Getting Into the Holiday Mood

In case you've been wondering if I've been naughty or nice I'm feeling just a wee bit irreverent today.  

And couldn't resist sharing this little tidbit of holiday humor set to traditional Christmas carols...

Don't Look Up

In the unlikely event that you haven't got enough things on your mind to worry about; here is a tidbit that crossed my news feed recently.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 was discovered on December 27 of last year and is estimated to be 196 feet wide - about the size of the Statue of Liberty and 27 million miles distant. If it were to strike planet earth there is a high probability that it could result in significant damage; likely similar to the 1908 event which flattened a vast forested area in Tunguska Siberia.

Yesterday NASA announced that this chunk of galactic rock  had an estimated 3.1% chance of impacting earth on December 22, 2032 - a 1 in 42 chance of collision.

It is useful to note that the probability of an impact can change as additional data is collected.  Asteroid 99942 Apophis was initially considered at high risk of colliding with earth; and with continued monitoring these worries were ruled out. 

NASA and other space agencies are actively monitoring 2024 YR4 as the asteroid is currently rated as a 3 on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale ranking this as a close-enough encounter with a 1% or greater chance of impact capable of causing localized destruction.  Who knew?  As events unfold the asteroid's trajectory and probability of impact will be updated.

If the impact probability remains significant there are further options.  NASA could attempt to deflect the object by means of altering its trajectory.  NASA mounted a successful DART mission in 2022 to test the feasibility of this as a defense strategy. 

With a 3.1% probability of an impact this is worth paying attention.  Of course there is a much higher probability that Elon Musk will dismantle and defund NASA, furlough all of the agency's slothful and ungrateful workers, disappear the NASA.gov website, strike the name from all of the empty buildings and for good measure supplant it with his own company.

In which case I recommend you interview a contractor who can construct for you a sturdy bunker.  

You can learn more about the science of tracking a predicting all of these near-earth objects that keep you up at night. 

Snarky Post Of The Day

Some days I cannot help myself from the charms of a snarky analogy.

Sue me....

Getting Into The Holiday Spirit

In case you've been wondering if I've been naughty or nice I'm feeling just a wee bit irreverent today.  

And couldn't resist sharing this little tidbit of holiday humor set to traditional Christmas carols...

Limp Shooter

This cartoon should get a little extra attention as Putin has banned it in Russia.... 

 

Holiday Caroling

We interrupt your holiday for some irreverent holiday caroling.....

Voodoo Economics

If your lord and savior is the former guy read no further as this post may possibly upset you. Which is not my intent. As it is, I’m likely going to be derided as an elitist by certain of my friends anyway.  Nevertheless, this real-life illustration of magical economic thought is worthy of sharing.

 

It is not fake.

 

For some people this is their belief system. Economic and otherwise.

 

This conversation took place last weekend in the context of an economic discussion on a closed Facebook group.  It began with my supposition that the current economic picture (by most metrics) put the economy on-par with where it stood pre-pandemic.  Sure, I know it’s behind in some areas and ahead in others - but for the stuff that really matters basically par for the course. 

Heretofore I made no mention-of, or couched anything I posted in a political context. I was just sticking with the data. It did not take long for the worm to turn.  

To set the stage, a commentator had previously advanced the notion that the former guy’s economy was the best ever in all of history.  Naturally, this is a subjective conclusion. I did not challenge it as the pre-pandemic economy under the former guy was in-fact doing swell. Between you and me this blogger was enjoying the ride.  

 

Nevertheless, I suggested that if something is held-out as the best in history - as bold a conclusion as that should be supported by data.

 

Alas, the commentator reached for a bridge too far adding (without any supporting evidence) that under the former guy's administration gasoline had also fallen to $.99 a gallon.

Said commentator lives in Sturgeon Bay and I live close-by.  I should think that I would have taken notice of 99 cent gasoline in 2020.  But I digress.

I did point-out that when the economy cratered in early 2020 the price of crude oil plummeted as global travel dried-up.  Gasoline prices tracked downward as expected.  Not likely to $.99/gal - but prices did fall considerably.

