Sunday Rant - 1214

PN:

Rant Against Time

I’ve been trying to remember if I was always as forgetful as I am now. My lifetime stats for “lost keys”, “leaving the house (only to return for what you forgot)”, and “entering a room to realize you aren’t sure what you were doing or why you’re there” seem to be increasing. On the coordinate plane of Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia vectors, I reckon my tracer is deep in the red zone.

About three weeks ago, my cell phone took a hike. I’ve whined to a few folks about it. I made a half-assed attempt to look for it. I phoned it once from my land line – TELUS told me it was out of the service area or not connected. I knew that. My memory told me I might have had it in a vehicle, because that is the only time I carry it. Most of it’s life has been spent in the top drawer of the highboy cabinet in my bedroom, turned off. Like my wallet and vehicle keys (occupants of the same drawer), it only comes out to play when I’ve decided a road trip is necessary. I made a cursory search of the 4 (yes, that’s four) vehicles I have licensed, didn’t see it, and was distracted by a shiny object, sudden movement, loud noise, or, most likely, the tick-tock of time passing. What was I looking for?……………

Oh well, what the hell (as McWatt frequently and cheerfully proclaimed).

Some time last week I noticed the daffodildos poking their little yellow and green heads out of the ground next to the attached garage. I have never watered them or weeded them or “gardened” them in the 10 years I’ve been here. I’m a proud “naturalist”. If those flowers are tough enough to come around every year on their own accord, my compliments to them, and welcome all. I thought to take their picture before they become large and ordinary.

My damn camera wasn’t in the usual place with the usual suspects.

My camera is more important than the cell phone. I use it often to record events as mundane as what’s for dinner, as procedure oriented as how to dismantle a vehicle, or as meaningful as capturing an image of the children when I’m fortunate enough to see them. I’m not a camera aficionado, but I do have the mental capacity to appreciate the technology and optic science. I’m also lazy. And clumsier than I remember (when I can remember). Hence, I chose an Olympus “Tough” camera – 2m drop resistant, 10m water depth resistant. Haven’t tried either limit yet, but I thought it to be good insurance against the day. It is “point and click”, which suits me to a “T”. Where was I?………….

Oh yeah….. So, I went around the yard looking for it. The camera. Didn’t see it anywhere amongst the two dozen vehicles scattered about the property. Looks like an organized reservation……

Looked in the shop. Couldn’t find the camera, but I did find another item I’d been pining for – my favorite Stanley tape measure! I got quite excited and ran off to measure the basement for a cable run. I want to install a sub panel in the attached garage. After recording all the distances carefully on one of a dozen clip boards I keep around for just such scribblings, I found that the house service panel is full and the sub panel has only one breaker slot remaining. This means I have to upgrade one of the panels which means upgrading the service. I sat down, sketched what I thought would work, wrote out a bill of materials, estimated the time, and priced it all out. Out of this year’s budget. What’s new?

Two hours later, I remembered that my camera hadn’t been stumbled upon for days, felt a loss, and promptly dropped everything to search for the it. Once again around the yard, dear David. No joy. Through the shop, again. No joy, no distraction. Still on track! Better toss the house, but first, the wooden shed. Open the door (needs to be planed ’cause it drags on the floor – maybe later), switch on the light, and damn! there is the set of bolt cutters I’ve been searching for, underneath the Tbird wiring harness in a fencing bucket full of staples and fencing pliers. Carefully, I put the bolt cutters on a shelf where I would be sure to look next time they went missing. Happy with myself, I shut off the light, backed out the door, and closed up. Job well done!

After all this hard work, I headed for the house to make something to eat.

For some reason, I’m not at all forgetful about eating. Not once have I lost my path while building a Capicola on rye with hot mustard, a pickle and a beer on the side. I relish every tasty crumb, and look mournfully toward the kitchen when I’m finished. Like a lab. Some connection between pleasure and forgetfulness perhaps?

Gotta mention keys. Whatever possesses them to be put on top of the piano or on the sofa cushions or to lie outside all night long on a tool box? Note to self: bloody keys are irresponsible and must be monitored every waking hour.

Anyway, Jess came to get mail yesterday, and I couldn’t help whine about the camera and phone to her. She said “let’s find them!” I said it’s easy for you to say, and went looking for the vehicle keys while she searched the house, yard, and shop.

Happy days! I found the keys!

Jess didn’t find the camera or phone. C’est domage…..

