Windows 10 and the State

"Windows 10 has many unprecedented anti-user features: a remote killswitch that lets it disable your hardware; keylogging and browser-history logging that, by default, sends it all to Microsoft, and a deceptive "privacy mode" that continues to exfiltrate your data, even when you turn it on."

Windows 10 covertly sends your disk-encryption keys to Microsoft

HT: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/222620/

Gunfighting Myths

"An article on “myths of gunfighting?” We could write books on the myths of gunfighting. The foregoing is presented because every life-threatening encounter is different, and to believe in overly simplistic things is to believe in myth instead of reality. If and when any of us is in a gunfight, it will most assuredly be reality, in all its various forms, by which we will live or die."

5 Gunfighting Myths Debunked By Massad Ayoob

 HT: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/222497/

So Long

Christmas Day Ride

 Merry Christmas!

I went for a nice ride this evening.

The way going was a real pain with a headwind.  Of course, it made the way back that much more pleasant.

You Should Not Register Your Drones

"So maybe I’m going to keep my drones the way I keep my firearms—unregistered."

Update: From the comments, "In 2012 Congress passed the Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 which reads in part: "The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration may not promulgate any rule or regulation regarding a model aircraft, or an aircraft being developed as a model aircraft". Congress defined a modal aircraft as "‘an unmanned aircraft capable of sustained flight in the atmosphere, flown within visual line of sight, and flown for hobby or recreational purposes.". Sounds like a drone to me."

Our Drone Government

 HT: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/222138/

Sunday Ride

Earlier this week, Mr. Marcantel called and told me to pick all the lemons and oranges that I would like from his trees.  So, I went for a bike ride today and picked a grocery sack of meyer lemons and a half-sack of oranges.  They are all washed and put away in the refrigerator drawers.

I also stopped at the grocery store to pick up some dish-washing liquid.  Oh, along the way, I took a picture of the bay tree that I picked leaves from.  The leaves dried up nicely and are excellent for cooking.  I used one in my Salmon Court Bouillon dish yesterday.

Bay Tree

Canned-Salmon Court-Bouillon

I wanted some salmon.  Specifically, I wanted some canned salmon which comes with that flavorful skin and those deliciously crunchy bones.

With that in mind, I remembered that my little sister, Libby, used to make a tomato and canned salmon dish at home that I liked very much.  With that in mind, I put together a recipe and found the results to be delicious.

In order to assemble the components of the recipe, I used some that I had on hand and also purchased a few items.

Ingredients:

3 tbl oil
1 tbl flour(Optional)
1 Medium Onion, chopped
1/2 Bellpepper, chopped
1 Stalk Celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint(or nearest sized can)  rotel(jalapeno)  tomatoes
1 pint(or nearest sized can) diced tomatoes
2 cans traditional pack, pink salmon,  16 oz. or nearest to
Salt
Black Pepper, ground
Cayenne pepper, ground
Bay leaf, dried



Directions:

In a dutch oven on the stove-top, bring the oil near to its smoke point and then stir in the flour.  Next, sautee the onion, bellbepper, and celery until the onions are clear.  Add the garlic and sautee for another two minutes.  Add the canned tomatoes and the bay leaf.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the canned salmon*, breaking it up into smaller pieces.  Simmer for five more minutes, serve over white rice.

*Optional, squeeze some lemon juice into the mixture after adding the salmon.

They Live on You

Yes, they do.  These tiny arachnids and their kin are all over you.

Scientists say face mites evolved alongside humans since the dawn of human origins

The Entire Universe

It is hard to imagine how the entire universe was created for us.

"In this composite image we see Earth appear to rise over the lunar horizon from the viewpoint of the spacecraft, with the center of the Earth just off the coast of Liberia (at 4.04 degrees North, 12.44 degrees West). The large tan area in the upper right is the Sahara Desert, and just beyond is Saudi Arabia. The Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America are visible to the left. On the moon, we get a glimpse of the crater Compton, which is located just beyond the eastern limb of the moon, on the lunar farside."

In this composite image we see Earth appear to rise over the lunar horizon from the viewpoint of the spacecraft, with the center of the Earth just off the coast of Liberia (at 4.04 degrees North, 12.44 degrees West). The large tan area in the upper right is the Sahara Desert, and just beyond is Saudi Arabia. The Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America are visible to the left. On the moon, we get a glimpse of the crater Compton, which is located just beyond the eastern limb of the moon, on the lunar farside.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-12-lunar-reconnaissance-orbiter-high-resolution-earthrise.html#jCp

In this composite image we see Earth appear to rise over the lunar horizon from the viewpoint of the spacecraft, with the center of the Earth just off the coast of Liberia (at 4.04 degrees North, 12.44 degrees West). The large tan area in the upper right is the Sahara Desert, and just beyond is Saudi Arabia. The Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America are visible to the left. On the moon, we get a glimpse of the crater Compton, which is located just beyond the eastern limb of the moon, on the lunar farside.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-12-lunar-reconnaissance-orbiter-high-resolution-earthrise.html#jCp

