Thoughts On A Sunday

Cooler than normal temps have arrived here in central New Hampshire and rather than burning expensive propane I fired up the Official Weekend Pundit Woodstove for the first time in almost two years.

I did have to open a couple of windows while the woodstove came up to temperature as I had touched up the paint on it prior to putting The Manse up for sale back in early September. The new paint tends to throw off some fumes the first time high temps are applied and those fumes usually trip the smoke detectors unless I open a couple of windows until those fumes disperse.

Once the windows were closed the temp in The Manse rose up to 68°F and dialed back the air into the stove to keep it from getting too warm.

The feline contingent has been enjoying the return of “The Warm Box”, making themselves comfortable in front of the woodstove and basking in its warmth. Two of the ‘cat towers’ now reside in front of the woodstove, providing 5 spots for the cats to curl up in front of the fire. That means I will have to deal with at most only one of my furry, four-footed executive assistants while trying to use the laptop.

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The Left talks constantly about ending “White Privilege” while at the same time using Liberal Privilege to excuse behavior that would destroy other people’s lives or reputations, or in more extreme cases, tried and imprisoned. Writes Sarah Hoyt:

For instance, take the Kavanaugh hearings when all the liberals were assuring us that we didn’t need to presume innocence until guilt was proven. Did you notice that not only didn’t any of them revise their opinion of the sexual scandals of Bill Clinton – against whom guilt was overwhelmingly proven – but they were also adamant that the same principles they were trying to apply to Kavanaugh didn’t apply to Keith Ellison?

This makes absolutely no sense. If you “believe all women” (and btw, that too is privilege. Where is the “believe all men?”) why not believe Ellison’s battered girlfriend, who has the hospital visit to prove it, or Juanita Broderick before you believe Christine Ford?

--snip--

Liberal privilege ranges from quite literal private law — anyone see a Republican who left a girl to die in his car go on to become the Lion of Senate? — To an easing of the way, a magic carpet ride to the top for good little boys and girls who express the right (left) position.

Being liberal means never having to say you’re sorry.

It all comes down to this simple viewpoint – The laws apply to you because you aren’t one of us. We don’t have to answer to your laws because we’re your betters. Now get back to work, you deplorable serf!

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I have wanted to ask a number of people this question.

I have to wonder what the answer to that question will be?

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I have been seeing a TV ad running that has been slamming Donald Trump in the run up to the midterm elections next month, saying that very few people are actually benefitting from Trump’s policies. My problem with it: It shows multitudes of people who apparently aren’t benefitting from the economic upswing. With very few exceptions, all of them are white.

I have a question for the folks who paid for the ad buy: Just where the heck are all of these people?

I can think of only one place where folks like that shown in the ad would be: California.

Sorry, but California is not Trump’s fault. The Democrats own 100% of that crap sandwich.

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Along the line of the above, there’s this from Twitchy:

These used to be blue states, and now they’re seeing YUGE jobs increases under Trump.

‘Nuff said.

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After having read a number of op-ed pieces from various sources (NYT, NY Mag, TNR, WaPo, Fox News, Vox, and RCP, to name just a few), it appears that some folks on one side are living in some kind of a dream world where Democrats have the midterm elections sown up, and both the House and Senate, as well as some governorships will be in the hands of the Left after November 6th.

Are these folks off their meds?

My take from the polls and what I’ve been seeing elsewhere is telling me that at worst it’s going to be a toss-up, with little shift in the makeup of the House and Senate. At best we’ll see the GOP take a larger majority in both the House and Senate.

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I’ve seen (and commented) upon a theory that Alzheimer’s is an infection. More than one epidemiologist has stated that the disease appears to act like an infection.

Ruth Itzhaki, a molecular neurobiologist has taken it one step further, putting forth her theory that Alzheimer’s is caused by the Herpes Simplex 1 virus.

If it turns out that is indeed the case then there may be both treatments and vaccines that will prevent Alzheimer’s.

As the Instaprof writes from time to time, Faster please!

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And that’s the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where the foliage is in full color, my boating season is ending this coming week, and where I’m glad I have a decent sized woodpile.

Wait...WHAT?!!

For years now we’ve been hearing how CO₂ is an evil gas generated by the Evil Humans that will, in the end, Kill-Us-All when it causes the Earth’s surface to become an inferno. The AGW faithful have never waivered from their beliefs, working to silence unbelievers who dare question the One True Faith.

However, it is quite possible that their faith is about to be shaken.

The warming over the past 100+ years may have a cause that has little to do with CO₂: air pollution.

