug Jeb! RINOs. Anyone notice how many aren’t running for reelection?

 Wonder why?

Here is hoping the (P)regressives think they have a winning strategy for the midterms drumming about gun control. They should ask the Clintons how well that has worked, Bill while President, and Shillary as a candidate.

Most of us know the classic definition of insanity, doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. The (P)regressives seem determined to prove this wrong, bless their totalitarian hearts.

If the gutless RINO Senators would pass the House passed National Reciprocity bill, much of this would be moot.

YMMV

Lawful Protest

A blog post about a purely local matter. Of interest only because of the outcome.

A concrete and asphalt plant is stopped cold by local citizens using the courts. Usually developers build next to existing facilities and then the new home owners want the facilities shut down. In this case, the houses were there first.

Goggle Earth hasn’t updated their coverage. This is the area involved. Note the homes upper right and the train track bottom left.

https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/local/fight-against-asphalt-concrete-plant-over-for-now-as-weld-county-martin-marietta-confirm-they-wont-appeal/

The plant’s location is ideal from an operational point. Adjacent to a four lane highway, Interstate Highway five miles away, and an operating railroad passing nearby with open farmland to build on, it appeared to be a no brainer.

 Add growth and development inclined county commissioner looking at a few new jobs, lower costs to the county for work projects due to proximity and state of the art production facilities plus new tax revenue, and the package was appealing. What could go wrong? 

Pissing off a few pesky citizens nearby and rewriting inconvenient zoning laws is just a tradition in Weld County.

What did Martin Marietta stockholders get for their investment? A multi-million white elephant.

We residents did get a new intersection built to deal with the expected truck traffic. What was there was dangerous. Stop signs on the side road crossing a four lane highway with a 65 mph speed limit.

Not learning from this, the Commissioners are generating another shit storm a few miles northeast.

https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/local/landowner-sues-weld-county-commissioners-over-asphalt-and-concrete-plant-approval-near-severance/

 NIMBY will always be around wherever you go. Weld County residents in general are not anti growth. The county is a “Right to Farm” county and feedlots, packing plants, cheese factories, dairy operations, oil fields, and sugar beet plants are an accepted fact of life.

 The residents are is fiercely protective of property rights, water rights and a sustainable economy. This isn’t transplanted Californians/trust funders that plague the mountain towns leading the fight. 

These plants they are fighting aren’t home grown enterprises. They are designs of outside investors that will make money while they can then decamp leaving their mess behind.

The Commissioners are in a bind too. Starting around 2000, many of the towns annexed large portions of the county. The towns got the tax base, but had no means to pay for the services the county was providing. Roads weren’t plowed in the winter or fixed in the summer. Law enforcement? Other than running speed traps, forget it. The town’s annexed problems still spilled over into the county. Not an easy problem to manage, let alone fix.

To give Martin Marietta credit, a lot of effort went into making the site less visually jarring and minimize dust and runoff. Their initial mistake of slickering zoning changes and use permits was their undoing, IMO. I’m reminded of an owner I worked for whose instructions to me, “Do it right, do it legal, don’t cut corners”, was a sound business philosophy.

Still, I’m encouraged the legal system can be used by ordinary citizens to protect themselves from deep pocket interests. The considerable effort these citizens had to put forth is admirable, America at its finest, IMO. Perhaps I’m indulging in wishful thinking but I see citizens fighting back against powerful interests. The election of President Trump as an example. The ferocious fight of 2^nd Amendment supporters is another.

“No massa, we ain’t on a plantation”.

My opinion isn’t shared by the local rag.

https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/opinion/tribune-opinion-we-understand-the-lawsuits-that-have-been-filed-over-severance-asphalt-plant-but-we-dont-like-the-trend-of-governing-through-the-courts/

Hope you didn’t find this boring. Perhaps similar situations are found in your locality.

Impatience Can Bite

Every time a jury summons arrives, I’m reminded of why I chose my blog title.

After my mother moved into a long term care facility, I had all her mail forwarded to my post office box. Some time before she had given me power of attorney.

One day a Jury Summons arrived. I didn’t bother to read it, just noted the date/time in my planner, and tossed it into the “Shit I need to do” folder. Showed up at the Justice Center on the day, handed the summons to a clerk, and took a seat. Again, I didn’t bother to read it. Instead, opened my briefcase and started working.