In this composite image we see Earth appear to rise over the lunar horizon from the viewpoint of the spacecraft, with the center of the Earth just off the coast of Liberia (at 4.04 degrees North, 12.44 degrees West). The large tan area in the upper right is the Sahara Desert, and just beyond is Saudi Arabia. The Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America are visible to the left. On the moon, we get a glimpse of the crater Compton, which is located just beyond the eastern limb of the moon, on the lunar farside.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-12-lunar-reconnaissance-orbiter-high-resolution-earthrise.html#jCp

In this composite image we see Earth appear to rise over the lunar horizon from the viewpoint of the spacecraft, with the center of the Earth just off the coast of Liberia (at 4.04 degrees North, 12.44 degrees West). The large tan area in the upper right is the Sahara Desert, and just beyond is Saudi Arabia. The Atlantic and Pacific coasts of South America are visible to the left. On the moon, we get a glimpse of the crater Compton, which is located just beyond the eastern limb of the moon, on the lunar farside.

Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2015-12-lunar-reconnaissance-orbiter-high-resolution-earthrise.html#jCp

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter releases new high-resolution earthrise image

Brilliant

I have updated this post to include Aesop's fable.

 The Scorpion and the Frog

  A scorpion and a frog meet on the bank of a stream and the 
scorpion asks the frog to carry him across on its back. The 
frog asks, "How do I know you won't sting me?" The scorpion 
says, "Because if I do, I will die too."

  The frog is satisfied, and they set out, but in midstream,
the scorpion stings the frog. The frog feels the onset of 
paralysis and starts to sink, knowing they both will drown,
but has just enough time to gasp "Why?" 

  Replies the scorpion: "Its my nature..."

http://www.cartoonmovement.com/cartoon/884

HT: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/221826/

KKK On This Day - Opelousas. Louisiana

This Day in History… Republicans Pass Anti-KKK Act – Outlawing Democratic Terrorist Groups

On September 28, 1868, a mob of Democrats massacred nearly 300 African-American Republicans in Opelousas, Louisiana. The savagery began when racist Democrats attacked a newspaper editor, a white Republican and schoolteacher for ex-slaves. Several African-Americans rushed to the assistance of their friend, and in response, Democrats went on a “Negro hunt,” killing every African-American (all of whom were Republicans) in the area they could find. (Via Grand Old Partisan)
On April 20, 1871 the Republicans passed the anti-Ku Klux Klan Act.

HT: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/221832/

Ted Cruz

The message in this video is likely to fly well above the heads of low-information voters.

Women in Combat Roles

"There are other differences between male and female troops. Women are twice as likely to suffer injuries and are three times more undeployable than men. Servicewomen are four times likelier to report being ill than servicemen. The percentage of servicewomen being medically unavailable at any time is twice that of servicemen. Then there’s pregnancy. Each year, between 10 and 17 percent of servicewomen become pregnant.

Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of military social engineering is the cover-up of failure. Officers who criticize double standards or expose official lies and deception about servicewomen’s performance risk their careers. Those official lies and deception will eventually reveal themselves with unnecessary loss of lives on the battlefield."

Our Timid Military Leaders

Tibor Rubin(R.I.P.) and the Medal of Honor

"In 2002, after Congress passed the Leonard Kravitz Jewish War Veterans Act — named for a Jewish soldier killed in an act of heroism in 1951 and subsequently denied the Medal of Honor — President Bush ordered a review of the records of 137 Jewish veterans. Corporal Rubin’s case was deemed among the most egregious.
But he wasn’t bitter, as he explained in the Stars and Stripes 2005 article:

“I’m not angry with the Chinese, I’m not angry with the North Koreans, I’m not even angry with the Germans,” he said. “I figure the Lord is going to take care of them. So how could I be angry at this country, which did so much for me?”"

Tibor Rubin has died – If you don’t know who he was, you need to

HT: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/221264/

Jihad Free Zone

http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/221245/

Disturbance in the Force

I was working at this place.  There was a foo dog standing by the glass door outside and a statue of one on the back yard.  It turns out that the statue stands guard over the companion of the one that I saw.  I was amazed that I recognized the little bastards and that one was actually there.  His spirit was in abeyance.

Mo' F.O.E.

"Everyone of importance—the New York Times, MSNBC, NPR, the Huffington Post, Mother Jones, and Salon—agreed that there was no obvious motive. Time and again for many years attackers had come from nowhere and killed for no reason. There was no pattern except the strange cry, “Allahu Akbar.”
Mrs. Clinton’s  Secretary of Defense, Wilhelmina “Creepy” Crawley, offered an explanation.

