December
1 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
I had to install the ES File Explorer on Fire 10 so I could use the FTP feature to transfer the book cover image for the posting today. As usual that took a lot longer than I would like but not nearly as long as it took for me to do it the first time. Slowly I’m getting the Fire 10 set up like it once was before the old one died.
I also had to get all my web pages set up on the host server for this new month. That was done without too many problems. I have had a problem with copy and paste using the Fire 10 that I don’t remember having before but I guess I’ll get is sorted out in a few days/weeks.
I have holding tank dumping and water adding to do when it warms up. Maybe get Desperado’s cab windows washed. The low was only 37.2° but it has been very slow in warming with it around 45 at 9:00 am. There is no change in the 10 day forecast with all the lows expected to be in the upper 30s and lower 40s. So, more of the same to come. The basement heater remains plugged in however.
There is more of the same to come in what I plan on doing also.
Tyler Spotswood, an alcoholic campaign manager, helps elect a corrupt Southern politician to the U.S. Senate. When his boss, Chuck Crawford aka “Number One,” pins a scandal on Spotswood, Tyler is too drunk to blow the whistle. Number One draws many comparisons to Robert Penn Warren’s All the King’s Men. Crawford reminds many of Louisiana politician Huey Long, a figure studied in person by Dos Passos.
2 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
This morning was a lot warmer with the low at 41.5° which meant that I was overdressed. The 10 day forecast continues to be about the same so I’ll continue to dress for freezing mornings.
I paid for another month’s rent and electricity yesterday and later in the day realized that I had been overcharged for electricity. I’ll be trying to straighten that out today. That is the only thing that is on my agenda.
That Build Back Better (BBB) is moving right along. The Media continues to report how well the economy is doing but then there comes some spoiler News such as this.
Traffic at retail stores on Black Friday dropped 28.3% compared with 2019 levels, as Americans shifted more of their spending online and kicked off their shopping earlier in the year…
However, consumers logged online for Cyber Monday and spent $10.7 billion, marking a 1.4% decrease from year-ago levels, according to data released Tuesday by Adobe Analytics. This year’s tally marks the first time that Adobe has tracked a slowdown in spending on major shopping days.
With the fewest lockdowns, lowest Covid “vaccination” rates and no social distancing to speak of, black Africa has the fewest deaths, by far, from this orchestrated emergency. That’s why they’re punishing it now. Normal African life exposes as nonsense their extreme measures everywhere else.
Suddenly, the tourists are gone, and southern Africans are blocked from many countries. To not be shunned, Africans must be poisoned, they insist.
There are rumors South Africa might impose a new lockdown. This would trigger riots, certainly, for there are already too many South Africans barely eating. Lockdown induced economic hardship was a key factor in the Durban rioting this July.–Magnificent Cape Town Quiet Windhoek Lind Dinh
3 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: December 3, 1933
I walked up to the computer repair shop yesterday afternoon to see how the Chromebook fix was coming along. The repair guy said that he did finally receive the keyboard but it was missing the ‘ribbons’ — the connecting cables. So I wait some more.
The electricity overcharge issue was reasonably quickly resolved. I even talked to the RV Park owner about the problem prior to the Host showing up. He saw the problem immediately, as did she, so most of the time was spent redoing a receipt that showed I had a credit.
I had red hominy soaking overnight and will get that into the Thermal Cooker for today and overnight. Plan on making a veggie soup with them; something a little different for these cold days.
Keep in mind that these numbers are from the VAERS database which has been acknowledged to report only about 10% of all reactions. The 19,249 deaths being reported are also skewed by counting any deaths within the 14 days after a “jab” as being caused by Coronavirus® not the vaxx.
The total number of adverse reactions reported in the USA is 1,084,457 as of that date [19 November 2021]. Over one million adverse reactions… yet the media, and the medical establishment, trumpet how “safe” the vaccines are! If that’s “safe”, then I’m Mata Hari! (The reports for Europe are just as bad, if not worse in certain countries.) Of particular importance is the incidence of heart problems (particularly pericarditis and myocarditis) encountered among the vaccinated. Another looming issue is the rise in stillbirths among vaccinated pregnant women: “We are currently on pace to see a yearly total of 2,838 recorded fetal deaths following COVID-19 shots, while the yearly average of recorded fetal deaths following the vaccination of pregnant women for the past 30 years has been an average of 74 fetal deaths per year.”–Medical “science” lies again. Why am I not surprised?, Peter Grant
4 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
There is nothing happening here. The News is the same as yesterday with the weather just repeating. Tomorrow I’ll go grocery gathering again.
That will be the start of an active week. I have two VA eye appointments on Tuesday in Tucson so that day is going to be active. Then a dentist appointment on Thursday. That will not be quite as active.
Maybe finish reading a novel that I have on the Fire 8. If not today then tomorrow. Then I’ll spend a little more time reading the nonfiction book that I have on there before starting another novel.
The red hominy has been cooked. That made the pot available for more hulled barley and oat groats which are in the Thermal Cooker now. Later today I’ll have that pot filled with some cranberry beans to soak overnight. So a little cooking today and tomorrow and meals will be ready through next week.
5 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
We did a slightly shorter walk this morning before going to town. The first stop there was at the Horseshoe Cafe where I got a veggie omelet with no cheese. The waitress even repeated the order to me — no cheese. The kitchen made it with cheese and the waitress brought it to me; she also took it back and got me what I ordered.
At Safeway I got almost everything I wanted or a substitute. Their produce area is rather scant and many of their shelves have a gap tooth smile. I especially noticed that in the chip aisle.
When I got back to the Park and plugged into electricity I had none. Went to the office as the Host was just leaving and told him what I had. Walked back to my space and messed with the plugs and it was working. I think the original plug in was not completely engaged was my problem.
