Only a couple days left. Only a few more revolutions on the axis. 2024 is almost dun. We’re getting very short.
A Saturday here. Ive been trying to get work done before the rains start again. Next week or so is suppose to be wet. More wet. We’re used to wet, and trying to manage within a wet environment. I’m well versed in dragging my stuck machines out of the mud.
Here we have a couple clips that fall under the title of “Mowing In The Free World”…
Its dusty n musty so I wrap up well… note the wet tire tracks…
I’m still nursing the new eye. We’re 10 days in and I dont want to task it too much. The left eye is 6 weeks post-op and feels great. It is nice to see well, again…
Pict taken immediately post-op. Their knock-out drugs are very good.
Get ready, not much time left, we are getting short… 2024 almost dunNdusted…
We have 11months and 25 days behind us. From my perspective, it’s been 11months + days and days and days of wet. Can use a bit of dry in 2025…
The past week or so has been dry so I have not been watching, reading, and writing much at all. Dont have the usual, long list of social complaints to rave about. The big “yard” looks great. Again. Still big areas that are too wet to get into to. The ground-water levels are still very high. It’ll take a few weeks for it all to dry out. So we mow around the wet, wait for the rains to come back, next week…
And watch the world turn…
And as the year ends, as the world still burns… I whittle on wood… here we have an ancient red-gum fence post. It was cut, worked, and planted probably 100years ago. I dug it out of the floods a couple years ago. I do a lot of laminated/ composite work so Ive cut this one and will glue it back together before I whittle it into a walking stick…
Wood, not war…
And… puppies are good… here we have 2pups, Dawn and Dandy…
Dandy is growing a lot, quickly… Dawn needs to exercise control a bit more.
Here is what Cmas afternoon looked like on the farm…
A sunny, breezy, pleasing morning here in the Land of Aus. For me, for now, it’s a quiet CMas morning. I’m alone, on my own for now. No tree or lights or presents or frenetic noise this morn. Gracie and the tribe are in Gizo. I’m tending the farm, gratefully getting some dry weather and catching up on the mowing. Paul and his girls shall arrive here mid-day. My quietude will end then.
So far it is a pleasant, sedate CMas morning. The dogs are happy…
I reflect back on my decades of travel and adventure, and the many places I have ended up, found myself on CMas morning.
Where I am now is a very good place to be found.
Ive got some magnificent steaks I’ll cook for the gang when they arrive. Im not a traditionalist when it comes to CMas dinner… and I live in the land of grass-fed beast. The steaks I buy at the local butcher are as good as it gets. I say such as an Iowa-boy… that dearly appreciates a fine cut of beast.
The sky is a “Simpsons” blue with fluffy white clouds hanging motionless in the air. A gentle breeze rushes the olive tree outside the window. A Crested Dove has a nest in the tree, just kicked 2 nice little Doves out of the nest. She appears to be much happier without the little ones. Noting they are hanging around. The mamma tries hard to ignore them.
The resident Kookaburra is keeping a watchful eye on the ground for anything that edible. It’s not breeding season so Mr Kookaburra is sedate, quiet. He can be very noisy.
And the beat goes on…
Here’s wishing all the very best. Enjoy those near. drink and eat to excess.
I know, I know… I writing too damn much about the rain. I complain too damn much about the rain. Because we have been getting way tooo muchhh damn rain!
I know that blaming glow ball warming is more of a joke than a fact. I know folks look at a single season of weather and think they can discern a pattern, a change, an effect and often, even a cause. Here I just see weather. It’s been wet for a solid 3years now. It was dry before that. Assume we’d see dry daze soon enough. Droughts are not good either, but…
But that is a different rant, a different tirade, a different discussion.
I am thinking today of my Father, Don.
As an old Iowa-guy/ farmer-by-birth he had a habit of recording all measurable rainfall. He had a “little farmer’s book”, the type given out by seed-corn companies, in which he would record the precipitation he dumped out of his gauge. He always had a rain gauge.
I have seen this same trait in farmers world-wide. It must be something in the genes, the need to know how much rain has fallen in a given period. AND, importantly, to be able to compare the current record with the historic record.
Instead of recording rainfall in a little book, I snap a picture. A visual contemporaneous note. I must be a modern old farmer guy?
I have noted previously the amounts of rain falling in my valley, and noting that the rain has set me way, way behind. Stoopidly behind. But that too is another story…
Today I think of my Iowa-Farmer-Guy father, when he moved to live in Gizo for a full year.
He and my Mother had decided to come live with me and my tribe in Gizo. When they spoke of coming for more than just another visit, come for an “extended” stay, I said they should commit 12 months. Make it a real adventure. And they did.
One of the things my Father did when moving in is set up a nice little JOHN DEERE rain gauge on the porch. It was a little thing, the sort of thing used in Iowa, but unsuited for the tropics. The aperture was only 1inch. The total measurable ability of this gauge was minimal. It filled quickly, too quickly, in the tropics.
Iowa has an annual rainfall of 30inches. The Solomons… well, lets just say the Solos gets a lot more rain than Iowa does… Annual rain fall for Gizo is in excess of 3meters, over 100 inches.
So, where were we… My Father sets up his little rain gauge and is quite excited when it starts raining. Gives him a chance to measure and record. Makes him happy.
Over the next month or so he emptied his gauge and made more notations in his little book than he’d normally make in an Iowan year. Mom laughed when he was trying to not loose the record, meaning the overflowing would give him an inaccurate record, so he worked, rushed to empty the little gauge regularly, often in the middle of a gauge overflowing rain event. Mom laughed when the old-dog would go out, get soaked, just to empty the gauge.
I do believe that after the first month and a bit, he lost his enthusiasm. The little rain gauge was on the back porch for ages and ages afterwards. No one paid much attention to it.
Here, my rain gauge is huge…
Need it with the amounts of precipitation we’ve been getting.
