Colorado Weather - Beware

 Springtime in the Rockies

My maternal grandfather would always say, “I don’t care if you go naked, bring all the clothes you got”. Toponas, CO circa 1956 an April blizzard shut down both the highway and railroad for four days.

For today, Banner is enjoying his sunbath on the balcony.

A Colorado government program that actually works as intended?

Works more or less as intended. It hasn’t been hijacked (yet) by (P)regressives.

MORE

Volunteer funding by people who are bad at math is a great idea, IMO, and I am one of the volunteers.

Faster than a speeding train

Banner hearing the refrigerator door open

Drones

My sister in an independent insurance adjuster who is often called to investigate truck wrecks in Wyoming and Nebraska. Most are on I-80 and she must contend with traffic speeding by. She is exploring using drones but is hampered by Wyoming winds. More experience will lead to better results. I’m all in favor of anything that lowers her risks.

My criminality thwarted

Recently I parked across the street from the barber shop and jaywalked. Haircut complete, walked up to the curb with car keys in hand and waited for traffic to clear. A Greeley police car pulled up behind my car and sat there until I walked up to the corner and pressed the crosswalk button before moving on. Oh well, exercise is good.

Francis Scott Key Bridge failure

Disclaimer. I’ve no knowledge or experience in ship handling. What surprised me was the damage to one structural support could bring down so much of the bridge. Was that because of faulty engineering? From available pictures it appears the structural steel portion collapsed.

 Some sixty years ago the Army spent several weeks teaching a few of us the rudiments of destroying structures. We were taught bridges have built in shear points. Failure of one portion would be isolated from the rest of the bridge. We were taught to look for these shear points and exploit them.  An example used in our instruction was the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen.

Just to be clear, only enough of the bridge remained intact enough to get troops across to secure a defensible bridge head. Soon a float bridge was across that could support heavy vehicle.

Californication guide

TABOR

Colorado is unique in having passed a Constitution amendment called the Taxpayers Bill of Rights. Two important points are all tax increases must be subject to a vote by the taxpayers and excess taxes collected be returned to the taxpayer. ($800 this year).

IMO, this is the only thing preventing total Californication by (P)regressives. Recently a water district got a TABOR smack down. 

MORE

By national standards home taxes in Colorado are among the lowest in the country. Without TABOR Portland, OR will happen. Portland? Median home value is taxed at $14,000+ annually.

Spendthrift politicians are always seeking ways to get around TABOR. Fees are popular.  For those interested, here is a long and somewhat arcane explanation.

MORE

 As always, YMMV

Ignored Colorado

 

When many people think of Colorado they envision 14,000’ mountains, deep canyons, and skiing. What they don’t realize half the state lies east of the mountains and is mainly high plains. There is much to see but you need to make an effort. The mountains are in your face.

Between my years in the car biz and my present work, I’ve spent a lot of time and driven a lot of miles in the plains.

The people are a hardy lot; they need to be. Many are of German, Mexican, Germans from Russia, and Slovak descent. They are Trump supporters and the (P)regressive and trust fund snots try to ignore them.

Rural Yard Art

What is slimeball Bill Gates up to now?

Are the environazis changing their view on nuclear energy? Looking for another public stranglehold?

MORE

Environazis, Colorado chapter, want a “conversation” about gas and oil

MORE

My guess is many people in Colorado are tired of their posturing and they are losing popular support (and donors, especially donors). Solution? Bitch louder.

Visiting Colorado in the near future? Be prepared, those all season tires won’t get you anywhere but stuck.

MORE

New ways Climate Change will kill us, infectious diseases.

MORE

Isn’t it more rational to recognize the climate will always be changing and to prepare for the change.

Can’t drive for shit club meeting

Pass by this body shop most Sunday mornings. There is usually double the number of cars parked across the street Sunday mornings.

Guardian dogs

Old friends are Routt County ranchers. In their late seventies, they still  do ranch work but are leaving more and more to their son who is now the 4^th generation rancher on a 100+ year old ranch. Several years ago they started using livestock guardian dogs.

MORE

My knowledge of livestock dogs ends with border collies.

They have preserved their ranch against the trust fund snots invasion but are surrounded by recreationists of all stripes, hence their efforts to possibly educate people.

