I’m just beginning to see. . .
They’re Insane
These folk are calling on churches in Boston (and the surrounding area) to payout billions in reparations. This is going to be a wonderful show and a great test of these christian enterprises ability to walk the line between benevolent talk and actually stepping up to the plate with checkbook in hand.
What a shit show.
The Diddle Daley of Dali
In case you’ve missed it, someone did something to something in Baltimore.
So we hear that: “The 948-foot ship, Dali, was chartered by the Danish shipping company Maersk and was en route to Colombo, Sri Lanka.”
There are a lot of questions surrounding this and I have one that’s bugging me: What is in all of those containers heading for Sri Lanka? What could we possibly have been exporting to an Asian country that sits just off of the coast of India. We offer needed wares at competitive prices to Sri Lanka?
It’s not like this small island nation is just around the block from Baltimore, which (because I see a conspiracy behind every tree) has me thinking something smells about this whole Sri Lanka story line.
An Update: A little research shows that Sri Lanka imports 396 million dollars annually from the United States. about 100 million dollars of that is agricultural products. 40 million in fabric and 15 million in petroleum based items. That ship could easily hold 100 percent of the entire annual imports that the US provides to Sri Lanka (less the Soy).
Wonder how long it will be before this story changes?
Sometimes it Just Turns Out That Way
It’s Monday evening and sometimes, Monday can’t guarantee. .
A Measured Response
A while ago I received a pretty thorough note detailing how I may have fallen prey to ‘wrong think’ on the topic of immigration. It arrived as an email (vice a comment) and rather than copy and paste it into the comments on that topic I decided that the note provided me with a do over opportunity; a means to add a little meat to the bones I had earlier cast upon the cybers in a post titled ‘A Rant: Immigration’.
I’ve stripped off the personally identifiable information and removed some extraneous material and am throwing it back out to you, my loyal readers, in the form of a “you said, I respond format” that is certain to confuse all but the most astute.
It can be found here.
Sometimes we loose the forest in the trees.
Thanks Frederick for the note.
Kathy Gets Some Push Back
Couldn’t have happened to a more deserving slut. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not expressing my glee at her discomfort because she criticized Trump (something I’ve done pretty often over the last 8 years or so), but rather because she sought to make her way in this life by leveraging the angst of others. She wanted to make her bones by gleefully showing that she wished him dead. That, as Trump would say, is one nasty woman.
For the gazillionth time, I’m going to vote for the guy. I think he did a great job as President and have no doubt that he will again (if given the chance). I also think that he’s a first class ass and the best reason I have for looking past this character flaw is that it pisses off the snowflakes so much that I want to encourage him to continue. Mine is not so much a love-hate relationship as it a one of love-instigate/tolerate.
Thomas 77: Doing vs Having Done
This is a little circular and I’m not certain the words I’ve strung together well represent my thoughts (or if my thoughts make sense for that matter). Bear with me.
I’m up to my Richard in gardening projects and can see no relief near term. Every task I’ve undertaken came with a series of predecessor tasks that, while unknown at the outset, became necessary prerequisites.
For example: I needed to till a planting area in the garden. I’ve a big Cub Cadet tiller that weighs a couple hundred pounds. I roll it from the barn to the garden and begin tilling. 5 minutes in and I see that the tires had deflated enough over the winter to pull away from the rims. The requisite predecessor task became (1) air up the tires, which had it’s own predecessor task (2) remove tires from tiller, with the accompanying task of (3) locate/collect tools and (4) move air compressor to the house (where there is electricity) which, of course, required me to remove the rack I had on the back of my Jeep and hook up the trailer (5 and 6) to move the compressor. Now, when I go to add air the tires won’t seal against the rim. I’ve got to take the rims and tires to a tire shop (7) to be remounted.
All of the predecessor task being accomplished, the tiller and I were able to knock out the ultimate task in half an hour. At first glance the value obtained from all that I did was achieved after I tilled. In other words the value in all that I did rested in a tilled plot. I’m going to suggest that this is not so.
