Canoe Curmudgeon

For the 'Rithmatically Challenged Liberals - read this

2012-01-31T08:51:00.005-06:00

Here's a well-written, easy-to-comprehend, explanation of the taxes paid by the "rich" and then all the rest of us. Read this and see if you can figure out who is paying more taxes - the "haves or the "have nots"?

http://blogs.indystar.com/letters/2012/01/27/obama-continues-to-repeat-tax-falsehood/#facebook-comments

Question 1: How dumb is the voting populace if they believe that Barack's rich-guy attacks are justified?

Question 2: What must it be like to constantly worry about how much money your neighbor has?

Question 3: How can you be so lazy that you perfectly happy to have your neighbor pay your way?

CC

Barack Wants to Maintain Power - Blow Iran to smithereens - That ought to do it

2012-01-30T21:15:00.001-06:00

Hopefully the Curmudgeon is wrong, but he feels that the ratcheting up of "attack Iran" rhetoric that is coming out of the Obama Administration is designed to keep him in office. Now the US military is designing a bigger, meaner, bunker buster bomb. They are also building a floating platform out of decommissioned ships so a contingent of Navy Seals can float off the Strait of Hormuz waiting to "let 'er rip" on BHO's command.

During his State of the Union address, US Navy Seals were sent in to rescue one US woman and some Danish guy from pirates in Somalia. Remember how badly Somalia turned out when Bill Clinton was trying to play warrior? How come we didn't send in the Seals to save the three American idiots who were stuck in prison, two of them for over year in Iran? How come we could enter Somalia and Pakistan playing shoot-em-up (don't get the Curmudgeon wrong - he doesn't mind when our guys go in and kick bad-guy butt) but we couldn't charge into Iran - then? Why is it becoming more acceptable now with the spin coming from the Whitehouse? Remember George Bush, and Bill Clinton, and John Kerry, and Hillary Clinton, and Ted Kennedy, and THE whole slew of others who declared that Iraq needed to be invaded for their WMD? Then when Bush finally did something, all the other Democrats developed amnesia. The liberals screamed in protest! When the WMD that Clinton said was definitely there didn't materialize, it was completely Bush's war and folly.

Where are the liberals now? Obama has been shooting up Pakistan more than any other president and we're not even at war with them. Now, we're talking about making a 10 ton bunker buster bomb to fire at Iran. Why is potentially putting the US at even greater risk OK with liberals? Because Obama is at the trigger, this is now an OK war. How come nobody is declaring Obama attacks in sovereign countries to be illegal and unapproved by Congress?

Also, with the billions Obama has dumped on green energy initiatives, why do we care if they shut off the Strait of Hormuz? Where is all that reliable, affordable, job-creating GREEN energy Obama has lined up for us? Oh, yeah. A large bunch of them have gone bankrupt after getting big government loan guarantees and grants. They get to keep the money and we get to pay the bill. Now, Solyndra is just chucking perfectly and useable materials instead of selling them off to pay back the loans that they defaulted on. This has happened under Obama's guidance. How many poor, starving, uneducated street people could have used this money? How many homeless shelters could have been built? How many more methadone clinics, Planned Parenthood centers, and schools could have poured this money down the drain instead of Obama cronies kicking back the bankrupt funds into his campaign coffers under the liberal radar? Liberal radar starts at about 20,000 feet so flying under it is pretty easy.

So, the aptly titled link is below. The card is not so wild. Obama has an itchy trigger finger, you know.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/30/iran-may-be-wild-card-in-2012-election/

CC

Obama's Administration and Back Taxes

2012-01-26T18:03:00.001-06:00

Obama's administration of 36 staff people owe back taxes for 2010, NOT 2011, but 2010 -are you paying attention? Obama's professional staffer who are paid for by US owe a combined amount of back taxes to the US governement in the amount of $834,000! Do these Obama slackers not have their tax withholdings in place? How come the Curmudgeon has to constantly worry about making damn sure his taxes are ALWAYS paid in FULL whenever they are due? Why do Obama's jerks NOT have to pay their taxes on time? Why does the worthless Obama allow this?

