9/22/2019

Thoughts On A Sunday

Summer weather has returned, with temps in the upper 70’s and lower 80’s and humid air. They were a perfect excuse to spend part of the day out on the lake. While there were a lot of boats out on the lake, there were not nearly as many as we’d usually see in the middle of summer. A lot of boats have already been pulled out of the water, winterized, shrink-wrapped, and stored away until next spring. Camps and cottages are being closed up for the season, though many won’t be done until the Columbus Day weekend.

The Official Weekend Pundit Lake Winnipesaukee Runabout, aka The Boat, won’t be pulled out of the water until just after the Columbus Day weekend, a few weeks earlier than usual for me. With a number of duties for both work and town that will be taking up my time, I thought it would be a good idea to pull it out earlier than usual and get it serviced, cleaned up, winterized, and stored for the winter.

*******************


It seems we need to rename President Trump “Teflon Don”. Between various allegations of wrongdoing running the gamut of collusion with Russia to emoluments to illicit communications with Ukraine and everything in between, nothing seems to stick to the President.

Not that he’s done anything wrong that he needs to wriggle free from. It all comes down to people who hate Trump making accusations that to this point have been found to be wanting for things such as facts and evidence.

*******************


It appears the efforts to get Teflon Don have also extended to some of his judicial nominees. Once again Justice Kavanaugh has been accused of sexual improprieties that took place while he was in college. The problem?

The alleged victim has no recollection of any such event taking place.

Oops.

*******************


The myth that will not die…

People keep selling the myth that cell phone use causes cancer. However, lengthy studies about RF exposure from cell phones proves just the opposite. But that doesn’t stop the “Everything-Is-Going-To-Kill-Us” alarmists from sounding the alarm and scaring the crap out of everyone.

The latest alarm bells are being sounded about millimeter-wave RF from 5G phones causing cancer and all other kinds of genetic mutations. But anyone familiar with the mechanisms of genetic damage caused by external energy knows that RF doesn’t have energy required to cause gene damage to the body’s cells. That takes electromagnetic radiation up in the UV spectrum and higher (X-rays, gamma rays, cosmic rays). The RF from millimeter-wave cell phones is not energetic enough to cause mutations that in turn can lead to cancer.

Can RF affect biological systems? Sure. No one disputes that. But affecting them to the point of causing cancer? Nope, not even close. But that won’t stop the alarmists from making the claim anyways and trying to scare consumers about something that is false.

*******************


These are Heinlein’s Crazy Years. We have to live in them and deal with people who think it is perfectly acceptable to kill full-term babies and confessing one’s sins to plants.

*******************


As George Santayana once said, “Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.”

This applies to all sorts of things. Certainly we know the Left ignores history on a regular basis which is why they keep making the same mistakes again and again.

The latest bit of proof of Santayana’s warning is true is a New Hampshire State Representative pushing the idea of making all schools in the state Gun Free Zones. He is conveniently ignoring that schools like Sandy Hook and Parkland were already Gun Free Zones when they were shot up by miscreants who saw those Gun Free Zones as Free Fire Zones.

Looking at mass shootings, one will find a majority of all mass shootings have taken place in Gun Free Zones. So why would someone who is so concerned about the safety of our schoolchildren work to make sure they will be more likely to be shot and killed by people who already have no regard for the law?

Oh, the New Hampshire legislator making the push to have all schools in the state declared Gun Free Zones? He’s a Democrat. He’s pissed that New Hampshire’s Republican governor vetoed legislation that did just that, legislation that was so broad that just about every law-abiding citizen carrying a firearm in New Hampshire would be violating the so-called school Gun Free Zone laws multiple times every day. But then, wasn’t that the real actual point of the legislation, banning the carrying of firearms everywhere in the state of New Hampshire? The New Hampshire Democrats have denied it, but I have a feeling such denials were just pro forma. After all, a number of New Hampshire Democrats have been pushing hard to repeal Article 2A of the state constitution which enumerates the right of the New Hampshire people to keep and bear arms.

*******************


The New England Patriots defeated the New York Jets at Foxborough this afternoon, 30-14. Neither of the Jets’ scores were allowed by New England’s defense. One was due to an error by their special teams when the kick receiver bobbled the ball and the Jets were able to get possession in the end zone. The second was due to a Pick Six in the 4th quarter when second string quarterback Stidham threw a poor pass and the Jets intercepted it and ran it back for a TD.

*******************


And that’s the news from Lake Winnipesaukee, where summer weather has returned, the boating has been great, and where once again Monday is returning too soon.