Living in Colorado

 

Wonderful Picture

Photo taken by Jo Stanko, an old friend, from their ranch house SW of Steamboat Springs. Nothing political; just something to share. Locally that is called Sleeping Giant, officially Elk Mountain.

No, President Trump didn’t step on his pee pee

Truman famous desk plaque, “The Buck Stops Here”, applies to all Presidents. Big job, requires subordinates to deal with the minutia, and errors will be made. Given the hyper TDS infecting everything political, any chance to make the President look bad won’t be missed. Such is the case here.

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Perhaps better questions are who hired this individual in the first place, and who was his supervisor?

He has been confirmed by the Senate. Defense lawyers in Wyoming will continue their work for their clients but this will likely drop off the news cycle.

Colorado Specific

A summation of this year’s legislative super majority session by the Independence Institute is offered. In previous blog I’ve covered TABOR (Taxpayers Bill of Rights) addition to the Colorado Constitution from the 1970’s when Colorado was red. The state has a tax surplus and the (P)regressives are relentless in trying to find ways to spend it rather than return the surplus to the citizens.

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A left wing point of view.

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Brave Marine

The Veterans Administration held a, “Struggling with Technology”, help clinic in a nearby town. I decided this Latter Day Luddite should get the VA app on his phone and showed up for help.

The young volunteer was a Marine originally from Coney Island. After well over an hour and many attempts, the app is installed and working on my phone.

I suspect his next move was to find a bar and get a stiff drink.

Emperor Polis, wanna be 2028 President

He grants clemency to a man who shot at two cops, wounding one, on National Law Enforcement Memorial Day. Duh!

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He gets national notice for “pardoning” Tina Peters, Mesa County Clerk and Recorder, in prison for voting mistakes. He didn’t pardon her, he commuted her sentence. She is still a convicted felon and will be on parole for the rest of her life.

All the (P)regressives are OUTRAGED!

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He responded in a speech.

“I think this will be remembered fondly,” Polis said at The Colorado Sun’s annual legislative recap event at the University of Denver. “The nation needs to have a reconciliation and healing.

Sounding “Presidential” he continued.

“People know I’m a man of action,” he added. “I’m a bold person, I’m going to do things that I think are right, and that’s why people put me here. They want me to do things that I think are right.”

Trump Lite?

Car Story

 This isn’t a story of misadventures. Rather, one of, “If you don’t quit, you don’t lose”.

 My boss, Steve Lance, aka Little Hitler, had a vision of holding car sales in smaller towns across Colorado to promote Kia, then an obscure Korean built car. He had found a man in Indiana who was an “expert”, brought him to Colorado, purchased an RV to convert into a mobile sales office, and held the first sale in a nearby town. The sale was less than a success. The General Manager, Greg Miller and Steve brought me into an office and offered me the job of organizing these sales. Huh!

 “Tank, you are bored selling trucks”, Steve said. “You need a challenge”. We started negotiating. Imagine three stubborn men, all of whom were negotiators by trade, hammering out a position that didn’t, and had never in their experience, existed.

My demand was absolute authority. I answered to Steve and Greg only; nobody else in the organization had any authority over my actions. Rarely granted in the car biz, I demanded a monthly guarantee, win, lose or draw. I wanted expenses including a vehicle, either mine or one of the companies, to be included. After the next sale was less than successful, they agreed. What followed was several exhilarating years doing tasks that were unique and without any blueprint.

The man Steve brought in had a relationship with a man whose expertise was direct mail advertising. A problem was advertising, as the small town newspapers and radio stations were reluctant to work with us, fearing the wrath of their local dealers. With this direct mail operation, we could create and place in every mailing address or post office box an eye popping flyer that worked. Long after a sale in some town was over, people would arrive at one of our dealerships with an flyer asking, “Can you still do this?”

 “No, but we can come very close. Let us see what we can do. Hey manager”.  

Steve would tell me, “This is what I want done. This is when I want it done. This is where I want it done. Do it right, do it legal, and don’t cut corners”. Then, he only wanted to hear back that the job was done, or if not, why. For his own mental health, he preferred not knowing how I got the job done.