I had a fun, memory spawning incident today, but first I got a story…
Years back, as a young stand up comedian-in-life, I had a routine that started…
There is nothing funnier than a grown man shitting in his drawers. I should know! And… I’d tell my story and make people laugh… My story was about underwear (all ways funny), and shitting in your drawers (all ways sad – and very funny). My story was about a one-piece thermal underwear suit I wore as a young man being a nomadic fool…
My routine continued…
Those cold weather, one-piece long under wear known as a “union suit”, are a communist plot to make you shit in your drawers…
A Union Suit:
Doesn’t look communist until you learn the back-door is a slit you use when the need arises… You’re suppose to unbutton the flap, stick yer arse out the slit and do your business. Thats what you’re suppose to do… The slits are not cooperative… The suits are evil…
As a young fool, living nomadic and wild, I spent a winter climbing telephone poles. It was a cold winter. I’d spent the summer riding my motorcycle and needed work and climbing poles in subzero weather was an easy job to get, but not do.
It was a cold winter.
The work paid well, was demanding, both physically and mentally. The conditions gruelling. If it’s freezing at ambient, you better not expose much skin. We’d put a layer of vaseline on our faces. Everyone had thick beards. Wore multiple layers of insulation.
Its part of The Long Story of a Young Fool…
I knew how to work. An Iowa-boy in the later 70s knew hard work. Knew what Winter was… when a guy in my Dad’s Bar n Grill that gave me a number to call I got to learn to climb poles.
Climbing poles was something I learned on the job. I liked it. Not every day was sub-sub-zero. There were good times, good jobs, good experiences. Some of the jobs sucked…
Once I got recruited, got into the system… I’d get a call and be offered a job in, say, Joplin MO. 2 weeks max, 6-man crew. Starts Monday.
I’d drive to the site, meet the other guys. There would always be a Lineman. Normally, depending on size of the job, there would be a Journeyman (or two) and a couple labourers. There was always a supervisor who only talked with the foreman. There was always a tel-Company-Man telling what was what and where was where.
I’d show up do THE JOB, get paid and go wait for the next phone call. We’d all share cheap hotel rooms. Eat together. The jobs didn’t do days off. You accepted the job, worked the job to completion then went home. Some jobs had big crews. Some of the guys were real cool. Some total jerks. I did one job was just me and a Lineman. Shorty Williamson was an interesting guy.
It suited my foolish lifestyle. Being young and strong and foolish worked, then…
One day… the supervisor, after a confused start to the day… Big truck wouldn’t start. Nothing happening. Time being wasted. Everyone waiting around in the cold. Getting paid but not happy, just waiting. And it was cold.
One guy decided to quit and go home. Conditions were not good.
The Supervisor walked up to a group of us “labourers” and asked, “Who has a strong back and a weak mind?” He pointed to me and said, “You’ll do.”
I’d never climbed a pole but he strapped me up, gave me abridged instructions, and sent me up to do a job. My first and only climb-with-hooks lesson. Its not rocket science but it is high-wire work. And pretty cool. I climbed the pole. Tool harness’d up, ditty bags full of fittings, wrenches and spanners hanging and banging, ropes, lots of weight hanging. Hump up the pole, harness in, do the job, climb down… I’d seen it done. Knew what was happening. Had never done it before. I liked it.
When the Super told me to do it again, I said I wanted Journeyman’s pay for Journeyman’s work.
I became a Journeyman. I was the guy that climbed the poles. Drove the big truck. Told the labourers what to do. I’d only been at it all for a short while.
My first on-the-job promotion… Not because I was skilled and magnificent. More like it, because anyone with any skills and any brains had worked all summer and didn’t need a job in such foul conditions. Nooooo…. they were sitting home, warm n toasty. It was the fools who’d lived a glorious summer on two wheelz, chased girls, living in a tent, not worried about tomorrow that ended up working in the freezing cold.
Competition for promotion (or even the job) was minimal. I climbed the “ladder” / pole quickly.
My friend, Jan, had given me a union-suit for Cmas. It was mostly a joke, but very welcome. They did not come cheap and were a great tool to possess working outdoors in the Iowa winter.
It was on the Iowa/ Missouri border that I learned how evil the union-suit could be. What do you do when you just shat in the 2nd Layer of your 6 layer outfit? 1 was undies and long sleeve shirt. 2 was the union-suit. 3 was a general pair of long-johns, legs an upper. 4 was jeans with a thick flannel shirt with a hooded sweatshirt. 5 was full-body insulated coveralls. 6 was a waist length fur lined parka. I wore a pair of wool (army) glove liners with a monster pair of 3-finger fur lined mits. And a thick wool navy surplus watch cap. I wore 2 pair of thick wool socks with my “line-mans boots”.
I was always cold.
So, what do you do when… We know it’s going to be funny. Laughable. And sad. A grown man shitting in his drawers is funny and laughable and very sad. What do you do… when…
There are many variables. Location, nearness to amenities, distance to home and clean clothes, sooo many variables… who is watching… Once you have made the “mistake”, had your “accident”, it all must be managed. It’s all past tense.
I do have my sad, and un-tellable tale. About the time I filled my union suit in the most inopportune situation. I managed it all then, just like today…
I like to visit a local baker, in our small village. I have a coffee with one of their apple turnovers. The apple pastry reminds me of my mother’s baking. I must have a bad memory because a while back I took Gracie in for a coffee and turnover, she said it wasn’t very nice.
Must be the dim memory of moms baking that takes me back time and again.
Normally, when placing my order, I get asked if I want cream on my turnover. I always say no. Today I got one “with”. Without requesting it. A nice flaky piece of pastry… with about a pound of creme. 500grams, half a kilo (I do exaggerate) of thick, rich, sugary creme.
At first I considered my self perversely lucky. I quickly regretted it… the heavy dairy, the extra sugar, not what I normally consume. The ill feeling started as I did my shopping. The ill feeling stayed… For maybe a couple hours… I drove home…. did what I needed to do. All was kinda OK… but…
My son, Paul, is working on the farm with me. Lots of rain = lots of mowing. Paul was mowing while I was in town…
The rains are coming (again) so we’re putting the machines away… thats when it started… spasms, reflex, mitigation… then a strange infant like warm satisfaction… Yep… first instinct is to look to see who is watching… I wasn’t far from amenities and clean up, it wasn’t a catastrophe. All was managed without too much hassle… And I got the memory spawning event.