Talk about the "haves" and "have nots" in this dishonest, disreputable, administration! And he has the nerve to raise OUR taxes! How about collecting all the taxes due just his OWN administration? 36 staffers - $834K not paid. What do these socialist apes do with their money? Where is their obligation to the country?

Liberals who support this rat bastard administration - you need to wake up from the dream - reality is calling. All the constant double standards from being "green" to taxes - the Curmudgeon would like to load all you double-standard liberals into a large rocket and fire you at the sun. The world would be a fairer and better place.

This is well beyond the pale. We should all get together and not pay our taxes. What would happen when the entire midwest stopped paying their taxes together? The US military isn't big enough to round us all up and there aren't enough jails. What could the Obama "haves" do to us? Obama would "pretty please" the liberal idiots just like he did the Iranians for the drone. A bunch would lock-step with his request because they are easily deceived and weak-minded.

To see an Occupy-style protest with effect minus the stink, dreadlocks, scraggly beards and unions - take 10 million taxpayers who shut down their tax payments all at once. Man, this idiot had better be removed from office this coming election! The Curmudgeon would vote for a monkey to take this arrogant, low-quality leader out of office. Whoever on his staff owes back-taxes to the US should be fired and then fined just like the rest of us would be! There simply IS no excuse for this.

CC

Why Do They Pay for These Studies?

2012-01-26T13:56:00.000-06:00

"People who give in to racism and prejudice may simply be dumb..."

No! Seriously who would ever consider that racists [people who determine that the color of one's skin makes them somehow lesser humans] could be dumb? The liberal progressives needed a study for that?

Funny part is that the title of this study is trying to link conservatism with low IQ. Hmmm - so that's where the "intellectual, liberal progressives" come up with this stuff. There's now a study to prove it.

ABC (Yahoo) is more than happy to tie in the title as an insult to conservatism. Liberals fight like girls - real girls, not the progressive women that have all the young guys confused as to where they fit in today's twisted liberal mess.

Skin color and gender have no effect on whether or not one is a wide-ranging, socially normal, productive member of society. All human brains are all the same shade of gray matter. However, if one is not a productive member of society, the Curmudgeon most likely holds a less flattering description for those individuals. Trash is trash and it comes in all sorts of colors.

Being politically correct and a liberal is not helping the world. Conservatives do not need any study to know this. We can figure it out with our low IQ's all on our own without the help of a larger entity like the government or a university.

http://news.yahoo.com/low-iq-conservative-beliefs-linked-prejudice-180403506.html

CC

Warren Buffet's Secretary - Poor Woman!

2012-01-26T11:20:00.003-06:00

She may make a LOT more than that. The 35 percent tax bracket only starts at $379,150.

If she's single, not married filing jointly, or a head of household, her overall tax rate is about 29 percent.

If she's a head of household, or files jointly with a spouse, her overall tax rate is lower.

Still higher than if all her money came from investments in the form of dividends and capital gains, like her boss's income does. But I would expect that the secretary of the world's second richest man wouldn't be peanuts. For Obama and Mr Buffet to hold her up as and example of an average working person is laughable indeed. -Thanks Paul for this analysis

Whatta bunch of bogus baloney with Obama and Warren Buffet putting on a show! They are using HER tax bracket to make a political point and if you buy into it, you are in need of a serious reality check. It's outrageous! If you make $50,000 a year in Ely, you are doing REALLY well.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71998.html

CC

Wolf Hunting Plans

2012-01-26T08:27:00.001-06:00

The MN DNR is working on a wolf population management plan and they don't appear to be facing too much opposition from all the crazies out there - yet.

You watch, when the plan is finalized and the hunting begins, there will be bearded, mukluk wearing, stinky women and a few scawny, but loud, guys duct-taping themselves to the sides of wolves to save them.

The part that the Curmudgeon finds interesting is that all of the articles that are now popping up regarding wolf hunting consistently repeat the word "kill" when talking about management. When they talk about deer, small game trapping and hunting, the DNR (and the media) uses the words "harvest, management, and cull". With wolves, it's all the more direct "kill" and they say it over and over.

The Curmudgeon can't put it in words concisely, but he senses an unusual tone of the articles regarding wolf management. It'll probably amount to nothing, but it seems funny that they keep talking about what will be allowed to be killed and by who in their management plan. It's like they've put the wolf on a different plane than all other animals which are currently managed.