 My friends assure me that a .30-.06 round three inches over interloper heads is no longer acceptable.

 As always, YMMV

Slippery slope to serfdom. It is here.

 China Model and the end our freedom

It starts with your new automobile purchase. This lawyer lays it out in 20 minutes worth watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwaVO1sPFi8&ab_channel=HamptonLaw

I, for one, will never buy a vehicle with this technology.

 

As always, YMMV

Colorado Politics and Low Humor - Read at Your Own Peril

(P)gressive bastardy (Sorry, oxymoron)

Several things going on in Colorado now and planned for the future.

First, having the public hear what affects their future is irritating so let’s plan it in secrete. Emperor Polis signed into law a bill to do just that.

MORE

and  MORE

Next, raise the cost of renting a car by $3 a day to fund Front Range and Mountain rail Federal grant monies. 

MORE

Brilliant! All those visitors don’t vote in Colorado.

Environazis and trust fund snots (but I repeat myself) know more about proper animal husbandry that those doing it, wolves subset.

MORE

Sideshow. 

Rep. Ken Buck (R) CO 4^th is a piece of work. For years he has made a great living as the Uniparty’s loyal opposition. As a founding member of the ”Freedom Caucus” he manages the headlines while undermining the results. He often appears on American Mainstream Maggot (h/t BZ) television shows to give, “fair and balanced” optics. Not content to decline running for re-election he is resigning this month. This will trigger a special election that roils the upcoming primary election. Well done, blivet! (Blivit. Two pounds of shit in a one pound bag.) 

MORE

Other states have falling acorns. Wyoming has fowl play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKmnJgXyZpU&ab_channel=NBCNews

MORE

Is this why Virtual Mirage relocated to remote Arizona?

MORE

Now we have a clue. Discrete contacts? 

Are some now clients? Probably best not to ‘probe’ too deeply.

As always, YMMV

True, WSF has too much time on his hands and an internet connection.

Half Baked Ideas on Civil Insurrection and F**k the Government

 

Drones 

Like any technology, there are good outcomes and bad outcomes.

Here we have a good outcome and potentially a life saved.

MORE

The negative? Any outdoor personal privacy we may have enjoyed is now gone. Wars are now being fought in ways that challenge long held tactics and philosophies. Civil insurrection? SloJo doesn’t need F-16s.

What electronic counter measures can civilians use? Jammers? What thermal shielding is readily available? Since most drones will have an electronic link to an operator, can that link be traced back to the operator? Neutralize the operator?

The Weld County, CO Sheriff’s department is investing in drones and conduct frequent training days. They publicize these training days on Falsebook, among other places.

Why take action?  Full throttle!

If it doesn’t fix the problem, it’ll end the suspense. h/t Rory Irish, Moab, UT

Whiskey Rebellion tradition lives on?

The Whiskey Rebellion (also known as the Whiskey Insurrection) was a violent tax protest in the United States beginning in 1791 and ending in 1794 during the presidency of George Washington. The so-called "whiskey tax" was the first tax imposed on a domestic product by the newly formed federal government.

Smugglers

MORE

Law breakers or entrepreneurs? 

Wamsetter, WY

IMO, one of the bleakest places I know. Live there? No amount of money would make me live there. That said, mega amounts of natural gas money is invested there and more is coming.

MORE

Does anyone else see the irony of the wealthy betting on a big California market for natural gas when the state legislators seem hell bent on their “green” agenda.

(P)regressive Barf

If you can stomach reading this, here is leftist Trump hate spew about keeping Trump off the Colorado Ballot.

MORE

Do these people live in an alternate universe, or do I? What real problem solutions were left unfunded with this waste of taxpayer's money?

Tough Call

Lick the bacon grease from the saucer or the eggs and cheese residual from the bowl first?

 As always, YMMV

Another Sailor Gone

 Sad news today, John Coffey has died. He infrequently blogged as Coffypot.

John was a survivor of the USS Frank E. Evans sinking as the result of colliding with an aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War. 

The sinking occurred more than fifty miles from Vietnam so the casualties were never accorded a place on the wall. John and other survivors worked hard for many years to correct that oversight without success.

R.I.P John.

Freedom is scary, deal with it*

 

*John H. Bryan, Esq.