I needed that electricity to run the distiller. I thought that it was my problem when I tried to start it working. It was then that I found that there was no power coming into Desperado. Maybe have all the distilled water jugs full by the time I go to Tucson on Tuesday.
That is all that I have going on here today.
6 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
The low this morning was 32.2° and I was almost underdressed for that near freezing temperature. The past few days ’Ol Mother Nature has suckered me in and made me think that the lows would continue to be in the low 40s. HA
Nothing much happening here today other than my finishing the cooking and distilling that have been ongoing the past few days. Tomorrow will be filled with driving to and from Tucson for two VA eye appointments. Probably won’t get back to the Park before noon and will be worn out with all the activity.
I have a question that I have not had answered anywhere that I have read. I assume that in the Covid-19 nomenclature that the first identified virus was Alpha. Then I read nothing about Beta or Gamma but Delta suddenly became the more serious variant of the virus requiring more jabs and lockdowns. Then we skipped Epsilon, Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, Kappa, Lambda & Mu with Nu & Xi being intentionally skipped before Omicron became the most recent variant that we should fear. Why were all those other variants not a problem whereas Alpha, Delta and Omicron have been equated with the Black Death? Enquiring minds want to know.
Many, many years ago I said I wanted to live long enough to become a burden on society. But followed that with the statement that society would then kill me. That time appears to be approaching or perhaps “Uncola” is wrong.
As in any good narrative, the story arc is best appreciated when the protagonist overcomes the antagonist on the way to a fairy tale ending. In the current Covid zeitgeist, as in previous times of revolution, the episodes arrive in waves until the antagonistic scapegoats are finally objectified for purposes of peak polarization.…
Hence the cathartic scapegoating and this is why, during previous revolutions, portions of the population were consistently identified, vilified, and objectified — then sent to death camps. In The Great Reset, it appears Anti-vaxxers are the population currently targeted for complete extermination. This occurs because the road to hell has always been mostly paved by those well-intentioned and just following orders.–You Can’t Stop a Tidal Wave So You Might As Well Try, Doug “Uncola” Lynn
No quotes just a hyperlink to A Brief History of Epic Mass Madness by James Howard Kunstler. In spite of the title it is a long post by him but worth the time to read it.
Diogenes may have been a cynic but he was also wise.
“Young men not ought to marry yet, and old men never ought to marry at all.” — Diogenes
Funny wannabe puns:
Thank you for teaching me the word “plethora”, it means a lot to me.
Breaking News: A man was admitted to the hospital today with 25 plastic toy horses inserted in his rectum. Doctors have described his condition as stable.
7 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
We did about half our usual morning walk — a long potty walk. Then got on the road to Tucson where I arrived at about the time that I had planned. The first appointment was at 8:00 but I didn’t get called until maybe 8:15. The cataract evaluation was first and the doctor said that I was not ready yet. When I explained that I would not be here in four months he said that it was most likely that surgery would be scheduled when I returned in October 2022.
Went directly from his office to the retina surgeon and she took a look and said that everything looked good except the cataracts and she wanted to see me again in December 2022.
The eyes were dilated but I was able to drive back to Benson with the dark plastic eye protection. The right eye now has very blurry vision. That was the one with the retinal tear which recovered well but the cataracts have progressed faster in that eye. So now what was my worst eye has become the better of the two.
Dental appointment on Thursday.
The Videssos Series is a set of multi-volume stories set in a fantasy world. Its primary setting is the Empire of Videssos. The Videssos Cycle, also known as the Legion Cycle, was the first published work in the series. This tetralogy took a Republican Roman legion and transported it to the magical realm, which was based on the 7th century AD Byzantine Empire. The Misplaced Legion, the first in the tetralogy, details how a Roman legion led by Marcus Aemilius Scaurus, and a single Gaulish warrior named Viridovix, were transported across space and time to the Empire of Videssos. Where they became mercinaariary troops for the Emperor.
8 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
We did our morning walk in near freezing (32.9°) temperatures again. I had my padded camo jacket on so I was dressed for it. It was still under 40° at 8:30 but that is only a harbinger of the lows to come. The forecast lows for Saturday and Sunday mornings are freezing so it will most likely be in the upper 20s.
I will be out doing my usual shopping Saturday morning but the rest of the time after an active day tomorrow will be spent close to the Wave 6.
The active day tomorrow includes a dental appointment and then another trip to Sierra Vista to pick up an unexpected package. I suspect that it is junk mail but it is either go get it or have it forwarded. There are a couple of other things that I can do while there so I guess the trip will not be totally wasted.
I have added the bold to this quote.
What exactly is the China threat? Actually that question is rarely raised here. It is discussed in Australia, the country that is right in the claws of the dragon. Recently the distinguished statesman, former Prime Minister Paul Keating, did have an essay in the Australian press about the China threat. He finally concluded realistically that the China threat is China’s existence. The U.S. will not tolerate the existence of a state that cannot be intimidated the way Europe can be, that does not follow U.S. orders the way Europe does but pursues its own course. That is the threat.–Is China Really a Threat? Noam Chomsky Slams Biden For Increasingly Provocative Actions in Region,
9 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
The easiest part of today was the dental appointment. That went well and the drive to Sierra Vista was uneventful. I didn’t comment on it before but the Border Patrol Check station that is north of Whetstone has been back in operation for a little over a month now. So slowly the Biden administration is starting to realize that they have created a BIG problem with their open border policy.
Things didn’t go so well at Café Olé. The waitress knew that I wanted a Vegeta Omelet with No Cheese. However, the cooks didn’t get the message and made it the way they always make it — with cheese. It went back to the kitchen.
I then went shopping for a Christmas present for Patches and myself. This was something that I couldn’t order online. It was also something that took a lot longer to find and get it ready for delivery late next Monday afternoon. I will be telling you The Rest Of The Story next week.