Here's the article: http://www.startribune.com/local/138078963.html

CC

Souris River Quetico 17 in the Everglades

2012-01-25T11:04:00.000-06:00

They even look great and handle well in the 'glades!

Hi, Joe

Just thought you might like to see how one of your canoes is spending the winter. Seven days in the Everglades- highs in the 70's, lows in the upper 40's. She handled the Gulf swells like a champ. Picture is taken at Cape Sable.

Thanks
Deb A.
Florida

More Fish-iness with Obama

2012-01-25T08:50:00.003-06:00

The US Navy's Seal Team Six went in last night to rescue an American woman and a Danish guy, both aid workers in Somalia who have been held captive by Somali pirates. As per usual, Seal Team Six did a stellar job killing 9 pirates and evacuating the couple so kudos to those guys. Sure glad we have them working for the US and not against us.

But that brings up the question as to why Obama is out directing Seal Team Six to save ordinary citizens now like a super hero team while he's calling the shots back home at the Fortress of Good & Decent? Maybe the Curmudgeon's memory has faded with age, but he does not remember other incidences where an expensive team of highly trained commandos were sent behind enemy lines to rescue one woman and some foreign guy in a country in which we are not really at war. Maybe that exists, but right now it's sounding like an episode from The A Team. On the high seas, shooting pirates should be a world pastime and beloved sport. The Curmudgeon is not against it because where ever a Somali pirate (or any pirate) can be killed, that is a good and desirable thing. Obama's actions just seems unusual and the Curmudgeon wonders if it will now set the precedence for doing stupid things like going into dangerous places "to help the native there" knowing that Obama will save you personally with Seal Team Six.

It's kind of like the silliness of the US Forest Service in Ely. Did you know that if you paddle in on say, a 25 mile canoe trip and have chest pains, if you can call in, the USFS will send a plane and get you and your gear out? Do you know how much that costs to be saved in the Boundary Waters because you made bad decisions as a flaming, irresponsible, liberal - taking a physically challenging trip even though you knew you should not go in your condition? Well, word on the portage says the cost ranges from $1200 to $10,000 for that plane to land and save you. The actual cost to the individual who is being saved by the US government plane from a supposed "wilderness" canoe trip is ZERO DOLLARS! Yes, you read it correctly: ZERO DOLLARS! The US government up here lets you be stupid enough to take a "wilderness" canoe trip with a known health condition and your rented satellite phone and charges you nothing if you call in the plane to rescue you. All you have to do is go directly to the hospital ER and get checked out. That is the only requirement and the government plane ride is FREE!

So, here's the plan. The Curmudgeon is going to go on a solo trip from Snowbank to Big Sag. When he gets to Otter Track and gets tired of paddling and catching lake trout as big as his thigh, he'll conveniently develop chest pains and call for help giving the GPS coordinates. He'll make the USFS get the plane up in the air, land and save him. They will pick up all of his gear and bring it back, PLUS he gets a cool plane ride for FREE! Go to the ER when he gets back to Ely, his paid for health insurance will cover that expense and the chest pains will miraculously have dissipated. Must have been gas from BWCA food. Shoulder shrug and "Sorry", then it's back to Red Rock for some canoe-selling fun and stories around the fire place on Wednesday evening at Northwind Lodge.

So, travel the world over! Stick your nose into areas that you KNOW you might not be up to doing due to your physical state or the political situation there and just call Obama or Ely's Kawishiwi Ranger District. The government will use its vast resources to save just you. The cost to the taxpayer is irrelevant. Your own flagrant stupidity is irrelevant. Taking personal responsibility is unnecessary. All that really matters for your Boundary Waters Canoe Trip (or saving Somali women from oppression) is you. Just go and enjoy yourself!

CC

How do we get rid of Minnesota's Governor?

2012-01-24T22:25:00.000-06:00

Quick! Somebody figure out how to get rid of Minnesota's Governor Mark Dayton and replace the limp, ineffective, excuse of a governor with Indiana's Mitch Daniels. Screw Indiana - we need a great governor in Minnesota.

