What would it look like?

Well this isn't the 1930s.  Different number of farmers as a proportion of the population, to start.  Different number of production laborers, but, not so oddly, a LOT more production.  But a lot more reliance on inventory supply from far afield.

So if some event doesn't look like 1933, lets hope it doesn't look like Syria, 2013.  Or the Balkans in 1995.  Here.  Over a big portion of the USA.

And it can't.  Large areas of the continent would remain untouched by direct destruction and just have shortages. 

Yeah, it's an ugly hole to speculate down. 

The Next Big Crash

Speaking of the Depression.  I keep seeing this Backwoods ad.

And I mean bigger than the Great Depression.  Not like that piddly Obama Great Recession thing.

Thing is, when the Big Kahunavirus shuts down everything, with that crash look at all like the old style ones?

Breadlines and Hoovervilles and Americans seeing famine in the their neighborhood.

Is that prepper book 'preparing for the last war'?

I mean it is neat to be able can a shite tonne of maters in quart Ball jars and other skills grandma had back in the 30s, but I don't think the next one (be it in a month or 40 years from new, whenever it comes) will need them skills.

And the picture is evocative of teaching some of those old timey skills.  Which is great and all, but, like I said...

And boy howdy I wish I had a walk in pantry like that.

But I guess I better get the thing and see what the innards of the 140 page book tells me.  Three clams on Kindle.  I'll report back.  Buy extra TP and Spaghetti-Os, in the meantime.

(and if you look close, it looks like she is putting up jars and jars of Jelly Belly jellybeans!  the Crash is gonna be delicious.)

Depression Lust

I remember NPR slavering about a possible return of Hoovervilles and Soup Lines.  I wasn't the only one that remembered Depression Lust.  I've talked about it before.

Lefties are doing it again.  I'd say they are praying for it if they had a God-fearing bone in their shrivelled poisoned little bodies.

Also, they want a plague.  Here.  Coronovirus to explode and infect and kills lots of Americans, peaking near November.  Conspiracy Twitter, so, I take it with HUGE grains of salt.  Still, it is garbage people among us wishing horror on America and Americans.  Gross.

Why?  They are sure it's the only way to defeat Trump and usher in their Communist Workers People's Glorious Revolution.

Which is telling in itself.  They don't think they can win without a crisis then their offerings must be truly awful.

Talisman 2

Update:  It's baloney.  That's what I get for following an anarchist on Twitter.

 ------------------------------


I talked about this before.

She must only talk to Leftist gun buyers.  Leftists, as we know, are super violent.  Not ALL of them, of course, just way too many of them.  Try not to turn your back on one.

Sometimes it's the simple things

Two slices of cheap deli ham.  Even Carl Buddig.  This not about the ham, it's about the rest of the sandwich.

And that is plain old store brand white bread.  I like American Cheese, but I won't judge if you are a Cheese Food Product, or even Cheez type person.

Butter.  On this, no compromise.  Dollops in the pan.

I have plenty of steel or iron pans and a gas range.

Only takes a few minutes.  Cleanup is easy enough.  And that is one damn fine snack.

If you are fancy, cut that sammich on the diagonal.

Progress on that weird news story

Progress on that weird news story I mention a bit ago. They've arrested her because she seems awful unconcerned about the whereabouts of her own minor children she is responsible for.

That's some crazy stuff going on.

Larry Hogan

Is a rarity.

A Republican governor popular in his Democrat marority state (my state, Maryland) that hasn't gotten that way by just going NeverTrump.  He doesn't march in line with Trump, but he doesn't go out of his way to bad mouth Trump or try to dunk on him.  Larry is his own thing.  Seems to a be a genuine nice guy.

But just because he is likes doesn't mean the other politicians arrayed against him want to ever cooperate with him.  They are fine with Larry being liked and a decent administrator and going with programs that are popular with everyone, but don't actually SOLVE an intractible problem created by past Democrat mis-rule.

Like make Baltimore Maryland less Bloodymore Murderland.

That would show their side all up, and threaten their cushy phoney baloney jobs.  A corrupt mayor thrown in the slammer is one thing, but lets not go nuts, right?

Since Freddie Gray riots the cops are slow movers.   They don't think the city has their back  And they are right.  So arrests are down 80%.  The cops' hearts aren't in it no mo. 

Violent

That is super violent.  More violent than 10 years of tweets I've seen from the other side of the aisle.

But I already knew they were like that, deep down.  Just hate to see it so openly confirmed.

I welcome the hatred of the crooks who destroyed our economy. https://t.co/aZcdCFpeqt

— Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 21, 2020

Vote against the Dems like your life depended on it. It does.  (You gotta click Bernie Sanders in that Tweet and scroll down to see whats on the mind of his followers.)

