Tweet of the Absurd

President-elect Trump has suggested in a tweet that people who burn flags should face a "loss of citizenship or a year in jail."

Last time I looked the Supreme Court has held that that flag-burning is a protected First-Amendment right.  It happens to be a very unpleasant form of expression – but in this country we have a long tradition of respecting unpleasant forms of expression.

The President-elect tweets the absurd.

But that’s his right.

Ten Hottest Jobs in Wisconsin

Courtesy of Wisconsin's Department of Workforce Development here is this year’s Top Ten List of the Hottest Wisconsin Jobs.  

By my calculation it would appear that only half of these Hot Jobs are family supporting jobs. Maybe that's why the State Motto is Forward.

Drum roll please....

Personal care aides (2015 rank No. 1).  Assist the elderly, convalescents, or persons with disabilities with daily living activities at the person's home or in a care facility. It includes duties like making beds, doing laundry, washing dishes and preparing meals. Nationwide, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says this occupation is expected to see more than 580,000 job openings by 2022. There are no formal education requirements for personal care aides, but most have a high school diploma. Median pay in Wisconsin: $21,470. Growth from 2014-2024: 12,467 or 29 percent.

Food preparation and serving workers, including fast food (2015 rank No. 3). Perform duties which combine preparing and serving food and nonalcoholic beverages. Less than high school diploma, on-the-job training required. Median pay in Wisconsin: $18,100. Growth from 2014-2024: 8,613 or 14 percent.

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers (2015 Rank No. 8). Trucks with a capacity of 26,000 pounds or more. Most companies require their truck drivers to have a high school diploma or equivalent. Some require drivers to attend professional truck-driving schools. Requires commercial driver’s license. Median pay in Wisconsin: $39,210. Growth from 2014-2024: 6,867 or 13 percent.

Registered nurses (2015 rank No. 2). Provide care to ill, injured, convalescent, or disabled patients, assess patient health problems, develop and implement nursing care plans, and maintain medical records. Bachelors of Science programs typically take 4 years to complete; Associates Degree in Nursing and diploma programs usually take two to three years to complete. Licensing and registration required. Median pay in Wisconsin: $65,150. Growth from 2014-2024: 5,327 or 9 percent.

Sales representative, manufacturing (2015 rank No. 10). Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers to businesses or groups of individuals. Work requires substantial knowledge of items sold. High school diploma or equivalent; on the job training. Many sales representatives attend seminars in sales techniques or take courses in marketing, economics, communication. Median pay in Wisconsin: $57,370. Growth from 2014-2024: 4,742 or 12 percent.

Customer service representative (2015 rank No. 4). Interact with customers to provide information in response to inquiries about products and services and to handle and resolve complaints. High school diploma or equivalent, on-the-job training. Median pay in Wisconsin: $33,970. Growth from 2014-2024: 4,616 or 8 percent.

Nursing assistant (Not ranked in 2015). Help provide basic care for patients in hospitals and residents of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes. Orderlies transport patients and clean treatment areas. Post-secondary non-degree; on-the-job training. Median pay in Wisconsin: $26,940. Growth from 2014-2024) 4,578 or 13 percent.

Computer systems analyst (Not ranked in 2015). Study an organization’s current computer systems and procedures and design information systems solutions to help the organization operate more efficiently and effectively. Bachelor’s degree in a computer or information science field is common, although not always a requirement. Median pay in Wisconsin: $72,910. Growth from 2014-2024: 4,048 or 28 percent. 

Janitors and cleaners, except maids and housekeepers (2015 Rank No. 5). These are the unsung employees of many workplaces who keep buildings clean and in working order. Less than high school, on-the-job training. Median pay in Wisconsin: $23,070. Growth from 2014-2024: 3,952 or 8 percent.

Restaurant cooks (Not ranked in 2015).  Prepare, season, and cook a wide range of foods, which may include soups, salads, entrees, and desserts. On-the-job training, some attend culinary school. Median pay in Wisconsin: $22,370. Growth from 2014-2024: 3,380 or 17 percent.