In a recent article in the Journal of Geography, Environment and Earth Science International, Transdyne Corporation geoscientist J. Marvin Herndon makes the startling claim that climate scientists, including the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), have been chasing the wrong culprit for global warming and climate change.

--snip--

Inspired by Gottschalk’s data, Herndon considered “the broader activities of WW2,” especially those capable of “altering Earth’s delicate energy balance by particulate aerosols.” Herndon then “generalized [these] to post-WW2 global warming.” The geoscientist used relative-values of pollution-causing proxies to demonstrate “the reasonableness of the proposition that increases in aerosolized particulates over time is principally responsible for the concomitant global warming increases.”

These proxies for global particulate pollution – increasing global coal and crude oil production, as well as aviation fuel consumption – rise in strikingly parallel fashion to the rise in global temperature as shown in the accompanying figure.

What if Herndon is right? What if it has been air pollution driving the climate change we’ve been seeing and not CO₂?

I expect some heads will explode. Others will see their finances take a downward turn, specifically those who have “bet the farm” on things like carbon taxes and mandated changes to non-carbon based energy sources. If it hasn’t been CO₂ all this time, all of the mandates, sanctions, and snake oil cures being foisted upon an unwilling public will have no value.

While Anthony Watts, founder of Watts Up With That, doesn’t agree with the hypothesis, he decided to post it if for no other reason than to spur some discussion. If nothing else make sure to read the comments as they can be as informative as the post itself.

Thoughts On A Sunday

Fall-like weather has finally arrived, with cold (almost freezing) temps at night and daytime temps in the 50’s. There was even some snowfall in the White Mountains and the notches on Saturday!

That hasn’t stopped the preparations for moving out of The Manse as the closing date is in less than 2 weeks. Nothing was moved into rental storage yesterday because it was raining pretty heavily in the morning and the last thing I needed was soggy possessions. But a trip or two every day over the next week and a half should have just about everything moved out by the end of next weekend.

I have forgotten how much I hate moving.

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Things are definitely out of control in Portland, Oregon.

It is run by a mayor who doesn’t believe in the law, bends over backwards to promote/protect Progressive causes and antifa violence, and appears to care very little for things like freedom of speech (unless it’s Progressive speech).

He comes across as a personable guy, but his actions tell me he has no problem with his city descending into anarchy.

This isn’t going to end well.

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It appears Glenn Reynolds and his wife, Dr. Helen Smith, had a chance to discuss the problems of being ‘connected’ to things like smart phones 24/7. I haven’t been calling this kind of dependence “being addicted to electronic fentanyl” for nothing.

I can almost always tell when someone has been disconnected and is ‘jonesing’ for a fix. It’s sad. Really sad.

And people wonder why I still use a flip phone!

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It’s déjà vu all over again!

Like it will turn out any better than the last time these idiots did this.

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Do you need any more proof that Christine Blasey Ford was nothing more than a failed Hail Mary play by Senate Democrats on the Senate Judicial Committee? If so, all you need to do is look at how quickly they dropped her and are trying hard to pretend she doesn’t exist.

It’s not all that surprising considering she is no longer of any use to the Democrats.

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Juliette Ochieng shows us how and why hysterical females are deadly. Writes Juliette:

Will they outdo themselves if (when) the midterm election is successful for the Republican Party?

I look forward to finding out — from a distance. Those creatures are dangerous.

Indeed.

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Cap’n Teach delves into the LA Times piece that tells us that America needs its own version of Día de Muertos,” or “Day of the Dead”.

But I thought that ‘cultural appropriation’ was extremely PC? How can a newspaper in the heart of Progressive California put forth such an idea?

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While this post about good economic times is specific to New Hampshire, it applies to every state.

This year, New Hampshire entered historical territory for jobs and labor force participation. More GraniteStaters are participating in the labor force, and more of them are employed than at any point in the state’s history.

New Hampshire has been on a program of business tax cuts and a hands-off approach to hourly wages for years. Republicans who put their trust in employers and employees have been rewarded with a productive and responsive marketplace and a surplus in tax revenue on top of that.

The Democrat Party answer to this economic bonanza is to mess with it the first chance they get. They have promised to raise taxes on job creators and to use the power of government to meddle with the cost of labor.

The net effect everywhere else this has been tried is the opposite of what New Hampshire is experiencing. Fewer full-time jobs, fewer part-time jobs, decreased labor force, higher unemployment, reduced personal income. Higher welfare burdens for unemployment benefits, Medicaid, and food stamps. A significant strain on dwindling resources which means more and higher taxes.

If you want those things then by all means, vote for Democrats.

