Tuesday - December 29, 2015

the fix is in, mostly

I managed to “sort of” fix my power window on the old Satrun. After lots of needless disassembly to get to the rocker switch, it turned out to work just fine. I cleaned up the contacts anyway. And instead of taking apart the driver’s door to get to the window motor and the regulator, I had somebody pull on the window while i threw the switch. And the window came right up. Slowly, but it came up. The motor is just really tired. Mostly dead. Whatever. It’s up, it’s sealed, and it stays up. And I’m not going to seek medical attention if it stays that way for more than 4 hours. I’m going to get in the habit of leaving it the heck alone. Good enough, and I know that the down switch works just fine if I have some kind of emergency. But for now, I have a closed window, and that’s good enough. Especially since it’s snowy and sloppy wet and cold today.

Not that I could install a new switch if I wanted to. No such part exists any longer. Oh sure, you can find the switch to the 4 window Saturns, the SW, the SC, both earlier generations. And I even ran across the 2 window switch for the original version of the SC. But my version? The one with the power mirror control and the Instant Down for the driver’s side? Nada.

Time for a new car. Or even new-ish.

Damn, I want that new MazdaSpeed. Come on already. I don’t know if I can get another 8 months out of this old buggy.

Posted by Drew458     on 12/29/2015 at 10:29 AM   
Filed Under: • planes, trains, tanks, ships, machines, automobiles •  
• Comments (11) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Monday - December 28, 2015

ChimpOut Level 3.5

This widely reported story about a massive flash-mob that didn’t ignite is all over the news. Not a single story mentions race, and almost none of them have a crowd shot in their videos. So, when in doubt, make the effort to track down the source report:

Multiple disturbances forces Mall St. Matthews to close early

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Mall St. Matthews was supposed to close at 10 p.m. Saturday for holiday shoppers, but instead it closed more than hour before due to what some may describe as a riot.

“We started heading towards the exit and we saw larger numbers of teenagers and they started kind of running and congregating in one area, and then all the police, all the security started running that direction and then we decided it’s time to head the other direction,” said Chuck Hibbs. 

There were between 40 to 50 officers from various local law enforcement agencies on scene, surrounding the entire mall and trying to break up the large group of young people outside the mall. 

Around 7 p.m. police responded to several disturbances at Mall St. Matthews, including fights.

Officers also received reports about shots fired inside the mall and in the parking lot, but those reports have not been confirmed.

No injuries have been reported and no one has been arrested.

Police said the hundreds of young people were running around the mall, through doors and into the parking lot.

At one point, dozens of them were running toward the WLKY camera as we filmed.

Police believe the young people were middle schools and high schools ages. They said there were between 1,000 and 2,000 of the juveniles.

A police chopper was also monitoring the situation from above.

St. Matthews police spokesman Dennis McDonald said the Police Department’s command staff called TARC to request extra buses in the area to transport the young people, many who were without their parents, away from the area.

McDonald said it was tough to make any arrests, because officers were too busy breaking up the large group of disorderly young people.

“I don’t believe this was organized, I believe this was random. I believe this was a by-product of juveniles congregating and there being some disturbances growing out of that. Fights if you will. Those kind of things and escalating out of control. As quick as we would get there, they would disperse move to another location and what we’ve tried to do is just to keep them moving,” McDonald said.

There are no reports of theft or looting, no reports of wanton destruction, no reports of cars being torched in the parking lot, no gang shootings, no massive brawls. There were some reports of kids mouthing off at cops, and several reports by amazed authorities who saw crowds coalesce at one location, then disperse as police arrived to “contain” them, then magically coalesce at another location. In other words, they were being guided either by social media posts or by bulk texting. And that’s my point here: this crowd of kids was played like a violin. Puppets on a string. Except they couldn’t be made to explode, and laid back soft policing gave them no motivation either. So it was just a post-Christmas bit of fun. Or a dry run. Depends on how tight your tinfoil hat is tonight. And that’s why this is only a 3.5, when the crowd size alone is enough to make it a solid 5. It wasn’t really a riot, just a be-in. Sho-fizzle.

The day after:

A suburban Louisville mall reopened Sunday with extra security, a day after closing early when roving bands of unruly teens caused a series of disturbances that required police to bring in reinforcements to quell the violence.

The night before, up to 2,000 teens created mayhem at Mall St. Matthews as the shopping center was filled with post-Christmas shoppers, police said.

