August
1 August
Challis Valley RV Resort
Challis, ID
The experts weather forecast has not change in the face of reality, they are sticking to their high temperature calls of 90°. It did cool down to 95° yesterday but I'm really looking forward to Friday which is forecast to be 82, that will seem like a cold snap if it happens.I did finish the Tami Hoag mystery novel but it wasn't today it was done by staying up later last night. Went up to the office early this morning and picked up 4 books, two of them are trades and the other two I'll read while I'm here and give back. Also swapped food containers so we now each have our own once again.
The owners are putting on a feed for a group of Class A motor homes that are stopping for an overnight and I got invited to that also. There will be food and some entertainment for the group which stops here overnight each year. I'll have more about that when it happens.
I made up another batch of flat enchiladas in my Roaster today, probably enough for 4 'linners'. The first time the only enchilada sauce that I could find at Lambs was a green sauce. For this second preparation I got some red enchilada sauce at the Village Square market. The green was good but the red is better!
I still have one big fillet of cod left. That will be cooked up later in the week and probably give me 3 'linners' so shopping day may be next Tuesday. I have been going every 6-7 days but may be able to stretch this week out.
2 August
Challis Valley RV Resort
Challis, ID
I didn't notice that there was a forest fire to the west earlier in the day yesterday but by late afternoon the smoke was filling up the northern part of the valley. Within an hour after our afternoon potty walk the entire valley was full of smoke obscuring almost all the mountains. This morning I could see the mountains again but a haze of smoke remains.The wind blew hard from the south south southwest this afternoon which has kept most of the smoke out of the valley. If it shifts more to the west we will have the same conditions that we had yesterday. With the wind blowing it has made it feel much cooler today then tomorrows forecast has been dropped to 79°. I would like to see that happen; if it does Patches and I may go to the second hand store.
I found that the smoke is coming from the lightning-caused Halstead fire in the Salmon-Challis forest just north of Stanley, ID. As of yesterday it had burned 5,000 acres with close to 200 personnel working to put out the flames. I didn't read what % was controlled but a spokesman was quoted as saying that it would be some time before it was contained.
Yahoo News picked up this story from AFP (Agence France-Presse). That is probably the only place that it will be 'printed' in the US. The lame stream media would not want its US readers to be reading this story and making comparisons with the Aurora, CO Massacre.
The Joker used a shotgun, an evil 'assault rifle' and an even more evil handgun to kill 12 people. He went to great expense to gather up his arsenal over a considerable period of time and with what seemed to be a lot of planning. Take away all that fire power, all that planning, give him very little time and a knife and I would say he could have done as well as this 17 year old.
A teenager has been arrested after killing nine people and wounding four others in a knife attack in northeast China, state media reported Thursday.
The 17-year-old, who was identified only by his surname Li, barged into the home of his girlfriend armed with a knife following an argument and killed two relatives of the girl, the Legal Daily said. As he left his girlfriend's home in Liaoning province's Xinbin county, he stabbed six more people to death and wounded five... one of the injured died Thursday in hospital.
3 August
Challis Valley RV Resort
Challis, ID
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: August 3, 1924The Halstead fire was zero contained as of yesterday morning and had burned 10,000 acres. Firefighters are concentrating on the protection of homes and other structures along ID21. The wind did shift and we had a valley full of smoke last night when I went to bed, visibility was about ½ mile. This morning it was mostly clear again with a haze along the mountains on the north and east.
Patches and I did our usual morning walk and then did a second one at mid-day. It was only 71° at noon and with the 10 day forecast being for the 90s I thought today was THE day to go get used books.
It was exactly a 2 mile round trip to The Hub, and second hand store, where I picked up 6 paperbacks for 25¢ each. Such a deal and I got Patches to carry two of them home for me! They had a better selection of hardback books but I didn't want the extra weight nor the extra cost; they were twice as expensive. A good second hand store, stop by if your in Challis.
The Bureau of Labor has released their non-farm job numbers for July, an increase of 163,000, which the media has reported as good news. They are focusing on the jobs increase because the unemployment rate moved up to 8.3%. President Obama will also tout the increase in the number of jobs and Romney will deplore the unemployment rate.
The monthly report does not look nearly so promising when you look at the Bureau's historical data, by month, for Total Employed (which includes farm workers and has not been manipulated quite as much). The trend of the last two months has reversed once more offering mixed signals at best: March LOST 31,000, April LOST 169,000, May ADDED 422,000, June ADDED 128,000 and July LOST 195,000.
There is also bad news with the Unemployed going up by 45,000. The increase in Not in the Labor Force of 348,000 was favorable for the President but was not enough to hold down the Unemployment Rate increase. This is bad news for him, the media can not spin an increased Unemployment Rate as good news, they can ignore it but can not turn it into a positive.
For a government operation the loss of $833.8 million over the span of a decade is a great achievement. Can you imagine a private business continuing to exist if they operated in this manner?
Rep.John Mica, R-Fla., in a statement previewing a House hearing today said. “Over the last ten years, Amtrak losses on food and beverages have amounted to a staggering $833.8 million. It costs passengers $9.50 to buy a cheeseburger on Amtrak, but the cost to taxpayers is $16.15. Riders pay $2.00 for a Pepsi, but each of these sodas costs the U.S. Treasury $3.40.”
Amtrak President Joe Boardman told Congress in his written testimony today. "Our ongoing programs have certainly delivered measurable financial efficiencies. In 2006, our food and beverage service recovered 49 percent of their costs. In 2011, these services recovered 59 percent of their costs,".
4 August
Challis Valley RV Resort
Challis, ID
The Halstead fire remains zero contained as of yesterday morning and has now burned 18,000 acres. The wind was more from the east south east yesterday and we were spared more smoke filling the valley. This morning there was a heavier haze along the mountains on the north and east that turned the sun into a brilliant red dot.The lack of smoke was a very lucky thing for the Park owners. They had 20 rigs come in yesterday on a Yankee RV Tour and provided them the evening meal with entertainment. It would have been quite unpleasant if it had been the day before. I joined them for dinner which was a good brisket, or prime rib, with beans and 2-3 salads. Then there was apple pie for desert; the filling was tasty but the crust was sure not like Mama made, nor nearly as good as what I made at one time.
This Yankee Tour is called their Northwest and started near the Black Hills and ends on the coast of Oregon passing through Yellowstone and Glacier. A total of 37 days with short driving days and some stops are for 2-4 days. Not something that I would do nor something I could afford, as a solo it would cost me $120+ for the tour package plus fuel and other non-package meals, etc.
We also had some very pleasant weather for them yesterday with the high only going up to 83°. Then this morning the low went down to 46 which felt really nice. Patches was frisky in the lower temperatures which is not so good; she tend to be more 'on guard' and reacts to the increased activity around us.
Finished one of two Sue Grafton mystery books that I got from the Park that I want to read and give back before I leave. Don't want to read them one after the other so I started a historical paperback that I picked up yesterday at The Hub. I now have about 1 ½ weeks to finish them both.
I got it half right a couple of days ago when I posted about the July job numbers. I said: President Obama will also tout the increase in the number of jobs and Romney will deplore the unemployment rate. I got the part about Romney correct but the White House tried what I have to agree is the 'dumbest spin'. So in all fairness to President Obama I want you all to know that the Unemployment Rate did NOT go up by 0.1% it only increased by 0.037% or essentially unchanged.
Your daily technically-accurate-but-politically-cringe-inducing spin moment came courtesy of the chairman of President Barack Obama's Council of Economic Advisers, Alan Krueger, who took issue Friday with reports that the unemployment rate rose in July from 8.2 percent to 8.3 percent.
