Tragedy

Work takes me by obscure places off the beaten path. Today was one.  There is a nice memorial to the 1/27/2001 airplane crash that took ten lives near Byers, CO.

Detail are below for those interested.

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_State_Cowboys_basketball_team_plane_crash

Normally stoic, places like this make me choke up.

Boring

Business yesterday took me around the Nebraska Panhandle. Miles and miles of miles and miles. Not as bad as Texas, if that is a recommendation.

At least the weather was decent as was the remuneration.. 

 

Whacko Theory

 

May You Live In Interesting Times

Attributed to the Chinese, scholars claim this curse is of Western origins.

  https://grammarpartyblog.com/2020/04/07/origin-of-may-you-live-in-interesting-times/

This has so irritated the Communists running China, who feel they have been insulted, that they created the WuFlu and unleashed it.

“You want interesting times? We will give you interesting times”.

Makes as much sense as anything, don’t you agree?

In The Rear With The Gear

A grandson is in the South Carolina National Guard. Some units (MPs) are being activated and sent to some foreign hellhole. His response to my inquiry is he is assigned to the rear of the rear units; one unlikely to ever be deployed. That makes me happy!

Xiben and his woke appointees couldn’t pull off a proper guard mount inspection let alone putting their asses on the line in any manner to back up our troops.

What Goes Around Comes Around

The Mainstream Media, or as Bloviating Zeppelin labels American Mainstream Maggots, work for just a handful of companies owned and run by the rich. They, the media, report and/or slant, what they are instructed by their employers. Disagree?

They are opposed by our own 21^st Century samizdat, aka The Internet, and a few courageous individuals reporting real news, however inaccurately. From them we learn of the FBI and January 6, and the recent imported fanatic they shot down in Texas (after he served his purpose) and many other perfidious operations by our own government.

OK, WSF, where the hell is this going? Just this. Since WWII our clandestine operations all over the world has left a legacy of tried and proven means and methods to destabilize and disparage those regarded as enemies. A few those blew up for whatever reasons got some publicity but most were, and remain, buried in secure files under lock and key. Pick an Alphabet agency, your choice.

All those tried and proven methods are now being used against the citizens of the United States, IMO. The swamp, stung but not broken by President Trump, is in ascendancy.

Around the world there must be many who were on the losing side of US clandestine operations taking quiet satisfaction in seeing what goes around comes around. They are a resource, if willing to be used, as a source of knowledge of what worked against “us”.

The ugliness is just beginning. To save our Constitutional Republic, we must embrace the ugliness or just roll over.

As always, YMMV

(Securing the pad nearest the stove)

Swiped from Falsebook.

Ain't Progress Wonderful

From the local rag’s 100 years ago today.

A fire at a house in the 800 block of 16th Street was extinguish with little damage. But Greeley Fire Chief C.P. Chetwood warned residents that when they call the fire department for a fire, they should give their address. Many callers leave the telephone before giving their address.

A short lived job while in college was swing shift at an airfreight forwarder. One night the heating unit on the roof started a fire. My boss got on the phone, called the Fire Department number (pre 911) and shouted,

“The fucker is on fire! Send a truck!”

Then he hung up. I called the fire department number and gave them our address before evacuating the building.

At the time this occurred, porn movie theaters were open. Tickets were quite expensive.  Our company handled the movement of the film (way pre digital days) around the country. The film containers were labeled “Machine Parts”

A brilliant plan was hatched. Rent a projector and screen and have a movie party on the loading dock. Invitations were sent out, refreshments brought in, and the party began. Unfortunately for the host, my boss, all the films turned out to be gay men doing their thing. The “party” fizzled.

As a recently married man, I had no interest in porn movies (still don’t) so I missed the party.

As an old fart I can appreciate the many benefits of the digital age.

Predator Encounter

A few of us graybeards were taking the other evening about wildlife encounters when the topic of mountain lions came up. That stirred a memory of the closest encounter I’ve ever had with any predator. Please bear with me as I set up the scenario.

Near Brighton, CO, Barr Lake State Park is an old bison wallow turned irrigation reservoir.

https://cpw.state.co.us/placestogo/parks/barrlake

The farmer co-operative that owns it allowed the state to develop a park there. Water is king and dry years will see the reservoir drained nearly dry. During wet times a series of elevated boardwalks will have inches to feet of water under them.

In past years I lived and worked out of Brighton. For exercise I would walk the eight mile trail around the lake. One day I was on that portion of the elevated boardwalks when I heard the sound of an animal running towards me. Suddenly, around a bend about 25’ from me appeared a mountain lion, or cougar, or puma; whatever is your preference. The walkway is barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side. The lion passed directly by me with inches to spare and didn’t even slow down. It did eyeball me.

Shaken, I stood stock still, other than drawing my Charter Arms Bulldog .44 Special. I could hear the fading sounds of the mountain lion running away. Then I wondered, “What in hell could scare a lion so badly it would flee as fast as it could run?” Turning in the director the mountain lion ran I started walking with many a glance backward. I never saw anything else but when I reached my car I promptly left the park.