I watch the world as it is changing/ morphing from a frightened world of weinies, to a calmer, more “adult” frame of mind. I note that, world wide, the tone of the rhetoric has shifted. I think the planet is preparing for the Second Coming of DJT. I feel, see, more optimism now, than I have seen/ heard, in a long time.
I note that all fronts where conflict has been the status quo, there is a shifting gears. Preparing to start respecting the USofA again, maybe? Preparing to have an Adult In The Room, again.
Love him, hate him, despise him… DJT sure as shit aint a weinie.
I need to say, with a huge amount of affection, to all my die-hard, DNC supporting, never Trumper friends and family: You need to begin the process of re-conditioning. You need to cease being frightened, shake-off the shroud of fear and victimhood you have been sold, have been wearing like a thorny-crown. The shroud you freely picked up, and have worn, martyr-like, for so many years.
You need to open your mind and listen to voices other than those you have been used to listening to, conditioned to trust. You have been lied to for ages, years, decades, months, days, hours… for far too long you have been accepting falsehoods. You have been repeating slogans that make no sense. You have been allowing those that are The Elites to poison your minds, souls and bodies. You have been herded like sheep to slaughter.
Today, where are your elected, chosen, preferred officials? Where is Joe Biden? Where is Kamala Harris. Where is Pelosi and Schumer and Shift and the rest of the DNC Elite that you have been cheering on? Where are the Clintons and Obamas? Where is the squad with their anger, antiAmericanism, and antifeminist?
Enough is enough. It’s time to cease being blind to the facts. The facts that your selected and preferred and elected representatives feed you. Noting pretty much all of them consider you stupid, easily duped.
Enough is enough. Time to pull your never-Trump heads out of your collective and singular assholes… But, but, BUT… DJT is a felon. His closest cohorts are all evil and dark and women hating rapists and vile humans….
At least this is what you hear, day in and day out, from your echo chambers… Turn the toxic dialogue off. Take a deep breath take a walk. Go talk to the guy next door that has a Trump/Vance sign in his lawn…
I say enough division.
And, if you are part of the 40% of the population that is still banging the Never-Trump drum… it is too late to re-do the election. Ive said it before…
IF you can’t grab a paddle to help move things forward, if you cant lend a hand, pitch in, contribute more than bile and vindictiveness… SHUT THE FUCK UP!
The count down has started. The end is coming. THE END IS COMNINGGG…
2024 on its down hill run.
It is a Non-Blood-Sport Sunday. No cage fights to be had today.
So I sit and ponder, watch the overcast day. Put meaningless drivel on the TV… Blood Sport is not meaningless… A day of good blood sport if quite meaningful.
Hot and Humid is the forecast for quite some time. We have had weeks and weeks of rain, and expect more weeks and weeks of rain. And I thought Aus was a dry place!
This calendar year my Valley has received no less than 4meters/ 13feet of precipitation. I think I may need to grow gills.
The following represents the last 3 weeks of rainfall… close to 400mm/14inches. And this is the start of the “Wet Season”. The past several months were supposedly the dry season. Damn!
So I sit, watch the world through my windows, in my air-conditioned house, with my dogs watching the world too, helping me, keeping me safe, letting me know when someone drives up the lane or when a stray dinosaur comes over the hill.
The new sperm-bank is doing well…
He started life with the name “Sandy”, as decided by 4yrold Andromeda. It has changed to “Dandy”, it suits him.
As is my want, I listen to, read, research and study diverse goings-on… politics around the world, scientific works, social trends, space, time, humour, drama… all, worldwide, interests me.
Ive been sitting on my arse a lot lately. Last week was Dr visits, this week was surgery and recovery. A lot of sitting, a lot of waiting. A lot of reading.
I check out numerous websites, left and right and moderate. I get quite a few “check this out” links sent to me. I try (try hard) to read most things sent my way. Some just are not palatable. Some make me feel dumb. Some open doors to new sources of info. New ways of thinking or articulating.
I’m quite surprised at the tenacity of the “Legacy Media”. They are sounding shrill-ly stooopid.
I like the fact that some folks, at the top of the media world, see the facts as they are … They’ve been peddling fear, telling lies, unrest and division.
23 Jan 2024 — The L.A. Times began laying off 115 newsroom employees on Tuesday. Owner Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong said the cuts were necessary to trim heavy …
2 days ago — CNN is planning to wield the axe on some of its high-paid staff after dismal election ratings that cap off a disastrous period for the cable …
I see it in simple terms… Kamala Harris was the ultimate “Diversity Hire”. I dont need to reiterate how and why, but she was not “hired” for her abilities. As VP, or as Candidate, after Joe got knifed in the back.
Kamala was “there” for what she was, not how good she was.
Kamala is the Definition of Diversity Hire, me thinks…
Similar to the proposed Constitutional Changes, here in Aus, known as “The Voice Vote” … On 14 October 2023, Australians voted in a referendum about whether to change the Constitution to recognise the First Peoples of Australia by establishing a body called the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. It was the first referendum of the 21st century.
60% of the electorate voted against the Voice proposal. I wrote about it here:
And still, to this day, there are folks angry and upset and mentally ill over it all. Some folks still believe that 60% of the electorate have shit for brains.
Just like the USofA, today… the majority cast their votes in one direction, and the minority believes the majority has shit for brains.
I believe that much of what we have been experiencing is a product of “Woke”.
“Political Correctness” in my day.
You cant say what you really think because you will be attacked. Cancelled… I call it Diminished… Your stock will crash, you’ll lose your “friends”, your status, your station in life, even your job… if you say what you think…
So conform. Or get kicked to the curb.
