It's How It Is

Biden is a failure. So are the members of his administration, the current leaders of the military, the judges he picked, his supporters, and the media that fawned over an abysmal excuse for a human being. Only the foolish, and extremely naive, can believe he was elected honestly. He arrived in power by subterfuge, illegal donations, criminal actions, and with foreign influence. An accurate criminal investigation, without the members of the government to cover for the actors, would lead to convictions that demanded capital punishment. Maybe that's right down the road. It would sure lead to a feeling of relief to see the traitors to the United States lined up for execution for their treachery. May they stack them like cordwood and their dishonorable legacies be in history books for centuries. 

It Was a Surprise

 This morning, it was like yesterday morning. Hot, humid and uncomfortable. It was another day to plan the day by staying out of the afternoon heat. Yesterday, the heat index was 120 and it felt it. It was miserable, and to add insult to injury, when if finally cooled in the evening, the gnats chased me in within minutes. They were swarming, and regardless of repellent, they still would fly in my eyes, into my ears, and up my nose 

The gnats were still bad this morning, but the forecasters hinted we might get some rain. They were right, except the rain was part of a severe thunderstorm complex from the north. The worst went around us, but the winds was still gusting to what I determined was around 50 mph, which tore small branches from trees. 

I'm thinking the gnats will be gone for awhile. That kind of wind, with torrential rain, wipes them out, which is good. I'll count the weather as a blessing, and enjoy the porch during what will be a cool evening.

Remembering

 Years ago, I had a conversation with a friend that was upsetting. He told of his time in Vietnam, the relief of making it through his year in combat, and his return. When he arrived in the states, the soldiers were ushered through an area outside the terminal to catch a bus. Outside, the protesters were spitting on any soldier they found, and voicing their dislike of the war in Vietnam. 

What a homecoming. Spending a year fighting for his country, having only one big thought on his mind, and being treated like a criminal at his return. His politics weren't discussed when he was inducted. A letter from Uncle Sam demanded his appearance for training, and after watching the horrors of war for a year, many of his peers, who didn't have a clue, were insulting him for his duty. 

He had a brother-in-law that didn't come back. In a tank unit, he burned to death while doing his duty. My friend showed me a photo of him in high school. He had that fresh cut look, a beaming smile, and the appearance of youth. The next photo my friend shared was of his brother-in-law in Vietnam. The youth was mostly missing, there was no smile, and his eyes were focused on something far away.

You can't forget those that never came back, or were killed in training. They're gone, but somebody lost someone they loved more than life, and their heartache will follow them to their own grave. Today is for their memory, and for those they left behind.

Thousands of 1/4 Inch Bolts

Years ago, I was in charge of a project that involved the expansion of a rail car inspection and repair facility. There were multiple large buildings, new rail, re-routing existing utilities and the components needed for the expansion. It meant a lot of hours, sometimes 7 day weeks, and some rest for me when it was completed.  

One part of the project was to assemble a paint booth. That involved completing the booth, hooking up the gas for the heater, and all the electrical work. At around 100 feet long, 20 feet wide, and 20 feet tall, it was shipped with all the punched panels, the heater, the stack, and the roll-up doors for each end.

As time has passed, the one thing that stuck with me is the amount of 1/4 inch bolts, with nuts, required to assemble the building. The parts list, which you usually verify when a shipment arrives, showed the amount of bolts to be counted....if I wanted to. The amount was 10,000 each, 1/4 inch bolts with nuts. I didn't count them, really don't know if it was correct, but we finished the project with having to only buy a few dozen more. I chalked the loss up to what was dropped during assembly, or left on the roof to never be found. That, or they were never shipped. That was a lot of fasteners to place, and I'm glad I will probably never be responsible for a project like that again. We were stretched thin, the pickings were slim for new employees, being salaried meant I missed out on a lot of overtime, and the customer was chomping at the bit to see the project completed. 

A Quick Observation

There's a saying that is used to show the surety of a comment: "Is the Pope Catholic?" Considering how the faith is becoming fragmented due to the opinions of the current Pope, it might not be a good phrase to use in the future. 

What You Don't See

 A local sheriff's department is issuing a warning to boaters about the result of the flooding in the area. Debris, some being huge trees, may be right under the surface, or not seen in the chop caused by the wind. It's a good warning, since many don't realize what can be in the water. 

After Hurricane Rita, the local forests were exposed to winds not seen in many decades. Deadfalls were sometimes almost unimaginable, and when torrential rains caused floods the nest Spring, the waters was high enough to float complete large trees into the waterways. With two large rivers merging into the ship channel, I watched some of these floating hazards pass by when I worked in a local industrial facility adjacent to the channel. Some of the trees looked large enough to damage a ship's propeller. 

The floods clean away the debris in the forests. With the last severe drought last Summer, there is plenty of new deadfall to wash away. This will last for weeks, if not months, and some boaters will find their lack of attention leads to hoping someone will pass by to tow them back to the dock.