Consider this: when I move from a chair in an upstairs room and walk down the stairs and out the door downstairs there is no living in the beginning state (in a chair upstairs) or the end state (downstairs and outside). The living took place with each minor thought, each small movement of the arm that balances me and the leg that propels me. (Not to mention the mind that guides.) It is in the many little supporting or predecessor tasks necessary to cause me to ‘be outdoors’ where living existed. Physical beginning states and end states are like punctuation marks in life; they are not life in-and-of themselves. This is the same with the plot I tilled: un-tilled =reference point, tilled = reference point. All that occurred between those two points were where the value lays.
Perhaps the second half of Thomas 77 tells us that the act of doing (vice the act of having done) is where the value lays as well. It reads:
“Split a piece of wood, and I am there. Lift up the stone, and you will find me there.”
Is it the seeking that brings value and not the discovery?
Here is what the the first 10 sayings in Thomas have to say about ‘seeking’:
1 Why seek (avoid death)
2 To Seek (continue seeking)
3 Where to seek (take your own council)
4 Where to seek (everywhere)
5 How to seek (recognize)
6 How to seek (when 5 is merged with the last half of 6)
7 To seek (first half when the lion is truth)
8 What to seek
9 How to seek (when seeds are thoughts)
10 Where to seek (‘and see’)
The value of my garden comes from gardening. In the end I enjoy the fruits of that labor. For the Gospel of Thomas I believe the value comes from seeking. In the end I hope to enjoy the fruits of those labors. We’ll see.
Cameltoe Mushmouth
Yesterday the bottom half of the dynamic duo appeared at the site of a previous school shooting and announced they are spending 3/4ths of a billion dollars on something our betters are calling the National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center. While they title it a ‘Center’, my money is on a new nefarious database used to track veteran’s who dare to exercise their second amendment rights.
Here’s how brainiac explained the initiative.
“Red flag laws are simply designed to allow communities a vehicle through which they can share, and have somewhere to share it, information about the concern about the potential danger or the crying out for help of an individual and then let’s give it to them before tragedy occurs. Part of why I am here today is to challenge every state to pass a red flag law.”
That sure cleared things up.
Not to be argumentative, but I’m going to challenge the last sentence in her statement. I think most folk understand the reason she is where she is is because she she goes to her knees so easily..
A Rant: Immigrants
Wifey was watching Fox News when I went into the living room this morning. She knows I have a real aversion to national news networks in general and Fox News in particular. I vote R, but it is in spite of these idiots rather than because of them.
The newscast highlighted AOC’s district in New York and the reporter(s) were hyperventilating over the ‘illegal’ aliens setting up shops on the sidewalks. The words ‘third world’ were continually used. Wifey was all blown out of shape about immigration (again) and how terrible things have gotten (again). This happens every time she watches Fox. So I tried to explain to her (again) that we (both R and D) have been whining the border problem every single day for the last 40 years. For more than 14,000 days this has been thrown in our face by politicians of all stripes and news folk hell bent on invoking an emotional response. Every single day the screams get louder and the urgency more pronounced. She still doesn’t get it: she’s being played.
Here are a couple of my bottom lines on the topic:
A) If the government of the United States let them across the border, then they are not ‘illegal’. B) If you’re going to let them in the country and know at the time you let them in that they could not support themselves then you had better be prepared to care for them. Not everyone agrees with this but I am personally averse to watching folk starve to death on the public streets. C) If you complain about these folk using public resources then you cannot complain when they try to fend for themselves.
D) How in the world, in the ‘free country’ we claim to have created, is a permit required in order to work and feed yourself and family? Do they have to ask for permission to live?
