Well, Stupidity Reaches New Heights

Starbucks will ban smoking within 25 feet of all their overpriced crap called coffee outlets  cafes. Of course, you can still come in, be grossly overweight, eat their crap and drink caffeine to excess.

If I offended anyone, it was intentional. I don't like smoking Nazis or any other reformed, meddling, feel good, urban, yuppie, new age, puss gutted piss ants. If you want to save someone's health, go pester a damned bureaucrat. They cause more health problems than any foreign substance.

Photographs

Years ago, while at the house of some friends, they dug out the family album and showed me photos.

We reached the point where there was the graduation picture of the wife's brother. He was a handsome young man; full of happiness and the confidence of youth. She explained a little about him and how he was killed in Vietnam.

Her brother was in an armored division, so he rode a tank. In Vietnam, it was brutal duty, since the heat was horrible and much of the terrain would stop a tank within moments. A stopped tank was an easy target and many were killed at those moments.

There was another photo; the last she had. It was of her brother with his unit. The happiness was gone and the thousand yard stare apparent. We went on from that point; looking at the children, vacations and other parts of their lives.

Later, my friend - who served in the Calvary in Vietnam - told me the photo let him know his brother-in-law "knew". I asked for an explanation. He responded with the common knowledge his unit was in a terrible place and the expression told more than many could understand. His brother-in-law knew the deck was stacked against him and the knowledge wore heavy on his mind.

So, he didn't return. From what I remember, his tank caught fire and he was burned before he could escape. Time stood still for the young man and his family could only endure the horror of his death.

What can I write that explains the sadness and horror I feel? We're all humans, yet we can't escape the madness of war. Maybe it's part of our destiny, but it doesn't lessen the impact of the losses.

Say a prayer for those that died and for their families that remain. All the pomp, glory, twenty one gun salutes and flags on coffins are so inconsequential compared to a life. It's a precious thing they gave in service to all of us.

Memorial

I'm not a veteran. I never served in the armed forces, so I only have a glimpse of what they face.

I've been away from home, had things happen I had no control over, and suffered with worry until I was home in a relatively short period of time. It was nothing like what our armed forces face, when they're thousands of miles from home, everything turns to crap and they have to keep on doing what they're doing, in spite of the fact they've lost family, or their house burned down, or their spouse moved on....the list goes on forever.

When you add all the adversities life presents -  and death -  those that served were removed from all they loved, cherished, hoped for and were anticipating. They left this earth, while the problems continued and their family, and friends, were left with only memories; embellished by a loss that's too deep to express.

The loss of a loved one is never something to be taken lightly. The loss of a member of our armed forces accentuates the dangers the world presents and society can only observe the damage, without any real method to repair the damage. Those left behind only have fragments of their former life. They scrape up the pieces and try to put  it together again.

Honor those that left while serving this great nation. It's a tiny thing to do, when compared to their sacrifice.

Janie Was On Her Soap Box

Janie commented on my post about social media and I thought it was important enough to use as a post.

"...Interesting point. As an adult learner in college, it is absolutely crazy to me how these young people can't get through a one hour class without texting their friends or checking Facebook/Twitter, etc.
Some people are even shocked to hear I don't do either one. They are even more shocked to hear I leave my cellphone in my office when I go to class. And up until very recently my cellphone was such an old model it didn't even have a camera in it, much less have 4G connectivity! Horrors!!!! How did I survive?!?

Once, I forgot to turn off my phone and it rang in my purse. My boss was in the office and heard it. When I got back after class she expressed her concern and had been wondering if she should have come and got me and realized she didn't know where my classroom was. She was all the more shocked when I didn't hurry to check my message.

"Aren't you worried something happened?" She asked.

"Well, 20 years ago we didn't all have cellphones and if there was an emergency we just found out about it after the fact and we survived. Besides, even if there was an emergency what would I do about it? If someone died, knowing an hour earlier wouldn't do me or them any more good than finding out an hour later, and if there had been an accident an ambulance would get my family to the hospital faster than I could, so, again, what good would it do to find out and be able to do nothing about it until it was too late?"

