"How Time Fly's"

Today is the fiftieth anniversary of my enlistment into the United States Army and my first day of three years of active duty. I must be having fun, as "It seems like only yesterday", indeed.

"Why I'll Never run for Political Office"

I wear my wrinkles and warts proudly. "Less Pasty - More Tasty", that's my motto. LIfe. Live it; love it; never waste it.

Michael Golring redux

Considering the Fourth Estate's response, I cannot resist: Obama. "Dark Lord of the Flies"?

"Can't we all just get along?" Redux

"Can't we all just get along?" Oh, I forgot. Not as long as there's money to be made and power to be gained for the pretentious-petulant-pointy-heads (pretending intellectual perspicacity), who dominate the allegedly enlightened left we can't. (At least an ostrich has enough sense to stick it's (pointy) head in the sand, and not some other dark, smelly place.) How anyone with a modicum of common sense (If common sense were, there'd be more of it) could believe that either side is without sin (yes, you fool - even your vaunted democrat party big whigs) is maintaining a state of delusion. Self or otherwise. I recently was asked by a fellow (female) community action group member, "What" I was. When I responded "American", she went into apoplexy, admonishing me sternly that I couldn't make that claim, as that wasn't a "recognized" category or group. I responded that when I was stationed near Munich, West Germany, I was asked, in German, the same question. I then told her I responded thus: "Armenisher, Englander, Franklander, Hollander und Scotlander", to which my questioner, bursting into a big smile said, "Ach! Amerikaner!". I told her it was a lesson I've never forgotten. As long as we Balkanize, segregate, separate, categorize, fold, spindle and mutilate the American polity, we diminish this grand experiment. We must embrace our uniquely American commonality, especially those precepts as espoused in our Constitution and it's Preamble thereto that bind us together. We must disavow those who would divide to conquer, control and diminish us, both as a people and as a nation.

"If common sense were, there'd be more of it"

I consider this to be good news for our local newspapers. I sent the following to the "Major Sacramento Fish-wrap": Why do you let the illiteratus infest your "comments" by the public? If I wished to be insulted, I'd go to their family reunion. It's bad enough that you go along with the new A.P. style book of bastardized English (that which eliminates proper usage, spelling and grammar) for corporate greed. (Yes, you and old "Mr. Gecko" have a lot in common.) But, you also do not warn new "Subscribers" that they have to pay to e-view this tripe, with no option to say "No", before going to the register page. It seems consistent with the bright ideas conjured up by your "Pinheads in the pinstripe suits" that Tom Sullivan refers to in other corporate media. With the "Greying of America" by Boomers, who are your loyal readers, you cut even further your content, lower your standards and raise your prices. Remarkable what the "Johnnie come-lately's" in their 30's can accomplish by intimidating their superiors in their 40's, who have to come up with something to impress their bosses in their 50's. "See Ya!"

"Shaggy Highways" Revisited

This is my follow up to the previous "Shaggy Story" I posted: Three years ago, last May, I was going up the Bass Lake Grade (a 71/2%, sweeping S shaped incline between Sacramento and Placerville, Calif.) at 8:55 am. I was driving a set of double bottoms painted white, pulled by a bright yellow tractor. It was clear and calm. I had my 4-way hazard lights on as at about 79,680 lbs. I couldn't make more than 26 mph up that grade. I was in the far right lane of three, with plenty of visibility fore and aft, when this brand new full sized pick up truck ploughs into the left rear of my back trailer going an estimated 60 + mph. I felt the slight impact, looked back in my mirror, and saw him at a dead stop with the hood straight up in the #2 lane. I pulled off to the shoulder, and assisted several people who'd stopped to help. He had trouble breathing, but otherwise seemed in fair condition. Another trucker and I tried to put out the engine fire, but the P/U burned to the ground. Fortunately, he'd just dropped off his kids at school. The really good news was that he hit left of dead center where the tires are. If, as I pointed out to the the Highway Patrol officer, he'd centered me, the impact would've placed the stinger that protrudes from the rear of the back trailer about 24", into the cab of his truck and likely would've killed him outright. Yes, I've seen a lot of idiocy out there, most of it by 4-wheelers who are "in a hurry", blind to their surroundings. I could go on, but you get the idea. I also agree that there seem to be more and more truck drivers (not truckers) who don't take the same care as most of us "more mature" truckers do. Maybe it's because, here in California at least, one can get a commercial drivers license in any of 31 different languages. Get that foolishness off the books, and I'll guarantee you a better class of trucker on the road. (If you can't understand the hand written emergency warning sign, put up by someone in the driving rain, at night, I don't want you on "My Highway". Period!

"Not Even Wrong"

The following is excerpted from the preface of "Not Even Wrong"; illustrated edition; published by Basic Books; written by Peter Woit, and suitably modified by me to reflect the controversy surrounding man made global warming and/or climate change theory and all the hype involved:

The physicist Wolfgang Pauli was known for his often less than polite criticism of the work of some of his colleagues. He would sometimes exclaim "wrong" (falsch) or "completely wrong" (ganz falsch) when he disagreed with someone. Near the end of his life when asked his opinion of an article by a young physicist, he sadly said "it is not even wrong" (Das ist nicht einmal falsch). The phrase "not even wrong" is a popular one among physicists, and carries two different connotations, both of which Pauli likely had in mind. A theory can be "not even wrong" because it is so incomplete and ill-defined that it can't be used to make firm predictions whose failure would show it to be wrong. This has been the situation of man made global warming/climate change theory from its beginnings to the present day.