The Obama years were a disaster for the car biz and I moved on, drawing on my experiences in construction related activities, among other opportunities. 

 Life is simple. Get up every morning and start putting one foot in front of the other. Inertia is the enemy.

 As always, YMMV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

School Shootings

 

Aaron Cohen – Gideon – School Shootings

IMO, he is on the right track.

Gideon

That said, we need to be careful what we wish for. Once implemented, this program can be used in many ways by statists to track conservatives. Hopefully, he is building safeguards to prevent this.

Puzzling

Looking at stats, my ‘audience’ has recently tripled. Are government agencies suddenly including me in their sweeps? Will this help me get a pallet next to the stove in the re-education camp?

 I wonder, given some of the comments received, that I’m included in some algorithm sweep. My rule is no censorship unless the comment is anonymous. If someone doesn’t have the guts to put their name to a comment, it gets deleted.

 My last post now has more views then I get in a month.

I do admire bloggers who can post on one topic and make it interesting. Not me - sorry readers.

Wolves

Wolves were introduced because of a ballot initiative. A recent ballot initiative to remove them failed to gather enough signatures.

Initiative

Google search.

While maps showing voter outcomes for the original 2020 wolf reintroduction initiative exist, no map of the signers for the recent failed ballot initiative has been published. The petition drive failed to gather the necessary signatures to appear on the 2026 ballot, and the names of signers are not publicly available. 

 Other voices.

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 The official position.

CPW

The most current map CPW has released on tracking collars. Of interest, the expansion eastward into Gilpin, Boulder, and now Jefferson counties. Denver, soon?

Wolf Map

Middle of the Road

A 1960’s cartoon I wish I kept showed a man in a chair reading a newspaper and speaking to his wife. “The more my thinking turns to  the left, the more I find in common the right. I think I’m becoming a middle of the road extremist”.

 Starting in my twenties I was vehemently opposed to Nixon, Reagan, evangelicals, etc. For awhile I was a Democrat Precinct Committeeman.  Starting the late 1990’s my views started shifting.

 I loathed Clinton and his less than lovely bride. When the Lightbringer appointed Eric Holder Attorney General I was done with the Democrats.

 Examining my attitude over the years I find two constants. First, rooting for the underdogs; fighting a system that keeps them down. Second, wanting the government to keep the fuck out of my life.

 Contradictory? Oh, well.

Small Towns and Speeders

A town of fewer than 700 people writes over 2,000 speeding tickets a year. I applaud! I drive through many small towns, and I’m always slowing down. Not to avoid a ticket, but out of respect for the people who live there. Kids being kids, loose pets and/or livestock, the occasional pedestrian and people entering from side streets are a fact of life.

Speed Trap

 This town is on the route to Yellowstone which gets a lot of traffic in the summer. Sorry, tourist, do the speed limit! You are not “special”.

 There are speed trap towns, like Campo, CO. My response is to never spend any money in them.

(P)regressive Gearing up for Midterms

Colorado’s 8^th Congressional District is the newest, having formed after the last census. The first elected Representative is a Democrat. She lost the 2^nd election to a Republican. I’m in the 8^th.

Two to three times a month I’m receiving in the mail slick campaign advertisements. One was from Black Lives Matters. Recently I received one from, Climate Power Education Fund. Of interest, their address is 815 Black Lives Matter Plz NW, D.C.

 The Theme is Trump’ Tax Bill and names our current Congressman as a Trump accomplices.

 At least five Democrats have announced they will be running for the seat.

 Last election some reports peg spending at $50 million or more. 70% of the Democrat’s donations were from out of state and 67% of the Republican’s donations were from out of state.

 All this money and effort for one puissant Congressional seat makes me wonder how many more seats are getting this kind of attention and where is the money coming from?

PDJT

Of all the slings and arrows directed towards him, the one most puzzling is corruption. He will be the first President since Harry Truman to leave office poorer than when he came in.