"More precisely, the rate rose from 8.217% in June to 8.254% in July," Krueger wrote on the official White House blog, adding that acting Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner John Galvin "noted in his statement that the unemployment rate was 'essentially unchanged' from June to July."
Krueger was technically accurate. But his comment raised eyebrows. Republican National Committee spokesman Tim Miller called it "the dumbest spin I've seen in ages."
5 August
Challis Valley RV Resort
Challis, ID
The Halstead fire remains zero contained, the number of fire fighters has grown to 300 and has now burned 22,000 acres as of yesterday morning. This morning the smoke was thicker along the mountains on the north and east almost hiding them from sight with the mountains to the south and west also disappearing as the day progressed.I saw 5-6 Forest Service fire vehicles at the Village Inn yesterday and today and another 4-5 fire vehicles at the Challis Lodge this morning. So the Challis economy is getting a boost from the fire plus this week it will host the Braun Brothers Reunion Festival. Festival attendees are going to fill up the Park and the increased numbers of people as well as their late night activities are going to be a problem for Patches and myself but it is good for the Park and the town.
It was only 48° this morning but is expected to reach 95 as a high. I had the A/C on by noon so there is a good chance that it will reach that. The forecast is for some more days like today for the next week and then cooling down below 90 just as I am leaving.
After Patches and I got home from our morning walk on the downtown route I read my Daily blogs and had breakfast. Then left the girl at home and walked over to Lambs Market to pick up mostly produce for salad and for my veracruzana sauce. I'll cook up the last fillet tomorrow.
My accomplishment for the last couple of days was to make good progress on the history that I'm reading. The title is The Long Gray Line and focuses on 6 West Point graduates in 1966. It is very interesting to me because I was in the Dominican Republic when they graduated and I then followed some of them to Vietnam in 1967.
The part of the book about their time at West Point was also very interesting since one of the upperclassmen that they had to deal with was a High School classmate of mine and a 1964 West Point graduate. He then went on to a distinguished career in the Army and won a Silver Star in Vietnam during the same time I was there.
I have also made some progress on the Will Rogers weekly article links for September. Not finished yet but I'm getting there. I'll probably start on my Monthly blog reads again in a day or two before I get far behind as I usually do.
6 August
Challis Valley RV Resort
Challis, ID
The Halstead fire is now reported to be 1% contained with the acreage burned now at 23,310 acres and the number of fire fighters increased to 375 as of mid-day yesterday. This morning the smoke was thicker yet in the valley with visibility down to 1-2 miles.With all the smoke in the air I could not see what the sky looked like and the chance of rain was 20% per the experts. That made for a very big surprise when we got a good shower starting a little after noon. We were heading for a high of 93° before the rain came but it cooled down a lot, and quickly, when it started. Maybe this will also do what the fire fighters have not been able, we can hope. I can also hope that it washes the smoke out of the valley.
I cooked up the last cod fillet today after letting it marinate in the sauce all morning. It was good but will be even better over the next couple of days. In the past I have had it with potatoes as a side dish but the last couple of 'linners' of the prior batch and this one will be the more traditional 'over rice'.
Another mass shooting, this one with what one lame stream media report has labeled an assault weapon. In this case it was an 9mm semi-automatic handgun but every firearm is an assault weapon when the media describes it. It is also very telling that the Sikh Temple shooting is being investigated as domestic terrorism yet the Ft. Hood shooting is still described as just “work place violence”.
Major Nidal Hasan, a former Army psychiatrist, who is being held for the Ft. Hood attacks, allegedly was inspired by radical U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Yemen in late September. The two men exchanged as many as 20 emails, according to U.S. officials, and Awlaki declared Hasan a hero.
But in the case of the Sikh Temple based only on tattoos on the body of the slain gunman and certain biographical details the FBI is treating the attack at a Milwaukee-area temple as an act of domestic terrorism. I would bet the media is doing everything they can to tie the shooter to the Tea Party also, but even if they can not there will be editorials condemning the Tea Party for both the CO and WI shootings.
I must have missed the presidential proclamation that flags were to be flown at half mast to honor those killed or wounded in WI. He did that on the day of the shooting in CO, he did it for Ft. Hood and for the Tucson Massacre. There has not been anything in the News that the President is flying to WI to console the families of the dead and the wounded. He did this for all the other mass shootings, where is he on this one?
7 August
Challis Valley RV Resort
Challis, ID
The Halstead fire, as of yesterday, was being reported as burning 34 square miles. The smoke in the valley did not get washed away by the little rain that we received and I didn't read anything about it helping the fire fighters.A few of the Festival attendees have arrived at the Park with more to come in today, tomorrow and before noon on Thursday. They are NOT going to be happy with the smoke and it might hurt both the Park and the town economy if some of them cancel or leave early.
Patches and I did our morning walk through downtown. Then when we got home I un-hooked from electric and we drove the couple of blocks to The Village Inn Restaurant for breakfast. More expensive than I think a small town restaurant should be but they do provide a big serving and good service. Then it was to the Village Square to pick up canned and packaged grocery items and to Lambs Market to get those items that I could not find at the Square.
The one item that the Square did not have was the flavor of dog food that I have been feeding Patches. At Lambs they had a small, maybe 10 pound, bag and a BIG (32 pound) bag not my usual 20 pound purchase. I probably could have managed the BIG bag but with my shoulder being what it is this old man requested some help. A little wisp of a girl gathered it up for me and took it to the checkout and then loaded it into Desperado for me. I could then drag it around inside without having to lift it.
This is the News as reported by FoxNews on-line, please notice that the weapon found at the shooting site is described as a machine gun.
Three people were airlifted to Philadelphia hospitals Tuesday morning after an early morning shooting in Norristown, Pa., The Times Herald newspaper reported...The shooting occurred at around 5 a.m. and police found at least 16 bullet casings, a machine gun and a car riddled with bullet holes at the scene, MyFoxPhilly.com reported.This is what MyFoxPhilly.com reported, please note that the weapon found is described as a sub-machine gun in this report.
The initial report from police was that three people had been shot around 5 a.m. at Arch and East Moore streets in Norristown. There were at least 16 bullet casings found at the scene along with a car that had been multiple bullet holes...Investigators believe a TEC-9 submachine gun was used in the shooting.I think some definitions are needed to reinforce the point that I am making about the lame stream media intentionally slanting their reporting to fit their agenda. A machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, submachine guns are hand-held small portable automatic weapons. The Intratec TEC-9 is a semi-automatic firearm and classified by the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as a handgun.
The reporters know the difference between a machine gun, a sub-machine gun and a semi-automatic handgun; if they don't then the editors must or there are some very ignorant people in journalism. They know that words have meaning and intentionally select those words that convey that meaning, and emotion, to the reader. They have done exactly that in reporting on this story rather than report that a TEC-9 (handgun) was found at the scene.
8 August
Challis Valley RV Resort
Challis, ID
The Halstead fire, as of yesterday, continues to be reported as burning 34 square miles but there are now nearly 400 fire fighters engaged. The smoke in the valley this morning was less which is a good thing but it still provides a haze in all directions and the prevailing winds keep blowing it this way.The forecast was for it to be about as hot today as yesterday with a 30% chance of rain. The smoke has covered the sky but I'm guessing that it is overcast because by early afternoon it is still in the 70s so I doubt that it will reach the expected 95°.