As far as the news networks go, I get it: their attempts at invoking an emotional response is so that folk will ‘affiliate’ with them and return to watch. . day after day, after. . . I’m certain that they know that some of us have figured this out and refuse to drawn into the little nightmare they’ve worked so hard at creating. I gaze at them and see fools reading from a script that pads the pockets of network owners at the expense of viewer’s best interests and the needs of the nation.
As for the street vendors in NY, Chicago, Detroit, etc: Damn folks, give them a break and let them participate in the American dream. After all, you opened the door and then invited them in.
Useless
Slo Joe and Camel Toe went the extra mile and invited a ‘popular’ rap star to their palace near the Potomac; the desired result was underachieved and, considering how the conversation probably went, this has to be a real disappointment for the dynamic duo. After all, who could spend more than a minute or two with this jewel before their brain begins to hurt.
I used ‘popular’ in quotes because I’ve know idea who she is. She’s obviously a somebody else-wise why the call? After a review of the CNN interview, I can see why she was such a catch for the D’s: she’s so damn articulate.
Just about as articulate a soul as you could ask for: “It was so cool, I was geeked,” she began. “Everybody don’t get to meet the President and the Vice President, so just being able to be in the White House, like I never in a million years thought I’d be in the White House. Then I was in the White House and got to meet the President and Vice President? Oh, they can’t mess with me.” “I just feel like ‘her,’ you feel me?”
Bottom line? They can’t even squeeze an endorsement from a Memphis Bell.
Your Betters
Most of the problems we have in this nation flow from the same root cause. vanity. What other mindset could cause the walls and halls of our ‘servants’ to be so ornately adorned.
Buildings with grand halls filled with granite and furnished with bronze statuary of the noble and elect.
I’ve heard all of the arguments that suggest that these spaces represent our proud nation and they should inspire all who view them to great and noble deeds. Bullshit.
These are the trappings of power, physical manifestations of the belief by our betters that they are worthy of such exaltation.
As a nation we’re going to pay a heavy price for allowing our elected leaders to become so vainglorious. In these ‘hallowed halls’ the distinction between R and D fades to grey. No rational policy or practice flows from from a political body so self-aggrandizing.
That’s my rant. Forget that I brought it up and have another round of Soma on the house.
A Mid-Week Fix
From November of 1970: Black Sabbath.
I had just turned 17 and was a senior in high school. 6 months later I was still 17, a PVT E-nothing in the Army and testing my 132 lbs of ‘twisted steel and sex appeal’ against a system designed to breakdown and then reconstruct folk exactly like me.
53 years is a long long time! Enjoy.
A Bad Sensor in Western Rio?
Our wannabe masters over at the UN and their loyal followers in the press are continuing their hyperbolic push and outright falsehoods with the hot/dry/wet/cold (depending on the day) crisis.
Even I have to admit that at 143 degrees something is afoot. I surfed over to the article and sure enough the words seemed to indicate that the world was certainly ending. . . toppled by mans inhumane treatment of the skies.
A quick check online showed that 62C was indeed 143F. I almost moved on and then I glanced at the words in the article:
WTF? If the weather has gone to shit then why must the reporting be deceptive? If it was a real problem then a simple reporting of the facts would have more impact (albeit not a ‘sky falling in’ type impact) than an obvious falsehood.
With a press like this no wonder every attempt at implementing AI in the newsrooms has failed; the AI is trying it’s damnedest to mime the deceit it’s found, but it’s just not that adept at lying outright. . . yet.
I’m not a very sharp guy, but it seems to me that heat builds during the day. How was it possible for the high temp (42C ) and outlandish heat index (62.3C) to occur at 10 in the morning? The 143 F number (62.3 C) comes from a temp of 107 F and 52 percent humidity. You’ll get the same number (143F and 62.3C) at 100 degrees F and 70 percent humidity.
Given that Rio sits in the tropics (heat) and smack dab on the Atlantic coast (humidity) numbers like these shouldn’t be all that uncommon (although I guess they must be or we would have heard about it before). So then, if like the article points out that it was ‘recorded in western Rio’, what was it like in the rest of Rio, or is that classified?