The problem is that some people will vote for the Democrats because they want those things to happen, all in the name of some twisted version of “fairness”. Some carry the “If everyone can’t have ‘X’, then no one should have ‘X’” mentality or believe that wealth follows the zero-sum fallacy, so feel that anyone doing well should be punished, including some of those who now have jobs and are making a good living during these good economic times.

How twisted is that?

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And that’s the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where the leaves have changed into their autumn finery, the boating season is rapidly coming to a close, and where we need that extra cover on the bed at night.

Thoughts On A Sunday

The Columbus Day Weekend has seen a wave of leaf peepers heading up to the White Mountains and North Country of New Hampshire. Despite the cloudy weather the traffic has been heavy. The warm temps certainly have helped keep the tourists flowing into the state and the cash registers at the various inns, hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, factory outlets and various tourists traps ringing. The foliage is in full color up north and at least a full week from reaching peak here in the Lakes Region.

This has always been one of my favorite times of the year.

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Hearing “the lamentation of the vimmen” after Kavanaugh’s confirmation has been both annoying and pleasing at the same time. One would think that the end of the world is nigh, listening to the braying from the women who think that they will die now that Judge Kavanaugh is now addressed as Justice Kavanaugh.

They ascribe to him future actions that his judicial record says he would not take, such as overturning Roe v. Wade. Not that the Supreme Court can capriciously revisit and overturn a previous Court decision on whim. A case would have to be brought before the Court that challenges the standing decision, assuming the Court would certify such a case to begin with. Unless some new compelling evidence were brought forth that would change the perception of the Justices and overrides the stare decisis, it is unlikely the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade.

Or maybe they’re upset that the now 5-4 conservative bent of the Court will actually adhere to the Constitution and base their decisions upon the limits and rights codified by it. Heaven forbid that the Justices won’t legislate from the bench or base their decisions upon ‘feelz’.

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Now this is a dream presidential ticket! Not that I’d vote for them, but it would certainly make for an interesting campaign season.

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Do you need any further proof that California is becoming a Third World nation? Between streets filled with human feces and used drug syringes, the Pyrite State has seen typhus make a return to the streets of LA, reaching epidemic levels.

What’s next, bubonic plague?

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I have believed this for quite some time.

It’s well past time to break up Facebook, and perhaps Twitter, as it seems they are still being disingenuous, blocking or censoring posts made by anyone “not one of them”.

The latest example – Facebook blocking a post by Mike Williamson which included the phrase “that depends on what the meaning of is, is.”

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We constantly hear about how anthropogenic climate change will make all kinds of weather worst, particularly things like hurricanes and tornados. But records are showing that, at least in the US, the number of tornados is the lowest it’s ever been in the 65 years records have been kept.

We’ve also seen the number of hurricanes making landfall in the US fall off as well, just the opposite of what the warmists have been predicting.

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As a follow-up, here’s a twofer.

Apparently the warmists are worried that the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court will impede ‘climate action’ because of his judicial record of adhering to the rule of law.

Apparently they believe that the only way they can put forth their agenda is through judicial activism rather than legislation. What that tells me is that they know they have a weak case and figured that the only way they can get their way is by having a judge shove changes down the throats of the American people rather than going through the process of working with Congress to get legislation passed. It could be that they know the chances of getting laws passed that would severely damage the American economy and greatly limit the freedoms of Americans run somewhere between slim and none, hence their hopes for getting judges to do their dirty work for them.

What’s ironic about the whole thing is that the Democrats the warmists were counting on to kibosh Kavanaugh’s appointment to the Supreme Court instead a ensured his confirmation with their over-the-top efforts to destroy his reputation based upon unsubstantiated claims of a sexual assault that took place 36 years ago.

Who ever said that karma was a bitch was absolutely right, particularly in this case.

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To show just how low some people will go in regards to political differences, the wife of Senator Cory Gardner received a text that included a video showing a horrific beheading after he voted to confirm Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. To add to that, someone also posted the address and phone numbers of Gardner’s family members.

Class act, Democrats. Class act.

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And that’s the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where the sun has been hiding, the temps have been warm, and the leaf peepers are everywhere.

Thoughts On A Sunday

It’s been a quiet weekend here at The Manse with the most exciting activity being the removal of the air conditioners from the windows. It may seem a little late in the season to be removing the air conditioners, at least here in northern New England, but it has been a warmer than average September so A/C was used until just this past week. And in typical New Hampshire contrariness, some mornings required use of heat to take the chill off as nighttime temps were in the 40’s and afternoon temps were in the high 80’s with high humidity.