“My staff at the Pentagon have determined that “Akbar” is a combination of “AK,” automatic Kalashnikov, which I am told is a form of gun, and BAR, Browning Automatic Rifle. This shows an unwholesome fascination with guns. We are investigating links to the NRA:”" 

Allahu Akbar! :The View from 2018

Dr. Thomas Sowell

Dr. Sowell is a man who our government should listen to.



https://theartsmechanical.wordpress.com/2015/12/10/tom-sowell-on-wealth-and-poverty/

HT: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/221068/

Thursday Morning Ride

 I made a nice short ride this morning.    I stopped by Aunt Dot's resting place and rubbed some brasso on her marker.  After that, I went to the nearby Dollar Tree and purchased some batteries and a couple of L.A.S.E.R.s.

"Homemade I.E.D."

Middle schooler’s homemade ‘IED’ turns out to be actual IED; Student faces charges.

Seriously?  Who in the world writes this crap?

Tell It Like It Is

http://www.daybydaycartoon.com/comic/toast/

Coconut Oil

I have been using LouAna Coconut Oil.  I have read where some say that it is not the oil to use, aside from cooking.  The LouAna  writings say that also.  From empirical experience, that may be so.

I have a problem with my forehead skin that is annoying.  It dries and I have been rubbing the LouAna  coconut oil on it.  It has not stopped until I rubbed some oil that I bought for my mom on it.  This oil was not refined and the next day, the incipient sore on my eyebrow was gone.  I will buy some more of the same and use it.  I do not know what kind it is but I recall the jar. 

I Find that Sleep Eludes Me Tonight

"When you have to kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite."
--WinstonChurchill

And So it Goes, As Usual

"Then they revealed who the shooters were.

Immediately the same exact people who’d just been screeching about evil Tea Party, racist, hate monger, right wing, ciswhitehetero male phantoms, began urging calm, saying don’t jump to conclusions. It isn’t fair to tar the big group because of the actions of a few. Watch out for that hateful rhetoric, because you might inflame people."..."It is kind of funny how you can name any crisis, any crisis at all, and the inevitable solutions demanded are always giving the government more control."

Read it here: 

Guns and Vultures

Edit: I am sure that I missed an HT somewhere.

Jihad

Not all Muslims are terrorists but an unsettling number of terrorists are Muslims.

"It is simply false to declare that jihadists represent the “tiny few extremists” who sully the reputation of an otherwise peace-loving and tolerant Muslim faith. In reality, the truth is far more troubling — that jihadists represent the natural and inevitable outgrowth of a faith that is given over to hate on a massive scale, with hundreds of millions of believers holding views that Americans would rightly find revolting. Not all Muslims are hateful, of course, but so many are that it’s not remotely surprising that the world is wracked by wave after wave of jihadist violence."

Dispelling the ‘Few Extremists’ Myth – the Muslim World Is Overcome with Hate

Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/428146/more-than-few-islamic-extremists

 

 

 

Remembering Judge Michael G. Sullivan

One of my favorite men was Judge Michael G. Sullivan.  He died in 2009.  He kept a copy of this in his office drawer when he was at City Court.

Do Your Best

HT: http://extragoodshit.phlap.net/index.php/329342/

Internal Passport - A Relic of the U.S.S.R.

"It sounds crazy, but next year, millions of Americans might have to start using passports to fly -- on domestic flights.

A decade ago, the U.S. government issued stricter standards for state-issued IDs, including drivers licenses. But four states have refused to comply: Louisiana, Minnesota, New Hampshire and New York.

The deadline for upgrading is coming up in 2016. If those four states don't upgrade their ID systems by the deadline, the TSA will demand that residents of those four states use passports rather than drivers licenses to board flights next year. About 9.5 million drivers licenses have been issued in those states, according to government licensing records."

You may not think that is of any concern.  However, tie that in with the following:  "A little-noticed provision in the highway funding bill Congress passed this week threatens a right most Americans take for granted: the right to travel abroad. The provision in question gives the Internal Revenue Service the authority to revoke the passport of anyone the IRS claims owes more than $50,000 in back taxes."  "...the provision does not provide taxpayers an opportunity to challenge a finding that they owe back taxes in federal court before their passport is revoked." 

Read about it here.

HT: http://overlawyered.com/2015/12/but-you-cant-check-out/

No-Fly is Unconstitutional

“The American Civil Liberties Union is taking no position on legislation that would bar people from buying guns if they are on the federal government’s no-fly list — a list that the ACLU has spent the past five years arguing is unconstitutional.”

Never trust the ACLU. NEVER trust the ACLU. NEVER TRUST THE ACLU.

 HT: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/220776/

A Day that Will Live in Infamy

"At five minutes to eight o'clock, on a Sunday morning, Dec. 7, 1941, in Hawaii, Japanese planes attacked the United States military base at Pearl Harbor.
An hour later, a second wave of Japanese planes continued the attack. By 9:45 a.m. (local Hawaii time), the attack was finished, with all but 29 Japanese planes returning to the safety of their aircraft carriers.
The attack on Pearl Harbor wiped out approximately half of America's military airpower in the Pacific Theater; severely damaged eight Navy battleships, three destroyers and three cruisers; demolished the battleships U.S.S. Oklahama and Arizona; and killed more than 2,300 American servicemen.