Names are being called and I heard my mother’s name called. WTF? Then I read the summons and, yes, it had my mother’s name. Being totally cool, went to the window and explained why my mother couldn’t be there.

When my sister heard the story, I was in for even more teasing for the rest of my life. That woman forgets nothing.

Did I learn anything from this? Like read through my mail? Hell no.  As my sister explains, you need some patience to be impatience.

Shouldn’t this change now I am mostly retired? Hasn’t yet.

Neighbor

Owner lives across the hall. We mutually disdain each other. She struggles to be civil. I make it a point to give her a big friendly smile and greeting.

Wonder if her head would explode if she knew I’m a registered Democrat?  She didn’t like my, “Anybody but Shillary”, poster in the back of my truck topper window.

My sister is always telling me I need to get a life.

Got my comeuppance for being a registered voter in the form of a jury duty summons.  I’ll report, citizen duty and all that.

Barf

Please excuse my lack of computer skills. The only way I found to transfer the information.

Put the same up on President Trump and the left will froth at the mouth.

News You Can Trust

The (P)regressive voice of Colorado.

https://coloradopeakpolitics.com/2018/04/06/what-in-the-wide-wide-world-of-sports-denver-post-makes-an-epic-blunder/

Speaks for itself.

Speaking Out

Posting an email I sent Enterprise Car Rental and their response.

Enterprise's recent smearing the NRA angers me. Last week I rented from you. Living in a small city, my choices are limited to you and Hertz. Be assured when other options are available I may make a different choice. This saddens me as the Enterprise staff in Greeley has always given me outstanding customer service. In the future I suggest you concentrate on serving the public and stay out of politics. Or, should I conclude, you find my membership in the NRA makes me a public menace? Perhaps you don't want my patronage.

Response: Ronald - 04/07/2018 12:29 PM Dear Mr. White, Although the Enterprise Holdings statement may not reflect my personal alignment, we apologize for any discomfort this may have caused. Whenever a corporation gets political these days, it risks alienating half of its customers. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance.  Kind regards, Ron Enterprise Rent-A-Car E-mail Customer Service Representative

Notice the reference to “Enterprise Holdings”? Oh yeah, the big dogs get to feel righteous and praised at cocktail parties while the bulk of the employees get shit on.

What I hope is my email is one of thousands, and that the shit gets pumped upward to those who made the decision. Faint hope, I know.

What I can do is speak out and vote with my wallet. Damned if I will shut up. In the car biz, we were told a satisfied customer will tell around four people about their experience. An unhappy customer will tell up to twenty. How many will this blog reach? Stats show about 1,000 a month. Quit laughing! Some of you get 1,000 a day.

Winds of Change

Came back from the road trip to find the apartment complex was hit by high winds. A tree and the gas bbq were casualties.

Perhaps someone who is a tree expert can explain why the root ball is so small. The tree has been there 40+ years. My  guess is the species isn’t suited for this climate.

The property manager told me the owners plan to replace the gas bbq and add two charcoal ones. She is less than thrilled.

The good news is no roofs were damaged and the carports survived where my truck was parked.

My apologies for the bad pun post title.

Blue Moon AAR

So nice to be greeted with a friendly smile.

Chilling and relaxing. My daughter in law is recovering from shoulder surgery.

A family where everyone has chores, including the youngest.

Youngest grand daughter. Has been a straight A honor student since kindergarten.

Road trip companion and back seat driver. My 22 year old granddaughter who lives in the Denver area did most of the driving. She enjoys driving, and is a good and careful driver.

She doesn’t  like high bridges.

Recommended by a frequent commentator.

Decent weather for most of the trip. A few construction slowdowns. No Officer Friendly meetings. No drama, a boring trip (in the best way).

One grandson was able to escape the camera. The other lives out of state.

My son continues to deal with his chronic reflex pain syndrome  while maintain a positive outlook and determination to beat the odds. Just a bucket of guts and determination. Being around him makes me humble.

He acquired a replica flintlock pocket pistol in .50 caliber. Neat toy but not something I’ve the nerve to shoot. He has no plans, at least at this point, of firing it.