Clarification
The Don has been in the news as of late over his ‘bloodbaths’ remark(s). The press, in their unrelenting efforts to keep the truth in front of us, the masses, was quick to mischaracterize. Sadly this has become standard fare.
Genesius’ quick wit is on display and, apparently it’s OK to do it but not to forewarn about it.
They’re here and always good for a laugh.
You Would Understand
Some will understand.
81 point 5 Percent of 1,000,000,000.00
Way to go America!
Akin to Emu
I have no words. . .
A Little Jewel near Branson
I did at one time live near ‘Branson West’ before it had that name. That area was not much more than an intersection between Kimberling City and Reed Springs. This little jewel is located on DD. DD was an oft need of repair slim asphalt path down to a number ‘resorts’ (when that term is used loosely) and cabins sprawled along Table Rock Lake.
This little jewel is available on about 100 acres. Thankfully it has enough room to accommodate a growing family.
Spectacular Gated Estate located on 104 Lakefront Acres with over 1,700 ft. of shoreline overlooking Table Rock Lake. The Main home features 14 bedrooms, 15 full bathrooms, 3 – 1/2 bathrooms, 4 men service bathrooms with multiple stalls and 4 women service bathrooms with multiple stalls & an 8-car garage. This breathtaking 33,048 sq ft Smart home was thoughtfully designed to suit any buyer. Quality and commercial-grade construction including steel framing, sprayed foam, 2 septics, HVAC – heating and cooling mini splits, and wiring for security/AV. Sophisticated and custom details throughout including wood beams, barrel ceilings, wood casement windows and doors, 8 vented gas fireplaces, copper guttering, and elevator shaft. 30,000-gallon owned propane tank. Multiple entertaining areas indoor and outdoor with resort-style beach entry infinity pool and expansive kids playground. Property includes 5 bedroom, 6 bathroom, 3 car garage guest annex, separate RV/Boat storage building with 3,600 sq ft living area and private 3-stall boat dock with solar power and swim platform.
Running short on cash? Throw a couple of bucks on one (or both) of these puppies on the way home this PM. More info on the ‘home’ here.
Paul V Thomas
Samuel Zimmer, an owner of one of the brighter minds on Thomas, has published a number of great videos that tangle with some pretty complex and enlightening philosophical topics. Few of us have the ability to compare and contrast not only Paul V Thomas, but also understand those differences in a framework that challenges the Gnostic moniker most historians ascribe to Thomas.
Enjoy
It’s Wednesday
Yakety Yak
A Little Much
I’m a law and order kinda guy but Jesus gents If you’re not smart enough to get out the public eye you are damn sure not smart enough to know who needs a good ass whippin.
Get a room.
A (Welcomed) Small Fortune
These are getting to be some pretty hefty numbers and I expect that more and more who seldom play will be throwing a couple of bucks at the game on their way home from work this evening and next. I wish them luck.
A winner may choose to slip away to this little place on the Oregon coast . The write-up is appealing, but I have my doubts about the intelligence of the real estate agent when they claim the sun rises over the ocean on the Oregon coast. Nice acreage though.
OREGON COAST OCEANFRONT ESTATE! Imagine waking up to the harmonious sound of the waves crashing against the shore. That dream could become your everyday reality at this exquisite log home estate along the stunning Oregon Coast!
Proudly situated on over 28 tranquil oceanfront acres, this grand property offers unparalleled beauty and privacy. Step inside and be greeted by a grandeur rarely seen. The breathtaking river rock fireplace, reaching up to a soaring 35-foot ceiling, competes for attention with a dramatic wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, both serving as the heart of the home. Just imagine the sight of the sunrise over the ocean, from the comfort of your living room. Your private theater room awaits for those cozy evenings, while the gourmet kitchen, adorned with a rich combination of Quartzite and hand-scraped Acacia wood floors, invites you to create culinary masterpieces.