I then wanted to stop at one other place while I was in town. Had a hell of a time finding it because the Google Map had the icon at an old location. Then when I found the new location it was closed. Maybe Monday?
We got back in time to do our afternoon walk and then I had to get ‘linner’ ready and eat. All of this activity left no time to be writing a post. Maybe back to a do nothing day tomorrow.
10 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: December 10, 1933
The low temperature this morning happened after we did a tactical withdrawal from our usual walk. The temperature was about 52° with a very light sprinkle when we started but became progressively more like rain. Not too long after we got back to Desperado it rained hard for a short time so I made a good decision and stayed reasonably dry.
I need to dump holding tanks and add water today but it is going to stay cold. The expected high to be only 54. I’ll get that chore taken care of but certainly not looking forward to doing it.
Orlov gets it. Not only does he get it but he has a great way of telling it like it is. A good article.
Suppose you are in a tense negotiation with someone. And suppose that someone puts a plate on the table. On that plate is a bagel. It has green spots and white hair growing out, it is oozing brownish goo, it reeks of ammonia and even the flies are refusing to land on it. And suppose that certain someone then says: if you eat this bagel, it’s war! That’s a tough negotiating stance, isn’t it? After all, that’s really laying down the law, giving an ultimatum, no ifs ands or buts and all that. By adopting this stance, Biden gets to channel just the tiniest bit of John Wayne, with a swagger instead of his usual precarious stumble. For a brief, shining moment he gets to talk to a real world leader and look presidential rather than like a doddering fool who has a useless toxic bimbo for a sidekick.
That’s essentially what Biden did. He told Putin in no uncertain terms: If you invade the Ukraine, then there will be sanctions from Hell. (Begging the question of what sanctions from Heaven would be like, but, never mind, the US is Hell and the Russians seem OK with that.) Biden was careful to point out that the US would not come to the Ukraine’s rescue, because the Ukraine is not a NATO member and so the US is under no obligation to actually take any risks on its behalf, but rest assured that it would huff and it will puff and threaten to blow Putin’s house down should he invade. And should he not invade, then would be right back to “Hey, Vlad, it’s great to see you! It’s your pal Joe, remember me?”.
But would Putin ever be tempted to “eat that bagel”? No, certainly not! The Ukraine is looking most unsavory.–Biden to Russia: Don’t You Dare Eat This Moldy Bagel!, Dmitry Orlov
This is not a meme; at least not now. It probably was one during the Roman Empire and the English translation continues to be true.
quod licet iovi, non licet bovi; all that is allowed to Jupiter is not necessarily allowed to an ox. Simply said — the pecking order.
11 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
We started our day with the morning walk in just below (31.6°) freezing temperatures. It didn’t feel that cold and my basement heater that is plugged into the Thermal Cube was not hot when I unplugged it. I checked the heater yesterday and it is getting hot when connected directly to power so I am now wondering if I bought a defective Thermal Cube.
Went to the laundry in town first and then to Safeway. Got what I wanted except for white vinegar, the shelves were bare, and I forgot to even look for honey.
Stopped at the Benson Cafe on the way back to the Park for breakfast. Got a veggie omelet that was the best breakfast that I have had there so far. In the past I selected an item on the menu and then asked them to hold the meat and or the cheese. Today I just asked for a veggie omelet with no cheese — that worked better.
I need to stop at my dentist office on Monday before driving to Sierra Vista. I got an appointment for a cleaning in December 2022 and found that it was made for the same day that I have the December VA appointment.
Nota bene: These are just total adverse reactions; there is no indication of how many of the reactions ended in death but you can expect that the COVID-19 Vaccine leads by a large margin.
World Health Organization
Adverse Drug Reactions for Vaccines
Updated Nov. 20, 2021
Mumps Vaccine (1972-2021) 711Rubella Vaccine (1971-2021) 2,620
Measles Vaccine (1968-2021) 5,828
Hepatitis A Vaccine (1989-2021) 46,936
Rotavirus Vaccine (2000-2021) 68,752
Hepatitis B Vaccine (1984-2021) 104,831
HPV Vaccine (2006-2021) 114,993
Polio Vaccine (1969-2021) 122,292
Influenza Vaccine (1968-2021) 272,694
COVID-19 Vaccine (2020-2021) 2,528,564
12 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
The low this morning was 28.2° and the Thermal Cube did not turn on the heater. I’m going to return it tomorrow. That will be only one of the 3-4 stops that I need to make either here in Benson or in Sierra Vista. It is going to be a long day with a late ‘linner’.
With it staying dark so late in the morning we have, maybe I should say I have - Patches dosen’t care, slept in later to keep from doing most of our walks in the dark. Maybe start doing our afternoon walks a little later as well but get them done before dark. More dark and cold are the two downsides to winter that is for sure.
The beloved Confederate Captain Nate Starbuck returns to the front lines of the Civil War in this second installment of Bernard Cornwell’s acclaimed Nathaniel Starbuck Chronicles. It is the summer of 1862, and Nate has been bloodied but victorious at the battles of Ball’s Bluff and Seven Pines. But he can’t escape his Northern roots, and it is only a matter of time until he’s accused of being a Yankee spy, pursued, and brutally interrogated. To clear his name, he must find the real traitor—a search that will require extraordinary courage, endurance, and a perilous odyssey through enemy territory. — Book promo @ goodreads.com
13 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
This morning it froze again but the low was warmer than yesterday. I had the basement heater plugged in directly to the power source with no Thermal Cube and the heater was working fine.
I’ll take Patches for a mid-day walk and the go to town to return that Thermal Cube to Wal*Mart. I need to get a box to put it in but then with any luck I just give it to Customer Service and show them the email that I have received from Wal*Mart. Then stop at my dentist to get the December 2022 appointment changed.
Then it is another drive to Sierra Vista to pick up the Christmas present that I got for Patches and myself. I’ll write about that tomorrow if I get it. While there I need to fill Desperado with gas and see if Fry's has any white vinegar and honey.