After hearing the Republican rebuttal to Obama's State of the Union snooze fest, the Curmudgeon wants to kidnap Daniels. Now, understandably, the speech was written obviously by a team, but his delivery was calm, encouraging, intelligent and he was able to "sell" it with a subtlety that delivered his sincerity. He actually believed every word he said. So did the Curmudgeon. THAT would be the desired effect of a true leader for the United States.

Obama came across with a boring delivery but the polish that several years of practice can provide. The Curmudgeon thought that the applause from the Demo side of the room was kind of weak at times. The best part was when the camera stopped on Hillary Clinton. She looked bored silly and like she was having a tough time staying awake when Obama brought up Afghanistan. Her hair is really neat, too! It'll look really great when it gets down to her butt. Nothing says "snappy, old, hillbilly woman" more than hair down to one's butt. Some days, when it curls up on her shoulders, it feels like we're watching an episode of "That Girl". So chic'.

The Curmudgeon is SO sick of poor Warren Buffet's secretary and her tax bracket. Also tired of the whole "tax the rich" theme. If you make $1,000,000 a year, Obama wants your tax to be 30%. $300,000 out of your income? Wow! Guess somebody has to pay for all those food stamps.

No mention of the Keystone Pipeline, Obamacare or the failed stimulus handed over to all those big banks who are now in Obama's sights again. No mention of healing the world, either. Last but not least, he's appointing Eric Holder to the "Criminal Financial Fraud Unit". Hopefully, Holder will do better here than with Fast & Furious. He'll probably sell a million legitimate credit card numbers online to try to catch the Romanians who are mining and buying overpriced issues of Paranormal News.. Holder's financial sting will go wrong and be discovered only after a few people have been financially destroyed. Then, at the Senate inquiry, Holder will plead the 5th.

Obama is not doing well in a bipartisan Luntz focus group. They sure don't like him very much. They all agree that he is a good speaker, but it appears to end there. Interesting.

CC

Why Gingrich Can't Win Against Obama

2012-01-24T19:47:00.002-06:00

This election is going to be about the independents. Not the staunch conservatives or liberals. It's going to come down to those of us among us who are too damn weak, indecisive, and dumb to be able to pick a side and stick with it. Out of all the voters in the US, the Curmudgeon has the least amount oy respect for the "independent voters". You can't make up your mind and pick a side? What is wrong with you! Of course, everything might not be absolutely perfect and meet every aspect of the "independent's" political needs, but can't they vote based on near political perfection? What a bunch of mush minds.

And, because of the "independents" being sensitive, obviously confused and bumbling mush minds, Newt is never going to make it:

If gay marriage is a voter's primary issue in the 2012 election, then Newt Gingrich says it's perfectly okay not to vote for him in a would-be battle against President Obama.

Read more: http://politics.blogs.foxnews.com/2011/12/21/gingrich-tells-gay-marriage-supporter-not-vote-him?test=latestnews&intcmp=obinsite#ixzz1kQchc73Y

Newt is an unusual, ego-driven, idiot. He's a smart, well-educated, intellectual word-smith who would shred Obama in any debate. The problem is he readily offends the "independents" because they are voters who are easily confused and offended by everything. Newt is blunt and likes to shock. Independents can't handle being shocked or hearing blunt words. That's why they are "independents" and can't decide which team to play for. His harsh response to some other social issue will drive their confused, last-minute vote right into Obama's overpriced, unaffordable, garage. Then, later, they will regret their vote but it will already have been cast. There is nothing quite like being crippled by indecisiveness.

Everybody except the independents and Gingrich knows that a vote from a no-mind can be changed just by rephrasing a sentence. Independent voters and their weakness of being easily swayed by flowery words and impossible promises, have nothing for which to be proud. Gingrich panders to the specific audience without fear of consequence and that's why he appears to be all over the map at times. Loose cannon.

The fate of the country is decided by people who can't make up their minds. Comforting isn't it?

CC

Romney is Rich - He also pays LOTS of Taxes

2012-01-24T18:56:00.001-06:00

The Curmudgeon has the evening news on and it's all about Romney's wealth.

Did we NOT know that he was wealthy? Plus, a bunch of liberal groups have now ceded that if he's paid all of his taxes on his income, there really isn't much of a gripe. He has. Now can we quit talking about it?

