Massive Irony

No kings protests abounded nationwide. It's ironic that they are protesting, but have little comprehension of the fact a monarch would quell the uprising with extreme violence, round up the leaders, and hang their heads from pikes in the pubic square. After all, they tried more than once to murder the man they're calling a king, and a king never allows his enemies to raise the sword against him more than once.

Lacking Good Judgement

Jimmy Kimmel, which is supposedly a comedic commentator, has injured his staff, those that produce his shoe, and his advertisers. Why? Because he's a dumbass without the sense to understand his responsibility. His show is on hold, but regardless if it's only for a short period of time, somebody is hurt financially because Kimmel forget to put his brain in gear before he spoke. 

Vitriol and Stupidity

The man that murdered Charlie Kirk thought he was doing his cause a great service. Instead, he galvanized all that find the group of transgender militants as a danger into pushing back. The result is those willing to voice their vitriol are finding not only is their opinion not appropriate, those they depend on for their economic survival are destroying that survival with firings, and the loss of customers. They deserve nothing better, and will find they've not only lost an audience, they've gained staunch enemies with no mercy in mind. More violence on their part will lead to a warranted effort to end their ability to cause problems.

Stale Crackers

Cracker Barrel changed the logo, the CEO is a DEI nut, and 94 million went down the drain. The worst thing about it is how it's probably permanent. The chain, from what I've been told, doesn't have the food people remember, the menu is smaller, the complaints were ignored, and those (like me) that entertained the thought of going for a meal there, will not do so. I've eaten there in the past, but that's been decades ago. 

 My suggestion is the stockholders bail while they can. Too much has happened, the brand is forever tarnished, and the costs to stay open will not be sustainable with the reduced sales. Those future people sitting on the front porch might only be vagrants looking for a place to get out of the weather.

Taking The Bait

I'm thinking whoever leaked information on the strike in Iran is probably wondering how long before they go to jail. While they thought they were being slick, it probably was a trap, and they took the bait.

High Level Incompetence

I've worked with some highly qualified people that were a credit to their profession. Their knowledge allowed them to make good choices, justified their position, and eliminated the boondoggles that happen on every project. Most had some years under their belt, but there were younger professionals that were a credit to their advanced education. 

As time went on, and my years increased in construction, I found of who should have been the culls still in positions they couldn't handle, and in many situations, those in the public sector were advanced in position to solve the problem of not being able to terminate their employment. Their power was wielded without understanding the costs, or damage to their reputation. One, I called the "Smiling Menace". They grinned like a jackass eating briars constantly, and regardless of how ridiculous their decisions were, held fast to their decisions because their ignorance overruled their knowledge. 

The article below explains the problems with universities. Those that should have never reached the top in running the university now hold positions they use to stroke their incompetency fueled ego. They're releasing graduates that have degrees that demand a competency they don't have, and the ultimate result will be a strong unwillingness to hire those from these universities, and a suspicion of college graduates.

Link 

The Might of the Rank

I've been watching the news reports about base commanders pulling rank, thumbing their noses at the highest ranking members of the military, and forgetting their arbitrary abuse of power can be their downfall. Maybe they think they're right, but in the military, you're subordinate to the President and Vice President. Piss them off, and you might find yourself walking down the road and kicking cans.

I Can Only Blame Myself

 The best intentions are easily forgotten, and my intention to use the pressure washer yesterday led to some time in the heat I didn't envision. 

Before I added gas to the pressure washer, I checked the state of the gasoline. I knew it had been awhile since it was used, and couldn't remember if fuel conditioner was added in the past. After smelling the familiar odor of old gas, decided I needed to drain the tank and carburetor bowl. It didn't take long, so I hooked it up, made sure the pump had water, set the choke, pulled the pull rope and was rewarded with the engine running one second. I pulled some more with the choke off, tried it with the choke on again, and it wouldn't start. 

I let it sit for a few minutes, took a break to rest my arm, set the choke, pulled the rope, and it started again...for one second. Pulling the rope again, and again, was a useless endeavor, so I resigned myself to the task of delving deeper into the problem. 

I knew it was getting fire, since it ran for a few seconds. That left only the carburetor, and I didn't relish the task of removing it, but without any other recourse, did so, which led to the usual fighting with throttle linkage, and hoses. That, and the careful examination of disassembly to guarantee replacement didn't end up with extra parts. 

The bowl was full of varnish, which verified there was probably more deeper in the carburetor. So, I removed the float, which revealed an accumulation of crud, and the realization I didn't have any carburetor cleaner. A trip to the parts house was necessary, and I was soon ready to finish my cleaning. 

I removed the main jet, cleaned the small passages with a small wire, sprayed carburetor cleaner through the ports, and was rewarded with all being open, instead of being sealed, and possibly, not being able to be opened. Reassembly was a short task, and it wasn't long before I had the pressure washer back together. A short pull after choking showed I was successful. 

In the end, it was all good. I accomplished the washing I intended, and I know the washer will now be stored with fuel stabilizer. The only problem was the cool of the morning I anticipated for cleaning was lost to repairing the washer. That rewarded me with doing the power washing in the sun and the temperature at 95 degrees. I live, and I learn. How that relates to a learning curve is unknown, but I have a feeling it might be described as steep.

That Will Surely Help Their Cause

From what I've read, there was some type of show at the Olympics where drag queens recreated the last supper. I've also read the reception of this act isn't good, which I understand.