She was stunned. But, fact is, we forget that life happens whether we know about it instantly or after the fact. I think all this social media does is give us a false sense of our own importance and prevents us from really feeling secure and capable in our own right. It's the very worst form of peer pressure imaginable.

I'll get down off my soap box now...."

Tree Cutting and Lunch

Right after high school, my brother, and a friend went to our friend's mother's house up country to cut some trees. We were offered lunch and it was a fair exchange for helping. After all, that's what friends do for friends.

Most of the trees were sweet gums, that were making a mess of the yard. None were really big, so the work wasn't nearly as hard as I originally envisioned. We had the trees cut and the rest stacked for burning before lunch.

Our friend's mother called for us to come eat. The aroma from the kitchen was intoxicating. She'd made a squirrel gumbo and we were hungry.

We lined up at the stove, placed some rice in our bowls and scooped our gumbo from the big pot sitting on the burner. Judging by the color, it was near perfect. I was hungry and anticipated a good feed.

The gumbo was excellent. The squirrel was cooked fork tender, so it was easily removed from the bones. The side dish of potato salad only embellished an already fine lunch.

As I ate, I worked my way around a piece of meat I didn't recognize. I usually don't place anything in my bowl that doesn't look familiar, but avoided the practice when I filled my bowl. The cook was watching and I didn't want to break some unspoken rule.

Eventually, there was nothing left in my bowl, except the unknown piece. Glancing at my friend's mother, I realized she was watching closely. She must have known I was confused and spoke: "It's the head."

I just stared.

"Here", she said, handing me a nutcracker, "You crack it open and eat the brains."

My mind was racing. I've never eaten any type of brains; had no desire to eat any type of brains - much less a squirrel's - and there was no honorable escape.

"Okay" was all I could say, as I reached for nut cracker, opened the head and scooped out the brains. They tasted like liver, which I don't like.

"The jowl meat is good, too."

It helped remove the taste of the brains.

"The tongue is good."

I quickly spoke, which was probably impolite, but a line had been crossed.

"That's where I draw the line."

She laughed. Everybody laughed. I looked around sheepishly and realized I'd been played.

She explained how her mother wouldn't cut up the squirrel the way she did, and I would have known immediately what I'd placed in my bowl.

We finished, helped clean the kitchen, drank a few beers and eventually headed home. All, in all, it was a good day and we had some firewood for my dad's fireplace.

I haven't had squirrel gumbo since that day. Next time I do, I'm going to look more closely.

Social Media and Relinquishing Your Privacy

I was trying to explain to a young man on the job yesterday how precarious his future may be, due to his obsession with social media. I hope he understood, but I have my doubts. I hope he realizes his ability to make a loan, or gain a better job may not happen, since he's revealed his entire life as an open book.

After many conversations with people, I realized how many people destroy their privacy with constant updates of their life. They throw their security away without realizing the consequences To aggravate the situation, their words are twisted, re-broadcast and eventually become "facts" to others. What could be an innocent comment may end up insulting someone, or jeopardize a future relationship or job.

The young man I was talking to is far from alone. All his friends are the same. They spend way too much time jabbering like birds and too little time examining their thoughts before they reveal things that might best be kept private.

What happens in the future? I think we'll have a generation that shuns social media. The constant updating will become intrusive. Instead of willingly revealing their lives, they'll prefer their privacy. That will be a good thing. People are generally too nosy in the first place. Giving them information they have no right to is madness.

Conundrum

So now what does Obama do?

If he keeps Holder, the pressure to reveal what he's hiding, including possible illegal activity, will lead to much more than distraction. That won't end well.

If he get's rid of Holder, the new sheriff will have a job of cleaning house. This will expose executive weakness at best. At the worst, investigation may lead to oppressive misuse of power by several members of the administration, which will not only discredit Obama, it may lead to his impeachment and the damning of the Democratic Party for their foolishness is promoting the man that led to the problems.

It's a conundrum and you can see the administration start to squirm. There's a strong effort to change the subject, which isn't working. Many in the media are outraged and they're digging for answers.

I don't think many in the media will like what they find. Not only have they now become political enemies, they share the responsibility of placing Obama in power. They thought they were insulated, but now find they're first to go. They have too much power and this administration wants to make sure they don't use it.