A busy afternoon and a late ‘linner’.
I didn’t watch him before and will not watch him in the future at CNN+. However, I think it is a beneficial move for Fox.
“I am thrilled to join CNN+,” [Chris] Wallace is quoted in the statement. “After decades in broadcast and cable news, I am excited to explore the world of streaming. I look forward to the new freedom and flexibility streaming affords in interviewing major figures across the news landscape — and finding new ways to tell stories.”
14 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
The Thermal Cube return to Wal*Mart worked great compared to what I went through returning the Fire 10 to Amazon. I don’t have a credit yet but everything has worked as promised so far.
The dental appointment change was also done quickly so I was on a roll. Drove to Sierra Vista and almost filled up Desperado with gas. The pump shut me down when I reached their dollar timit for each purchase. It was close enough to being totally full that I didn’t start a second transaction.
Went to the vet where Sierra Vista Animal Control had sent my Christmas present for Patches and myself. He had to be neutered before I could have him.
The front desk rushed he and I out the door like they were glad to get rid of us. No time to ask or answer any questions other than they had a cone on him that they said should stay for 14 days. No way — I took it off this morning. He hated it!
He is Spur — that is what Animal Control named him for the month they have had him. I have renamed him and will tell you what that name is in a couple of days. The few readers that I have are free to offer suggested names and/or guess what name I have chosen.
He is a Blue Heeler that Animal Control thought to be 2–4 years old. The vet office thought he was almost 4. Animal Control picked him up as a stray and knew nothing about his history. If he is a Blue Heeler then it is very strange that he became a stray although Animal Control says that he is a runner. So maybe he ran away?
Here are a couple of poor pictures that I took, with my Fire 8, of him this morning after removing the cone. Maybe get some better pictures after he settles down more. He is rather skittish but much better today than yesterday so there is hope for his improvement.That is all I have for now. He will be getting three walks per day so that is going to add a little to my activity.
15 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
The low this morning was 38.7° but the wind chill was near freezing. Total cloud cover but little chance of rain with an expected high of only 57 and still only 40 at 9:00 am. The next 5-6 days are forecast to be much the same. Not so good.
Walking two dogs at the same time is a new experience for me. If they were both leash trained it would not be bad but I have one that is a bit of a wild child. It is an experience. HA
I was only a poor dog, I had no name, no country and took the name of Erik by accident. — An edited quote from Erik in The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston LerouxClick on the photo and open it in a new tab to get a much better view of my Erik.
From The Twilight Zone.
Imagine, if you will…
A virus so deadly that you have to be tested to know you have it.
I have not been Covid tested this week but have had what I consider to be a common cold which is also caused by a virus. The sneezing, sore throat, and a runny nose, which are more traditionally associated with the common cold are also symptoms of the Covid-19 Omicron variety. However, having a cold or contacting the Covid Omicron both provide added immune protection against the more deadly Covid varieties so they are good things to get.
16 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
The low this morning was 28°. I had my basement heater plugged in directly to power and have ordered another thermal switch plugin from a different manufacturer. It is a HEATIT ET-21 Freeze Thermostatically Controlled Outlet – on at 38F /off at 50F. Maybe get it early next week when the forecast claims it will warm up.
I’ll be requesting another refill from the VA Pharmacy today as well. Maybe they will mail it to my address here then again they may not.
Erik and Patches are doing well. They have had a couple of minor dust ups but Erik has moved into Patches’ bed part of the time. Sometimes when Patches is in it also so they are getting along better than I expected. With a dog not as obedient as Patches is I would have a hell of a time. Feeding time is a little dicey but we are all getting through it.
Opera is a riveting story that revolves around the young, Swedish Christine Daaé. Her father, a famous musician, dies, and she is raised in the Paris Opera House with his dying promise of a protective angel of music to guide her. After a time at the opera house, she begins hearing a voice, who eventually teaches her how to sing beautifully. All goes well until Christine’s childhood friend Raoul comes to visit his parents, who are patrons of the opera, and he sees Christine when she begins successfully singing on the stage. The voice, who is the deformed, murderous ‘ghost’ of the opera house named Erik, however, grows violent in his terrible jealousy, until Christine suddenly disappears. The phantom is in love, but it can only spell disaster.
Gaetz has been in the crosshairs of the Establishment for a long time as has Bannon so it is not surprising that what he said in this quote did not get any Main Stream Media coverage. That does not mean that what he said is not the truth. The Establishment’s foreign policy is the same as their domestic one — OBEY!
Only in the beltway of Washington, DC do people seem to care more about the border between Russia and Ukraine than the border between the United States and Mexico. What they’re talking about — massive movements of troops, is precisely the provocation that [Vladimir] Putin is looking for as a pretext to engage in military action.
And by the way, if he does, why do we give a damn? If Vladimir Putin goes and gets a bunch of ethnic Russians who speak Russian in the eastern Ukraine to reunite with Russia, you’re telling me that that is some like cataclysmic critical event in the lives of Americans? It isn’t. — Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), speaking to former Trump White House aide Steve Bannon on Real America’s Voice
17 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: December 17, 1933
This morning was a shopping day. It was also the first time that I was going to leave Erik and Patches alone together for any length of time. So I fretted somewhat while having breakfast at the Horseshoe Cafe. Everything was still in one piece when I got back to Desperado so I guess they got along in my absence.
What is not in one piece with Desperado is the coach battery. I think the cold mornings have killed it and it is no longer holding a charge. When I unplugged from 120v this morning I lost all 12v. When plugged back in after the trip to town I got the 12v back.
Erik is doing as well as can be expected on his walks. I don’t think he has ever been on a leash very much. I’m just trying to get him to walk in a reasonably straight line beside Patches when they walk together at this point.
