10:34 – Barbara is at the gym this morning, as usual on MWF. Colin is barking frequently, as is usual when Barbara is not at home. The wind is howling, as seems to be the usual here. Not surprising, considering that we’re on top of the mountain. I think I just saw a couple of cows roll by, end over end. If it’s like this year-round, I’d consider installing a wind generator. Well, not really. Even in locations with strong winds year round, the cost of wind generation is much higher than solar, and has higher ongoing maintenance costs. Wind is also all-or-nothing. One can’t install a small wind-power setup and then gradually expand it, as one can with solar.
Interesting article on the role of psychopaths in politics. Hint: politicians are, almost without exception, psychopaths. So, this coming November election, like all elections, comes down to which psychopath is going to be running things.
“So, this coming November election, like all elections, comes down to which psychopath is going to be running things.”
Or appear to be running things.
I would add that these psychopaths, or windigos, among us, can be classified at different levels of intensity; the worst of them seem to be the most successful and rise to the highest positions, but we have plenty of examples of “little windigos” in various bureaucracies, whether corporate or governmental. ‘
Somebody like Cankles or Stalin is a top-level psychopath, almost to the point where it’s not a stretch to describe them as “demonic.” Corporate examples might include people like the late Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos. And then we have the matriarchal martinets who run various departments of motor vehicles, the school committees, and the Social Security office. The rule of thumb to remember is that if a person intensely WANTS that political leadership role and is clearly willing to move heaven and earth to get it, they shouldn’t have it.
Find a remote spot and push them off a cliff. Or in front of a train.
Freezing rain and sleet cleared off finally and now we’re seeing possible evidence of the existence of a large solar body in the sky.
“pipelines”
http://xkcd.com/1649/
I like water.
emailed to me via my aunt.
THE PERFECT DAY
January 20, 2017
1. President Donald Trump and Vice-President Ted Cruz are sworn into office following a landslide victory. Gun sales fall to record low.
2.In a rare event on inauguration day, Congress convenes for an emergency meeting to repeal the illegal and unconstitutional Socialist healthcare farce known as Obamacare. All Obama executive decrees are immediately reversed. The new Director of Health and Social Services Dr. Ben Carson announces that an independent group of healthcare management professionals is hired to handle healthcare services for poor and low income people. They are also assigned the duty of eliminating Medicare and Medicaid fraud. The top 12 layers of administration in the VA are eliminated and completely overhauled. The Social Security is referred to as a prepaid benefit (rather than an entitlement) and its Trust Fund is restored to it’s pre-LBJ independent status and is thereby untouchable for “social entitlement programs”. Government’s costs for public healthcare are reduced by 90%. Healthcare insurance premiums for working Americans are reduced by 50%. The move saves billions of taxpayer paid dollars. Healthcare service in the U.S. improves 100%.
3. Secretary of Defense, General Petraeus announces increased alliance with NATO to Return Ukraine’s borders to their pre-2009 status. Missile defense added to Poland. Muslim infiltrators in Europe to be returned to their homelands. Newly appointed Department of Homeland Security, General McChrystal, announces the immediate deployment of Troops to the U.S. Mexico border to control illegal immigration and the immediate deportation of illegals with criminal records or links to terrorist groups. New bio-encrypted Social Security ID’s are required by every American citizen. Birthright is abolished. Islam is declared a subversive political movement, aimed at replacing governments by force and no longer enjoys the benefits of classification as a religion. All immigration from countries that represent a threat to the safety of American citizens is terminated indefinitely. The move saves American taxpayers billions of dollars. Several prisons are closed.
4. The EPA, Department of Energy and Bureau of Land Management are eliminated. The Department of Education is headed by Bill Oreilly, who immediately sets to correcting the history books and adding mandatory courses in civics to every curriculum. Newly appointed Secretary of Business and Economic Development, Mitt Romney, eliminates more than half of the Government agencies operating under the Obama administration saving taxpayers billions of dollars. Mandatory drug testing required for all welfare benefits and voting. Stocks rise 100%.
5.Newly appointed Director of Government Finance, Rand Paul, announces the abolition of the IRS and displays a copy of the new Federal Tax Return form. It consists of one page. The instructions consist of two pages. The Federal Reserve is audited. The move saves American taxpayers billions of dollars and increases tax revenue. SCOTUS Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg finally given a pillow and she is replaced by Sean Hannity. “Open Carry” becomes the law of the land.
6. Hillary Clinton is in jail. Her cell is directly across from Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton who are serving time for ‘Hate Crimes.” She bitches at them constantly from behind the bars of her cell in what some might call cruel and unusual punishment. Bill visits Hillary every month, with his girlfriends at his side.