Ten More Degrees....

...and it will really be summer.

It reached 90 today, with a relative humidity of around 75% at the hottest part of the day. Otherwise, it was like a sauna, without the "I'm tired of this; I'm leaving" option.

I'm not looking forward to the the next three months.

Some Days With The Pile Driving Crew

Decades ago, I was farmed out to a pile driving subcontractor, while the main crew went to pour a bridge a few hundred miles away. We were driving piling for an abutment cap on an overpass. Since I'd never driven pile, I was the F.N.G. and I had a lot to learn.

The piling was 16 inch square, prestressed concrete pile about 60 feet long. To those that don't know what that is, the piling has strands of cable that run the length of the pile. The cables are stressed to a certain amount of tension, before the concrete is poured. After the concrete is cured, the cables are cut at the end of the pile and the holes are filled with epoxy. The cables add strength, and hold the piling together.

The crew was well seasoned, so my tasks were the most menial. If it required someone to wallow in the mud and move something, I was first in line to accomplish this task. After all, other than doing such things, I was damn near useless.

As the week progressed, I learned how the rig was set up, the parts of the hammer and how they would set the batter for the batter piling. All of it was hard dirty work and the constant beating while driving required ear protection. To add insult to injury, the hammer - which was a diesel hammer - "slobbered" oil and diesel. Every day, when I returned home, I was speckled with drops that constantly fell from the running hammer.

The one day I really remember started brutally hot. The humidity was high and the forecast was for heavy evening thunderstorms. The hammer was cantankerous that morning, which meant I had to climb the leads and spray starting fluid in the intake. It took a few tries, but the hammer finally fired and I was rewarded with an extra amount of "slobber" as I climbed down the leads. The noise was deafening, even with ear plugs. Since the piling was just resting in the hole we drilled, there wasn't much bearing and the piling was sinking quickly. All I could think of was hurrying down and avoiding getting my hands caught in the pinch points as the hammer dropped.

The piling eventually reached the point where every blow only buried it a fraction of an inch further. The inspector, who was logging the pile, nodded his head and the foreman pulled the compression release on the hammer. We had one done and many more to drive.

It was around 3:30 when I noticed the huge thunderstorm to the south. It was hard to say which direction it was headed, but I had a good idea it was headed our way.

We were setting the leads on another piling, when it became obvious we'd be hit by the storm. The foreman, who didn't want to go through the entire process again, continued setting the leads into position. The thunderstorm arrived before we could finish.

As we tried to secure the rig, lightning started hitting close and often. We secured what we could in the high wind, but were soon soaked by the torrential rain that arrived faster than anticipated. We all cringed when a bolt would strike close. We scattered to our vehicles to wait it out; we still had tools to pick up after the storm passed.

I sat in my truck and dripped while I watched the winds whip the rain. As I watched, the tool shed scooted a few feet. The next gust started it skidding and it soon flipped on its side. As my truck rocked, I began to wonder if a tornado was near.

After about fifteen minutes, a few of the crew left their vehicles and started gathering tools in the still steady rain. Not wanting to be odd man out, I left my truck and started helping. After all, I was already soaked, so the rain didn't really matter any longer.

We finally finished, which was a relief. The packed, clay header bank was now slick as ice and the heavy mud coating my work boots made walking difficult. I was already tired and this wasn't helping. It was time to go home.

As I left, I drove by the tool house, which was turned where the door was pinned. Deciding it didn't need to be locked, I headed home. Tomorrow would arrive soon enough and it promised to have heat even more brutal, with the added burden of slogging in the mud.

I stopped an bought an ice cold beer on the way home. It was one of the best I ever had.

Some Things You Don't Forget

I was working in a small town in Central Texas. It wasn't a large project, and it wasn't terribly far away, so we worked Monday through Friday and came home on the weekends.

The weather caught my attention. Thunderstorms of unbelievable size, and fury, were a daily occurrence in the distance. I'd never seen such huge, billowing clouds that stretched into the stratosphere. My only reaction was awe. Even though I'd been exposed to thunderstorm my entire life, I'd never seen anything that compared to what I was observing.