One of the chores that I did yesterday was to dump holding tanks and add fresh water. I know that you are not interested in when I do this but it helps me to have a record that I can look back to. I will not have to dump again before leaving next week but will probably do so, I prefer to travel with empty holding tanks and almost full fresh water.
I'll eat the last of my pescadero a la veracruzana today. Therefore, it was time to cook up my next few days 'linners'. This morning I made up a pot of pozole and have it cooking in the Thermal Cooker for the rest of today. I'll let it sit in the refrigerator overnight which improves the blending of ingredients and then heat up a serving tomorrow.
There is a Family Dollar store here just south of the Village Square that until yesterday was just an empty shell. I saw two truck and trailers there yesterday and maybe a dozen cars. This morning when Patches and I walked by I could see that there were some shelves erected and others partially so. It looks like they will be opening soon which will be a BIG deal for Challis.
I will finish The Long Gray Line by Rick Atkinson sometime today and then start on the other Hoag mystery that I want to give back to the Park. The Long Gray Line is the best book that I have read in a long, long time. Most of my reading is just for entertainment but this book was so much more than that for me. Read it if you have not, it was first published in 1989 but I just found it.
The only other thing that I did was some more work on the links for the Will Rogers weekly articles. If the day remains cool I'll take Patches out where she can run later in the day.
I am not alone in my opinion of the two presidential candidates this election cycle, there is at lest one more person that has the same opinion.
Marc Faber, the famous investor and strategist, says that neither candidate in the upcoming U.S. Presidential election is worth voting for, at least if the goal is fixing the economy. In fact, says Faber, the Thailand-based author of the Gloom, Boom & Doom Report, if you put a gun to his head and told him to pick a candidate to vote for, he'd say, "shoot."
Why is Faber so negative on the two candidates? Because he thinks neither Barack Obama nor Mitt Romney will have the balls to do what it takes to get the economy back on track, which, in his opinion, is significantly cut government spending AND modestly raise taxes. Rather, he thinks, both candidates will just focus on remaining popular.
9 August
Challis Valley RV Resort
Challis, ID
The Halstead fire, as of yesterday, was reported to be 3% contained with 420 fire fighters combating it, no update on the acreage burned. We only got up to 83° yesterday but the forecasters are not giving up, they are sticking with their call for 95 again today. They may be right today, the smoke has thinned somewhat and we have no cloud cover as we did yesterday. It stayed relatively cool yesterday afternoon and I let Patches run for a while until I saw her tongue almost dragging the ground, I don't think she will be running today. I made a mistake a couple of days ago when I said I would be reading another Hoage mystery. It is a Sue Grafton mystery, one of her alphabet series, that is in hardback that I want to give back to the Park before I leave. I got a good start on it yesterday so I think that will be no problem.
I finished reading Social Statics by Herbert Spencer yesterday. This has been a 'long read' for me because of his writing style/language and the philosophy that he is writing about. I may read some more of his works but not anytime soon.
The Braun Brothers Reunion Festival starts today through Saturday. As of yesterday my closest neighbors were about 75 yards to the west and to the southeast. Around noon today I had a big Class C move one space closer to me on the west side but I still have a space between us. I have a road on my east side with an empty space across the road and no spaces to the south of me, all in all I won't be crowded by Festival attendees.
The Festival is going to cause Patches some trouble however, and therefore me also, with the people from all over the Park walking their dogs past us. She has had a trying morning with all the interlopers coming by.
10 August
Challis Valley RV Resort
Challis, ID
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: August 10, 1924Yesterday was ugly. It got up to 96° with a 10 mph wind blowing smoke into the valley all afternoon. This morning all that smoke is still sitting here with the winds very calm, thick smoke that has my eyes burning. Today is not going to be much better except it is forecast to be cooler. No update on the Halstead fire but with all the smoke I can assure you it is still burning.
I finished the September links for the Will Rogers weekly articles. Started reading my Monthly blogs and will probably finish the Gafton mystery by days end. If the forecast becomes a reality I will take Patches where she can run again while it is relatively cool.
A thunderstorm shower came through in the early afternoon with heavy rain for maybe 15 minutes. This cooled it down nicely for a while but didn't wash the smoke out of the air.
I have not obtained any more nearby neighbors which is good. The group to my southwest are loud enough at 75 yards away that I don't need anyone closer that think they need to yell at each other to carry on a conversation.
The increased numbers of people in town have adversely impacted Internet connection speeds. It is always slow here but I noticed that it was even slower yesterday. Then today Verizon has been completely down for most of the day, can not get a connection or if I do it will disconnect. The park WIFI has managed to stay up but it is VERY slow. I'll be glad when the Festival is over and people leave!
A few days ago I asked where was President Obama with regard to the Sikh Temple shooting. He did not fly in and console the families of the dead nor the survivors and he is not going to be at the memorial today. So where is he? Read on.
Thousands of mourners were expected to gather Friday morning to pay their final respects to the six worshippers gunned down by a white supremacist at their Sikh temple over the weekend. Organizers initially allocated two hours for a wake and visitation at a nearby high school. But they added two hours to accommodate both mourners from around the world and U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder as a last-minute speaker...The Sikhs get the Attorney General and the Muslims get the President. The Indian press was already hammering President Obama about the shooting and now he adds fuel to the fire with what will be viewed as an insult. At the very least he should have sent Vice President Biden to the memorial.
President Barack Obama will celebrate the Islamic holy month of Ramadan by hosting an iftar (ifta) dinner Friday night at the White House.
11 August
Challis Valley RV Resort
Challis, ID
The smoke has thinned a little since yesterday but the mountains are barely visible through the haze. The high temperature only reached 81° yesterday, one of the coolest since I have been here. That is not forecast to stay however with it heating up to near 90 again today.The official rain measurement yesterday was 0.13” but it was enough to leave standing water and muddied up the ground. I didn't have patches run in those conditions although I know she would have loved it, I didn't want to try cleaning her up.
I got a neighbor in the space next to me late yesterday afternoon but they were not Festival goers and left today at midmorning. The loud group to my southwest now have some competition for my attention. There has been a T@B trailer about 100 yards to the west southwest of me that acquired 3-4 motorcycles and maybe a couple more vehicles late yesterday. This morning it looked like an ant nest of people milling around and all yelling at each other in what I assume was conversation.
I'm having the same problems with Verizon today that I had yesterday and the park WIFI continues to be VERY slow, maybe even worse than yesterday. I'll be VERY glad when the Festival is over and people leave!
12 August
Challis Valley RV Resort
Challis, ID
The smoke was thick again this morning hiding all the mountains except those that are 1-3 miles away to the west of the Park. One of my daily blogs is now being written from near Dillon, MT that is maybe 75-100 miles, as the crow flies, to the northeast of Challis. The most recent posting talks about a haze there that is smoke from this same fire.The Festival folks started leaving around 8:00 this morning but it has been a slow progression. My nearest neighbor in the west side was gone by 10:00 and those to the southeast by 11:00. The majority of the vehicles around the T@B were gone by 10:00 but the trailer appears to be staying. Both of those groups were much quieter this morning but I'm not sorry to see them go.
I prepared my 3x5 card with notes for my departure next Wednesday. The route is simple enough but I wanted to plan my breakfast stop, gas stop and where to pick up groceries.
The Obama campaign staff are sharpening their knives in preparation for carving up Representative Ryan now that he has been chosen as Romney's Vice President running mate. It didn't take long for the lame stream media to jump on board. I find what Ryan Lizza had to say in an article for The New Yorker to be very biased. President Obama didn't even have the summer job experiences that Paul Ryan had and he gets a pass on private-sector experience.
