Friday, September 28, 2018

Rules for Radicals Defiled


Haven’t put up a rant for awhile. That changes now. You have been warned!

The 1960’s, and the decades before, were tough times for many people living in Chicago. The Daily machine ran the city, less the organized crime fiefdoms (like, who could tell the difference?), and the people on the bottom rebelled.

Along came Saul Alinsky, a champion of and for the “downtrodden”. In 1971 he wrote, “Rules for Radicals”.  He didn’t write it for the “elites”.

Today his rules have been co-opted, IMO, by the very people he fought against. “Resistance” fighters who grew up suburban, attended private schools, attended the most prestigious universities, and enjoy a lifestyle unobtainable by the people they allegedly champion.  They use his “rules” to justify their lack of a moral center and their thirst for power and dominion over we “deplorables”.

My linage doesn’t have any elitism of any sort. Irish immigrants, railroad workers, cowboys, soldiers, sailors, miners, and homesteaders were my forbearers. With that, I can understand a Saul Alinsky and sense a moral foundation to his tactics, tools for the powerless.

At their core, these (P)regressives are bitterly unhappy and want to drag everyone else into their personal hell so as to somehow validate their own miserable selves. So says WSF, who “identifies” as a psychologist.

“WSF, you are not qualified”, says the mob!!!!!

“When did that ever matter”, says WSF?

“Furthermore, go fuck yourselves”.

What grinds my gears is there is seemingly no ill consequences for the (P)regressives and their despicable tactics. Of course, there is the whole President Trump thing. Not enough, IMO.

We need to vote these (P)regressive assholes out of office.

I will get involved, and not as a keyboard commando.




Thursday, September 27, 2018

Smart Lawyers?

Put up a post on 4/16/18 "Lawful Protest" about citizens stopping a $22 million batch plant.

Took awhile, but lawyers found a loophole.

https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/after-10-deal-once-defeated-weld-county-concrete-and-asphalt-plant-will-begin-operations-this-month/

My only skin in the game is sharing the road with all the lumbering trucks on US 34 and secondary county roads. The area is exploding in new home construction and the county roads are not adequate for overloaded truck traffic.  

More popcorn please. This may get interesting.

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

11B


Oldest grandson shipped out to Fort Benning this morning. Enlisted for Infantry.

When his mother and my son married, her daughter and son asked,

“What should we call you?”

“Whatever you want”, was my reply.

“Can we call you Grandpa”, they asked?

“Sure”, I said. I’ve been Grandpa every since (and happy to be so).

He will have a couple of things going for him. Army brat, and a high school marching band sousaphone player.

With him towering at 6’9”, this cynical former EM expects him to end up in the weapons platoon lugging a mortar base plate.

The young man has a temper problem that I hope doesn’t derail him. If things work out will be there to see him graduate, basic or A.I.T, depending.

His biological father was both a Marine and Army but couldn’t hack either. Fervently hope his son does better.

Monday, September 24, 2018

Senseless Deaths


You are entitled to your own opinion but not your own facts. That said, all I know is what was reported in the local rag.

One 17 year old girl dead.


The driver ran but left the front bumper behind complete with a license plate.

Five car crash. Driver charged with a DUI.


Not reported in the paper but heard from another (unverified) source this isn’t the driver’s first rodeo.

This is not a lenient DUI county.


Doesn’t seem to have much deterrent effect.

Two more senseless deaths from a nearby town.


Hope I never get calloused about these alcohol fueled incidents. Damn, I loath drunk drivers!

Friday, September 21, 2018

Stepped on PeePee



Cited for speeding today, 53 in a 35, in the vast metropolis of Nunn, CO (Population 471 more or less). Saw the cruiser pulled over with lights on sitting on US 85.

“Haw, says I. Know where the town clown is”, and turned West on Wellington Road. After ¼ mile there are no side streets but you are still in the city limits.

 I increased my speed towards the 55 mph limit, while still in the town limits and behold, the flyspeck has two cops on duty. Shit!

$147 and two points. Won’t hurt my insurance but five years ticket free is gone.

Not much happens in Nunn anymore. The town did have a “biker gang”.


Nunn is one of those towns funded by traffic tickets. Beware entering Colorado from Oklahoma on US 287/385.  First town is Campo. The entire town budget is funded by traffic tickets.

Wednesday, September 19, 2018

Guts


Watching footage of President Trump walking around North Carolina neighborhoods and greeting residents, I was struck by the man’s courage.

Yes, he has Secret Service protection. Consider, none of this was scripted or set up in advance. To just go out and do it takes guts. To me it shows leadership, putting his personal ass on the line,  while trusting the Secret Service to protect him.

The people protecting him have their work cut out for them. There must be satisfaction in protecting someone who trusts and appreciates them.

 Contrast that to the years of reports of Shillary’s abominable treatment of those tasked protecting her.

Not saying it didn’t happen but I can’t recall any instance of the Lightbringer doing anything similar.