Attack on Pearl Harbor Remembered

Some Shaggy For Anne

UPDATED

Amy Winehouse

I loved her music and was sorry to see her go.

The Big Lie

"On Wednesday, a Washington Post article announced that “The San Bernardino shooting is the second mass shooting today and the 355th this year.” Vox, MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, this newspaper and others reported similar statistics. Grim details from the church in Charleston, a college classroom in Oregon and a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado are still fresh, but you could be forgiven for wondering how you missed more than 300 other such attacks in 2015."

How Many Mass Shootings Are There, Really?

Aunt Rose

My Aunt Rose died Friday, after Thanksgiving.  I liked Aunt Rose and had not seen her in some time.  I plan to attend the funeral on Monday.

Babakurn al-Turki

"Popcorn the Turkey, now calling himself Babakurn al-Turki, was pardoned from the dinner table only yesterday by President Obama in a public ceremony at the White House. Normally the pardoned bird is sent along with its competitor to live out its remaining days at Morven Park’s Turkey Hill in Leesburg, Virginia.
However, U.S. officials have now admitted that al-Turki instead hijacked an Osprey out of Andrews Air Force Base in nearby Maryland and flew like a bat out of hell to Syria."

Video at the link:

Pardoned White House Turkey Defects To ISIS

 HT: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/219911/

Good News for Sunday

" Dubbed the Ghostbusters, the quartet of distillery cats are extremely hard workers, keeping rodents at bay day in and day out, and even making friends with their human co-workers – who were kind enough to buy the motley crew an array of toys before realizing they wanted only one thing for entertainment: cardboard boxes!"

Chicago Distillery Guarded by Feral Cats Is a Win for Everyone

 HT: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/219515/

Mo F.O.E.

I enjoy reading Fred's posts, whether I agree with him or not.

To whit:

"White Privilege is real, of course. It is a combination of high genetic intelligence, studiousness, a tendency toward intellectual exploration, the capacity to organize, sustained hard work, and conscientiousness. There is a reason why whites design Mars landers and black athletes do not."

Missouri: Taking the National Temperature

Alligators

When I was growing up in South Central Louisiana in the 1970s and 1980s, my cohorts and I spent a lot of time in and around the local waterways.  We would see alligators on occasion but they were hardly a nuisance.  The animals seemed to be wary of humans and shied from us.

Today, 2015, and for the past ten years, the alligator population has increased to where it has become a nuisance.  Large alligators sometimes show up on city streets near waterways and become a traffic hazard until someone stops or calls someone to handle it.

"►Population data: In 1971 the Fish and Wildlife Service reviewed the alligator’s status and requested information from range states. Louisiana supplied data showing the species was not imperiled, and recommended the alligator be removed from the federal list of endangered species. Louisiana also provided the FWS with information on state conservation legislation that had been passed or was planned. Florida also had data, available to the FWS, showing the state had a large and healthy alligator population. Data released in the aftermath of the ESA’s passage provided more confirmation. In 1974, Louisiana estimated the alligator’s total population at 734,384 and increasing over most of its range. This estimate was the result of a 1973 survey, released in 1974, in what became known as “the Joanen Report” after its author, Ted Joanen."

The Great Gator Hoax: The American alligator is thriving—no thanks to the Endangered Species Act

Quantum Locking

I think that this is pretty cool.  Click on the link for video.

 

How to Do Quantum Magnetic Levitation at Home

 

Climate Model Science Update

If this man is correct, all the smoke and mirrors vanish.

"It turns out the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has over-estimated future global warming by as much as 10 times, he says.
“Yes, CO2 has an effect, but it’s about a fifth or tenth of what the IPCC says it is. CO2 is not driving the climate; it caused less than 20 per cent of the global warming in the last few decades”.
Dr Evans says his discovery “ought to change the world”.
“But the political obstacles are massive,” he said."

Perth electrical engineer’s discovery will change climate change debate

Bureaucratic Tyranny

"When 87 percent of Americans do not trust the federal government to do what is right even most of the time, it is obvious that the alienation does not break along party lines. When I propose systematic civil disobedience to regain some of our freedom, it is not against a government that has made a few unintentional missteps and should be given the benefit of the doubt. The civil disobedience I propose is against a federal government that has fully earned our distrust."

The regulators’ yoke

Precipitate from Ice Cubes

A few days ago, I fixed a drink that was mostly water and ice cubes.  Yes there was vodka.  Anyhow, I noticed that a white precipitate of all sizes up to a millimeter or two was falling from the ice.  It so disgusted me that I went to the CVS store and purchased a PUR water filter for the faucet, 25% off!

After I arrived back home, I installed the filter and dumped all of ice into the sink.  Never one to pass an opportunity, I gave the food dispenser a good clean/sharpening by running the ice through it.

I fixed the same drink sans ice and all was crystal clear.  I filled my ice trays with the filtered water any the next time I made a clear drink with ice, there was that same precipitate!  After some research, I determined that it was likely calcium carbonate that I was seeing.