Ryan has no significant private-sector experience. Besides summer jobs working at McDonald’s or at his family’s construction company, or waiting tables as a young Washington staffer, Ryan has none of the business-world experience Romney frequently touts as essential for governing.
13 August
Challis Valley RV Resort
Challis, ID
The smoke remains thick again this morning. I see no respite from it now until I leave. I'll also be leaving high temperatures in the upper 80s and lower 90s for highs that are near 10° cooler.I did laundry soon after finishing our morning walk. The Festival people are now gone and there are only about 4 rigs remaining in the Park with none of them in the laundry room this early. I then went to the Park office and turned in the laundry room key and traded for another book. I'll now have a full library of unread books that should keep me well entertained until I get back to Pahrump.
I had first thought I would get back there on September 22nd but have changed my thinking. I'll probably make it back a week earlier than that and face the higher temperatures for an additional week.
Henry Bldgett is quoted below in what I think is the most important thing about Paul Ryan's selection. Now Romney has selected not only a V.P. but has also selected a specific economic plan whether he likes it or not. No more generalities, the Republicans can now say this is what we are going to do and ask President Obama, what is your plan?
Maybe this will force the Obama Campaign to also tell us what he is going to do to take us Forward. Maybe it will force the campaign to do something other than tell us what a bad person Romney is, although I doubt it. Maybe it will force an open debate about which hard choices the country wants to make; do we want to adopt the governmental policies of France and Spain or do we not?
It's important to note that Paul Ryan deserves of credit for publishing a specific deficit reduction proposal. Unlike other Congress-folk, who eagerly condemn America's budget mess but offer no specific solutions for it, Ryan was brave enough to actually publish a specific plan.Here is what President Obama had to offer to those attending a fund raiser in Chicago yesterday. I'm all for some of that 'shared prosperity'; you work hard and prosper and I then get a share, I think the majority of the voters will buy into that. Is this a replacement for 'spreading the wealth around' as determined by some political focus group?
Ryan's basic premise in his budget proposal is right: The country's current fiscal path is unsustainable, and if we do nothing, we're screwed. You can disagree with Ryan's future assumptions and how he proposes to solve the problem (many Americans will very much disagree), but at least he's acknowledging the problem and offering a solution. The Democrats, meanwhile, and even Mitt Romney, just keep making vague references to the need for deficit reduction. It's time both sides acknowledge the fiscal crisis, publish their respective proposals, and start making hard choices. Ryan deserves credit for sticking his neck out.
The question in this election is which way do we go? Do we go forward towards a new vision of an America in which prosperity is shared? Or do we go backward to the same policies that got us in the mess in the first place?
14 August
Challis Valley RV Resort
Challis, ID
Patches was up and ready to go this morning at about 5:15 when it was still pitch dark. This was good in a way because she has not seemed to be her usual self that past few days. I didn't get up until 5:30 and we then did an abbreviated walk to the south.When we got home I fed her breakfast and I then went to have mine. I walked over to The Village Inn Restaurant where I got the same big breakfast that I had last week. A good place to eat and very convenient to the Park.
It continues to be hot, around 90°, and very smoky. We have had very calm winds so the smoke has just been laying in the valley. That is until early this afternoon when the west wind picked up. With the additional smoke it is now as bad, or worse than it has ever been.
I can not see any escape from it in the near term except leave which I'll be doing early tomorrow. I dumped holding tanks and took on more fresh water this morning after my breakfast so I'm ready.
At noon Patches and I took a short walk to Lambs Market to access some of my money from a Credit Union ATM. Then crossed over to the west side of US93 and stopped at The Pizza Shoppe on the way home. There I ordered a White pizza which is olive oil and garlic sauce, parmesan and mozzarella topped with spinach and artichoke hearts. Walked on home and had the pizza delivered. This is the first White that I have had and I like it, a lot.
I think this may be another example of not letting a crisis, or tragedy, go to waste. The federal government is going to try using the mass shootings as an excuse to disarm the civilian population while they 'arm' up any and all federal agencies (the National Weather Service?). What is it that they have in mind that is going to cause such civil unrest; maybe suspending the November elections? I can not see the people of this country out in the streets protesting as they do in Europe because of the economic conditions, it will have to be something else.
While the establishment demonizes the second amendment in light of recent mass shootings and legislation is prepared to ban the sale of large quantities of ammunition online, the federal government is acquiring ammunition at levels necessary to fight a full scale domestic war.
Why would the National Weather Service need to purchase large quantities of powerful ammo? That’s the question many are asking after the federal agency followed in the footsteps of the Department of Homeland Security in putting out a solicitation for 46,000 rounds of hollow point bullets.
The NWS is following its federal counterpart the DHS in securing large quantities of ammo. Back in March, Homeland Security purchased 450 million rounds of .40-caliber hollow point bullets, prompting questions as to why the DHS needed such a large amount of powerful bullets merely for training purposes.
The DHS is also planning to purchase a further 750 million rounds of different types of ammo ...recently put out an order for riot gear ... recently purchased a number of bullet-proof checkpoint booths that include ‘stop and go’ lights. The federal government is clearly gearing up for the likelihood of civil unrest on a scale that could outstrip what we’ve already seen in countries across Europe.
15 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
We did a short potty walk this morning before leaving Challis. Got back home, fed Patches breakfast and unhooked electric. That put us on the road a few minutes after 6:00.I had looked up 'the' place in Arco, ID to eat breakfast but Google did it to me again by locating the restaurant where it is not. Went a little out of my way looking for it and a gas station. After buying $35 worth of gas I got correct directions to Pickles Place.
I have always avoided restaurants that have big signs on their roof that say EAT. However, in Arco you don't have much choice and I had a good breakfast there.
The route today was 244 miles with a few extra miles because I got lost both times I stopped. The second time was in Twin Falls, ID where I was in the wrong lane at the wrong time and then got on the wrong road trying to get back where I should have turned. The route was simple enough US93 & US93 Business but town driving is tough on me.
I did finally get to Smith's where I filled up with gas. Then moved over in front of the food store and filled up the pantry with groceries. I will probably make two more trips back to Twin Falls for food while I'm here in Jackpot, that is the only choice.
I was hoping to get away from the smoke but never did. I drove out of the smoke from the Halstead fire and into the smoke from the Castleford fire.
This fire was one of the largest in the nation back in July. But there are multiple fires burning around Twin Falls now that are also contributing to a haze that hides all the mountains around Jackpot. It is not as bad as Challis but it is not good and I can only hope that they put them out and the wind comes up and blows all the smoke away.
Romney and Ryan are catching flack from the right, left and center with support for the ticket coming only from the rank and file that may vote for them. Mr. Romney's catastrophic blunder, as those in the Beltway and the media see it, is that he chose a running mate who does more than talk about reforming government. He's really tried to do it, and this is simply not done in Presidential politics.
ObamaCare is going to be good, very good, for some doctors and for some patients that can afford those doctors. Concierge medicine (also known as direct care) is a relationship between a patient and a primary care physician in which the patient pays an annual fee or retainer. In exchange for the retainer, doctors provide enhanced care. The following is from Why the Doctor Can't See You by John C. Goodman in The Wall Street Journal.
For a fee of roughly $1,500 to $2,000, for example, a Medicare patient can form a new relationship with a doctor. This usually includes same day or next-day appointments. It also usually means that patients can talk with their physicians by telephone and email. The physician helps the patient obtain tests, make appointments with specialists and in other ways negotiate an increasingly bureaucratic health-care system.