Let's talk about this instead:
Nearly 100,000 federal civilian employees owed $1 billion in unpaid federal income taxes in 2009, according to the IRS. The number of delinquent federal employees has remained consistent since 2004, but the amount owed has soared nearly 70 percent from $600 million to $1 billion.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/01/congressman-calls-crackdown-tax-delinquent-federal-workers/#ixzz1kQTu0lPu

And this:
We now know that federal employees across the nation owe fully $1 billion in back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/09/congress-taxes-irs.html

Oh, and this:
And then we learned this guy Timothy Geithner owed something like $42,000 in back taxes and penalties to the IRS, which is one of the agencies that he'd be in charge of as secretary of the Treasury. The fine fellow who's supposed to know about handling everyone else's money. In the end this was excused by Washington's bipartisan CYA culture as one of those inadvertent accidental oversights that somehow never seem to happen on the side of paying too much taxes.

And under Geithner's expert guidance the U.S. economy has been, well, wow! Just look at it. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/09/congress-taxes-irs.html

And liberals are worried about Mitt Romney's money and taxes. Where would you be if you ignored your tax obligations? Obama sees nothing wrong with going after "rich guys" and keeping Tim Geithner in power? So, how many other friends does BHO protect while the rest of us meet our obligations under the force of law?

Ok, Liberals, You Ain't seen Nothin' Yet

2012-01-24T18:02:00.004-06:00

Racial and religious discrimination continues to rise as the liberals continue to promote a World Without Borders and a One World Order.

The economy is in the tank and getting lower. Obama, the boob of America, continues to promote this sort of crap through his administration as he attacks the rich to continue to drum up the Occupy Wall Street wackos and their ilk for voter support. BHO and his wife really like all the perks.

George Soros is considered "the man who brought down the bank of England" and is gleeful at the chaos which is coming around the bend as the Euro crumbles under liberal idiots of Greece, Spain, and Italy. Instead of helping, BHO is in there promoting to the insanity by jamming up the US banks indefinitely, stopping the flow of money and increasing the debt for entitlements like a madman. Under the Foodstamp President, we now owe more than we make for the first time in American history. Liberals must be proud.

The media chimes in BHO's defense saying that "the economy is showing signs of improvement" at any tiny little sign of movement anywhere and now we have Hindus, Pakistanis, and muslims all using our system to further muddy the water in the US with racial and religious discrimination. In any their countries, these bitchers and whiners would have to take the job or starve. Those are the two choices. In the US, with the EEOC and the ACLU, the bitchers are afforded endless, free voices to bring up any and all "infractions" to court. Of course, the business is to blame. Business is always bad, except if you are George Soros.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/job-bias-claims-record-level-074539480.html

Aren't there enough problems with just getting a job? Now employers have to consider meeting the expectations of Mohammed who needs to pray 5 times a day (or he'll shoot the place up) disrupting the flow of the company. Old Ahktool needs something else special for his spiritual constraints and "Bob" from India can't find the right size elephant for whatever god to which he needs to bow.

This One World Order that the mega-billionaire (that means "really rich guy" for you liberals) George Soros is really going to work out great. Instead of a democracy of laws inthe US, we'll end up penniless, divided, and then regrouped according the religion of the one who contols the power after all the dust has settled. Can anybody say "Caligula"?

George Soros is 80+ years old. He looks like absolute crap. He's obviously hooked on complete power and promotes insanity like some villain that Batman would fight. His minions in Moveon.org veritably HATE the rich and the existing world order. How destroyed will the entire world have to be before he finally kicks the bucket?

Maybe he has kicked the bucket and left behind a fugly android to take over into perpetuity. He certainly has enough money from manipulating currencies of entire countries to bring about the over-throw of their governments and make himself richer.

He's a billionaire from predicting well, taking the correct, bold action, and being ruthless. Maybe when he predicts chaos, we should all be listening. Gold bullion and the police won't save you. You're gonna need bullets.

CC

Romney releases Taxes - Whooppee!!!!

2012-01-24T09:22:00.003-06:00

These things we know:

About some Rich Guys:

Romney has done well for himself
Romney is not a slacker
He obviously knows how to work effectively
He turned around the Olympics when nobody else could
He is an investment banker not a venture capitalist
He paid $3,000,0000 in taxes. More than the City of Ely's entire yearly budget.