"No matter what you do, there will always be a few poor people around, but to really maximize those numbers there are very specific government policies abetted by a few cultural attitudes that will make all the difference. You want to make as many Americans poor as possible? Then start by…."

The 7 Keys To Trapping As Many Americans As Possible In Poverty

 HT: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/219013/

Flat Tire

I had my first flat tire today on my morning ride.  I had to push my bike for the last mile and a half.  After I heard a ticking noise, I removed a piece of glass from my front tire.  On passing through UL campus, I realized that my rear tire had gone flat.  I pumped air into it but it only held for a half a block.

Malum Prohibitum

"If it were up to me, I’d find it a violation of the due process clause to treat violation of regulatory statutes as a felony. Historically, only the most serious crimes — typically carrying the death penalty — were felonies.  Nowadays, though, we designate all sorts of trivial crimes, such as possessing an eagle feather, as felonies. This has the effect of empowering police and prosecutors at the expense of citizens, since it’s easy to find a felony if you look hard enough, and few citizens have the courage of a veteran like Cort, who went to trial anyway. Most will plead to something."

Glenn Reynolds: How gun laws put the innocent on trial

Ghost Stories

When I was a boy, we used to camp out and tell ghost stories.  Here are some "true" stories form policemen.

Cops Share True “On Duty” Ghost Stories

Extortion

Here is an interesting piece that fairly sums up my own thoughts.  Of course, this is an age-old complaint.

"In the United States, our swollen public-sector payrolls, particularly at the state and local level, are little more than a supplementary welfare state, providing a more dignified form of public dependency for relatively low-skilled and mainly unenterprising people."

The gist of the article is that, "When it comes to government, if you aren’t involved in the provision of actual public goods, you are involved in extortion."

Read more here.

Related: "Pournelle's Iron Law of Bureaucracy states that in any bureaucratic organization there will be two kinds of people":

 First, there will be those who are devoted to the goals of the organization. Examples are dedicated classroom teachers in an educational bureaucracy, many of the engineers and launch technicians and scientists at NASA, even some agricultural scientists and advisors in the former Soviet Union collective farming administration.

Secondly, there will be those dedicated to the organization itself. Examples are many of the administrators in the education system, many professors of education, many teachers union officials, much of the NASA headquarters staff, etc.

The Iron Law states that in every case the second group will gain and keep control of the organization. It will write the rules, and control promotions within the organization."

Gaslighting

Gaslighting, as opposed to simple denial of guilt.  Of course, if you have been paying attention, then you already know how the Obama administration works.




HT: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/217735/

No Alcohol for 30 Days

Here is an interesting article that I ran across.  This is the second such study that I have read.  There was an article published earlier this year that showed a study with similar results.

I will  give this a try. Starting today, no alcoholic drinks for a month.

Month off drinking slashes risk of disease: Abstaining found to heal the liver and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels

"Drinkers should take a month off alcohol to prevent serious illness in later life, doctors warned yesterday.

They cited dramatic British research showing how abstention can heal the liver and lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Patients who gave up for four weeks were also at lower risk of developing cancer and type 2 diabetes.

The study is the second at the Royal Free hospital to uncover the huge benefits of staying off booze."

Women

Getting Away With Murder

This man clearly had no reason to shoot and should be on trial for murder.

"The dash cam footage of a South Carolina police officer fatally shooting a 19-year-old in July has been released after it was announced that no criminal charges will be filed against the officer."

Dashcam video reveals horrific moment cop shot dead teen on a first date as it's revealed officer will NOT be charged with anything

 

It Matters

"If a nation has a constitution, and nobody reads it or follows it, does it matter?"

Read it:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2015/10/26/election-2016-voters-constitution-ignorance-column/74588286/

French Table

I ate breakfast at Victors' cafeteria this morning with Mom. There was a French immersion class joining us.  I had two eggs, over easy and sausages.  Mom had an "egg biscuit".   We both had coffee.

There Should Have Been a Big Kaboom

Liver for Bait

I used calf liver for bait in the Vermilion River this morning.  I rigged up for bottom fishing, as I was trying for catfish, and baited a hook.  The liver is not easy to keep on the hook and so I did the best that I could.

Things started hitting on the bait right away and I lost my bait a couple of times.  I was beginning to think that I should be trying for blue crabs instead.

On the fourth cast, I finally hooked something.  I did not expect it to be a turtle but there he was.  The next cast produced a stick and so I called it a day.

Cultural Marxism

Sometimes, I wonder who actually won the cold war.  I do not believe that this is what Sun Tzu  had in mind when he wrote that to win a war, you become your enemy.

"There’s a bit of controversy surrounding student elections at a San Francisco middle school after the results were immediately withheld by the principal because they weren’t diverse enough."

Middle school election results (temporarily) withheld because the winners aren’t “diverse” enough

Mosquito Zapper

If we could make something like this for fifty bucks or less per module, this would sell like gangbusters.