 As always, YMMV

Chaos and Confusion

 

President Trump

Am I enjoying what is happening? Damn right I am. Will some of what he will do piss me off? Undoubtedly. There is always a human cost that will be borne by people, both innocent and guilty; their children as jobs are lost and lifestyles disrupted. Anyone who has ever been kicked to the curb, for any reason, can remember the anger and despair that follows. Therefore, I will not be gloating.

Wolves

Sheesh, WSF, don’t you ever get tired about harping about wolves. Nope. You can follow the links or skip over, your choice.

Bison

Tourists.

What, a government agency hiding information the public should know?

Shut up, Sheeple

And the fight goes on.

And she has big boobs

Immigration Wars

Denver and other Colorado cities are resisting.

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I don’t have a problem with this. While not agreeing with them, I keep in mind Civil Rights Lawyer John H. Bryan’s admonishment, “My rights don’t end where your fears begin. Freedom is scary, deal with it.”

I respect people who will put their asses on the line even when I loathe what they stand for. I really dislike those who stay on the sidelines and bitch and moan.

Climate Change “News”

How do we tax this?

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Wait! Here is a new need.

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 Taxes, takes, taxes! More taxes!

DEI Sarcasm

 Prime Time

Wal-Mart

A place seldom visited by WSF. Now there is another reason.

Backing (P)regressive content providers.

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WSF, isn’t it time for you to take your meds?

 As always, YMMV

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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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

Making Nice

See where Obama is calling for everyone to accept the results of the election blah blah blah.

My cynical and suspicious mind thinks he is laying the ground for a Gerald Ford - Richard Nixon situation. I think we all know some real ugly shit will be coming out from Shillary's emails, the Clinton RICO, and  at what level Obama is involved, just saying.

Nah, couldn't happen.

Feel The Rage

People out in the streets protesting the election.  You Tube Videos of people crying and raging. Why?

WSF, World Class Philosopher, and a legend in his own mind, has the answer.

Trump voters have had years of drip, drip, drip put downs, erosion of rights, mocking of beliefs, and one loss after another. They developed emotional scar tissue  and toughness. Finally, they found someone to rally behind who said, “It is past time for this shit to cease”.

The (P)regressives have been on a roll. A few minor setbacks but mainly “winning”. They have convinced themselves of their own righteousness. To the rest of us deplorables, it has been their way or the highway.

In one night they lost it all.  They have never experienced a loss. How dare we deplorables do this to them? They don’t know how to cope, having never needed to cope before.

Full disclosure. The mean spirited side of me is enjoying the hell out of this. Yes, I’m deficient in many Christian virtues. So, sue me.

As always YMMV.

American Media Maggots + Trump

h/t to BZ for the descriptive label for what passes for news reporting in this country.

http://bloviatingzeppelin.net/horror-all-lives-matter-on-back-of-police-cars/

Story after story has Trump doing something wrong even if the press needs to make it up (Trump has crying baby removed from rally). Trump is slipping in the polls. Blah, blah, blah. The Republican Party insiders are in a panic. Trump may drop out. If the story isn't blatantly anti-Trump, there always seems to be an undertone of glee for anything Trump negative. Obvious the "media" is frustrated that all us dummies can't be taught anything by them. Why won't we listen?

Let me say I'm not an enthusiastic Trump supporter. I'm an enthusiastic, "Anybody  but Shillary" supporter. 

Going back to the start of the primaries, the media has been saying all this crap. Didn't stop him from winning the nomination. What it does is get his name out in front of more people at no financial cost to him. Oh, isn't he dumb?

I'm spared all the TV advertising. Unless the Seahawks are on (not often in Bronco country), I don't turn it on. I'm serious. The TV hasn't been turned on for months. Comcast shoves the TV down my throat as part of my internet connection. My sympathy for those of you who must endure all those ads.

This internet gadget has screwed the media out of their monopoly. Beats the hell out of Letters to The Editor. Beats the old mimeograph tracks circulated in the 60's.  Even a grumpy old senior like myself can get his opinions out to the fifty or so readers of this blog. Many bloggers reach a thousand or more a day. Maybe that is why the (P)regressives keep bleating about "net neutrality".

