Courts Are Our Last Resort

 Hurrah for three branches of government and courts

A huge wind farm blocked by lawsuits from local residents near Tie Siding, WY.

Wind

This will be long and ugly. If the Orange Man wins, this will probably be abandoned.

Dr Jim may remember this Tie Siding sight.

Pissing Contest

A fight to rename Wyoming’s Devils Tower to something else.

Not so fast

An example of woke bureaucratic mind set.

The committee urges Haaland to "take action" to rename Devils Tower as Bear Lodge, suggesting she has unilateral authority to do so. The recommendation claims the Secretary of the Interior can rename a geographic feature if the U.S. Board of Geographic Names "does not act within a reasonable time" when a proposal is submitted.

Small problem. Way back Wyoming carved an exception. Nothing can change without Congressional approval.

Local Politics

Lauren Bobert wins her Primary race. Sister Kink goes down in flames.

Ms. Bobert switched Congressional Districts and handily won the Primary over five other (entrenched Republicans). The Donkey winner is a certified leftist. The District has been a Republican seat for the past 5+ elections. Since Uniparty Ken Buck resigned early, a place keeper was elected to serve out his term.

Sister Kink only drew about 1/3^rd of the vote. I doubt she will just fade away.

The winner, Perry Buck, is an entrenched Republican. That said, she is a decent person.

As always, YMMV

 

Old Pilots, and Bold Pilots - You Decide

 

A fatal plane crash at the airport where I learned to fly  many years ago caught my attention. Yes, I’m going to second guess the deceased.

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From the article.

The flight data shows the aircraft circling in the vicinity of the airport for 25 minutes before the crash.

The Steamboat airport is tricky. North-South oriented, it is 4,500’ x 100’ with a nasty drop off on both ends. There is a high ridge to the East and a mountain to the South. That said, less than twenty miles West is the Yampa Valley Regional 10,000’ x 150’ with clear approaches.  Twenty miles beyond that is the airport at Craig 5,600’ x 100’. If the pilot had enough altitude to circle for 25 minutes, he certainly could have reached either airport.

Model Citizen – DUI not withstanding?

Drunks

Sadly, am all too common story. At least he didn’t kill anyone.

Wolves, Again

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What is missing is wolves take the easiest prey available. Like domestic calves. What is also missing is wolves don’t have boundaries and will leave National Parks as they please. 

Sister Kink and Hardball Politics

As I’ve written before, I was once her boss. I recommended her for manager of a used car lot we opened in Windsor, CO. There, she became acquainted with Dudley Brown, founder of the Rocky Mountain Guns Owners. She successfully won two terms in the Colorado House of representatives. Term limited, she won an at large Weld County Commissioner. She lost her try during the primary to run for the newly created US House of Representatives seat. Now she is up for re-election. Her opponent is a GOP insider, former wife of Ken Buck, a five term Congressman who decided not to run again.

That picture is certainly unflattering.

My calling her Sister Kink has nothing to do with sex. I never knew, or cared, about her personal life. What griped my ass was her insistence in putting some twisted kink in every car deal. Not illegal, but also unnecessary.

My point of view was; people come to the car lot to buy a car. Let them!

Lori seemed to need to complicate every deal. I should add Lori didn’t appreciate my management style.  In that she had a lot of company. The owner wasn’t a fan of my management style but was a fan of my results.

Will I vote for her? Likely. An outsider with attitude vs the comfortably entrenched appeals to me.

Well Cared For

Pita is one of Banner’s neighbors. She rides around like a queen and ignores Banner. He shrugs, as three other female dogs in the building are all over him when they get the chance.

As always, YMMV

 

It is For Your Own Good, Deplorable

 

                                                What passes for a Double Stack

Inflation as a World Dominance Tool

We in the USA are too overweight and consume far more than our ‘share’ of the world’s resources. So say academicians and the ultra wealthy supported by settled science (studies they funded) per WSF’s conspiracy theory.

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The solution involves inflation. While benefiting the Federal Reserve ponzi and enriching hedge fund operators, the goal is making food, and daily needs so expensive relative to incomes people will get thinner and consume less resources.

The elites will, of course, have a carve out. Someone needs to stay healthy and have time to oversee the bulk of humanity.

Disclaimer: None of this is original thinking on my part. 1984, Animal Farm, and other books do a better job.

Why does socialism have such an appeal to the college crowd? Part of nearly all curriculum includes reading Edward Bellamy’s “Looking Backwards”.

 If you have read this far without vomiting, thank you for your patience.

Colorado Politics

Despite outward appearances, I don’t think Colorado is deep blue. If it were, why are the (P)regressives hell  bent on shutting up any opposition?