Sauerkraut Now | Kimchi Later
I put up some sauerkraut on Saturday morning and have been closely monitoring the ‘build’ since. This is the first time that I’ve used the E-Jen containers for fermenting and am/was a little concerned with the inner seal rising out of the kraut. Here is a short video on how the container works.
Now the problem that I picked up on is that the plastic insert/seal was being pushed up by the gasses that the kraut produced. I’d open the outer part and find that while a ‘seal’ was being maintained, one portion of the plastic would be about half an inch higher than that it was on the other side. It was sitting catiwompus.
I’d pull the little plug in the center of the inner seal so and push it back into place and re-plug it. 6 or so hours later I would check on it and the seal would have risen again. A lot of forces are at work in that little box.
The kraut has 2.5 pounds of green cabbage, 1.5 pounds of red cabbage, a large sweet onion, one large carrot, and two granny smith apples. I’ve put this mix into two E Jen containers: one that holds just under a gallon one that holds about half of that. On the smaller one I’ve added five 1 inch long dried sprigs of Asian Super Pepper (about 80,000 SHU’s) to give it some bite.
I’ve got several more containers on orders from Amazon and they should get here on Wednesday. That means that on Thursday I’ll have the pleasure of driving the Huntsville, AL and back (an hour each way) to visit an Asian market that has a good variety of Diakon radish, Napa cabbage, and Chinese chives.
I’ve already picked up some pre-blended kimchi base (I’m not quite ready to build up my own) so by Saturday I should be awash in pungent and delicious veggies.
I’m A Lot Like You
Sparky Cars and The Fools Born Every Minute
Fallout from the EV fiasco continues to spread. Here is another indicator that sparky car market is completely crashing (an indicator other than the auto makers abandoning the market): There’s been double-digit declines in charging network stocks.
Shares of network operator Blink (BLNK) are down roughly 64% over the past year while charging hardware and software maker ChargePoint (CHPT) is 81% lower during the same period. Network owner and operator EVgo’s (EVGO) stock is down 55% in the past year.
Not to worry, industry analysts are doing their damnedest to pump new life into a beast that should be mercifully put down. Their words are a great comfort: “The big picture on these stocks … their business models are still at an earlier stage, and so the key focus for investors is really on proving out the business model and achieving profitability,”
A quick check on Yahoo for ‘Worst 2024 performing stocks’ yields: Worst Performing Stocks of 2024 The worst performing stock for this year is Arcadium Lithium (ALTM) with a total return of -93.63%, followed by Sigma Lithium (SGML) and New York Community Bancorp (NYCB).
A quick look at ALTM over the last three years:
Not a pro, but it sure looks like someone, or groups of someones, lost their ass on these two schemes (charging stations and Lithium mining). Not to worry though, the analysts are touting nothing but upside:
I’m not in the markets but if I were I’d be increasing my carbon footprint.
The Secret Service
NOT HAPPY
NOT HAPPY
HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY
Wise Words
An Open Admission
I couldn’t bring myself to watch Mad Brandon last night. I had zero interest is how poorly he would deliver an outlandish and overly political speech written by the D faction of the deep state. I’m given to understand that he did not disappoint either those that support him (who wanted to see red meat) and those who did not (who tuned in to see just how far he would go or how far gone he had gotten).
The intertubes this morning are all spewing the predictable response(s) gen’d up by the R’s. They are all about pointing out the errors, missteps and absurdity of the many mischaracterization Brandon’s writers decided were best for consumption. I can’t watch these folk either as their exceptionally high opinion of themselves is balanced only by narratives crafted to appeal to the least intellectually capable among us.
I’ll not go into a rant on Trump, not because he’s not worthy of such (God knows he’s earned it), but because over the last 8 years everything that can be said of him has been. Suffice to say that I perceive him to be his own icon.