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The farce that was the testimony of Dr. Christine Blasey Ford has been dominating the news, with the Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein having thrown a last minute monkey wrench into the hearings, revealing Dr. Ford’s accusations against Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh that she’d been sitting on since the beginning of summer.

Was Dr. Ford assaulted some time back in the early 80’s? No one really knows. Claims that a polygraph test proves the veracity of her rather vague recollections of the assault have a couple of major problems – she was asked only two questions by the examiner and, being a psychologist, she knows how to ‘beat the test’.

Then there’s this:


Dr. Ford’s words say one thing, but her body language says just the opposite. I am no expert when it comes to body language but I noticed something that many others also commented upon in regards to her testimony, that being her “odd baby talk”, trying to garner sympathy from those at the hearing.

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Another thing that I found disturbing about the whole Ford testimony was how Senator Dianne Feinstein is blaming Brett Kavanaugh for the mess she herself created.

Talk about a complete mental disconnect! Then again it is right out of Alinsky’s playbook, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

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For more information and commentary on the Kavanaugh hearing and Dr. Ford’s testimony, the News Junkie over at Maggie’s farm has compiled a list of links that points a number of analyses and commentary.

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Some folks have no clue when it comes to election laws. It appears that some of them reside at Cards Against Humanity. In their arrogance (and willful ignorance) they are trying to bribe voters to vote Democrat.

The creators of the popular card game Cards Against Humanity have launched a targeted campaign to elect Democrats in six swing districts. An election lawyer suggested they might want to lawyer up, because it's illegal under federal law to bribe someone to vote a certain way.

If they were truly smart they would take a lesson from Chicago politics and find ways to register the dead and have them vote for the Democrats of their choice. But no, they went stupid and tried to openly buy votes instead.

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Think things have been crazy enough in regards to the Kavanaugh hearings and the now increasingly Salem Witch Trial-like #MeToo movement? You aren’t even close.

The latest victim? An eighth-grader in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Eighth grader Keith Bailey was not only suspended but literally hauled off by the police in handcuffs from his Colorado Springs middle school as a result of phony #MeToo allegations made for the same reason as with Kavanaugh — he was deemed to be politically incorrect.

It started when Keith changed his Snapchat avatar to a black Bitmoji character. A female friend proclaimed that was racist and ordered him to change it back. When he laughed off her demand, she spread the word around school that Keith is a racist. Other boys threatened to beat him up.

--snip--

As with Kavanaugh, the allegations have no credibility. For example, two of the girls were friends from a church youth group who continued to be friendly with him after the assaults were alleged to have occurred. But in the #MeToo era, accusations are as good as proof.

Salem Witch Trials indeed.

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“Truth. It’s the new hate speech.”

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And that’s the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where summer has morphed into fall, the leaves are just now starting to change, and hordes of leaf peeper are descending upon northern New England.

Thoughts On A Sunday

Fall has arrived, and with it, fall-like temperatures.

Those temps helped Deb when she participated in a Tough Mudder competition at the local ski resort Saturday morning, keeping her cool during some of the more strenuous portions of the course. This was her first Tough Mudder and she certainly enjoyed it.

If you had told her two years ago that she would compete in something like the Tough Mudder, she would have looked at you as if you were insane.

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While this video shows a speech made by comedian/actor Rowan Atkinson about 6 years ago, it is still timely as it covers a very important freedom that is increasingly under attack, both here and in the UK, that being the freedom of speech.

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Watching the news on the usual suspects (ABC, CBS, NBC, MSLSD, CNN, etc), one would think that Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is only days away from being indicted/convicted/sentenced for a sexual assault that is increasingly appearing to be only in the mind of his accuser. That this alleged assault took place over 36 years ago in a place she cannot name on a date she cannot remember and her ‘witnesses’ keep telling everyone they have no idea what she’s talking about hasn’t fazed the Democrats, hoping this would torpedo Kavanaugh’s confirmation.

That the alleged victim is trying to dictate the terms under which she will appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee does not bode well…for her. She wanted Kavanaugh to testify first, but that is bass-ackwards as the accused usually testifies after their accuser has given their testimony.

It doesn’t help that Senator Maizy Hirono (D-HI) seems perfectly fine with the idea of “accusation equals guilt” and has the attitude that men should shut up and that women always should be believed when it comes to sexual assault. So much for the legal concept “Innocent until proven guilty.” Then again a lot of Democrats seem comfortable with the old “J’Accuse” form of legal system.

As the old saying goes “Be careful what you wish for. You might get it.” Think the Reign of Terror as the best outcome for these folks if they get their way. They are already reaping the ‘benefits’ of past actions that have backfired on them, like former Senator Harry Reid’s elimination of the filibuster in the Senate. That has certainly come back to bite them.

