09:58 – This is our first autumn living in the mountains, so I’m not sure if the weather we’ve been having for the last week or so is typical. I suspect it is. Highs generally in the 70’s F, lows in the 50’s, and a lot of fog, particularly mornings. The winds generally pick up during the day, which takes the fog off but skies are overcast about half the time and sunny the rest. We’re not seeing any fall foliage to speak of yet. I suspect that’ll change as our lows drop into the 40’s.
I added the ABC News channel to the Roku box this morning, in case we decide to watch at least part of the debate tonight. Apparently, they’re expecting an all-time record number of viewers for this debate. I’m not sure why. It seems to me that about half the country wouldn’t vote for Clinton if she was the last politician on earth, and the other half wouldn’t vote for Trump. So why would anyone watch the debates? Undecideds seem to be the core audience for debates, and there aren’t many undecideds left. I may watch the first few minutes of the debate just to see if Clinton face-plants into the stage.
Email from Brittany overnight. She’s feeling a bit under-equipped firearms-wise after reading Jen’s plans yesterday. She and her husband don’t have even one black rifle, so reading about Jen’s family having one each is inducing AR-15 envy. I repeated my earlier advice to Brittany. Their situation is different from Jen’s. Jen’s family has four high-earners, while Brittany is a stay-at-home mom whose husband’s (secure) job supports their entire family. An AR-15 with magazines, accessories, and ammo will cost them at least $1,000, and they have other places that that $1,000 could be better spent. They’re already very well-armed compared to the average family, so spending lots of money on tactical rifle(s) should be a lower priority for them. They also live on the outskirts of a small town that’s remote from even mid-size cities. They’ve both lived there all their lives, are surrounded by family and friends, and very seldom see anyone on the streets whom they don’t know. In short, they’re part of a community. In a catastrophic emergency, the community will help protect them, and they’ll help protect the community. As far as I’m concerned, their situation is about the best possible one, and should allow them to ride out any serious emergency.
I wouldn’t say they can declare their prepping “complete”, but they’re already better prepared than about 99.9% of the population of this country. Anything more they do is icing on the cake.
There is no thing such as 100% prepared. I think with some first aid training, some firewood and a few other things I could be 80% prepared. That’s probably something in the neighborhood of $1000 for everything I have in mind. I could spend $1000 on a generator or an AR-15 and be less prepared overall than if I spent it on those handful of items.
Here’s how a grand got spent on prep stuff this past six three months: $800 for three cords of seasoned firewood; $65 for Phase I of the NRA pistol class (online, to be followed by Phase II at the range later); the rest on a Leatherman Signal with all the extra bits, etc.
I’d spent about $100 on the Red Cross First Responder/First Aid class earlier this year or late last year, I forget which.
And I’m guessing another grand on all the radios and batteries and cables and antennas over a year’s time; the food and wotta storage is an ongoing expense with the regular groceries every week. We eat out about four or five times a year, usually in conjunction with wife’s returns from wherever after I’ve picked her up at the airport; no movies, no concerts, no vacations anywhere exotic, no motorboats, no ciggies, and very little alcohol (her vino).
I’ll check the debate chit a couple of times during commercials while watching MNF (yeah, I know about the NFL stuff; it’s a remaining vice of mine from half a century of watching the games or playing it in high skool), mainly like RBT, to see if Killary takes another tumble or her head spins 360 degrees while spewing green chit or she goes down the stage stairs doing the upside-down spider walk. Also to see if any other dollymops show up besides Gennifer, like several have made noises about doing….
I’m ready for the Debate Super Bowl. š I’ve got my Moxie* on ice, sourdough pretzel nuggets, and the ingredients for my queso dip ready for the crock pot. TV has been color aligned, TiVo set up to record on FNCHD and FBNHD. To be one with the debaters and moderators I’m even going to wear DependsĀ®. Almost forgot, I’ve got a bottle of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select at the ready.
*We get our Moxie at a local “head shop” called Octopus’ Garden (ahh, the scent of patchouli oil brings back memories). It is a step back into the 60s.
I was lied to. I’m on a plane to Hartford, CT. Maybe that’s better. Two people needed paramedics before we even boarded. One transported, one did board.
Say, isn’t Ireland an exotic vacation spot?
I don’t have AR-15 envy, but I do realize I should probably get a decent rifle. I have a dozen handguns, but have never really had the urge to get a rifle before. I carried an M-16 in the Corps, 1979-1982, and I have to admit I never liked it much at all. Great accuracy, poor reliability (and I do mean poor), and it really felt like a toy. I know they’re much better now, but it did leave a bad impression. I’ve been looking at the Ruger Mini-14 Ranch and was wondering if anyone has one and what they think of it. I know Ruger has the AR-556, and if anyone can make an argument in favor of that over the Mini-14, I’d like to hear that too.