Dozens of officers from four police agencies responded to numerous reports of fights, harassment of customers and store employees and other problems Saturday night that spread throughout the shopping center, said Officer Dennis McDonald, a spokesman for suburban St. Matthews police.

Police started receiving reports of disorderly conduct about 7 p.m. EST Saturday, and the situation quickly escalated, he said. About an hour later, the decision was made to close the mall early, but teens tried to prevent some businesses from shutting their doors, he said.

No arrests were made, but “it wasn’t for the lack of criminal activity,” McDonald said Sunday.

Sputtering matches that couldn’t light the fuse.

Posted by Drew458     on 12/28/2015 at 04:46 AM   
Filed Under: • Stoopid-People •  
• Comments (6) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Sunday - December 27, 2015

A belated Merry Christmas!

Greeting, fellow posters, and a belated Merry Christmas from Brampton, Ontario.  It was warmer than usual (16C = 60F) here - the warmest in 50 years.  Apologies to the “97%”: it wasn’t the “warmest ever”.

Anyway, I came across this excellent commentary from Rex Murphy of the National Post newspaper.  It’s all about Trump and it’s worth a read.

http://news.nationalpost.com/full-comment/rex-murphy-dont-blame-trump-blame-america

All the best for the New Year!

Posted by Somnambulist57     on 12/27/2015 at 11:18 PM   
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •  
• Comments (1) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

third christmas

First we did the Christmas Eve party at the cousins, with dozens of relatives and friends.

Then we did Christmas Day here with a dozen more relatives.

Now we’re taking a day trip to do Christmas once again with a few more of them.

Then when we get back here this evening, Christmas will finally be over.

And we can start the loop all over again for New Year’s!!!

Oy.

Posted by Drew458     on 12/27/2015 at 09:28 AM   
Filed Under: • Holidays • Christmas •  
• Comments (1) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Friday - December 25, 2015

Christmas Morning

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a day free from political argument. That’s going to be hard to do.

Posted by Drew458     on 12/25/2015 at 10:28 AM   
Filed Under: • Eye-Candy • Holidays • Christmas •  
• Comments (6) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Thursday - December 24, 2015

Not Just Navy Swearing

The yellow-bellied sea snake (Pelamis platura) is a pelagic sea snake, meaning that it lives its entire life at sea, including when giving birth.  Generally found in coastal waters, it is capable of surviving far at sea.  It is the only sea snake found in waters off Hawaii.  It may be found in all tropical and subtropical ocean waters (down to a water temperature of about 63°F) except for the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and Red Sea.  The yellow-bellied sea snake evolved from Asian land snakes about 10 million years ago.  The cold waters around the southern tips of Africa and South America prevented it from entering the Atlantic.  The high salinity of the Red Sea bars its presence there.  In the western Pacific, it is found as far north as Japan and Korea.  In the eastern Pacific, it traditionally has been found as far north as Baja California.  Recently, though, sightings have been made off Southern California, a development blamed on El Nino.  The maximum recorded length of a yellow-bellied sea snake is 44 inches.  Females tend to be longer than males.  They are passive hunters, drifting with the current until prey, generally small fish, swim within range.  They then use their flattened tails to attack.  Like other sea snakes, it is venomous, paralyzing its prey before consumption.

Looks like it would make a neat looking belt too, if the hide cures up decently.

Posted by Drew458     on 12/24/2015 at 12:32 PM   
Filed Under: • Animals •  
• Comments (2) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

merry christmas to all.  well, don’t kno bout all. ok. libtards too cos it’s the season.

I don’t imagine there are many folks surfing today. Especially late as it is here. Late for me that is. Dark, rainy, cold and only 4:30.
Of course, where Drew and Vilmar are, it isn’t yet noon.  I guess there are lots from different time zones.

Might not be anyone at all tomorrow, Christmas day. But what the heck .... even if just one person happens by it’s worth the time to wish that person and all the truly great folks here at BMEWS, a (hopefully) very Merry and Joyous Christmas.  You are an outstanding group of people and apologies if that causes any embarrassment.  But it really is true.  If I have any complaint with you, it’s that none are in public office.  Not one that I am aware of is even interested.  And what a damn shame that is, because I do honestly believe and no smoke blowing here, that you folks are way brighter than the powers that be who rule us.  And btw, how’d you let that happen?  It isn’t the fault of Bush after all. It’s yours.

Hey ... your country needs you.

Posted by peiper     on 12/24/2015 at 11:31 AM   
Filed Under: • Holidays • Christmas •  
• Comments (5) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

It is America protecting its own people. We are weak by comparison.

