Supply Chain

Early yesterday afternoon I was in my local Sam's Club.  I walked into the dairy section--there was not a gallon of milk to be had.  There were several quarts of cream or half-and-half, and a few dozens of eggs, but not a single gallon of milk.  I slowly turned 180 degrees to my left, marveling at something I imagined only in state-controlled economies, and then left the room-sized dairy frig.

A moment later I saw a lady walk in.  She did exactly as I did--looked to her right, saw only empty floor space where hundreds of gallons of milk should be, slowly did a 180 to her left to see if maybe there was milk in the rest of the area, and then walked out.

I saw an employee who seemed to be working in that general area, so I asked him if more pallets of milk would be coming in a minute or if the store was truly out.  He told me that their supplier now brings only the absolute minimum they can get away with, and it's usually gone in the morning.

I recall the story that Boris Yeltsin knew communism's gig was up when he saw grocery stories full of goods in the US.  Now, in California, is there a shortage of milk?

I'm quite at a loss.

Even The Metric System Couldn't Fix This Error

click to enlarge

That's not a yard, and it's not really "beef", either.

Church of Global Warming

The climate alarmists' exaggerated claims in the past haven't helped their credibility at all.

They always scream "weather isn't climate!" unless the weather supports their side, in which case it's a snapshot of climate.  In the spirit of fairness, I offer this snapshot of climate:

With four days left to go in the month, Tahoe has already broken the record for December snowfall set 50 years ago.

On Monday, December snow totals at the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab reached 193.7 inches, blowing a 1970 record of 179 inches out of the water.

The lab, located at Donner Pass, has received roughly 39 inches of snow in the past 24 hours and could break the 200-inch mark today.

Update, 1/1/22:  Broke over 200" this past week!

Masks

As we approach the end of our second year of coronavirus tyranny, including but certainly not limited to having completely healthy people wear masks, I want to remind you of some salient points:

Why is no one addressing the stupidity of believing that single-layer cloth or paper masks do anything to stop or even minutely slow the spread of an airborne virus? Has everyone on the planet suddenly become innumerate?

The size range of human respirable aerosols is typically 2 to 5 microns. We’re not talking about spit from coughing or snot from sneezing, we’re talking about the stuff we exhale with every breath. If you’re coughing or sneezing, you probably ought to just stay home until you’re better. Okay, for those who don’t know, a micron is about 1/25,000th of an inch (1/25,400th, but close enough). The biggest human respirable aerosol is thus 5/25,000ths of an inch, or 1/5,000th of an inch.

A typical single-layer cloth or paper mask has a mesh opening size on the close order of 1/500th of an inch. Any tighter and you wouldn’t be able to breathe through it.

Does no one see a problem with this? The challenge material (human aerosols) are on the order of ONE TENTH the size of the filter openings. The aerosols simply flow right through the masks.

This is not trying to stop mosquitoes from coming into your house by putting chain-link fence across the open windows, this is trying to stop gnats with burglar bars.

The fact that NONE of these paper and cloth masks have air-tight seals across the face, and that the vast, nay, overwhelming majority of the air flow during exhalation simply bypasses the filter media (mask material) is left as an exercise for the student.

The ONLY masks that actually help slow/stop the spread are highly tested, custom-fitted N95 masks. There’s an elaborate procedure for fitting and wearing them, and facial hair (beards and mustaches) cannot be worn. You can tell somebody who is actually working in a high-risk environment because they have a bruise around the perimeter of their face and across the bridge of their nose since it’s the only way to get a good air-tight seal.

So the mandated wearing of these single-layer masks is just another example of theater from the statist, authoritarian collectivists running our governments, and ordered for the SOLE PURPOSE of exercising their power and control.

The voluntary wearing of single-layer masks is either massive ignorance, stupidity, or virtue signaling on the part of those wearing one…or maybe some combination of all three.

Math is haaaaaard.  So is history: 

 

Update:  A great quote from Thomas Sowell:

People will forgive you for being wrong, but they will never forgive you for being right—especially if events prove you right while proving them wrong.

Perhaps this is why the lefties keep doubling down (quite literally!) on masks, as well as on failed policies.

Update #2, 12/29/21:  Another Sowell quote:

It is so easy to be wrong--and to persist in being wrong--when the costs of being wrong are paid by others.

Update #3, 12/29/21:  Masks are good for only two things:  demonstrating you have power over others, by forcing others to wear them, or virtue signalling, if you choose to wear them.  They're not going to protect you from the Moronic variant:

“Cloth masks are not appropriate for this pandemic,” CNN’s Dr. Leana Wen said on Monday night.

“It’s not appropriate for omicron,” she continued. “It was not appropriate for delta, alpha, or any of the previous variants, either, because we’re dealing with something that’s airborne.”