I had both before I lost them in a lake. My Mini-14 dated from 1977 or 1978, and was very reliable, but only with OEM magazines. Those were and are quite expensive. The Mini-14 also costs considerably more than the AR-556.
Personally, I’d love to see an actual debate. Something along the lines of say, “Resolved: That the Department of Housing & Urban Development should be abolished.” On the other hand, I’d be fascinated to see one of these television shows feature a moderator who wasn’t a batshit crazy liberal. (Milo, Pat, and Alex spring to mind.) The exploding heads from all the leftists out there would just be a pleasant side effect.
I spent Saturday evening in Jerry’s World with 85,000+ new friends watching my Texas Aggies beat up on the Arkansas Pigs XXXX Razorbacks. A good time was had by the Aggie fans. Especially when the Aggie defense was playing rock, paper, scissors on deciding who got to ride the Arkansas quarterback like a pony. However, these four hour college football games are killing me.
It was a horrible drive back from Dallas to Houston on I-45 yesterday. Raining almost all the way and four wrecks at Corsicana, Fairfield, Buffalo, and Madisonville. My 78 year old father was constantly on waze trying to identify the bad areas of I-45 and navigate us around them.
https://www.waze.com/
Bring on Alabama and LSU !
I am another Ruger Mini-14 early adopter. Bought mine in the mid 70’s. Rock solid and reliable. It doesn’t have the range of accessories that the AR platform has so I have both. BTW: Roberts comment on using OEM magazines is spot on. Never had an issue with Ruger mags.
_299 Days: The Collapse (Volume 2)_ by Glen Tate
https://www.amazon.com/299-Days-Collapse-Glen-Tate/dp/0615687466/
Book number two of a ten book financial apocalyptic series. I read the book in the POD (print on demand) trade paperback form. I do not know if there will be any more books in the series. I have purchased the third book in the series and am reading the series interspersed with Jack Reacher books which was recently recommended to me.
And the reason for the series roars into being. The Washington State government slams to a halt as the state financial picture continuously worsens and then the federal government EBT cards fail to fund. The welfare protestors start to gather in Olympia and Washington DC, effectively shutting the state and federal governments down.
The writing was better than the first book which was kind of stilted. Maybe the author hired an editor. Or two.
BTW, the 299 days author is quite the entrepreneur. He writes his books in 200+ page increments and sells them POD (print on demand) on Big River for $10 to $15 each. So if I buy the entire series, it will cost me around $140. And 70% of that goes into his pocket. Other authors would have made the series into 3 or 4 $15 books. Some people call that a ripoff, I call it maximizing your income.
The author lives in very blue state, Washington state, and his writing reflects that. Everything that happens there is on the down low. I am also sympathetic to his writing about having to conceal his prepping from his very progressive wife.
The 299 day author feels that the singularity is quite close. I disagree. I think that we have ten to twenty years before we get to reboot the financial system in the USA. But, I am assuming some linearity in the accumulation of federal debt. I may be dead wrong about that, I hope not. And the author has a website and blog.
http://299days.com/
My rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars (411 reviews)
I am another Ruger Mini-14 early adopter. Bought mine in the mid 70ās. Rock solid and reliable. It doesnāt have the range of accessories that the AR platform has so I have both. BTW: Roberts comment on using OEM magazines is spot on. Never had an issue with Ruger mags.
Me too. Mine is the first stainless model. Awesome gun. No trouble with Ruger magazines.
Personally, Iād love to see an actual debate. Something along the lines of say, āResolved: That the Department of Housing & Urban Development should be abolished.ā On the other hand, Iād be fascinated to see one of these television shows feature a moderator who wasnāt a bats*** crazy liberal. (Milo, Pat, and Alex spring to mind.) The exploding heads from all the leftists out there would just be a pleasant side effect.
I’ll take Milo and Pat for $500 please. Alex Trebek ?
I’d like to see them give each candidate a helmet, shield, and short sword and let them go six 15-minute rounds. I’m guessing Trump could take her.
In hopes of watching the hag be tormented into heart failure.
Aside from that, prospective confirmation bias: wanting to watch Trump tell huge lies and make a buffoon of himself and be smacked down by the impartial moderator and fact checkers, or else watch Clinton tell huge lies and cough and spit like she’s about to die of consumption*.
* Yah, I know that word hasn’t been in use for a century or more. She’s that old.
The 299 day author feels that the singularity is quite close.
Of course. He lives in Olympia.
Ba-duh dum. I’m here all week. Tip your waitress.
I am assuming some linearity in the accumulation of federal debt. I may be dead wrong about that, I hope not.
Government debt is currently financed at 1-2% thanks to Janet Yellen running the presses full throttle. As soon as rates revert to anything near normal, say 5% on the 30 year bond (still historically low), financing the debt will consume the majority of real tax revenues.
