Monday, December 31, 2018

If You See Something, Say Something

12/31/18 KENS:

Armed man headed to 'fulfill prophecy' at church arrested in Seguin

 Seguin Police arrested a man Sunday morning they said was headed to a church dressed in tactical-style clothing carrying a loaded firearm and extra ammunition.
Someone noticed the odd behavior, dress, and gun , and called the police who took him into custody.

"We've Got Trouble! Right Here in Cricket City!"

You did see The Music Man? 12/29/18 Washington Post:
I ordered a box of crickets from the Internet and it went about as well as you’d expect
By Christmas Day this year, Holly’s cricket supply was running low. I decided to order crickets online, which I had never done before, to save a trip to North Dakota. I bought the crickets from Fluker Farms, one of the more well-established online insect vendors (yes, these exist and there are a lot of them). I decided on a shipment of 250 crickets, which seemed like a reasonable amount for a lizard who is theoretically capable of gobbling up to 50 of them every day.
I opted for next-day-shipping to ensure there was no gap in Holly’s cricket supply. But the package ended up getting delayed by a fierce blizzard that roared through the Northern Plains this week, dumping up to a foot of snow and sending temperatures plunging below zero. The cricket box ended up spending an unplanned overnight at a FedEx sorting facility in Grand Forks, N.D. I feared they would all be dead on arrival.
The package arrived Friday. I anxiously met the FedEx delivery man at the door. He appeared to be relieved to unburden himself of the six-inch-square box emblazoned with the words “Live Insects” and decorated with life-size cricket silhouettes. We exchanged no words. If you’re a FedEx driver, you probably try to avoid conversations with the types of people who order boxes full of insects from the Internet. 

Sunday, December 30, 2018

Things to Watch For

I have been enjoying an 8.125% dividend on Barclay's Preferred stock for several years now.  To pay off the Jaguar and Jeep loans, I had to sell several bonds and some underperforming stocks.  There was a few thousand left in the cash account and then suddenly there was a lot more.  Huh?  Barclay's called the stock at its par value.  (Preferred Stock is much like a bond; in exchange for a fixed dividend, they have the right to buy it back at the par value, much like calling a bond.)

So now I need to find somewhere to invest that money to get a decent return.  At the moment, mutual funds do not look that attractive.  Some people think interest fears from the Fed are Swampers trying to destroy the economy to go after Trump.  Could be, but there are limit reasons for the Fed to raise interest rates.  Anyway, the net result is a market where buying equities or equity mutual funds is risky short-term.  High yield stocks sound better.  My Suburban Propane dividens are typically twice what I pay Suburban for propane each year.

Schwab used to have a Preferred Stock screener but it seems to have disappeared.  There are some high yield stocks (technically Real Estate Investment Trusts, or REITs), but they are riskier than Preferred Stocks (so named because they have a higher priority on assets in bankruptcy).

Found it: Under Research, Stocks, Preferred Shares.  The high interest rate high rated (A and above) stocks are gone.  The best that I can find is a Baa with a guaranteed $1.40 annual yield on a stock currently selling at $23.28 per share, so 6.12% annualized yield.  ASSURED GUARNTY MUNI HLDGS INC NT 5.60% 2103 AGO/PRF:NYSE   Perhaps look for something higher rated (lower risk) with lower yield.


ENTERGY ARKANSAS LLC 1M BD 4.875%66 EAI:NYSE looks promising: 5.48% annualized yield.  Fixed dividend, currently priced below par.

A lot of utilities have Moody A2 rated preferred stocks paying better than 5% yield.  Utilities used to be called widows and orphans stocks because they were quite safe investments paying a yield backed up by state granted monopolies.  All of these are below par at the moment, so if they get called, you get a capital gain along with the quarterly interest.

Government Agency bonds are much lower risk and decent returns.  Farm Credit System 4.65% 11/26/2038 Callable 3133EJV30: 4.594% yield to maturity 3.819% yield to worst.  Also the interest is exempt from federal income tax, so written about 28% more.  Also yield to worst means early call so your money is available for reinvestment.  I have owned a number of government agency bonds over the years, and they have never been called early enough to be yield to worst.  Typically these are called because the mortgages or other credit instruments these are financing are repaid early.  There is no urgency on this, and prices often fall end of year as people shoot their poorrly performing dogs or to offset capital gains earlier in the year, which many people likely had this year.  Even my mutual funds, as badly as they have performed, have had substantial capital gains which have reinvested, so some of my stocks sold at a loss earlier in the year will be offset, resulting little or no tax impact.  You are allowed to carry over $3000 in net capital losses from year to year.  Some losses from 2000 were still reducing my income taxes for several years after.

Removing Ink from Aluminum Stock

Acetone takes the ink off the Alcoa stock, but not the Kaiser stock.  Alcohol perhaps?

Saturday, December 29, 2018

Yes, This is About Immigrants

Just not the ones that you think about.  12/28/18 KRCR:
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A suspected drunk driver accused of fatally shooting the California police officer who pulled him over was captured Friday as he tried to flee back to Mexico, where he lived before illegally crossing into the U.S., authorities said.

The sheriff whose agency was leading the investigation blamed California's sanctuary law for preventing local authorities from reporting Gustavo Perez Arriaga's previous arrests to federal immigration officials. If the suspect had been deported, he said, Cpl. Ronil Singh of the tiny Newman Police Department would still be alive....
Authorities also arrested five other people, including the suspect's brother, 25-year-old Adrian Virgen, and a co-worker, 32-year-old Erik Razo Quiroz, who lied to police to try to protect him, Christianson said. He said both men were also in the country illegally.
"Ronil Singh"?  That sure is a "furriner" name. 
Singh, 33, was an immigrant too, arriving legally from his native Fiji to fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, authorities said. He had a newborn son and joined the 12-officer Newman police force in 2011.
That is what he did wrong: "legally."