Update #4, 12/30/21:  They're no doubt looking ahead to next November's elections:

Christmas Presents

There wasn't a gift I received that I liked less than 100%.  I must've been on Santa's good list.

There were two gifts, however, that were very unique, creative, or unusual.  One was a note saying the givers would pay for me to get my carpets cleaned.  After 16 1/2 years in the house, with nothing more than infrequent vacuuming and a rented steam cleaner a couple times, I thought that was a useful, imaginative gift that I'd never have thought of for myself.

The other gift was homemade cocoa bombs.  Until a couple weeks ago I'd never heard of cocoa bombs, and now I have over a dozen that are homemade.  4 each of 4 different flavors; the chocolate orange is heavenly!  They require the milk to be almost to the boiling point in order to melt the chocolate, and even though I was standing right there, the milk burst up like a volcano with no warning and made a mess all over my stove!  The next time I'll use a deep saucepan and just scoop the milk out rather than heating it in a normal-sized saucepan.

What thoughtful and/or creative gifts did you receive?

American Christmas

If they're unknown, how was this article written?

Five Unknown Facts About Washington’s Crossing The Delaware On Christmas Day

Here are my favorite facts about Washington's Crossing the Delaware:

 Merry Christmas from America!

Part of Why Democrats Want To Continue With the 'Rona Panic Porn

A comment on this article says it all:

Voting has never been easier (or more available to fraud) than it is today. You can vote by mail (almost everywhere) , you can vote in person, you can vote early, or you can vote on election day. There simply is no voter supression happening. Saying there is, and calling for even less trackable voting practices, is simply a tactic being used by the left to open up more avenues of localized fraud.

If you say that fraud wasn't a goal in last year's mail-in voting system, you're being dishonest.

Army Wins Its 4th Armed Forces Bowl

Despite Army's 8-4 record vs Missouri's 6-6 record, the two teams that competed in last night's Armed Forces Bowl were pretty evenly matched.  The final line was Army by 7, but I have a hard time believing that anyone really thought Army would beat that spread.

At the beginning of the game, ESPN.com's "Win Probability" had the teams pretty evenly matched:

click to enlarge

You'll notice that the percentage got higher and higher for Missouri for awhile, and that's because Army didn't show up for much of the first half, as noted by the scoring summary:

Going down 10-nothing, and ending the half down 16-7, isn't an auspicious start for Army.  In fact, if I remember correctly, Missouri scored on each of its 1st half possessions.  And let's be honest, Army isn't known for making tremendous adjustments at the half.

But they did something right.  Army kept possession for most of the 3rd quarter, eventually scoring when locomotive running back Jakobi Buchanan rumbled in for a 10-yard score, bowling over a defender and knocking him on his back.  Army's defense held on a 4th down and later caused a fumble.  You'll notice that during the late 3rd and for most of the 4th quarter, the "Win Probability" went Army's way.  

Then Army's defense seemed to pack up and go home.  Missouri's freshman quarterback shredded the secondary, moving his team 10 yards at a time down the field to score a go-ahead touchdown with 1:11 remaining in the game.  The 2-pt conversion (to go up by 3) was over the intended receiver's head.

Army's 1st string quarterback Anderson went out in the 3rd quarter with an injury, and the 2nd string Tyler did an admirable job replacing him--even throwing a touchdown pass on 4th down, when passing is very much not his strong suit.  With 1:11 remaining, Army needed to move the length of the field and score.  In came 3rd string quarterback Laws.  Laws has a good arm.

Run, pass, pass attempt, pass attempt, run, pass attempt, pass, run, down the field Army went.  What Army team is this???  It wasn't always smooth, and clock management was sometimes questionable, but closer and closer they got to Missouri's end zone.  With seconds left, Army was a 41-yard FG away, and our kicker was 0-3 this season (again, if memory serves) on kicks over 40 yards.

With 3 seconds remaining in the game, the "predictor" had Army at 64.4%.  Then the kick went up and between the uprights as time ran out.  There was a flag on the field but it was against the defense, the kick was good, and Army won.

Not the worst way to end the season.

Hymns

When I was in the army from 1983-1990, there was an official Armed Forces Hymnal in all our chapels.  It was perhaps 6"x8" and reddish in color, if memory serves.

I didn't attend chapel services much while I was a lieutenant, but I did several times as a cadet, and my two favorite hymns were #2 and #114.  

Hymn #2 was called Holy Holy Holy, and from the forced meter and rhyme it was clear that the lyrics were Victorian.  Still, it was an upbeat hymn that brought me joy:

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Holy, holy, holy; all the saints adore Thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea.
Cherubim and seraphim falling down before Thee,
who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

Holy, holy, holy; though the darkness hide Thee,
Though the eye of sinful man Thy glory may not see.
Only Thou art holy; there is none beside thee,
Perfect in power, in love, and purity!

Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise Thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

Hymn #14, written by Martin Luther, was Ein Feste Burg, A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.  You could almost yell it at the top of your lungs, it was so powerful.  I have a cd on which Placido Domingo and the Vienna Boys Choir sing 3 of the 4 verses, and yes, Placido belts it!  Anyway, at West Point we sang this song only on one Sunday in November, no doubt to commemorate Luther's nailing his 95 theses to the church door. 

A mighty fortress is our God,
a bulwark never failing;
our helper he amidst the flood
of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe
doth seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing;
were not the right Man on our side,
a Man of God's own choosing.
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is he;
Lord Sabaoth his name,
from age to age the same,
and he must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled,
should threaten to undo us,
we will not fear, for God has willed
his truth to triumph through us.
The prince of darkness grim,
we tremble not for him;
his rage we can endure,
for lo! his doom is sure,
one little word shall fell him.

That Word above all earthly powers,
no thanks to them abideth;
the Spirit and the gifts are ours
through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
this mortal life also;
the body they may kill,
God's truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever! 

 

As far as Christmas songs go, my favorite is O Come All Ye Faithful.

What are your favorite hymns and Christmas carols?

Is So-called Anti-Racism Helping Black Americans?

Don't listen to me, listen to John McWhorter:

It's Sick That They're So Wedded To Killing Babies

Parents--who didn't kill their kids--won't even have a say.  They won't even know.  How much do you have to want to kill babies in order to keep a child's parents out of the decision, and to trust government instead?

Last Friday, Governor Pritzker signed into law a measure that allows minor girls to get abortions without their parents being notified or requiring their consent.

Still in tact are Illinois laws requiring minors to obtain parental permission for body piercings, tattoos and sunbed tannings. 

However, the Governor's office released the following statement boasting the "safeguarding reproductive rights" and repealing the "harmful" Parental Notification Act.

This Might Be The Most Disgusting Thing Ever Posted on the White House Web Site

This goes beyond "fear porn". I don't have a noun for it, but adjectives include "gross", "foul", and "disgusting".  At whom, exactly, is this statement targeted?  Since it's not worded to change any minds, I fear it's aimed at Biden's supporters solely so they can somehow feel superior to someone:

click to enlarge

The entire briefing is here.

This administration has doubled down on failure so many times, look what they're reduced to!  It would be sad if it weren't so dangerous.

Even by his own standards, Biden has been a failure.

The Wages of Socialism Is Economic Death

Click here and watch the graphic.

If the commie wins in Chile's election, well, make your own predictions.

Update, 12/21/21:  The commie won.  It obviously won't happen overnight, but watch what happens to Chile over the next 10 years.  Will it join Venezuela, Bolivia, and Cuba?  I predict it will head in that direction.

Look Familiar?

Countdown

Three days of final exams finished at 12:40 pm today; by 2:10 I had graded the last of my finals, entered the scores, and submitted semester grades.

I don't work the next 16 calendar days, although I do have jury duty this upcoming week.  I'm looking forward to some relaxation.

Are You Sure You Want To Do This?

(start at 1:15)

I’m wary of this policy. I’m not wary of searching backpacks and lockers, but given the personal nature of what we keep on our phones, this seems excessive.  I see the opportunity for so many unintended consequences that will work against the school:

A North Carolina school board has adopted a policy which will allow principals to search a student’s cellphone. 

The policy adopted this week by the Wilson County Board of Education allows phone searches "whenever a school official has reason to believe the search will provide evidence that a student has violated or is violating the law, board policy, the code of student conduct or a school rule," The Wilson Times reported. 

With great power comes great responsibility, and I don't really trust most school officials with that kind of responsibility.  If I were a student I'd refuse to unlock my phone; they can search it all they want without my assistance.

So-called Woke Math

Only in the US is "2+2=4" considered racist.  Only in the US is expecting students to behave, or to raise their hands and be called on before speaking out in class, considered racist.  The Kenyans and the Jamaicans and the South Africans, all beneficiaries of the British school system, must laugh their heads off at those.  Then, when they find out that in the US, certain people think blacks can't do math and thus the math is at fault, they must feel insulted:

Erec Smith, professor at York College (Pa.) and co-founder of "Free Black Thought," harshly criticized the latest "woke" movement in liberal education that aims to eliminate advanced math classes in schools. Smith agreed Thursday with more than 1,000 professors who took a stand against the movement.

In an open letter, the educators argue that the "woke" movement would actually worsen the problem of inequality because it would reduce access to foundational education.

