Offense and Defense

Years ago, I read a book by an officer that commanded Army troops in Vietnam. It was an interesting read, but what really stuck in my mind was how the officer knew that defensive actions allowed enemy forces to group and attack. He didn't just expound about his thoughts; he explained through the events how they worked. 

Politically, the undesired effects of the defensive position of so called conservatives is glaringly apparent. It's time for that to change. A strong offensive effort is more than needed to remove the damage caused by allowing destructive ideas to flourish with nothing but pandering as the reaction. Laws have been broken, the lives of good people have been destroyed, and those responsible need to be punished for their efforts. That will never happen unless there is an overwhelming push to destroy the enemies of the United States; both foreign and domestic. There are sufficient laws to obtain this goal, and I expect Trump's appointments to accomplish this task.

Cold Rain and Heaters

We've been in the mid-forties all day, with occasional steady rain. With the high humidity, the chill goes to the bone, so running the heater to break the chill is necessary. 

My sister-in-law asked me to check on my other sister-in-law's heater. She said it had the odor of something dead when it was running. I went to check it out; hoping it was something easy to find. 

I looked with a flashlight, found nothing, and decided I need to go further into the system to find the source of the odor. Removing the squirrel cage blower revealed the problem: a dead mouse was laying on the heating coils. With the squirrel cage blower out, I decided the best thing was to go ahead and clean the fins. A little time with a screwdriver, small brush, and a shop-vac removed the accumulated dust. After replacing the blower, and checking the operation, the heater checked out ok. Vacuuming the cabinet removed the dust that accumulated over time. 

I need to do the same cleaning for my furnace. I'll wait for a nice day, with cool temperatures, and do the deed on a much better day for the task.

Up With the Roosters

According to most people, "up with the roosters" means to wake up at dawn. Roosters don't wake up at dawn; they wake up at 3:30 am, scream at the top of their lungs, and every rooster within earshot does the same. That, and it's not the "cockle doodle doo" as heard in cartoons. Some do, but they're the minority. Some will make you wonder if you should call 911 and report a murder. Others sound as though they're gargling corn, or are three pack a day smokers. All continue for hours; regardless of the weather. So, now you know you have been told something that isn't true. You're welcome.

After 83 Years

 When I was in school, the bombing of Pearl Harbor was still fresh in the minds of most people. Between that atrocity, and the other atrocities revealed over the next few years, the evils of the world were revealed. I doubt many of the younger generation of today even think about the significance of today. That, and the youngest have little idea of the horrors their parents felt after 9/11. The past fades away, those that dealt with the attacks on the U.S. slowly die off, and eventually the significance of the events are mostly forgotten. 

So, at a little before 8:00 am, it will be the 83rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. I won't forget the day, but many will. My generation is fading, my parent's generation is gone, and history becomes only a curiosity of those that make the effort to research the past.

I Think This Will Turn Into a Mistake

The proposed new government agency which is supposed to make the government more efficient will be hiring. Otherwise, another agency will be created, which will be run by the government, and I doubt anyone that has more brains than a house plant will believe it won't become another bureaucratic money pit. Congress is supposed to do that job, and it's the President's job to reign in spending without the aid of another bureaucracy. Regardless of the plan to have the agency disappear after the job is done, I don't believe that will ever happen. It's like drinking alcohol to fight cirrhosis of the liver.