7.Bernie Sanders is in a mental asylum. His room is directly across from Nancy Pelosi, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Chris Matthews and Al Franken. They meet for tea every day at ten and discuss the success and benefits of Communism and Socialism throughout the world. They wonder when the “Mothership” is going to pick them up and return them to their home planets.
8. Following the dismal failure for Windows 10 – so bad that they skipped Windows 11 – Windows 12 is released. It is designed for humans, doesn’t try to satisfy the needs of every person on the planet, doesn’t require a degree in nuclear physics to operate and looks just like Windows 7 except it is easier to use.
9. Barack Obama flees the United States under cover of darkness and returns to his homeland of Kenya before his trial for treason begins. He deplanes on a remote jungle airstrip. He was last seen wandering through the jungle singing “Hakuna Matata” with a chimp named Commie. Moochelle is seen working as a night clerk in a truck stop in Texas.
10. Oscar Meyer announces the introduction of a new cholesterol and fat free pepperoni that tastes just like regular pepperoni. Not to be outdone, Kraft Foods announces the introduction of several varieties of cholesterol and fat free cheeses that taste just like regular cheese.
11. A committee is not established to determine what is causing global cooling. Billions of taxpayer dollars are saved.
12. Dead people are no longer allowed to vote; a huge blow for the Democrat Party.
13. And this, my friends, constitutes THE EVEN MORE PERFECT DAY!
“Warren Buffett’s annual letter — 7 things that will have everyone talking”
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/warren-buffett-letter-143849353.html#
Yup, he is a prepper.
@Lynn WRT your Aunt’s email: We can only hope and pray it becomes true. I can see it.
However, take every point and reverse it and you will have the most likely outcome.
Revolution is not far behind. It will make the War of Northern Aggression look like a picnic.
WRT Warren Buffett; When you have his kind of money your statements do not have to be based on fact or common sense.
Obviously written by someone who doesn’t realize that the USDA Dietary Guidlines were recently changed to reflect the conclusion that dietary cholesterol is not a cause for concern.
It is fun to watch various substances become the thing to avoid and how that changes over time. Reduced Fat, Low Sodium, Cholesterol Free, No MSG, Low Carb, No High Fructose Corn Syrup, No Artificial Colors or Flavors, Paleo, Gluten Free, and on and on…
“Revolution is not far behind. It will make the War of Northern Aggression look like a picnic.”
Extrapolating: There is roughly ten times the population now then there was in 1860. And we now have half a billion to a billion firearms, almost all of them more advanced then what they had back in those days. We also have nearly instant commo across the country, via telephones, radios and innernet. The total “official” deaths from that war amounted to nearly 700,000. Ten times that is seven million.
But who knows how such a “revolution” or second civil war would actually play out; there are a lot of different actors now, ranging from Fed and state forces, to LE organizations, private and state militias, armed criminal gangs, and then the masses of firearms-owning regular citizens.
OFD maintains that we would then be on entirely new historical territory in the experience of homo sapiens sapiens. With basic human nature remaining the same as it ever was.
Picture it as Europe between the world wars and just after the Good War, or the Soviet Union’s train wreck collapse, and the failed narcotrafficante “state” to our south. Now multiply all that by a factor of ten. And throw in the Grid being down.
I believe we will be finding out some interesting things this year and next.
Well do you know how to tell if someone is on a diet that is
Reduced Fat, Low Sodium, Cholesterol Free, No MSG, Low Carb, No High Fructose Corn Syrup, No Artificial Colors or Flavors, Paleo, Gluten Free or Vegan?
Just wait they’ll tell you.
I hate reading online reviews from people who rated a restaurant poorly because of its lack of vegan or gluten free entrées. I have to suppress my desire to throat punch them. I wonder what percentage of people clamoring for gluten free menu options actually have celiac disease and how many are just douchebags obsessing over the latest health fad.
@Lynn WRT your Aunt’s email: We can only hope and pray it becomes true. I can see it.
However, take every point and reverse it and you will have the most likely outcome.
Yup.
But I see dystopia rather than civil war. And a radical shrinking of the middle class.
Mr. Lynn could be right; that slow slide down the toilet would be far preferable to another “revolution” and civil war. Maybe this will sort of be like the Great Depression, only with a lot of wicked angry peeps be-bopping around the landscape and armed to the teeth.
So what’s the conventional wisdom today on the campaign; is Sanders kaput, now that Cankles has “beat” him in SC?
http://takimag.com/article/madame_clinton_v_the_super_predators_jim_goad/print#axzz41akOLD3P
And will the RINO establishment find a way to cut Trump’s legs out from under him and push Rubio or Cruz or Romney, and thus LOSE again?