Drat

This time last week I was DAYS ahead in blog posts.  Ideas pouring out of my pores.   Now, nuffin'.

Reading a book.  1906.  House on the Borderland.  It's got some influential trippy colour out of space stuff going on that was a direct influence of H.P. Lovecraft and even Terry Pratchet.  Sun rise/set and moon rise/set super fast.  Space and time projection.  Like a 1960s film student project.

It's a bit racist.  Like Tolkien, the author depicts Irish people as swine headed bipedal monsters (JRR called them Orcs).  I don't get my britches in a bind reading old stuff with different social sensibilities like some sort of Social Justice Warrior, waiting to be offended at the hint of prejudice.  And Huck Finn doesn't give me the vapors, retiring me to my fainting couch. But, meh.  I don't like it either.  It doesn't hurt my enjoyment of the story, but it doesn't help it.  I don't see it out.  Unless it is part of the mood of the work.  Have offensive stuff because of the times or because the character is offensive, heck I like that. 

It's just ok.  It's an important piece because of its later influence on other writers, just like The King in Yellow is.  But I've seen this movie a buncha times because I live in 2020.  The special effects were great for the time, but now they are old hat.  And that was what the story mainly relied upon.  1906 CGI. 

The Deficit

People are whinging that Trump has a budget deficit on his watch.  But Vice President Cheney more than 15 years ago told me deficits don't matter.  And no whining now gave a Tinker's damn about Obama's deficit.

Except maybe to say it went down during his administration.  Of COURSE it went down.  It tripled his first year.  I would hope it would go down after that. 

So, anyway.  I doubt the deficit hawks sincerity now. 

Do I like deficits?  No.  Does complaining about the deficit win anyone an election?  Also no.  But did I have any on-topic blog fodder to share?  No, as well.

----

Talisman.

The power of object, the future-deodand in the hand would compel anyone to USE it.  A gun is a talisman of evil able to weave its spell.  People think like that.  People ACT like that

And.  We saw that Vice writer do just that.

This is Projection.  There is a sickness, an EVIL in those people's hearts.  We shouldn't be talking about guns.  We should be talking about these people that inanimate objects can influence.  That's madness.  It really is.  There really is a difference between us.

This is not new.  30 years ago:



By 'us' I don't necessarily mean good rock ribbed conservative Republicans.  Plenty of Democrats or further left aren't under the object-compulsion.  There are so called Republicans that shouldn't touch a gun and usually refrain.

I am just saying instead of gun bans we need to focus more on this sickness a lot of people have.  Are they crazy and need treatment?  Is something in the culture doing this we need to collectively eschew?  Do parents need to re-double their efforts on teaching right from wrong?  Yes on all three.  Are we ever going to be able to expunge such behavior?  No.  Evil exists.  But that doesn't mean the needle can't be moved a bit more in the other direction.

I'm not the sort that takes a shovel to any Copperhead I find in the woods.  For one, it isn't legal.  If I am not near a kids playground it is unnecessary.  I like snakes, too.  Live and let live.  But bet your boots I don't take my eyes off such a dangerous creature.

This is why I can be choosy about which co-workers I will take to the range.  Sorry Lew.  You were too angry and too deluded and too lefty for me to even consider it.  Don't literally froth at the mouth when talking about George Bush for me to consider being in the same room with you and a firearm not in my control.

There will be no new meaningful reformation of any sort unless Christians get married, have kids, and raise them up in the Lord.

— Michael Foster (@thisisfoster) February 15, 2020

Yeah, I don't know if that simple solution is effective. Or even provably moves the needle in the right direction. Probably doesn't hurt, but, there is almost certainly more to all this. Could be a positive single factor, but we did get here from there.

Relative Size

Oh my.

That cruiser in the backgound?  That's HUGE.  Much bigger than I'd have figured.  You can't really tell until you stand on one.  There are plenty of BB museums out there, you should check one out.

Baltimore class?  Cleveland?

How bout this?

Fletcher class Destroyer.  USS Haraden.

Also HUGE when you look at it from a landing craft.


Tiny tiny shells. Only 14 inches in diameter. Weighing about a ton.

Fun Show

It was the past weekend.  In Chantilly Virginia.

Didn't go.

I haven't gone to one in while.

I'm not browsing for a purchase or purpose.  I no longer get the giddy excitement I used to when it was new to me.  I have my crates of ammo.  Never did get a switchblade or blackjack, tho...

If Virginia 's HB961 goes through, three quarters of that show will be illegal.  Mags.  Semi-autos.  ARs. 