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A sure indicator that the dual standard legal system exists: Brett Kavanaugh is accused of an assault that took place 36 years ago and the Democrats believe it without question even though there is no evidence whatsoever. But Keith Ellison is accused of beating a woman (and not for the first time), the accuser has the evidence and medical records to prove she was beaten by Ellison, and Democrats do not believe her.

Welcome to the world of selective justice.

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When your brakes are making noise, you really should have them serviced.

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People keep asking why natural gas is so expensive here in New England and the answer is quite simple – lack of pipeline capacity. While it is a problem that is simple to solve – build more pipelines - many of those same people who complain about natural gas prices (particularly during winter) are the very same people who work against the construction of new gas pipelines into New England. They honestly do not (or cannot) make the connection between pipeline capacity and natural gas prices.

When the demand for natural gas is highest - generally late December, January, and February – the existing pipeline cannot handle the demand. Natural gas has to be imported from Yemen and we pay a premium for that gas. It’s ironic that the US has the largest natural gas reserves in the world and New England has to import it from the Middle East.

It doesn’t help that the Holier-Than-Thou Governor Cuomo of New York has already stated that no new pipelines will be built in or across his state because he endorses renewable energy even though it costs are much higher than traditional electrical sources and is actively working to kill off traditional generation technologies. That means that unless the pipeline comes in from Canada we won’t be seeing cheap domestic natural gas any time soon.

Another “doesn’t help” problem is those against bringing cheap hydroelectric power in from Quebec. It’s a huge renewable source of electricity, but people don’t like the idea of powerlines coming down from Canada even if they will be buried and won’t despoil northern New Hampshire’s pristine views. Like those who complain about high natural gas prices, the folks most against the hydropower lines are the same folks who complain about high electricity prices. They also can’t seem to connect the dots when it comes to limiting supply affecting electricity prices.

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The New England Patriots are playing the Detroit Lions in Detroit. It’s Bill Belichick against former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. It will be an interesting game.

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Could it be that the hate that consumes the Left is because there are no real battles to fight anymore, so they have to make s**t up to be angry about? Shelby Steele seems to think that’s the case.

Today’s left lacks worthy menaces to fight. It is driven to find a replacement for racism, some sweeping historical wrongdoing that morally empowers those who oppose it. (Climate change?) Failing this, only hatred is left.

Hatred is a transformative power. It can make the innocuous into the menacing. So it has become a weapon of choice. The left has used hate to transform President Trump into a symbol of the new racism, not a flawed president but a systemic evil. And he must be opposed as one opposes racism, with a scorched-earth absolutism.

This is the reason why things that no one (but them) find some things so offensive now, they have to be angry and hateful on behalf of people who really don’t care. It would be sad if it wasn’t also so destructive.

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And that’s the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where fall boating is in swing, the leaves have not yet begun to change, and preparations for winter have begun.

Thoughts On A Sunday

The last real weekend of summer winds to a close and it is going out with July-like weather with temps in the 80’s, humid, and a lot of sun. We managed to make it out on the Official Weekend Pundit Lake Winnipesaukee Runabout late this afternoon after most of the weekenders were off the lake. While it was only a one hour jaunt, it was enough for us to feel refreshed. Tomorrow will be a similar day weather wise, so I’m hoping to make it out on the lake again after work.

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I find the timing of the release of the letter accusing Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault back when he was a teen a little too convenient. First, it was an anonymous accuser which lends no credence to the allegations. Then, when the accuser’s identity is finally revealed it turns out to be liberal professor.

Teen indiscretions are usually the result of immaturity and poor decision making (a characteristic of adolescents). But that is supposed to condemn any teen making that kind of mistake for the rest of their lives? If so, there are plenty of people on the Democrat side of Congress who should be kicked out for far worse behavior.

One would think that anyone who continued to commit such acts after their teens would already be in jail or fit for no other work than something menial. But since there have been absolutely no reports from anyone anywhere that Kavanaugh has done anything like this since this incident (assuming it’s true), does it disqualify him from being confirmed? If the answer is yes, does that mean we need to dig deeper into a nominee’s history to see if he or she ever stole candy from a store when they were 4 years old?

This is Progressive desperation, pure and simple.

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It seems that no matter how much the US reduces emissions, we’re still guilty of being the biggest polluters on the planet even though the US has had the largest reduction in things like carbon dioxide in the world while countries like China and India have increased their emissions across the board.

If the US reduced its emissions to zero, it wouldn’t be enough for the watermelon environmentalists. For the US it’s always a lose-lose situation when it comes to these idiots.