Still Looking for the Onion Byline

12/28/18 KRCR channel 7:
Organizers cancel Women's March Jan. 19 due to 'overwhelmingly white' participants
This is in Eureka, a part of California that makes Idaho look ethnically diverse.  Someday, progressives will leave their lily-white bubbles long enough to realize that there is a larger world.  As they shriek in terror at what they find, many will find themselves joining white power groups.

How Can You Tell That Gun Control Works in Britain?

12/27/18 Guardian:
Police and border officials are struggling to stop a rising supply of illegal firearms being smuggled into Britain, a senior police chief has warned.
Chief constable Andy Cooke, the national police lead for serious and organised crime, said law enforcement had seen an increased supply of guns over the past year, and feared that it would continue in 2019.
The Guardian has learned that the situation is so serious that the National Crime Agency has taken the rare step of using its legal powers to direct every single police force to step up the fight against illegal guns.
The NCA has used tasking powers to direct greater intelligence about firearms to be gathered by all 43 forces in England and Wales.
Another senior law enforcement official said that “new and clean” weapons were now being used in the majority of shootings, as opposed to guns once being so difficult to obtain that they would be “rented out” to be used in multiple crimes.
Yes that is success: creating so much demand for new guns that smugglers are bringing them in to an island nation at considerable risk.   Yes, like the Jamaica gun control success story.  Several years ago, I did an interview with a Jamaican radio station about the problem of gun crime in America.  The host was not aware that Jamaica had 7x the murder rate of the USA!

Whining About Typing Again

I have been very frustrated about my inability to get my right hand again cooperating with my left hand at typing.  I just purchased an ergonomic keyboard in the hopes that it might help. It is certainly a little easier.  I did find this set of exercises:

Many times when therapists or stroke patients work on hand function, they focus on gross grasp or pinch activities with the index finger. These activities are good for learning to pick up objects or hold something like a pencil but aren't the most effective for learning to improve an activity like typing. During typing, the fingers have to be able to work independently of each other. This is often difficult for the stroke patient due to tone or possibly stiffness from disuse. 
Exercises I would recommend to improve typing:1)Place the hand flat on a table and try to lift each finger independently while keeping the other fingers on the table.2) Drum fingers on table3) Practice touching each finger to the thumb4) Pick up small object like peg or screw with the thumb and index finger, then thumb and middle finger, then thumb and ring finger, and lastly the thumb and little finger. 5) Push each finger individually into theraputty.6) Use Digiflex to exercise each finger individually (see below for product).7) Pick up marble and transfer to inside of hand (same hand as picking it up). Then while keeping marble inside hand, pick up another marble. Keep doing this until you can't pick up anymore then put each marble back down one at a time.8) Use Chinese balls or take two golf balls and rotate them in the hand.9) Play the piano or just hit keys individually with each finger.10) Place a piece of paper on a table. Use the weak hand to crumple the paper into a ball then try to uncrumple the ball with on the table with the same hand.11) Use online typing games to practice. There are many online typing games that teach kids to type that would be great for stroke patients wanting to practice typing.

I have started to do exercises 1-4 using 1/4"-20 bolts for #4, and I think they are helping.  All of this is touch typing, albeit very slowly and done very deliberately.  Hitting the backspace key, which I have traditionally done with my right ring finger, requires a lot of very deliberate thought, but it seems to be coming back, sort of.

And when I do those exercises, I can feel muscles at work in my wrist telling me that they have not been used much in many years,  I still do not have the coordination to consistently hit only one key at a time or hit the key that I am aiming at.  For exajmpel, and trying to hit t and hnot hitting 6 as well.  But it took many years, starting in sixth grade to develop the coordination to do this well.  Trying to get this back now is really depressing.  I really wish there was some way to tie Control-H to backspace.  Originally, that was the backspace character, and I suspect that it might be easier for me  to use, but with use, that backspace key is getting easier.

Scraping the Bottom of the Scamming Barrel

Yesterday's almost English email:
BMW DEPARTMENT
5070 WILSHIRE BLVD
LOS ANGELES. CA 90036
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
NOTE: If you received this message in your SPAM/BULK folder, that is because of the restrictions implemented by your Internet Service Provider, we (BMW) urge you to treat it genuinely.
Attention,
This is to inform you that you have been selected for a brand new 2017 Model BMW 7 Series Car and a Check of 1,500,000.00 US D from the international balloting programs held on the 2nd section in the UNITED STATE OF AMERICA.
Description of prize vehicle;
Model: 760li Color (exterior): Metallic Silver Mileage: 5 Transmission: Automatic 6 Speed
Options: Cold weather package, premium package, fold down rear seats w/ski bag, am fm stereo with single in dash compact disc player.
The selection process was carried out through random selection in our computerized email selection system (ESS) from a database of over 250,000 email addresses drawn from all the continents of the world which you were selected.
The BMW Award is approved by the British Gaming Board and also Licensed by the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR). To begin the processing of your award you are to contact our claims department for more information as regards procedures to the award
Name: Howard Boyer
Email: howardboyerfudry@gmail.comDirect 24hours Security Line: +1- (202) 846-4638 (Text Message Only)
Contact him by providing him with your Reg. pin code Number 255125HGDY03/25.
You are also advised to provide him with the under listed information as soon as possible:
1. Name In Full :
2. Residential Address :
3. Nationality :
4. Age :
5. Sex :
6. Occupation :
7. Direct Phone :
8. Present Country :
9. Email address :
10.Reg pin code Number: 255125HGDY03/25
Please you are to provide him with the above listed details as soon as possible so he can begin with the processing of your award.
Congratulations from all our staffs and thank you for being part of our program.
Mrs. Rachael Adams.
FROM THE DESK OF RACHAEL ADAMS
THE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONS
BMW DEPARTMENT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
On the plus side, there is a BMW dealer at that address.   Why this guy has a 202 area code (DC) and a Los Angeles address is a mystery,  And in places this is the UNITED STATE OF AMERICA?  "THE DIRECTOR PROMOTIONS" seems missing a preposition.  I certainly would not turn down this nice car.  And what personal information will I need to supply?  Social Security Number, mother's maiden name, credit card numbers>