Censors

Little help from the so called Republicans will be forthcoming. They so much love their circular firing squad; they don’t offer any coherent opposition. Jon Caldara, a person I admire, offers an explanation.

Caldara

We have two more years of Emperor Polis (unless he is our next Vice President). Just maybe enough Republicans will pull their heads out of their asses and put together a slate of candidates who are not bat shit crazy and turn Colorado pink, if not red.  I won’t be holding my breath.

Greater Idaho

Since most counties in Eastern Oregon have, by vote, said they want to leave Oregon, will that happen? Will Eastern Washington follow? Does Idaho even want them?

The Weld County, WY movement is dormant, for now. One of many problems is the question, why would Wyoming (population 500,000) want Weld County (population 300,000) with many residents who don’t share Wyoming values?

No Shit, Sherlock

A significant study reveals that plant-based ultra-processed foods are linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, suggesting a need for dietary shifts towards less processed options.

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Explains Current Events?

Stay Alert

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil

walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1 Peter 5:8 NKJV

 

Big Boy

As frequent readers know I’m a big steam engine fan. The Union Pacific has announced an expanded 2024 tour to include the Midwest. 

4014

The logistics of these trips are staggering. All water  towers are long gone. Often the UP partners with local fire departments to fill the tender. Diesel locomotives are included, primarily for braking. Spare parts for the passenger car obsolete brakes are long gone.

 As always, YMMV

We're from the Government, and we're here to help you

 

You Dirt People Don’t Know What is Good for You

Since you can’t be trusted to vote for the proper candidates, we need to insure your vote doesn’t matter. Really, it is for your own good! We know better.

Grass Greener Elsewhere?

The Mary Jane sellers in Colorado are hurting. Lots of reasons as detailed in this article. Burdensome regulation and high taxes hurts all business endeavors.

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No Fool Like an Old Fool

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Probable Search and Rescue Call Out

Office of Emergency Management, San Juan County Colorado

sntSpeorodgi2em8t10PJu7t6g2nf2c556fm 9267461:Mh71 0 a2 15aa0  · 

Issued:
Jun 5, 2024 at 3:00 PM
Special Avalanche Advisory
A Special Avalanche Advisory is in effect for Colorado’s high country through Sunday, June 9. Several large and destructive wet avalanches occurred on Wednesday. With near-record temperatures on Thursday, June 6, and Friday, June 7, more large wet avalanches are expected. Change your travel plans to avoid steep slopes if surface crusts become unsupportable and you sink into wet, unconsolidated snow or you hear collapsing sounds. These are not normal conditions for early June. Adjust your objectives accordingly. Via Colorado Avalanche Information Center - CAIC 

Adventures in Taste

One personal change with age is less enjoyment of taste. When reading of LL’s descriptions of burritos and tacos, or K de T’s discussing drinks, the interest is there but relating isn’t. Never a gourmet, today food is more like fuel. Add missing teeth to add to the problem.

 Circa 1965, we G.I.s drank 4 DM a liter cognac. Someone once gave me a taste of 5 star cognac. Shrug. Peasant.

Each night I wash down 1500mg Acetaminophen with a gin and tonic plus a splash of generic lime juice. My gin comes off the bottom shelf, usually around $14-16 a large bottle. On the top shelf the same size runs $45-60 a bottle.

Do I suffer any angst being cheap? Hell no!

Water Walking

One City facility offers a “lazy river” feature.  Hourglass shaped and 3’ deep, the current is fairly strong. Since the first of the month I’ve been using it most days and the results are encouraging. I’m walking better and my knee pain has lessened.

Poor Banner hates being alone in the apartment and it is now too hot for him to stay in the car (where he is quite content). Two neighbor ladies take turns hosting him for an hour or so. He cowboys up and manfully tolerate staying with them.  The ladies assure me they don’t spoil him.

War on Coal – Wyoming Focus

I like this lady and appreciate her suggestion Boulder, CO show the way to a carbon free world.

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 Abused Dog

My oldest son needed a good ass chewing. I used the cell phone. Banner was lying on his day bed nearby. When I went to feed him breakfast he was afraid to come to his bowl. It took several minutes of petting, a short walk, and treats before he realized he wasn’t the one in trouble and became his normal happy state.

Back story. My oldest, 51, has always been autistic. He is fairly high functioning. For several years he has had a cell phone I pay for with unlimited minutes (which he uses, and uses, and uses). May 12^th, due to a change of credit cards used to pay the account, his phone was off for six whole hours. Since then he has sent me one to three emails a day about the %#%$%^&* phone.  During this time I have explained, over and over, the problem is solved and is not likely to reoccur. So he starts off my Sunday morning with a email saving he is worried about June 12^th and his phone not working.

