NASA announces objects on Ceres are artificial in origin? Well, maybe not.

OK, this post is a work of pure fiction, although as of this writing the two bright spots seen on the Ceres minor planet continue to puzzle scientists.

But, I couldn't help but think what it might mean for the tired old planet of ours should these spots turn out to be enormous monoliths. You know, similar to the small one they find on the moon in 2001: A space Odyssey.

The picture shown here was taken by the Dawn spacecraft from a distance of 29, 000 miles and so those spots would have to be enormous in size! But, what if on a later picture, the images resolve like so? What sort of impact would that have on this planet? On America? On the Middle East?

One thing for sure. There would be one hell of a race to build craft to get there! I would picture insane goings among the various nations  on in a similar vein to the move titled 'The Great Race'! Great entertainment indeed!

April 5 Update: Dawn's arrival in orbit was almost a month ago... since then a total blackout of any news concerning Ceres; no closeup photos, no scientists speculations, no nothing.... The question now becomes, exactly what is NASA or the government or both hiding from the public? My next conjecture is that NASA will announce that the craft has suffered a 'failure' and that no pictures will be forthcoming..

April 6 - OK, It's now been implied, by some other bloggers, that I'm crazy - there's nothing to see here. The spacecraft will be back on line soon with great pictures..... If that happens - cool by me. If, on the other hand, there is some sort of malfunction... then I will continue to wonder.

Breakfast of us ordinary people!

No matter what you age, IQ or walk of life - getting a decent breakfast is one of the more important tasks that face all of us just about every day! 

If you've heard about or read the 'Breakfast of Champions, a 1973 novel by the American author Kurt Vonnegut, then you'd know it is the story of 'two lonesome, skinny, fairly old white men on a planet which was dying fast.' I thought of this novel this morning because I identify so much with one of the characters, Dwayne Hoover, who is portrayed 'as a normal-looking but deeply deranged Pontiac dealer and Burger Chef franchise owner'. And while I am neither a car dealer or franchise owner, I do fit in nicely with the deranged part.

The title of the book, taken from the well-known slogan for Wheaties breakfast cereal, crops up in a key scene late in the novel when a waitress, apparently ironically, says "Breakfast of Champions" each time she serves a customer a martini. Really, an interesting read by an equally interesting author! and, what does this all have to do with eating a good breakfast? What part of deranged did you not get?

Benefits of maintaining a diary!

For years now, I've managed to maintain a daily diary that focused mostly on the weather. I've done it to help me keep a record of what it was like in February, a few years back. A record, if you will, of one man traveling through life, leaving a few tracks in the temporal snow as it were.

I feel that by writing stuff down, it helps me to cope with some of the stresses of life by venting, even if that venting is only to yourself! We live in a very complex, technological and dangerous world that seems to be getting crazier by the moment. Weird topics that never came up, for me, in the eighties or nineties, now seem to be more the norm. Immigration reform, a nuclear Iran, ISIS terror cells in the US, an ineffective and leaderless government with regular be-headings thrown in for added effect.

In today's America, the nuclear family is history. Morality is now more of a concept as opposed a lifestyle and the word God is uttered less and less by a citizenry that I no longer recognize. More often than not, I now pack heat, lock the doors to my house when I'm away and now distrust many people and most governments in general. So, I have my diary to turn to... perhaps I'm a little like a male version of Anne Frank in that regard.

The potato and cheese bomblette!

I decided on one cold and icky February day to make up a sample batch of slow cooker cheesy potatoes – a recipe I spied on Facebook a week or so back.

Rather than embark on the full blown recipe that would serve 6, I decided to throw together what I called a potato bomblette! A single serving amount that I could make ahead of time, keep in the fridge and then use when I was ready.

Ingredients:

220 grams red potatoes, cut into chunks

2 slices of bacon

¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 tsp Ranch seasoning and salad dressing mix

1 tbsp chopped chives

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Place the bacon in a frying pan over med-high heat – cook until crispy. Break into small pieces. 
 

Make a pouch of aluminum foil as shown. I used a small glass bowl to aid me with this. Coat the inside of the foil lightly with nonstick spray. Place a layer of potatoes evenly into the pouch. Top with little of the cheese, onion, Ranch Seasoning and some bacon. Repeat until you used all the potatoes. Hold a little of the cheese back for use later on.

Seal up the little potato bomblette and either store in the fridge overnight or throw right away into a slow cooker set to low for 7-8 hours (or on high for 3-4 hours, if your in a hurry). Remove, then carefully open the foil and plate. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese and nuke in the microwave for one to two minutes to just melt the cheese. Finally,  sprinkle on the chives and serve at once!