Friday, December 28, 2018

Obviously, There is No Illegal Immigrant Problem

From the FBI's firearms background system, a list of why firearms purchasers were prohibited from purchase:
Illegal/Unlawful Alien: 7,836,600
Adjudicated Mental Health: 5,637,317
Wouldn't it be simpler just to not allow them into the country?  Why do I suspect the gun control fanatics are not so concerned about this group?  To paraphrase Obi Wan-Kenobi, "These aren't the deplorables you are looking for."

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Another Bump Stock Suit

My friend Dave Hardy has an overview of the suit and why it was filed where it was.  What is the most interesting part to me is:
17. The ANPRM states that:
On October 1, 2017, 58 people were killed and several hundred
were wounded in Las Vegas, Nevada, by a shooter firing one or
more AR-type rifles affixed with a particular bump stock device.
In 2010, the manufacturer of this particular device had supplied
ATF with a sample of the bump stock, and ATF had examined
and classified it as an unregulated firearm part, not subject to
either the [Gun Control Act] or NFA.
Id.
18. This statement, as part of the December 26, 2017 ANPRM states as
fact something that the ATF still does not know for certain.
19. Two Freedom of Information Act (“FOIA”) requests were made
regarding bump stock type devices. One was directed to the ATF and the
other was directed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”). The FOIAs
requested the other was directed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”). The FOIAs requested the following:
  • Any and all records documenting the use of a bump-fire type stock being used by anyone on or about Oct 1, 2017 at the Mandalay Bay shooting incident in Las Vegas, Nevada;  and
  • • Any and all records documenting the use of a bump-fire type stock
  • used during the commission of any crime to date.
20. The FBI denied the FOIA request on the grounds that the documents
were compiled for a law enforcement investigation and denied the appeal of
that denial for documents related to Mandalay Bay. The FBI responded to the
second part of that request because it claimed it could not search for those
documents “in [their] indices.” See Len Savage v. Federal Bureau of
Investigation, Civil Action No. 1:18-cv-01920 (TNM) [Docket No. 1-2]. The
FBI, after it was sued to comply with the FOIA law, is now processing search
terms responsive to Mr. Savage’s FOIA request but has not yet provided any
documentation.
21. The ATF provided a number of documents, but no documents were
provided that specifically stated that bump stocks were utilized in the
Mandalay Bay incident on October 1, 2017.
22. In fact, after the ANPRM was issued, the ATF released a PowerPoint
slide as part of the FOIA request which specifically stated that “… on-scene
ATF personnel were not allowed to physically examine the interior of the
weapons for machinegun fire-control components or known machinegun
conversion devices such as Drop-In Auto Sears, Lightning Links, etc.” See
Exhibit “1.”
ATF not allowed to examine guns used in a major crime?  FBI has no easy way to find those documents?  If you don't want crazy conspiracy theories, don't give obviously false or absurd responses.
 
 
7
 
Any and all records documenting the use of a bump-fire type stock being used by anyone on or about Oct 1, 2017 at the Mandalay Bayshooting incident in Las Vegas, Nevada; and
 
Any and all records documenting the use of a bump-fire type stockused during the commission of any crime to date.20.
 
The FBI denied the FOIA request on the grounds that the documentswere compiled for a law enforcement investigation and denied the appeal ofthat denial for documents related to Mandalay Bay. The FBI responded to thesecond part of that request because it claimed it could not search for those
documents “in [their] indices.”

Miracles of the Internet

CenturyLink is apparently inoperable across much of the country, and unfortunately my ISP uses CenturyLink to connect.  My neighbor has the same ISP and has no Internet.  For reasons that I do not understand, I have 160 Kbps still.

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Remember: Only LEOs Are Trained Enough to Carry Guns

12/23/18 Yahoo News:
The FBI agent who went viral when he accidentally shot someone as he performed a back flip on a dance floor will not be sent to jail, a court has ruled.
Chase Bishop was on holiday when he visited the Mile High Spirits nightclub in Denver, Colorado one evening last June
With a crowd of late night revellers cheering him on, the 30-year-old showed off the impressive gymnastic manoeuvre during which his loaded gun fell from the waistband of his trousers.
As Bishop bent down to pick up the weapon from the floor, it discharged into the screaming crowd and hit Tom Reddington, a 24-year-old former Amazon warehouse worker, in the leg. 
Accident, yes.  But negligent for anyone but an FBI agent.