My focus right now is for him to SIT, get IN & OUT of Desperado and not have accidents in the house. He has only done that once so far and that was the afternoon when I picked him up from the vet.
Then yesterday I took a harness, provided by Sierra Vista Animal Control, that was too small for him to Benson Animal Control as a donation. While we were standing in the reception area talking Erik hiked his leg and peed on the desk. The Supervisor said not to worry about it. That is a marking post for the dogs and it happens all the time — I was embarrassed but I guess no harm done.
That has been my excitement the past 24 hours. Now with any luck we can get back to a doing nothing routine. Except, now find where I can get the coach battery checked and probably buy a new one.
I think this describes the United States as it exists today.
…like a drowning man who will clutch instinctively at a straw, it is the natural law of the moral world that a nation that finds itself on the brink of an abyss will try to save itself by any means. — On War by Carl von Clausewitz
18 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
The low this morning was 25.5° which didn’t feel any colder than the 27.7 of yesterday.
The new thermal switch arrived yesterday and I plugged it inline last night. It has a LED indicator light that is on when the switch is open and I saw that it was lit up this morning. I could also feel that the heater was working — good news and it arrived sooner than I expected which was even better news.
Walking Patches and Erik together is still an experience but it is becoming easier. Erik by himself is also doing a better walk. I had him on a short leash by my side yesterday and he did much better than I had thought he would.
When it comes to feeding time however that is an entirely different story. They both want to get to the feeding bowl rather than take turns. I might be able to correct this in time but I have other things I want to train Erik to do before I attempt to fix this issue. All in all; it is not going so bad.
If there was anything Trump should have been criticized for it is this. It certainly made him unsuited to command the army as its Commander–In–Chief.
Anyone who falls into the habit of thinking and expecting the best of his subordinates at all times is, for that reason alone, unsuited to command an army. — On War by Carl von Clausewitz
I like this meme.
A positive attitude may not solve all of your problems. But it will annoy enough people to make it well and truly worth the effort.
19 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
It was a little warmer this morning with the low at only 27°. The weather gurus think that it is going to warm up into the 40s as the low during the next 10 days. I doubt it but that would be good.
Erik has taken over Patches’ bed; at least part of the time. They share it for short periods but Patches then gives it up. No fights for it, which is good. Nothing else new on the dog scene.
Nothing much new on the bog writer scene either.
I have quoted only a small part of a good article — recommended.
The same people who marched on D.C. in support of ‘gender equality’ in the name of a women’s right to choose to murder their unborn children now want to deny the unvaxxed a seat at the civilizational table. Got news for you, folks, there’s a barbarian in this room, and it ain’t the unvaxxed.…
The push now is to take from the heretics to the COVID-9/11 Death Cult all that is left of the old world. The Immortan Joes of Davos will hoard their part of the shrinking pile of assets and send out their diseased and maniacal Warboys (and girls) to enforce this new Utopia.
Arguing with conviction the unvaxxed should be left in the cold, unable to leave their homes, take a walk in the sun, share a meal with their loved ones or have access to medical care.–Finding Strength Along a Post–COVID Fury Road, Tom Luomgo
A translation of a Russian website’s interviewing The Saker (Andrei Raevsky). It is well worth reading.
Raevsky:…The Americans say that in two years they will no longer be able to gain the upper hand in the war against China; something needs to be done urgently.
People who understand the principles and timing of the reform of the armed forces and the development of new weapons systems, the principles of tactics and military art in general, understand that nothing can be done in two years. It takes a decade, and maybe more than one.–The Russian website GEOFOR interviews the Saker, The Saker
20 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
I did nothing yesterday other than dump holding tanks and added water. Although I did do the three walks with Erik with two including Patches.
He is doing better on the walks but I have failed in getting him to obey a SIT command. He sits when he wants to not when I tell him to. I’ll continue to try and obedience train him but don’t think I know how. Maybe a professional trainer is in his future?
President Biden is the Fear-Monger-In-Chief. He said; “For unvaccinated: We are looking at a winter of severe illness and death, if you’re unvaccinated. Omicron is here. It’s gonna start to spread much more rapidly at the beginning of the year, and the only real protection is to get your shot.”
How Many People Have Died of the Omicron Variant?
HINT: It's a nice round number
We’ve seen a lot of headlines about the Omicron variant, which is the latest thing we’re all supposed to panic about. That’s how it works: You must be driven into a perpetual state of hysteria. You must never be allowed a moment to stop and catch your breath and think about what’s happening, because you might fall into badthink. The latest name for that is Omicron.
Omicron! OMG!! Run around like a headless chicken!!!
But here’s a question that none of our moral, ethical, and intellectual betters in the press are asking, because they have no incentive to ask: How many people have died of Omicron?
Like, in the entire world. It doesn’t need to be a precise number. A rough estimate is fine. You can round up to the nearest 10.
Anybody? Hello?
I’m not sure how trustworthy Snopes is, but they say the number so far is… zero.– Jim Teacher
The quote was written about war but it certainly applies to the approach that governments around the world have taken concerning Coronavirus®. If it doesn’t work do the same thing some more until it does.
Once our train of thought is set in a certain direction, many reasons which would otherwise be basically adequate to do so will not be able to deflect or arrest it. Time, repose, and a sustained impact on one’s consciousness are needed. It is the same in war. Once the mind is set on a certain course toward its goal, or once it has turned back toward a refuge, it may easily happen that arguments which would compel one man to stop, and justify another in acting, will not easily be fully appreciated. Meanwhile the action continues, and in the sweep of motion one crosses the threshold of equilibrium, the line of culmination, without knowing it. — On War by Carl von Clausewitz
21 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
I had a learning opportunity yesterday and think I learned my lesson.
During our afternoon walk Patches and Erik got their leashes tangled up one more time. While trying to get them sorted out Erik pulled his head through the collar and was now a free dog. I had immediate visions of requiring Benson Animal Control to capture him. But I called his name and he came to me.