One night, at about 1:00 am, I awoke, when the power went out. The deep darkness was broken by constant lightning. Not a second passed without a flash and the continuous, bright flashes would have allowed reading newspaper.

The motel manager walked through the parking lot and spoke to those that were standing outside. A tornado warning was issued and the storm was forecast to continue to our location.

I watched until the tremendous downdraft hit. I stepped back into my room and waited.

As I waited, I wondered about the tornado. Where was it? Was it wrapped by the heavy downpour, filled with small hail? Was this it? Would my life end when the motel was ripped apart?

My answer was soon to arrive: the tornado lifted back into the clouds and the storm eventually passed without any damage.

The following morning was clear, and the only indication of the storm were a few puddles in the parking lot. News reports revealed only minor damage to outbuildings in the surrounding countryside. Nobody was injured and nobody died.

I've seen tornadoes, although they've always been the small storms, or waterspouts, found along the coast. They cause damage, but the winds are far from the horrendous 200 mph plus winds in an E4, or E5 tornado.  I can't imagine such an event and don't want to ever have it part of my memories.

So, I've wandered all around the gut wrenching feeling of knowing parents are mourning the injury and death of the their children in Oklahoma. I can only offer prayers at this point, and they seem woefully insubstantial to the horrors they endured.

Lazy Sunday

Yesterday - in fact all the preceding week - was busy. I had lots to do, and pushed too hard. Yesterday brought it to fruition, when I hit a stick on my rider and knocked the drive belt off the pulley. Placing it back into position led to some strange contortions, which led to an angry response from my lower back.

So, today I kicked back and did nothing except a little grocery shopping and the long cooking of a roast. It was good, and tomorrow brings another start to what I'm forecasting as a busy week.

One other thing: Thanks to some links, and a lot of new readers, I'm getting substantially more traffic than I've ever had before. It's humbling and I'm thankful. For those that visit, I really do appreciate your time.

Kept Up To Date

From an interview with Dan Pfeiffer, an Obama Aide, with Chris Wallace:

"...Asked about whether the president entered the Situation Room, Pfeiffer says, "I don't remember what room the president was in on that night, and that's a largely irrelevant fact."

Maybe in his mind, but when it comes to a coordinated attack against representative of the United States, it's not irrelevant; it's a demand the President is completely apprised and taking the necessary actions.

He continued:

"... the president was in the white house that day, kept up to date by his national security team, spoke to the joint chiefs of staff earlier, secretary of state, and as events unfolded he was kept up to date..."

Oh really? He was kept up to date? He was in the White House? So, if the man in charge was on top of things, is it safe to assume the responsibility of the outcome is completely that of the President?

I don't know about you, but if this is true, the only conclusion is the President either wasn't paying attention, or the lives of 4 U.S. citizens ended with absolutely no effort to save them. Either is unconscionable and illustrates how little concern this administration has for the safety of U.S. citizens. If they'll let those that are our ambassadors to foreign lands be butchered by terrorists, it's safe to assume they have less concern for the ordinary citizen. 

Obama can't skate on this one. Either his aide is lying or he just implicated the President in one of the worst atrocities ever performed by the United States government.  

When "Scandal" Isn't Enough

The word scandal doesn't describe the outrage of the criminal acts being discovered by investigations. In our current society, "scandal" has been so misused, there isn't enough outrage associated with the description.

From the murders in Benghazi, to the deliberate acts of government agencies to criminally oppress - or spy - on citizens, a more fitting description needs to be applied. Atrocity is a better description. From this point on, I'll describe the acts as atrocities.

Let's Call It What It Is

It's tyranny. When a government uses its powers to oppress, influence political elections, destroy personal wealth and endanger the lives of citizens, there is no other description.

Now, we'll find out how our Congress Critters handle one of the most pivotal events in the history of the United States. If they don't crush this oppression, they effectively join in terrorizing the citizens. The next step to solving this problem is really, really ugly.

Eighteen and One Half Minute Gap

I'm an old fart, so I remember the gap in the Nixon tapes. Nixon's secretary answered a phone call, wasn't paying attention to where her feet were, and recorded over five minutes of important information. She fessed up to that, but not the additional 13- 1/2 minutes, which nobody could account for losing.