About many Non-Rich Guys:

Many like beer and cigarettes more than workng
Many like lots of time off
Many feel sorry about themselves
Several are in trouble with the law
A bunch don't even work but take food stamps
Many spend their savings on toys and junk
Many didn't save even when they had ample funds
Many pay a couple thousand per year in taxes
Many did not go to school or even pay attention while there
Many like to party and do stupid crap like watch WWF
Many like to worry about rich guys because of their own shortcomings
Many are susceptible to the Democrats who review and exploit this list regularly for political gain.

Summary - Romney paid 14% in tax. Our slackers and average grunts pay higher taxes but tiny relative volumes. Romney's contribution to the US budget is $3 Million for just one year. Most of the other guys will never hit a million dollars in taxes paid in their entire lifetime. The "have-nots" should really strive to be a "have" instead and not by selling recreational drugs and stolen car parts. Our president should be encouraging and attitude change, not the attacking of rich guys. As a country, we would be an immensely wealthy if our average populace was encouraged and pushed to try to be something more than just ordinary under-achievers. Democrats promote poverty. You never see a poor man give anybody a job.

Liberals Don't Get Business - Get Rid of MPR

2012-01-23T21:29:00.010-06:00

In order to be a viable business, every business must turn a profit. This applies to Chesapeake Energy Corporation and every other business. With no gross profit, there is no way to cover operation expenses like the cost of operating and maintaining the equipment and the guys needed to run it. With no net profit, there is no reason for accepting the huge risk that running any business brings. This is a ridiculously simple concept. Liberals (who like to get everything free and believe that money grows on trees), just can't understand this. You have to pay for a businesses equipment and all of its operating expenses to drill a hole for gas and that can only come with profits. Sure, we could all work together like a big commune, where everybody is equal and working to help each other. That would define the Utopian world that Karl Marx dreamed of - we are all equal, we all work together, we are all happy. Karl forgot about the lazy slackers who like smokin' dope better than working and the greedy power mongers who love material possessions and power. Slackers and power mongers permeate our real world. Until they are eradicated, there will be no Utopia. Anybody should know that Greed and Sloth have been around since we were amoebas. Marx was a fool.

With that in mind, Chesapeake Energy Corp. is now cutting their natural gas drilling. The cost of natural gas has fallen so much, that it is no longer profitable to drill. As a result of less drilling, the price of gas should go back up as supplies become depleted. Liberals are most likely reeling at this notion that the evil energy corporation is going to stop production because they can't make a profit. This must be where the notion that "profit is evil" comes from. Why wouldn't we want the energy to be a cheap as possible? Well, we do. But the evil energy corporations have to make a profit and they are unwilling to work until they burn through all their cash and die. So, they are cutting production.

And why is that, the liberal enquiring mind wants to know? Well, look at the cost of everything else. The price of everything else is remaining the same but the cost of gas is falling. If the energy corporation would continue drilling and driving down the cost of energy, they would need to cut costs. The most expensive costs are usually the employee wages. So, cut the employee wages. That makes sense. The question is, does the cost of living go down for those employees? No, everything stays the same for them, but they would make less money with a cut. So, how long will they stay with the energy corporation with decreasing pay? ONly until something better comes around. Any simpleton should be able to see where this is going. Nobody can operate at a loss and the profits must acceptably cover the risk involved with investors. So, the energy company chooses to stop drilling and exploration until prices come back up. People will be laid off until that time that it becomes acceptably profitable to cover the risk of those who put up the money to drill. The company is unwilling to operate at a loss which is understandable to sane thinkers. It sounds cruel, but if the company goes belly up, many more will be unemployed than those laid off for the shutdown. http://news.yahoo.com/chesapeake-cut-natural-gas-production-133825803.html

The reason the Curmudgeon brings this up is because he (gaggggg) listened to Minnesota Public Radio. Many Minneapolitans listen religiously to this drivel. And, it was world-class drivel. It amazes the Curmudgeon as to how little the world understands about business. Cost of overhead, cost of inventory, time, cost of financing, etc. verses the price of the items or service provided. Very few people understand this.

