Dealing with the Minions

Tomorrow, I will go to the appraisal office, look the minions in the eye, and explain to them...once again...their form of extortion, regardless of how they justify it, is wrong. In spite of what the law allows, a 61% increase of the appraised amount in 7 years is not acceptable. I will observe their vapid expression, know my trip will probably not yield much, but I will...once again...be satisfied I tried. 

I think if their schedule included the appeals of everyone being taxed on their property, they would have a clue they're not being good citizens. Regardless of what you can get away with, wrong is wrong, and extortion is immoral.

**spit**

Local News is Filled With with WTF's

There was an accident on a rural highway last Friday night. It doesn't make a lot of sense, which makes me begin to wonder. News reports state a family of five was riding in a sport utility vehicle, drove out on to the highway, and struck by a commercial vehicle. Four died, one is critical, and the driver of the commercial vehicle was injured. To add insult to injury, a woman plowed into one of the sheriff's vehicles working the accident. All of this happened at around 11:30 at night, which makes me wonder how the commercial vehicle wasn't noticed by the utility vehicle. After all, it was night, this section of highway has a long sight distance, and both drivers should have seen the other. 

A bicyclist was struck by a pickup in the middle of the day. From what I gather from the report, the cyclist veered into the path of the pickup, and was struck by a mirror. The highway, which I am very familiar with, isn't a place to ride a bicycle anytime at all. It's busy, there is no bike lane, people in that area have a tendency to rush to their destination, and even if you're a well behaved cyclist, one blip, while glancing at a phone, can mean a terrible occurrence, when the driver of an automobile isn't paying attention. The cyclist didn't live.

A pickup T-boned another pickup this morning. The driver of the pickup that T-boned the other truck was ejected when their truck flipped on its side. He didn't survive, and the driver that was T-boned only suffered minor injuries. The photos show a truck that suffered more damage than the posted speed limit would allow. The street is filled with businesses, and has a multitude of traffic lights. 

Maybe it's the heat, but all the accidents sure look like they could have been avoided. I'll never know the entire stores, unless a criminal charge is filed. 

Meanwhile, on the local section of Interstate, construction is well underway, traffic is terrible, and a daily accident is almost a guarantee. I stay off the interstate. There are many other ways to travel, and much safer.

So, What's Going On?

My page counts have been more than in the past. Judging by past experience, it appears the counts rise during the work week, which I attribute to spam. The last two days have been much different. Yesterday, over thirty thousand supposedly visited my site. Today, it's not even noon and over fifteen thousands visits have already been logged. Either I've become very popular, or AI is in overdrive looking for places to make some money.

Water Logged and Pickle Juice

The climate where I live isn't as hot as a desert, but with the humidity, the heat index can bring conditions as brutal as any desert. Working outside brings sweat immediately, and it doesn't dry. Clothes are soaked within minutes, and regardless of how much water you drink, it doesn't replace the electrolytes. Your stomach is bloated with water, and severe heat cramps are soon to arrive. 

I've tried many different things, but a supplement called Medi Lyte is a big help, and nothing helps better than slugging a few gulps of juice from a bottle of pickles. Products like Gatorade help, but I found too much will not do the job, and have seen people vomit after drinking too much. 

When I worked, we would fill two large water jugs each day. One was plain water, and the other had half the powdered Gatorade that was considered the right amount. I kept supplements on hand, and watched the crew closely. Over the years, I had a few I had to place in an air-conditioned truck to cool down, and had one I had to call for an ambulance. His reaction to the heat led to hyperventilation, which aggravated his heat exhaustion. I had one employee that had to be driven home because his heat cramps prevented him from driving. 

I had days where I know I drank well over a gallon liquid during a day at work. On one project, I literally poured sweat from my work boots in the evening. The 16 hour days, brutal heat, and lack of sleep whittled 20 pounds off me in a month. If I had to do it again, I wouldn't.

So, stay hydrated, avoid exposure to the heat, and keep a bottle of pickles handy...just in case.

Looking at the News

- According to a report, Obama, and his minions, intentionally created false reports to influence the 2016 election, and continued this subterfuge throughout the first term of Trump. I'm waiting to see how this plays out, but thinking some strong words, a wrist slap, and warning are the only consequences.  

- A reporter has PTSD due to their encounter with angry citizens after the attempt to kill Trump. Harsh words are certainly destructive, especially when you consider the reporter probably received an award for not pissing their pants in first grade.

- Comey's daughter was fired. She should be happy. She will now have a substantial amount of money for a book, become the darling of the Democrats, and can pontificate without losing her job.

- Out of the 160 missing in the Guadalupe flood, careful analysis of the list has revealed only 3 are missing. I really don't know what to think of this, except someone kept the list from the media and did a good job of whittling away at the names when someone was accounted for.

- NPR has lost a huge amount of its funding. Tears are common, people are upset, and there's now more money for the government to squander.

-Stephen Colbert's show is ending. One report stated it was losing millions, which I can see. If most people are like me, those watching could be counted in one living room.

-The only person that truly knows what happened on Epstein's island is languishing in prison, with information that some people would rather not be revealed. I think she should have her sentence commuted, be protected from future prosecution, and allowed to spill the beans. I'll buy some popcorn if this happens. 

- Local news reports show crime is rampant in the nearby bigger city. The usual suspects are revealed by photographs, and it's not hard to envision where they started their life.

- An order from Amazon disappeared somewhere in Texas. If someone happens to find it, I hope the parts fit their lawnmower.