Boys in Girl’s sports… aint that nice…
Poor, homeless people shitting on the sidewalk… aint that nice…
Teacher’s and Administrators getting huge bonuses as school kids become illiterate… aint that nice…
I could go on…
So, riddle me this… If DJT is Evil, a Hitler, a Fascist, and all the rest… Why is Joe so damn happy?
Did Joe just tell Trump that he didn’t vote for Kamala?
Or did Joe shit his pants?
Its one of those smiles…
But it dont make much sense… If Joe looks so damn happy, and Kamala told us everything will be ok… they must have been lying. LYING I say!
They were lying…
And it galls voters and supporters to admit it. It galls 45% of the electorate to admit they’ve been sold a false bill of goods. It galls the Legacy Media into a frenzied tail spin…
No, Joe has not been cranking and wanking all this time. No, Kamala is not what she says, none of it is bone fide. Hollywood-magic and an arch-villain was supposed to be enough for a superficial, marketable story.
But…. Dont look behind the curtain. Please dont look behind the curtain.
Oh SHIT!!! They Looked Behind The Curtain…
It’s all about suspension of disbelief. And it’s necessary to have a villain to scare folks into behaving. And…
For my money, DudleyDooRight
aint suppose to smoke the peace pipe with Dick dastardly
And… IF they were lying about Joe and Kamala and the economy and everything else… what have they been telling us that is true?
Very little is my assumption.
I am paying attention to DJT’s cabinet appointments, watching as some folks melt down and others are euphoric.
Friday morn in my valley. We had a cracker of a storm last eve. Dropped 50mm/2inches of rain in maybe an hour. Wind blew. A bit of hail fell.
As the hail started I rushed to check on the cars. Thats when I noticed Mendoza had left the windows in the truck down.
Today is going to be cool and calm (so the weather people predict). No blazing sun and high temps like the last few days. Means the soaked seats in the truck won’t dry quickly.
And I get to sit with the house open, absorb the soft fresh scrubbed air, and listen to the bird life whistle and sing merrily. The rain and wind shakes up the valley, and there is plenty of good food available.
Very nice morning thus far…
My dogs suffer a bit when the rains turn into a deluge… There simply aint enough dry spots in the yard. Not with horizontal rains bucketing down… Not enough dry spots. Nothing can remain dry in that much driving rain.
I’ll go out soon and pick up all the big pieces of carpet (now wet) that line the kennels. Tidy up. Dry things out.
Not a lot I can do when it rains like this. The dogs have the ability to curl up in dry kennels, but they dont. The kennels are small, the dogs prefer to be able to see what is going on. They are not fussed by the rain. Lighting and thunder does not frighten these animals. And, gratefully it’s not cold out. If it were cold I’d have big piles of straw in the kennels so they can curl up and stay dry n warm. Summer means I use carpets instead of straw.
My half wild Maremma, Bella, sleeps out in the open, rain or shine. She has a thick white coat (she is a beautiful dog) and unless I lock her in a kennel, she’s to be found, lying on the ground in a position where she can survey her domain. Her mother, Penny, was almost completely wild. She never had a bath, never groomed. Only once in her life was she put on a lead, and that wasn’t a good time. She almost killed herself (and me) struggling, being held. A beautiful amazing dog bred and raised on a sheep farm, her entire life was in the fields. She pretty much fed herself on birds and rabbits and hares. Ive tainted Bella by softening her instincts, domesticating her quite a bit. But these days dogs cant roam and be free without someone complaining. And I dont have livestock anymore.
Maremma’s need a herd or a flock to bond with. I know cattle farmers, sheep farmers, camel herders, and chicken pluckers that swear by their Maremma… No maremma means the wild dogs and dingos get cheap meals. A maremma or two (I once had 4 here) ensure an unmolested herd.
A while back, one of my neighbours was complaining about the wild dog problem. He was loosing too many chickens. For some reason he didn’t like or understand dogs. All he needed was a good maremma and his problems would be solved.
And these dogs are simply drop dead gorgeous…
Speaking of birds… My doofus dick-wearing sperm-bank, Sika, has been catching birds. He’s very quick and can leap very high. High enough to snatch a bird out of the mulberry tree. I have seen him grab two bird this week. A show-winning Cane Corso, I rescued him from castration, gave him a job in my kennels. He’s a very cool dude…
So I sit… supposedly need to take 2weeks off to let my new eye settle in. Damn! 2weeks is a long time to sit on my arse. Too long.
My new eye is GREAT! cant wait to see again through both my eyes. Why’d I wait soooo long?
I’m told I cant get anything in my eye… dust, debris, detritus… No mowing, no wood work, no vroom-fun…
So I sit…
Last week I put the final coat of resin on a new, composite stick Ive been playing with for quite some time… Took me ages to find this stick’s true inner self…
The core is made from ancient hard wood, dug from the ground, exposed by the floods. The exterior is Acacia from tree that blew down last year. The hardwood makes it stable, strong. The soft wood makes it light. I used a burled knot in the Acacia and whittled a shillelagh, a knobkerrie style stick. A bit of whipping in strategic places, lots of epoxy resin and its an all but unbreakable, very flexible, very light, very cool stick.
Ive got a nice piece of old split-rail about 3m/10foot long I want to trim and size. It’s dirty work. So won’t do it this week, or next…
We are a a number of days post 2024 US presidential.
How’s everyone feeling?
As a centrist I receive no quarter. I think Trump sux and I’m branded a loony leftist. I think Harris sux and I’m branded an evil MAN. I say I remain unconvinced that GlowBall warming is an immediate existential threat and I become a “Deny-er”. I talk about Emigration and tell experiences as a 2time emigrant – through legal processes- and I become a racist (of some sorts). I listen to folks cry the “what if I get raped” and cant get an abortion slogans, and I quickly find that not only am I a woman-hater but: If you’re around 6 weeks pregnant or less, it is legal for you to get an abortion in Iowa. If you are under the age of 18, you must notify a parent or legal guardian to get an abortion in Iowa. If notifying a parent or guardian is not an option for you, you can seek a judicial bypass. No, Virginia, abortions will not be banned by the Federal Government. But may be banned by your State.
