Friday, June 29, 2018

Buzz Words


Another WSF rant going down the theology path with only a superficial knowledge of the subject. If you are easily offended, stop reading now.

Most of us use words or phrases, often negative, as time savers so we don’t need to explain every one. Examples: Window licker, Progressive, Klansman, Baby Boomer, etc. There seems to be another (P)regressive phrase to self identify a mindset, “Jesus of Nazareth”.


Disclaimer: As an unchurched lapsed Methodist, I’m no religious authority. As I understand these J of N types, public shaming of “sinners” is commendable. They use the example of Jesus chasing the money lenders out of the temple. Issues I have with this viewpoint are as follows.

My understanding is the temple was a sacred place. The Little Red Hen restaurant hardly qualifies as sacred.

Jesus is the son of God. Why is the modifier, “of Nazareth” necessary or desirable? Code word for a mindset?

Is it sacrilegious to assume you have the same powers as the Son of God when you act in “his name”?

A final observation:  Mankind’s history is one of persecution, subjugation, and murder by people claiming to be doing God’s work, whoever they claim as God, or an ideology that is their God, and all are to be resisted, IMO. Your life and liberty is at stake.

My apologies to those of you who have devoted much of your life studying theology. This is not an attack on believers.

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Oh My God Road


Business took me to Dumont/Downieville-Lawson yesterday. These hamlets sit astride Interstate 70 between Idaho Springs and Georgetown.


For many years Downieville has been my coffee/piss/top of gas stop before heading over the Divide and the 10,000-11,000’ passes.

There are three “medical” marijuana stores there to service a population of 150 or so.


 Of course, the many travelers patronizing  them will wait until they reach their destinations before getting baked, won’t they? Interesting that no stand alone liquor stores are located there.

With time on my hands decided to take a day road trip back to Greeley starting with a leg from Idaho Springs to Central City via the Virginia Canyon Road, aka, the Oh My God Road.





 Maintenance is somewhat lax.


Found this well done video on YouTube for those who wish to experience the drive.


My late father had a favorite story about that road. Once coming downhill in his flat bed pickup, he saw a car coming up the hill taking their half out of the middle, as he described it. Pulling all the way over so his right side tires were against the bank, he was surprised when the woman driving stopped beside him and snarled from her open window, “Why don’t you pull over, you son of a bitch?”




Central City/Black Hawk is interesting. Steep, 8890’ at the top, 8010’ at the bottom and about 1 ½ miles long.



 Old story from years ago. A resident explained, “You need a jeep to get around in the winter, and a jeep to find a parking place in the summer”.






Seems some SJW influence seeped in during the Obama years. True facts, to be sure, but there were far more “soiled doves”.

From Blackhawk I went North on what is known as the Peak to Peak Highway. A spectacular drive, especially in the fall when the leaves turn.


I rarely envy anyone but do envy the owners of this house. Imagine standing there every morning sipping coffee and taking in that view.

The town of Rollinsville is part of my childhood. My parents loved to dance and the Stage Stop, dating back to the late 1800’s, was where the locals gathered. Three locals provided music with a fiddle, guitar, and accordion.

Twas a fine mental health day I didn’t realize I needed.

Sunday, June 24, 2018

Super-cell II

At it again. Doesn't seem as intense as the other day, at least at my place. Look out eastern plains. These things just seem to grow.

UPDATE

https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/local/as-hail-descends-on-weld-county-national-weather-service-issues-advisory/

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Super-cell Fun

Thirty minutes of sound and fury today as a super cell passed by. Lucky for us, large pea sized. Areas in the county have been hit with tennis ball sized.
Glad I have a carport.
The property manager was dashing about looking for damage.

Last I saw she was heading to the roof hatch to check out the new roofing job.
The backside of the cell moving East.
And the view to the West.
Lightning is always a factor.


Many of you live in "tornado alley" but we have the dubious distinction of beating all.



The upside, on a selfish level, is my sister, the insurance adjuster, will have a busy summer.
  

Sunday, June 17, 2018

Father's Day


A heartfelt good wish for all you fathers out there, and all single custodial parents carrying the whole load. Blessings be upon you.