Although something on this subject has already been done, I thought this subject was worth revisiting.

First ... because the lady is the least politically correct person in the country, except for LyndonB and myself.
And also cause she seems to be nicer to our side.  That is, the USA. 
She isn’t afraid to unload on anyone anywhere and is an automatic target of the left.  Even when she has nothing to say.

Her name is Kate Hopkins.  Take a look.

Just because Britain’s border security is a Mickey Mouse operation you can’t blame America for not letting this lot travel to Disneyland – I wouldn’t either

By Katie Hopkins for MailOnline

Nothing to see here ladies and gents, nothing to see. Just a family of eleven, off to Disneyland. A lovely big British family, off to the place where magic happens and Mickey Mouse makes dreams comes true. They’d saved hard but were turned away at the gate by ruthless officials from USA Homeland Security who said they were no longer allowed to board. At least, that’s the story you’d be believing if you listened to the BBC or Labour’s blond-bobbed maniac Stella Creasy. But there is another side to this story not being told. This family aren’t exactly conventional. They are two brothers - and 9 children… between 8 and 19 years old. All called Mahmood. I worked at Disney as a security guard, and this family doesn’t sound like the typical visitor.

This lovely big British family aren’t exactly conventional. They are two brothers – and 9 children… between 8 and 19 years old.

I’m sorry? Two brothers and nine children. All called Mahmood.

When was the last time two grown men, took nine ‘kids’ abroad on their own?

And since when was a 19 year old a child?

I was stopped on the way back the UK with my husband and three kids because we have the wrong surnames. And needed two marriage certificates and three birth certificates to make it through.

If I had been playing my usual game of ‘spot the terrorist’ at the airport, (beard -5 points, rucksack – 10 points, sandals – 5 points – be honest, you’ve all done it) I’d have been feeling a little anxious.

Without any way of knowing the truth, this is what I’d have been asking myself; where were the mothers of these 9 children? Was it just that the women’s place was in the home? Were they too female to fly? Or were they not needed for this family’s final destination?

So if Homeland Security were suspicious about the fact there were no mothers in the group, who can entirely blame them?

And then there’s their address in Waltham Forest, a known hotbed of extremism

Anjem Choudary -

Britain’s loudest extremist hate speaker - came from Waltham Forest.

And if it wasn’t enough that two Muslim men from an extremist area of England, plus their nine children were flying together without any women, to set off alarm bells there’s the fact that they have confirmed links with Al Qaeda.

Yup. Intelligence was received about a Facebook page connected to the family address, containing extremist material sympathising with Al Qaeda.

And if I tell you Tariq’s brother was also detained in Tel Aviv for 8 days before being ejected from the country (again ‘inexplicably’ - according to his wife) would you still be comfortable getting on board with them?

So I have a few things to level at Mohammad Tariq Mahmood.

Mo. I put it to you that you and your lovely British family were not off to Disneyland at all. I am not buying your story.

I find it utterly improbable two men with the entire Mahmood clan were travelling without the company of a wife or mother to such a family-orientated destination.

I have worked in Disneyland as a Security Guard. You don’t sound like our typical visitor group.

If Israel had reason to detain your brother, I suspect the good men from USA Homeland Security also had their reasons. They make their policy absolutely clear; no one is automatically admissible to the USA.

‘In order to demonstrate they are admissible, the applicant must overcome all grounds of inadmissibility’.

In other words, you are considered unwelcome unless you can prove them wrong.

Stick my tough old arse in a uniform and call me Nicholas Brody.

An email sent from your computer sympathising with Al Qaeda Mahmood? Computer says no.

The entire Mahmood mafia of two brothers travelling with a brood of 9 without any women? Computer says no.

Detained in Tel Aviv and ejected from Israel. Computer says no.

Neighbours with Anjem Choudary in Extremist Central – Waltham Forest. Computer says no.

So actually, ladies and gents there is quite a lot to see here. And it is not the discrimination of innocents at Gatwick. It is America protecting its own people. We are weak by comparison.

I congratulate the USA Homeland Security Force for a job well done.

My opponents can carry on with their lazy labels. Call me racist (Islam is not a race). Report me for my tweets. (You can’t prosecute the truth) and threaten my life. (Nothing new from the peace-loving liberal left.)

But it will not stop me from giving balance to the total mis-telling of a story about this lovely British family off to Disneyland to make dreams come true.