Here is the problem. A typical primary-care physician has about 2,500 patients (according to a 2009 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), but when he opens a concierge practice, he'll typically take about 500 patients with him (according to MDVIP, the largest organization of concierge doctors): That's about all he can handle, given the extra time and attention those patients are going to expect. But the 2,000 patients left behind now must find another physician. So in general, as concierge care grows, the strain on the rest of the system will become greater.
I predict that in the next several years concierge medicine will grow rapidly, and every senior who can afford one will have a concierge doctor. A lot of non-seniors will as well. We will quickly evolve into a two-tiered health-care system, with those who can afford it getting more care and better care. In the meantime, the most vulnerable populations will have less access to care than they had before ObamaCare became law.
16 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
I have discovered that Weather Underground defaults with reports for Jackpot, NV that are NOT for the town location. Their reports are coming from a site that is at an altitude of 7,000 whereas Jackpot is at 5,200 or almost identical to Challis. Therefore, my hoped for lower temperatures are not going to be forthcoming.That is the bad news, the good news is that starting next week the highs will be in the mid-80s rather than the 91° that we experienced yesterday. As I said yesterday, I do have smoke here but it is not nearly as bad as it was in Challis. The move has been a good one for that reason.
I am in what they call the upper portion of the Park which is cheaper but has its drawbacks. Only the north row of spaces has mature tree shade which I can live without. The middle row spaces are pull through that I have found to slope slightly downhill toward the east. The southern row spaces are all back in and they slope toward the north.
I took a back in yesterday because that was all that was available. This morning a space opened up in the north row but I prepared breakfast before moving to it and I was too late. Moved to the center row and could not get level so I tried another space in the middle row and have probably ½ bubble in the level which is good enough.
The other downside is the restrooms and laundry are in the lower portion of the Park which is about .2 of a mile walk. This is also not a deal breaker now that I'm mobile once again. There was a time early in the year when that distance would have made me like twice about taking a space in the upper portion of the Park. I had also considered the drive back to Twin Falls for groceries a downside but they now have a General Market here which may reduce the number of trips or maybe eliminate them.
All in all it is not too bad a Park to spend some time. It looks like about 1/3 of the spaces in this upper section are filled with overnighters and the rest are longer stays. A few of them are construction workers that may be working on the road improvements not far north of Jackpot.
What is going on? Is the federal government paranoid? Or do they have something planned that will cause such civil unrest that ALL agencies must be prepared to 'shoot to kill'. The military uses metal jacketed bullets because hollow point bullets have been illegal in international warfare since 1899 but they are obviously good for domestic use.
First it was the Department of Homeland Security, then it was the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and now the Social Security Administration is set to purchase 174,000 rounds of hollow point bullets that will be delivered to 41 locations across the country. A solicitation posted by the SSA on the FedBizOpps website asks for contractors to supply 174,000 rounds of “.357 Sig 125 grain bonded jacketed hollow point pistol ammunition.”
Despite initially asking the bullets to be delivered to the National Weather Service, NOAA claimed this was a “clerical error” and insisted the ammunition was being sent to the Fisheries Office of Law Enforcement. Why powerful hollow point bullets that are designed to tear apart internal organs are needed for practice shooting at paper targets has not been explained.
17 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: August 17, 1924It is not very far from the Park to raw desert but Patches and I stayed on Progressive St that turned to gravel east southeast of town. There I turned her off leash and let her run for maybe a mile. She had her pack on but that didn't seem to inhibit her nor keep her from having fun. Tongue was hanging out when I finally called a halt and we went home.
I think most of the smoke here is coming from the Minidoka Complex fire that is burning 15 miles east of Twin Falls, ID. The latest report that I can find says that it has burned over 97,600 acres and is 44% contained with a projected containment by this weekend. I can only hope that the projection is correct and the smoke will diminish. There are more fires around Twin Falls also but nothing of this size.
The Halstead fire that I left has now burnt over 77,000 acres and is still only rated as being 3% contained. I am better off here that is for sure. Visibility here is given to be 10 miles whereas it is 2.5 miles in Challis today.
The new location has not changed my routine any. Jackpot is also not much of a destination so it matches my life style fairly well. I don't want to do much and there isn't much to do. HA
I do have a much better Verizon connection than I did in Challis which allows me to web surf more. The last few days that I was there I had almost no Verizon and the Park WIFI was very slow. I think that both signals were coming from the same tower and the Festival did some damage that they had not completely fixed before I left.
On July 31, 2012 I reported that there had been a hammer attack in New York and suggested that Mayor Bloomberg enact a hammer control law. I don't know if this was a copy cat or not but it is obvious to me that it has become a national problem and the Federal Government needs to pass some hammer control legislation.
Police say a 13-year-old South Texas boy has been accused of using a hammer to beat his mother. Corpus Christi police said Monday that the child has been charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon-family violence.
18 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
Patches and I did a walk around part of the airport, past some of the golf course to the trash incinerator facility. This was an out and back route but I may do some exploring and see if I can turn it into a loop. Either way it will be one of our walks in the days that we are here.The Minidoka Complex fire is now reported to be 97% contained and the smoke does seem to be less. Whereas the Halstead fire that I left has now burnt over 84,000 acres, is still only rated as being 3% contained with a contained date now shown to be October 16th. That is going to make it very, very miserable in Challis for a long, long time.
I finished a mystery by Elizabeth George today. I don't know if I traded for this or if I bought it at The Hub. She is an American but writes mystery novels that are placed in England with British dialog that includes slang and what we consider a strange English language. It was very good. I have started another book that I do remember that I bought simply because of its unusual size for a paperback.
I made up a batch of flat cheese and onion enchiladas today that should give me 'linners' for the next 4 days. I had cod a la veracruzana for the past couple of days and have maybe 6 meals of frozen cod in the freezer. I did a quick walk thru of the General Store here and I think I may only go back to Twin Falls once but a shopping trip here will be the true test.
I think President Obama may be trying to cover his mistake by sending the Attorney General to the Sikh shooting memorial. I am not so sure that sending Michelle at this late date is going to do it. The President himself went to all the other mass shooting sites but he keeps sending surrogates to the Sikhs. I would be miffed if I were them.
U.S. first lady Michelle Obama on Thursday will meet with families of victims of the shooting rampage at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin earlier this month, a White House aide said on Saturday.The report of federal government agencies purchasing large quantities of hollow point ammunition have been nothing more than speculation and conspiracy theories. So says the federal agencies. I still find that to be a LOT of ammunition just for mandatory training. I also question the use of 'obscure' to describe the Social Security Administration or Homeland Security in this News report.
Obscure federal agencies triggered a firestorm of conspiracy theories this week after they put out orders for thousands of rounds of deadly hollow-point bullets. But the agencies, most recently the Social Security Administration, are trying to put a damper on the speculation -- noting the ammunition is "standard issue" and simply used for mandatory federal training sessions.
19 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
We did a shorter walk this morning along US93 out and back through the 'town' of Jackpot. I would guess that the entire town is 8 blocks long by maybe 4 blocks wide with a population of around 1,300. That makes it about the same size as Challis in population but the housing here is a lot of apartments rather than stand alone homes.There is one school which has all grades through high school with approximately 20 graduates in the senior class. Talk about knowing everyone in your class, this is the school. The town economy is supported by gambling and tourist with Cactus Pete's being the largest and three small ones.
It was much cooler for part of the day that started off with an overcast sky and a brief shower in mid-morning. Then a slight breeze was blowing until mid-afternoon keeping it very nice but when it died it began to feel hot rather quickly. The forecast is for it to be back near 90 again tomorrow but then cooling back down to todays lower 80s.