This sort of "not even wrong" is not necessarily a bad thing. Most new theoretical ideas begin in this state, and it can take quite a bit of work before their implications are well enough understood for researchers to be able to tell whether the idea is right or wrong. But there is a second connotation of "not even wrong": something worse than a wrong idea, and in this form the phrase often gets used as a generic term of abuse. In the case of the man made global warming/climate change theory, the way some researchers are abandoning fundamental scientific principals rather that admit a theory is wrong is something of this kind: worse than being wrong is to refuse to admit it when one is wrong. Not one of the computer models being used to predict the future of earths climate changes has ever been able to predict the climate changes from the past to the present, even though they were fed every last bit of scientific fact as based on the hard evidence of what has actually happened to our climate to date. Algore intentionally uses the term "denier" to imply that anyone who dares to disagree with he and his colleagues in the political sphere, or his coconspirators in the United Nations, is akin to the anti holocaust ranting's of those who hate Jews. He also cleverly uses the term "outlier", which in the scientific community defines something in their findings that is at odds with the theory being tested, but is considered to be inconsequential to the final outcome. Why does the phrase "Final Solution" come to mind? Oh, yes. Maybe it's because in order "act before all the evidence is in, just in case it's correct" requires an ungodly blend of Fascistic Socialism to be imposed on everyone. Carbon Credits; Cap and Trade; Mercury filled light bulbs; Toilet Capacity; Bovine Flatulence (a fitting term for the methods the "bull in the china shop" green regulators in charge envision implementing), and there are so many more to mention it would take a compendium "the size of Baltimore" to index the injustices to be done in the name of "Saving the Planet", "Before it's too late!" (or we really know what we're doing). If you doubt me, study the evidence with an open mind, not one filled with the preconceived notion that the only "pure" scientists are the ones who do research on the governments dole. (Where do you think most university research grants come from? How about peer pressure coupled with the drying up of funds for unpopular research?) If you believe that we can learn from the past, remember the recanting of his heliocentric theory by Galileo

"Shaggy Highways"

I found the following article in the Washington Times today, which said in part: America's highways are taking on a shaggier look for the peak travel season. Grasses, shrubs and wildflowers are exploding across median strips and road shoulders this summer as states cut back on mowing to save money.

Although there are some environmental benefits, the principal reason for the cuts are financial since states rely on fuel taxes to pay for highway maintenance, and fuel sales have been hurt by the recession and the shift toward thriftier vehicles.

"Anywhere there are safety issues - sight-distance issues, known animal crossings - we'll still mow those areas. But we're not going to do fenceline-to-fenceline mowing like we do today," said Jeffrey Caldwell, spokesman for the Virginia Department of Transportation, which just announced it would mow half as often to save $20 million. ... etc.

One of the reader responses just really set me off. Heres why - unedited: we should remember, that the interstate road syttem was put in place for National Defence. RR systems are more likely to be hampered by bombs. GOOD, we have never been invaded (by an Army, that is). Rural roadways are managed by town-ship moneys, That is who pays for and purchase snow plows...etc. ...Truckers claim a right to the highways because they pay the gasoline taxes! Lets get those BIG TRUCKS off our highways!

My response was as follows: I wonder how those "Green Weenies" get this inconsistent "good idea" around another of their idiot dictums, designed to limit 4-wheeling as much as possible. To wit: That being, in part, that one mustn't stray from the designated trails because (get this), the (Evil implied) 4-wheeler's exhaust system's heat will set off grass-brush-forest-you-name-it fires. (And no, I'm not for trashing the environment either. Fool!) So, if for some reason - say you blow a tire - you have to suddenly swerve off the pavement onto said brushy/grassy/shrubbyand/or tree-filled median or shoulder - you may just ignite your own funeral pyre. Great going, inviro-nuts!

As to the complaint about Evil Big Rigs: I agree. Get the Hell off my roadways! I paid for their construction. I pay for their maintenance. Many times over, in fact. In fact I do both of those things, as I'm a "Dirt Hauler". If you would like to make the same claims, just pay all the same taxes each and every big rig owner does. Until you do - shut the Hell up! Unless, of course you want to take your puny Prius down to your nearest freight dock at either you closest international airport or container ship facility. Oh, yes. Those containers are designed to be transported by? And, after you pay through the nose in fuel/time wasted and inconvienience, then you have a right to complain. "Bubba".

"War Path? I'll show you stinking war path!"

I've found this nation practicing what I'm starting to call "Intolerant Inclusiveness" (commonly called "Diversity Speech Codes"). Quite plainly, I'm not a fan of "Hyphenated-Americans". However, I even occasionally refer to myself as "A member of the Providence Band of Fresno Indians". Why? Because I was born in Providence, RI., and, I'd never heard the term, uttered by some racist bigot, "Fresno Indian", until I was in basic training at 18 years of age. (Apparently, there's a large population of immigrants from Armenia living there in the Fresno area.) It's my sense of humor that sustains me, not my tender sensibilities about this, that or the other, real or imagined, slight. Example: I was always "The skinny kid with the big nose" when I was growing up. As I put it: "I prefer to remember myself as 'The slender youth with the proud proboscis' ". Danny Thomas(ian) used to have a joke that went: "All of you people with little noses. You go around panting all day long. Me? Once a day!" as he vigorously inhaled and pounded his chest smilingly. Hey. Life's too short to sweat the small stuff.