Thinking

I'm a little mixed about the bombings in Iran. On one hand, I see a terrible threat to the world is being removed. On the other, I see some huge economic changes that sometimes have unintended consequences. How it plays out will be seen, but the power play is enormous, and the stakes are high. 

Voting is a precious right too often abused. Why some feel demanding identification is a bad thing, it doesn't really make sense, unless you are only in power due to fraud, and know you'll never win another election without illegal voting. President Trump stated the Democratic Party is now the worst enemy of the United States. I agree. He only stated what the majority of citizens believe. 

In spite of all the hype, the economy is far from being close to what is healthy. The national debt continues to climb, the dollar continues to have less value, and people are struggling to keep even the basics within their budget. 

Another ignorant restaurant owner decided their politics are more important than their customers. I don't think their effort will turn out well, and telling their employees the doors will close is in their near future. 

Locally, the thugs seem to be increasing in the nearest large community. City leaders are pontificating, people are complaining, and in one situation, a judge threw the book at a young man that decided violence is the best method of functioning in society. He'll have time to think about his errors, be exposed to the rest of his kind, and probably not do much better in a few dozen years. At least he won't be roaming the streets, and maybe he'll be joined by more of the critters that roam the nearest large local community.

I'm waiting to see what automobile manufacturers do with the lowering of regulations. They need to find ways to make vehicles more affordable, easier to work on, and avoid doing stupid things like losing huge amounts of money on electric cars. 

Corruption abounds in just about every government entity that exists, and the worst of corruption eats up the money confiscated for taxes. The past shows this doesn't end well. 

There are more things that keep me in a sour mood. Hopefully, things  change rapidly for the better. 

Thinking About Self-driving Cars

I don't think I'm alone in my wariness of any car that is driven by a computer, and GPS. I'm guessing it's a natural reaction after watching "2001 A Space Odyssey". There's that suspicion the computer will go rogue, lock the doors, and take me down a boat ramp because I called it a dumbass. That, and seeing how much my insurance premiums would go up after an accident that happened when I was eating my hamburger picked up in a drive-through after I said I was hungry. 

Health Paradox

From what I've read, the manipulation of time to satisfy a multitude of obscure reasons isn't good for your health. Our health is important. If you don't believe it, look at the billions spent on advertising health products, government printings for your health, gymnasiums in just about every town, health food stores, health products online, insurance wellness demands for your health, and research on health. Health is important, unless it involve Daylight Saving Time. If it disturbs your sleep pattern, causes lethargy during the day, upsets you schedule, gives you heartburn, and causes irritability, then you just have to nut up and deal with it. Your health isn't that important, unless it involves anything other than when your clock tells you what time the sun rises. 

Lightning Is Not Your Friend

We had a front creep through, some thunderstorms, but nothing severe. As the storms subsided, and the rain let up, lightning struck close enough where the flash, and sound, were simultaneous. A step out on the porch showed the security light was out. The television, which will sometime turn off when lightning strikes close went off. The lights didn't flicker. 

My nephew lives across the road, and he soon drove up with his wife to check on me and my wife. He stated they saw sparks falling after the strike, and thought our house was hit. I noticed something in the yard under the security light, and went to investigate. 

Apparently, lightning struck the fixture, and the high current blew the top cover off the fixture when the insides instantly blew apart. Examination of the roof, around the yard, and the service drop didn't show any damage, which gave me some relief. I was concerned lightning struck the roof, and there was fire in the overhead. 

 

When the lightning struck, we were watching a DVD, so when we turned the television back on, everything was working. That was a relief, but examining the bedrooms showed the televisions would not turn on. To make things worse, when we switched to satellite to watch, it's out too.  

The security light is on a service pole is less than twenty feet from my house, so the strike was as close as it can get without striking the house. Too close for me, but far enough I thank God it didn't hit the house. That, and the lightning went to ground through the provider's grounding system instead of through the wiring in my house. 