Does an old fool ever mellow?

Recently, visited a grocery store that stocks Anasazi Beans, which was my only reason for being there. Outside on the public sidewalk, in front of the store, was a man soliciting signatures for a ballot petition. He was being berated by a 'uniformed' security employee. The petition gatherer was calling 911.

After making my purchases and returning to my vehicle, I noticed a city policeman and the security employee talking to the petition gatherer. Naturally I stopped and signed the petition. The security employee started to say something and I turned and said, “This is a public sidewalk open to the public. Fuck off!” The city policeman said not a word.

Do you think I should have asked what the petition was for?

To add to the rant, I don’t like seeing policemen geared up like some Special Warfare operator. I get even more irritated when I see some ‘security employee’ emulating a police officer.

As always, YMMV

 

 

 

 

Kindness of Strangers - the Dog

 Dog Preparations

Easy prepping for Banner. Neighbors keep stopping by with dog treats. Blasted dog now has at least a two month supply. Last week, bringing a 40 lb bag of dog food past several neighbors gathered in the lobby, I had to stop and answer questions. Finally put an end to the interrogations by saving, “Banner can’t live by treats alone”.

Boondoggle Green Wet Dreams

5280: You’ve studied rail, in all its forms, for most of your adult life. Do you see benefits of high-speed rail in a place like Colorado?

Randal O’Toole: None, really. The benefit is to political egos. That’s it. These are ego projects

Long article Colorado Front Range specific.

MORE

Right now Metro Denver light rail is losing money. The only passenger train that breaks even is the weekend Denver-Winter Park Ski Train. The only year around long term financial success is the Pikes Peak Cog Railroad.

Stirring the pot – a favorite pastime

We of the anti (P)regressive political spectrum are derided by the (P)regressives for our resistance to their agenda. The Supreme Court’s Bruen 2^nd Amendment decision has the (P)regressives feverishly passing firearm laws that even a non lawyer can see are unconstitutional, all in defiance of the Supreme Court, all the while screaming, “We won’t comply”.

Am I alone in seeing the irony?

Why yes, I’ve always been a malcontent

The A.I.T. Engineer Company we survived circa 1963 had a permanent party SP 4 who enjoyed messing with us trainees. He was among his other duties the Mail Clerk. Towards the end of the cycle we received our orders for our next destination. Said clerk, at Revile, made a speech about how we were to inform all our contacts of our new address. He emphasized he didn’t want to be forwarding our mail; his time was too important!

In the classified ads in some tattered magazine being passed around was an advertisement. For $2.00, they would get your name on 10,000 mailing lists. Two years later I was still getting junk mail forwarded from Ft Leonard Wood. Did I share my idea with others in my platoon? Does a bear………..

Another memory of that time were trainees designated acting NCOs. They wore a blue arm band with chevrons and had to be treated by the rest of us like they were real NCOs. Some let their egos get out of hand, forgetting once the cycle was over they went back to being privates. That was payback time. Were the permanent personnel going to take issue? Hell no! Just ship the malcontents out and let their next duty station deal with them. Army tradition.

In my time in the Green Machine, the only branch to approach engineers in mean, nasty, fuck you behavior were the cannon cockers.

Colorado Wolves

Long article in the Steamboat Springs, CO newspaper reporting a leap year day meeting.

MORE

What caught my attention was Patrick Stanko’s name mentioned several times. That was no surprise. He comes from a long line of community leaders. His parents are some of my oldest friends.

“I have heard it all 100 times,” said Jackson County rancher Dave Gittleson after the meeting.

I doubt many minds were changed at that meeting! I was impressed by what I found to be a news article with no apparent agenda other than reporting the facts.

Related, the Colorado Parks and Wildlife have an ongoing and growing problem with mountain lions. Trust fund snot’s values vs reality when Fluffy disappears from their backyard. Long article here.

MORE

$20 Happy Meal soon?

Jon Caldera examines the restaurant business in Denver. Soon,  Colofornia will share more wallet paMORE

Product Endorsement

A friend gave me this to try out. While not a miracle or a cure, it does ease my joint pains. One complaint. Getting the cap off was a bitch.

President Election

Nailed it.

As always, YMMV

ADDENDUM

My computer skills are lacking. Try these links.

MORE

MORE