That was the good news. I then attempted to restrain him with my hands while trying to slip the collar back over his head. That was when I learned my lesson. Erik bit me. He does NOT tolerate any grasping or hugging.
After biting me he just stood there calmly and let me open the collar, place it around his neck and refasten it. Now if I could teach him obedience commands as quickly as he taught me that lesson we would be making some real progress.
I was not sure that the new thermal switch was working these past few days. So this morning I put it in the freezer while we were doing our walk and then plugged it in when we got back.
The LED light came on when I plugged it in so the switch had opened when it got cold enough. Later this morning with it plugged in inside Desperado the LED light went off indicating that the switch had closed. So I guess it is working and I’ll put it back in line with the basement heater.
Only if statesmen look to certain military moves and actions to produce effects that are foreign to their nature do political decisions influence operations for the worse. In the same way as a man who has not fully mastered a foreign language sometimes fails to express himself correctly, so statesmen often issue orders that defeat the purpose they are meant to serve. Time and again that has happened, which demonstrates that a certain grasp of military affairs is vital for those in charge of general policy. On War by Carl von Clausewitz
22 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
The distiller has been put back to work. I have been able to start it very easily by pressing on the thermal switch that is now exposed since I removed the button and spring that was covering it. I think I know why the button quit working as a starter but it does not matter now.
There is hulled barley and oat groats in the Thermal Cooker this morning. Erik has been helping me eat the last batch. He has had some digestive problems with the Earthborn dog food that I have been feeding Patches for years. So I have been adding some of the grains because I don't have any rice.
Yesterday was the first week mark that he has been with Patches and I. For the most part all has gone fairly well. The past couple of days he has responded much better to the SIT command so I have added STAY. He seemed to understand what that command requires better than he did the first attempts at SIT. He also is doing a good walk; both solo and with Patches. There is hope!
…why should Russia interfere in any way if both the Ukraine and the EU [and the USA] are proactively committing cultural, economic, political, social and even spiritual suicide?…
From now on, the game is simple: Russia will gradually turn up the “pain dial” and see how the Empire will cope with this. China will be doing the exact same as Russian and Chinese actions are obviously carefully coordinated.
My feeling is that Uncle Shmuel will let the Europeans squeal in pain and only provide them with “firm moral support for our friends, partners and allies” while only caring about one thing: himself. As soon as the pain starts seriously biting the USA, the latter will be forced to negotiate with both Russia and China. —The Saker
23 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
The lessons keep coming from Erik. Yesterday as we were finishing our mid-day walk I stopped at the Park office to see if my VA package was there. I obeyed the rules and did not take Erik inside but tied him to an all steel patio chair that probably weighed 15-20 pounds.
I no more than got him tied and he took off like a shot. Running at full speed and dragging that chair behind him. I last saw him about 150 yards away when he turned between RVs and went out of sight. I found him with the chair wedged up against my east side neighbor's electric golf cart. So, he was running home — maybe?
I can only guess that he was abused by being tied up for long periods of time. Lesson learned — I will not tie him to anything.
Erik has also had a loose stool since I brought him home from the vet. I think it is a combination of causes; the new dog food and the antibiotics that were prescribed. Both of those would have played havoc with his digestive system.
I have added cooked hulled barley and oat groats to his dog food these past couple of days but that has not fixed his problem so I bought some baby food pumpkin for him today. Will see if that helps.
It was a shopping day with just the usual items to pick up except for the pumpkin. Then I went to the Farmhouse Restaurant which is becoming my favorite of the three that I have been going to here.
That is about it for the day. I talked to my neighbor and he is going to test my coach battery for me. I’m convinced that it is dead but a confirmation will be good to have before I buy a replacement.
24 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: December 24, 1933
Erik can pull out of his collar anytime he wants to. He demonstrated this again yesterday when we started our mid day walk. He got spooked about 50 feet from Desperado, pulled free and ran back to Desperado’s steps.
He came when I called his name and I attached the collar again. I was carrying a bag of garbage and this seemed to be what had him spooked. I guess it is going to take him some time to get over his skittishness and there is a good chance he never will.
All the news about him is not bad. His returning to Desperado and coming to me when I call his name are both VERY positive things. He is responding to SIT and STAY; not always promptly but much better than 10 days ago. He is also doing a far better walk now that Patches did after 10 days. In fact he is now doing a walk that is almost as good as what Patches does. So we are making progress.
I’ll be ordering a harness for him today and a four foot leash. I’m also going to order a dog bed/pad that Patches and Erik can sort out regarding ownership. Right now Erik takes control of the bed at night and Patches retains it most of the day. Patches needs a bed at night!
We did a potty walk this morning. There were a few sprinkles when we started the walk that became a light rain and we were getting wet. I think the total so far has been only a trace but it was enough to have both dogs doing the water shake off. Very mild temperatures with the low at 52.7° and 63 at 7:45 am.
Carl von Clausewitz’s On War has been called, “not simply the greatest, but the only truly great book on war.” It is an extraordinary attempt to construct an all-embracing theory of how war works. Its coherence and ambition are unmatched by other military literature. On War is full of sharp observation, biting irony, and memorable phrases, the most famous being, “War is a continuation of politics by other means.”
About the Author
Except for a brief stint in 1812 when he served in the Russian army, Clausewitz spent his whole career, from the age of twelve until his death in 1831, in the Prussian army. He fought in all the major Prussian campaigns against France, and his most fateful experience – the 1806 Battle of Jena-Auerstedt, in which Napoleon destroyed the Prussian army – inspired him to write On War. — Book promo @ goodreads.com
Why are the Coronavirus® case and death rates so high in the USA versus other countries. This may be part of the reason; or maybe all of the reason.