To which the commentator suggested that it was the former guy who negotiated cheap crude oil prices thereby keeping gasoline prices low for all of us.

So there you have it. What I learned about supply-demand pricing of fungible commodities is of little utility.  All you have to do is simply negotiate a lower price for a globally-traded commodity such as crude oil - and voilà - $1.50 gasoline.  Presumably, that is the price at the pump so state and federal taxes are included.  All-in the actual refinery price is  much lower.

I suppose with Apple Inc. trading in the neighborhood of $143 a share (NASDAQ: AAPL) the former guy should be able to negotiate for us a cheap double digit price around $72 a share?  

 

Just kidding. You readers are smarter than that. You know I'm being snarky.

 

But on a serious note it is clear to me that in some circles the belief system is dismissive of labyrinthine and complicated financial markets. An article of faith suggesting that only a single key individual's negotiating skills is all that is needed is easier to digest. And just like magic - low commodity prices materialize. As a recovering financial guy I have to wonder how the commentator (above) navigates saving and planning for retirement. And $3.00+ gasoline. 

 

This is a head-scratcher for sure.

I'll spare you readers the rest of the painful discussion thread. When pressed for supporting evidence only argumentative opinions were forthcoming and the comments basically ended with the accusation that I was a Biden supporter.  That, my friends, is an intellectual cop-out. A lame deflection used by someone bereft of facts.

 

Nonetheless, it was a fascinating thought exercise while it lasted - concluded with lazy thinking.  

 

The late great PT Barnum had a term for those who embrace such belief systems.

 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

There is a population of conservative, center-right and independent-minded voters who place a high value on facts and the truth. Marginalized because they do not demonstrate sufficient fealty and obeisance to the former guy - exile is their cross to bear.

A Radioactive Treat

We have one of these contraptions plumbed from the basement sump crock all the way to above the first floor gutters.  Some of you readers may have something similar in your own home.  

This is what is known as a radon mitigation system.  

Radon is a colorless, odorless gas that is a radioactive byproduct of radium.  Beginning with uranium 238 it naturally decays with a half-life of 3.8 days as alpha particles are emitted.  Over a period of time it decays to polonium, bismuth, and lead.  

The gas that finds its way into your home foundation comes from deep in the soil. Breathing radon over time increases your risk of lung cancer making it the second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States. 

Radon mitigation systems operate continuously and actively suck radon gas from under concrete slabs, sump pump pits and crawlspace liners.  Moisture vapor and other soil gases also travel up through a radon system, since they both are present in the soil.  

Among the many benefits of having a radon removal system is that it pulls the moisture vapor and soil gases out from under a building, resulting in lower relative humidity, reduced odors, and cleaner air.  The only downside of a radon system drawing out moisture vapor is the potential for icing and clogging during cold winter months.

No worries however.  If you break-off one of these icicles you can enjoy a delightfully refreshing radioactive frozen treat.  

Suck on enough of them and your might find yourself gently glowing in the dark.

Just kidding.  Suck on the icicles from the opposite side of the house where the birds poop.....

Presidential Advisor

In case any of you readers are interested I received a call from the White House Sunday evening about my Saturday morning post.  No, they were not calling to rip me a new one or pick a fight.  It was all quite congenial.  And between you and me more welcome than a call from the Russian GRU.

As it happens Trump staff follows this blog and they called to ask for permission to use my idea about the notion of mask-wearing being patriotic to assist in boosting the president's poll numbers.

Being the fair-minded kinda guy I am and always ready to lend a hand I naturally agreed.  I suggested they knock themselves-out. Never forget I was a Boy Scout and continue to live the BSA slogan to Do a Good Turn Daily. Truthfully, if more people lived that slogan each and every day our world would be a better place. That's the stuff that already made America great.  But I digress.

Yesterday there was this. 

And you're welcome.  You read it here first, Be A Patriot - Not a Spreader.....