HOPKINS

Posted by peiper     on 12/24/2015 at 10:26 AM   
Filed Under: • Homeland-Security •  
• Comments (2) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

crivens

Neighbor called me up this evening, tells me my car’s trunk lid is open. And we’re having a deluge. Of course. So I grab a jacket and run out and check, and it’s not my car, it’s hers. So I close the lid, thank you kind neighbor, and I’m soaked. And the rain stops. Mostly. I’m very glad we’re having a bit of a weather anomaly right now, because we’re getting a solid week of rain, still needed from our rather dry summer. But if it was cold, and all of that was snow instead, we’d be buried. Kind of just like last year. I don’t want to go through that again, ever.

Right. So I get dry, get some food in me, and go off to my evening job. And it starts to rain again, but not so hard. And the driver’s side power window gives out, 3/4 closed. Rats. Won’t go up or down. Well whaddya want? The old Satrun is 19 years old with a quarter million miles on it. Bound to be some issues sooner or later. And you know stuff like this always happens when the weather is lousy and when your time is short. Like the day before the big holiday weekend. So I taped a couple of plastic bags over the door, and we’ll drive her car this time. I’ll figure out how to fix the thing, or at least get the window closed.

And now, it’s time to go to sleep. First thing tomorrow, shopping! And returns! And trips to the grocery store! And housework by the ton!! Woo hoo, guess who won’t be sleeping late tomorrow?? Me!! Crap. 

Posted by Drew458     on 12/24/2015 at 12:15 AM   
Filed Under: • Holidays • Christmas •  
• Comments (4) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Tuesday - December 22, 2015

Interesting Reads

* Surprise, Germans are buying guns left and right! LINK. Gee, I wonder why?

* This makes for dangerous reading ... probably cost you your job just because of the picture. Fred puts on the pointy white hood and writes a letter to the Grand Kleagle. Makes you think. Unless you’re a liberal, in which case you have a hissy fit and refuse to read the essay.

* Completely unrelated ... my kind of recipe ... one bowl, and all you have to do is watch it ... LINK

Or follow this link for the rough ‘n ready video. Observe that the spinach is softened and the artichokes are chopped. But it’s the same recipe:

1 baguette
½ tablespoon oil
1 (14 oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (10 oz) bag baby spinach leaves
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 green onions, sliced
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
Parmesan cheese, grated, to top
Fresh basil leaves or parsley, torn, to top

I’m gonna double this one for my holiday guests.

Posted by Drew458     on 12/22/2015 at 07:02 PM   
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •  
• Comments (3) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

fun stuff from around the web

If today is the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year, then why don’t we get out of work early?



The expression on the guy’s face is ... priceless

I think that dress is called sexual harassment

Posted by Drew458     on 12/22/2015 at 06:51 PM   
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •  
• Comments (0) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

estes arer you watching?

SpaceX sent a Falcon rocket soaring toward orbit Monday night with 11 small satellites, its first mission since an accident last summer. Then in an even more amazing feat, it landed the 15-story leftover booster back on Earth safely.

It was the first time an unmanned rocket returned to land vertically at Cape Canaveral, Florida, and represented a tremendous success for SpaceX. The company led by billionaire Elon Musk is striving for reusability to drive launch costs down and open up space to more people.

SpaceX employees broke into cheers and chants, some of them jumping up and down, following the smooth touchdown nine minutes after liftoff. Previous landing attempts ended in fiery blasts, but those aimed for an ocean platform.

“The Falcon has landed,” SpaceX TV commentators announced.

The top officer at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Brig. Gen. Wayne Monteith, noted that the returning booster “placed the exclamation mark on 2015.”

“This was a first for us at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, and I can’t even begin to describe the excitement the team feels right now having been a part of this historic first-stage rocket landing,” Monteith said in a statement.

I think this one hits a solid 9.2 on the Cool-o-Meter, just for the elan of it all, and let’s give them an extra 0.3 for nailing the landing, on target, at night. So call it a 9.5, which is FREAKING OUTSTANDING.

I have no idea how much dead weight the booster recovery system adds, or what kind of performance bight that makes. But it looks like the central engine of it’s 9 engine cluster is reserved for retro-rocket duties (OMG, when is the last time you thought of “retro-rcokets”? 1973?), the body is steered back to earth using folding grid fins (the same kind as on the MOAB) and pop out triangular landing gear provides plenty of drag and comes with some massive shock absorbers.

Here’s a closer look: LINK

And another: LINK

And another: LINK.

SpaceX is not part of NASA at all, so in all likelihood, not a single Muslim was reached out to during this entire project. Hella yeah!