I think a lot of this boils down to “what are your issues?”. And, as with abortion, what state you live in.
You might be interested/ concerned about the effectiveness of our school system. A very worthy concern… or illegal immigration, or boys in girls sports, or elder rights, or … or …
There are many worthy issues.
And, as I have written many times, I believe a priority list of issues is useful. And, importantly, not everyone will agree on the priority list. For instance: as mentioned above: Iowa has abortion laws suitable to cover the cries of “what if”… rape, incest, I need help sort’a situation. Other states may wish to discuss for themselves.
A side note: and I know I’ll get blasted for this… I am of the opinion that old-folks in black robes should not tell me what n where with my body. I see abortion less as a national “thing” and much more a personal thing, where State by State codification makes much more sense. I think much of the federal level controls/ laws would be more sensible if handled on the personal/ state level.
Emigration is a good discussion which very much is a Federal/ State issue…
The National boarders are the responsibility of the Federal Government. Each State must control their own boarders, noting that any boarder that is International, will have US Boarder officials in charge, supported by State officials.
Thats the way it used to be.
So, here in my valley, it’s Wednesday morning. I had my eye operated on Monday. Had a foggy old lens replaced and man O man… can I seen clearly now, the haze is gone! Damn. Suppose to take 2weeks for the whole healing process but DAMN! Did I say DAMN?
Ive spent a number of hours in the Doctor’s offices lately and have done a bit of note taking. I’ll make a list of thoughts Ive written down…
TRUMP is unfit, a felon, HITLER…
What’s the argument? I said a long time ago DJT was terribly flawed. But US Democracy made a very clear choice. Flawed as he is, DJT is the choice.
Of course it’s not the end of the world as we know it. DoomsDay is always right arund the corner. Always.
It’s a fucked system like no other… called US Democracy. Interesting stuff. Glad I can view it from the out side.
2) Melting down Kamala voters leads to angst and insults…
Indeed, spin and insults win the day… every time… DJT won because he got more votes, and no, 58% of the electorate does not have shit for brains.
I believe the DNC made a lot of mistakes. They cheated and expected the electorate to agree with their malfeasance.
I personally think the DNC should have yelled “Trump is Hitler” more, louder.
Sure is a great campaign pitch.
So, no melt down on my side. My world is good and not tarnished by the fact that DJT got elected. My world would not be tarnished IF Harris had been elected. I’m not that fragile.
I am dumfounded that soooo many of my old, respected compatriots are doing the snow-flake-dance. I am dumbfounded.
I said all along I found both candidates terribly flawed. Too flawed for my vote.
I think (like most Australians) that politics in the US is fucked up. Too much of a soap opera.
I hope we all can disagree, trade insults (you are a closet Trumpeter) and still move on. I respect disagreement. I have no bill of goods to sell.
I see too many folks melting down, trying to take anyone they can grab with them.
I jokingly told my Loony-Left Friends in CA I’d be there “for Tgiving” …. They reacted predictably.
3) A couple fun one’s I’ll chase for facts but…
I like the idea the DNC wants to turf Sotamayor out to ensure liberal safe seat on the SC. I feel the DNC is preparing for a 12year RNC run.
I like the idea that folks believe the stars that studded Kamala’s campaign did all for love and ethical politics but… I find that…
The Harris campaign paid $1 million to Winfrey’s company on October 15, after a star-studded town hall that Winfrey hosted for the vice president in September.
The article I read was filled with holes but it stated some 20mil was spent on the stars’ support. Great ethical politics, eh? I’ll research more and return to this.
And, noting very firmly, Kamala+Tim spent 1billion… a lot of people got very wealthy off of this con-game.
I very much like the idea that is being tossed about to a) get Joe to resign so b) Kamala can be 1st female prez and also, very humorously, so Kamala doesn’t has to go through the shame of verifying the election in January. The election she lost after blowing 1billiion in a few short months.
There is a big question of “where did all the money go”? Some folks got grossly rich exercising their democratic ethics.
I LOOOOVVVEEE that the DNC splitting into “tribal” factions blaming each and everyone… Maher is calling Obama and his team “Brats”. Nacy is trying to remain pertinent (a very hard role to play), Bernie is making more sense than anyone (is he DNC?) saying the DNC forgot about the working people.
And… may favourite…. Folks are saying that “If you voted for Trump” dont talk to me, dont come to thanksgiving, leave me alone, I’m too fragile to talk to you… More snow flakes melting, trying to get everyone’s feet wet?
I’ll do some writing and expand on all points…
And the beat goes on, with The Trumpeter leading the march.
Saturday 9 November, 826am. Been an interesting and, for me, very busy week.
Of course, the US Election is the newz, the bluez…
The main question I have is, “Where are the fire works?”, where is the “wild in the streets”, the unrest, the emotion, the anarchy? We were told that IF DJT won there would be hell to pay. Hitler back in power and the Brown Shirts are going to herd all those who are not Trumpters into cages, camps, detention and, eeeeeee, worse…. DJT is a Nazi. He will do Nazi things to those he dont like… run, now, quickly…. RUNNNN!!!!!!!
I personally think we have heard a collective sigh of relief that Kamala and Tim and the DNC Elites are NOT moving into the big house. Enough liberal looniness!
Seriously… where is the predicted/ hoped for violent response to the fascist mob DJT leads? Where are the Kamala-Tim supporters that were going to show us all how passionate they are, how fervently they believe their rhetoric…
Nope, a total no-show, a non-event, a cancelled event… while Kamala cried all night long and left her supporters standing, waiting. While she played the fragile babe routine, the FireWorks simply didn’t happen. There was no spark. The spark is gone. Dead.
I actually feel a sense a relief, a happiness from the Kamala-Tim team. They were/ are imposters and I’m sure will be happy to take the costumes off and go home.
While DJT is preparing to knock some sense into the Swamp. He’s got some formidable helpers. Its should be worth watching.
Fact is that DJT won by a majority, some say a land slide… so for a change, for the first time in a long time the USofA is unified… Damn! Unified under DJT… Double Damn…
58% of the votes cast were for DJT.
