I Don't Think It Will Take Very Long

 I've been reading articles with people speculating on how long it will take to clear the collapsed bridge in Baltimore. My timeline? The channel will be open by the middle of April, and the bridge will be completed within four years. Regardless of investigations, conjecture and other distractions, speculating on long periods of time is unrealistic. Modern bridge building methods are fast, and if I had to guess, the basic design was planned years ago, someone is already bidding on the main support girders, and with all the standard designs already in place, many large contractors already have most of the bid items already loaded into a bidding software program.

Now Houston Joins the Club

 Houston is on the verge of bankruptcy. I'm not surprised. Meanwhile, many of the smaller communities outside the city are thriving. Why? Because they aren't run by Democrats and the minions of poverty that leach off productive citizens. It serves the city right. Whether the Democrats arrived at their power by illegal methods (my suspicion) or has that many ignorant voters really doesn't matter now. The city is a cesspool of failed policies and ignorance.

It's Strange How Memories Return

Years ago, after a hard day at work, my boss, and I, stopped at a watering hole to have a beer. Call it a working man's/woman's bar. Basically just a hole in the wall, with pool tables and loud music. Conversation was limited to the strength of your voice. 

I wasn't paying much attention to my boss's conversation with the woman next to him at the bar, but she was animate, loud, and regardless of what she was saying, I couldn't understand what she was saying. My boss must have been annoyed, because he stood, slapped me on the back, and yelled "I'll see you tomorrow." and left. 

Now I was trapped. She decided to have a conversation with me I couldn't really hear. I just nodded my head and made an occasional comment that seemed to be in reference. Hoping she would go away, so I could politely escape, she suddenly became loud, with spittle flying, and from what she said, she thought I asked her to go home with me. 

So, as she was stating whatever she was stating, I began to wonder what the best course of action should be. Should I apologize? Should I be angry she was so vain she would think I would ask her to go home with me? It seemed like a long time was passing, but it was only a few moments. 

I said loudly enough for her to hear: "I didn't ask you to go home with me." swallowed the last of my beer, and left, somewhat relieved, but wondering if she would follow me out to complain, or one of the other inebriated patrons would try start something. Nothing happened. I started my pickup and left. 

It was an object lesson for me. Bars are always filled with people drinking, people drinking have a tendency to be stupid, and a more cautious person avoids them. 

Baltimore Bridge Questions

 From what I can see from photos, the bridge that was hit by a container ship was more exposed than a bridge of its type should be. I don't see any large protection dolphins, which considering the danger of a ship collision, should have been placed long ago. 

I may be missing the dolphins, but even if they were there, they weren't designed for the larger ships that serviced Baltimore. Time will tell how this all works out, but it's looking to me like some negligence will surface, and will be blamed on anyone but the officials that could have made a difference, but didn't want to spend the money, or were hoping nothing would happen while they were in charge.

I probably need to clarify about what a protection dolphin is. The local large bridges have them at each corner of the main supports to act as fender to prevent a ship from striking the columns. Each consists of a circular outside wall of sheet pile driven into the channel bed, the inside filled with select fill material and the top capped with concrete. They're substantial, and any ship would be stopped before striking the bridge supports.

My Thoughts About Boeing

Boeing is having problems with their planes. According to news sources, the CEO resigned and three safety heads in reaction to this, which to me, translates into Boeing's upper management doesn't have the qualifications to build a paper airplane, much less the ability to run a company building the tremendously complicated aircraft of today. It's a sign of corporate America. Hire the people that say the right words, play the stupid games, kiss the asses of anyone that might get them a promotion and ruin a company that could excel if unmolested by the putrid, worthless, ignorant pieces of sewer flotsam that manage to float to the top,

Why Socialism/Communism Doesn't Work

I spent a huge amount of my career dealing with people. My opinion is that there are too many willing to sacrifice their liberty for a free ride. In a healthy society, being lazy, or unproductive, isn't something that the rest of society accepts. If the restraints of government, or an organization, allow the lazy the same benefits of those that produce, those that produce will either try to escape the system, or refuse to offer anything more than what the most unproductive achieve. This invites anger, retribution, and a yearning for the situation to end. The final result, as the past has shown, there isn't enough, somebody has to be eliminated to conserve resources, and genocide appears. Those in power flourish, and never have any qualms about eliminating those that don't follow their narrative.

Constitutional Right, Illegals and B.S.