I went with the low setting and made this up at 10 AM one morning, then sat down to a steak and potato bomblette meal! 

While the cheesy potatoes were good, I still prefer British fries - http://forsythkid.blogspot.com/2014/02/steak-and-eggs-at-home.html

Troubled waters!

A picture I took of the water tower in Forsyth MO was used on an international publication... cool!

Podcast #1 and some visuals by a demented man!

U&I

No video here, just a good sound by a band name Wilco - I'd encourage everyone to check them out and to buy their music via Amazon.... just a good sound and a nice listen.

Random Thoughts for February 2015!

It's just that we don't understand them!

State Department spokesperson, Marie Harf (I wonder if her friends affectionately call her Marie Barf), told Chris Mathews on TV that the real long term solution to the ISIS problem is one of providing jobs and understanding. No Marie, I beg to differ. ISIS is a religious movement aimed at killing as many Christians, apostates and Jews as it possibly can. It's called a jihad for a reason. Duh!

Hilliary hires extreme leftist John Podesta!

In a move that I'm sure will have many scratching their heads, Hilliary Clinton has hired John Podesta, a man that many on the left even fear is too far left, as her campaign manager for the 2016 race. Podesta was Obama's right hand man and still serves in an advisory capacity to the White House. His presence in the Hilliary campaign is sure to lock her down as the person to carry forward the 3^rd term policies of Obama. Not a very good move in my opinion...

Federal Judge halts Obama amnesty order!

Judge Andrew S. Hanen issued a restraining order to bring to a halt Obama's carefully laid out and lawless effort to grant amnesty to 4 plus million illegals. The judge ruled that he had overstepped his powers in trying to grant legal status and “benefits and privileges” to millions of illegal immigrants, in a stunning decision that chides the president and throws the White House’s plans into disarray just a day before applications were to be accepted. “The DHS was not given any ‘discretion by law’ to give 4.3 million removable aliens what the DHS itself labels as ‘legal presence,’” Judge Hanen wrote in issuing an injunction. “In fact, the law mandates that these illegally-present individuals be removed. The DHS has adopted a new rule that substantially changes both the status and employability of millions. These changes go beyond mere enforcement or even non-enforcement of this nation’s immigration scheme.”

The judge stopped just short of calling the president's recent actions moronic. I, however, would be glad to say that and more....

Rockaway Beach looking to boost image!

Outspoken critic, DanO Dingles of Forsyth MO was quick to jump on the chicken processing  and plucking plant concept recently put forward to the City of Rockaway Beach as a potential solution to their sagging image in Taney County.

"Why, I think a chicken slaughter house is just was that town needs," remarked Mr. Dingles to this reporter. "I also understand that when that place ain't a killing chickens, it will be processing fresh fruit! Yeah, E. coli laden chicken carcasses mixed in there with fruit! Sorta sounds like a good idea to me." Meanwhile, the folks who were putting forth the idea at Tri-Lakes Orchard were not available for comment.

DanO's winter travel tips!

It's been a while since many of us in southwest Missouri have had to contend with a decent snowfall. Apparently, that is about to change overnight tonight on Sunday, February the 15^th! I thought therefore to post a few travel tips for those who are of the more adventurous types:

Tip #1 – The most dangerous time to travel is anytime its snowing outside. So, stay home! Duh!

Tip #2 – If you find yourself already outdoors when the weather begins to turn sour – then for heavens sake, stay where you are! If that locale happens to be a bar and or eatery, count your lucky stars!

Tip #3 – Countless articles have been posted on the Internet that list items you should have in your vehicle as part of a survival kit. I'll make a bet that not one of my readers has such a kit in their car. Therefore, refer back to Tip #1.

Climate change and the Voodoo mantra!

“It is the greatest deception in history and the extent of the damage has yet to be exposed and measured,” says Dr. Tim Ball in his new book, “The Deliberate Corruption of Climate Science”.

Dr. Ball has been a climatologist for more than forty years and was one of the earliest critics of the global warming hoax that was initiated by the United Nations environmental program that was established in 1972 and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) established in 1988.

Several UN conferences set in motion the hoax that is based on the assertion that carbon dioxide (CO2) was causing a dramatic surge in heating the Earth. IPCC reports have continued to spread this lie through their summaries for policy makers that influenced policies that have caused nations worldwide to spend billions to reduce and restrict CO2 emissions.

Man made climate change—called anthropogenic global warming—continues to be the message though mankind plays no role whatsoever.

There is no scientific support for the UN theory.