The CARES Act provides incentives for hospitals to use treatments dictated solely by the federal government under the auspices of the NIH. These “bounties” must paid back if not “earned” by making the COVID-19 diagnosis and following the COVID-19 protocol.
The hospital payments include:
A “free” required PCR test in the Emergency Room or upon admission for every patient, with government-paid fee to hospital.
Added bonus payment for each positive COVID-19 diagnosis.
Another bonus for a COVID-19 admission to the hospital.
A 20 percent “boost” bonus payment from Medicare on the entire hospital bill for use of remdesivir instead of medicines such as Ivermectin.
Another and larger bonus payment to the hospital if a COVID-19 patient is mechanically ventilated.
More money to the hospital if cause of death is listed as COVID-19, even if patient did not die directly of COVID-19.
A COVID-19 diagnosis also provides extra payments to coroners.–Biden’s Bounty Elizabeth Lee Vliet, M.D. and Ali Shultz, J.D. — first posted at https://www.truthforhealth.org/
25 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
MERRY CHRISTMAS
I have been having Verizon problems ever since arriving at this Park. I talked to my computer shop guy a few weeks ago and he said that Verizon was working on the tower. Then a few days ago they put me on a restricted data diet — I’m on an unlimited plan but they can make me use the data slower. This morning was terrible, maybe get this posted today and maybe not.We got rained out again during our mid-day walk yesterday. The afternoon and this morning walks were done under cloudy skies but no rain.
Walking two dogs this morning was nearly as easy as walking with just Patches. Erik has issues beyond a doubt but his walking manners are improving almost every day.
Captain: I got my girlfriend a wooden leg for Christmas Number One.
Number One: Was that all, sir?
Captain: No, it wasn’t her main present it’s just a stocking filler.
I close with this Christmas greeting from President Biden as expressed in the article Biden To The Unvaccinated: Drop Dead by the I & I Editorial Board
26 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
We did our morning walk under a cloud cover again and it was almost 50° which was very good. However, it has been trying to rain since we finished our walk and the temperature has not increased by much and is not expected to do so any time soon. The forecast is for highs to be in the 50s for the next 10 days with a couple of rainy days during that time.
I don’t plan on doing anything outside except our walks so only the rain will be a bother. While inside I guess the Wave 6 will get a workout.
Mandatory “jabs” for the military, discharge anyone that refuses the “jab” and what do we get? I have added the underline.
The US combat ship, USS Milwaukee, has remained in port at the Naval Station Guantanamo Bay over an outbreak of COVID-19 among the crew, the US 4th Fleet said. “USS Milwaukee (LCS 5), a Freedom variant littoral combat ship, remains in port as some Sailors test positive for COVID-19”, the fleet said in a statement late Friday.
The Navy has not disclosed the number of sailors who caught COVID-19 but stressed that all crew members had been 100% immunized.
27 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
A lot colder this morning than it has been. It froze again with the low at 28.2° and the 10 Day forecast expecting upper 30s and low 40s. Except, next Sunday and Monday mornings when the forecast is for lower 20s — I expect it will be in the teens. There is also a chance of rain during this next week. All in all, not Chamber of Commerce weather.
The baby food pumpkin that I got for Erik appears to have solidified what was very loose before. He has had two servings per day for the past four days; that is four baby servings. I think I’ll buy him a couple more just to have on hand in case the dog food upsets him again.
I have Chewy orders coming this week. I placed two orders on two seperate days and a Chewy robot sent me a message wanting me to confirm that is really what I wanted to do. Yes, I did it that way because sometimes FedEx delivers to the Space and sometimes to the office. To carry 50# of dog food from the office is not something I wanted to do.
I would have really had the robot’s algorithm spinning if I had bought the leash, harness and bed as a third order. I split those item and included them in the two orders for dog food.
Monday morning on NPR, Dr. Fauci was beating the drum about the unvaxxed being a menace to society as maxi-spreaders of omicron. Is it possible he hasn’t heard that the vaxxed are catching it at a greater rate despite their vaxxes than the unvaxxed? Do you know why? Because their previous vaxxes have de-tuned their immune systems, that’s why. By the way, so far, one death has been attributed to omicron in the US — and even that case is a muddle. And Dr. Fauci is beseeching the twice-vaxxed to go get boostered? Is he determined to wreck absolutely every immune system in the land? Kind of looks that way, a little bit.–Stop and Assess, JamesHoward Kunstler
No quotes just a link to a good article by Fred Reed. He has not posted much lately; I was afraid that his blindness had progressed.
Memes are funny because they are usually so true.
Do you want to hear a joke about Social Security?
Nevermind, you probably won’t get it.
There is also a meme that shows a picture of Stevie Wonder taking a picture of Michael Jackson. The caption read “ …makes more sense than all the crazy sh*t happening in the world right now.”
Hint for those that are too young: Stevie Wonder was blind since shortly after his birth.
28 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
The low this morning was 28.9° which felt colder than the 28.2 of yesterday. Just the thought of getting out there with my two excited walking(?) companions with the lows in the teens make me feel cold.
Last night was the first time that I have been able to feed those two companions one at a time without closing the door.
Patches would stay away but Erik is much more insistent on getting into Patches’ dinner. He finally agreed to humor me and even did a SIT for part of the time while I stood guard at the open door and Patches ate.
I spent about three hours yesterday afternoon getting the Will Rogers weekly articles prepared for another month. The first hour was wasted trying to do it using the Fire 10 with Vivaldi and Verizon. I then got the Park WIFI password and had good service from it using the Toshiba with Firefox and Linux until the winds increased. Strong winds disconnected the signal and then the laptop had to reconnect — repeatedly.
I’ll keep using the Park WIFI, and hope for calm days, until my next Verizon billing cycle. However, even before they put me on a data diet the service was poor. So I may be using the Park WIFI for part of that billing cycle also.