 Regardless of what a few hundred drag queens think, they're freaks at a freak show, insulting the faith of millions is guaranteed to demand accountability, and being public with behavior many find should only be  shown to willing adults is going to put a target on them. They've crossed the line, and I have no sympathy for those who become victims of the reaction. In fact, seeing them chased down the street in their high heels by a mob with pitch and feathers would be fine entertainment. Let the games begin.

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. 

Electric Flops

According to a news report I read, automobile manufacturers are taking a huge hit on manufacturing things that people don't want. They took the gamble, eliminated some of revenues of those investing in the companies, and pretty well indicated foolishness seems to abound in corporate America. Regardless of the hype about electric vehicles, they aren't wanted, become even less wanted when the limitations are exposed, and only those with more money than sense will pay the cost for a what is basically a very expensive toy.

Null and Void

A Seattle federal court basically ignored laws, precedence and jurisprudence, which supposedly will negate an order by the Commander in Chief.   It makes a good news story, but the President should ignore the opinion of the court and see what happens. Since the court is operating so far from the boundaries is should operate within, I doubt even the Ninth Court of Appeals would do more than shake their feathers and postulate.

Time will tell.

I Need Some Information

My understanding of basic electricity is limited, which leads to the following.

I have a squirrel cage blower on my furnace. The motor won't start the blower, but a little push will allow it to start and run. Since I know a little about electricity, and can look things up on the internet, I've determined the capacitor is not working.

When I removed the capacitor, I found no indication of any polarity, or special marking to indicate the correct connection of the wiring. Since the capacitor doesn't have any markings, and I had to remove the capacitor to find a replacement, I've reached a quandary.

What is the next step, when I find the replacement capacitor. The capacitor is removed, and if the new one has special markings, how do I determine the correct connection, which involves only two wires. Do I check to see which lead has voltage present, when the breaker is on? Do I avoid this, and check for which lead is grounded? I'm confused and need some help.

update: Further research shows an alternating current capacitor in the application doesn't have polarity. 

Things You Find on the News

While perusing the local news online, I glanced at the most wanted for the Houston area. That's a big city, so it's the big time, if your photo appears.

One photo looked familiar (No, it wasn't me) and the name confirmed why. It was a young man that worked for me a few years ago. I can only describe him as a conscientious, good worker; willing to learn and I missed his help, when he moved back to the Houston area.

So, he now has enough felony D.U.I's to lead to some hefty jail time. That's a shame, but he has nobody to blame, but the man he sees in the mirror.

His family is here, so I have the feeling I'll see him in the future. If he's behaving himself, and needs a job, I'll hire him, if there's a position available that doesn't require him to drive a company vehicle. That's something he'll never do again for the rest of his life.

If You Find It....

...don't send it back. It's probably ruined....What? My patience.

I lost my patience somewhere today. I'm thinking it fell out, rolled into traffic, and was smashed under the nasty wheels of a garbage truck flying through at a suicide altitude.

The remainder of the day was without patience. My comments were not good to those that must have been paid to breathe. That, or to hold their mouth open and catch flies. I can train just about anyone; even like it sometimes, but there has to be more than a vacuum between their ears. It's that, or they lied about their construction experience; unless their experience was watching Wiley Coyote assemble a roadrunner trap on Saturday morning cartoons.

It's Getting Pathetic

I read the news, watch some commentary and listen to the radio. It's reached the point where it's so obvious a substantial amount of the media can only be pitied. With some, it's an obvious denial of how the political structure of the U.S. is removed from actual help to the constituents, but with others, it's obvious they're clueless to the plight of U.S. citizens.

I'm guessing those with an agenda are probably reaching the point where they are worried about their reputation and legacy. The others will probably find one day they've been a dumbass for so long, their only hope of survival will be in admitting their ignorance and hoping for the best. Those I doubt will find much sympathy. They're supposed to be the best in analyzing and presenting facts without politics or ignorance as guidelines for the presentation. People with less tolerance will be spiteful and vengeful.

Not The Right Tool For The Job

We were building a concrete pad for cranes inside a unit in a facility that makes rubber. It was a small pad, but it had substantial reinforcement.

Most of the rebar was stock length, but there were a few pieces that needed to be cut. The only thing we had for this task was a rebar bender/cutter designed for rebar smaller than that required.

I scratched my head at first, wondering if I needed to go buy a hacksaw and cut the rebar. After considering my options, I decided to put a cheater pipe on the handle of the cutter and use it to cut the rebar.

The first few pieces were no problem, although it took a substantial amount of leverage on the pipe to accomplish the cut. Then, we found a problem.

One bar was either better steel, or we were getting tired. Our typical method wasn't working, so I decided to get rough.

I pulled on the cheater pipe, soon had all my weight on the pipe and was rocking on the pipe, with the hope it would soon cut. It did.

The rebar snapped, and the six foot long pipe fell; striking me in the chest.

After a few minutes of sitting on the sidelines, I went back to work. We soon had everything ready and poured the concrete.

On the way home, my chest started hurting. After arriving home, it reached the point where it was hard to breathe, without pain. I started worrying and my wife soon convinced me to go to the emergency room.

After some x-rays, too many minutes worrying about what I'd managed to destroy and the consultation with the doctor, it was determined the pipe flexed the rib joints, much like bending a finger back to far.

So, I was prescribed an anti-inflammatory medication, sent on my way and learned being a dumbass has its limitations.