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The New England Patriots folded like a cheap suitcase in the rain in their game against Jacksonville. It appears neither the offense or the defense worked.

They need to get their house in order because right now nothing seems to be working.

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The latest bright idea that comes from the Antifa playbook? Sneaking up and stealing the handguns from citizens who are openly carrying their firearms in their holsters.

So these self-righeous Progressive vigilantes are going to try to pick on those that are amongst the most prickly of citizens that are willing protect their Constitutional Rights? Have they really thought this through? They seem to think this is going to be easy-peazy: just saunter up to someone that’s open carrying, rank out their firearm with the carrier just willing to stand there, then stand there some more while the nitwit fumbles with the phone to get a good picture, then stand there as the perp (for that is what they are now – stealing private property but oh, never mind about that pesky Right to Private Property stuff – evil and greedy Capitalist anyways. POWER TO THE PEOPLE!) walks to the nearest garbage can, and then quietly allow them to walk away.

That is more likely to get them ventilated with one or more well placed rounds. Of course they think that only they will be the ones taking any action. Try to take someone’s legally owned and carried firearm from them and you are likely to be met with force, most lilely lethal force.

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Are one-third of college freshmen mentally ill?

Of course not. It’s probably closer to one half, particularly when you look at the students at colleges like Berkeley, Brown, Evergreen State, and a whole host of other Progressive campuses.

But the chances are many of those college freshmen didn’t become mentally ill until after they had been indoctrinated by Progressive academics.

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And that’s the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where summer lingers, boating is still good, and most of the summerfolk are gone until next year.

Thoughts On A Sunday

It has gone from summer to mid-fall weatherwise in just a couple of days, with temps falling from highs in the upper 80’s/lower 90’s to the mid 60’s. Nighttime temps have been in the upper 30’s and lower 40’s, making for chilly nights. However we’ll be back in the 80’s after we go through soaking rain that is the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon.

It has been quiet around the lakes as the summer season has ended. Many seasonal businesses have already closed their doors, though a few will remain open until Columbus Day weekend to cater to the leaf peepers – tourists visiting to look at the fall foliage.

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Listening to the campaign ads for those running for a number of state and federal offices, they separate out into two distinct groups – those focusing on issues that most of the people in New Hampshire find important, and those who detest Donald Trump with a passion and ignore what is important to people here.

One gubernatorial candidate has lambasted the incumbent governor for vetoing two renewable energy bills that would have forced consumers in the state to pay much higher electric rates in a state that already has electric rates that are 50% higher than the rest of the nation. She decries giving breaks to the existing utilities but wants to subsidize other utilities that cannot make it without state mandates, citing the loss of jobs if it doesn’t happen. But she ignores the loss of jobs or stagnating job growth because companies and corporations will not expand into New Hampshire because of the obscenely high energy costs. It will be a short term gain that will lead to a long term loss.

Then there’s one of the Democrat congressional candidates who is basing her entire campaign on fighting Donald Trump, seriously weakening everyone’s Second Amendment rights and destroying the NRA. This in a state with very strong Second Amendment support, including constitutional carry, the lowest crime rate in the nation, and rated the safest state in the country. Yet she sees mass murder and showdowns at high noon around every corner if we don’t disarm law abiding citizens. It doesn’t help that she’s also a carpetbagger, having moved into New Hampshire just long enough to establish residency so she could run for office. She has been living in Washington DC for years, was part of the Obama Administration, and originally hails from Illinois. But she figures she can fool “the rubes” into voting her into office so she can keep pushing the Progressive agenda.

We only have a couple of more days to listen to this, and I’m hoping we won’t have to listen to it after this Tuesday.

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Could Alzheimer’s be caused by an infection?

While no one has looked closely as this as a possible cause up to this point, it looks like some research will now be pointed towards investigating the possibility. If it turns out it is caused by an infection or series of infections, then treatment or preventative vaccines may become a reality.

As Glenn Reynolds often says, “Faster, please.”

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I guess the Left has figured that if they can’t convince GOP senators to vote against the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court through reason and logic (yeah, right), then they’ll use insults instead.

Yeah, that’s a winning strategy.

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As I have opined more than once, too many people are addicted to the use of their cell phones. I have called it “electronic fentanyl” more than once, seeing people’s reaction when they are deprived use of their phones even for brief periods. They start jonesing for a fix.

It’s now being recognized as an addiction, at least according to this article from Proceedings Magazine posted by the U.S. Naval Institute.