Monday, September 17, 2018

Middle Son


He will be 43 this week. Hasn’t had an easy life. A happy normal child that went off the rails within weeks of receiving multiple vaccinations at 3 ½, he has struggled with poor communication and interpersonal skills. Near photographic memory. Can do complex equations in his head. Not mean or aggressive but a berserker when angered. Last DUI arrest (ten years ago, thankfully) it took six Denver cops to arrest him.

He has two passions, reading and music. He reads widely. 
Somewhere around the 6th grade he glommed onto the complete works of Shakespeare I had given his mother as a gift . He spent a couple of months reading all the book.

One of my favorite memories around that time was downtown Seattle for the Seafair Torchlight Parade


The Seafair “Pirates” work the crowd giving candy to the kids and propositioning the ladies while waving cutlasses and talking salty.  One headed our way. Erik took two steps forward and assumed his martial arts stance. The pirate quickly veered away with an astounded look on his face. Erik wasn’t joking. He was prepared to defend us.

His music interest is metal, heavy, black, whatever. He writes several blogs and has a worldwide audience. Admittedly, it is a niche of a niche but he is sent music to review from all over the world. His main blog, OccultBlackMetalZine, is on my sidebar. No, I don’t understand any of it.

My three sons are very different people from each other. What they have in common is a work ethic, they will not steal, financially prudent, and they live their lives in a way to not harm others.

From an early age they were taught not to tolerate bullies, big or small. If we have a family motto it is, "Don’t fuck with me or I will fuck you up”. Their mother was in complete agreement and we always had their backs with the inevitable conflicts with authorities, school and civic.

I should add, their mother is a 5’4” first generation Norwegian (ya sure, you betcha) who can go from a sweet Betty White to an insane berserker quickly. I never saw her back down, ever.

I’m proud of Erik and how he has turned his life around. Something like 15 months sober, five years on his job, and supports his son.

Eighteen to thirty five, he fucked up like a SP5 at a Viet Cong Reveille on a regular basis. Three DUIs. Married a woman crazier than him (no kids thankfully).  Lived for awhile in San Diego. 


Along the way earned a Bachelor Degree.

I think every parent would like to wrap their kids in cotton padding and keep them from hurt. You can’t do it. You can be there for them when they crash and burn but it is their life to lead. I’m glad they have been part of my life. I just accept the whole experience and keep on keeping on.

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Pulled the Plug

Took their equipment back and stopped the television portion of the service.

I don't enjoy watching television. All the damned ads, like eight in a row. By the time the show I'm watching returns I've lost interest.

I've two choices at my location for internet, Comcast and Century Link. Century Link comes over the telephone wires which, in my building, are in poor condition. Comcast remains my internet source. Dish isn't an option in this apartment complex. Just for the record, I haven't a particle of good will towards Comcast.

YouTube offers television for $40 a month. I may try it out.

I've never hooked up my DVD player. I did check out a couple of movies from the library to try out. We'll see if I'm smart enough to hook up the DVD player.

I've never been one to watch TV but married a woman who always had it turned on. Once won a complete set of Star Wars videos and my kids nearly wore them out on a VCR player. 

One dealership I worked at was near my house. We had a mandatory Monday morning sales meeting but our crew didn't start until 1 pm. After the meeting we would go somewhere for breakfast. About once a month I would have the crew over to my house. Grill some steaks, etc. and move the TV and VCR out to the covered deck. While we ate we would watch "Used Cars". "It's a fucking red car, Rudy!" Good times.

For most of my life books have been my diversion. Love the internet - like having my own library.

Ah, the tribulations of a Latter Day Luddite.

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Unconcealed Carry


Lone Star Parson


has been agitating the internet with arguments about edged weapons without offering alternatives (well, just once).

For the past thirty years this hammer has stayed in the passenger floor well of every vehicle I regularly drive. Never have I had an officer of the law even questioned why it is there.

Admittedly, a couple of lady passengers have expressed some discomfort with the presence. Probably the same ones who would complain about hay hooks.

The hammer has proven useful in a few road rage incidents. A memorable incident  involved dense fog and a tailgating BMW driver with a million candlepower worth of auxiliary lights.

I’m not one to name things but if I named this hammer, Thor might be appropriate.

Over the years it has also served as a hammer, most recently last week on a recalcitrant trailer hitch on my sister’s F-150.

Please, let’s not start an argument on weights, handle lengths and handle materials.

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Suburban Stealth


A 1980’s red Japanese pickup with a black camper shell is out of place in the neighborhoods I travel for the mortgage document work. Not drawing attention is useful in what I do. To that end, picked up another vehicle. Found it on Craigslist.

Is there a more anonymous and forgettable vehicle than a white Ford Taurus?

This one is a 1995 GL with the 3.0 V-6. Per the VIN, it was not built in Atlanta! (When I was selling Fords nearly all Lemon Law deals I had were from the Atlanta factory). 112K on the odo. Usual Taurus glitches and neglected maintenance.  Needs shocks/struts and will probably need a transmission in the future. May have a radiator problem developing. As it sits, it is usable for what I need.