Stupid Spammers

Attention Beneficiary
This is to officially informed you that we have concluded arrangements to effect your payment of $6.5USD through Money Gram Money transfer services today, but the maximum amount you will be receiving every day starting from tomorrow is $10,000 to $15.000.00 according your state or country's international financial transfer regulation as reflected in our transfer system daily until the funds is completely transferred.
This special arrangement is being used to avoid all scrupulous demands by both the states and federal authorities that have previously delayed your payment till date; we shall need your maximum co-operation to ensure that strictness and confidence is maintained to avoid any further delays.
The above arrangement has been signed and endorsed by UNITED NATION (UN), INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND (IMF) given credence that this transaction is devoid of any form of illegality. Please contact the Accredited Money Gram Office Agent for the details of your first payment of $10,000 to $15.000.00 according your state or country's international financial transfer regulation and reconfirm your correct details that you will like the first transfer to be program with such as Receivers Name, destination where you will like the transfer to be send to and your cell phone number for urgent communication if the need arise.
Fill your details below for reference purposes:NAME OF CUSTOMER: ADDRESS: COUNTRY: OCCUPATION:  DIRECT PHONE NUMBER: OUR ID CARD
SPECIAL OFFER:YOU ARE TO NOTE THAT THE FUND CAN BE CONVERTED TRANSFERRED INTO AN MONEY GRAM WHICH CAN BE SENT TO YOUR DESIRED ADDRESS IF REQUESTED.
Upon your acceptance we will give you the contact information of Barrister Mr. Bernard Williams. The Electronic Transfer officer of Money Gram Office TRANSFER for immediate programming of your first transfer:
Wow!  A whole $6.5USD.  I think that will buy a Big Mac deal. And the English is so bad, only another Third World spammer would be taken by it.

Monday, December 24, 2018

Bad Fog

Could hardly make my way home. So thick that I turned the rear fog lights on in the Jaguar for the first time.

Remember: The Left Fancies Itself Being the Fact-Based Group

As distinguished from it derives as "faith-based" organizations.  Hence:
Two Princeton groups recently held an event celebrating menstruation where students were told that menstrual periods are not limited solely to women, and that people other than women can menstruate. However, the groups refused to comment or expand on this argument. Princeton feminist groups contacted by The College Fix also declined to discuss the issue.

Trump Pulls Troops Out of the Mideast

And the Left freaks out.  I think Bush's hope to turn Iraq into a Western-style democracy was a good idea, but that idea is incompatible with Islam, so it failed.  Afghanistan's Taliban should have been bombed out of existence and left alone.  Both invasions made sense at the time, but not so much now.

Sunday, December 23, 2018

The Bad Thing About Living on a Mountain

The ice and wind storms:
Moving our furniture long distances.

Antique on eBay

A Compaq NC6000 docking station.  If you have a Compaq NC6000 that you need to keep using (like I do) this might be hard to find by now.

I bought this on eBay because I thought my other docking station was defective. It was actually the Compaq NC6000 whose docking station connector was bad. I have since replaced that NC6000 with another one. I now have two perfectly working HP docking stations for the Compaq NC6000 and probably other similar antique laptops. I plugged this in a few minutes ago. Parallel port, USB port, and power connector work. Have not tested all ports, but to my knowledge, they work.

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Cutting Tools Must be Kept Sharp

Every time I replace a dull cutting tool, I am thrilled at how much easier the task becomes.  I recently replaced the 100 tooth blade on my chop saw, and wow: 1/8" wall aluminum tube cuts so much quicker and with less rough edges.  Once you are through the top and bottom, where you only have the side walls, it always goes quickly.

I made a very nice discovery the other day.  The side of this Alcoa tubing has printing on it identifies the alloy (6061) and various standards that it meets.  I have always tried to remove it by sanding, which can take a couple of minutes and then a couple of minutes to get the other three sides consistent.  It turns out this printing is just ink, and a small amount of acetone (or fingernail polish remover which is acetone with nicer smell) just wipes this off with very little rubbing.  I no longer need to sand the other three sides to get a consistent finish.  I only need to sand the ends and break the ends of the faces at each end.

Next steps in reducing labor and thus increasing profit margins:

1. Find a way to hold the inserts in the vise so that I can drill and tap the 1/2"-13 holes in one operation.  I mentioned some weeks back that I need taller vise jaws, but I have found a solution: the piece of acetal that I machined to hold the 30 degree angle inserts in place will be held by two 1/"2 thick aluminum of steel sheets that are bolted into the acetal.  (Countersunk holes in the aluminum so flat head screws won't run into the vise jaws.)  Then 3/8"-16 thumbscrews in the plates to lock down the insert.  I doubt that the side plates will get me to exactly level, but I will square them with that hope.  Right now I use a bubble level to get the hole into the insert as parallel to ground as I can.  I can still move this assembly in the vise to get to level.

2. The other labor reducing step involves cutting 4" tall shims of thicknesses from .020" to .065".  (These provide both a tighter fit between the bolts that lock the sleeves on to the legs and distribute stress to reduce cosmetic damage to the legs.)  The current battle is that trying to cut these 4' long pieces of sheet into 4" tall shims on the shop saw sends the pieces flying (where bend on impact) or under the saw's back fence (same result). 

On the bandsaw, the material is so thin it slides under the fence and often ends up with less than square shims.  My solution is an aluminum U of two 1/2" thick pieces held together by two 1/4"-20 bolts with through holes on the top piece and threaded on the bottom piece.  The U has an internal depth of 5".  Then, threaded 1/4"-20 holes on the top piece of legs of the U where 1/4"-20 thumb screws secure the sheet to the bottom leg of the U.  The combined height is a but more than 1" (a washer between the bolts holding U top and bottom together leaves room for all thicknesses of shim sheet).  That combined height will not slip under the bandsaw fence,  Each time I cut a 1.75" wide slice, I withdraw the fixture, loosen the thumbscrews, and push the sheet up against the bandsaw fence, retighten the thumbscrews and make another cut.  Making the U at least 4" wide  enables me to cut shims in all the widths that I need: 1.25", 1.5", 1.75" and 2.5".

If Congress Won't Build the Wall...