I called him and ripped him a new asshole. Autistic or not, when his behavior becomes disrespectful, he relishes pissing and moaning, and using Dad as a punching bag, he needs reminding just who he is communicating with. Poor Banner got caught in the blast.

Hail Hell

This is becoming one of the worst Springs in recent years for destructive storms along the Front Range and the High Plains. Last week DIA got hit. Sunday the hail repair specialists had their tents set up in the rental car lots. Sisty tells me Manheim Auto Auction, about eight miles SSE of FIA, has some 4,200 vehicles with hail damage.

Car dealers have two basic choices. Pay through the nose for hail insurance, or gamble. Vehicles with hail damage claims get “salvage” titles. The others? Think many nefarious ways to fix them and sell them without disclosing the damage.

One dealer I know bought them cheap and sold them cheap. All sales, cash. The buyers went to their own financial institutions, got loans, and came back with the cash. AS IS……

Pro Tip: When shopping wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Invest in a cheap mirror with a handle. Bring a flashlight. Always, always wiggle under the dash and use the flashlight and mirror to look for mud and/or water marks. I’ve seen “flood cars” so detailed all traces were gone. The inside of the dash can only be cleaned by removing it. Then, since you are already dirty, look under the vehicle for intact exhaust systems and rust.

Truck frames should be looked at closely. Some have C frame and some have boxed frames. Toyotas with box frames are especially prone to rusting from the inside out. Frames nicely coated are, to me, a red flag. Any sign of rust or fresh undercoating is a signal to have an independent mechanic put the truck on a lift and closely examine it, at your expense. If the seller refuses, walk away.

Veterans Administration

Sorry about these. Maybe someday I'll learn how to remove pictures posted in the wrong place.

6/10 had my annual VA physician visit. I think it is mainly to prove I’m still alive. It must have gone well as I now have an appointment next year.

BP 120/80 Oxygen 92%. Is that too shabby for someone who will turn 80 next month? What is satisfying is I’ve outlived most of my enemies.

Some prescription medicines are all I rely on from the VA. That saves me about $800 a year.

As always, YMMV

Direct Action Anniversary 6/4/2004

 Heemeyer made a statement

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Gaza Pier

The greenest Army 12C (Bridge crew member) could have told the dumb fucks in charge that lash up was doomed from the start.

What is needed, and it takes time, is the facilities at Prudhoe Bay.

Weir

I speak with a modicum of knowledge having been a combat engineer in the 814^th Engineer Company (Float Bridge) and a project flunky (aka supervisor) for General Construction Company building the start of the Prudhoe facility.

Used Cars – the Movie

A favorite scene at the 1:00 mark.

Died with the dip in hand

Foiled – Small Town Story

No free breakfast for you!

Steamboat Springs, CO had a town character everyone called, “Snowball”. A small man, allegedly suffering from shellshock, he made a living doing chores, shoveling snow, digging graves as needed, tending furnaces, and generally making himself useful. He lived in the town’s cheap hotel and avoided bathing.

One morning while having breakfast at the Waffle Shack, he saw a transient scamming the owner by presenting a $100 bill to pay for his breakfast.

“I don’t have change for something that big this time of the morning”, said the owner.

“Guess my breakfast is free”, said the asshat with a big grin.

Snowball approached, started unpinning money from inside his coat, and broke the Benjamin. Said asshat suddenly found a $10 bill. Then he met another patron, an off duty county deputy, and his morning suddenly went South.

A standing family joke involved a winter coat. Every time my Dad bought a new winter coat, Snowball would soon buy an identical coat. My Dad wasn’t flattered.

Colorado Primary 6/25/2024

Ballots have been mailed. Dark money (P)regressive PACs have been promoted the most extreme right wing Republicans, a strategy they have employed before. SSDD.

 As usual, YMMV

 

 

A Semi-Coherent Hodge .Podge Post

Denver’s Ugly Sister, Shoplifters, and Food Deserts

Aurora borders Denver’s east side. It is divided between two counties which complicates many government functions. The current mayor is Mike Coffman, one of a few politicians I admire. This is a recent Falsebook post.

 An Alternative to the Closure of Walmart's Neighborhood Market

Lots of handwringing going on about the upcoming June 7th closure of the Walmart Neighborhood Market, located at 10400 E. Colfax Avenue, in Northwest Aurora.

So-called community activists are complaining that the Walmart Neighborhood Market is the only option in the area and how the surrounding neighborhoods will now become a "food desert" without any fresh food options.

I went up to the area yesterday afternoon and that couldn't be further from the truth. Less than a block away, at 10777 E. Colfax Avenue, is "Lowe's Mercado" which is a much larger, welcoming, and a remarkably clean grocery store.