So, tomorrow will require a call to the satellite provider, a trip to the box store for two televisions, and the hope none of it will cost too much. My feeling is that the damage will be below my deductible, and calling the insurance company a waste of time. 

Spring has Sprung

 As I was checking my phone this morning, while sitting on the porch, I noticed a fine coating of pollen on the screen. The longer I sat, the more accumulated. According to the weather folks, tree pollen is heavy today, and I can testify they're correct. My sinuses agree. Right now, it's mostly oak pollen. The pine pollen will soon appear, and the pond will have a thin coat of yellow on the surface.

Kitchen Sinks

I've changed kitchen sinks. It's not a tremendously complicated process with some, and can change the look of a kitchen. One thing I don't care for is the kitchen sink in the island. I never thought much about this, until I visited a relative that had one. 

I don't see how this is sanitary. So much food is prepared, and served from an island, and when the water is turned on, any nasty water in the sink can splash on the food. Maybe I'm being too cautious, but the popularity of sinks in an island just doesn't make sense to me. The sink is where dirty pans, and dishes, accumulate. Just the sight of such things can curb my appetite if they're in a serving area.

Infrastructure and Incompetence

It's becoming common for news reports about water system problems in my hometown. I left there years ago, except to take care of my mother during her last years, but I read local news about the town. Problems with the water appear too often, and it's obvious the EEO/DEI quagmire of incompetent officials has turned what should be healthy water into something that needs boiling. Of course, the diverse/racist bunch of incompetent boobs pontificate on their supposed efforts to take care of problems, but reality shows their ridiculous efforts led to those with money leaving, mishandling of public funds, and a failing infrastructure. From my past experiences, such problems won't lead to anything but bandaging bad components, until grants are acquired, or taxes are raised. It's the plight of too many cities, and the scourge of the United States. 

Sycamore Balls, Riding Mowers and Sciatica

 My sister-in laws told me the riding mower stopped mowing, so, if I could, take a look at the mower. I did, found the deck belt had jumped off the clutch, and quickly put it back on. We both knew why, and any sycamore balls in the yard will have to be raked before mowing in the future. They will find their way into the belt, get caught, and knock the belt off the clutch pulley. A minor problem, and easily taken care of. 

Up to this morning, I was dealing with my occasional sciatica. I've dealt with it off, and on, since my early twenties. I have a pretty good idea of why I developed it. Trying to lift a heavy object while working offshore caused some bad pain, and over the years, something as slight as stepping wrong can set it off. It lasts for a few days, with the first day leaving me wondering if I should just pee the bed, instead of getting up, and the next two days dealing with the soreness. Some rest, and over the counter pain meds, take care of the pain. 

The local foresters are making prescribed underbrush burns until next Friday. With a wind shift from a cold front, the smoke is now drifting/billowing through the area. We'll probably see more of the same tomorrow, and as the wind shifts more to the East, we'll be rid of the smoke. As far as I know, they have everything under control. I've seen this before, and the result is a removal of all the dead growth, and accumulation of pine straw, with leaves, that accumulate on the forest floor. The trees will get some scorched bark, but the flames never are intense enough to light the trees. Squirrels probably are not affected, but I wonder about the critters that can't climb. Deer can easily outrun the flames, but slower critters might not be able to escape. Reptiles are probably safe, since it's too cold for them to be about. 

I've been reading some about the tariffs, military in the Middle East, the Guthrie woman, Epstein file, and all the other things I can only wonder about, since expecting anything but garbage from most of the media is prevalent these day. So, it's time for a cup of coffee, and some time on the porch...if the smoke isn't too heavy.

Building a Bridge - Construction Part 3 - The Foundation - Where It Starts

I started on this series of posts, reached this point months ago, and found myself writing way too much about the minute details. I erased it all the other day, and started over. 