Another Week Passes

Mosquitoes were the biggest contributor to the last week. Fogging only allows them to get high, and bite with more vengeance. Mowing was not pleasant, and repellent only exposed the fact mosquitoes can find places you wouldn't imagine. We'll deal with them all season, unless it dries up as much as last summer. 

Rain appeared again, and over a two hour period, we had over three inches, which was bad, but the tremendous straight line winds made it worse. The storm moved slowly, and we were blessed no tornadoes formed in our area, but trees still were uprooted, and low lying areas filled to the brim again. The weather folks called it a derecho, and Houston caught the worst of the large path of straight line winds. It's path, according to experts, was from Austin to Florida. 

The news is still filled with pandering, although it's beginning to look as though even the staunchest of Democrats are realizing they have backed crime that would make a Mafioso blush. So many laws have been broken, and it's looking as though people are going to respond with vengeance in mind.

The prosecutor of Trump's trial is obviously expecting a big payoff by someone. His career is over, and I think even publishers will avoid his story. New York will be exposed to law suits that will be impossible to defend, and those that can leave will do so at the earliest opportunity. May his downfall be a spectacular example of how evil is punished. He deserves nothing better. 

Our road is flooded, so we won't be going anywhere today. It should be down by tomorrow, and we can take a drive to see the damage. I'll avoid the outside as much as possible. I'd rather the mosquitoes feed on something else. 

Inflation Rates and Other Bogus Statistics

From my point of view, statistics, reports, analysis, projections, and other references on inflation are bogus. I use the Walmart bag weight to dollars spent to determine such things. At this point, I've either gained a lot of strength, or my money is buying much less that is being reported by inflation statistics. I'd never notice a 3% to 4% difference in weight, which makes me think the actual difference is somewhere around 25%. To my fixed income, that's unacceptable, and somebody needs to have their ass whipped for this nonsense.  

So, When Do They Do Their Job?

New York State has a commission to regulate the actions of judges, which includes suspension of a judge. Considering their allowing the current court system in New York City to run helter-skelter, and ignore the basic rules of conduct, I can only assume the majority of the commission are part of the problem. This will never change, until the corruption is removed. How this is accomplished is beyond me, but with the fleeing of important businesses, and wealthy people, it's apparent they might think about cleaning up their system.

And The Trees Will Fall

We're blessed (sometimes cursed) with Live Oak trees. One of the largest in Texas is in Columbus and is an amazing tree to behold. The branches, like most old trees of the species, droop over the decades and eventually touch the ground. The canopy of large trees can stretch to dozens of feet, which determines the root structure. The size of the branches alone dwarfs the trunks of many trees. 

Some engineers build roads with these types of trees adjacent to the paving. Over time, the roots either destroy the paving, or the tree root structure (which is shallow) doesn't support the tree. This leads to trees falling over, leaving huge root bundles exposed, and in some situations, leads to the slow death of the trees. 

After last year's drought, and the current abundance of rain, some trees are falling unexpectedly across roads. Luckily, nobody was injured, but the threat will remain. Some things are learned the hard way, and this is one, but considering my past experience with engineers, some are so full of their "knowledge" they have no idea how clueless they really are. 

Almost Over

I awoke this morning to thunder, and heavy rain. The forecasters were unsure last night how much rain we'd receive, but warned of a possible deluge....which we had. There was 3 1/2 inches of rain in my gauge, which brings my total to 13 inches since last Wednesday. The extra rain didn't change the current flood, and the receding water allowed me to drive out this afternoon.

 It's wet, and the ditches are full. The local creek is high, and from what is being reported, will gradually recede over the next few days. The afternoon storms forecasted didn't reach us, and it's looking like we won't have but passing showers for days. We need the drying, and if things are dry enough, mowing will be demanded. I'll get what I can, when I can, and if worst comes to worst, use the string trimmer in the areas too wet for the rider. 

Feast and Famine

Last year, we were starting what turned out to be a severe drought. Ponds were obviously feet lower than normal, and the danger of fire was a looming threat. That's now definitely over, and as of this morning, the flooding is similar to when tropical storm Imelda inundated the area. The rainfall is not nearly as heavy in our area, but it's been falling for days; and it's still raining. I dumped 7 inches out of the rain gauge yesterday, and from looking, we've had around 2 more inches in the last few hours.  The road in is impassable, and it will be too high to drive through for days. 

Waiting To See

We have a local creek that influences the drainage of our road. Earlier in the week, it was high enough to cause water to go over the road by a few inches. It crested the day before yesterday, and was on the way down. That recession of water will now end. As of the last few hours, we've had over five inches of rain, and it's still falling. Now, we wait to see how high the water will be. The road is already flooded with the rain, and the creek will have to handle the drainage. I have a feeling staying home will be mandatory for a few days.

Out of Control

The supposed protesters milling around college campuses, and taking over buildings, are out of control, but when it gets rough, the hired thugs will leave, the students that stay will find no compassion. Those that epitomize stupidity will find any threats of violence will be answered with reciprocating violence, a stay in jail, and finding their college career is over. Those that are organizers might find a developing interest by Mossad, who takes care of their problems in any way they feel is necessary.