Didn't do anything except read my new novel and some more Monthly blogs. Patches was equally busy; snoring up a storm while in her favored sleeping position on the couch.
This is from an article Barack Obama Runs On Empty And Toward Defeat by Douglas Mackinnon posted on Investors.com. I think he may be writing based on wishful thinking although what he says may be true. There are enough people that are now dependent upon the federal government that will vote to re-elect Obama to preserve their 'rights' and the new 'rights' that he promises.
The Obama of 2012 has nothing positive to run on. Nothing. And guess what? He, more than anyone else in his White House or campaign, knows it.
He knows his election and presidency were social engineering gone wrong. He knows his biography is unraveling faster than the baseball that Roy Hobbs crushed into the rain in the movie "The Natural." He knows that he has run out of all options but one: Go negative on Mitt Romney 24/7 and hope a heretofore compromised mainstream media will once again unethically act as his surrogate.
Unfortunately for Obama, two massive holes exist in his "demonize Romney with an assist from the media" campaign tactic. First, most Americans who are paying attention to this contest have come to the conclusion that Romney is a very decent and moral person who does have a fairly impressive business background coupled with some other real-world experience.
20 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
It was raining again yesterday afternoon when Patches was encouraging me to go walk. I let her out to potty beside Desperado and she was happy to jump back inside. She then continued to bug me so when it seemed to have quit we went for a walk. Had to cut it short when the rain came back and we got WET. This time she seemed to be Happy Dog.We have a clear sky today with the morning low down in the low 50s. The high to be in the upper 80s then dropping down slowly to 80 by Saturday. If there is a breeze those temperatures are very nice but if it is calm I need the A/C for part of the afternoon.
Hecla stock price took a big hit at the beginning of this month but has come roaring back with over a 10% gain as of trading today. That caused me to place trade orders to buy the Dec12 Put option that I had sold short and sell Jan13 Put options at a higher strike price. As of the market close today I did not get a fill on the trades but I'm close so I'll leave the order open for at least this week.
This excerpt is from What Americans need to remember when Obama talks about Medicare by Karl Rove on FoxNews.com. I know most of my liberal readers will discount the information because of the author and where it was published but the facts are what they are. When President Obama claims that Romney/Ryan plan to destroy Medicare as we know it he is only telling a half truth, he fails to mention that what he is doing will also destroy it.
Mr. Obama is required by law to respond to the “Medicare trigger,” a forecast from the Medicare Trustees that general revenues will be required for 45% or more of the program's outlays within a seven-year period, which signals that Medicare is financially unsustainable.
Specifically, Section 1105 of Title 31 of the U.S. Code requires:
“If there is a Medicare funding warning under section 801(a)(2) of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 made in a year, the President shall submit to Congress, within the I5-day period beginning on the date of the budget submission to Congress under subsection (a) for the succeeding year, proposed legislation to respond to such warning.”
The Medicare Trustees have issued this warning every spring for the past five years, but only President George W. Bush followed the law, submitting legislation to Congress in 2008 that lowered general revenue spending to the 45% level, restoring Medicare to financial sustainability. The measure was introduced in the House and the Senate, but the Democratic Congress under Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Harry Reid failed to ever consider the measure.
Though the Medicare Trustees issued a warning in 2009, 2010, 2011, and again this spring, Mr. Obama has ignored the law each year and failed to submit the required legislation to Congress. His neglect has not gone unnoticed, as members of his own Cabinet have reminded him of his duty to do so, and Congressman Paul Ryan wrote a letter with Senator Jeff Sessions earlier this year demanding the president act.
21 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
Patches and I did a walk along US93 to the southern edge of 'town' this morning then back north on US93. When we got home I fed her breakfast and I went to Cactus Pete's to have mine.The cafe´ there is called the Desert Room which has a sign that says they open at 7:00. I stopped by on the way home and saw that there were people being served at about 6:15 so went back early. Breakfast was nothing special but was a break from eating my own cooking for a change.
When I came out of the casino I walked into a light sprinkle that surprised me. There were scattered clouds but nothing that looked much like it was carrying rain. That was all it did, sprinkle, no rain to speak of. There were clouds building from the west that looked like they may bring some rain and the forecasters give it a 25% chance.
In the Soviet Union psychiatric hospitals known as "psikhushkas" were used by the authorities as prisons in order to isolate hundreds or thousands of political prisoners from the rest of society, discredit their ideas, and break them physically and mentally. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, it was often reported that some opposition activists and journalists were detained in Russian psychiatric institutions in order to intimidate and isolate them from society. In modern Russia, human rights activists also face the threat of psychiatric diagnosis as a means of political repression. Has the United States federal government now adopted these practices?
A former Marine involuntarily detained for psychiatric evaluation for posting strident anti-government messages on Facebook has received an outpouring of support from people who say authorities are trampling on his First Amendment rights.
Col. Thierry Dupuis, the county police chief, said Raub was taken into custody upon the recommendation of mental health crisis intervention workers. He said the action was taken under the state's emergency custody statute, which allows a magistrate to order the civil detention and psychiatric evaluation of a person who is considered potentially dangerous.
22 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
In my posting of July 12, 2012 I said the following:I have sold (HL) Hecla 4.50 Dec12 Puts for $0.74/share with cash-on-hand with my broker to provide the 'cover' if the Put is exercised.
There are two outcomes to this trade. First, the stock moves up above $4.50 before December 21, 2012, the Put expires worthless and I have made $0.74/share. Second, the stock does not move up, the Put is exercised and I must buy the stock for $4.50/share giving me a cost basis of $3.76/share...
There was a third outcome that I failed to mention and that was to cover my sale by buying the Dec12 Put. That is what I decided to do and the trade was filled near the market close yesterday. Because the Hecla stock price has gone up approximately $0.75/share I was able to buy the Dec12 Put for $0.24/share giving me a profit of $0.50/share.
Full disclosure, I would have made a larger profit by buying and then selling the stock. However, if the stock price had declined I would end up with a lower cost basis by selling the Put. I'm willing to give up the opportunity of a greater reward for 'some' protection against loss.
I filled the second trade order this morning. That was the sale of Hecla 6.00 Jan13 Puts for $1.11/share. I again have the three option that I had before: the Put expires and I make $1.11/share, the Put is exercised and I own the stock for $4.89/share or I cover the Put before it expires and take a profit or loss. Once again the market will decide what the end result will be.
Patches and I did a new route toward the Golf Course but then turned north. It was an out and back route that gives me some variety, I don't think Patches cares. She seems to be happy sniffing the same route every day if that is where I want to walk.
I finished the book that I was reading and have started another, this one I remember was a trade with the RV Park in Challis. The one that I finished was entertainment but nothing that I would suggest that you go out of your way to find, therefore I won't mention title or author.
We had a few more scattered showers yesterday afternoon which stayed very cool until late in the day when the breeze quit. Today is hotter and very calm so I have had the A/C on for most of the afternoon. The forecast is for cooler days to come, I'm ready.
California has the third highest state unemployment rate in the country, at 10.7 percent, yet farm harvesting jobs go begging. Perhaps when all the illegals from Arizona move to California the farm harvesting situation will be fixed leaving the unemployment rate where it now stands.
There's a different sort of drought plaguing California, the nation's largest farm state. It's $38 billion agricultural sector is facing a scarcity of labor. Some crops aren't get picked this season due to a lack of workers.