Prompted by the faceless many who’s personal gain is dependent on the conflict, the rift in our society predicably expands. The ever-present barbarians have paused pounding on our gates; they are as enthralled by the circus as our own citizenry. Their deadly beat will resume with great intensity should our affliction falter. Until then they are satisfied with watching us chase our tail with Red Sea pirates, or mired in endless sand traps spread across the most logistically unsupportable environs on the planet.
Chance did not bring us to this precipice.
Trippin on the Socials
Tuesday’s Gone
Just a few days shy of 48 years ago: 17,530 days ago. Seventeen thousand, five hundred and 30 days. Man, time has sure flown by. And now, Tuesday’s gone as well.
Just About Par For the Course
Obscure | Gospel of Thomas Commentary
Here is a link to a great resource. On the front page it styles itself thus: “This page explores modern interpretations of the Gospel according to Thomas, an ancient text preserved in a Coptic translation at Nag Hammadi and Greek fragments at Oxyrhynchus. With no particular slant, this commentary gathers together quotations from various scholars in order to elucidate the meaning of the sayings, many of which are rightly described as “obscure.”
It is an excellent reference on the Gospel of Thomas. For each ‘Saying’ it provides:
–The Coptic text that was found at Nag Hammadi (prolog + 114 sayings)
–Three different translations of the text (by Blatz, Layton, and Doresse)
–The Greek text (Oxyrhynchus fragment) if it exists
–Two different translations of the Greek text (by Doresse and Attridge)
–‘Funks Parallels’ that associates the saying to other sayings, the New/Old testament(s), and other religious sources.
‘–Scholarly Quotes’ that provide ‘expert’ analysis of the saying and what it may mean.
–And ‘Visitor Comments’ that were placed by laypersons over time.
While I’m appreciative of the very informative commentary provided by the ‘Scholars’, they view The Gospel of Thomas through a different lens than others might. One might go so far as to question whether the ‘no particular slant‘ words provided in the introduction are applicable to all of the contributing authors. As a safeguard (of sorts) I suggest that you use their comments as trinkets found along discovery’s path rather than the the chest of gold at rainbows end. Your conclusions ought to be your own.
Nobody’s Perfect
This Week?
I’m always being dogged for playing 20 bucks a week on the lottery. “Why would you want to give your money away like that” they say. My answer is always the same: My 20 bucks, bite me.
The facts are plain, the lottery is won every single time. Some one somewhere always ends up with a smile on their face and an outlandish tax bill. I’m in.
Neither of the two biggies have been won in a while so the values have grown up to be in the ‘stupid money’ range. By my best guess the net (cash after taxes) is $133 M for tonight’s Powerball and $198 M for tomorrows Megamillions.
Stupid money could get you a little piece of land on the left coast.
“The Kristofferson Ranch. For the first time in over 40 years, the 557+- acre Kristofferson Ranch is now available. The ownership of the ranch dates back to 1980 when Kris Kristofferson purchased the property. Steeped in history, the origins of the ranch began in the 1800’s when it was originally developed as a dairy farm. “
“As a testament to old world craftsmanship and design, the original road house and barns still stand to this day. Just below the road house sits the cavernous rocky outcropping, known as Devils Basin. This dramatic setting played host to the filming of Karate Kid 3 and is considered some of California’s most pristine coastline. With nearly 1 mile of ocean frontage, cattle, timber production and residential development, the ranch offers endless possibilities to the next owner. “
“Multiple building envelops with panoramic ocean views run along the ridge lines throughout the property. The well-maintained road network throughout the ranch will carry you from water’s edge to the coastal meadows overlooking Manchester State Park. This is a place of solace. A fortress of solitude.“
Simple Pleasures
Wifey alerted me on Saturday that I had overbought eggs: we had 40 in the fridge. We typically go through somewhere between a dozen and 16 (or so) a week. So I decided that what the world (or perhaps just this household) needed is more pickled eggs. I tried my hand at this about two years ago and I guess I got a hold of bad recipe because they were inedible. Not so with the batch I made up earlier today.