I need to get holding tanks dumped, add water and get some of my month end chores started. Tomorrow will be another shopping day and more chores.
29 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
This morning there was heavy cloud cover and the dogs let me sleep in. They will usually wake me when there is the slightest hint of dawn. It was very warm this morning also with me being overdressed and expecting cold.
That gave us a late start for our trip to town and shopping at Safeway. I guess everyone else slept in as well because there was not much of a crowd.
Stopped at the Benson Cafe for breakfast on the way back to the Park. That was also delayed because the waitress forgot to tell the cook the omelet was with no cheese. She realized her mistake before bringing it to me and got a second omelet cooked.
That is all that I have going today. There is an expected delivery from Chewy which I hope does come.
These, then, are three of the historic blunders that have forfeited for us the unique position America held at the close of the Cold War.
First, alienating Russia by treating it as an incorrigible and permanent enemy by pushing our alliance onto its front porch.
Second, pursuing a globalist trade policy that China exploited to become an economic and military rival of the United States.
Third, America’s plunge into the Middle East, with our forever wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and then Syria, Libya and Yemen. They availed us nothing and led only to death and destruction.
Of the passing of that preeminence we had in 1991, let it be said: We did it to ourselves.–How We Forfeited the Fruits of Cold War Victory, Patrick J. Buchanan
30 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
I got the first Chewy order yesterday. This had one 25# bag of dog food, a leash and a harness. FedEx left it at the office so I had to carry it from there to my space.
Erik would not let me put the harness on him without trying to bite me. I don’t know how the people at Animal Control got the one he had on when I picked him up. I finally got in on him after he had his dinner and was probably as calm as he ever is. I’ll donate the collar and leash that came with him to Benson Animal Control this afternoon while on our walk.
Got almost all of my month end chores done. I have my web pages prepared for 2022 also. Maybe get Desperado’s windows cleaned up later today when it warms up some. It was still only 37° at 9:00 am with the expected high to be 55 and maybe rain the next couple of days.
Probably finish the novels that I have been reading on Fire 8 today. A second one is also slowly being read online. If I do finish the one on Fire 8 I’ll download a nonfiction.
I have quoted the closing to a good article.
The “watchdog media” are silent on the transgression but are shrill in propagandizing the criminal agenda. In other words, there is no honest media to hold government accountable, so government does what it desires. This is the definition of tyranny.–Russia Is the Last Remaining Christian Country, Paul Craig Roberts
I am not a Yahoo News fanboy but I see this article, Mandates have curbed almost everything except COVID-19 cases, as a sure sign that the Covid fear cycle has run it’s course. I said on 22 October 2021 “I think we are only a few weeks away from president Biden announcing — Covid Mission Accomplished.” It has taken a little longer than I thought but it appears the Establishment has thrown in the towel.
Click link to read a good blog posting that lead me to the Yahoo article.
31 December 2021
Red Barn RV Park
Benson, AZ
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: December 31, 1933
We got rained out of our afternoon walk yesterday. Not completely but cut the walk short when both dogs were shaking off water. No rain this morning while we walked but there had been 0.23'' during the night. The forecast is for more to come today and tomorrow.
I had a good talk with the officer in charge of Benson Animal Control. She has cattle dogs so knows the breed. Everything she told me to do I think I have been doing and she seemed to think so also.
Erik likes his harness better than the collar now that I have got him in it. Maybe not liking it but liking it better. He has also walked well with it; both alone and with Patches. They have also stayed out of the feeding dish while the other one has been eating. Erik even sits right behind Patches while she is eating eagerly waiting to be served.
This installment in The Flashman Papers finds Captain Harry Flashman of Her Majesty’s Secret Service in the antebellum South, where the irrepressible, globe-trotting Victorian becomes the target of blackmailing beauties.
Evading danger, bedding women, and profiting from every opportunity, Flashman once again weasels his way into history, this time in John Brown’s raid of Harper’s Ferry, just before the Civil War. As a result of Flashy’s letching, lying, cheating, and stealing on land, on sea, and on the rails, not only did John Brown become a martyr, Lincoln became president, and the nation plunged into a bloodbath. — Book promo goodreads.com
I long quote from an article that was written by a professor that knows common English and does not seem to be Woke infected.
Here we come to the real glue of America. From the founding of the country in the fires of war, the United States has been an expansionary republican empire ever incorporating new lands, new peoples, new goods, new resources, new ideas. This “empire of liberty,” as Thomas Jefferson called it, knew no limits. Even after the closing of the frontier at the end of the 19th century, Americans continued onwards to claim Hawaii, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Philippines, and a chunk of Panama. They absorbed island chains in the Caribbean and the Pacific. They went to Europe in World War I and established permanent military bases across both Europe and East Asia after World War II. Eventually Americans gathered half the globe under their indirect rule. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, they proceeded to gather the other half.
Continuous military, commercial, and cultural expansion since Jamestown and Plymouth cultivated the restlessness, vigor, optimism, self-confidence, and love of glory for which Americans have long been known. The glue of America has thus ever been what Niccolò Machiavelli called virtù in service of “a commonwealth for expansion.” Such a republic is always in tumult, yet a tumult that, if well-ordered, finds glory.
It is this promise of greatness, this glory of the expanding republican empire that knows only the boundary of the earth itself, that has been the glue of America. Because the United States is not a nation in the European or even Asian sense, common descent, common religion, and common culture bind only parts. That common glory of imperial expansion, combined with a republican form of government through which all citizens secure it and share in it, binds the whole.
Forward motion thus becomes the lifeblood of such a polity. Without it, the purpose of the civic bonds of unity inevitably come into question. An America that is not a glorious republican empire in motion is not America, full stop. This part of the American mythos Lincoln left unsaid at Gettysburg.–The Republic’s Glue Loses Its Stickiness, Darel E. Paul — professor of political science at Williams College