The first cell phone hit the market in 1973, and 40 years later, more than half the U.S. adult population was carrying a cell phone in their purses or pockets. Today, that number is closer to 95 percent, with 77 percent of Americans owning a smartphone. But does this technology work as it originally was intended—to enable us to communicate better? Or is the increase in personal technology a sign of mass addiction?

I believe it’s both, though at times I have to wonder that even though it helps us communicate more, it does not necessarily help us communicate better.

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What would it take for us to see a resurgence in nuclear power in the US? MIT has a few ideas.

Probably the biggest factor to overcome is the irrational fear of nuclear power that was instilled by anti-nuclear wackos decades ago.

With the newer technologies and the move away from One Big Plant to A Few Small Plants on the same site, safety, reliability, and a means to reduce or eliminate high-level nuclear wastes as well as zero-carbon energy, nuclear looks much better to me than all of the wind/solar renewables put together.

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Is it any wonder that an increasing number of 18-29 year olds in California are getting ready to leave? They show a high dissatisfaction with the conditions in the Pyrite State, between sky high housing prices that put home ownership out of reach, high taxes, ridiculous and mind-numbing regulations that stifle businesses that induce them to leave.

That California is losing that demographic spells major trouble in the not so distant future. If you lose the group that will be starting families to other states, you will soon have a population that is increasingly aging population even as your total population decreases.

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And that’s the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where the summerfolk have gone, seasonal businesses have closed their doors, and where fall will be here soon enough.

Thoughts On A Sunday

The last ‘official’ weekend of summer is upon us and people have been taking advantage of the great weather, getting as much recreating in as possible before Monday comes to a close.

This weekend has also meant a number of people traipsing in and out of The Manse now that it is on the market. That we’ve had as many as we have means either the market is really hot, our realtor is really good, or a combination of both. In either case, all we can do is hope that an offer from someone is forthcoming.

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How many of us have heard the lament “Things were a lot better back when I was a kid/teenager/college student/etc.”? More than a few of us, I’d wager. There were some things here and there that were better, or so our rather foggy memories tell us. But there were also a lot of things that were not. There are also a lot of things that exist today that make things better than they were “back in the old days”.

Here are Seven Ways Life Is Better Than They Were 40 Years Ago.

While I agree with the items on the list, some are far more important that the others, three of them being #3 – Advances in Medical Science, #6 – the Soviet Union is Gone, and #7 – Instant Communications, there is also a downside to some of them. We certainly see the downside of instant communications, between ‘phubbing’ (phone snubbing), cyber-bullying, and the addictive nature of the ability to be in constant communication.

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If we need yet another example of the failures of socialism, try this one on for size:

It appears that Venezuela is looking more like North Korea, at least when it comes to keeping the lights on.

Early on the morning of August 31st, Maracaibo was lit up, possibly for the last time in a few years, by a chain reaction of substation and transformer fires, even melted power wires in the streets, as the final phase of communist mismanagement of the energy supply morphed into complete disaster. Bonus – the Cubans have been “helping” Venezuela manage its electrical grid since 2010.

Brownouts and blackouts have become increasingly common over the past few years, and now, the locals desperately suck whatever power they can get, whenever they can get it, until the substations, transformers, and wires fail under the peak loads. When a three-phase distribution system goes out of balance due to one phase failing, the voltages and currents on the other two phases increase dramatically…

Rather than admitting they are incompetent, the Powers That Be in Venezuela blame foreign sabotage. However, unwavering belief in socialism does not trump the laws of physics or the law of supply and demand, hence Venezuela’s decaying infrastructure. And once the lights finally go out, Venezuela will look just like North Korea from space – dark from border to border.

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I watched a good portion of John McCain’s memorial service off and on, and found it interesting that political opponents who excoriated him for all kinds of reasons were all of a sudden singing his praises. Where was all of this when he was alive?

The media played up the “He’s a good Republican – he’s dead” angle for all it was worth. Other media did their best to find as much dirt on the man as they could in an effort to tear him down. It’s obvious they never heard the old aphorism about not speaking ill of the dead.

I remember a blog post from some years ago where a commenter called John McCain “a cowardly old man”. The replies to that comment blasted the moron, reminding him of the ordeal McCain was put through while held captive at the Hanoi Hilton. That’s assuming of course the moron even knew about it.

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The Other McCain covers the “Fake New, Real Hate” meme. It paints fake news as new ‘policies’ that the Democrats then use to slam Trump. And when the stories are found to be false, the media cooks up new fake news and the process repeats itself.

Is it any wonder that trust in the media has tanked and is still heading downwards?

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Because it’s the Labor Day holiday weekend, I am cutting this week’s TOAS a bit short. Still have things to attend to for tomorrow’s showings. Hopefully we’ll get a bite on The Manse.