The topic on MPR was Doctors for Dollars and there was an intellectual fairy man talking in great detail with some power-woman about medical doctors charging for services and Medicare scams, etc. The Curmudgeon could only take so much of the effeminate intellectual male (?) expert (?) going on and on about some medical test that he subjected himself to with a surgically embedded monitor. His big petunia-like gripe was that the company who designed this monitor system (records heart rate, BP, EKG, brain waves and forecasts the weather, etc.) AND his doctor are privy to the data, but he was not. He felt that HE was the most important reader of the data even if he admitted that he may not know how to interpret it. He actually said this nonsense on the radio and the woman agreed with him! Just because one can look at WebMD.com does NOT a physician make! The Curmudgeon was listening to this liberal fairy wanting to "try" to review the bits of data collected even though he admitted he hasn't a clue as to what any of it means. But he whined that "at least he should be able to try." Any idiot should conclude that such data would most likely be best interpreted by his doctor and the evil corporation who built this wondrous data collector. Maybe they could use this data to possibly save this fairy's life were it actually in medical peril. Remember, he volunteered to have this device surgically implanted into his soft, intellectual body. The woman was agreeing with his arguments - as if one could call them that. People such as this and radio stations like MPR are why we have Obamacare looming over our heads. Pseudo pscientists are psilly phools.

After tuning out the idiots for a bit, the woman started in on how much medical doctors get paid with the implication that they are ripping everybody off. The Curmudgeon's ears perked up. With disgust in her intellectual voice, she spoke of a doctor whom she interviewed and found out that he earned $200,000 over an 18 month period. The tone in her voice implied that he was grossly overpaid for his efforts and services. (That's a lot of money for the mere equivalent of a cabby or shoeshine boy!) She reported that the doctor said he was essentially working for minimum wage at that level. Well, the intellectual woman's disgust level climbed a notch as she stated that she and her staff ran the minimum wage rate through 18 months of 40 hour weeks and it was nowhere near what the evil doctor was taking for compensation.

At this point, the Curmudgeon was yelling at the radio about how hard it is to live in a state where the intellectuals are so friggin' dumb and disingenuous. Surely, that woman can't be so stupid to not take into account the unmentioned, but ever-present, overhead costs of a medical doctor! She sure as heck forgot to mention that in her distorted discussion.

There's a good chance that the doctor is probably coughing up $100,000 in insurance policy premiums needed to keep Minnesota's medical geniuses like the fairy with the monitor from suing him after they screw themselves up by doing dumb things only to blame the doctor for problems they caused. There's nothing like mixing your own voodoo medicine in with a real prescription from an MD. (Sure, that all natural drug won't adversely interact at ALL! It's natural and made with love - not by an evil corporation! Don't tell the doctor you are taking it so he has a REALLY tough time figuring out why you keep breaking out into hives.) Suing any doctor for the problem you cause is fine. All doctors have deep pockets, you know.

So, his liability insurance cuts his gross income down to $100,000 for 18 months of work right off the top. Then, he puts in 80 hours a week, not 40 like any minimum wage earner would do. Then, the monitor fairy chimed in that the doctor probably doesn't get to spend much time with his family, but that didn't seem to take hold with either of the two MPR intellectuals, even after they brought it up. They STILL signified that his pay for 18 months was completely over the top by their Marxist standards. On top of that, extract $30,000 per year to cover loans for his extensive medical school loans plus mandatory continuing education to maintain his medical license. That leaves $70,000 for those 18 months..

So, $70,000 divided by 5760 hours gets you $12.15 cent per hour. Take out all the social security, workers comp, and income tax and sure the evil doctor is STILL earning more than than minimum wage. That lucky bastard. And we all know that despite his education, commitment, and risk of contracting a deadly communicable disease, he should not earn more than a pot-scrubber at the local Greasy Spoon. The Curmudgeon is well aware of how much time his own personal physician puts in and the Curmudgeon knows a thing or two about working for peanuts, himself. Liberals assume that if you own a business, you are a millionaire guaranteed. They are a laughable bunch of intellectuals.

So, the Minneapolis liberals were again spouting off in an attempt to incite more stupid intellectuals to call for adding new medical laws, regulations and red tape by omitting many key details while only providing "buzz phrases". The Curmudgeon firmly believes that the arrogant and self-important Minnesota Public Radio should be shut down for good. You sure as heck can't call that journalism with only part of the story being told.