5% on the 30 year would also be the end of the current real estate bubble and 84 month car notes, compounding the economic problem of the debt.
[snip] Iāll take Milo and Pat for $500 please. Alex Trebek ? [snip]
Alex Jones. I’m not a real fan, but he’s probably more likely to cause exploding heads than would be say Lew Rockwell.
I’d love to see Milo moderate a debate. Watching him flounce up would cause 10,000 socons’ heads to explode. This is fine with me, as socons are neither conservative nor liberal by any useful definition.
Socon = southern conservative ?
Government debt is currently financed at 1-2% thanks to Janet Yellen running the presses full throttle. As soon as rates revert to anything near normal, say 5% on the 30 year bond (still historically low), financing the debt will consume the majority of real tax revenues.
Yup. The wife and I got a 14 and 7/8ths mortgage on a 2/1/1 house in west Texas in 1982. It was a special first time home buyers mortgage, otherwise we were quoted 17%.
“Hofstra University Provides ‘Trigger Warning’ for Presidential Debate”
http://www.mrctv.org/blog/hofstra-university-provides-trigger-warning-presidential-debate
We are doomed.
social conservative — the self-proclaimed conservatives who want the government (all levels) to legislate christian morality, intervene overseas for nebulous gains to the US, crack down on drugs, be tough on crime, and … and that’s about it. Very little of the socon platform is conservative except in the “we must get back to the nation’s christian roots” sense.
We’ve had this conversation at least twice on this site. And, if I recall correctly, you were the one who questioned the term’s meaning each time. If your memory is worse than that of a guy who sleeps 20-something hours per week… well, let’s just assume that you’ve been focusing so hard on getting your latest software release out that you have no brainpower left over for anything else. (A reasonable assumption, actually. I’ve been involved in death march hard-deadline releases before.)
On the contrary, it is a sign of great hope. If Trump wins in November, there’s a good chance that a quarter of the nation’s 16-29-year-olds will drop dead on the spot. They’ll be the most pathetic quarter, and thus a cause for rejoicing.
Weāve had this conversation at least twice on this site. And, if I recall correctly, you were the one who questioned the termās meaning each time. If your memory is worse than that of a guy who sleeps 20-something hours per weekā¦ well, letās just assume that youāve been focusing so hard on getting your latest software release out that you have no brainpower left over for anything else. (A reasonable assumption, actually. Iāve been involved in death march hard-deadline releases before.)
Sorry, too many drugs. Heart drugs really mess with your short term memory. And all of the acronym spots in my brain are filled with our software objects such as DataItem, DataGroup, FormsMain, and ErrorItem. Oh, and my personal favorite, ObjPtr.
And I only work 45 to 50 hours per week. I cannot do death marches anymore.
Too old.
If you look deeper, one of the socon heroes, Mike Huckabee, is actually a populist in the Huey Long tradition. A lot of them are.
We had a full-up Christian Dominionist running the Republican party in the Houston/Harris county area for a while. Got a bunch of his buddies to carpetbag into districts that were turning from D to R to run. Most got trounced by moderate Democrats. They were carpetbaggers in that they ran in districts where they didn’t live. One was a rich doctor that had a big house in the western suburbs, but rented a house (down the street from where I live now) to be his official address. The local paper staked it out for 4 days or so. Nobody came or went, nobody answered the door. He was seen entering the gated community west of town each evening and coming out each morning. He edged a real local in the primary and got his head handed to him in the general for Congress.
Ah, should have thought of that. My wife’s head might as well be filled with cheese, too. I’m doing her the courtesy of assuming it’s because of the medications she’s taking. (She was taking two meds for the actual problem. And then two more meds to counteract the side-effects of those. And then a fifth to counteract the side-effects of one of the other counters. Those have been tossed by the wayside and now she’s taking only two meds.) (But her head still might as well be filled with cheese.)
Tonight, live on TV, will be one of the scariest movies you will ever see. Two hideous creatures fighting for control of the country with the entire population of the US being used as pawns. It’s like Godzilla verses King Kong (a hairy ape battling a lizard), in color, without special effects.
Vehicle died. Zero electrical power. Hooked up a boost battery. Lights came on, gauges lit up, still nothing when trying to start. Had vehicle towed 25 miles to dealer that I always use ($65 for the tow, not too bad). Alternator crashed (something shorted) which destroyed the battery. New battery and alternator will be about $700.00. Alternator must be ordered, arriving tomorrow evening, repairs on Wednesday. Sucks.
Alternator not warranted? Isn’t that truck only a couple of years old?
Yup. The wife and I got a 14 and 7/8ths mortgage on a 2/1/1 house in west Texas in 1982. It was a special first time home buyers mortgage, otherwise we were quoted 17%.
I had 8.5% as recently as mid-late 2000.