We will.  There is a GoFundMe page raising money to build the wall.  So far

$14,902,364 of $1.0B goal.


I have long thought that people should whatever programs they consider important.  I am sure the Pentagon would be funded; National Endowment for the Arts; NPR; PBS would likely close up shop if the rich people who support these things were the only funding source.  They will not turn the money over until the government signs a contract that the money will be used for the Wall.

Since I started typing: 

$14,909,154 .


Do your bit and tell me in the comments.

Had a Marvelous Chat With a Brazilian Journalist Yesterday About Gun Control

You may be aware Brazil has restrictive gun control laws and a HUGE violent crime problem (obviously not connected).  The new President is pushing for shall-issue and this reporter was curious and race and gun control in America.  Among the URLs that I forwarded to her about discretionary permit issuance:

A federal appeals court Thursday upheld the witness-tampering conviction of former Orange County Sheriff Michael S. Carona, but it remained unclear when he might have to begin serving his 5 1/2-year prison sentence.
Carona has been free pending the ruling by the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Lawyers for the former sheriff acquitted of five other corruption counts had argued that jurors shouldn't have heard a secretly taped conversation in which Carona urged a colleague to lie to a grand jury on his behalf.
During a two-month trial in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, prosecutors alleged that Carona accepted secret cash payments, had numerous illicit sexual affairs, and provided badges and concealed weapons licenses to campaign contributors.
11/21/18 Jewish Voice:
It is being reported that a financial supporter of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio who accused of bribing police falsified information on his 2014 gun-permit application, but saw it approved anyway because of his connections in the police department.
“Accused cop briber Jeremy Reichberg falsely claimed on his 2014 gun license that he was a manager for Taly Diamonds on Fifth Avenue — and in danger of being robbed — in order to get police permission to carry a concealed pistol on the streets of NYC, according to evidence at his trial,” was how the New York Post reported it.
According to the reports, the police department failed to realize that Reichberg had falsified information because he had been directed to them by Deputy Inspector James Grant, a witness testified at the trial in which Reichberg is accused of bribing Grant.
“Instead, the NYPD gave Reichberg permission to start carrying a weapon to protect his non-existent diamond job within two months — a fraction of the time it normally takes, according to the witness, Richard Ochetal,” said the Post.
 4/17/18 New York Post:
They might as well have a had a hotline: 1-800-GIFTS4GUNS.
A former city cop spilled his guts Tuesday, telling Manhattan jurors about years worth of bribes he and his fellow officers received for doling out gun permits — everything from cash, prostitutes and expensive watches to baseball memorabilia and exotic vacations.
David Villanueva, an ex-supervisor in the NYPD’s License Division, said he and other cops — including officers Richard Ochetel and Robert Espinel and Lt. Paul Dean — were on the take for years from so-called gun expeditors.


Thursday, December 20, 2018

Today's Failure is Even Worse

Your parcel has not been delivered!
Your sending has not been delivered to the specified address on December 6, 2017, because nobody was at home. If you don't receive a package within 14 service days, Canada Post will charge you for keeping it.
Please download and examine the information about your sending, print it and visit the post office to claim your dispatch:
Consignment DocumentWarranties Canada Post Private Agency expressly disclaims all conditions, guarantees and warranties, express or implied, in respect of the Service. Where the law prevents such exclusion and implies conditions and warranties into this agreement, where legally permitted, the liability of Canada Post regarding breach of such condition, guarantee or warranty is limited at the discretion of Canada Post to either providing the Service again or paying the cost of having the service supplied again.
You can find any information about the procedure and conditions of sending keeping, in the nearest post office.
Please check information otherwise, you may be fined mistakenly.

Best regards,
The Canada Post Private Agency Online Team
� 2017 Canada Post Private Agency Corporation Canada Post logo
epostTM and Solutions for Small BusinessTM are trademarks of Canada Post Private Agency Corporation.
Note: For maximum security we recommend that you always enter our specific website address into your browser or use a bookmark.

To stop receiving promotional emails, please click unsubscribe
Legal , Privacy
ill be happy to help you.
-ght; width: 50%;">   
Note the date at the top.  And why would I be concerned about Canadian tariffs?  Best of all is the subject liine: 再度Amazonのアカウントの情報を入力してください。

I guess English and French aren't enough for Canada Post, eh?

Mass Shootings: US v. the World

Those Poorly Educated Deplorables

From CNSNews.com:
 California ranks No. 1 among the 50 states for the percentage of its residents 25 and older who have never completed ninth grade and 50th for the percentage who have graduated from high school, according to new data from the Census Bureau.
Okay, Texas is #2 but California #1?  Impossible!  They are a solidly blue state!

Fake News in German

Der Spiegel, which I have always assumed was a reputablew news source, sent a reporter to a small town in Minnesota to understand Trumpville.  He wrote a gross falsification, thoroughly demolished by a couple of the local liberals, who think their neighbors voted against their own interests voting for Trump.

Of course the liar won an award from CNN.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

I Have Seen This Video Before, But It Is Too Good to Lose

Weather Underground: the organization whose leader Obama went to for permission to run for Illinois legislature:


Democratic Party's Antimatter Problem

Combine matter and antimatter and you get enormous energy output: E-mc2.  So what is going to hapen when their love affair with Islam finally collides with LBGTQIIABCDEFG? 12/17/18 San Jose Mercury-News:
SAN FRANCISCO — An Oakland man hoped to kill 10,000 Bay Area residents, according to court records that reveal a chilling plan of planting bombs around Oakland and UC Berkeley, blowing up a gay bar in San Francisco, setting arson fires around the Berkeley hills and distributing poisoned cocaine in local night clubs.