One marriage for me. Lasted 24 years, by calendar, about 20 years together.  Have now been divorced longer than married. We had three sons. I raised the two youngest as a single parent.

 Oldest on the right, middle son on the left.

The oldest was autistic from birth. He overcame it then was struck by an out of control bicyclist, suffered a profound brain injury, and had to start all over. He lives on his own with a bi-weekly visit from a social worker, is a professional dishwasher, and an independent newspaper hawker.

Middle son has one son. Has Aspersers’ Syndrome which became noticeable after multiple vaccinations as a toddler. A hard working reliable man, he has one son who doesn’t live with him, but who he supports.
Note the brace on his left leg. Service injury which ended his career.

Youngest is medically retired from the Army. He has two children from a previous relationship that he gained full and total custody.

 He married a wonderful woman who had two children from a previous marriage. They have since had one child together.

It has been a journey, as is true with most families. I take pride in three honest, hard working sons who take personal responsibility, won’t steal,  and get up each morning and start putting one foot in front of the other, as they were taught. They have no intent to harm anyone. However, fuck with them and they will fuck you up, and were trained from childhood in the skills of Dirty White Boy.

Now I enjoy my six grandkids and give parental guidance only when asked.

Friday, June 15, 2018

Name Cleared


Lindsey Baum’s remains have been located and recovered. Ten, at the time, she disappeared from McCleary, WA in 2009.

I wrote a blog post, “Outrageous Abuse of Power”, 7/30/2013 about the ordeal of my late buddy, Al Imhoff, as related to her disappearance.

Her remains were found on the other side of the Cascade Range in an extremely remote part of Kittitas County.


If the assumption is made the abductor, or abductors, immediately went from McCleary to the dump site, Al was seen by dozens, including law enforcement, in and around McCleary the same day, the next day, and several days that followed.

In the event her body was stashed, and overlooked in a massive search, then moved days later it is unlikely Al did it. One, he didn’t know the area where her remains were found. Two, his Geo Metro hooptie was in such terrible condition it wouldn’t have made it over Snoqualmie Pass. Add the through search made by the police after taking the car with a search warrant, and the return to Al, that car wasn’t used to transport a body.

Could he have stolen a car? Sure, he and I repoed many together. 

More likely, as having experience as a commercial fisherman and being next to Puget Sound, he would steal a boat and use that to dump a body in deep water.

It makes no difference to Al, he is long dead, but his daughters and grandchildren still live in the area. I’m glad the cloud has been lifted from his name.

Al was a gifted photographer and taught me much of what I know. His picture of “Beefy Boy” and a burned out Vietnam vet, "Sam the Slammer", are below. The three of us sold a shit load of cars over the years.

 


You’ve heard the expression, “Men with hard eyes?” Take a close look at these three.

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Holder



No half assed political rant for awhile,  WSF? Let’s fix that now.

Sordid  Eric Holder, Obama Administration Attorney General and Clinton Administration Assistant Attorney General,  has Presidential ambitions.

His crimes are well documented, not that the (P)regressives care. To me, the most damning misfeasance on his watch was a systemic easing of standards. From the recent IG report:

 We identified numerous FBI employees, at all levels of the organization and with no official reason to be in contact with the media, who were nevertheless in frequent contact with reporters,” said the report. “Attached to this report as Attachments E and F are two link charts that reflect the volume of communications that we identified between FBI employees and media representatives in April/May and October 2016. We have profound concerns about the volume and extent of unauthorized media contacts by FBI personnel that we have uncovered during our review.”
“The harm caused by leaks, fear of potential leaks, and a culture of unauthorized media contacts is illustrated in Chapters Ten and Eleven of our report, where we detail the fact that these issues influenced FBI officials who were advising Comey on consequential investigative decisions in October 2016.”
And

In the report, on page 12 of the Executive Summary, it mentions instances of FBI employees receiving benefits for information in April/May and October of 2016 from media reporters and media representatives, tickets to sporting events, golfing outings, drinks and meals, and admittance to non-public social events.

As the old saying goes, “A fish starts stinking from the head down”. Holder and company set the tone and example. “Hey, if the big boys don’t care, why should we?” goes the thinking.