 I don't care what any legal scholar thinks, or professes, illegal aliens have no Constitutional rights. In a strict, logical assessment of their condition, they're invaders, which our military should keep from crossing our borders. That, and if it requires a wall fifty feet high to keep them from crossing illegally, then that's what needs to happen. That, and all states should concentrate on preventing any person from crossing into the U.S. without proper documentation. It's the duty of all citizens to protect their country, and illegal aliens are not citizens, shouldn't be afforded any special considerations mandated by the Constitution, and ejected from U.S. soil when apprehended.

My Wife's Work

 My wife is passionate about her quilts. That, and regardless of how impressive they are, she finds fault in every one she does. Still, I like to brag about them, so I'll brag about her current lap quilt she just finished. 

The picture below is after she sews the 2 inch squares together on the board she uses for the layout. This one had 625 squares. 

The finished product is below. After all the sewing of the backing and quilting, the edges were added to add to the final quilt.

The finished quilt measures 46 inches by 46 inches. While it is a lap quilt, this one was placed on the wall to be treasured.

Thinking About My Ancestors

Like most people, there is little known about my ancestors. While I can find names from a few generations back, I know nothing about the people, except what few conversations I had with my father. Other than a few photos, documents, and postcards, there is nothing to fill the vast blank pages documenting their lives. I know this is normal for most people, but it's still tragic in my mind. I would like to know more, but there is no more to find. In a way, time has erased their time on this planet, and the rich experiences of their lives are gone forever.

Shuttling Them Around Doesn't Make Them Go Away

In my opinion, the illegal aliens are being shuttled around, and while draining municipal funds, the real problem isn't going away. They were promised many things, and some have taken advantage of the free stuff, but the truth is there isn't enough money to pay their way, and citizens that operate within the boundaries of regulations are pushed to the side. To make things worse, veterans are treated with less concern than illegal aliens that thumb their noses at our laws. 

Shuttling them around won't make them go away. If I had to guess the near future outcome, the current administration will crack down on them before the Federal election to place feathers in their cap. Of course, this will involve more shuttling of the illegals, and to anyone with more sense than a garden vegetable, will appear as political sleight of hand. 

Sounds and Scents of Spring

March usually brings the drastic changes of Spring. Bare trees sprout buds, flowers appear, winds from the Gulf bring a damp, cool breeze to our area, and the grass starts growing. The chances of a freeze are very low, and gardens are planted. 

The air is full of the scent of fresh cut grass; enjoyed with the low drone of lawnmowers in the background. Migrating birds appear, and disappear. Clear days show brilliant greens against the deep blue sky, as the trees start to fill with new leaves. Evenings on the porch are enjoyed with a hot cup of coffee, pleasant conversation, a few mosquitoes, and the eventual chill of the night approaching. The night sky shows the Winter constellations will soon be gone, and in the early hours, the Spring constellations fill the eastern sky. 

It's a grand time of year. I know it will soon be almost unbearably hot, but for now, I'll enjoy one of the best seasons of the year.

Separation of Powers?

The Constitution breaks down the powers of the government to help preserve the liberty envisioned by the founders. In theory, it's great, but in practice, all branches of the U.S. government are feckless. Congress is so full of idiots, there is no responsible legislation that protects the citizens. The Supreme Court is a cumbersome body with a few justices that wouldn't understand their task if it bit them on the leg. The President is a blithering imbecile, with an out of control administration. It is what it is, and the only real separation of powers is between the government and the citizens. The last time there was a big set-to for redress of grievances was a mess, and it's looking like that's the path that will be taken in the future.  

Really Not Super

 Another "Super Tuesday" has passed. The necessary hoopla announced the arrival; and the politicians basked in their glory. Meanwhile, in spite of all the hype, we go on with all the damage done to satisfy egos, acquire wealth, and to use power for control. My cynical mind tells me it's all the same thing all over again; and some people that need severe punishment will either have access to their avenue for crime, or fade away without punishment.

Bleh!

Dry Line Thunderstorms

I was looking to the West this evening and spotted the top of a thunderstorm in the distance. Looking at the radar showed an isolated storm about 100 miles away. To the North, there were a few more about 200 miles away. The weather map shows a dry line, which to those that live in Tornado Alley it's the start of the sometimes severe thunderstorms that appear on the boundary between dry and moist air masses. Locally, we're not affected, but those in Central Texas can find an afternoon shattered by large hail, and maybe a tornado. That, and if it's dry, the lightning can spark grass fires in the areas that don't receive any rain. 

Usually, the dry line storms are more prevalent in the northern plains during the Summer. But right now,  they can appear all the way to the Mexican border during the right conditions. At night, they're spectacular to watch from a distance. Underneath one of those storms isn't so pleasant, unless you like being petrified by severe weather.