Here's your new place rioters!

The Solution! I understand that ANTIFA and BLM  is in desperate need of a place to occupy. For a solution I would propose Alcatraz Island.

After naming the island as a 'nation' with a name like Mugamuga and branding it a nation with terrorist intentions, I would like to see a very high wall built with just one entrance. The military would be in charge of said border with order to shoot to kill anyone trying to make it into the US. Additionally an impenetrable blockade of ships would be put in place to ensure 'domestic tranquility'.

Supplies would be air dropped in with each 'citizens' name clearly marked on the package. Other than that all other needed items would have to be traded for just as with any other country. Perhaps Mugamuga could offer a supply of urine and feces, for whatever that would be worth...

Then, after everyone who wanted to belong and who had denounced their citizenship were all settled in, perhaps we could introduce some 'special' people into the mix. These would be the most sick and demented people we now have in our prison system, and at great cost, to the average taxpayer. This arrangement should make for a lively time and I'm sure that some in San Francisco might even hear them 'partying' during the overnight hours.

A couple of thoughts on guns and the coming class wars.

Apparently many Americans are fearful concerning events that are happening around them these days. As, when that occurs, many head for the nearest gun store and stock up on firearms and ammo. 

I've visited or called a few area gun stores only to see and hear that firearms, especially handguns, are in great demand. One store near where I live, known as Doc Holiday, was down to only a handful of firearms in a display case that could hold hundreds. Ammunition was also 'flying off the shelves' according to one store worker....

 Sales nationwide were overwhelming as the FBI conducted 3.7 million background checks last month, the highest total since the national instant check system was launched in 1998! Yes, individuals are certainly arming up...But, for what?

There are three good reasons to own a gun;  hunting game, target practice, and self defense. Where I live in southwest Missouri, we have a good number of individuals who like to hunt or go out to improve their hunting skills through target practice. And now increasingly, we have citizens who have purchased a gun most likely out of fear. One young lady who works at a bar I go to recently announced that she just purchased a CX4 Storm 9mm handgun. As I listened to her talk about the gun, I couldn't help but wonder if she actually knew how to use it. Perhaps she hoped that should she be attacked, the mere sight of the gun would scare the attacker away. Who knows. But, there are many who buy, religiously carry and enroll in courses of self defense that include day, night and in car scenarios to mention just a few. Tactical training is a must have skill set if one is to both carry a gun and be safe with a gun. Also, understanding the legal implications of using a gun on another person is very important. You shoot a person, even in a clear cut case of self defense and you may still face both civil and legal hurtles in the days to come. So, shoot, but make sure you have a war chest of money, for afterwards.

Lastly, there is a group of people out there, who are buying semi-automatic AR styled rifles. These sort of guns can have all sorts of rails on them to support addons like lasers, flashlights and scopes. And, yes, they can be used for hunting. But, I think in the minds of some, they envision them being used in a civil war of some sort. Or perhaps, fending off hordes of virus crazed and hungry zombies. So, the bigger the caliber the better. Right?  Well, maybe. But remember, in a contracted war of any sort, urban and rural locations will likely devolve into nighttime skirmishes. And, in that type of situation, a 22 caliber target rifle with a night scope can be a real game changer.

A new use for Health Choice steamer baskets!

I've often enjoy eating Healthy Choice Cafe Steamer products as they are great products, but had one problem with those two-part baskets. They always looked like they would be good for another use, yet I never could figure out one. So, over time, they accumulated in my cupboard.

Then, just recently, I had the idea of using a base with two of the baskets to set up an seed incubator. Crude? Yes, but it seemed to work! I used Miracle Gro potting mix, placed on top of a coffee filter as a medium in which to plant some seeds. I thought the coffee filter would work when I eventually transferred the seedlings to a conventional pot.

I'll see how this might work out and will post updates about mid June, when I expect the seeds to germinate.

Comfort Foods: Sloppy Joe

For many years, I've enjoyed making Sloppy Joe's at my home, whenever I got a hankering for a burger with a spicy kick! According to legend, a cook named Joe at Floyd Angell's cafe in Sioux City, Iowa, added tomato sauce to his “loose meat" sandwiches and the “Sloppy Joe" sandwich was born. A popular knockoff is the pulled pork sandwich, if made properly, that is.

Sloppy Joe's have a couple of things going for them that many moms and dads greatly appreciate; 1) they're cheap and 2) they're supper easy to make! I my case, I brown a pound of ground beef, drain the fat, then combine the meat with a cup and a quarter of water, canned tomato paste and one of the many mixes that are to be found at grocery stores everywhere!

A hamburger with Red Robbin Steal fries!

I'm the sort of man who like hamburgers and when I have a hamburger I also like them fries to go with it. As a result, I have often been forced to a fast food joint - you know the places that charge $7 and more! But now I've for an alternative...

