Bumbling Around

 

Salesmanship

The Taurus I purchased had good tires but were not adequate for the conditions I drive in; unplowed icy rutted residential streets and/or dirt country roads (often muddy). Happy with the Firestones on the Buick I was disappointed to find their price has gone up 30%. Further, the manager of the store has moved on and the current group doesn’t impress me.

Doing some research I found Falken WINTERPEAK F-ICE 1. The reviews were good so I called the local store (Peerless). The manager said,

 “We sell a lot of them to rural mail carriers”.

Sold!

So far the tires are everything I wanted and handle the conditions as well or better than the Firestones.

I’d have voted for him    

100 Years Ago, for the fourth week of January 1923, from the pages of the Greeley Tribune-Republican newspaper:

• A County Judge in western Colorado was arrested this week for selling illegal bootleg whiskey to high school boys. Judge Michael Welsh is in jail today after sheriff’s deputies discovered he was selling the illegal liquor to high school boys. The boys were regular customers of the judge and came to his house regularly to purchase the illegal booze.

ODD: Oppositional Defiant Disorder  

Thanks to LL, Virtual Mirage, I now know what I have had for a lifetime. The problem? I like my disorder.

Loathing (P)regressives  

Colorado is unique in having in the State Constitution a Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR), a political bulwark preventing the complete Californication of Colorado. To get around it the (P)regressives enact “fees”. An example, from registering a newly purchased vehicle.

Where is all that money going? Roads? The only decent roads in Colorado are in Boulder County, IMO, and I have driven corners to corners and boarders to borders at one time or another.

Frayed Man Card  

In the past few weeks I’ve started making, and carrying through, mature and logical decisions. With a h/t to the Detroit SCCA, my whole life has been, “Press on Regardless”. Worse, I’m now almost diligent in following medical instructions. Further fraying comes from reading and following instructions.

This is difficult. I’ve been tested for patience, and am negative. Trying to be more flexible I resist, “If your only tool is a hammer……..”

Bastards Never Stop

Colorado Democrats prepare ban on assault weapon sales

Fort Collins lawmaker said public safety is his top priority

Bruen Decision? (P)regressives say, “Fuck you, we make our own laws”.

Banner Approved

He likes the new ride. The back seat is different from the Buick and he is able to put his nose between the front seats on my right shoulder; yes, a back seat driver.

Snowpack

Good news so far for next summer’s water. Only the Arkansas River drainage is below average. My rancher friends in Steamboat Springs say the snow was over the 4^th wire on their fences but has settled to a three wire. Another two good storms should put the snow over the fence posts.

The deep snow is hard on the elk and deer population and likely will cause above average winter kill.

Coach Prime Time

The University of Colorado hiring Deion Sanders to run the football program is creating a big buzz. While I’m no Buffalo fan, for the sake of friends and neighbors who are, I hope this doesn’t turn out to be another Russell Wilson/Denver Bronco fiasco. Since the Buffs won just one game last year he can’t do much worse.

Good luck to him and the people he is bringing with him as they navigate the Boulder housing market. Can you say, “sticker shock?”

The Emperor has No Clothes

Polis busted for bogus crime rate claim, Colorado 2nd in FBI stats for property crimes

The Denver Gazette fact-checked Polis’s claim that Colorado falls in “the middle of the pack on crime rates,” and discovered that Colorado’s crime rate is higher than the national average.

According to the FBI, only Washington, D.C. had a higher property crime estimate than Colorado.

We are #2

 Gov. Polis and Democrat lawmakers campaigned for reelection on their alleged accomplishments of reducing the cost of healthcare in Colorado.

 

Our health care premiums saw the second largest increase nationwide!

Private health insurance premiums rose higher in Colorado for 2023 than every state except for one.

Axios Denver reports Georgia came in first place with premium spikes as high as 20%, followed by Colorado with a soaring increase as high as 19.6%.

The nationwide average increase for health insurance premiums in 2023 is 4%.

For those who excelled in the study of equity and inclusion but must Google simple math — those numbers suck.

 

h/t Colorado Peak Politics

 Win, win, win 

First win. The lady who sold me the Taurus had a stress free sale with cash in her hand. Second win. I now have a nice car at a very reasonable price. Third win. The Buick went to a very decent couple who are struggling. The wife is caring for her elderly mother who lives off a dirt road thirty miles from their home with hit or miss snow plowing. The Buick is a tank in those conditions so their primary vehicle can stay with her husband.

Firearms rant

The motives of those politicians calling for “GUN CONTROL” are, to me, highly suspect. A few are undoubtedly sincere but most are just posturing. They know what they are proposing won’t work, is likely unconstitutional, and unenforceable.

“Look, we are doing something!!!!”

The harm is the distraction from other, serious problems that aren’t addressed because of the time spent posturing. Nice way to deflect attention from their lack of accomplishments that solve real problems.

As always, YMMV.