We then took the keys and started opening vehicles. Our logic was impeccable. No camera or phone in the house, shop, or yard was validated by Jess. Therefore, gotta be in a vehicle or gone…………

And what do you know? The camera was exactly where I put it in the center console of the Explorer. Funny thing. As soon as I saw it, I remembered exactly how it got there and why. Damn near peed myself with excitement. That’s subject for a future rant. Distant future, I hope.

The search continued. Lo and behold, the phone was on the floor of the Ranger cleverly hiding among tools, wire, pop cans, and dirty mechanics cloths. Once again, victory! Persistence pays plenty pardner.

I thanked Jess profusely for organizing the search party (of two). We thought to celebrate with a cool libation, and a chat about the total, inevitable, unavoidable disassembly of my mind and person as the years advance. I’ve had a good and fun run at life and have few regrets of mention. I’m not looking forward to the pants peeing or the frightened “deer in the headlight” visage many old timers present to an ever more confusing world. I hope humor will see me through. Another rant-able subject for another day……

Jess headed for home. I had another beer, enjoying the last light of the evening (day before equinox), proud possessor of a cell phone, a camera, and keys for my vehicles.

Today is Thursday. I want to go to the auto wreckers to get a couple of parts for a project. I want to take my camera to snap a few pics of what I’m removing (so I don’t forget how to put it together). I want to take my cell phone in the event I have to call the parts store.

It’s past noon. I can’t find my damn keys, or the cell phone, or the bloody camera. I’ve been searching since sun-up.

Oh well, what the hell………….

Think I’ll see what’s in the fridge.

CANADA

Silly Toronto

I hear all the time the average Canadian is soooo much better than the average American. Not a contest. Somebody forgot to tell the Toronto voters. Olivia Chow is running for mayor. Her resume is as vacant, pedestrian, and lackluster as a certain mulatto south of the border:

http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/the-truth-about-olivia/3335068569001

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dznaD1r4lK0

What do they have in common? A visible minority charter membership. A left-leaning Marxist foundation. A lifetime of non productivity. A false battle cry of “uplift the downtrodden” at every opportunity. It is up to the better than American citizens of Toronto to recognize a charlatan when they see her. Or a mountebank. Same as.

Ugly Quebec

Isn’t Pauline Marois a piece of excellence…. Borrowing the Obambi script and studying Saul Olanski’s “Rules for Radicals”, she is hoping to swell the ranks of the Parti Quebecois in the upcoming election by fostering division and discrimination. Jonathan Kay has a thoughtful perspective; if Quebec separates, Canada keeps Montreal:

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2014/03/05/jonathan-kay-if-quebec-separates-we-keep-montreal/

His four points bear quoting (in part):

First, don’t act as if Quebec separation would be some kind of apocalypse.
Second, notwithstanding the paragraph above, let’s not waste our breath lecturing Quebec about the economic fallout of separation.
Third, make NDP leader Thomas Mulcair — and every other soft federalist — tell us clearly whether he or she respects Canadian law.
Fourth, and this is the big one: Have the courage to tell Quebec, flat out, that if Canada is divisible, so is Quebec.

Jonathan explains it well. Quebec soaks up $16.3 billion CDN per annum in Federal transfers above it’s contribution to Federal coffers. The Draconian language laws and fragile political climate prohibit investment in the province’s natural resources and industrial development. His point is if the referendum supports separation, then ALL of the distinct areas of the province must have a referendum on whether or no they will comply. Montreal would vote to stay with Canada, and Mr. Kay suspects the Cree regions and Eastern townships would side with Montreal.

Joe and I loved the 4 points. They are a long overdue tactic in bringing reality to our petulant prima donna province. Montreal is a great city with or without the French Connection.

Awesome Canadian Conservatives

The videos of the 2014 Manning Centre Conference are up on YouTube. Here is Canada’s own Mark Steyn with his views of Canada, the world, and culture. Here is “Conservatism and the Facts of Life”::

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMjm1zDBY-k

As Mark says “permanence is the illusion of every age”. Complacency (especially cultural complacency) will deliver a very rude reality to any culture who makes the assumption that daily productive endeavor is not required to maintain your way of life. Economics will happen, and as Ayne Rand famously stated “We can evade reality, but we cannot evade the consequences of evading reality”.

The politics of the ruling party are less important than the regulatory bureaucracy that has been implemented over the years, run by unelected bureaucrats who cannot be ousted. These are the dangerous people. The left, the progressive mindset, is entrenched in this vision of government. Culture trumps politics.