Also, in the 80s/90s, the Fed didn’t buy the paper for most mortgages as is the case today. They also buy most of the car loans, and, IIRC, the government still holds a majority of the Ally Financial stock.
Alternator not warranted? Isnāt that truck only a couple of years old?
This is the 2013 Highlander that was purchased used. Warranty has expired. Truck warranty has also expired due to mileage that was accumulated driving 60 miles a day going to work.
Lynn wrote:
“However, these four hour college football games are killing me. ”
You’re playing? At your age?
Oh, I get you. Bladder not what it was… š
Lynn wrote:
āHowever, these four hour college football games are killing me. ā
Youāre playing? At your age?
Oh, I get you. Bladder not what it wasā¦
Those uncomfortable seats. Unless we get upgraded to the leather armchairs that belong to my Dads friend. Now those seats are just like recliners from the 40 yard to the 60 yard line. There is no place like Jerry’s World.
Well I not going to waste my time watching this BS but the best first tweet
Jonah Goldberg ā @JonahNRO
It is so distracting when you realize Lester Holt isn’t wearing pants.
Climton’s lips are out of sync with her voice. Hmmmm. Ventriloquist’s dummy?
Cut Soros some slack. Have you ever tried to control a somewhat lifelike puppet and made its mouth move as you spoke the words?
Though “lifelike” isn’t really the word I’d use. She’s somewhere between “mortuary student’s first embalming attempt” and “malfunctioning animatronic sideshow display”, with a bit of “circus sideshow” thrown in. She’s solidly in the uncanny valley.
No kidding just finished the freakshow. Took me a bit longer, ‘cuz I can pause it and yell at the tv without missing the show.
Her rictus smile finally went away when the meds started to wear off, but holy cow that was weird. And did you see at the end when she started shaking hands how she could barely bend over and shuffle?
Trump missed the chance to hammer her on pay to play and where HER money comes from when they got into the tax return thing.
She, on the other hand, was in robotic denial about the email. I don’t know how it plays with undecideds.
Both of them are twitchy and unattractive candidates.
It occurs to me that if the whole thing isn’t a put up, and trump manages to lose, he’s toast. She’ll be out for his blood, and he’ll be hounded out of business. He is really risking his life, fortune, and sacred honor.
And from watching her, it’s not a put up. She HATES him and he detests her.
nick
There are no undecided. The real question is how many closeted Trump supporters there are. The polls really can’t predict those who won’t honestly admit who they support and it looks like there are plenty this year. I hate them both but since I live in California my vote, even if I vote for none, will never matter.
OK, plug time. Michael Bane has announce the premier of his show’s Mass Casualty Event Episode. Based on his other shows and what has been discussed and announced about this one, I’m hesitant to even watch. I’m expecting to be really put thru the wringer. But I’m watching, because it might save my life.
http://michaelbane.blogspot.com/2016/09/tbd-mass-casualty-event-8pm-wednesday.html
I find the ordinary episodes of The Best Defense to be very well done and very useful. I can’t imagine this being anything less, or anything less than devastating.
nick
Ruger Mini-14’s. If it’s good enough for the A-Team, it’s good enough for anybody! Just get the full chrome bling ones (and do try to AIM, unlike the A-Team).
Pity the fools.
Remember that the A Team never hit anything!
Only time I fired the Mini14, I thought it was the loudest thing I’d ever heard.
n
Wow! tRump won almost every online poll. The big exception was the skewed CNN poll. MrsAtoz insisted we watch it on CNN. 4-5 Dumbocrat commenters against 2 Redumblicans. The CNN turds really tried to spin for Cankles. I thought polling would be for Cankles, but this morning. Wow! CNN analysis sucks dead bunnies.
My loudest ever was a Solothurn antitank gun.
So once again, we have audio problems during Trump’s speaking, and not during Hillarity’s. I’ve done pro audio for live and recorded events. Shit happens. But this is getting a BIT ridiculous.
And in the mean time, Deutche Bank is imploding.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2016-09-27/deutsche-bank-stock-crashes-near-single-digits-cds-spike-record-highs
This should be panicking people.
nick
“…a falsehood every 12 minutes…”
I am shocked. SHOCKED!
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/09/2016-hillary-clinton-fact-check-week-214286
My brother emailed me a note he had seen online about the debate: Trump had to prove he has a brain. Clinton had to prove she has a heart. The Oz election.
I enjoyed my “refreshments” more than the debate. IMHO I would say that Illary had prior access to the questions. You cannot chalk up all those immediate smooth responses to just “practice” (while her Witch Doctors worked on her “meds”). I too noticed her deterioration over the course of the debate, I think she was 15-minutes away from another “event”.
That tool of a moderator interrupted Trump 41 times and only interrupted Illary 7 times.
” Illary had prior access to the questions”
oh yeah, that was clear on a number of questions.
n