CO2, despite being a minor element of the Earth’s atmosphere, is essential for all life on Earth because it is the food that nourishes all vegetation. The Earth has passed through many periods of high levels of CO2 and many cycles of warming and cooling that are part of the life of the planet.

“Science works by creating theories based on assumptions,” Dr. Ball notes, “then other scientists—performing their skeptical role—test them. The structure and mandate of the IPCC was in direct contradiction of this scientific method. They set out to prove the theory rather than disprove it.”

“The atmosphere,” Dr. Ball notes, “is three-dimensional and dynamic, so building a computer model that even approximates reality requires far more data than exists and much greater understanding of an extremely turbulent and complex system.” No computer model put forth by the IPCC in support of global warming has been accurate, nor ever could be.

Most of the reports were created by a small group of men working within the Climate Research Unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia and all were members of the IPCC. The result was a "totally false picture supposedly based on science."

Steppenwolf and born to be Wild!

Illegal deal of a lifetime!

Lawmakers are warning that President Obama's immigration executive actions could open the door for millions of illegal immigrants to qualify for hefty tax "credits" regardless of whether they've filed or paid taxes in the past.

And, all they need is a Social Security number.

Obama's November announcement paves the way for up to 4 million illegal immigrants to obtain Social Security numbers and work permits. After some initial confusion, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen told Congress this week that this would make them eligible for what's known as the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) providing they've been working.

Wow! And these credits will only cost us, the taxpayers, about 10 billion over the next 10 years. That's always assuming that the projected two million illegal crossee's estimated for this summer is way over blown! I mean what other country in the world could shoulder a burden like that when the unemployment figure there is estimated to be over 7% (GAO estimate)? None that I know of.

And, I hear that word of all that free money is being spread far and wide over much of Central America. I mean all ya gotta do, if your poor and living in say Columbia, is pay a mule to help you cross some measly river and suddenly you're home free and in the lap of luxury! What a deal!!

Mars government bureau needed!

As it is beginning to look ever more likely that we will be sending teams of men and women to live on Mars in the coming decades, I wanted to be one of the very first to address the need for interplanetary Rules and Regulations! I'm pretty sure that there will be soon a pressing need for our great leader President Obama, to form yet another layer in the old and slightly smelly Federal Government onion. I personally would like this new bureau to be called the Federal Activities Regarding Trans-stellar Settlements or FARTS for short. Like most departments in our government, it could start out small and thus would have minimal impact for a period of time. Then later on, it can transform itself into something really, really big and useless. Therefore, I would refer to the initial bureau setup as a Mini-FARTS effort lead by none other than the man who brought us ObamaCare, President Baarrack Obama!

Now, even before the astronauts ever set foot on Mars, I would suggest the following. 1) We divide up the planet into electoral college zones for the purpose of future fair voting. You know like the electoral college map we use for voting here. A true paradigm of fairness -–just look at the last couple of Presidential elections and how well they turned out! 2) Next, we will need to ascertain property values and perhaps even a fair system of taxation to support said future dwellings. 3) And most definitely, before sending the first nefarious travelers, we might want to consider establish a strong police presence there to insure that all the Rules and Regulations are followed! Oh, and that would mean a whole herd of attorneys to interrupt the law be present also. 3) In order to properly house all these professionals, a large task force of building code inspectors must be there in order to make sure of such things as building permits, licensing fees and Federal taxes are properly and fairly applied. And finally, 4) we'd surely need the IRS present and accounted fond watching our every teensy move. That done, I feel the planet would have the very barest of Federal presence to insure that everyone arriving there would be treated evenly, fairly and forever protected from harm.

Now, mind you, these are just a few opening thoughts. I would invite everyone to send Obama their thoughts on this topic!

Charlie's Steak Ribs & Ale! A true eating experience!

After I read an article in the Washington Post about how the government is about to reverse itself on it's 40 year stand against eating cholesterol-laden food, I decided to revisit a local eatery which serves up a great Steak and Eggs platter!

Charlie's Steak, Ribs and Ale is located on Hwy 160 in Forsyth Missouri near the junction of Y Hwy and while I love both steak and eggs, I'd been avoiding that selection for fear of what it might do to my already high blood cholesterol readings. But, then after reading that and related articles, I've came to the decision that a moderate intake of so-called bad cholesterol was not as bad as consuming too many saturated fatty acids! So, I'd decided to still watch what I ate, but not to restrict myself completely from the foods I love!

On what was a cold morning in mid February, I arrived early and chose a booth near the back of the establishment. (Actually, I was told to sit near the back... something about my appearance evidently scares young kids). I ordered the steak and egg platter and firmly told the server that no, I did not want it as a take out...

