Category: FWIW

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“Liberalism is a philosophy of consolation for Western civilization as it commits suicide.” ~ James Burnham

Burnham wrote that back in 1964, IIRC. . . and I do. See: Suicide of the West, James Burnham

Some folks are finally awaking to that reality:

“A Recipe for Cultural Suicide”—Peter Boghossian on Woke Ideology and the Case for Defunding Universities”

Bug *DUH* quote from a soi disant “liberal” who has FINALLY recognized the clue bat beating him about the head and shoulders

“We can’t just keep funding people who are playing in make-believe-land, cranking out information to inform public policy that’s completely divorced from reality. It’s a recipe for cultural suicide,” says Peter Boghossian, assistant professor of philosophy at Portland State University. . . “

Oh, “we” can indeed keep funding them, but it is cultural, societal, and national suicide to do so. That probably isn’t enough to stop funding the toxic waste production, though. And when we reap TEOTWAWKI, as woke dumbasses seem to desire, the woke dumbasses will just have to suffer the results of their stupidity (and our lack of will) along with the rest of us, because we have allowed far more mob rule (democracy) than the Founders in their wisdom specified, and

“In a democracy (‘rule by mob’), those who refuse to learn from history will be the majority and will dictate that everyone else suffer for their ignorance.” — third world county™’s corollary to Santayana’s Axiom

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Little Joys

It’s been a little over two years since lil rescue kitty became “Pixel,” and the scarring from a rather horrible wound from the right side of her mouth up to her right ear is almost indiscernible, now, and she has recently started allowing–even “requesting” (demanding, more like *heh*) petting along that side of her face as well.

Her “cooing” is still as much fun to hear, and she sometimes now does so proactively, to lure in some more “pets”–walks up “cooing” and “assumes the position.” 😉

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Things That Baffle Me

Here’s one: For years–decades–I have found the sound effect “footsteps” of people in movies and TV shows distracting. Effects people seem to make one person sound like a thundering herd competing with a massive storm and a traffic jam for a “Noisiest” award. IOW, I have a hard time processing stomping, clacking noisemaking with normal footsteps, and it drops suspension of disbelief into a deep, dark hole it just can’t easily climb out of.

*shrugs*

My Wonder Woman has accused me for years of sneaking up on her, but I just walk normally–for me–and it seems to her like I just suddenly appear. Yeh, I don’t get it. Had a guy living upstairs from my off-campus apartment when I was in college who stomped around. He moved out very shortly after I “schooled” him one evening on walking less like a baby elephant in lead shoes. I dunno why. ?

Oh, well.

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Another “Little Thing”

I have been sitting on a pair of really nice Lucchese boots (please pronounce the name correctly in the space between your ears, mmmK? TY.) for several years, now. They were my dad’s “cowboy” boots, and they fit me like a glove. He didn’t wear them much in the last couple of years of treading this terrestrial ball, and toward the latter part of his life not at all (edema). So, since they fit me well, why do I not wear them? Holes in the soles, and difficulty finding a good shoe/boot repair place near America’s Third World County™. Oh, I keep ’em “mink oiled” so the leather doesn’t dry out, but I’d really like to find a decent shoe/boot repair place. . .

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Just One Browser? Nah.

I have to use five different browsers (and occasionally a couple more) to do the web surfing I do. Oh, I don’t _have_ to, but different sites just work differently in different browsers, even if they use the same rendering engine. And some browsers just have features that work well for certain things. Example: If I want to do some searches on topics that are just none of anyone’s business to track (say, procedures and methods for NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS *heh*), I use a TOR-enabled browser in addition to a good VPN, etc. But if I’m just comparing some items at a shopping site I use regularly, I don’t use that one because my fav TOR-enabled browser has lousy tab stacking, so I use one that can auto-stack tabs from the same host. Just different capabilities. If there are a lot of videos on my download list for the day, I use an entirely different browser that is the one I have found to be able to do that task most easily.

And sometimes I use one that offers really nice video backgrounds on its speed dial page, just ‘cos they’re “purtier” than what’s offered on any of the other browsers I use. So?

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As a General Rule. . .

. . .the thing I dislike about February the most is people who say “Feb-YOU-ary.”