AND… the electorate gave DJT the House and the Senate as well. I’d call that a mandate.
Not sure if 58% is a “blue wave”, but from a democratic process point of view the Voice of the People has been heard saying…. “… give me that old time religion”…
In all seriousness, after having thought about this for a couple days, I am the opinion that it boils down to one word that has more than one meaning…
“Liberal”
Liberal means different things to different people… In my way of thinking I see “Liberal” used to mean a mindset, an attitude… a love of liberty for one and all. I am liberal and don’t give a tinker’s damn what kind of motorcycle you ride, whom you sleep with, what you do on your own. Nope, I’m not prejudiced at all. I do my thing, you do your thing, we are liberal enough, enlightened enough to meet in the middle.
I also see “liberal” to mean being free with the public cheque book (check book for you yanks). Everyone must have equity to be equal and we’ll make everyone equal through the public treasury. We’ll take $$$ from those who have acquired wealth and give, by way of social programs, to those who have less, need more. Or need a sex change while in prison, or assistance illegally entering the US, or a few billion to piss away on green hydrogen, or…
I believe that this past election cycle was more about liberal v liberal than anything else.
The Leftist attitude of crippling the population through foolish social programs is more than not the factor that swung folks away from the DNC and to DJT. Look to CA for an example. What are the trends we see now, after this past election. I see a conservative swing on the WestCoast. Time to stop shitting on the sidewalks…
Also, the total unawareness (or disregard) of the DNC of their electorate has taken its toll. The DNC took too many people, too many groups for granted. And paid the price. They expected many divergent groups to vote for them, to be good poodles and do as told, for the good of all, for the good of the country, for the Liberals being liberal with your $$.
It didn’t happen.
The DNC did great with the Trans, LGBTZYA groups. Did great with the self proclaimed “childless cat folks”. But the main stream working class folks, male, female, black, white, brown, young and old voters didn’t get the memo. Didn’t feel the vibe. And voted for DJT.
Damn…
Back to that old time religion… Its good enough for me.
Voting for the big-Job has been called by what I see. DJT has 277 eVotes, KH= 226.
Race called.
From what I see. I note that my US-news-feeds are behind. The race has not been called according to them.
Damn! What’s next? Does the USofA descend into Dante’s 5th-circle-of-hell?
Fifth Circle: Anger Dante tells us that the wrathful and angry souls of this circle spend eternity waging battle on the River of Styx. If playing pirates forever sounds like your idea of a good time, then the fifth circle can’t be too bad. Be prepared to hoist the Jolly Roger and go to war against that one guy in line who yelled at your favorite barista, and the road rage-possessed driver who very nearly rear-ended you last week.
OK, so as I watch, as the night critters sing their dusk-songs, as nice breeze cools the baked and warm earth (It has been hot today), As my dogs doze… Trump takes the stage… And keeps it short… Acts a bit humble, damn… where are the fire works, the brown-shirts and buses to lock the opposition up…
Thursday eve this side of the globe. We’re being thrashed by thunder storms. Power has gone off.
Itz Lightz Out.
These kinda storms are in my vernacular a “Willis” storm. In reference to my old storm chasing compadre, W.E.
This is the kinda weather W.E. thrives on. Wild, smelly, powerful weather. A sailors storm. A sailor happy to be on land as this kinda storm runs you down…
I had to rush out shirtless to get my truck out of the hail and into the shed. I got battered by hail getting to the truck, sat in the shed deafened by the sound of the hail drumming the tiny roof, then walked back to the house in a light rain, with a magnificent rainbow close enough to touch, exhilarated and happy. All within 10minutes.
What a world!
The day was quite mild. Not very hot and nicely breezy. The clouds were building up, then late afternoon the squalls started. A number of heavy, quick little storms, racing across the surface. Followed by a calm, then a heavy squall, a storm that carried hail. In 45 minutes we went from nice day to hail on the ground, and1inch/25mm of rainfall.
Followed by a glorious clear sky and gentle breeze and… a killer rainbow…
That was less than 2 hours ago. Now it’s a torrential deluge complete with good thunder and great lightning. A proper storm.
Power went off a while ago. No big deal in my book…
I live in low light by choice and every eve light candles around the house. I turn lights on as per need, but prefer low light. I have a couple of ol-skool “Fever Hand” kerosene lamps if need be. They are nice outside.
I buy candles in bulk. I like fire. Power off, no need to worry or rush, light a candle.
So power off aint a big deal… not unless you want to heat water or cook (the stove is electric) or use water (we live on tank water and rely on a pump) or watch TV or use the sauna or… My computer and phone have good charges. We can crank for quite a while.
And it’ll be bed time soon…
The average Gringo can’t live without power. I think its to scary for the average bear in the woods. The dark. The quiet.
Being a Solomon Islander I’m use to it. And very much like the quiet that comes with no electricity.
Light can be annoying. I claim that light is noisy. I claim that I was taught to see in the dark by my wolf, Nuke.
Nuke and I shared time and space over 40 years ago. He a young wolf and I a young human. We learned to survive in the mordern world symbiotically. I helped him be civilised and he helped me be wild.
But tonight the timing is just right. Power can be off. I can complete my day without any more electrical power than I have available in a couple devices. I’m fed and watered. It has been a good, productive day. I got a good blog-piece out of it. And got the thrill and youthful pleasure of being in an intense storm.
More fun than getting bucked off the Segway…
Funny thing is that we’ll go to bed, powerless, content and happy, then about 2am the juice will come back on and the lights and TV and such will pop back on, scare us and make the dogs bark.
I know it well and am going to watch it closely… a lot to miss in this flick….
A lot to miss – everywhere, in life, everywhere…
It’s a great flick. Worth the time…
I am thinking this will be the last post for this month. Not many days left… this month… this year… until the USofA election…
We just went through a State election here in QLD.
Elections here are much, much more low key than in the US. In the States it is as though the electioneering never ends. Its a constant cycle of campaigning, or so it do appear. I find it quite wearisome.