Morning Ride

After breakfast, I helped someone with a software problem and then I put in just over sixteen miles on my bike, picking some mandarin oranges along the way.  The weather was nice for riding and my right quadriceptic tendon is only complaining a little.

Liver and Onions

For lunch today, I heated up some bacon fat in a black iron skillet and then cooked a sliced onion to a nice golden-brown and then fried four ounces of calf-liver for about a minute and a half per side.  The smell was delicious and the liver and onions were very tasty.

I put about four ounces of raw liver aside to try as catfish bait.  I still have half a pound left.  I will have some more for dinner and then freeze the remainder.

Free USGS Topological Maps

I ran across this while reading Instapundit this morning.  These maps can come in very handy.

"Nearly Every USGS Topo Map Ever Made. For Free.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has been producing detailed topographic maps for more than 125 years. Today they are nearly all digitized and free to download through the USGS Map Store, an incredible treasure trove for both map junkies and casual hikers alike."

Fusion Energy Near

Look at the chart below.  If this develops as hoped for, we may see fossil fuel use dramatically reduced, replaced by even cheaper and more abundant energy.  It would be an economic boon. (Updated)

You can read about the "roadmap" to nuclear fusion here.  In a related article, the author states that " If all proceeds on schedule then a Helion Energy machine that that proves commercial energy gain would be a 50 Megawatt system built in 2019."  You can read it here.

Saturday Morning

It is a nice and sunny morning.  I had two cups of double-espresso Americano with coconut oil.  For breakfast, I made some baked-potato hash browns, with plenty of butter, two eggs over-easy and two thick slices of bacon.  For dessert, I had some white seedless grapes.  Meanwhile, I perused my usual morning internet reads.  DaybyDayCartoon, the Drudge Report, Instapundit, and links from those. 

Monday Citrus Post

I went out for a bike ride this morning and found some citrus that was nearly ready to pick.  There is a tree over the concrete fence on Cajun Dome Blvd. towards Eraste Landry Road.

The fruit is smooth-skinned and tight to the segments with a thin rind.  The one I picked was sweet.  I traveled a few more miles where there are some mandarin oranges with looser, more delicate rind.  I picked a few and they were easy to peel and sweet.

On the way back, I stopped to take pictures of the ghost bike.

It was erected in memory of Mickey Shunick.

I had a couple of problems on this ride as I have been slacking for a couple of weeks.  My seat started to feel a bit tender after about three or four miles and at about nine-and-a-half miles, my right knee bothered me enough that I had to walk about seventy-five yards.  My quadriceps muscle/tendon area seems to be the culprit.  Here is map of the ride.

Post for Sunday

Yesterday, which was Sunday, I decided to ride my bike around looking for fruit trees.  I have found that I see many more things from my bike than from a faster moving vehicle.  On the way, I realized that I was on the back-side of the graveyard where Aunt Dot was buried and so I stopped and paid her a visit.  It seems that Uncle Red had also paid a visit that day,

I did not see any citrus tree as I had hoped.  However, I did come across some persimmon and fig trees.  I will see if the owner will give or sell me some.

The Deep State

The problem will resolve itself, whether we want it to or not.

"I used to joke that there was nothing wrong with Washington that 10 megatons on the capital couldn’t cure. But I don’t say that anymore. Partially because it’s too dangerous, but mainly because it’s now untrue. What’s now needed is 10 megatons on the capital, and four more bursts in a quadrant 10 miles out."

The Deep State: Source Of All Negativity

Bad Policy

Mailmen deal with dogs everyday.  When was the last time that you read a report of a mailman shooting a dog?  This policeman's action is inexcusable and he should be fired.

Cop Accidentally Shoots 4-Year-Old Girl: 'Mommy Am I Gonna Die?'

I Love Ginger

Read it and just shake your head.

For example: “I don’t say that ‘I was “blind” to something’ because it ignores the experiences of differently abled individuals.” “I don’t ask ‘who wears the pants in your relationship?’ because it expects homosexual couples to subscribe to heterosexual norms.” “I don’t say ‘White washed’ because it is used to insult those who do not conform to negative stereotypes of a community or culture.” “I don’t call people ‘gingers’ because a unique hair colour does not make one inferior.” “I don’t say ‘you are so skinny’ because ‘skinny’ is not validating” “We don’t say ‘Spirit Animal’ because it is a form of cultural appropriation.”

Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/425339/western-university-language-campaign

Early Morning Blogging

Well, all night really.  I've been rocking the music all night.  Cooked a few dinners and have one in the oven now, heh.  My luck, I'll get a paternity call in a few months.

Hermit Crabs are Awesome

Monday in October

This weekend, I set my heater on 72 degrees F.  The pool looks cold.  Hopefully by the end of the week, it will be warm enough to swim.

This morning, I got up and fixed my usual breakfast stuff.  I rode my bike to work on someone's computer and then to Office Depot for a part and then to Champagnes' Market for groceries.  Chicken was still on sale for $3.99/10lb of leg quarters, so I bought a bag and will try some different recipes.  I also picked up a six pack of Stone IPA .  It is a current favorite of mine.