------------------------

BREAKING!

Cheers erupted when the Virginia Senate Judiciary Committee voted to not move forward on HB961, the the "assault weapons" ban and magazine confiscation bill, for the year.@DelegateMark, who had been pushing for the bill, has a priceless reaction. pic.twitter.com/rvvF8JiWcO

— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) February 17, 2020

Good news, for a change.

Grass Eater

Concerned about a 'Sniper Rifle.'

So, now reflex sighted shotguns are sniper rifles?

You promised I could keep my hunting irons after you confiscated my AR.

Who trophy hunts plain old feral pigs?

This guy is wrong on so many levels.

Do you think real man should hunting &killing the animals? Do u think hunting it’s a sport? See this hunter so proud of killing this poor wild pig using sniper rifle and his dogs while he filming .RIP poor pig I feel sorry for you .RT if u are against trophy hunting pic.twitter.com/BHWImWVLfy

— DavidⓋ 🌱🦇🦉🐮 (@davidsting414) January 30, 2020

Well, that inconveniences me

Virginia house of delegates pass HB961.  On to the Senate, where they seem more introspective about it.

It bans 'assault weapons'.  But that's not important right now.  It also bans magazines that hold more than 12 rounds.  THAT is important to me.

Not just new sales.  Possession.  Having a regular $11 30-round PMAG in your pocket while standing on Virginia soil will be a felony. 

Well!  That's worse than Maryland.  And gets around to my point.

In Maryland I can have that PMAG in my pocket.  I just can't buy it in Maryland or give it away to free to someone while I am standing in Maryland.  Up until now I simply travelled half and hour to a Virginia gun store to buy my PMAGs.  This HB961 will be bad for ME.  (The most important person in my world.) I'll have to drive to West Virginia in the future.  Well, until Maryland gets the gumption to compete with Virginia on gun bans.

This nonsense has to stop.

I don't like the future

I am relatively historically literate.  So my everyday conversation had references to past events.  I'd say, in normal conversation, "Well that policy proved untenable in the teens," or "they did something similar, but more extreme, with anarchists in the 20s."

But I can't do that anymore. 

Also, knowing a bit of history, I hate being told I am on the wrong side of it by people that know near nothing about it.  Imbecile.  I'm glad your legacy is nearly erased!

Law 2

Different set of laws for some...

Law

True.

If the law doesn't apply to those kinds of people, why does it apply to me?

All nations end. That’s just life. When they tell the story of the breakup of America, having one set of laws for normal people and one set of laws for people in the government club will be part of our breakup story. Nations can’t last like that. https://t.co/rOVCi4PhAB

— Jesse Kelly (@JesseKellyDC) February 14, 2020

Grocery Bags

My county taxes plastic grocery bags to combat global warming a few years back.  That made me mad enough to not care about littering or to feel bad about adding tri-sodium phosphate to my laundry detergent.

My state is considering banning plastic bags entirely.  I guess then I will have to go back to just draining my used motor oil into the storm drains.

"But T-Bolt, that's ILLEGAL!"

Yeah?  Well, prove it.  You can't DNA test the sewer effluent.  Or dust for prints.

Go bother someone else you busybodies.  For the love of Pete.  I don't want re-usable E. Coli bags.

This is as wrong headed as those EPA lawn mower gas cans that leak all over the place when you try to fill a tank.  I don't want gas on grass!  So, that evolution happens by the storm drain too.

My recycling all goes to the landfill.  Aluminum cans are about the only thing that turns a slight profit.  But my tax money goes to two crews and two trucks per neighborhood to haul two sets of trash to the landfill.  One is in a Hefty bag, the other is in a blue bin.

All this virtue signalling over a fake crisis is so wasteful and pointless.  So I will be wasteful to be contrary.

This is a weird news story

Been going on 8 months but it only just crossed my radar.  Out west.

Woman's husband is murdered by her brother.  Brother kills self soon after.

Shortly after, she moves to Idaho to be with a new beau.  HIS wife dies from an unknown illness.  The new couple marries soon after.  They run off to Hawaii, like newlyweds might.  Names are Lori and Chad. 

Thing is, she has/had two children, 7 and 17.  The children have been sorta MIA since 8 months ago.

The newly married dude is a Doomsday obsessive.  Written a couple dozen books about it, Newly married gal with missing children had recently gotten interested in the subject.  It's what brought them together.

People start to notice these oddities.

Dead wife is being exhumed for a better autopsy, because this smells fishy.  Authorities are asking her for proof of life of her minor children, but she has not complied.

Like I said.  Weird.  Messed up man.  And why is it only now spreading to the news consciousness back east?