It's The Little Things

I have a very old weed trimmer. It's a Stihl FS 74, and it hasn't been manufactured in a long time. I heard it didn't meet the California emission standards, so it bit the dust. Personally, I think sales dropped off tremendously over time due to how good of a trimmer it is. Mine was purchased in the early nineties, and has been my weed trimmer since. 

Over time, I've had to do change some things, including the plug and the carburetor, but those I considered minor problems. One thing I did before, and hadn't for a long time, required me to step back, think about it, and take action. 

The last time I used it, the engine wouldn't rev up. I thought about it, thought about it some more, and my thoughts turned to the exhaust. Years ago, I pulled the spark arrestor screen, and cleaned it up. It wasn't clogged, but it was dirty. I decided to take a look. 

The screen was clogged. Not just a little clogged; completely covered with baked on carbon that wouldn't come off with brake cleaner. It took a wire brush, a lot of elbow grease, and some time to remove all the carbon, but it finally was without any clogging debris. 

I started it, pulled the throttle, and it was like brand new. Now, after the sun is much lower, the air cools, and I get off my butt, I'll go trim what needs to be trimmed. 

It's the little things that stop progress, and I'm glad I've been blessed with solving some of these problems.

Perspective

Washington D.C. is having a problem dealing with a few thousand illegal aliens and wanting some help. Meanwhile, border states are dealing with what is now millions of illegal aliens and getting ignored. Placing it in perspective is comparing a sink overflow to a hurricane storm surge 15 feet above sea level. I have a feeling the vast majority of actual voting citizens have no sympathy for the Capitol, the ignorant dumbasses that roam the government halls, and won't be happy, until the Capitol is as affected by the invasion as the border states. 

The Old West

Laws in the old West were sometimes capricious and arbitrary. What was advantageous to the corrupt was either created, or abused, to acquire, or to keep, power to those with wealth, or criminal organizations. Local law enforcement was sometimes far outnumbered, and it was not unusual to change officials with violence. 

That's where we are as a nation. Large cities have crippled law enforcement, and even if the officers perform their job, ruthless thugs are quickly released to continue their mayhem. The poorer sections of the city can only be described as anarchial societies. Criminals control, people fear retaliation if they try to stop the crime. Law enforcement will only arrive to document events, and to file the paperwork as prescribed by rules. 

The smaller cities, and rural counties, have people that know their security is never guaranteed by those hired to enforce laws, so they're armed, prepared, and will react to crime with what is sometimes described as "extreme prejudice". They know this is their only choice, and failure to be prepared can lead to becoming a victim. 

So, here we are, 150 years past the Wild West, and things are back as they were. Corruption and violence are prevalent in the large cities, smaller cities can be overwhelmed with the same problem, and those that live in rural areas are safe, as long as they have plenty of ammunition, with a network of neighbors for support. 

I've read many places where those with measured thought warn of getting out of the larger cities. It's good advice these days, and necessary for those that want to have more control of their lives.

Pure B.S.

 Yellen says that two quarters of economic contraction is not a recession.  Isn't that a handy comment by someone full of more crap than a Christmas turkey. Change the definition, and you can change anything. A dog can become a cat, a car can become a train, and a recession can turn into economic prosperity. 

*spit*

Excavating the Median

Years ago, TxDot, which was known as the Texas Highway Department at the time, would build curbed medians, with turning lanes  in the cities. It was a good idea at the time, but heavier traffic demanded a continuous left turn lane. It was our job to remove the curb, excavate the medians, place rebar, and fill the areas with concrete. 

I worked with the heavy equipment as they excavated the fill to grade. I kept the grade with two heavy pipes and a string. I'd roll the pipes until the string was taught, and check the depth with a lathe I marked. It was a crude way to measure, but dummy proof. If any other hands were available to help trim with a shovel, I didn't have to wonder if they could read a tape measure. I did have to watch if they had the lathe upside down, even though it was obvious which end was correct.

