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