The bridge starts at the bottom. The bottom may be hundreds of feet below the surface, or right on top of rock. The design starts at this point, and expertise of geologists, and soil engineers, is necessary. At this point, the most important consideration is whether what's available can handle the load. 

The foundation of a bridge has to handle the dynamic load. The dynamic load is the dead weight, and the forces that will act on the final structure. The dead weight is determined by the culmination of all materials that will be placed, but that weight can't be calculated until all the required components are known. The final weight can't be determined until the required components are known, which can't be calculated until what will support the bridge is known, and all the forces that will act on the bridge are known. 

The final components are determined by theoretical design considerations, which require an understanding of what's available to support the bridge. That's first determined by knowing about what the bridge will rest on. Is their rock? If not, what type of soil is available? Is the available rock stable? Will the soil support the bridge with piling?

Bedrock can support a tremendous amount of weight, but the thickness of the rock, the amount of fissures, and the type determine the design. Geologists are consulted, and if necessary, samples are examined from drilled holes. After examination, the foundation may be secured by drilling dowels into the bedrock, or some rock may require removal to reach more stable rock underneath. 

Without rock, the soil determines the type of support. Some soil only requires driving piling to the point the friction against the soil is enough to support the structure. Other soils may require drilling down to a subsurface strata that can support the load, and filling the hole with reinforcing steel with poured in place concrete. That, or the instability of sand may require "water jetting" concrete piling with a hollow tube in the middle to a depth that will allow the soil friction to support the load. In some situations, the soil will support the bridge and the only thing to do is to spread the load with a spread footing. A spread footing can last the life of the bridge, or when certain conditions exist, a hundred year flood can lead to scouring, which erodes under the footing, and the bridge is compromised. 

Regardless of the method for the foundation, laying out the location can be an onerous task. Optical instruments have lessened the work, but arriving at control points may be as simple as walking with a trap on the end of pole, to spud barges, large tugs, and fighting a current to place sheet piling for a cofferdam around the future foundation, and the control points on the bottom of a body of water. The locations are critical, since all design loads are done on theoretical points on the final structure. Obstructions, locations errors, or broken piling can lead to construction stopping and new design parameters. Whether a single piling, or clusters of piling to handle larger structures, this is the point where the engineer representative calculates the bearing, if the piling is driven, and watches to ensure the contractor doesn't stop driving piling before it reaches bearing. 

Bearing is the amount of blows by a piling hammer. The weight of the hammer is calculated before driving, and may have been determined by driving test piling. The hammer may be a large single cylinder diesel engine that uses the explosion of the diesel to blow the piston upward, which causes an equal amount of force pushing downward on the pile, or a hydraulic ram, which accomplishes the same purpose. Bearing is achieved when the number of blows to drive a foot of the piling below the surface match known quantities for blows, to what is known as bearing, or "refusal". Refusal is when a piling is driven for a minute, and it doesn't go down any further, or the amount is less than an inch. This can be a disaster for a pile driver. If the engineer representative doesn't agree with the contractor, demands to keep driving, and the piling breaks, engineering design changes, extra costs, and possible shut-downs can lead to angry words, with resentment. I've seen this happen, and the project rep was wrong.

 Not achieving bearing requires adding to the piling, and driving again. On concrete piling, breaking the top of the concrete piling, adding an exact section with rebar, and concrete. On steel piling, welding a section is required. The welds are x-rayed for determining if the amount of porosity is within acceptable limits. Welds that fail are removed with arc-gouging, and/or grinding, then welded again.

Another aspect of piling is one I experienced on a project. The piling reached refusal about 7 feet above the final grade. The excess piling had to be removed. In that situation, the piling was 18 inches square pre-stressed concrete. The stressed cables prevented using a concrete saw, since releasing the tension can have disastrous results for the saw operator. We tried breaking the concrete with hand-held concrete breakers, since the pilings were above the water, and there was no access with larger breakers. That was taking to long. The final outcome was renting a machine that sheared the piles. It was expensive, but the time, with labor, and the cost of a piling crew shut down, was lower than the other method. 