The Western Growers Association told CNBC its members are reporting a 20 percent drop in laborers this year. Stronger border controls are keeping workers from crossing into the U.S. illegally, and the current guest worker program is not providing enough bodies.
When asked if any local residents have come out to apply to work in the fields, Craig Underwood ( Ventura County farmer) replied, "None. Absolutely none." He is even having trouble finding truck drivers and other semi-skilled labor for jobs that pay $12-$18 an hour.
23 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
We did a little shorter walk this morning, the perimeter of Cactus Pete's Casino. Then per my usual routine after getting home and leaving Patches I walked back to the Casino to get a cup of free coffee. Not this morning however, the coffee machine was not working.I then cooked my usual breakfast before going grocery shopping. The General Store is about ¼ mile almost due west of my space in the Park so I walked to it. I did take my shoulder bag with me to help me carry purchases home. I was able to get almost everything that I wanted or a reasonably close substitute so a trip back to Twin Falls may not be necessary.
Near 90° today but cooling to near 80 tomorrow and Saturday. This morning when I got up for a bathroom trip it felt cold so I shut a window I have been leaving open all night for the past couple of months. It was probably near 50 but will drop into the 40s tomorrow or Saturday.
Doing nothing other than routine blog reading and reading my new novel. It has started out as another entertaining book but nothing to get too excited about. Making slow progress on the Monthly blog reading which has been a little over a month since I caught up with them.
24 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: August 24, 1924I shut the window again in the early hours of this morning. It felt cold again although I don't know what the temperature might have been. The day has been one of clear sky and gentle breezes. I could do with some more like this, the high today expected to be near 80 but moving back up to near 90 by Tuesday.
We did a partial walk around Cactus Pete's plus an out and back to the south along US93 this morning. That plus my trip to the Casino for coffee made it nearly 2 miles. The coffee machine was still out of order but when I went with cup in hand and begged the restaurant for some they filled my cup.
Peggy Noonan has called it again in It's the Circumstances, Stupid. She describes exactly why President Obama is campaigning on what Romney/Ryan are going to take away from everyone. He is not campaigning on what he has done nor what he is going to do. In 2008 he was for Change now in 2012 he is all for the Status Quo.
Here are America’s (circumstances) as the election unfolds: We are in economic crisis. People are afraid. Unemployment is high. Half the people in the country receive some sort of monthly check from the government—Social Security, veterans benefits, educational aid, disability, welfare. Why this is and what it portends is debate for another day. What is important now is that a lot of people don’t feel they can afford to lose anything of what’s coming in.On August 21, 2012 I posted about a former Marine that had been involuntarily detained for psychiatric evaluation. There was some good News today. There is at least one judge in the country that still believes the Constitution means something. However, this incident reminds me that veterans are loathed by the lame stream media. I think it is the left wing/media anti-military sentiment that has existed in this country since Vietnam.
A judge on Thursday ordered the release of a former Marine who was detained for psychiatric evaluation after posting strident anti-government messages on Facebook.
Prince George County Circuit Judge W. Allan Sharrett said at the end of a one-hour hearing that the involuntary commitment order issued by a magistrate against Brandon J. Raub was invalid because it contained no allegation or basis to hold him, according to the head of a civil liberties organization that represented the 26-year-old veteran.
25 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
I had a busy, this is a relative term, morning. Patches and I did the Golf Course walk again and I then went to the Casino for coffee. Machine still out of order but I did get a cup filled at the bar. So far not much different you say, that is true.I then had breakfast and read my Daily blogs (had a DUH moment when I realized I was missing one and had been for over a month). It was after this that I got busy. Went to the General Store to pick up more groceries that included two gallons of drinking water. I'll be making more frequent trips simply because I can only carry so much each time.
Then did the hike to the shower in the east, or lower, Park. By the time I got back home again I had racked up 3.3 miles of walking with an afternoon walk with Patches left to do.
All that walking didn't complete my busy morning however. I went to work in the kitchen and made up a batch of Pozole which will continue to cook in the Thermal Cooker for the rest of the day. Also made a couple of 'linners' of cod a la veracruzana that I eat today and maybe tomorrow or maybe Pozole tomorrow. Decisions, decisions.
I had a 5 rig caravan from British Columbia come in yesterday mid-afternoon and take spaces to my east. The thing about this group is they were obviously traveling together yet when they got set up they had to stand around in the street and shout back and forth to each other. If I can hear you, partially deaf that I am, from 100' away your talking too LOUD.
They did the same thing about 3 hours later before walking over to the Casino. Then again this morning as they were preparing to pull out. I can not fathom two things about this behavior: 1) What is it that they have to talk about? 2) Why do it so LOUD?
26 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
It was much warmer this morning compared to the past two. That was partially due to the overcast with virga in the south this morning. The clouds were cleared quickly with a brisk wind that kept the morning very comfortable.The forecast was for a high near 90 but the clouds built up again starting at noon, the breeze stayed, we got a few sprinkles/light rain so it stayed very nice until about 2:30. The highs are to drop back down near 80 again starting on Wednesday which will be very good.
Patches is getting a LOT of exposure to dogs here in this Park. We have also had some meetings while on our walks. She is behaving much better in both cases although still in need of improvement. She did charge out the door of Desperado again when I opened it and did not look around first. That scared a woman that had her dog off-leash but there was no harm done, Patches immediately went back inside when told to.
I got current once more with the Daily blog that I had dropped off my list. Nearly caught up with Monthly blogs and have almost finished my current book, this one was also an adventure thriller that provided some entertainment – enough said.
27 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
There was another light rain shower that started just as we began our afternoon walk and then stopped just after we got home. It was a short potty walk done under the trees to keep me as dry as possible, Patches loves that kind of rain.It is back to clear this morning with a very nice breeze, I can only hope that it continues. It is expected to be back up near 90° for a high but the breeze always makes it feel cooler. That is for me, it doesn't help Patches that much.
We did our usual 2 miles this morning. This time it was out toward the Golf Course and the turned north again. Met two young boys on there way to school and Patches barked at them. I am reasonable sure that she had a bad experience with boys of this age sometime prior to my getting her. This is the 6-9th time that she has reacted in this way to young boys, does not do so with young girls.
Finished the not so exciting adventure thriller and have started another book. The Monthly blogs are also current. I have begun catching up to current with another blog that I will probably add to the Monthly now that I have dropped a couple and made room, so to speak.
I think this man's death was the result of stupidity or he committed suicide. It is a shame that they killed the bear.
A hiker in Alaska's Denali National Park photographed a grizzly bear for at least eight minutes before the bear mauled and killed him in the first fatal attack in the park's history, officials said Saturday.
The hiker was identified late Saturday as Richard White, 49, of San Diego. He was backpacking alone along the Toklat River on Friday afternoon when he came within 50 yards of the bear, far closer than the quarter-mile of separation required by park rules, officials said.
There's no indication that the man's death was the result of anything other than a bear attack, investigators said, adding that it's the first known fatal mauling in the park's nearly century-long history.
28 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
A little excitement last evening and this morning. Don't know any details but a helicopter circled the park twice and then landed in the big empty field to the south of my space. There were three people got out and stood around for sometime like they were wating for someone. By the time it got dark it seemed like the three had been picked up of walked to one of the nearby hotels.This morning after I had breakfast at the Four Jacks there were three vehicles and a tanked fuel truck around the helicopter with one guy on top doing something. Maybe an hour or so later it took off and all the other vehicles left.
It did not appear to be a governmental copter but may have had something to do with the nearby fires. There was one burning north, and close, to Jackpot that I never saw any smoke. There was another one to the east that was showing a lot of smoke yesterday afternoon but I did not see any this morning.