More Chicken

I still had eight chicken leg quarters left and so I used six of them in a recipe that I always enjoy.  I did not have any shallots, so I substituted a thinly-sliced onion that was about the mass of three shallots; and three small garlic cloves, also thinly sliced.

Here is an image of the finished product:

I served it with rice and it was delicious.



CHICKEN THIGHS WITH OLIVES AND LEMON
(adapted from Fine Cooking #103; recipe by Melissa Pellegrino)

6 chicken thighs, bone-in
2 medium lemons
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
3 shallots, peeled and quartered lengthwise
3/4 cup jarred brined olives, rinsed, pitted, and halved
6 fresh sage leaves
2 dried bay leaves
1 tsp thyme (I used dry, could not find fresh)

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350F.

Blot the chicken absolutely dry with a paper towel before you begin, then season it on all sides with salt and pepper.

Cut the ends off the lemon, stand it on one end, carefully peel it, and release the lemon segments from the membranes, dropping them in a small bowl. Cut the segments in two or three pieces.

Heat the butter and the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, cook the chicken skin side down until golden-brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish with the browned side up. Pour off all but 2 Tbs. of the fat. Add the shallots, olives, sage, bay leaves, thyme sprigs, and lemon segments, and cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the lemony sauce to the roasting pan; cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the foil and increase the heat to 400F for 10 minutes to ensure the skin is crisp (alternatively, run the roasting pan under the broiler for a few minutes).

Updated.

Choose

http://www.breitbart.com/big-journalism/2015/10/03/gun-control-if-journalists-were-murdered-instead-of-school-children/

We all Die Alone

"And you will die, but not quickly. It takes time for the heart to give up, for the lungs to fill with water and stop breathing, for the toxic wastes to build up. It is generally considered wise for the patient to be on epic doses of morphine throughout the process, both to spare them the inevitable pain as their disease takes their course and to spare their family from having to watch them."

Who By Very Slow Decay

Saturday Chicken Results

The recipe made for some incredibly tender and tasty chicken.  After having cooked pork, beef, and chicken using the slow cooker, I think that I prefer using the slow cooker for beef.  The pork and chicken come out too tender and looking at it in the cooker, especially after "pulling" the pork, reminds me of rotted meat on a carcass that had been left out.

Saturday Chicken

Chicken leg quarters were on sale at Champagnes' Market, 10 pounds for $3.99.  I bought a bag and decided to try a new recipe that I had came across.  I will let you know how it turns out.

Rosemary-Garlic Chicken Quarters

Yield: Makes 6 to 8 servings
Total time: 4 Hours, 25 Minutes

Recipe Time
Hands-on: 25 Minutes
Total: 4 Hours, 25 Minutes

Ingredients
3 carrots or celery ribs
5 pounds chicken leg quarters
2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons pimentón (sweet smoked Spanish paprika)
2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground pepper, divided
12 garlic cloves, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 pounds fingerling Yukon gold potatoes, halved
1 teaspoon olive oil
Garnish: fresh rosemary
Preparation

1. Place carrots in a single layer in a 5-qt. slow cooker.

2. Remove skin from chicken, and trim fat. Stir together rosemary, pimentón, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. pepper. Rub mixture over chicken.

3. Sauté garlic in 3 Tbsp. hot oil in a large skillet over medium heat 2 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a bowl using a slotted spoon; reserve oil in skillet. Cook half of chicken in reserved oil in skillet 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until deep golden brown. Transfer to slow cooker, reserving drippings in skillet. Repeat with remaining chicken.

4. Add broth and garlic to reserved drippings in skillet, and cook 1 minute, stirring to loosen particles from bottom of skillet; pour over chicken in slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH 2 hours.

5. Toss potatoes with 1 tsp. oil and remaining 1 tsp. salt and 1/4 tsp. pepper; add to slow cooker. Cover and cook 2 more hours.

6. Transfer chicken and potatoes to a serving platter, and pour juices from slow cooker through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; skim fat from juices. Serve immediately with chicken and potatoes.

The Art of Browning Browning meats and poultry before simmering in the slow cooker yields major depth of flavor plus a picture-perfect presentation, so don't be tempted to skip it. First, pat the meat dry with paper towels before seasoning. Set a heavy stainless-steel or well-seasoned cast-iron skillet (not nonstick) over medium to medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until hot enough for the oil to shimmer--the meat should hiss and sizzle as soon as it hits the pan. Be sure not to crowd the pan; doing so drops the temp, causing the meat to steam rather than form a crisp crust. Don't turn the meat until the bottom is well-browned.

The Mob Is Coming For You

"In a year from now, we will no more remember the current fad of “Black Lives Matter” than we do “Occupy Wall Street,” as the public lurches from one spasm to the next. The democratic crowd fixates on political whims in the way shoppers used to rush out to buy pet rocks and lava lamps."