After the basic part of the foundations are designed, such as pilings, manipulated rock, or spread footings, and the lowest foundation is finished, the next step can be as simple as leaving piling above the surface to the final elevation of the caps, or placing reinforced concrete with protruding dowels for the columns. The concrete is usually placed around clusters of piling, and the amount can be tremendous. Whether at ground level, or dozens of feet below the surface, the next step is building up, whether it's poured in place concrete, or pre-cast sections. That requires another post. 

Schedules and Other Money Grifts

Later in my construction career, schedules were required on TxDot projects, had to be in a format that conveniently allowed a software company to make money, and required someone to be paid to assemble the schedule. None were extremely accurate, most were impossibly optimistic, and the only people I found that were impressed were those that created the schedules, or were being paid to update the wish list. 

I don't like construction schedules. They take away resources better used for increasing the black ink summaries at the bottom of the leger, and take give bureaucrats more ammunition to snipe at contractors, when weather events cause delays. A good project manager has the information needed to complete a project in the shortest period of time, and doesn't need bean counters, or bureaucrats, to remind them of how those that push the paper are generally ignorant of the really important things. Schedules don't replace experience, or knowledge. They only give paper pushers more paper to push back and forth across their desks as they spend most of their time surfing the internet.  

Watching, and Waiting is a Waste of Time

 Federal laws describe the offense of misappropriation of funds. From what little the Communist media is allowing through, there are dozens that are not only guilty, there is absolutely no defense for their crimes. An honest, and aggressive U.S. Attorney wouldn't hesitate to prosecute, but where the worst of the fraud happens, the Federal officials are just as dirty as the criminals. Waiting for something to happen is a waste of time. 

**spit**

I'm Sure It Can Be Fun

I've watched curling on television. I'm thinking some of the viewing was Olympic events, and maybe on the old ABC Wide World of Sports. It looks like it can be fun, and the closest thing I've ever done that is similar is "corn hole", which is played with bean bags, and slanted boards with holes, although it's much warmer of a game, brooms aren't allowed, and there's little danger of falling on ice.

From what little snippets of news I've seen, there is some type of alleged cheating in the Olympics by curlers. I'm not sure what the cheating involves (And I'm not really that interested to research the articles), but the best solution is to have them fight it out. Let them brawl on the ice, serve beer to the spectators, and give the winners a banquet. Serve smoked brisket, potato salad, ranch style beans, and coleslaw. Invite the losers, and nobody give them a hard time. 

It's Not Great

There's some proclaiming that the economy is doing great. It's not. So much wealth was stolen over the last few year that the aggregate loss has hit U.S. citizens hard, and regardless of hype, there is no method to repair the losses in sight. While some are receiving raises, and others are making acquiring wealth from investments, those that were hurt hard by the Covid debacle are now suffering from the ridiculous economic policies from the last administration. Is there a cure? Of course, but it requires the government drastically cutting expenditures, hard line actions on corruption, and removal of all public funds from anyone, or company, that isn't owned by United States citizens.  

Oil Change and Tire Rotation

 Today I'll have the oil changed in the car, and the tires rotated. It's an occasional task, and it makes me think of today's costs. 

When I first started owning vehicles, the largest tires were 15 inch tires, and many of the vehicles I owned had 13, or 14, inch tires. They seemed to work well. That, and disc brakes were not common, nor anti-lock brakes. I don't know what the stopping distances were in comparison to vehicles today, but like anything, adjustments were made for what was available. I knew the limitations of the vehicle, and compensated for the limitation. Whether that's really that important today doesn't seem to be something so demanded, but I do know the larger tires are more expensive, and the electronics involved in brakes has increased the cost of vehicles. 