Because otherwise it’s beginning to look like, between one thing and another, he could actually take the general election in the end.
President Trump. Our Murkan counterpart to Prince Vlad Putin.
I’m off to LA today with MrsAtoz for a lovely week long convention of CA school administrators. The Escalade Battle Wagon is packed to the roof. I get to sit and sell books and CDs for three days while MrsAtoz smoozes and gives a keynote or two. She thinks they will really sell, but I know how cheap these people are. Maybe they will have their state issued credit cards and will buy with abandoned. We’ll be at the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles if you want to stop by and buy something. I’ll give the “Dr. Bob” discount to you.
Mr. Lynn could be right; that slow slide down the toilet would be far preferable to another “revolution” and civil war. Maybe this will sort of be like the Great Depression, only with a lot of wicked angry peeps be-bopping around the landscape and armed to the teeth.
Mad Max beyond Lower Alabama?
President Trump. Our Murkan counterpart to Prince Vlad Putin.
We could do worse, far worse. Just think if Hillary was president, you might get your wish of the second civil war between the states.
I’ve been trying to rearrange the letters Donald Trump into Nehemiah Scudder and not getting very far.
I’ve read the interview with Trump’s lady engineer who built Trump Tower for him. She says that Trump is a bully. Just like Putin. Just like that fellow who used to carry a big stick.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/25/donald-trump-s-tower-boss.html
The Escalade Battle Wagon is packed to the roof.
I love battle wagons! I had three go home bags in mine on the trip to OK last week (950 miles round trip) with no apparent problems. The wife thought the big box of MREs was over the top. I asked her if she wanted me to walk home if something bad happened and she said just go to Avis and rent a car.
WRT Celiac Disease: Actually less than 7% of the population have Celiac Disease. The problem is that “gluten free” is just the newest fad for schlock doctors to blame all of your ills on. The reality is that our bodies need the type of proteins that glutens are. So a Celiac actually has to have some gluten.
Now before anyone starts to attack me, my Sister is a true Celiac and I know what she went through and how she has to live her life now. Just like a Diabetic (which she also is too) needs to have carbohydrates, it has to be the right carbohydrates and in the correct amount for the individual.
Celiac disease cannot be diagnosed in just one doctor visit and its diagnosis requires the strict and detailed diagnostic regimen that diagnosing true specific allergies requires. Most people want answers yesterday and most doctors are too quick to push the “patient” out the door, more so today than in years past.
“We’ll be at the Sheraton Gateway Los Angeles if you want to stop by and buy something…”
Gee, I’d slide on by but I’m stuck with Early Mud Season 3,000 miles northeast of ya and I don’t have my pilot’s license yet. Good luck selling them books and CDs; I foresee a whole new career for you thusly.
“I asked her if she wanted me to walk home if something bad happened and she said just go to Avis and rent a car.”
Ya gotta love ’em, doncha? Just go to Avis or Hertz and simply rent a cah. Excellent.
“Just think if Hillary was president, you might get your wish of the second civil war between the states.”
That’s on my bad days, when I’ve gotten totally fed up and pissed off. But I don’t really want another civil war; the last one sucked bad enough; see my earlier post on all this. Another one would make the first one look like a girl scout picnic at the beach.
“She says that Trunp is a bully. Just like Putin. Just like that fellow who used to carry a big stick.”
See Bob’s comments on the psychos who run for political office or get into various power positions; of COURSE they’re bullies. LBJ was a primo example of that, as illustrated by Robert Caro’s biographical trilogy and Roger Stone’s accusatory tome which I’m reading now. What an evil bastard he was, probably responsible for at least eight or nine homicides, including JFK and his own sister.
http://spartacus-educational.com/JFKjohnsonJ.jpg
Actually, celiac is an autoimmune disease that afflicts between 0.6% and 1% of the population overall, with different genetic groups ranging from about 0.3% to 2+%. Call it one in fifty people to one in 300.
Most people don’t want to see chopped up bodies and mayhem. Our instant web of communication will limit the damage inflicted by un-Civil war. Huge, massed battles of the past happened ‘over there’ and out of sight of the genpop. Absent a pretty huge change in people’s bloodthirst, mass communication of the destruction will limit its appeal. If things change enough that Joe Sixpack revels in the carnage, then the web will feed the frenzy and all bets are off.
The nature of war has changed too, with massed battles being deprecated in favor of sniping and insurgency. That will limit the casualties.