Read it: http://www.hoover.org/research/mob-coming-you

HT: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/215597/

Laundry Swim

It was time to do some laundry so I made a swim while waiting for the machines.  I threw my mask and snorkel the length of the pool to the shallow end and tossed my "dryer" coins and other odds and ends into well over a fathom of water.  Upon diving in, I noticed that the water was chilly.  Too late, I had to retrieve my belongings and so I made a few dives and actively swam to keep warm.

Meanwhile, I chatted with Bob, the handyman who was working on the pool-filter enclosure.  A couple of young men walked over to Bob, asking about work that he had for them.  As this was occurring, Shelby, a woman who is built like a brick house, walked downstairs to pick up a package from the office.  Of course, I  had to watch to be certain that she did not trip and hurt herself.  I noticed that Bob and friends had also stopped talking and were on the same mission as I.

It is Fall

I want to go swimming and it looks decidedly gloomy outside.  Today, we have two fewer minutes of daylight than night.

Indian Mars Mission

I have somehow overlooked the Indian Space Operation that sent an orbiter to the planet Mars.  Happy anniversary!

India's historic first mission to Mars celebrates one year in orbit

Happy

Lunar Eclipse Continued

The clouds parted and I was able to make satisfactory observations of the eclipse.  Here are some pictures.  Mostly, to show the difficulty with the cloud cover as I made no interesting images of the eclipse directly.

8:28 PM CDT

 

8:36 PM CDT

8:45 PM CDT

9:31 PM CDT

 

9:39 PM CDT

 

Lunar Eclipse Occulted

I went out to observe the lunar eclipse but there was heavy cloud cover moving in from the North.  I was able to glimpse the earth's shadow partially covering the full-moon's face before the clouds totally covered the display. I will go outside in a few minutes and see if things are clearing up any.

Sunday Swim

I went for a swim this afternoon.  I was worried that the water might be too cold as the day has been overcast and the air temperature never passed 79 degrees F.  I need not have worried.  The water was fine and I swam until my fingertips started wrinkling.

I ran across an interesting idea for growing potatoes.  After digging around, I found an article that fairly explains everything quite well.

You can find the interesting bits and tips here:

How to Grow 100 Pounds of Potatoes in 4 Square Feet

Observation Conditions for Bloodmoon

It looks bad.  If I am lucky, I will be able to see the eclipse tonight tomorrow night.  However, the forecast calls for overcast and thunderstorms.

Image: http://www.intellicast.com/

IT Secrets

Hey now.  “the reason the IT guy knows more about computers than you is because he’s better at Google than you are.”

12 Secrets of Your Company's IT People

Happy Birthday Aunt Athalie!

Uncle Harold was in town for an appointment at the VA and as it was Aunt Athalie's birthday, we had lunch at Guidry's Reef.

Blood Moon

 Image: http://time.com/3769545/blood-moon-lunar-eclipse-livestream/

"The moon will enter Earth’s much darker umbral shadow at 1:07 a.m. on Sept. 28 by Greenwich, or Universal time, which is 9:07 p.m. on Sept. 27 in the Eastern time zone, 8:07 p.m. Central time, 7:07 p.m. Mountain time and 6:07 p.m. Pacific time (before moonrise). Sixty-four minutes later, the moon is entirely within the shadow, and sails on within it for 72 minutes until it begins to find its way out at the lower left (southeastern) edge."  

Sunday's 'Supermoon' Total Lunar Eclipse: When and Where to See It

Advertisement Blocking Software

I have been using the internet for many years, since its inception. Many men use the WWW and have done so since its beginnings as have I. Blogger/Google allows me to use this space according to its terms. These terms cost me no money but they do cost me, and you who view this site.

For Dead Ends

In Your Face

Human Culture

I believe that human culture is voluntary.  Certainly, if you are at odds with the culture which you find yourself in, you will, at best, be considered an oddball, and at worst, tortured and put to death.

There are many races of man and there are many cultures thereof.  The most successful culture of man in the world to date has arisen from the white English-speaking race.

When I say white, I mean derived from the British Isles.

The system of governance introduced by this culture has created the world that we live in.  This culture has produced a system that has raised the human race beyond the bounds of poverty never seen before by mankind.

No Clock

I look and it is not there.  Terry Zenner presented me with a wall-clock.  Whatever.  It has stopped working.  Do clocks die?

History Rhymes

As I watch the invasion of Europe and the United States, I am reminded of this atrocity.   There are those who would conflate the two but they are wrong.  Nations and good neighbors are built by fences that keep undesirables out.  Kilns and camps keep are meant to deal with the undesirables within.

Dear Papa

Practice what you preach, tear down this wall.

Credit: http://ropcorn.com/d/photos-from-the-amazing-vatican-museums-in-rome.html

Muhammadan Trouble

It is  a mistake to allow open Muhammadans to form communities in the United States.

Angry Muslims Taunt NJ School Officials: “We’re Going to Be the Majority Soon”

Islam and Oktoberfest

I am fairly certain that this will not end well, either way it goes.

IT BEGINS: Muslim demands Munich end ‘anti-Islamic’ Oktoberfest