I tripled the recipe (except the eggs where I used 21) and used 3 quart jars with 7 eggs each. No fresh dill sprigs so I used dried dill weed (a little less than half a tsp per jar) and scratched the onion. I couldn’t pass on the opportunity to add several sprigs of dried Asian Super Pepper (about 50,000 SHU) to one of the jars.
A taste test of one egg a short while ago let me know the recipe is indeed spot on. The challenge now will be to keep my paws out of the jar until they’ve aged for 6 or 7 days.
An Unraveling
What the hell are they putting in the water in Chi Town? A better question may be who in their right mind would choose to live there.
Meanwhile, in KC. . .
This behavior is (please think this through) not only acceptable, but also preferable to the alternative: a Kensington like existence. Somewhere in the back of there uneducated minds there is the nagging premonition that they must either act out/up or drift into the life of a zombie. A very real possibility.
This is the America that awaits those who place their trust in institutions.
When the Message is Undisputed, Shoot the Messenger
From Reuters: Russian media on Friday published a 38-minute recording of a call in which German officers were heard discussing weapons for Ukraine and a potential strike by Kyiv on a bridge in Crimea, prompting Russian officials to demand an explanation.
On Saturday, Germany called it an apparent act of eavesdropping and said it was investigating.
“The incident is much more than just the interception and publication of a conversation … It is part of an information war that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is waging,” Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said on Sunday.
“It is a hybrid disinformation attack. It is about division. It is about undermining our unity.”
All of this may be so, but the elephant no one wants to speak of is that there is no secure communications channel in Deutschland. I wonder what other wonderful tidbits the Russians have harvested from these folk.
A Climate Defiance Ambush
What a bunch of sick fucks.
Incompetence At the Highest Level
Austin in front of the Armed Services Committee today:
If I understand this right he’s saying the only way to stop Russia from going to war with NATO is to have NATO go to war with Russia.
I’m thinking that he needs more surgery.
Without Honor
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said there was no break in the chain of command when he was hospitalized in January. He admitted to the House panel on Thursday it was actually his aides who made a decision to transfer his authorities to his deputy. He then blamed those same aides for not telling for not telling the president about his hospitalization.
Trust me on this one folks, if decisions are being made by the aids then there MUST have been a break in the chain of command.
Is there a more contemptible way to toss an aide under a bus than in front of a House oversight committee?
OBTW, here is a question that begs to be asked: ‘Who is running the show in that great circus performing aside the Potomac?’ The aides?
Coming to an America Near You
Forbidden Texts (Revisited)
Some time ago I posted a large collection of ‘Gnostic’ writings in a volume titled The Gnostic Bible. It contains 47 complete works by various authors or are ‘gospels’ of some sort or another.
47 is bunches and this volume runs 860 pages. An index at the back end makes it more useful than what otherwise might be.
A very informative introduction by Marvin Meyer and Willis Barnstone provide an excellent backdrop on how/why nonconforming people, doctrine and documents were treated by ‘The Church’. These folk (church leadership) could not be safely crossed because the church had cornered the market on religion, faith and salvation and were one of the most powerful agencies in the world. They were not about to give away the keys to their kingdom to any upstart spiritual movement. The simple act of translating the scriptures (for consumption by the laymen) was prohibited.
The fates of John Wycliffe, Etinette Dolet, and William Tyndale testify to what the punishment for translating the New Testament out of Latin and into English or French might be. (See page 25 of the document)
Keystone Comrades
On one hand this is absolutely hilarious . . .
. . . on the other hand it won’t be long until US forces face the same crisis in planning, leadership, and execution as the Brits now do.
Until then, here’s to our keystone comrades in arms!
Around the Farm
I put out a couple of bales of hay and topped off the minerals for the cattle earlier today. I’m down to 6 remaining bales (that’s the bad news) but they have really backed off of it as the fields begin to green up (the good news). We’ve had three bail to the greener pastures to the west (my neighbors place) so they’ll not be munching on the dwindling stock over here.