Sources: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.​

Germany's Love for Gin

'Germany, the land of beer, riesling and schnapps, has gone gin mad. In the last decade, the number of small gin distillers has exploded.  

An exact figure is hard to pin down, but many here say there are now hundreds of gin makers. And the nation is giving England and Spain a run for their money in its love of the gin and tonic.'

Apparently the growing thirst for gin is a global phenomenon and a Teutonic tide for the product has risen as well.  Come to think of it I'll pick-up a lime at the grocery on the way home today.  Learn more about this story here.  Prosit!

Survivors?

Found these photos on a trail camera memory card over the weekend.  The SD card was in the desk drawer that hadn't been wiped clean.

They're dated November 8th and 10th and were taken by a camera place over a scrape up at the north end of the property.

I wonder if they survived? 

From the same location - I know this guy did not...

The Many Accomplishments of Fidel Castro

One of the modern world's most heinous dictators died this past weekend.  It is fitting that his most remarkable achievements be chronicled.

Castro's brutal regime seized all property for himself and his allies, outlawed private enterprise and crushed his county's middle class impoverishing most of the population in the process.

The state controlled and censored all manner of communication and expression, religion was squelched, homosexuals persecuted and education was supplanted with indoctrination.

Thousands of innocent Cuban citizens were forced into exile with many perishing at sea in makeshift watercraft.

Cuba evolved into a caste society where millions of foreign visitors enjoyed indulgences denied his own people.

Castro personally engaged in and abetted extrajudicial killings and torture of his enemies.

A ruthless and pitiless dictator Fidel was.  Amazing that some will be singing his praises in the days to come.





 

Deer Camp - Day Ten

This stretch of deer camp is about to button it up.  Beginning with Tuesday the weather has been mostly rain, rain and more rain.  For gosh sake it is the end of November.  Bring on the snow.

In any event I thought it might be fun to share some photos from when the guys were here...

Pre-hunt...

 
Afield...

Post-hunt decompression...

Meat packing...

Deer Camp and the First Amendment

In case you are wondering about the Mason jar filled with cash on the kitchen counter it is all about this deer camp's contribution to our cherished freedom of speech.  Only with a price attached to it.

The hunters in our camp represent a rather broad spectrum of political views ranging from far left to far right and just about everywhere between.  On the heels of a particularly hard-fought presidential campaign and recognizing the polarization of strongly held views - the jar assists the US Constitution's goal of maintaining 'the domestic tranquility.' 

I placed the jar on the counter as a mechanism to facilitate free speech.

By example - suppose I wanted to say: Donald Trump is a bombastic and vulgar personality and a thoroughly loathsome individual whose unrestrained fecklessness is troubling in a dangerous world and undeserving of my vote.  I can freely say so.  Only it comes with a price - a dollar per sentence.  Think of it not as a tax on free speech but a user fee.  The proceeds of which will be accumulated and applied to the purchase of beer for next year's Schützenfest.

The jar shall remain on the counter for the duration of the 2016 deer hunting season as deer camp's quaint, but effective, contribution to the First Amendment.

Run-on sentences are the norm.

Blowing the Coat

I had to FURminate the blonde Lab a couple of days ago because she was going thru a molt and leaving clumps of fur here and there and all over the house.  

Why I never did this before I can't say but I thought I would hop onto the information superhighway and study-up on the grooming of Labrador retrievers.  Here is what I learned (or already knew).

Labs come factory equipped with a double coat making them basically water resistant.  A soft undercoat is weather-resistant and acts as an insulating layer that protects the pooch from extreme cold, from getting wet, or from any type of terrain, burs and stickers.  The straight outer coat is coarse and reinforces the hair coat’s waterproof qualities and unlike other breeds also repels burs and stickers.  The soft undercoat also allows the dog’s natural oils to repel moisture.