Oils have come a long way since I started driving. With the additives, and synthetics, oils don't break down like they once did. Where an oil change was demanded at 3000 miles in the past, the oils today can still have full lubricating qualities up to 15,000 miles. While I was working, we had a synthetic oil on one of our vehicles tested over time. The synthetic in the diesel truck we tested didn't show any degradation in performance until around 17,000 miles. 

Times change, and many of the changes are good. Where a vehicle in the past was basically shot at 100,000 miles, with good care and maintenance, some are still dependable at 300,000 miles. I know car companies would rather people buy more often, but with vehicles costing a substantial amount of a new homes, people just don't have the money and want to wait as long as possible before buying new.

It Will Require Some Work

Yesterday, after I awoke, my wife told me the microwave stopped working. A quick glance showed it had no power, since the clock was dark. My first though was to check the breaker. It was tripped, I reset it, and went to check the microwave. The clock was working. The light was working. The exhaust fan was working. I pushed the start button, and was rewarded with a low pop, and the clock went dark. 

I went back to check the breaker. It was thrown, so I reset it, and went back to survey the task now needing to be done. Examining the cabinet above the microwave showed some basic information on replacing the microwave. A little internet searching revealed how they're mounted above a stove, how much a new one would cost, and me thinking about the future. 

A new microwave that mounts above a range, and has an exhaust fan, isn't inexpensive, and considering the fact they don't last more than 10 years, I decided to remove the microwave, replace it with a range hood, and buy a microwave to place on the counter. Two things determined my decision: the cost of the new microwave, and the fact I didn't want to wrestle with the same problem in a few years, when I'll be older, weaker, and definitely have less patience, or strength. My wife agreed. 

So, we went and found a range hood, and a new smaller microwave for the counter. The range hood will probably last longer than we will, and the smaller microwave fits our use much better. We only thaw, or warm small items, and never cook anything large in a microwave. The range hood will move more air, which will be better than the low volume of the microwave/range hood soon to be in the trash. 

I'll soon tackle this task, and pray the duct work won't be challenging. That, and wrestling the heavy microwave from under the cabinet won't lead to smashed fingers, or dropping it on my foot. It shouldn't take too long, but I'm thinking there will be at least one trip for some hardware. 

It's done. With the help of my wife, and my sister-in-law, we tackled the project. My sister-in-law did the same thing a few years ago, so her experience, and foil tape were most helpful. 

The thing that worried me most was the lifting the old microwave out from under the cabinet. As it turned out, I rested it on my shoulder, when I lifted it from the wall bracket, and was deposited outside for disposal.

Taking Down Some Trees

 A neighbor had a huge pine tree struck by lightning last Summer. Concerned by its proximity to power lines, he contacted the co-op, and they agreed it was something they needed to address. They arrived this morning to take down the tree. 

The crew knew what they were doing. Using a large rope, and a snatch block, the feller climbed the the adjacent tree (which was within the easement), attached a rope, used a truck to pull the tree from the power cables, and took it down first. The dead tree was next. Both are now down, and we don't have to wonder if we would lose power if the tree fell. 

The tree will be cut into manageable sections, and taken to a burn area. It's a neighbor thing. One neighbor will have his yard spared from rutting from a tractor, and the other neighbor will have a huge fire for an evening barbeque. I call it a win-win.

Some Honesty Would Help

Dishonesty is rampant. Politicians proclaim they want to help, and then make millions on inside trading, gifts from just about everyone that can bribe them, and do so for decades. To make things worse, so many of them are corrupt, their supposed ethics watchdogs ignore the corruption. 

Many of those taking public assistance do so by lying. To make things worse, they drive expensive vehicles, which can be found at Section 8 housing, and in grocery store parking lots, where they use ill-gotten money to buy groceries working people can't afford. 

People hire illegals, their churches assist in helping them to survive in the United States, and when those that enforce the law try to perform their job, people riot, assault the officers, and the local government helps in the insurrection by promoting the violence. 