While browsing a local grocery outlet name Save A Lot in my town of Forsyth Mo, I happened across a package of Red Robin steak fries and bought one on impulse. This turned out to be a good choice as the product was easy to prepare with a taste very acceptable.

A delicate balance of a few billons tons of water!

Forsyth MO. - For whatever reason (although I'll get into some in future blogs), the two bodies of impounded water controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers could just possibly get into trouble due to both recent and forecast rainfalls. First, some factual information;

[Source – Wikipedia] 'The original purpose of the reservoir was for flood control on the White River. The dam had been authorized a month earlier under the Flood Control Act of September 3, 1943. The reservoir has a fluctuation of 16 feet (4.9 m). When the reservoir is above the maximum flood pool, excess water goes over the auxiliary overflow spillway at the north end of the dam.

Table Rock Dam’s spillway capacity was evaluated as a result of a dam safety program in the 1990s. Using improved weather data and more modern technology and safety requirements, engineers determined that the lake would rise ten feet higher during the worst-case flood than previously calculated. An event of this magnitude would over top the earthen embankment and destroy Table Rock Dam with catastrophic losses in downstream areas, including Branson. To prevent the potential loss of life and property damages, congress approved and authorized construction of the Dam Safety Project. After considering several options and gathering considerable public input, an auxiliary spillway was determined to be the best solution. The auxiliary spillway was completed in 2005 at a cost of approximately $65,000,000.

The worst case scenario of a catastrophic floodwater discharge from Table Rock Lake using the auxiliary floodgates would roughly resemble this:

At elevation 931 Table Rock Lake is at full flood capacity. The ten Tainter gates are opened to accommodate additional lake inflow from the White River Basin including the James River and Beaver Lake discharge.

At elevation 937 Table Rock Lake is 6 feet above flood capacity. The ten Tainter gates are opened wider in an effort to stabilize reservoir rise. Outflow from the Lake under these circumstances will be nearing 200-300 thousand cubic feet per second (CFS).

At elevation 942 Table Rock Lake is 11 feet above flood capacity and at its "design pool", or the maximum elevation that the reservoir is engineered to reach, under "probable maximum flood" scenarios. The dam’s ten Tainter gates will be fully raised to their maximum height of approximately 30 feet letting loose 550 thousand CFS into Lake Taneycomo. This scenario would effectively submerge and destroy the powerhouse, power transmission grid, hatchery, and wreak serious destruction down stream.

At elevation 947 Table Rock Dam would be at its maximum capacity and water would be at the very top of the dam. The auxiliary spillway would be brought online, in concert with Table Rock’s fully opened floodgates. This catastrophic or "last resort" protocol releases 1 million CFS of lake waters into Taneycomo and deals dreadful destruction to Branson, Hollister, Point Lookout and possibly the Powersite Dam. At this point there is a danger of water over-topping the concrete dam and breaching the earthen structure, which imminently leads to cataclysmic structural failure and the uncontrolled release of the Table Rock Lake impoundment—nearly 3 million CFS of water.

Historical facts: Table Rock Lake has a record crest of 935.47 feet, which occurred on April 27, 2011.

In December 2015, the dam released 72,000 CFS at its peak. This is the highest amount ever released.'

As of May 23rd, the water levels were at;

Click to enlarge

Now while the smallest impounded Lake (Beaver) was doing OK, her two downstream neighbors were carrying a bit of a load. The biggest worry being Bull Shoals, currently at 693 feet or just two feet below flood pool levels. Note that 'flood pool' as defined by Law Insider reads;

30 (24) “Flood pool elevation” means the maximum water surface elevation of a reservoir, equal to the elevation of the spillway.

This is the point at which a dam would be forced to start discharging 'against the will of those in control'. (Note that the Table Rock Dam level is at 926 feet with their flood pool set at 931 feet - That's 4 feet away)! Also note that when were are talking about the height of a body of water, we are referring to msl or height above mean sea level.

So, even though the coming week of rain only equals about an inch, the water game is certainly getting a bit dicey, to say the least!

DanO's Place! A concept!

DanO's Place in Forsyth MO. A twenty first century concept in Bar/Grill establishments! 

Talk about low places that are also small. I give you DanO's Bar and Grill! A 900 square foot enterprise that boasts a small grill serving up dogs, burgers and chips along with an assortment of drinks and brews intended for a local crowd!

This '21 Century concept bar' has a focus on being very efficient in terms of heating and cooling costs via limited space that only allows for fewer than twenty four patrons at one time. The interior is open with a micro-bar that seats 12 with tables that seat twelve diners.

This is my concept of 'winning' bar and eatery establishments going forward....