*That phone call came to me in a dream Saturday evening.  Strange but true.

Tweet of the Absurd

 Interesting how much can change in the space of only a couple of months.

I take great comfort in being told it is all a hoax.

Seen on the Street

What can I say....

Friday Morning Brawling

On this day in history, February 15, 1798, Federalist Congressman Roger Griswold of Connecticut assaulted Vermont Representative Matthew Lyon with a wooden walking stick in the chambers of the United States House of Representatives.  Griswold struck Lyon about the head, shoulders and arms, while Lyon attempted to deflect the blows as they landed.  Lyon then turned and ran to the fireplace - arming himself with a pair of metal tongs he re-engaged the conflict.  Griswold tripped Lyon and struck him in the face as he lay upon on the ground, at which point the two were separated.  After a break of several minutes, however, Lyon surprised Griswold with a new attack with the tongs and the brawl was re-ignited.  Thus began an extended period in history when governing was less genteel – at least measured by today’s standards.   

Nowadays the Congress of the United States still witnesses its share of name-calling and verbal abuse.  And it is difficult for the average political junkie to get thru his online news feeds without some reference made about the perceived hurt to some legislator’s delicate sensibilities as a consequence of a gesture, a smirk, or giving someone the hairy eyeball.  Yet we rarely witness anything physical.  By historical standards today’s Congress is a collection of wimps.  Only a couple of hundred years ago violence and physical combat was the norm in our nation’s capital – with pistols and/or knives drawn, canings, whippings, beatings and fisticuffs.  

The official history of the House of Representatives documents the most infamous floor brawl ever as Members debated the Kansas Territory’s pro-slavery Lecompton Constitution late into the night of February 5-6, 1858.   

Shortly before 2 a.m., Pennsylvania Republican Galusha Grow and South Carolina Democrat Laurence Keitt exchanged insults, then blows. “In an instant the House was in the greatest possible confusion,” the Congressional Globe reported. More than 30 Members joined the melee.  Northern Republicans and Free Soilers joined ranks against Southern Democrats.  Speaker James Orr, a South Carolina Democrat, gaveled furiously for order and then instructed Sergeant-at-Arms Adam J. Glossbrenner to arrest noncompliant Members.  Wading into the “combatants,” Glossbrenner held the House Mace high to restore order. Wisconsin Republican John “Bowie Knife” Potter and Cadwallader Washburn ripped the hairpiece from the head of William Barksdale, a Democrat from Mississippi.  The melee dissolved into a chorus of laughs and jeers, but the sectional nature of the fight powerfully symbolized the nation’s divisions. When the House reconvened two days later, a coalition of Northern Republicans and Free Soilers narrowly blocked referral of the Lecompton Constitution to the House Territories Committee.  Kansas entered the Union in 1861 as a free state.         

In her new book, Field of Blood, Joanne B. Freeman - Yale professor of history and American studies - found that violence used to be the norm in the Capitol.  Her research revealed that between 1830 and 1860, there were more than seventy violent incidents between congressmen in the House and Senate chambers or on nearby streets and dueling grounds.        

On March 4, 1985, Thomas Downey (D-NY) confronted Robert Dornan (R-CA).  Downey approached Dornan in response to a speech he had made a couple of days earlier before the Conservative Political Action Conference.  In that speech he referred to Downey as a "draft-dodging wimp" because during the Vietnam War, Downey received a medical deferment from the draft as a consequence of a perforated eardrum.  Noteworthy is the fact that Downey had been active in the anti-war movement.  In any event, Downey confronted Dornan, attracting dozens of witnesses.  Dornan claimed Downey grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around, asking if he had actually called him a wimp.  Dornan answered "I did and you are." The exchange became heated, and at some point Dornan accused Downey of having cost him a job at the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency a couple of years earlier.   According to Downey, as he began to walk away, Dornan grabbed him by the tie and collar and threatened him with "bodily harm."  