Many in the media choose to fabricate stories, outright lie, and think their subversive activities should be protected because of their distorted opinion of the First Amendment. 

Those that count the votes may be the worse. Not only are illegal votes counted, and any efforts to audit the ballots are met with law suits to prevent access. This destroys the integrity demanded by our Constitutional Republic. 

The only solution to these problems can never be legislated, or demanded. Integrity is a form of self-discipline that only comes from those raised in an environment that demands a refusal too use deception to achieve gain. That environment has been polluted by those that use any method - including criminal activities - to achieve wealth and power. 

How this disregard for honesty can be changed is something that won't happen without a conscious effort by people to make the change. I don't have much faith this will happen. Too many are part of the grift, too many are apathetic, and the slide downhill accelerates.

Constitutional Mumbo Jumbo

 I read where Don Lemon was arrested. He's posturing about his actions were within his rights, and his supporters are jumping on the band wagon without jumper cables, or a spare tire. From what evidence I've seen, reporting your participation in a forced entry into a structure doesn't give you any special privilege. Nor does reporting participation in preventing free movement of people. How it's presented to a judge, and whether the judge is another thug in a robe, is to be seen. 

Things That Make Me Wonder

A licensed nurse, with an attitude, decided to help a woman that was disturbing ICE agents, pushed too much, and was thrown to the ground. Sir Galahad went to her rescue, pulled a gun, and was shot by agents that were not only keyed up, their instincts kicked in, when they realized he might shoot one of them, or another bystander. Some are understanding how dangerous the situation became, but some have severe inter-anal cranial impaction, and think the actions of the agents was an intolerable affront to law. It makes me wonder what goes through the minds of such people.

In California, people are foraging, and eating, toxic mushrooms. Such things happen, but it makes me wonder where these people were, when the constant warnings of such things always state there are deadly consequences when doing so. 

A strong winter storm swept through the United States over the last few days. With media help, people panicked, bought enough supplies to clear retail shelves, and forgot that even if they had bare pantries, nobody would starve in the short period of time before snow melted. A few days of extra supplies would have been sufficient, but some will be throwing away moldy bread, sour milk, stale pastries, and have enough toilet paper to last until the middle of Summer. Some will have enough Vienna sausage to last until the middle of the next decade. 

I wonder about people in general. Logic seems to escape way too many, and society is filled with those that are not only ignorant, they seem to relish their condition. 

Close....But Not Quite

Weather folks forecast freezing rain, and a low temperature of around 26 for my location for last night. We reached 32.7, which prevented the constant drizzle, and rain, from freezing. Thunderstorms were surprising, and my little dog didn't dally at 4:00 this morning to take care of an urgent need. He didn't even hesitate on the porch, ran into the yard, took care of his business, and beat me back to the door. He quickly found his way under a blanket, sighed deeply, and returned to his early slumber. 

Tonight the forecast is a low of 20 degrees, with clearing skies. It might reach that, but that depends on whether the cloud cover breaks. If it hangs on into the early morning hours, we'll reach the middle twenties, and avoid the deeper cold. 

Local schools, and government organizations, will not be open tomorrow. It's probably a wise choice, although the wind has dried the bridges, and the possibility of icy bridges is an unwarranted concern. Still, it is, what it is, and schools will have to have a makeup day, which they usually have in their schedules. We'll freeze at night, but the days will be above freezing. This will last for much of the coming week, but according to the weather folks, next weekend might bring a Canadian air mass, which can lead to some frozen precipitation. We'll see, and I hope it doesn't get that cold. 

I have to add we didn't reach the 38 degrees as forecast, and now at 4:00 pm, the temperature is at 32 degrees, and the freeze has started.