Lowe's Mercado was originally established to serve the Hispanic immigrant community but has since evolved to welcome everyone with an amazing selection of fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats. All of their signs and advertising are in both Spanish and English.

A key difference between Lowe's Mercado and Walmart's Neighborhood Market is that Walmart has a reputation for being tolerant of shop lifting while Lowe's Mercado's policies don't tolerate it. The difference is probably the biggest reason why Lowe's Mercado can be successful, and Walmart was not, while operating in the same area.

No doubt, there will be individuals who will be negatively impacted by the closure of the Walmart Neighborhood Market at Havana and Colfax, and they will be the shoppers who routinely fill their carts up and walk out of the Walmart store without paying. Good luck trying that at Lowe's Mercado.

In the photo are Lowe's Mercado Store Manager Luis Guereca and Assistant Manager Lupita Pinzon during my visit yesterday.

 

 If you are arrested for stealing a car in Denver you get released on a personal recognizance bond. Get arrested in Aurora and you go to jail, then bond out on a cash bond. Upon conviction, spend 180 days in jail. The incoming mayor is continuing Mike’s policies. Aurora’s city council was dominated by “wokes”. No longer. Aurora has a large legal immigrant population. Those who have obtained citizenship are not supporting (P)regressives anymore.

 Mike Coffman will make a great addition to President Trump’s Cabinet.

Bio

Choose your Petard

There is a current effort to put an initiative on the ballot to ban hunting mountain lions.

Lions

 In other news, it seems one of the wolves introduced in the state was killed by a mountain lion.

Wolves

Exercising Constitutional Rights, Vigorously, Pisses People Off

RINOs are annoyed. A long article about the influence some Deplorables have on public opinion.

Wyoming Politics

This long article is, to me, an example of good journalism all too rare today.

Should Have Used Taylor Swift Singing

Heavy Metal bear deterrent.

Snark

Lightning

From a Falsebook posting.

Lightning struck at a ranch in Jackson County Saturday, killing the rancher and 34 head of cattle. 51-year-old Mike Morgan had just finished branding his cattle and was starting to feed them when the lightning struck and killed him, according to Jackson County Coroner George Crocket.

Crocket said the storm blew in just northwest of Rand, and the lightning knocked 100 head of cattle off their feet, with 34 of them dying.

The call came in to Jackson County dispatch at 2:08 p.m.

Our condolences to the Morgan family.

We are also hearing of ranchers in the area and from neighboring counties gathering to help bury the cattle that died.

In my teens I worked the hay fields within a few miles of where this happened.

My mother was struck twice in her lifetime, likely near miss; not direct hits. Sisty’s American Saddle Bred horse was killed by lightning. He was found dead in a pasture. None of the other horses seemed to be harmed.

A Spot of Clear Thinking

The Law Dog blog author’s post, “Because We Are Here, Lad” is worth your time.

Don’t Be a Dude

Wearing a cowboy hat in the West is a serious matter. Per one ‘expert’.

“Black hats are for villains, white for good guys, grey for people who shoot the train robber but keep the money.”

Cowboy up

Memorial Day

Not a day I spend socializing or doing “things”. To me, a day of reflection. The picture is from today’s Memorial remembrance conducting by American Legion Post 44, Steamboat Springs, CO.

Organized in 1919-20 and named after Leo Hill, the first townsman killed in WWI, it survives. I’ve paid due for many years although never an active member. It clearly shows the schism between the ‘locals’ and the trust fund snots. Not too many trust fund snots present.

That scene was replayed thousands of times across the country.

 For those who might sneer at the gray beards and pot bellies of the honor guard, have no doubt they can still load, maneuver, and smoke your ass. Maybe not for long, but long enough to get the job done.

Chinese Products

When I first moved into my current place five+ years ago I bought two cheap nightlights at the Dollar Store. Other than power outages, they have been burning 24/7/365. While I might like to replace them with something more decorative, I’m too cheap to toss something that is still working.

True Believers

My neighbor down the hall is a fanatical Democrat true believer. A LA Chicano, he and his wife participated in Cesar Chavez’s farm worker marches back in the day. He is a retired high school principal. There is no dialogue with the man. Any opposing views he shouts down. What amazes me is he won’t accept any criticism  of Biden. Scary, an educated person who ignores reality. I asked him, “Do you have more money in your pocket now than three years ago?”  He was emphatic, “Yes”.  I didn’t ask him why his wife is a frequent visitor to our community food sharing table.

Another Good Idea with Evil Potential – SAR

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Just because we are paranoid doesn’t mean we don’t have reasons to be.

As Always, YMMV