Sunday Rant - 0223

PN:

THE NEW YEAR SO FAR……….

Joe’s Comment – Well, we’re ending week one of 2023.
Still seeing ads to get COVID vaccines….. for children.
Some version of idiocy in my little BC village is rampant – people alone in their cars or in a park or on the street – no one near them – wearing a paper mask.
A fashion statement?
Joe says IQ test (fail).
The Ontario College of Psychologists bullies don’t like JB Peterson, no sir.
They want to “re-educate” the man. Jordan’s statement here. Rex Murphy’s statement here. Whoo boy! Rex splurged with paper-cut sharp phrases and the use of adjectives and adverbs like never before! (ht Donald Trump).
Trudeau smoked too much unicornium over the holiday – the Liberal non-majority government’s latest attack on Alberta has Rex Murphy frothing with adjectives and adverbs in an intense diatribe. Rex Murphy as opinion volcano.
It seems the Federal coalition would rather cut off the Alberta purse to spite provincial autonomy. And boldly go where no Federal authority is constitutionally mandated, required, or wanted (by Albertans).
The US government is “investigating” Elon Musk. Why? Good question! Joe and I speculate the reason has to do with his non-political stance that is interpreted through progressive leftist ideology as a threat. Free speech and transparent code? Why, that is preposterous!
The weather in Vernon BC continues to be an insult to gentler sensibilities (Joe and I are allergic to white hard water). I’d rather wander in the desert for 40 years, or whatever Moses would think appropriate. Bet he never saw snow.
As Bob Thompson (Drinking with Bob) says, “What’s next, what’s next, what’s next?”
Well, China, starring the CCP (Chinese Communist Party), seems to be a great place to be from….. This years version of Fuck Around, Find Out seems well advanced.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, let’s sing along to “Hey hey, my, my”. A song written by a former Canadian, former relevant singer song writer. Out of the Blue, so to speak….. It’s better to burn out than to fade away…..
How appropriate.
So appropriate that Joe and I thought it meaningful to celebrate the first week of the New Year with Tico and the man (Frank Maglio).
Tico and Joe sing about the same. Enthusiastically, don’t know the words, we’ve got some passion!
If the message seems garbled, don’t be expecting much more.
That’s about how much sense 2023 has made so far:

So far, one week into 2023, many things have been revealed, but seemingly no lessons have been learned, no changes are afoot. A lot of same-same, or worse.
No mia culpa for the masses.
More of the haggard old tropes of yesteryear.
Some of the powerful have doubled down!
Joe shakes his head.
Jesus weeps.
When Joe and I think of political leaders, bureaucrats, the entire legal profession, the entire medical complex, Big Business, Big Pharma, Big Big, and Simply Humongous®, we wonder just how much power is too much power. Is it possible for a human being to NOT be changed with power? Is it necessary to accede to the inherent truths in Lord Acton’s words –
or could there be some other explanation?
Lord Acton obviously conflated liberty (the freedom of all citizens) with the actions of state and church. In the following statement, it is clear that Lord Acton thought liberty has enemies, and those enemies are within the human breast –
Moreover, he was an enthusiastic promoter of freedom, of liberty.
The fulmination of Lord Acton’s thought on the matter is as follows –
Which is paradoxical.
Unless there is some method or process that can govern the governors as the governors govern the governed, all is suspect. Or as Juvenal stated it –
In Joe and my mind (one and the same), the US documents of Constitutional Republican governance, framed to protect the rights of the individual against the mob or majority, focuses on established law as the medium to accomplish such protection.
However, when the human animal is involved, devious becomes a universal activity.
In the absence of the answer, or even an answer, another parrot in the mix.
As Joe says, the fucking parrot makes more sense than many of the powerful.
Chloe Alexander has a lovely demeanor and voice.
Her parrot Gallagher sings along.
Joe and I chose their version of Creep (Radiohead) because the title says it all.
There are a lot of creeps out there.
There are a lot of creeps in here!
Creep may be a self deprecatory descriptor.
Along the lines of Wayne’s World (We’re not worthy!)
Or it might be true. Or both.
The message may not be in a bottle.
It may be in a parrot.
And the parrot ain’t talkin’.
Consider….. if he does, who will understand?:

Things I’m Grateful For –
The Internet – by Joe Mekanic
I’ve always been a bit of a research nerd.
Way back in the days of slide rulers, compass and protractor sets, and ink wells in my school desk, the library was a destination.
I’ve always loved learning.
Putting my learning into practical use is another topic altogether.
I remember making a class report in grade 8. The topic I chose was rubber and rubber production. When I made the presentation many of my fellow students laughed and smirked. I never understood why. I remember the hours I spent in the library, using the Dewey Decimal System and the index cases to navigate to find the paper documents containing the information I was seeking.
In university days, there was a card reading computer on the campus. The Computing Science block was a marvel. I remember punching cards, then leaving them to be “read” by the machine. If you were lucky, your program worked. If not, you could have many “cycles” of punching cards, submitting the cards, and waiting for the result.
After university days, well along in my career with Okanagan Telephone, the personal computer made an appearance. I managed to convince my wife we had to have a computer. I remember the dollar value $3200 CDN to assemble a working machine in our house. It was an Apple IIe clone, and never worked worth a damn. The Internet became available to the general public. The connection was a 56k dial-up modem. Floppy disks. dot matrix printer. The mouse was a new innovation!
So sad……
Many years later, today, I have 5 computers connected to the Internet via fibre modem, with guaranteed download / upload rate of 300/300 Mb/s.
My favorite machine is an old Dell 9020, about 10 years young, e/w SSD (solid state drive), USB 3.0 ports, and an optical disk read/write module. I have external storage in solid state and spinning disk formats up to 1TB in size.
Computer life is sweet.
I spend on average 3 hours a day year round on the computer and on the Internet. During Winter months, it might approach a full working day.
I will share a fact – it has been over 8 years since I have entered a library in my town. It has been 30+ years since I have been at a cinema or movie theater.
There are three types of reading:
– vicarious (for amusement or entertainment)
– learning (how to, training, education)
– data (technical reference information, procedures, reference)
All three are available in abundance via the Internet to the World Wide Web.
Even were I rich, I could never visit all the places in the world I have interest in learning about. No need to travel. I can see anything or anyplace I want in mere fractions of a second. I watch dusters (aka westerns) from the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s on Ub2b or Netflix or Amazon Prime. Learning has never been more accessible. Technical support is so voluminous I might spend more time choosing a source of information than referring to the material I want.
The ability to pay bills via electronic interface or access government departments that have an interest in my activities is a wonderful service that saves me time and saves my providers money – no paper bill delivery.
Communication via email is a blessing.
And, there is video interface through various applications (Skype is typical).
As far as buying rare or obscure parts for my old vehicles, or obtaining service manuals for vintage machinery (I’m working on a ’27 Fordson Tractor e/w crawler accessory), I do it at home using a computer.
Strange as it may seem, I do not own a cellular phone.
Well, I do.
It has been in the console of an old Ford Ranger in the back yard for 2 years.
I have no need.

Things That Piss Me Off –
Cold Weather – by Joe Mekanic
This will be a very short segment.
It is easier to cool off than to warm up.
By “easier” I mean cheaper as well as less work.
Temperatures below 70°F are uncivilized.
Temperatures below freezing are abusive.
Humans are a tropical species.
My country is weather hospitable for about 150 days a year.
That’s 41%, or a D student’s grade.
Winter is a poopy-face.
Summer is my favorite aunt.
‘Nuff said.

COVID

Dr. Peter McCullaugh and Dr. Aseem Malhotra
These doctors both specialize in heart illness.
The title says it all “The Extraordinary Harm Caused By COVID-19 Vaccines”.
Surely to Christ Almighty some of this information will bring the guilty to justice.
If justice is too extravagant a price, how about this information will prevent humanocide in the future:

American Thought Leaders – Dr. Peter McCullough
The Epoch Times interviews Dr. McCullough, specifically in relation to VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) deaths.
According to Dr. McCullough, VAERS is not complete or accurate or sufficient. The method of reporting and the qualification to be included along with scrutiny of the reporter makes the total data set understated.
Joe and I have no idea how to cure such a collapse of faith in a public institution so vital to every single citizen. To every single human.
Questions springs to mind – if the data is corrupt, how do you fix it? Why is the data corrupt? If you can’t rely on data submitted to a supposedly neutral non-prejudicial public health facility funded by tax payers, just who the fuck can you trust?
This entire COVID-19 tragedy is akin to the Hunter Biden laptop.
The real story is hidden in a myriad of files and repositories all over the world.
What the world needs now is less government and more honesty:

Ivor Cummins
As always, Mr. Cummins delivers the goods.
He has decided if he is to stay on Ub2b, he must use only government data in his analysis.
We wouldn’t want crystal clear reasoning untangling the “official” indoctrination and misinformation.
Once again, he smothers the government propaganda with their own accumulated information, as reported!
Gotta love a cheerful Irishman giving the finger to The Man.
Especially when the finger is so deserved:

Health

Sally K. Norton
Ms. Norton came to her calling like many people who study nutrition – she suffered health issues that the medical community were not able to resolve with the pop a pill and pay method.
Her determination to find better solutions has led to ground breaking work on the subject of Oxalates.
Joe and I swear we are not hypochondriacs, but the symptoms she describes are all present in our body, excepting the female specific varieties.
Joe and I aren’t gender challenged.
We have ordered her book and wait for the postman/postwoman/Amazon East Indian delivery person with much anticipation:

Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski
He thought he had insight into the root cause of certain cancers.
Some years back, the good doctor immigrated to Texas in the good ol’ U.S. of A.
He developed a treatment program for cancer using antineoplastons, a therapy derived from his earlier work focused on human peptides vs cancer.
He has had great success.
However, the FDA has been after him for years and years, dragging him in to court for various perceived transgressions.
Joe and I have no knowledge of his science, his treatment, or his success with cancer patients.
This documentary, if not biased, certainly indicates the FDA is biased beyond any doubt.
Some of the patient testimonies, in court and outside, are heart breaking. The FDA has admitted his treatment is successful.
Joe says the FDA is operating on behalf of some nameless Big Pharma company or companies. After all, the FDA is mostly funded by Big Pharma.
Warning!
If you watch this, so soon after the COVID hysteria, you will make assumptions and connections. The FDA is corrupt, and has been so for many years:

Musical Interlude

The election in Brazil is suspect.
Bolsonaro has fled the country – he predicted three possible outcomes: win, death, or prison.
He chose a fourth: relocated to Florida, and live to fight another day.
A great but melancholy song Joe and I have featured before in our rant (most recently 3919), Brazil.
We love this song no matter who sings it.
Politics seem to be a tragedy no people can escape:

Things were easier to comprehend in the ’40s. That’s what Joe tells me. If the music below is any measure, he’s right:

Joe’s Garage

Gladstone No.1 – Allen Millyard
Joe and I are fans.
Mr. Millyard is an amazing “hands-on” designer, builder, and fabricator.
His work has been featured in this Sunday Rant for years past. His Ub2b channel is found here.
In this video he designs and installs a larger primary gear into a Triumph twin powered Gladstone No. 1.
Gladstone is a very high end English motorcycle manufacturer.
Established in 2013, the motorcycles are highly collectable, with used examples in the $60,000 USD range.
Joe and I used to have a Triumph 650 Bonneville. The sound is repeated in the Gladstone No. 1 Triumph T140 744cc engine.
Henry Cole is the CEO of Gladstone. He says his motorcycles are built for “discerning Hooligans”. The Gladstone web page can be viewed here.
Joe and I stopped riding about 10 years ago.
We would start again with a Gladstone.
We’re only short a King’s ransom:

Browned Butter Bombs
A cool name for a keto / carnivore treat!
Heating butter beyond a certain temperature changes its flavor, caramelizing the butter.
Kat from Kativore goes from shopping to eating.
Joe and I will make this snack, you bet!
We might include some bacon or hamburger or cheese or cinnamon or ???:

POLITICS, POLITICIANS, WACKJOBBERY, HUMOROUS, STUPID

SUNDAY SERMON

It is the end of the first week of 2023.
What better time to have another discussion about the dread climate change?
After all, in Canada and the US, the fearless (headless) leaders insist this is still a top issue.
Dr. Jordan Peterson speaks with Dr. Richard Lindzen, a renowned atmospheric physicist. The distillate Joe and I extracted?
Money is the root of all evil. So aptly sung by the Andrews Sisters.
What Joe and I are trying to do with these endless conversations is to educate ourself to the facts.
As it is, there are quick changes and there are millennium changes.
What bit you on the ass yesterday may be what punches your nose later.
The fact remains that only time will reveal what happens.
And when it does, won’t there still be the problem of getting the information without bias from the information holders?
A worthwhile conversation:

WEATHER (OR NOT)

This week in Vernon BC the weather has been mild.
Hovering around zero Celsius night and day.
Mostly cloudy.
Living in a shoe box.
The cloud stretches from mountain top to mountain top.
The daylight is what you’d expect with a Winter overcast – grey cloud, muted dull light.
On Thursday the sun shone through!
Hallelujah!
That was it for the week.
Today is the eight day of January.
The days are getting noticeably longer.
The snow cover is treacherous!
It has been thawed and frozen gently so many times that it feels like it will support your weight.
You step.
It doesn’t support your weight and you break through.
This jerky jilting staggering walking is hard on knees and balance.
I am just reporting.
Joe refuses to talk about the issue.
He says I was supposed to get him out of the country to more civilized weather.
He says I promised to do so, as many as 50 years ago.
I admit it.
I lie to Joe so he won’t leave on his own.
Who would I talk to if he left?
I’m gonna convince him to stay and fight!
Amen, brother, Amen!