Here we saw the pendulum swing. The liberal party, Labor, has been in power for a decade. Ample time to “do something”… make a change for the positive… ??? But, like other lands where liberal policies are implemented, we end up with a situation where a lot, much, much is not cool, not good, not bueno. Namely, specifically the “Youth Crime” situation. And the housing/ homeless situation, and the lack of infrastructure development, the running inflation, cost of living… The list is long.
Like Liberals are prone to do, we have been seeing cheque-book problem solving. But, when does throwing $$ at a problem solve the problem?
Youth Crime is a good topic… There are towns, cities that are terrorised by unruly, uncontrolled young folks wreaking havoc. Townsville, Mt Isa, Alice Springs, Goondiwindi, Gold Coast, etc, etc… Some suburbs of major cities are out of control to the point where folks are afraid to go out after dark. Or open their door. It’s not a good situation, made worse by the Liberal Policies such as releasing young offenders to reoffend, again and again.
The conservative party, The Liberal National Party, has come back into power. Let’s see if anything changes. I shan’t hold my breath.
I am compelled to comment, again, on this foolish meme that is meant to make folks in the USofA feel short changed…
I am the first guy to admit I am aging. That I need medical attention a whole lot more than I used to. And, as a card carrying member of the Australian Club I receive “universal health care” in the form of a plastic card. Medicare is part of the socialise system here, but… big BUT… It dont guarantee everything, or even much at all…
Sure, better than nothing at all, Medicare ensures attention when needed but not always free of charge. Medicare covers somethings but not all. Though medicare may cover all or part of your breast implant it might not cover your dental. To get the real benefit of the socialised universal health care offered in Aus you need to buy insurance.
I have really good insurance that costs me thousands of $s.
So, like I say, I’m getting old. Have been wearing glasses for quite some time. Recently, in the last couple years, my eyes have been failing me. I have been warned about cataracts for ages and now, as I fight to see and admit the old grey mare just aint what’s she used to be… my friendly and very good optometrist, Rebecca, has referred me to a specialist.
When I saw Rebecca Saturday, after. a heap of testing she says I’ll need to go to the next stage and look at getting my cataracts removed. She gave me what I felt was a pat-spiel saying, ” There 2 ways to do this… the public path or the private path. The public path will cost very little but will take at least 2 years. The wait list is long. The private path means pay to play.”
My insurance is good so I said I’d go the private path.
I called the referred Doctor’s office Monday, had a chat, gave them my numbers and info and have an appointment this coming week.
It will cost, but I’ll get my 20/20 vision (with glasses ) back – hopefully.
I received this from a very dear old compadre… DB, affectionately known as “Dancing Bear”, sent me this stating… “Interesting numbers. Of course, you will be skeptical, as usual,”…
DB and I have been together for almost 50years and he do know my sceptical and cynical nature well…
On the face of this we quickly are led to assume St. Biden of Delaware is an economic genius and a social wizard! He achieved greater growth, productivity and prosperity in his 4 years than any single president to date… what a man! What a Super Man!
But, no, Johhny, thats not really factual…
Again I rely on those pesky and inconvenient truths/ facts that are buried in numeric confusion and statistical hokus-pokus…
St. Biden of The Delaware has had 4years in office and, from above, we can see that 1st) he is touted at having 5.7% annual “real;” GDP growth. and 2nd) The chart I found on line states annual GDP between 2020-2023 = 2.01%. I guess the 2.01% is not the “REAL” growth… what is real GDP growth?
What is the real GDP growth?
The real GDP growth rate is a more useful measure than the nominal GDP growth rate because it considers the effect of inflation on economic data. The real economic growth rate is a “constant dollar” figure, avoiding the distortion from periods of extreme inflation or deflation to give a more consistent measure.
Haaa… statistical smoke and mirrors, me thinks, but we’ll run with it… Noting well there are lies, damn lies and statistics…
Adjusting the results for various externals may be useful but it is also misleading. And potentially nefarious.
Now, compare to the DJT era, where we see annual growth of 2.43%. But is it “REAL” I’ll wave my magic wand over it and say the magic words and, dunno, in a world where magic and stats rulez, one can never tell what is and what is not real… I do believe in magic. But severely distrust statistics where I cant dismantle the numbers.
Returning to our chart showing 23 years of GDP results: We get an annual average of 2.22% growth in GDP. Rain and shine. DNCv RNC… 2.22 is the average. With or without magic.
I personally shall conclude that an average annual growth of 2% is expected, hail or snow, baring any mishaps or events (such as Covid) that shut things down… Noting well (above) that 2020, the tail end of the Covid era, saw a -2.21 growth, representing a contraction in production. A contraction that was followed by a 5.8% jump in 2021, which to me would appear natural…
My conclusion here, noting the propagandistic nature of this meme, is that 2.% is average and this type of meaningless and misleading BS will be used year after year after year to proclaim each successive prez a genius and a saviour.
Again, I am stuck, amazed how dumb these memes are getting… Allow me…
No, I dont remember when Republicans were “paid off” as referenced. Please enlighten me. Give me more info and a reference I can check. Without such all we have are words. Meaningless words.
The word “exactly” has a definition, and meaning, and as used here its foolish, wrong. Sorry, NO, It is not exactly the same. Far from it.
I do remember when modern medical procedure had the idea that smoking tobacco was ok, even good for you… Back when pretty much everyone smoked…
And that is exactly the same as… nothing, nothing is exactly the same as dumbshit bullshit like this.
A couple things on my mind this morning, Friday – the last Friday on the 10th month…
I am watching as the USofA election stumbles toward the finish line. I’m watching as voting starts, as the noisy, noisy, noisy rhetoric begins to dry up, like paint on a clap board house, its dries slowly, is laid very thick, may look dry on the surface but, no, its still wet n gooey.
One things that strikes me is the blatant admission by the Democrat Party that intelligence and ability is not a requirement to be their presidential candidate.