I was going to gather up some composted manure to work into the garden soil, but decided instead to go with some decomposed wood from a fallen Hackberry tree.
Two trips to the ‘corpse’ of three buckets per trip was enough to enrich the organic material in four 4×12 planting beds. I turned it in some with a shovel and will give it a month or so of rest before i take my small Honda cultivator to it. I still need to move two more beds from the south (abandoned) side of the garden to this side.
I’ve collected another clue on the mysterious lone pear tree in the front pasture: Its bloom time.
It was a good thing that I thought to cut scion wood from these trees last week. Had I waited even as much as a few days it would have been past the time when it would be a viable grafting limb. Those cuttings are in my fridge.
As educational as this all might be, I may have the names of pear tree I planted backward! I won’t be certain that I have them named correctly until they produce fruit. The near term hurdle on the pear trees is concurrency; The trees that I planted will all need to be in bloom at the same time or I’m only going to get one variety to bear fruit.
Speaking of a single variety, one of my plum trees died and I’ve got one left. It is a ‘Santa Rosa’ plum and self pollinating. I saw a couple of blooms on it last year but no fruit. Today it was absolutely loaded with blossoms.
Greenies: Hunkered Down While the Fires Burn
If you were to sharpen your pencils and calculate the amount of carbon released annually from fires world wide, you’d soon realize just how ridiculous and nefarious this ‘man made climate change’ scheme really is. This is not to say that the highbrows and pencil necks within august group won’t/don’t pin this tremendous release of carbon on man (they will/do). But not very loudly as the globalization scheme they are pushing gains no traction when the ‘marks’ (us) realize that climate is going to go one way (or another, or both ways) all of it’s own volition. The climate is going to go where the climate is going to go and nothing that we can do is going to change that.
Combating climate change has never been about climate change; it’s been about restructuring the societies and controlling populations. Climate change is the crisis/catalyst that moves great nations to destroy themselves. On a scale less grand it is greed and/or self actualization (think Maslow’s tip of the triangle) that motivates a person within a nations power structure to use hot/cold/wet/dry as the means to an end. Bending the will of the peon for these folks is a good thing.
The good news is that once they can get the great republics to fall technology will have been developed to the point that every individual can be easily manipulated to act in whatever manner the state feels is best for the state. China’s development and implementation of ‘social credit scores’ regimens provides a solid foundation to build out a effective and ubiquitous system capable of rewarding/punishing at the whim of ‘our betters’.
Speaking of China, I’m pretty damn sure that they are quiet pleased with the trajectory that our world wide body’s are hell bent on taking (centralization/control) and with their own technological achievements. Good to know that things are coming together nicely for some.
Talent
Unsuspended | The Circus Rolls On
Jimi in 1967: It’s Kinda Like Art, and Sex, and Music, and Gymnastics, and Pyromania and Destruction
He burnt his candle from both ends. Have a great Wednesday!
Almost Tree Time
I gathered scion wood from all three varieties of pear trees I have on the property and placed them in 3 separate plastic bags along with moist paper towels. They are resting in the fridge along with the 3 new varieties of apple tree I picked up from Burnt Ridge Nursery. The apple scion does not have the circumference I expected so it’ll be ‘interesting’ to see if it grafts as easily as last years trees. Root stock will be sent this way next week and I’ll have 22 new trees to babysit for the next few month.
I currently have the two varieties above and can’t help but wonder who would dish out $150 for a 4 foot stick. I paid $35 each at a local nursery for the 3 pear trees and 4 apple trees I purchased a couple year back. The new 10 pear trees will cost under $3 each (the cost of the root stock) and the dozen new apple trees will cost $6 each (root stock and scion).
As far as I can tell there are 11 different type pear trees that are self-pollinating. I should be able to determine the type of pear that the old tree up front is once the fruit on it begins to mature. We’ll see.