From what I hear from my LEO friends and relatives, the FBI is full of overbearing assholes. That is not to say they aren’t dedicated patriots, just full of themselves. The problems occur up the chain. From the field reports of Muslims in flight schools prior to 9/11, to the recent Parkland shooter, the local agents were on top of it. Their bosses dropped the ball.

The Bureau’s technical abilities are wondrous to behold. The Bureau has the ability to mobilize resources and massively attack problems. We as a country need them. We don’t need them politically weaponized.

The core value of the FBI seems to be, beyond everything else, don’t embarrass the Bureau. There are rumbles many of the rank and files are itching to testify, to clean up their own nest, and restore the prestige of the institution. Before they do, they want immunity. It is probably they don’t fear prosecution but persecution from within their own ranks. With immunity, they have cover in the sense, “I had no choice but to testify”.

 Then their honor won’t be akin to their headquarters building falling apart and dropping debris on passersby’s, much as their past actions have rained debris on the rule of law.

My bet is, after the midterm elections, they will get it. The political climate will be more favorable.

Perhaps President Trump’s greatest accomplishment will be cleansing the Justice Department and appendages, the heart of the Deep State. With that, the Republic may survive for a few more years.

YMMV

Monday, June 11, 2018

Car War Stories


Get four car people together along with some adult beverages and the stories start. We were discussing dumb customers and I offered a story of one dumb customer.

Renton, WA around 1996, we had a red Honda Civic stuck back in the corner that was a “bad car”. The question was to send it to a salvage yard or spend money fixing it.

A couple in their thirties come onto the lot and “landed” themselves on this Honda. Figuring me to be a lying car salesman who was “saving” the car for some favored customer, they insisted on a test drive. OK, get three sets of keys and dig it out. At least the battery held enough charge to start it.

Test drive over, they want to buy it. I tried to show them other cars which only convinced them the car was a steal. So in we go and I do the paperwork and get their money.

At the dealership we used a “We Owe” form to put all promises in writing.  My manager flat told them he thought it was a “bad car”. Further, he would prefer to sell them a “good car”. They signed a We Owe with the following statement, “We have been informed by the manager of Sunset Cars he considers this a “bad car”. We choose to buy it anyway”.

Within two weeks they found out the manager didn’t lie. Somewhere between Ellensburg and Yakima the engine sized and they lost control and crashed.

They then show up at the dealership demanding their money back plus expenses related to the car failure. After being politely told to wish in one hand, shit in the other, and see which filled first, they left.

At the time, the Washington State Attorney General’s Office investigated complaints against car dealers. They were hardly neutral and would come into a business with an attitude. The customer had filed a complaint and an AG Investigator showed up. 

Our manager went to the back room, found the file, copied the We Owe, and handed the copy to the AG dudette. He then pointed to the door and went back to his desk. Later said it was a very satisfying moment.


My friends had their own stories but, on that occasion, mine was the best.

Saturday, June 9, 2018

Bigger = Better?




Seems financial institution are always striving to expand. A good thing? Could be, but not for me.

When I returned to Colorado in 1997, opened an account in the local bank where my mother had an account. Soon, that bank was gobbled up by Wells Fargo. Four years later I became pissed at their practices and opened an account at a very small local credit union. A year later, that credit union was acquired by Public Service Credit Union.

 Now PSCU is changing their name to Canvas CU and is going, it appears, national They are already in other states. As part of their push, they have purchased the naming rights to the Colorado State University stadium. 

My modest banking needs and credit card use are adequately served by a credit union. Plus, I think they are safer than banks comes a national financial meltdown.


A tremendous ad, IMO, and a philosophy I endorse. Doubt I will move to Gering, NE just to use this bank but I do believe smaller, locally focus financial providers are what I want.  They do more for the local community than large, more impersonal banks, IMO.

Since I believe in putting my money where my mouth is, so to speak, will start looking at what is available in my locality.

That $37,700,000 15 years deal PSCU agreed to is money that won’t be available for loans to local citizens. Pisses me off, and I’m determined my few pennies won’t go to PSCU much longer.