I ordered my steak rare, my eggs runny and everything hot – 'just like I like my women', I joked to the wide-eyed server who I think was named Leesa. She grabbed the menu from my hands and hurried off at a pretty good clip. I then busied myself by arranging my cell phone, charger and camera into a neat pile on the table. It crossed my mind that I hadn't received a call on that phone – ever. Perhaps I needed to have it checked out....

Before very long, my food arrived and I dug in forthwith. (The server lingered near my table and eyed me with what appeared to be a look of slight revulsion. Perhaps it was my rather quirky style of eating that she was taking note of). This conduct, however, made me not a little nervous and so it was really not my fault when a good hunk of egg fell of my fork and landed squarely in my crotch! As I attempted to scrap it off my pants, I thought I heard a twittering sound coming out of the server's mouth, who then quickly turned and left the area... I resumed eating in much the same methodical way that a cow chews his cud.

Well, I can tell you my readers, that the food tasted pretty darn good! In short order, I had consumed every morsel on my plate and (just as they do in the Middle East to signify a contented stomach), I belched as loud as I could. Sadly, I doubt that anyone heard as strangely, the entire area where I was seated was devoid of customers. (Over in the distance, I could see other tables with patrons crammed together like sardines). Strange.

Yes, Charlie's is a great place to eat and meet. And while, I've never seemed to connect with anyone there yet, I'm sure that will change in the near term. After all, they even now post a sign outside to notify everyone when I'm there!

Are we headed towards a World War with Russia?

What do you get when you mix mix a clueless leader like Obama, possibly the worst Secretary of State in our Nation's history and a shackled military together? Why, a recipe for global disaster, of course!

Unexpectedly, at the height of a cold Ukrainian winter, war has exploded anew on a half-dozen battered fronts across eastern Ukraine, accompanied by increasing evidence that Russian troops and Russian equipment have been pouring into the region again.

A shaky cease-fire has all but vanished, with rebel leaders vowing fresh attacks. Civilians are being hit by deadly mortars at bus stops. Tanks are rumbling down snowy roads in rebel-held areas with soldiers in unmarked green uniforms sitting on their turrets, waving at bystanders — a disquieting echo of the “little green men” whose appearance in Crimea opened this stubborn conflict in the spring.

Enter, stage left, our illustrious President Obama and the ever feckless Secretary of State, John Kerry. Throw Rice in to the mix and you have a sort of modern day Larry, Curly and Moe – three incredibly inept stooges who collectively couldn't open a shit house door without falling headfirst in to it, in my opinion at least.

Russia, in the form of Vladamir Putin, is a very tough nut that the US is now steadily pushing ever further into a corner. Putin is like a cat. When he's gets pressured that way he will eventually explode f pushed too far. And most recently, our very wise President has indicated that there is now a possibility that we will supply arms to the Ukrainians if he and his Russian separatist forces don't back down. Talk about lighting a short fuse!

History has shown that the Russian people are a very hard people. (In wars past, they have endured incredible hardships while not giving an inch to opposing forces. Hitler learned that lesson the hard way). Our President seems to feel that since he has been able to bluster the American people into silence, that he can do the same with the Russians. That, I feel, would be a very bad move on his part. Just one of many he has managed to make over the past six years.

DOPE set to unveal new enery technology!

After spending billions upon billions of our dollars, The Department of Potential Energy (DOPE) is reportedly getting ready to disclose a device that they promise will make America completely energy independent! On it's release, Obama will reportedly pen an Executive Order making the wearing of these devices mandatory for all citizens. The energy thus collected will then be 'fairly' distributed to the poor at the expense of the really really wealthy! Obama and DOPE, ceaselessly working to lower the bar, a little more, each and every day!

A world war is coming? Are we ready?

The day of this post, evil forces were at work. An innocent man was burned to death by those who call themselves ISIS. (I do so so believe that Jesus caught this Jordanian airman and took him to heaven before he suffered greatly). That fate, that intervention, shall not be granted the followers of a perverted and sick religion aka ISIS. أنت تعرف من أنت! I would call on all the true Muslim faithful, those who follow the true Islamic path, to join this world in the fight to cleanse ourselves of a horrible evil and corruption of a faith you hold so dear! In another post, I hope to write about my true feelings concerning the cowardice of certain elected individuals. Individuals who, thru inaction or misplaced ideology,  have brought incredible amounts of shame on a House wherein very brave men reside.... just the poor thoughts of a man whose head is full of sand.