So, Nixon had a gap in his recordings. The White House has two days of gaps in their emails about Benghazi. Nixon was trying to hide something. I'm betting the White house has the same reason.

When They Poisoned the Kool-Aid

There's a point where the cult members realize there's something wrong with the Kool-Aid. I think the Obamanites might have reached that point. Time will tell.

He Doesn't Know Anything

Issa: "Were you aware that men in your immediate staff were sodomizing other men in your agency?"

Holder: "I recused myself and have no knowledge of the circumstances: "

Issa: "Were you aware that it was you being sodomized:"

Holder: ....................................!!!!!

Turn Signal Etiquette

For those that aren't sure: Slowing down, braking and then turning on your turn signal is ass-backwards of the correct procedure. The correct sequence:

1 - Turn on your turn signal to signal your intention.
2 - Gradually slow down, which allows those behind you the opportunity to change lanes.
3 - Use your brakes until you're at a speed which allows a safe turn.

Wasn't that easy? Now, if you can't remember, tattoo these instructions on the back of your hand...just don't use the hand that holds the phone stuck in your ear.

Dumbass!

Being the Boss

I walked onto my first construction site in the late summer of 1977. It was some of the toughest work I ever performed and led to years of equally tough work.

As time went on, I became the lead man; then the foreman; then the superintendent and finally: the position I now hold, which is general superintendent of a small construction company. So, what does this mean?

I'm who they turn to when it hits the fan. No matter what happens, I'm responsible and the responsibility requires I deal with everything; including people.

This bring me to the point of my post: Why is the responsibility of boss expected in all aspects of our society, except with our current President? Why is he allowed to escape responsibility for a multitude of serious problems?

We had the problem  of illegal gun purchase sanctioned by the Justice Department, which led to the death of U.S. Border Agent. This was initially Eric Holder's problems, but he didn't handle it. At that time, it was the President's job to fire Holder and make sure it didn't happen again.

We had the terror attack in Benghazi. All evidence led to terrible failures by the State Department, yet Hillary was allowed to skate and her replacement doing nothing to rectify this problem

Now, it's evident government agencies - including top officials - are using their power to harass and terrorize U.S. citizens for their political beliefs. Where does it stop?

If the President doesn't handle these problems with the immediate removal of key individuals (and "key" doesn't mean low level cannon fodder) there are only two things to be assumed from his lack of action: incompetence or collusion. Neither is pleasant to think of. I hope anyone that sat out the last Presidential election has an "ah-ha" moment and realizes they allowed their country to fall into the hands of small people that could care less about their rights, or the United States.

My biggest concern is what can be done. I'm hoping Congress uses their power of impeachment to remove the heads of government agencies that are now out of control. I'm thinking that's the only option left on the table.

Broken Cities

Detroit is more than broke. It's the biggest city in this shape, but far from alone. Other cities are struggling and a county in Alabama is looking at billions in shortfalls.

So, what happened? People can skate around the real cause, but it's gross mismanagement, corruption and the devaluation of property values. To make things worse, the property values will slip further, which will lead to less services; including law enforcement. Any attraction for business, or new citizens disappears; probably forever.

This didn't happen overnight. Detroit, like many municipalities, suffers from years of problems, and many of these problems are attributed to an entitlement attitude; including progressive values, which always assume there will be somebody to tax and pay the bill. Unlike larger entities, it's far easier to escape a city and people leave as soon as they're able. The precursor to bankruptcy is a mad scramble for money, which translates to higher taxes, with less services. Nobody wants excessive taxes, while living in a cesspool of criminals and corrupt officials.

I look at my hometown. They just elected the same mayor they've had for the last few years. Since I don't keep real close tabs on expenditures, I really don't know what shape the city is in, but I do know the deterioration of the infrastructure is noticeable. Adding to this problem are problems created by the Federal Government. The last remaining areas that could even attract higher property values were hit with Section 8 housing. Those living in these areas not only lost their investments, they now deal with increasing crime. The city has only added to it's eventual destruction.