The best way to describe the embankment used for fill was that it was crap. It was a conglomeration of just about everything, including topsoil, an unstable clay locally called "gumbo", pieces of lumber, bottles, automobile trim pieces, bricks and pieces of concrete. A local church had an enormous fill needed for an expansion, and the basically worthless embankment would work for fill around the building. A little topsoil, some grass, and the new building would be beautiful. It was free, so they had one less expenditure for their project.

One afternoon, when excavating a small median, a truckload of the purest, perfect fill sand was what was being excavated. My mind raced, I thought of my father, and waved to my boss as he pulled up a few minutes after the truck left. I explained my father needed some good fill for his yard, the price was right, and I would ride with the next truck to his house. It was the perfect opportunity, since it was rare for me to be working close to his house, and all the pieces had fallen into place.

The boss agreed, I spotted the next truck in line, and explained to the driver the plan. As the excavator worked, the first two buckets were more of the sand, but that was it. The remaining buckets from the median were more of the garbage fill we'd found since the beginning of the project. Hoping for more was a futile effort, so I told the driver to keep hauling to the church, and thought about how I should have stopped the first truck, and expedited my plan. If I had, it wouldn't have worked, since I would have held up a truck, and the boss not have been pleased to find a truck sitting by the side of the road.

So, in the long run, it was a good thought, but fate was against me. I like to think of the good side of the event, since my luck would have had the truck taking out some limbs, breaking the curb, and cracking my father's driveway. It was what is was, and in the end, it worked out.

Something Different

 Last year, during late Spring, I put away the hummingbird feeders until Fall. This year, after doing I little research, I discovered some will stay, even during the hot months. I left one up, and watched. 

In June, it first appeared there were no hummingbirds to be found. Eventually, I noticed one feeding one morning. While the feeder was not showing but little signs of the level going down, it was slowly becoming empty. The attrition was too slow, so I changed the sugar water when I felt it was needed. 

Over the last few weeks, two or more hummingbirds would come to the feeder, and one day, one came that had no brilliant colors. Solid brown, and a little smaller, I'm sure it was a fledgling. Close observation revealed one male, one female, and the fledgling at the feeder. 

Over the last two days, it became apparent there are more coming to the feeder, and one male will constantly chase away those it feels shouldn't be feeding at the feeder. He'll chase one away, and while he's gone, another will slip in to feed.

I don't know if the lack of flowers, and the late Summer heat, have led more hummingbirds to the feeder, or if the great migration is in its early stage. Regardless, I hung another feeder, and will wait to see. During the middle of the migration, dozens will congregate for their turn to feed, and the buzz of their wings will fill the air.

I Don't Believe It

Reports state Biden has Covid. I don't believe the reports. Now, if they stated Biden crapped his pants, forgot where he was, burned his face after trying to read the stove, shook hands with a raccoon and was bitten, is lost somewhere in the White House, tried to go out without his pants, or refused to take his daily dementia meds, I would believe those reports. Reality shows regardless of the reason, his absence makes absolutely no difference. 

Think About This

According to the news readers, Elon Musk, and Twitter, are important items that everyone should be concerned about. When you really think about it, Musk's electric car company is one of the biggest government money pits ever created. Twitter is one of the biggest propaganda machines ever invented. Reality says it's a much better world if both disappear during their court battle. So, what's so important about either?

Speaker of the Thieves

 Pelosi's husband is about to make a killing on the stock market with insider information provided by his wife. I know this is illegal, she knows this is illegal, the entire Congress knows it's illegal and absolutely nothing will be done about it. To everyday folks like me, the only way to envision the entire Congress is that of a congregation of criminals. Until the likes of Pelosi are thrown under the jail, there is no other way to look at them.

Wasted Time

 I've had to deal with people during my life that can best be described as short-circuited. They were either mentally challenged, or fighting addiction. While they were intelligent, they were far from self-sufficient and all efforts to help were refused. Some managed to overcome their addiction, but those that defied logic, or refused to understand their actions were destructive, basically became flotsam of society. Regardless of professional help, constructive conversation, and loving family, they failed to understand their predicament, and all efforts to help were wasted time. 