Now, how to build one as a flying kit? Let’s see, the legs are the important part ... if you replaced the pretend shocks from the old Estes Mars Lander with some real ones from those R/C dirt cars ... make it a mid-power model so it’s a good size to begin with ... use some kind of coil spring on the landing leg hinge, like the one on a mousetrap ... a little burn-through tube on the booster engines to release it ... inertial electronics to fire off the remote second stage ... you’d have to time things just so, and find the right engine to use in the center of a 3+1 cluster ... maybe a long burn C6 from SCR for the retro, after 3 D8s to get it up there? How to import BP rocket engines from Australia??  Ach, phooey, just use a small clear plastic parachute with a drogue hole. Leave the legs extended and they’ll probably act as fins. This one isn’t a high flier, it’s an upright lander. And with a fairly normal body design, it’s got to be easier to build than that fat flying mushroom old Vernon E used to sell.

insanely difficult to build
even harder to fly

Posted by Drew458     on 12/22/2015 at 10:05 AM   
Filed Under: • Space • Talented Ppl. •  
• Comments (1) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Monday - December 21, 2015

quick bits, going stale

Ok, I made it through another day. Got some things done, but not enough. Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow. But not that tomorrow, it’s the Holiday.

I’m getting ready for the Christmas Eve spectacular with all the Italian cousins and their Italian fishes and all the Italian food. I should do stomach stretching exercises to keep up with those gavones*.  And I? do love the fishes. And all the other critters that swim, crawl, squeeze, or slime their way through the ocean and then into a Sicilian stewpot. But I do wish there was a bit of proper English Fish. Northern fish. Whelks, lobsters, fresh cod fried in batter, whiting. Lox. Gravlox! Heavily smoked kippers. And herring. Herring in wine, herring in sour cream, herring with onions, herring balls, onna stick of course, fried herring cakes. Hey, did I mention herring? Herring enough to chop trees down with. Nee!! But I will be happy with the squids and the octopus and all the other things I can’t hope to pronounce, in sauce. With plenty of garlic and cilantro. Because it’s family. And it’s all good.

right ... back to blogging. No time for it really. Damn.

right ... here’s a few.

* The DOJ decides they are above the law. Again. LINK.  Fug that. Take them outside and hang them. Period.

* Hung jury in the Freddie Gray case in Baltimore. And that was against the AG’s strongest case. It was all BS, pandering to the maddened crowd. LINK. Fire her, then hold a public lecture laying out all the evidence. Anyone caught protesting it a day later gets flogged for rabble rousing.

* Miss Puerto Rico gets suspended for kind of speaking the truth about pisslam, given that English isn’t her native tongue. LINK.  Good for her. 20 angry lashes in public for the cowards who made the decision. How dare they. How DARE they castigate anyone for having a contrary opinion and speaking their mind. Besides, brownies and blackies get a free ride from PC, so the rules don’t apply. Right?? So why is this naturally tanned lovely being punished? Is she another one of those ultra-rare White Latinos?

Posted by Drew458     on 12/21/2015 at 10:58 PM   
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •  
• Comments (0) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

   Saturday - December 19, 2015

striking

Posted by Drew458     on 12/19/2015 at 10:26 AM   
Filed Under: • Eye-Candy •  
• Comments (1) • Trackbacks(0)  Permalink •  

DISCLAIMER

THE SERVICES AND MATERIALS ON THIS WEBSITE ARE PROVIDED "AS IS" AND THE HOSTS OF THIS SITE EXPRESSLY DISCLAIMS ANY AND ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF SATISFACTORY QUALITY, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SERVICE OR ANY MATERIALS.

Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:

1. Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
2. Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing
3. Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly:
4. Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere

It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

THE INFORMATION AND OTHER CONTENTS OF THIS WEBSITE ARE DESIGNED TO COMPLY WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. THIS WEBSITE SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND ALL PARTIES IRREVOCABLY SUBMIT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE AMERICAN COURTS. IF ANYTHING ON THIS WEBSITE IS CONSTRUED AS BEING CONTRARY TO THE LAWS APPLICABLE IN ANY OTHER COUNTRY, THEN THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED TO BE ACCESSED BY PERSONS FROM THAT COUNTRY AND ANY PERSONS WHO ARE SUBJECT TO SUCH LAWS SHALL NOT BE ENTITLED TO USE OUR SERVICES UNLESS THEY CAN SATISFY US THAT SUCH USE WOULD BE LAWFUL.

Copyright © 2004-2015 Domain Owner