Things always change, so these economic problems will be solved, although somebody - most likely bond holders - will get screwed in the process. Bankruptcy always leaves those least able to defend their claims with table scraps. The biggest debt holders know anything's better than nothing and accept pennies on the dollar. Smaller debt holders, who can't afford the low return - are left with their own economic problems. These are the locals, and they don't find getting screwed by their own city an example of fiscal responsibility.

Pay attention to your own community. If you don't, be ready to lose all the value of your home, expect increasing crime and have a plan to leave. It's that, or becoming involved with your local politics. It's a choice, and it can be terribly expensive.

I'll Pat Myself on the Back

The broadcast networks cancelled 18 shows. I only heard of one and never watched any of them. I'm patting myself on the back for my continuing effort to have the supreme pleasure of watching the alphabet networks go out of business.

Mother's Day

My mother is 88 and not nearly as dynamic as she once was. The ravages of life are taking her slowly, which I find painful to watch. She's a shell of who she was.

So, honor your mother on Mother's Day. She, once, wiped your ass; paced until your fever broke; agonized when you stayed out too late; mourned when you left and hoped for a call, when you were too busy. She deserves it; you gave her hell; and she'll remind you of it today, with stories that make you uncomfortable, such as the time you crapped in the bathtub and they put a photo of it in the family album.

"We all laughed until we cried. Look, here it is."

I Wonder What Would Happen...

...if a real reporter told Jay Carney: "Carney, I think you're full of shit. Quit lying and squirming like a school boy with the runs."

Let's Be Realistic

With the new information from the Benghazi hearings, it's becoming more apparent there were warnings of possible violence, a deliberate effort to ignore the warnings and a denial of incompetence when the consulate was attacked by a organized force of terrorists. While some of the testimony can be denied, all of it can't be denied and there are too many involved to discount the information as a single source without merit. 

So, now what happens? There's some indications a deliberate effort to spin the event is underway; even a private meeting with select members of the press. I think this shows where the administration is hoping to steer scrutiny away from key members, but I don't think it will work. At best, it will only soften the hard landing. Somebody will have to be accountable, and I don't think a lower level bureaucrat will be considered a fair sacrifice. You just can't discount the level of seniority required to launch, or refuse to launch a counter terror offensive. That level is up at the immediate advisers to the President and they generally don't try to hide something from the Commander in Chief. 

Will we ever get the entire story? I think so. As the efforts to prevent testimony are exposed, those involved will become the focus of their own investigation. This will allow others to offer their testimony without fear of reprisal. 

Where will it end? That's the tough question. Ultimately, the President is responsible for all that happens with the executive branch of the government. Included in this responsibility is the sometimes thankless task of firing subordinates, making efforts to expose illegal activities and assuring the public he's competent. If the President is complicit, some subordinate will eventually make a mistake and the truth will be exposed. 

Will Obama fire someone? Will he admit involvement, or lack of involvement and admit to incompetence for not handling this in a timely fashion? Will the media finally make a strong effort to investigate the person they refused to vet before he was elected? Time will tell. 

Trying To Figure It Out

My stats suck this month. Some of this I attribute to the amount of posts, but some of it makes no sense at all.

The bots are visiting, but the hits aren't reflecting the usual amount, which makes me think there is something else keeping people away.

Anyway, I'll keep on slugging along. I even thought about writing a post about anal bleaching, but hesitate, since I'm really ignorant of today's society - with all the obsessive shaving by men and women - and I wouldn't want to offend a reader that finds anal bleaching a miracle of modern cosmetology.

So, I'll wait for some inspiration and hope a story appears.

If This Doesn't Make You Feel Old...

...nothing will.

As I was checking out at the grocery store, I made the comment to the clerk: "It's too pretty to be working."

She blushed and replied: "Thank you.", which I assume was a response to what she thought I said, which was "You're too pretty to be working."

I was a little embarrassed, since I don't say such things; even if the clerk is pretty.

She went on: "I don't plan on working here forever. I've applied for college."

We went on with small talk about what major she should choose. She was uncertain, since a college degree doesn't necessarily mean success these days.

As the conversation progressed, I mentioned she should go into the Army. She commented on how her fiancee is in the army and had never considered the prospect.

I told her they want smart people and she could retire after twenty years. She didn't reply, so I explained how if she didn't take that option, she would be like me and have to keep working.