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And that’s the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where summerfolk are partaking of last gasp summer activities, the summer businesses are raking in as cash as they can, and where the traffic heading southbound tomorrow afternoon is going to be epic.

Thoughts On A Sunday

It was our little town’s Old Home Day yesterday. The activities encompassed an early morning 5K road race, a parade, a pancake breakfast, and a number of activities that spanned the range from our local library’s book sale, one of our local church’s flea market/fair, exhibits from our local historical society, numerous food and craft vendors, games for kids 2 to 99, a number of bands playing at the bandstand, and at the end of the day, fireworks.

Some friends from downstate made the trip up to enjoy the festivities. While their home town also has an Old Home Day, it is far more commercial and not nearly as encompassing of all age groups as the one here in our town. It was one of the first thing they noticed as we made the rounds.

It also seems fitting that our Old Home Day takes place the weekend before the kids return to school. Call it a way to close out their summer vacation and getting mentally prepared to start school. It’s also one of the last weekends of the summer season for a lot of the summerfolk as their kids are also returning to school.

The Labor Day weekend is usually seen as the ‘official’ end of the summer season, though many of the summer businesses will remain open for a few more weeks, though only on weekends. The unofficial end of summer is usually around Columbus Day weekend as that’s when a lot of summerfolk close up their camps and cottages for the winter. Most of the remaining boats are also pulled out of the water to be prepped for winter storage.

I expect that I’ll be hearing Don Henley’s Boys of Summer on the local radio stations starting any day now.

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With the passing of Senator John McCain, I expected plenty of coverage by the media and on the ‘Net. Unfortunately a lot of the people on the ‘Net dug deep into their “hateful derangement” vault and excoriated McCain, his family, and extended it to White House press spokesman Sarah Sanders by slamming the condolences she posted on Twitter. It proves to me that too many people are suffering from serious mental issues.

While I didn’t agree with John McCain on a number of issues, I did respect him. I voted for him in the 2008 New Hampshire Primary and the presidential election later that November. I defended him in some comment threads where more than a few Leftists tried to paint him as a “cowardly old man”, either not caring or not knowing his history as a POW and the torture he endured at the hands of the North Vietnamese.

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Playwright Neil Simon has passed away. He was 91.

As Ed Driscoll reminds us, “…[he] was often called the world’s most popular playwright after Shakespeare.”

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Apparently the “record-breaking” temperatures seen this summer across the US weren’t all that record breaking…unless those looking at the records stopped looking prior to 2000.

The summer of 1936 was far worse, with temps in some cases over 100 degrees F from California to Virginia and Texas to Minnesota for days on end.

But according to the warmists none of that matters. The past can be ignored as long as the narrative is served.

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South Africa is one step closer to becoming Zimbabwe South.

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You might call this a Tale of Two Professors, one local to us here in New Hampshire and the other at the University of Kansas.

The heart of the tale is the Second Amendment, where one professor is a wholehearted supporter of the people’s right to bear arms and the other has no like of the Second Amendment and seems to think that everyone who legally carries a firearm on campus is a threat to his personal safety. Because of that threat he no longer has personal office hours and will only deal with students via e-mail or Skype.

Is it paranoia or is it virtue signaling? Of the two I’d have to guess it’s more the latter than the former.

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One thing the media and the Left are choosing to ignore in regards to the convictions of Cohen and Manafort (and the hung jury for other of the charges against Manafort) is what laws were actually broken? David Starr hasn’t been ignoring it and has been asking the questions that everyone should be asking. The questions point to something that makes both prosecutions seem more like part of a witch hunt aimed at taking down Donald Trump. Certainly they were far out of the scope of Special Counsel Mueller’s investigations. Are these prosecutions nothing more than leverage to get Cohen or Manafort to implicate Trump? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time an overzealous prosecutor has pulled that particular stunt, even if there was nothing there for him/her to use to get their target.

That this investigation has been dragging on since shortly after Trump took office and to this point has found nothing that implicates Trump in regards to the focus of the Special Counsel’s original purpose should tell us something: There’s nothing there.

If anyone were investigated long enough the investigators would find something on them, even if it were only something embarrassing, but not criminal. But if it’s part of a witch hunt, even the embarrassing can somehow be turned into something that appears criminal. More and more Mueller’s investigation is looking like this – finding embarrassing information that isn’t criminal but is being massaged to make it look like it is.

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And that’s the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where the summerfolk have been out on the lake in droves, the weather has been spectacular, and another Old Home Day has gone off without a hitch.