By dumping sleepy Uncle Joe, and injecting Heels-Up Harris, they are being very honest, they are telling us that The DNC Machine will run the Oval Office. That the body in the seat is only a puppet, a front man, a face to present to the public, an image to market and exploit.
I have said previously that I do not like Hillary Clinton at all. I believe to this day that the Clinton Machine should Locked up for numerous, numerous, numerous crimes both large and small. Hillary and her Machine broke all the rules, played all the fools games, were blatantly corrupt and subsequently lost the 2016 election.
But, importantly, Hillary Clinton was indeed qualified for the office she pursued. She had the experience, the ability and the backbone. Or so I believe.
Policies and politics aside, Hillary had “made her bones” as an international politician.
Heels-up Kamala Harris does not have the ability, the skills, the backbone, the brain power… not al all. Not even a little bit.
The pat-line within all of this is… “name one thing Kamala has done that makes YOU think she is qualified for the Oval Office”… hmmmm, hmmm… give me a minute… nope, cant think of a single thing Ms Harris has done that distinctly qualifies her to be President of the USA.
She is lying about her past; being a prosecutor, being a legislator, being a leader, being middle class, being moderate, being sensible. Working at McDonalds… No, Ms Kamala Harris is not qualified.
At all.
I have written about my past life as a US-non-voting Citizen. I have articulated my thoughts and experiences which has led me to firmly believe that my very Valuable Democratic Vote is too valuable to be cast for Bozo The Clown. And since 1976 (my first year qualifying to vote) I have withheld my vote. I have been waiting ever since for a candidate, right or left, red or blue or green, that IS NOT Bozo The Clown. I’m still waiting.
I do understand that many folks see DJTrump as the only option. I get it. The choice between the disintegration of the USofA (as I know it) AND a more conservative, measured approach is reasonable, understandable.
BUT… I believe that both of the main parties in the USofA two-party-system could have, should have fielded better candidates.
By. the way… When I was young there was a pro Rassler named Kamala…
As the political arena in the USofA becomes a boiling cauldron, and foolish, meaningless memes bounce about the inter-verse, I thought I pop a few bubbles with some pointy facts…
I start here…
1st off, I dont think there is any such thing as Universal Health care. I believe that this is referring to a misunderstanding of countries that offer “socialised medical” benefits.
I am a citizen of 2countries, Australia and Solomon Islands, that offer socialised medical benefits. The fact is both offer services and benefits miles away from universal health care.
I think this meme is trick to make folks in the USofA think they are not getting what others receive. It’s suppose to make folks jealous, unhappy, even mad. Lets all complain about being short-changed, under-served…
But the fact is that the USofA spends more on health care than anyone. Anyone…
The USofA spends almost twice as much “per citizen” for medical purposes than any other Nation.
The folks in the USofA aint getting less than all the others. Nope. The Folks in the USofA is being ripped off.
The USofA is spending megabucks of tax dollars on health and medical benefits. The USofA has, reportedly, the best medical system in the world, so why is this meme even meaningful?
So what’s the problem?
I’d say the internal system(s) that manage and control the megabucks worth of benefits is corrupt. Corrupt and wasteful.
Corrupt and wasteful with public funds.
The system isn’t broken, it is greedy. Insatiable. Corrupted.
An overcast, breezy, blanket worthy morning here in my valley. Yesterday was very hot, aircon’s were on most of the day. Today is nice, light, gentle.
I am moving slow… Came off the Segway the other day and landed on my head. And broke my glasses…
The Segway is an interesting beast in that it’s two wheels holding up the platform you stand on, via gyroscopic controls. So long as the machine is on and the gyroscopes are doing their merry gyroscopic duties, the platform you stand on remains horizontal, stable. The computer knows when life is cool and gives you a smiley face on the Info-Key. Once you make the little guy on the screen unhappy and his smile goes to a frown, beware! The gyros may shut off with little notification. You’ll hear a small beep-beep sound of alarm, then the whole circus thats holding you upright says adios. It shuts down. And the machine stops being cool…
and you relearn that Gravity Never Sleeps.
I was not going fast. (which is indeed deadly, coming off at speed hurts bad)
I upset the gods of gyros and went down over the handlebars and onto my head. The bump above my right eye tells me I went down forward and sideways. My glasses are broken at the right bow. I must have stuck my head with the glasses into the ground with enough force to rip the bow out of the glass.
I know that coming off the Segway is not good and what instincts my aged body still possesses must have helped… I remember hearing the evil little beep-beep, being tossed off then rolling and getting to my feet pretty quickly. Within a second or two. It do happen quickly.
Have a bruise on my left ribcage where I probably hit the handlebars. My neck is sore. No doubt have a low level concussion.
Not bad for an old fart, eh?
What’s the most common thing one hears before the death of a Hemmer-Hillbilly? “Watch this!”
What’s the 2nd most common thing one hears before the death of a Hemmer-Hillbilly? “I can do that too!”
Yesterday Paul and all his girls came over for breakfast with a serve of vroom. 7 and 9 yr old Nova and G.G. took the older girls for rides. Nova is a terror and scared the shit out of Leloa. Kande liked the vroom and eventually took the 250 Raptor out, and rolled it… Now these little quad-bikes are dangerous… dangerous fast and dangerously unstable. They roll very easy. And thats what Kande found out.
She was hooting along pretty quick for 1st gear only. Her first time on such a machine so Paul got her rolling with the throttle being her only control. She had yet to learn brakes or gears so, hell yes, a good time to roll the machine.
I saw her take a corner but dump the front right wheel over small embankment. Both machine and rider cartwheeled through the air. I saw a boot and the helmet fly off the rider. I watched as the quad bounced on and over her. Very much like a cartoon…
I arrived in time to see the panic fading from her eyes. She was assessing herself and finding nothing majorly wrong, The adrenaline was dumping, the fear slowly replaced by a humorous embarrassment. And a rush. A rush of “gee, dancing on the razor’s edge is fun”…
Leloa was complaining about not having a camera during the “good stuff”.
The Native Iowan 
thoughts and opinions