She looked at me and replied: "You're not retired?"

I replied, after feeling a little bit old: "Nope. I still have about ten years."

She looked at me like Methuselah had entered her store and replied : "Ten Years?"

What could I say? I just smiled and walked away.

Crap!

Jumbled Post

I'm reading some things on the news, so this post will not be about one subject.

Obama visited Mexico and blamed much of the gun violence on himself and the United States. Unfortunately, this story is getting hard to find. I'm guessing it's because Mexico has some of the most restrictive gun laws found in any country. From the political point of view, that doesn't coincide with the current effort by the Obama Administration to create tougher gun laws. Of course, it took the media a little time to realize they were not being the good lap dogs they want to be. Therefore, get rid of the story.

"Good dog. Now fetch!"
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Million dollar homes were  being threatened by wild fires in California. The "million" was used repeatedly, which I'm guessing has some special consideration.

From my point of view, a million dollar house in California probably is equal to one that cost around a hundred grand anywhere else in the United States. So, all I could think of was a bunch of poor working stiffs had their entire existence threatened by a natural disaster. (Sorry if I offended any million dollar homeowners. You should be okay. After all, million dollar homes are owned by millionaires and you should be able to get one of "your people" to fix it when the fire is over.)
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Israel has blown up some weapon shipments destined to be in the hands of their enemies; that use them often against Israeli citizens. I can't blame them; I'd do the same if one of my neighbors lobbed missiles at my house and I had the opportunity to blow up his missile shipment.

Comments on those news reports are across the board, but some theorize Israel will now be destroyed by their enemies and WW3 has started.

I doubt it. Even if they managed to destroy Israel, they wouldn't get them all and the entire world would become their retaliatory playground.  If you don't quite understand what that means, think of never sleeping a full night of sleep again, knowing someone has your number and the odds are you won't wake up.

Israel plays hardball in a world of child softball teams. As much as many in the world hate the country, it doesn't take a lot of logic to realize it's best to leave them alone.
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We now have an official gay NBA player. I really could care less, although I think I'd be upset if he was checking out my junk in the shower and I'm betting many of his team members will feel the same.
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"Tough" congressional digging revealed the current administration lied to the public about what happened in Benghazi. I knew that in September. So now what?

I have the feeling those ultimately responsible will never be prosecuted for their terrible dereliction of duty. Write me a comment in the future and tell me I was wrong. I welcome the opportunity to apologize for my hasty judgement.
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Governor Christie smashed a bug in front of some children, which irritated PETA.

Just be glad he didn't eat it. It looks like he eats everything else.

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It will cost $25 a person to visit the 9-11 museum. This is pissing off many people, although for the wrong reason. It probably costs that much to keep it open. Inflation's a bitch and you should really do some research and get mad for the right reason.

Advice For Fathers

Spend some time with your children. Avoid sporting events, since only a tremendously small percentage of the work force make a dime with sports. Teach them to cut boards; show them how to read a tape measure; mix some concrete and pour a step; show them how to file steel; take apart a small engine and show them how it works; dig a hole and place a fence post; anything but allow them to waste their time playing useless video games, or watching mindless drivel on the television.

Why am I offering this advice? It's because I'm finding it almost painful to see the young people in the work force that are completely clueless. They have absolutely nothing to offer, except brief moments of mental acuity and days of mindless work under my direction. Appalling is the best word I can use and it's sad to realize these are who we'll eventually leave in charge.

Do them a favor and prepare them for the real world. If you don't, you'll find yourself embarrassed when you realize your children can only find jobs where the management is from another country.

I'll Write Something

I really don't know what to write. I've had a few small inspirations for fiction, but a little analysis didn't allow them to pan out.

Work has been tedious. Being in charge means I not only have to think of all things ahead, I have to think of all the things that can be done wrong and prevent them from happening. Little things I find as common knowledge are completely unknown to crews that seem to be oblivious of their surroundings. Even with simple instructions, a little supervision, and the mandate to not change my mind, some will find a way to screw up something so simple, if you looked up the word on the internet, there would be a photo of that simple thing.

So, I'm waiting for some inspiration. It will come and I hope it's a real dandy of an idea. I could use it.