Sunday Rant - 1117

PN:

Quote o’ the Week
“The book to read is not the one that thinks for you, but the one which makes you think” – Harper Lee
Joe’s Comment – I like all three types of reading – vicarious (fiction), educational (learning), and technical (reference). The Internet is great. Holding a physical book in your hands is great, too.

Dream o’ the Week

Life Lesson
Joe likes a pithy quotation almost as much as he likes beer.
There are quotations from the philosophies of many cultures which ring true to him, and are similar in perspective. Here’s a fine example from the Buddha –

What Time Is It?
Joe doesn’t understand Daylight Savings Time.
He especially doesn’t understand why today (12th) as opposed to the first day of Spring……
Life is one big fat mystery!

Vive la Quebec
Joe and I rue the lack of a time machine.
The Plains of Abraham could have been the beginning of a much different outcome. I suspect they don’t have much in the way of natural resources. Or nurturing governance. Or fair-minded souls. Or???

One last comment from Joe:

‘Nuff said….

Vive la France
Joe and I are keenly interested in the Presidential election in France this year. On April 23rd, the country which coined the expression it has for it’s national motto “Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite” will determine whether or not there is a future for the Western culture.
Do you know this woman?

How about here, refusing to bow to the demands of Sunni authority?

Ms. Marine Le Pen is the candidate from the National Front party of France.
This woman has bigger balls than millions and millions of politicians suckling at the government tit around the world.
She is the figurehead of the movement to re-establish European national states as independent and sovereign entities; without the European Union.
The world watches.
Some news escapes the black hole of European Union bureaucracy.
Essentially, Ms. Le Pen is being persecuted for speaking her mind.
The ex-Eastern block commissars who are now the unelected bureaucrats, the new Politburo of the EU, are making it difficult for Ms. Le Pen to finance her candidacy, are making it difficult for her to avoid “legal” persecution, are changing laws (making them retroactive!!!) and banning free speech.
Here is Mr. Stefan Molyneux’s view of the issues:

Joe and I think that the success of Ms. Le Pen in the upcoming election is another brick in re-building the foundation of Western freedom.
The West is not the monster on this earth.
This French election is as noteworthy as Brexit, and could be as surprising as Donald J. Trump becoming POTUS. That is, surprising to those who look but cannot see.
This event, if she can manage to stay out of prison until Nous le Peuple cast their ballots, will be a world changer no matter should she win or lose.
Should she win, the riots you are seeing in America (riots of disbelief 4 months AFTER the election event!) will pale beside the dismantling of the European Union. The gyrations and skullduggery the European “Commission” in Brussels will perform to discredit, smear, criminally prosecute, and otherwise condemn Ms. Le Pen will be frightening.
Of course, the French can’t do things simple and straight. The election on April 23rd is followed by a second election, kinda a round robin.
As Steve Bannon stated at CPAC this year, “it is time to dismantle the administrative state”. He also stated that you would be dreaming if you think those in power would kindly give up their strangle hold and walk away – the battle will be vicious and subversive.
Should Madam Le Pen lose, Joe and I believe it will be a close call.
The people of France will have set the stage for Italy, for Greece, for any other European “nation” that cannot compete with Germany to re-examine their raison d’être.
And so they should.
Joe and I laugh and snort beer out our nose when we hear her described as “far right”. In our mind she is damn straight down the middle.
Vive le Frexit!
Another short but powerful video about Madame Le Pen’s views, her conflicts with the EU Commission, and the fear she strikes into the Lefties, plus a general view of the “refugee” crisis across Europe. This video was posted March this year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDj11QTQel0

Intellectual Frog Legs
The latest offering from Joe Dan Gorman at IFL.

https://vimeo.com/207064306

Climate Cha-Cha
Joe and I think Dr. Patrick Moore is the bees knees, deserving of the “Order of Canada”.
He is a rare commodity – truth teller without commercial master(s) – his work is a product of common sense and scientific method.
A companion hysteria from the Left and Greenies is CO2 is making the oceans of the world acidic, killing coral, destroying fisheries; generally ruining a delicate, fragile, super-sensitive ecology that cannot bear change and will never return once altered.
There are a number of Olde English terms for this line of reasoning: this is gedwyld, it is fyren. More contemporarily, codswallop is one that comes to mind.
Watch the following presentation from Dr. Moore from 2015 and form ye own andgit:

Joe and I rant endlessly about the kidnapping of words from the language. Words that have had a consistent and constant meaning for years, decades, even centuries are confiscated by persons of limited imagination (or nefarious intention) who bend the meaning of these fine words to suit a political agenda. Some common politically kidnapped words are “gay”, “rainbow”, “organic”, et cetera. Instead of dreaming up a new word to describe the new situation, old standby words, words with singular, clear, and precise meaning are snatched from the lexicon, from the language, from normal use, and forced into political slavery. Obfuscate they do (Yoda talk).
So too does Joe wince at phrases and expressions kidnapped for political (and nefarious) ends. One such phrase is “Ocean acidification”.
As Dr. Moore patiently explains, there is no “ocean acidification”. There is no possibility that the ocean(s) will EVER become acidic; that is, a pH measure less than 7.0.
Therefore, the discussion needs to be corrected as an assessment of the alkalinity of the oceans, a measure of basic chemistry. Perhaps it is the many meanings of the word “base” that excludes its use as a descriptor, but the more specific term alkaline / alkalinity cannot be disputed. Joe and I agree with Dr. Moore that the term “acid” and “acidity” imply a threatening or negative aspect. This does not change the fact that the ocean is basic, not acidic.
Further, the postulation that there is an “average” pH for the oceans may be a mathematical possibility or construct, but serves no meaningful (non-sinister) purpose – the ocean pH is a dynamic system that has living influences (marine life such as the photo plankton and similar organisms which sequester CO2) and natural influences (such as inflow of fresh water, organic / inorganic run-offs, natural phenomenon (i.e. volcanoes)) which all alter pH continuously.
The bottom line?
CO2 is the common currency of all life on planet Earth. (Or Gaea if you are a fantasy fan.)
Joe and I recommend a generous application of Dr. Patrick Moore every time the Chicken Little brigade incoherently screech the oceans are ~~falling~~ rising.

Canadian Free Speech
Eric Brazau is a French Canadian who is brave enough to speak his mind despite the lack of a 1st Amendment in Canada.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfp__37rJyI

Think we are overstating the case?

Memorial for ABBA’s Home
You may have heard Sweden is a beautiful Nation with a Social Democratic state guaranteeing peace and harmony among the open-minded progressive Swedes who populate this fair land.
You may want to take a seat, grab a strong drink, and take a listen of Paul Joseph Watson as he describes the current affairs in Sweden:

Joe’s Garage
Joe and I have been busy re-conditioning a 5R55E (five speed) automatic transmission for a ’97 Ranger 2WD he bought on a whim.
This transmission is one of a progression of light duty units which started with C3 and AL4D (mechanical control), then 4R44E, 4R55, 5R55E, 5R55M, 5R55N, and 5R55S (all electronic control).
The 5R55E is a complex unit with 6 control solenoids, three planetary gear-sets, three bands, and four clutch packs in total.
Compared to an E4OD (C6 family – heavy duty) the 5R55E has many more parts.
One of the peculiarities of this transmission is that the pump assembly is part of the bell housing –
Another difference is that the 5R55E has a number of “Achilles Heel” issues. Over the years the problems with these transmissions were gradually identified then corrected with heavier or re-designed parts fitted. Here’s Joe puzzling the overdrive clutch pack. Quite dainty, it is –
The number of measurements and shims / bushings / snap rings required to set clearances in the clutches and gear train make it a challenging build. Joe used the “master rebuild” kit from Alto, complete with steels. “Master” is a wee bit of an exaggeration in Joe’s opinion. Seals, frictions, a couple of bushings, steels, and a hockey sock full of O rings and gaskets make up the kit. Servos or bands or hard parts are additional purchases. Joe also used a Trans-Go shift upgrade kit to cure some ailments (this transmission was missing reverse). Here are a few of the parts involved –
There was one close to casualty event during the build – a slippery gear assembly damn near got away from Joe as he lowered it into the case. The edge of the gears are not chamfered or bevelled – quite sharp and hard.
The end of Joe’s finger sprang a leak –
Thank doG for black magic. And shop towels. Almost the same color as transmission fluid! This is what it looks like when done –
On to the next project…..

POLITICS, POLITICIANS, WACKJOBBERY, HUMOROUS, STUPID

SUNDAY SERMON

Today the philospher Daniel Dennett discusses his new book, “From Bacteria to Bach and Back: The Evolution of Minds”. This presentation was a Google Talk in February of 2017:

WEATHER (OR NOT)

This week in Vernon was frustrating weather.
Frustrating because the smell of Spring is everywhere.
The birds are yelling like Hell. Joe says he saw some engaging in sexual congress!
Yet it snowed three more times.
And froze on two evenings.
Today (Sunday) it was attempting to rain – a very light sprinkle.
Not long now.
Cabin fever begone!
Winter madness recede.