That incident was three and a half decades ago – further evidence of the rarity of physical hostilities in our modern congress.  I am of the opinion that restraint is the norm.  Today's 24/7 news cycle traveling at light speed may sometimes leave you with the impression that congress is one tweet away from open warfare and civil collapse.  For sure you needn't look very far to find an ample dose of snarkiness in those hallowed chambers.  And that's OK in my view.  A handful of hurt feelings are certainly better than doing battle with a fireplace tongs and a walking stick.

    
  

Friday Music

We interrupt your holiday for some irreverent holiday caroling.....

Confession

"Bless me Father, for I have sinned. I have been with a loose girl."   

The priest asks, "Is that you, little Joey Pagano?"    

"Yes, Father, it is."   

"And who was the girl you were with?"  

"I cannot tell you, Father.  I don't want to ruin her reputation."   

"Well, Joey, I'm sure to find out her name sooner or later so you may as well tell me now.   Was it Tina Minetti?"   

"I cannot say."  

"Was it Teresa Mazzarelli?"   

"I'll never tell."   

"Was it Nina Capelli?"  

"I'm sorry, but I cannot name her."  

"Was it Cathy Piriano?"  

"My lips are sealed."   

"Was it Rosa DiAngelo, then?"

"Please, Father! I cannot tell you."   

The priest sighs in frustration.  "You're very tight lipped, and I admire that.   But you've sinned and have to atone.   You cannot be an altar boy now for 4 months.  Now you go and behave yourself."   

Joey walks back to his pew, and his friend Franco slides over and whispers, "What'd you get?"  

"Four months vacation and five good leads..."

The Golden Throne

It's tradition for US presidents to borrow famous artwork from museums in order to decorate the White House.  The Trumps requested to borrow a Vincent Van Gogh painting from the Soloman R. Guggenheim Museum in New York.  The president and first lady reportedly hoped to display it in the Oval Office.   

The Guggenheim's chief curator declined the request.  Instead, she offered an 18-karat solid gold toilet by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. Called "America," the modern sculpture was on display at the museum for a year starting in September 2016.   

Naturally, Trump supporters have their noses out of joint over what they decry as a crass, tasteless and degrading reponse to the current occupant of the Whitehouse.

I call BS.  Crass is as crass does.  Guggenheim is simply dishing the POTUS a dose of his own medicine.   As far as commodes go this golden throne is certainly an appropriate platform from which to perform your morning tweeting.  

You can learn more about this dust-up here.

Naughty Christmas Song

In case you've been wondering if I've been naughty or nice I'm feeling just a wee bit irreverent today.  And couldn't resist sharing this little tidbit of holiday humor set to traditional Christmas carols...

Sports News

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Tree Farmer

I have to share that I've become quite smitten with my recently acquired pejorative label of 'tree farmer'. I've been called a lot of names in my long life but this is singularly appropriate. 

A point of pride.

I was out with all my girls in the woods today and if you look carefully at this picture you can count twelve little tamarack trees that have self-sown in a sunny, open patch. 

More than a couple of decades ago 40,000+ trees were machine-planted in an ecologically-sensitive and barren, sterile Door County farm field. Nowadays this natural regeneration is a common occurrence for many of the conifers and hardwoods - all native Wisconsin species carefully matched with the soil types.

Once my acorn factory revs-up there no telling what's going to happen.

If any of you want to call me a 'tree farmer' behind my back or distribute a scathing manifesto with the same to the press - feel free.

Sustainable forestry rocks.  And sometimes you have to kick-start it.

Hurt Feelings

I have been outed.

From another online forum I have been publicly humiliated and labeled: A tree farm owner and a forest product zealot. 

In Wisconsin the forest products industry contributes $24.7 billion to the state economy. Growing and harvesting trees provides direct employment for more than 64,000 men and women.  And for every one of those jobs an additional 1.7 jobs are created in secondary, related employment.   

The forestry industry accounts for 4.9% of foreign exports and 9.3% of domestic exports. Working forests are good for the environment, providing a renewable resource, clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities and carbon storage.

My delicate sensibilities have been grievously hurt...