What WOULD lead to mass casualties is disruption of the ‘just in time’ system of delivery for everything from food to medical supplies, and electricity. That happens and the urban areas will quickly turn into literal conflagrations, with millions dead from starvation and violence.
Doesn’t take much either. Five tanks and a couple of truckloads of shells fired into Chicago’s loop, Downtown LA, Manhattan, certain parts of Atlanta, and a couple other relatively small areas where similar companies are headquartered, and civil society is DONE.
Take out the money men, the insurance companies (health and property), the media conglomerates, and a couple of food and transportation companies, and instant gridlock ensues.
I bet if you dropped <50 office towers, that would be the end. You don't even have to drop them, just make them unusable and unsafe by destroying the lobbies and the elevators, and a couple of power vaults.
Hell, just shell MAE WEST and MAE EAST.
Too depressing to think about.
nick
With regards to a gentle slide into dystopia, or a revolution, I am going to be crazy and hope that in the next year the horse learns to sing.
The Daily Mail is reporting that a four year old girl in Russia was beheaded by her Muslim nanny. As the father of a four year old girl, I wish her a very long, painful life. Since she did this in Russia, I’m assuming she will miss out on the very long part.
But…but….but….it’s the “religion of peace..” we must welcome their poor, starving teeming masses yearning to breathe free….it’s the Christian thing to do….oh wait:
https://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/in-praise-of-christian-walls/
@RBT, you caught my dropped decimal point, yes, a general average for Celiacs in the USA is 0.7% and your range based on genetic group (ethnic group) is also correct.
And I should have brought up the autoimmune aspect. It was an Autoimmune Specialist that finally confirmed that my Sister had true Celiac as well as Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Scott Adams may be totally incensed at Trump because of the David Duke thing but, he cannot stay away from him. “Trump’s VP Options (Master Persuader Filter)”:
http://blog.dilbert.com/post/140223943526/trumps-vp-options-master-persuader-filter
“John Kasich or some other white male governor: Too boring.”
Yup. But, John Kasich will end up in the administrator, maybe SecDef.
“Superstar woman or minority governor: This option has the sizzle, but could a woman or minority credibly side with Trump?”
Yup. But that dude down in Florida, Allen West, is looking for a job. And what’s her name from Alaska could be SecState.
“Mark Cuban: Cuban would be my first choice for Trump VP, but he adds nothing in terms of governing experience. Worse yet, the media would keep saying Cuban should be running for president instead of Trump. That is not a comparison Trump wants. But if he decided to take a chance on that comparison, a Trump/Cuban ticket would be unbeatable.”
Yup. Everyone likes Cuban, even Trump.
“Chris Christie: If you think about it, Christie is the poor man’s Trump.”
Yup. Feel the love, I can just see them walking down the beach, holding hands.
BTW, I see Ben Carson as the Surgeon General.
Is it time to implement the 10X system of retribution? A Muslim nanny kills a native child? Then butcher ten randomly-chosen Muslim women. A large group of presumptively Muslim men gang rape a native woman? Then castrate a hundred randomly-chosen young Muslim men. A husband-and-wife team kill or seriously injure 36 people? Three hundred sixty Muslims are shot and allowed to live or die without medics being able to get to them.
If they can’t or won’t police themselves, then by god, allah, or their spilled life’s blood, they’ll regret forcing the natives to do it.
I want a position in the Trump administration. I’ll be the axeman. I’ve already got an axe. All I need is a pre-signed Presidential pardon for any axing that might be done.
I couldn’t POSSIBLY care less who a President Trump puts in his administration. Or Cankles, for that matter. These people are all going down, eventually.
“If they can’t or won’t police themselves, then by god, allah, or their spilled life’s blood, they’ll regret forcing the natives to do it.”
I approve this message.
“I’ll be the axeman. I’ve already got an axe.”
I’ll keep the axes sharp and be the substitute axe guy.
The psychopath Field Marshal Rodham waves the bloody shirt:
http://freedomoutpost.com/hillary-clinton-threatens-more-radical-gun-laws/
Molon labe, beotch. Oh? You’ll send an APC to my corner for this gig? Those things need drivers and gunmen. Those drivers and gunmen live, sleep, eat and pee somewhere, and so do their families and commanding officers and NCOs.
And yet another potential flash point for World War IV, thanks to our own geniuses and wizards, mostly:
https://brushbeater.wordpress.com/2016/03/01/open-sources-29feb2016/#comments
Watch for whichever flash point to erupt and require our attention suddenly and our participation, just as funny chit is going down here at home.
“Bill visits Hillary every month, with his girlfriends at his side.”
Bill’s there for conjugal visits? I wonder if they’d put it on pay per view? 🙂
Why did you have to put that image in my head?