Morning Thunder

 The forecasters stated there was a real small chance of thunderstorms with the approaching arctic air mass. They were right, and the thunder woke me before my dog had a chance. I tried to get him to go and take care of his morning business, but after walking onto the porch, and observing the rain, he hesitated, until a clap of thunder led him wanting to go back in. Even with the rain slowing down, I couldn't get him out of the house. He finally went out after the rain stopped, hurried his business, and quickly was back in for his morning meal. 

It was 48 degrees at the time, now it's 42 degrees, the wind is strong from the north, and the forecast is for the temperature to drop to below freezing sometime during the night. The big question is how much of the precipitation will freeze before the rain ends. It's looking like it won't be much, and there is a good chance tomorrow a good portion of the day will be above freezing. That will end tomorrow night, and the temperature will drop to the mid-twenties, which is a better temperature than originally forecast. We'll see, but with the strong effort by our electric utility company over the summer months, the nuisance trees now gone from around the lines will not interrupt our power. I hope their efforts were successful.

Monday night is supposed to be clear, with a temperature in the teens. Schools will probably start late to allow any ice on bridges to melt. It's looking much better than the heavy ice storm we had in the late nineties. That one brought down major power lines, and left us without electricity for a week. 

Rubicon in Minneapolis

Don Lemon, and a bunch of reprobates, decided to invade a church during a service, and terrorized the congregation. That was crossing a line that has no return. May the agitators find their efforts lead to their destruction, and may Lemon find himself as a pariah with nowhere to go but to the bottom of society.

"Going To" and "About To"

When I was supervising crews, some of the standard answers were "I was going to" or "I was about to". I'd watch a new equipment operator crawl into the cab of a machine that cost a half million dollars and ask a question I already knew the answer. "Have you checked out the machine?" They were reaching for the key, when I would ask, and I knew they had no intention of checking the oil, other fluids, and greasing the zerts on the machine. The answer was "I was going to", or "I was about to." It was a standard answer, and indicated my trust would need to be earned, or they would soon need to find a new employer. 

That's were we are as a country. All the new hires have the same answer, and if they think there's any trust, there isn't any at this time. The Clintons are still free, illegal voting is still occurring, the grift is still strong in some states, the debt is growing like mushroom in crap, after a rain, the "deep state" is still muddying the water, judges are still ignoring the Constitution, aliens are still roaming at will, the autopen is still in charge of many important actions, and the media is still cheerleading some of the worst reprobates in history.  It's time for things to happen, and if Trump doesn't know this, he only has three more years to insure someone is checking the machine before the engine starts knocking.

Understanding the Wheels of Justice

The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine....or so it's written. If it was a grist mill, the amount of corn being turned into corn meal wouldn't keep a rat alive. Somewhere, in the preponderance of justice, most all attorneys, judges, and prosecutors forgot justice isn't served if those harmed are bankrupted, or die of old age before justice happens.

**spit**

More of the Same

The Clintons are choosing to ignore a Congressional subpoena. So what will happen? Complaining, plenty of posturing, and nothing. In a perfect society, neither would still be here.  

How Much is Enough?

While there isn't an amount reported, it is reported some of the protesters/agitators in major cities are being compensated for their time. It make me wonder how much is enough to get people to endure the weather, spend their time protesting something they don't understand, and create problems that only make their position less tenable. When the most ignorant decide to partake in throwing things, or burning something, there is real danger involved, and with all mobs, the least that can happen is to be injured by those trying to run from the police, or a dangerous situation. 

I don't know what the amount is, but know it's not enough. Push too hard, trigger that final nerve on someone you've frightened, and the result will be some small projectiles much deadlier than the asphalt found on the edge of the pavement. Regardless, when it becomes bad enough, some citizens will take to their roofs with weapons, fire on the mob with impunity, and there will be nobody to collect the money promised for being stupid. 