Bitter Sweet Canada

The last of the Canadian troops have returned from Afghanistan. God bless them all:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/canadian-troops-come-home-after-12-year-afghan-mission/article17538898/

I’m trying to vet this event. Me thinks it is the first time Canadian troops have returned from conflict that wasn’t a victory.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Shameful America

Rex Murphy comments on the empty suit in the White House:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2g6wnOMuk#t=13

AVIATION (IS GOOD FOR YOU)

HEALTH (AND WHY IT MATTERS)

Contraception for the female gender has been employed for millennia. The modern age of chemistry, biology, and technology have created what everyone thought were nearly foolproof and easy products to accomplish what nature didn’t intend. Time passes. Data is collected. Analysis of data occurs. Indicators are flagged. Testing and experimentation follow. Time passes. More data is collected and analyzed. Seems more chemistry, biology, and technology is needed to make things safe for women:

http://hotair.com/archives/2014/03/20/new-look-at-the-benefits-of-contraception/

Very interesting and disturbing news.

RACE, RACISM, HATE, HATRED, STUPID PEOPLE ACTING OUT

I think this may become a permanent category in my senior citizen rantings. And, I think (so does Joe) that John Derbyshire will be a frequent contributor. Here he is in Taki Magazine:

http://takimag.com/article/what_hatewatchers_hate_john_derbyshire#axzz2wWXXi9zI

I don’t know if Mr. Derbyshire is a fan of Yogi Berra, but the article distills to a Yogi-ism: “In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.”

The solution is not accusing other people as the author of your malaise or lack of exceptionalism. The answer lies inside each person and each person can only rely on their self to attain their aspiration.

POLITICS, POLITICIANS, WACKJOBBERY, HUMOROUS, STUPID

There is no better graphic criticism of the Obambi administration than that generated by The Earl of Taint ( http://earloftaint.com/ ).

The following six are prime examples. Many many more at the Earl of Taint store –

All of the above generated by Earl of Taint. What else can be said?

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, SUPER STUFF

Clean (and safe) Energy

The historic use of uranium and plutonium as fuel for fission reactors is predicated on the military requirement for building bombs. Another, more civil reactor is based on thorium, whose byproducts and operation do not have a military application (yet). I have ranted about this technology before. Joe and I believe this is where clean energy will be derived in the future. Here is an article about small thorium reactors which could be used as vehicle power plants. 8 grams of mass could power the vehicle for 100 years. Now that would cause a mighty disconnect in the economies of every country on the globe:

http://www.industrytap.com/thorium-fueled-automobile-engine-needs-refueling-once-a-century/15649

At the inception of the nuclear power age, research and development of the optimum fuel included other heavy metals such as thorium. Successful fission engines were produced using thorium, but the isotope by products needed for making bombs was not as promising as with uranium. Hence, the funding for thorium power was never available to mature the thorium technology. Too bad, because Thorium is safer and would be a cheaper technology per unit of energy. According to various sources, Thorium is 3 to 4 times more abundant than uranium, and it’s main isotope – Thorium 232 – is very stable (half life of 14.05 billion years). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium India is leading the world in Thorium reactor development per Wikipedia.

The West was there in the ’30’s but parked this very promising technological infant on the shelf. Various entities, government sponsored and private, are finally re-visiting this long discarded energy source……

Internet

An interesting fact about the Internet – less than 40% of the traffic is “human”:

http://blog.usabilla.com/humans-now-account-less-40-web-traffic/

Joe and I are afraid that the golden times of the Internet are over. If the United States gives up control of the protocol, format, governance, and future development, who will they give it up to? (Dangling participle) How about China? Maybe Iran? Perhaps Venezuela? No, not another country……… I’ve got a great idea! Let’s give it up to the United Nations®! Yea! What a giant cluster f**k that would be. I wish America had a president instead of a perpetual campaigner. The leader of the Choom Gang is a waste of skin, no matter what color.

GUNS, GUNNERS, GUNNERY

RELIGION OF PEACE (ON US ALL)

This link is to a list of Muslim attacks of Christians. It is too long to post in this rant:

http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/Pages/ChristianAttacks.htm

When will the West (non Muslim) world begin to notice? What will it take to end the slaughter? Keep on “Dancing With the Stars” folks………

SUNDAY SERMON

WEATHER (OR NOT)

The week started out mild and rainy. The cabin fever winter madness snow shocked response was like this cartoon –

However, before the week was out (especially last night and yesterday), Mother Nature let us know that weather (or not) is up to her alone. Here’s a couple of pictures from this morning –