9/23/2018

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.