I've often compared the coat on our black Lab to that of a seal - sleek and resistant.  The blond Lab has always been fuzzier, fluffier and fleecy - prone to more frequent grooming.  Both dogs get a regular brushing and baths mostly as a consequence of stuff they roll on in the woods.  Because they are in and out of the water and have floppy ears we try to remember regular ear cleanings.

Although Labs don’t shed as much as a German Shepherd or other breeds they shed their hair coat twice a year.  The molt has a special moniker - it is called "blowing the coat."

I learned something new.  Learn more about Labrador retriever fur here.

One-Upmanship

I was feeling pretty good about our cozy thanksgiving chicken dinner yesterday afternoon.  Simple comfort food.

In the mean time my pal - The First Mate - was texting me photos of his thanksgiving extravaganza.

This morning I found this message in my In Box:

Apple, dried cherry and walnut salad with maple dressing

Curried pumpkin soup

Perfect baked mashed potatoes

Eddie Martini's bacon Brussels sprouts

Breast of turkey roulades with mustard cream caper sauce

Pumpkin cheesecake

Coffee

Assorted cordials

That - gentle readers - is culinary one-upmanship.

Proofread

Dartmouth Police

Massachusetts Department of Transportation needs to double check their signage before installing it.

Deer Camp - Friday Morning Music

Composed by country music artist Townes Van Zandt this is often considered his most enduring song - an oldie and a goodie.

First recorded in 1972 album this is a tale of a Mexican bandit called Pancho possibly betrayed by his left-hand man 'Lefty' to the Mexican Federales.

Is it Pancho Villa....?

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

I swore I wasn't going to post any food pics today but this was too good not to share.

Roaster chicken, smashed taters, wild turkey sausage dressing (found in the bottom of the freezer), garden peas and gravy.

Damn!

Feet-up in front of the wood stove afterwards with a whiskey....

FURminator

Blonde dog was going through a periodic molt so she got the FURminator treatment this morning.

The fur was flying and it felt a bit like a sheep shearing.

Got dogs?  Learn more about the FURminator here.

Deer Camp - Day Seven

It is Thanksgiving morn and I want to take this opportunity to share with the world wide web that I've got a great deal to be thankful-for.

Including a loving family, close friends, my health, a terrific day job, hobbies that allow ample time out of doors and a great place to live.  America is great and if you feel otherwise you might want to take an extra dose of enthusiasm or devotion for this great country.
 

Wishing my readers a restful and grateful day...

Donald Hump

A humpback whale has apparently taken-up residence in the Hudson River for the past week - with sightings reported from the Statue of Liberty to well north of the George Washington Bridge,

With better sewerage treatment and less industrial pollutants and street runoff the waters are cleaner.  While rivers are not optimal whale waters the cleaner water is supporting plankton which has possibly drawn at least this one whale to the food source.

Social media has dubbed the leviathan - Donald Hump

Fun with Statistics

Differing emotional reactions to the election show up in Gallup polling data. 

Before Trump won - 16 percent of Republicans said the economy was getting better, versus 61 percent of Democrats. 

Post-election - Democratic optimism about the economy plunged 15 points, while the share of Republicans saying the economy was improving tripled, to 49 percent.

Only a few weeks after the election the economy has turned it around and shown a marked improvement.

And the guy hasn't even been sworn-in yet.

Amazing

Deer Camp - Day Five

Today I took sixty pounds of trimmed venison into town for the butcher to grind into hamburger.  Marchant's did it while I waited and since I was in the back of the store in one of the cutting rooms I know it is our deer they ground and bagged.  I witnessed it.

At my request they added ten percent pork to the mix.

Ground it twice to make sure everything was evenly distributed.

Bagged it and refilled my grocery basket and a box with one pound (give or take) packs of yummy ground venison.  $55.73 for everything.  Fast service too.

click images to enlarge

Speaking of fast I watched a couple of the butchers disassemble deer while waiting.  With knives flashing I could only hope some day to be that proficient.

Note to the Deer Camp:  Sharp, new knives.