A Special Brand of Dumbassery

 From reading some news reports, Governor Tim has basically declared war against the United States. When that was tried in the middle of the nineteenth century, there were a lot more people on board with the idea, but the outcome wasn't good. Even if he managed to get a substantial amount of Minneapolis to back him up, I doubt he could get even 1% of the citizens outside the city to join his side. Calling in the National Guard to keep the peace while the protestors continue preventing ICE from doing the job of removing illegal aliens is a foolish wish. The name "National Guard" doesn't describe Governor Tim's personal armed force because he decided to put on a crown. How do I know? It's the word "national". That doesn't describe "state" or "personal security". 

So, my suggestion at this time is to cut to the chase, announce insurrection, secure the state records before Governor Tim burns them all up, and start the prosecutions. Does that sound harsh? Of course it does. Harsh is something people like lying, pieces of crap politicians understand. I almost would pay for a video of them frog walking Tim Walz into jail. 

In With a Bang

My New Year literally started with a bang. My neighbor ensured plenty of noise, bright colors, and bad karaoke. My dog didn't like it, but my wife kept him close, kept the television loud, and comforted him through his perceived threat of mayhem. The surrounding area was filled with loud bangs, which went on for long minutes, after the stroke of midnight. After that, with all the fireworks expended, it was quiet. 

The Venezuela operation sure stirred the pot. One side thinks it's terrible affront to the rules of law. The other side thinks it is an example of the rules of law, and in between there are many wondering what's next. My thinking is that some foreign countries have lost their ability to influence, will stir up trouble every chance they have, and the covert operations by all will lead to some shaky times for the citizens of Venezuela. If I could give them at least one piece of advise, that would be to punish those manipulating elections are severely punished. Honest elections help with the process of dealing with dishonest politicians. 

Tim Walz has reached the pinnacle of his incompetence. While some think he's corrupt, I think he's basically a well manipulated dumbass about to be thrown to the wolves. Many will applaud his leaving office, but unless a few dozen key figures are thrown into jail, the grift will continue. Reality says he's just a small fish in a big sea of corruption. Unless some good examples are set, the stealing of tax dollars will continue.

The local economy is in what I call the annual doldrums. Many companies have a fiscal year that ends on December 31, and the mad dash of budgeting is in progress. My experience in construction showed late in the fiscal year brings some companies to finish spending their budget, but not at the moment. Purchase orders were written for projects, but the work would not be started until after the new year. After that, the new wild guesses, wish lists, ridiculous wants, boiler-housing, budgets would be contemplated by the wizards of bean counting, and those with the power to allow expenditures would see who their favorites were at the moment. The money allocated the previous year now had to be shown as spent, so we had to hurry up and do something to cover somebody's ass. Otherwise, the money might be removed, someone would be dragged across the carpet, and we might lose some work. 

It appears many in the media haven't become any smarter. Instead of reflecting, being honest, and understanding the errors of not reporting facts, too many are doubling down on ignorance, and complaining because their award winning shows are not winning awards with those that watch; and now have stopped doing so. They say you can't fix stupid, but the media is proving it can flourish if you keep feeding it.

We've had exceptionally mild, dry weather for the last month. We had one light freeze in the middle of December, but haven't seen any rain, or severe cold. I've seen this before, and it was a welcome sight for construction workers. Wet, cold weather shuts down projects, or makes it miserable to work in. I'm not in that environment now, but know there are many workers trying to offset the costs of Christmas with any hours they can get. This type of weather is what's needed. 

Sleight of Hand

There are many articles on how to take advantage of tax savings on tips and overtime. The responses are many, with some applauding the actions, while others think it won't do much due to that few will undertake the complexity of sorting out the different incomes from a form that doesn't specify how the taxes were collected. In my opinion, it really doesn't matter. Changing where the tax comes from doesn't relieve the burden. Tax less for wages? Increase excise, and sales taxes to compensate for the problem that is being avoided: Government entities spend too much, don't care how much it burdens citizens, and will always find another way to steal from the labor of their citizens. Tax sleight of hand is the continuing process of fleecing the public, and the public becomes more ignorant every new generation.