Advantages of Reading the Complaint Attempting to Block the Bump Stock Ban


Congress cannot ban rubber bands (well they could but I do not think Staples would allow it), but they can ban semiautomatic rifles.  Banning bump stocks is certainly less burdensome to gun owners than banning semiauto rifles.  Time to stockpile hefty rubber bands!

The complaint is here.

And amazingly, YouTube has not taken it down.

Darn: Amazon does not seem to have woodland camo rubber bands.

Explore Bad English By Third World Criminals

Good evening,

Explore near, Guidelines about Health


Now you are on the right track.

Sincerely,

H&S

This letter is sent automatically, please do not give feedback to it directly. 

Sanity Disproves Mark Twain

:In the first place God made idiots. This was for practice. Then he made School Boards."  

12/17/18 Fox News channel 19:
BLANCHESTER, OH (FOX19) - A Clinton County school district is the latest in the Tri-State to allow teachers and other staff members to carry guns.
The Blanchester School Board voted Monday night to allow trained staff members to carry the weapons on campus.
The unanimous vote was based on a public resolution, sources tell FOX19 NOW.

No Surprise on This One

12/18/18 Orlando Sentinel reports that:
federal judge says Broward schools and the Sheriff’s Office had no legal duty to protect students during the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.'
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom dismissed a suit filed by 15 students who claimed they were traumatized by the crisis in February. The suit named six defendants, including the Broward school district and the Broward Sheriff’s Office, as well as school deputy Scot Peterson and campus monitor Andrew Medina.
Bloom ruled that the two agencies had no constitutional duty to protect students who were not in custody.
If this surprises you, read  Warren v. D.C. (D.C.Cir. 2004).  Police arrive in clown car, and do everything possible to define neglect of duty.

Second Amendment Victory in New York

JAMES M. MALONEY v. MADELINE SINGAS, Nassau County District Attorney 03–CV–786 (PKC)(AYS) (E.D.N.Y. 2018) struck down the New York State ban on possession of nunchakus based on nunchakus being protected by the Second Amendment, because they are arms in common use for lawful purposes.  Guarantee that New York State will appeal.

Monday, December 17, 2018

Disappointing Conversation With San Jose Police Department

Essentially, they said to file a police report with my local police, even though I gave the name and address of the San Jose resident who opened a FedEx account in my name (or rather Clayton Cramer LLC, which does not exist) on Dec. 3, and then used my credit card number two days later.

I Understand That Newspapers Need Ad Revenue to Stay Alive

But the time to load ads and even block them with ad blockers is making many newspapers unreadable online.  Yet their advertising is based on page views.  At some point, casual readers will stop.

Android Phone App

For some reason, whenever I start it now, it only shows contacts.  The + button in the ,lower right that you use to enter a new phone number to call (not for adding a contact) will not appear.  Restarting the phone does not fix it, nor can I find a menu choice for this.

Sunday, December 16, 2018

At My College of Western Idaho Account

Want to manage your order online?If you need to check the status of your order or cancel your order, please visit our home page.
Order Summary:
Shipping Details : (order will arrive in 1 shipment)
Order #:8424GIO-KB4830D-F33F01
Shipping Method:Rapid Shipping
Shipping Preference:Fastest Delivery Time
Subtotal of Items:  $117.86
Shipping & Handling:  $7.44
Gift WrappingYes - Reindeer Print
Total for this Order:  $124.15


Delivery estimate: Thursday by 9PM
 1


2

 
"Snuggle" Family (6) Pack - Leopard Print Footie Pajamas 
; $89.94

 Bob Ross Joy of Painting Series: DVD English (180 mins) 
; $31.99


Gift Note: Grandma, I thought you'd enjoy these!  Love, Billy

Didnt place this order? Click on the Order Number to view details about this orderPlease note: This e-mail message was sent from a notification-only address that cannot accept incoming e-mail. Please do not reply to this message.Thanks again for shopping with us.
Of course the Order Number link takes you....where? 

Remember How Enlightened the Boy Scouts of America Had Become?

As Glenn Reynolds says, "Get Woke, Go Broke."  American Spectator on the way in which destroying the moral center of BSA is tied to the Swamp-Dwellers.

I Hate to Give Credit to Bizarre Conspiracy Theories

But this video is troubling:



This video says 300 rounds in two minutes as a series of bursts. If this was being done with a belt fed, why stop firing?  He would not have exhausted his belt.  Most of these sound like 5.56mm, not 7.62 NATO.  The later bursts are very inconsistent--not what I would expect of a beltfed weapon, but a bump stock used by someone now tired.

This video provides an explanation of how they work.  How you would distinguish this from a belt fed by sound eludes me.

Saturday, December 15, 2018

The Discover Card Fraud Gets Bigger

Today, I received an invoice from FedEx for $258.61 for a shipment because my Discover Card declined the charge.  The invoice is made out to Clayton Cramer LLC.  I have no LLC. 

The shipper is listed as Antonio Ruperto, 1100 Charlotte Ave., San Jose, CA 95124. 

This 15 pound package was Overnighted to Kazeem Omotayo, 12011 Westbrae Pkwy, Houston, TX 77031.  That name....Nigerian prince, perhaps? 

Lifelock says that I should make a police report to the Houston Police.  San Jose Police would make more sense to me.  So my question: Will San Jose Police Department consider credit card fraud worth their while or will higher priority crimes (like thinking badly of the transgendered) take precdence?

Another Darn Nuisance

I visited a website with MP3 files.   The name was something like mp3bears.com.  Now I get popups (usually advertising nonsense:  "Does the new $5 bill mean the dollar is dead?" or something similar, Asian brides, etc.).  There is a * button for telling your browser to suppress such popups, but when I try to add the name that appears (mp3bear.co) to the block list, I get invalid address.  Similarly for mp3bear.co, and mp3bear.co).  Darn annoying, because their popup is displaying a false URL in the ad.