Nothing brilliant here, and I'm certainly not the first to point out how the internet has castrated the American Media Maggots. I'm just hoping Trump is smart enough to use all the tools at his disposal to defeat the most corrupt politician ever to run for President.

Stinking Thinking

Could be wrong but this kind of stinking thinking goes back to the 1960's and Eldridge (Rape) Cleaver. If your cause is righteous enough (in your opinion and you rabble pack's opinion) any action you take is justified.

We see it in calls by the (P)regressives to kill Trump. Here is something "sweet" from Wild Earth Guardians types.

http://coloradopeakpolitics.com/2016/06/09/open-hunting-season-colorado-hikers-literally-targets-for-environmentalists/

So, for those of that mindset, here is my opinion. Fuck with me and I will fuck you up. YMMV

Focus Groups

All the smart people use focus groups, right? Well, except for Donald Trump.

Several decades in the retail car biz made me a cynic about focus groups. We would get called into training sessions where the car company “suits” would waste our oxygen going over the results of their latest focus groups. Since I met only two or three “suits” I would have hired for my crew I didn’t spend a lot of mental energy on their presentations.

One mean, nasty, rude and graceless manager I worked for was also the one I made the most money with.

In the sales process, the salesperson makes a presentation to the customer then returns to the “tower” (the back and forth customers “hate). The exchange would go like this.

“Boss, the customer wants, blah, blah, blah……”

Kinsman, “I don’t give a fuck what the customer WANTS. Find out what the fuckers will DO.”

Therein is the weakness of focus groups. They are “wish” forums.  And, as Art Kinsman would say, “Wish in one hand and shit in the other. See which one fills first”.

So along comes Trump (see, I do get to a point) who ignores the whole industry of tea leaf readers and their sophisticated tools and goes for the throat.

“Hey, American public, what will you do right now”?  Kinsman would have loved him.

Donald Trump's Appeal

Once again WSF goes wandering about trying to make sense. A rambling and possible nonsensical blog. You have been warned.

There have been times in our recent history when bold initiatives produced great results. Foremost is WWII and the aftermath.

The Marshall Plan in Europe along with the creation of NATO were bold and daring moves. Granted, they were motivated by the fear of Communism in general and Russia in particular, but paid off. First, Western Europe recovered economically. Second, the Europeans (who so enjoy bashing the USA) haven’t been killing off each other and dragging everyone into their periodic wars.

Putting MacArthur in charge of Japan post WWII was bold. He was a polarizing man, and a flawed human being, but he was the right man at the right time.  My late father who was in India during WWII loathed MacArthur but would admit he did the job in Japan.

What have we had since then? Half assed efforts hobbled by aversion to risk taking, and politically covering of asses.

The only bold and daring recent event I can think of was Margaret Thatcher’s Falkland Island response.  

War on Terror? Give me a break. Gutless payroll patriots and poll reading politicians running a war with more interest in focus groups polling than military history. I include flag officers in this sorry mess. A Patton? A Nimitz? A Spaatz? Don’t see much resemblance to them in the current crop. More the triumph of the REMFs. 

Which leads me to Donald Trump.  He is nothing if not bold, although I see little substance in his rhetoric. I think he is tapping into this country’s desire for bold and decisive actions and results. We are still a nation of risk takers even with the deadening hand of government bureaucracy. The group of risk takers I’m most familiar with are car dealers and wholesalers. They are all in for Trump.

Is he the right person to be president? Damned if I know. What I’m enjoying is the discomfort and outrage of the professional political class, especially RINOs, with a nod to the (P)regressives being aghast. Of course, the (P)regressives think he will only help Shillary. Perhaps, if we are fortunate, she may soon self destruct. Her ethical stench is making even hardcore (P)regressives gag.

Speaking of crazy hair, how about Trey Gowdy? That is a man I could get excited about. Seems to be one of  the few Republican with brains, guts, and tenacity. 

As always, YMMV.