#gagamaggot

I am of two minds about the January weather we’re having in the middle of FebRuary, though. On the one hand, bitter cold with freezing rain, followed by snow does tend to keep me housebound, for the most part. On the other hand, bitter cold with freezing rain, followed by snow does tend to keep me housebound, for the most part. *heh*

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A Few of the Lessons Learned. . .

From a year of dealing with tree waste.

  • Use an arborist, not a “tree trimmer.” An arborist knows what it means to “poll” a tree. Apparently, at least some “tree trimmers” think it means to turn a tree into a pole. *sigh*
  • Know your limits and how to compensate for them.
  • While I can turn some into lumber and some into mulch, much of it just has to be burned.
  • Keep at it. Pay attention and keep learning.

Yeh, the five sycamores still standing are going to HAVE to come down this year, but I need to clear out the rest of the wood waste, first. Luckily, just about all of what is left standing will cycle through a chainsaw lumbermill setup pretty nicely, I think, if I can get an arborist to cut them down in about 10′ chunks. (that size is about the maximum I can move around, even with block and tackle, and rolling–with a peavey/timberjack– even that size up onto a modified sawbuck for milling will be. . . fun).

Learned some new limits, mostly age related, I suppose. One: do NOT tire out my “bad” knee. It is too susceptible to reinjury (ACL). Wear appropriate knee braces, too (yeh, yeh, and back support, and “arborist’s safety equipment,” and gloves, and. . . *heh*).

OK. Have what I need for lumber milling and have milled some out of this mess, but getting better equipment will speed that up. Check. Making mulch? Check. Burning other? Check. Learned a few things there, remembered others.

    1. Put largest pieces to be burned (too small or crooked to mill, too large to chip) in the BOTTOM of the burn bin and kindling on top. Yeh, I know it is counter to what your granddad taught you (mine too), but I have found the larger pieces burn more thoroughly, and longer. Longer is good because. . .
    2. I have other “waste” wood that is not really waste, just some walnut trimmings, some elm, and some maple that I can turn into charcoal. Cur up decent hardwood scraps into nice 3”x3” or so chunks, pack into a clean paint can, drill hole in lid and seal the paint can. place it in the middle of the fire you build, then burn your firewood. When the fire burns longer, more wood gas outgasses, and better charcoal results.
    3. Also: I’ve learned to cut down on paper trash taken to the curb for disposal. Paper trash can make excellent fire starting material.
    4. A wee bit of diesel is a great fire starting aid.

    So, I just need to keep at it and pay attention to processes, both great and small. There’s always room for improvement.

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Class: Missed Opportunities

Actually, non-existent, never were opportunities. For example: Ryan Paevey’s voice. I’ve only been peripherally exposed to the actor via my Wonder Woman’s affection for Hallmark TV movies. They guy has a wonderfully rich voice, but. . . good sharkey! What an awful ear! In the cases where one of the shows has been going in the background and I’ve been just enjoying the sound of his voice but. . . the script calls for him to sing. #gagamaggot Not one note on pitch, almost monotonous. Sad. His speaking voice is a joy to just listen to. If his ear were trained along with his voice, he could have a beautiful singing voice, great for an ensemble or even solo work.

But, alas! Apparently no one (or no one who’s competent) has ever taken him in hand and helped him train his voice well.

Just sad. Oh, well.

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Got It Covered–Top & Bottom

So yeh, I have a pair of nice Lucchese “cowboy” boots (thanks Daddy, RIP), but I’m having difficulty finding a place to resole them ( first world problem *sigh*). Fortunately, Ariat makes some nice ropers–and not those nasty looking ones with the square toes. *heh* Inexpensive (for boots) and not too “dressy” (the Lucchese’s one real fault; I have little use for playing dressup nowadays 😉 ) Oh, small thing: I definitely give “Lucchese” a proper Italian pronunciation, but a very plain proper pronunciation. I ain’t gonna try picking one of the regional accents. *heh*

Bug plus: My Banjo Paterson does well for work, casual, and moderately dressy, not that I’d wear it for such (cos I don’t “do” dressy now).

Oh, breaking in new boots? Yeh, saddle soap and “glove” (neatsfoot) oil. Sure they darken the leather a bit, but for these boots, that’s kinda a plus. Works a charm though.

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Be of Good Cheer

Take heart! Rome wasn’t destroyed in a day.

(Oh, and Condition Yellow, head on a swivel, watch your six, and all that jazz, too.)