Curiously, I noticed that in addition to being on my block list, it was also on my allow list.  Hoping that removing it solved the problem. 

Friday, December 14, 2018

Tater the Great Urinator

This problem is not getting any better.  We moved him into the garage where he stopped using his frequently cleaned litter box and started going everywhere. He also pulled several keys off the laptop that controls the mill.  We put him in a large dog enclosure in the garage with his litter box.  When I let him out and hold him, he is his friendly purring self.  But it is now very cold in the garage, so we moved him into the laundry room a week ago.  Again, his litter box was kept very clean.  The smell became a problem because he was spraying the tarp on the outside of his cage.  We have moved him back to the garage, with an electric heater aimed at his enclosure. 

I feel bad for him, but we have run out of solutions: wet food not dry; away from the dog; our vet has examined him for the common illnesses and found him healthy; there are no other cats inside or outside (outside cats are coyote chow).  I would feel really monstrous putting him down over this.   If someone in town was willing to adopt him as an outdoor cat, and feed him regularly, this would solve the problem.  He is a very loving kitty and he is now 16 1/2.  He probably will pass in the next couple of years at most.  Does anyone have another solution?

The Lamestreamers Are Intent on the Idea That Cohen's Payments to Stormy Daniels Are a Campaign Contribution Violation

But the law shows that Trump has no risk.  If Cohen's payment to Stormy Daniels was a contribution to the Trump campaign (a very questionable claim by itself), then Cohen broke the campaign contributions limit--not Trump.  If Trump gave money to Cohen as a way around campaign contribution limits this is no crime.  Candidates can give as much as they want to their own campaign; why give money to Cohen to give it to Trump's campaign?.

Not Completely Clueless

Armed teachers, stronger security and better law enforcement are needed to head off another school shooting like the one in Parkland, according to a panel reviewing the massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
The state commission investigating the shooting that killed 17 people on Feb. 14 released a draft report Wednesday listing a series of failures by Broward County agencies and recommendations for avoiding a similar tragedy in the future.
The 407-page report, which is not final, found that deputies didn’t rush into the school to stop the carnage, and school staff committed numerous security breaches, including leaving doors unlocked and not calling a “Code Red” alarm quickly enough.
The panel also voted to include a controversial proposal allowing classroom teachers to carry guns in schools if they go through a selection process that would include background checks and training. Such a change would require the state Legislature’s approval.

Adhesives and Aluminum

I am approaching the final point of assembling the diagonal mirror spider.  This is a .5" x .800" x .800" piece of 6061 aluminum to which I am going to (hopefully) glue .5" wide 6061 aluminum legs to hold it in the telescope tube.  Because the square is tiny and has four 8-32 adjustment screws distributed around a .265" center hole, trying to use screws to attach the legs is impractical.  My plan was to use an adhesive, like epoxy.  I would also like a non-reflective black surface.

Two choices: flat black paint or black anodizing.  Obviously, the bare aluminum needs to be properly degreased and perhaps roughened with some #80 sandpaper to get a good grip with epoxy.  It appears that black anodized aluminum does not do well with adhesives because the sealant coat on top prevents a good grip: too smooth.  I have never tried to anodize, and I do not think I want to try that now. I suspect that anodizing after gluing the legs on will fail, because anodizing is done in an acid.

I really do not like how flat black paint, applied with a spray can, comes out.  It thickens the threaded holes so screws do not go in smoothly.  (I suppose that I could retap the holes after the paint dries.)  I am using black oxide screws, so they are not in need of paint.

Powder coating has the disadvantage that it typically involves heating the material to 400 degrees F.  Will the epoxy lose adherence, or just bake a little harder?  Epoxy bonds benefit from heating when curing, but what if it has already cured?  I suspect that getting everything glued, clamped, and then baked in the oven for a few minutes, then taking it to the powder coater that I use (Signs by Smith) in Boise would work.

Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Bump Stocks

They do not meet the letter of the machinegun law (because there is only one trigger pull per shot) but they certainly meet the spirit of the law.  If BATF does ban them, I think that they are likely within the intent of the law. 

I used to own a BMF Activator, a crank device that mounted in your trigger guard with a cam against the trigger.  Turn the crank and you could easily fire 300 rounds per minute.  Machine gun?  As much as a bump stock, but unlike a bump stock, utterly useless unless your rifle was clamped down.  Even on a Ruger 10/22, it made a lot of noise and was completely uncontrollable.  Perhaps the perfect gang weapon, most shots would hit bystanders, not targets.  How typical that the Obama Administration, in spite of their enthusiasm for gun control, approved bump stocks.

Now, how that is regulated matters a lot.  There are ways to make almost any part change unlawful.  That must be resisted.

"'Regret and Confusion," Should be the Official Motto of Snakejuice."

If you do not recognize this line, you have missed one of the funniest shows around: Parks and Recreation.  If you have enjoyed mockumentaries such as This is Spinal Tap, A Mighty Wind, or Best in Show, you will likely appreciate this.  The first season is cute.  By the third season, it is dangerously funny.  I had to stop the show after this line because I was laughing so hard that I was having trouble breathing, like when I first saw The Gods Must Be Crazy in a movie theater in Irvine.

Must Be Pennsylvania Dutch: Those Amish Radicals!