Another busy day. We did our usual walk and I ate breakfast as I said above. I doubt that I be back, the corned beef hash and hash browns tasted like they had been grilled in some old oil or on a not so clean grill.
Stopped at the General Store on my way home and picked up a few things for my next few days breakfast and 'linners'. Then went to the lower Park and got my laundry done. That was two trips and added .8 mile to todays walking. I'll probably have done a little over 4 miles today by the time Patches and I complete her afternoon walk.
The story about the former Marine that was forcibly incarcerated has got legs. Not that the lame stream media is following it but that does not mean that there is not a story. It was not an isolated incident and I believe that there will be many more that will never be disclosed. Veterans are at risk of disappearing like people did in Argentina or the Soviet Union. The Department of Homeland Security has targeted them and the 'purge' has begun.
The description of ODD could probably be used to declare almost every teenager that every lived to have had a mental illness. I know we have said that they were crazy but now have psychiatrics that believe it also.
The lawyer who helped secure the release of Brendon Raub, a former Marine forcibly incarcerated in a psychiatric ward by authorities in Virginia for political posts on Facebook, told the Alex Jones Show today that there are currently a further 20 cases in his county alone that are similar in nature to Raub's detention.
John Whitehead of the Rutherford Institute also said that he had been contacted by numerous veterans in the aftermath of Raub's release who had encountered similar problems with authorities attempting to have them declared mentally ill.
Whitehead attributed the high number of cases involving veterans as a consequence of the Department of Homeland Security's aggressive campaign to demonize former service members as domestic extremists.
Whitehead pointed to efforts on behalf of health authorities in the United States to characterize distrust of authority as a mental illness under the label "oppositional defiant disorder" or ODD.
"Oppositional Defiant Disorder" or ODD is described as a mental disease wherein free thinkers, non-conformists, civil disobedience supporters, those who question authority and are perceived as being hostile toward the government are labeled mentally ill.
Psychiatrics claim that sufferers have “a recurrent pattern of negativistic, defiant, disobedient, and hostile behavior toward authority figures that persists for at least 6 months” which includes:
• Persistent stubbornness
• Resistance to directions
• Unwillingness to go along with the crowd
• Deliberately annoying others
• Testing limits by ignoring orders
29 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
It felt almost cold this morning which would have made for perfect walking weather. However, I was dragging this morning and cut it shorter than normal.Had my usual breakfast at home; that is diced jalapeño, diced greed onion, southern hash brown potatoes and Eggbeaters or two eggs maybe with some cheese. After I ate I went to the General Store again and bought some of those item because I needed them for tomorrow morning.
It has remained cooler for most of the day with an expected high of just over 80. Will warm up again for a couple of days and then back down to this same level through the weekend. That is good!
An article by Andrea Coombes for MarketWatch has the following as its opening sentence: Almost half of U.S. retirees die with savings of $10,000 or less, but that grim finding doesn’t fully describe the variability and uncertainty that characterize retirement in America, according to a recent study.
The article continues then to explain that to die with very little in savings is a bad thing. I don't get it, why would anyone want to die with a lot of money left in savings? Is this some of same thinking as “Those who die with the most toys WIN”?
In an article by James Taranto The Wall Street Journal he says what I have been telling Patches all along – You Never Had It So Good.
It's said that Canis lupus familiaris is Homo sapiens' best friend, but it's a relationship in which the dog has the upper paw. The typical tail-wagger need not work for a living, as his man provides him with food, housing, veterinary care, toys and other necessities and comforts of life. Caring for a canine is a dirty job, too. No dog ever cleaned up the bathroom after his man. Asked to describe the life of a man in one word, most dogs will acknowledge it is rough.
30 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
Yesterday was the first one in a long time that I did not run either the A/C or the fan. This morning was very cool, like yesterday, but it warmed up quickly and the winds were calm. I don't think I'll make it through today without A/C or the fan with the expected high to be near 90°. The forecast through Monday is for days like yesterday which will be very nice.There was a lot of smoke haze to the east and south yesterday and this morning. I'm guessing it is coming from two small fires east and northeast of Jackpot. One of them is almost contained and the other about ½ contained. Not nearly as smoky here as it was in Challis with visibility still at 10 miles.
Did nothing other the routine. I have been thinking however, thinking about the furniture changes that I had decided on for the living room in Desperado. I'm now thinking that what I decided is not what I want to do. Replacing the couch with a storage box and a dog bed does not seem the thing to do. That made a near zero wall clearance recliner for my replacement chair to also become questionable. I'll make a final decision after I get to Pahrump.
In an interview with Time President Obama said the following:
The president says he also wants to do a better job of explaining to the public how his policies will help the economy grow. Obama claims he didn’t do a good enough job selling Americans on the stimulus plan and the auto company bailout because he was so focused on acting to fix the economy.He has said this before. Claiming that it is only because he did not explain it well enough that the stimulus plan did not have popular support. He continues to not understand that his stimulus plan still does not have popular support because it did not work, no amount of explaining will change that.
I wish he would explain how his policies are going to help the economy grow. So far all I have heard is Forward with more of the same policies that have not worked for the past 3 ½ years. I also think that he was focused on passing ObamaCare not on fixing the economy during his first year when he was giving a speech every week for its passage rather than explaining his policies for the stimulus plan.
31 August
Saguaro RV Park
Jackpot, NV
Read Will Rogers column 88 years ago: August 31, 1924We had a nice rain shower at 4:00 yesterday afternoon which quit in time for our afternoon walk. The cooling rain and a breeze made for a great afternoon walk and let us do a total of 4 miles yesterday.
This morning was overcast and not quite as cool as the last couple of days but still good walking weather. We did not do our usual 2 miles however because Patches was still sleeping when I got up. This is very unusual for her so I took it as a sign that she was not up to par and cut the walk a little short.
Nothing much out of the ordinary today. I did spend some extra time reading about the Republican Convention. The fact that it has got the liberals shorts twisted in knots must mean that it was successful. I really enjoyed what they are saying about Clint Eastwood a Hollywood icon that has gone against the faith and spoken out against The One. I'm sure he could care less, he is an old man and can say what ever he wants, more power to him.
In my posting of December 10, 2010 I had two quotes by Chris Mathews, the MSNBC show host that had a thrill run down his leg when Obama spoke, one of them expressing disenchantment with President Obama. I knew then that he would support the President this election cycle although he had then expressed his disappointment.
However, that support has now morphed into what John Hayward of Human Events describes as an on-air nervous breakdown. Chris Matthews has been on a racism tear since the GOP convention opened. It is all he has to recharge that tingle up his leg when he thinks about President Obama. He will do anything; use any journalistic dirty trick, to see to it President Obama wins reelection. Unlike others in the so-called profession of journalism, who lie about their bias- on both sides of the political fence, Matthews is at least honest about his pure partisanship.
MSNBC’s flimsy editorial standards are a matter of legend, so it’s probably pointless to point out that no reputable “news” network would continue to employ Chris Matthews after he exploded into a spittle-flecked tirade about Republican “racism” on Morning Joe (8/28/12)...
... he’s obviously emotionally and mentally incapable of covering the Presidential race any further. He’s not just a biased journalist or strongly opinionated commentator – he’s an obstacle for even a partisan operation like MSNBC to cover the news at all. His continued presence makes it unlikely that important guests will be willing to conduct interviews with the network. It will speak volumes about the ongoing degeneration of MSNBC, and NBC News, if Matthews is allowed to survive this on-air nervous breakdown.