"This is dumbing down," Smith said of the movement. "If you’re creating a form of education specifically for one group of kids because they can’t learn like everybody else, that’s just another iteration of the soft bigotry of low expectations."

Read the whole thing.

If Generators Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Have Generators

It's happened here in the Democratic People's Republic of Kalifornia:

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) passed a regulation aimed at “Small Off-Road Engines” on Thursday that will ban the sale of portable generators in the state — which includes generators mounted in recreational vehicles.

The ruling bans the sale of gas-powered leaf blowers and lawnmowers in the state beginning in 2024. Portable generators will be required to meet more stringent standards in 2024 and meet zero-emission standards starting in 2028...

The new regulation does not apply to diesel or propane generators, but it will apply to gasoline generators mounted in an RV.  

Remember, this is a state in which a major electricity utility routinely shuts off power whenever the wind blows too much or whenever it's too hot.

As Predictable As A Sunrise

Prior to September's recall election I often commented that if Newsollini won, Californians would have to be punished for their insolence.  And right on cue:

The State of California is reimposing an indoor mask mandate that will apply to everyone, whether vaccinated or not.

California Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly announced the updated policy Monday, citing an increase in COVID-19 cases in the state since the Thanksgiving holiday...

The new mask mandate is set to take effect on Wednesday and will expire on Jan. 15. It will apply to everyone, regardless of vaccination status.

The news comes as the omicron variant has officially spread to the state, with California reporting 18 cases of the variant as of Friday.

To date, there has not been a single death anywhere on the planet that has been ascribed to the dreaded omicron variant.

For lefties this is all about control, and probably a justification to have more fraudulent mail-in voting in next November's elections.  Some people say that "the fear won't monger itself", but is it really fearmongering at this point, or just naked assertion of power?

Update:  Jibes with what I encountered last summer:

Matthew Walther, editor of The Lamp, a Catholic literary journal and a contributing editor at The American Conservative, penned an article for the liberal Atlantic magazine stating what should be a truism but is actually a shock to the liberal intelligentsia and opinion molders and makers on the coasts.

Nobody really gives a rat’s patootie about COVID...

In my drive through 8 states last summer on my 30-day road trip, I wore a mask only once--on "public transit", a gondola to a mountaintop.  Somehow I survived, and encountered no bodies out in the streets.  "Bring out your dead!"--Monty Python could update the skit.

Update #2:  Even in The Atlantic of all places:

I don’t know how to put this in a way that will not make me sound flippant: No one cares. Literally speaking, I know that isn’t true, because if it were, the articles wouldn’t be commissioned. But outside the world inhabited by the professional and managerial classes in a handful of major metropolitan areas, many, if not most, Americans are leading their lives as if COVID is over, and they have been for a long while.

What ticks off the lefties more than anything is not taking them (or their psychoses) seriously.  I enjoy doing that.

If The Pollution Happens Elsewhere, We Can Consider It Green

Fossil fuels are the best technology we (currently) have for transportation, and nuclear is the best we have for electricity production--and not-so-surprisingly, the greenies are against both.  It's hard not to believe that they're watermelons, green on the outside and red on the inside.  Even people who just feeeeeel that wind and solar are the way to go aren't really thinking about the reality:

Climate policies promoted and imposed by Team Biden and Democrats are based on junk science, headline-grabbing scare stories, and computer models that create far-fetched “scenarios” asserting that fossil fuel use and emissions will cause Earth to warm by 4 degrees C (7 F)over the next 80 years, and cause Arctic warming that will bring colder winters.

Those dire predictions are used to justify more taxpayer-funded “research,” like a recent Columbia University “mortality cost of carbon” study that claims 83 million people (the population of Germany) “could be killed” this century by those rising planetary temperatures. Therefore we must take “immediate action” to “transform” our energy and economic systems, and replace oil, gas and coal with (millions of) wind turbines and (billions of) solar panels and backup batteries.

These policies are lethal for people and planet They would require mining on scales unprecedented in human history, much of it by slave and child laborers, and nearly all using fossil fuels – bringing massive habitat and wildlife losses, air and water pollution, and horrific human health and safety problems.

But since most of the mining, ore processing and manufacturing will occur in other countries, far from the USA, politicians and climateers can say this “alternative energy” is “clean and green.”

Worse, climate policies cause widespread “energy poverty” – energy prices rising above families’ ability to stay adequately warm (or cool) at reasonable cost, given their incomes. That means people die.  

Let's not forget that cold kills a lot more people each year than heat does.

And let's just state the obvious:

Job destruction, energy poverty, illness and deaths would increase dramatically under anti-fossil-fuel policies mandated and imposed by the Biden Administration and fellow Democrats – in the name of fairness, equity and “climate justice.”

If you're not in favor of nuclear energy, you're not serious about reducing so-called greenhouse gases.