That's what the healthy part of the United State's society now deal with. Bizarre sexual deviations are demanded to be accepted, invasion at the borders is to be tolerated, illegal voting is to be ignored, terrible fiscal decisions destroy the economy, supposedly elected officials line their pockets with legislative power, key officials are obviously unfit for office, educators ignore parents, criminals are released without punishment, children are being groomed for sex, foreign influence is unchecked, and the list goes on. It's the result of allowing mentally unfit people to run amok in society.

The cold, hard fact is that unless elections are made tamper proof, politicians are held accountable, powerful officials are prosecuted for their crimes, the Constitution is followed as written, foreign influence is ended, the borders are closed, and the madness of deficit spending is ended, nothing will change. Arguing about what's necessary is arguing with those that are either criminals, or have a mental problem that removes their ability to logically repair a problem. The solutions are simple, and it's wasting time discussing the problems with those that are the major parts of the problems.

Living in a Large City...

 ...is dangerous, criminals have more rights than victims, and the biggest cities in Texas are some of the worst. Arming yourself may help, but with the criminal AG's, corrupt politicians, and hand-tied law enforcement, protecting yourself may be one of the worst things you ever did. 

Piling it Deep

The economy sucks, yet the current administration of ass-clowns says it's doing great. That, and billions are being sent to the Ukraine, even after the insurmountable evidence they are willing to sell their souls for some money. The military is losing good people, and their only next option is to start looking for recruits in prisons, or rehab houses. The President is a "lying dog-faced pony soldier", and his son is a criminal addict.  The Vice-President has a record any cheap whore would be proud of. The Department of Justice is run by career criminals, and the highest law enforcement agencies are on the take. Congress is as useless as training wheel on an airplane, and the Supreme Court has too many Communists as justices.

Meanwhile, it's too hot for my lazy butt, and it's almost impossible to work outside. 

Bleh!

A Trip to the Pecos River

 Last week, my wife, and I, went on a trip to the southwest. She traveled through that area years ago, and would talk about the Pecos River Bridge. I'd been wanting to see it, so off we went. 

I've been to the Laredo area. There, and down in the valley. Neither appealed to me, and neither warranted a return visit. Both areas are more of an extension of Mexico, and it doesn't take much clarity of thought to realize white folks are more like an oddity. The Del Rio area was different. 

The entire area around Del Rio is in a drought. From the look of the Lake Amistad, it's been that way a long time. A little research showed the lake is being used for Lake Falcon, which is a key resource for agriculture further down the Rio Grande. The water is more important down there, so Lake Amistad is slowly being drained. 

The illegal alien problem is obviously a problem A store in Bracketville had a sign stating anyone being dropped off would result in them being reloaded, and sent on. The people there are friendly, and the community is a reminder of times past. The surrounding land is straight from an old Western, and can only be described as near desert. How the ranchers survived in the past is a testament of the tenacious spirit of people. The area around the Hill Country is an oasis in comparison. 

There are no words to describe the grandeur of the Pecos River Gorge. It appears after driving for miles down an almost desolate section of U.S. 90. One second you're driving over rolling hills, and the next second reveals a mind boggling drop-off. The highway bridge that crosses is an engineering marvel, and standing on the observation deck will take your breath away. The Pecos, over millenniums, gouged out the stone to a depth around 300 feet below the surrounding land. The layers of history are obvious on the rock faces, and the surrounding desert receives no benefit from the water. 

The pictures don't begin to portray the grandeur, but here are some to view. 

Watching Twitter

Elon Musk is backing out of his Twitter deal. Twitter is threatening to sue. Investors can sell for a possible loss. Waiting may mean a bankruptcy, which will render the investment basically worthless. Maybe that was the plan. Either way, Twitter is in a precarious position, and the investors may find they made a bad investment.