The seller was seeking way too much (as usual) and talked about how many calls he was getting and how many people were “looking at it”. The sight of $1,000 cash in fist demolished all that noise. So, I bought it cheap enough that I can dump it without a great loss if it turns out to be a bad car. I’ve budgeted spending another $1,000 over the next six months on repairs and tires.

I do enjoy the haggle. What something is worth is what someone will pay, nothing more or less.

“Well, the ‘book’ (NADA, Kelley Blue Book, Consumer Reports, etc.) says it’s worth xxxxx!!!!!”

“Fine, sell it to them”.

“They don’t buy cars (you dummy, sotto voice)”.

“Right, they sell information to consumers such as yourself. That information is their opinion, only”.

And so it goes.

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Humor

Got a nice chuckle this evening. I needed it on this day and perhaps others need a chuckle to lift their spirits.

My sister, when she picked me up to give me a ride said, "I will Uber you because I can't Lyft you".

Smart-ass runs in the family, and she leads the pack.

Monday, September 10, 2018

Shade Tree


One nice thing about driving an old beater is being able to do my own repairs. While a piss poor mechanic, my hourly rate is unbeatable.

Today’s job was a minor oil leak from the valve cover gasket. Took me about an hour. The gasket looked to be in good shape so just spread some sealant and put it back together.

Now it is off to the pawn shop to buy a couple of 10 mm sockets to replace the one that rolled somewhere and I can’t find it. Man can’t have too many 10 mm and 12 mm sockets.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Fiscal Prudence


A client has me deliver delinquency notices to people with home mortgages. Along with the notification is information that will help them avoid foreclosure.

I’ve become jaded as I routinely approach $450,000 McMansions with $60,000+ vehicles in the driveway or garage. Toys of all kinds, motorcycles, ATVs and boats sitting there soaking up available income just makes me shake my jowls.

2008 – 2014 were tough years in this area along with the collapse of the subprime ponzi. The car business sucked and I found a market for my other skills in construction and photography securing and documenting abandoned properties. Job losses and medical bills along with a shrinking economy caused many, many families to lose their homes. Having been there at one point in my life, I had empathy for those folks.

I have three sons who are careful with their finances. Perhaps the best compliment my ex ever gave me was when she said to my youngest, “You are cheaper than your father”.

As an aside, you have a problem spouse when you list Nordstrom Stores as a dependent, and the IRS accepts your return.

I no longer do any property work. My knees aren’t up to the task. Sadly, even in this now robust economy there is a need for that service.

I still have empathy for folks who fall on hard times. The information I deliver can help them (if they will help themselves). The client offers more money if I sit down and counsel people. 

Sorry, no. That opens a whole can of worms with Colorado laws. The client doesn’t think so but I know better. Plus, I plain don’t want to do it. If they want to replace me with someone else, no hard feelings.

As for those who are financially stupid, tough shit. Learn some financial discipline. When you are an adult, participation trophies aren’t free.

Friday, September 7, 2018

Dodged A Bullet

In 2008 these two tried to hire me. One hell of an offer.Politely declined. So glad now.

https://www.greeleytribune.com/news/former-greeley-car-dealer-pleads-not-guilty-in-human-trafficking-case/

When something feels hinkey I walk away. Rarely have regretted it in time.

Hope these two go away forever. 

Monday, September 3, 2018

A Hail of A Business


Two major hailstorms have hit this area this summer and the roofers, insurance adjusters, hail repair specialists, and windshield installers are swamped.

There must be two dozen hail repair operations set up on parking lots around town. Interesting folks. Most are from out of state. One bunch is from Greenville, S.C. and are in their fifth year working our area in the summer.






I enjoyed chatting with them as they give off a car salesman type vibe. Friendly, but they mean business, and quick to get the point.



In the years I worked in car sales, I never worked at a place that got hit with damaging hail. What were the odds?

One told me a hail repair can run from $3,000 to $10,000+.

Windshield are a problem. There are not enough in stock. One company, tired of the congestion and dealing with the City and County of Denver (one and the same) built a large distribution center near the Loveland/Ft Collins airport last winter. Now they are enjoying the fruits of their foresight.

My sister, the insurance adjuster, and her office are slammed. This is in addition to their normal workload. Some are very unpleasant. Last week she was at the scene of a fatality near Casper, WY.

A close friend of hers, who she mentors, is working the Greyhound bus head-on collision in New Mexico.

Moving on, a local has about three acres of old Volkswagens. Don’t know much about his operation as it isn’t a make that interests me. He is next to a John Deere dealer that must have 50 tractors in stock along with other ag equipment.



People survive in many ways. This man makes a living out of the apartment complex’s dumpsters around town.


WSF, you go traveling down some weird paths. True, and the voices in my head keep talking shit about me like I’m not even here.

Sunday, September 2, 2018

Latter Day Luddite Seeks Advice

While you can't beat the price, Blogger is becoming an irritant. Seems every time they decide on changes, the five or six readers of this blog have problems posting comments. Then I wader around the settings page making things worse.

I'm thinking of going to WordPress. Any advice or insight you may offer will be appreciated.

Other places?