12/12/18 France24:
Around 7.50pm (1850 GMT) Tuesday, a lone man opened fire several times in the centre of Strasbourg, home to Europe’s most famous Christmas market, which attracts huge crowds of shoppers and tourists.
The suspect was quickly identified as a 29-year-old Cherif Chekatt, born in Strasbourg and already known to the police. He cried "Allahu Akbar" ("God is Greatest") as he opened fire, France's anti-terror prosecutor Rémy Heitz told a news conference Wednesday, citing witnesses....
Previously, French authorities had said the gunman killed three people. But Heitz said two people were confirmed dead while the third was brain dead.
Heitz also said police found a grenade, a rifle and four knives during a search Tuesday morning of the 29-year-old's house. They had wanted to take him into custody as in an investigation for suspected murder but were unable to find him. 
Grenade?  Who knew their gun control laws were so lax!

3.95 miles today

2 of it in snow partly uphill

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Scam? Or Missent Email?

Hi Clayton,

Congratulations on your new position with Arconic that will begin on Wednesday, January 2, 2018.


PRE-EMPLOYMENT PHYSICAL
As you know, one of the criteria for employment as stated in your offer letter is having a pre-employment physical and drug screen. Your physical is scheduled for Friday, December 14th at 3:00 pm. For this appointment, you will need to bring a photo ID.

BACKGROUND CHECK
Another one of the criteria for employment as stated in your offer letter is successful completion of a background check.  You will be contacted via e-mail by Sterling Direct, the vendor who conducts our background verifications.  You will submit your application in an on line system and indicate your approval by using a "wet signature" feature in Sterling's Online portal site.  So please be on the lookout for this email.

HR FORMS
Attached you will see four files. Below I have instructions for each. If you prefer, you can pick up hard copies of all the attachments at our Washington location.
  
US Export Control Form: This attachment is required for our site since we are a ITAR facility. This form must be completed and returned to the HR department at RTI/Arconic  prior to your orientation.

New Hire Paperwork: This attachment has three forms. These forms must be completed and returned to the HR department at RTI/Arconic  prior to your pre-employment physical. Our HR team is here from 7:00am to 3:30pm each day. You may also complete these forms and e-mail them back to me if you prefer.

Pre-Employment Physical Information: This form is for your records. This has all the necessary information for your pre-employment physical appointment. As stated, you will need to bring a photo ID to your pre-employment physical appointment.

Arconic – Pre-Physical Paperwork: This form must be filled out prior to your physical and will be given to the doctor. Please make sure you bring the completed form to your pre-employment physical appointment. This will not be returned to our site.

SAFETY SHOES
Arconic requires metatarsal safety shoes. Below are a few options for these metatarsal safety shoes.

The requirements of the shoes are as follow:
  • steel-toed or composite metatarsal safety protective footwear that MUST meet the ASTM F2413 Class 75 Standards
  • Impact (I/75)
  • Compression (C/75)
  • Metatarsal (MT 75)
  • Electrical Hazard (EH)

We reimburse up to $100.00 for each pair and allow two pairs per calendar year. We have three options for these shoes.

Option 1: You can choose from our preferred vendor, Sid Boedeker, by visiting their location, information below.  We will do a payroll deduction for the difference between the price of the shoe and the $100.00 allowance. (NOTE: If you choose to visit the vendor’s store you will not be charged at that time)

 Store Information:
  • 6822 Hazelwood, St. Louis, MO 63134
  • 314-522-8180
  • Store Hours
    • Mon-Thurs – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    • Fri – 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
    • Sat – 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Option 2: You can review the attached catalog for safety shoes from our preferred vendor, Sid Boedeker, and order a shoe from this catalog by sending an email to Kathleen.Sahm@Arconic.com with the shoe style, size, and width. Note: We are not responsible for shoes if they do not fit. If you would like to exchange or return a shoe, you will be required to visit the Sid Boedeker store.

Option 3: You can purchase your shoes from any department store that carries metatarsal safety shoes, but they must meet the above mentioned requirements. If you choose this option please make sure that you bring your shoes and the receipt the day of orientation so that the Safety Department can approve them before your start date. The receipt will be submitted to accounting for reimbursement up to $100.00. (NOTE: Please keep in mind that if the cost of your shoe is $100.00 or less you would only be reimbursement for the amount on the receipt.)



HOMELAND SECURITY I-9 VERIFICATION
One piece of documentation that you will need to complete in advance of reporting to the location is an I-9 form, which is required by the US Government Department of Homeland Security to verify your eligibility to work in the United States.  Please complete this information online using the link below:


Before you logout, please review the list of employment eligibility documents you will be asked to present on your first day of work.  Note: The list of documents varies based on to the citizenship status you entered in Section 1 of your I-9.  You will be required to bring original unexpired documentation with you for our onboarding meeting (I’ve also attached is a list of these acceptable documents).

HR ONBOARDING SESSION/BENEFITS REVIEW
As part of your orientation, we have scheduled the HR Session of your Onboarding process.  This meeting will be to complete required personnel and payroll paperwork, discuss benefits and the new hire benefit enrollment process, and review important policies and procedures.  This meeting is scheduled for your first day of work on January 2 at 7:30AM.

I am also including a link to an external site that will allow you to review the benefits offered to our employees.  This site does not include prices; however please take some time to review the plans available to you so you can bring any questions you might have with you on your first day.  Also attached is a Summary of Benefits which you may find helpful prior to our meeting.    

I also wanted to share a resource to help you in your transition to Arconic, which will help you in navigating the many resources that are available. 


cid:image001.jpg@01D2E436.036DF370

Please let me know if you have any questions, or need additional information.


Sara Hembry
HR Specialist
Arconic
1701 W. Main Street
Washington, MO 63090
1-636-239-7816 (ext. 190107) Office
Arconic.com | Sara.Hembry@arconic.com

UPDATE: It was a missent email.