And no, most locals in Ely do NOT listen to Garrison Keillor. He is neither funny nor enthralling unless you are from Minneapolis and in love with romantic notions and Thespian dialogue. But hey, he's an intellectual. To listen is to be, or so they think.

CC

Chuby Darters - Trout Misses - AARRRRGGGHHH!

2012-01-22T19:03:00.003-06:00

What a day.

We get to Tofte via snowmobile and to the narrows we went. Lots of people out there but we pick a spot, drilled the holes and set up the Clam Basecamp Thermal pop-up, move in and begin the weekend ritual. Watching down the hole, we each have #3 Salmo Chubby Darter in Yellow Dace (bright yellow color with a light green back). Nothing moving down below but the those active little Chubby D's zooming and wobbling as they entice fish from afar to come in and attack.

Five minutes into the morning's adventure and the Curmudgeon's dad sets the hook on a very large rainbow. It's peeling out line and fighting like a trout, pummeling, twisting, yanking and trying to not go the way Dad wants. He finally gets to the hole and starts coming up but then suddenly rolls and takes another run. More fighting and he comes up the hole again only this time tail first. Not good. The gaff is not even out of the bag yet. Keeping tension on the line and not having lot of options, the Curmudgeon grabbed the tail in a fruitless attempt to pull out this really nice fish and SNAP....Buh-by! Away he blasted off with a brand new Chubby Darter in tow. That was a nice fish. Everything happened in far less time than it took to type this paragraph.

After several swipes at really cranked up fish and none on the ice, we decided to move for the rest of the day. The funny thing is that EVERYBODY fishes Tofte for these test-tube trout like there is some rhyme or reason to where they will be. There is no rhyme or reason. These fish were born in a bottle and they cruise the lake. Their purpose is to eat, be eaten, or die naturally. The Curmudgeon does not believe that anybody NEEDS to be on the exact same spot in a designated trout lake. But, look out and you will see many people on the exact spots, year after year with holes all over the place because those are the best places. To prove that all places are about the same, we decided to try a spot where nobody EVER fishes. We picked a nondescript bay, looked for about six to ten feet of water, set up and dropped down to fish the uncharted territories.

Sure enough, there they were. The Curmudgeon caught a little splake on a tungsten jig with a plastic tail. Then, of course, the Curmudgeon'd dad lands a pretty big rainbow but not as big as that first one. Nonetheless, it was gaff-worthy and with it being darker, grey and gloomy outside and pretty dark in the pop-up, we had a heck of a time gaffing this fish. Finally, hooked him and flipped him outside to avoid the gravitational pull of the hole in the ice. Everything heads for the hole much like a black hole in eating a star in space. It is a well-known icefishing phenomenon.

Then, as more fish zoomed past everything the Curmudgeon had to offer, Dad hooks another one. Fight, fight, fight, pop out of the hole, stab with the gaff. Almost missed this one as it was heading to the hole. suggested we bring a .22 pistol instead of the gaff, tomorrow. Out the door he goes and it's back to looking down.

Now, the Curmudgeon's dad notices that a nice trout is cruising five feet above his Rainbow Dace Chubby Darter and just two feet under the ice! He cranks ups and the fish comes back for a look see. The Curmudgeon drops a tungsten jig two feet down and a nice 15 inch splake cruises on by barely slowing down to look. The Curmudgeon is apparently chopped liver today for any trout other than a 9 inch splake that was far too skinny to fillet. A Bassomatic would have been needed.

Soon, the Curmudgeon is again hearing the tentative trout-below-alerting "Oooooo's!" the tentative "Aah, ahh's?" of the puppet master of the day who sets the hook with a loud "AHA!" Then it's fight, crank, peeling out drag, and repeat. Grab the gaff! But, now it's so dang dark in the Basecamp that the direction of the gaff hook's point is really hard to discern. So, in the hole, a lot of slashing and thrashing take off. The rainbow ends up out of the hole, but Dad failed to slide his big winter boot over the hole to prevent the gravity from sucking the trout to safety. The hook was out and gravity was just too much. The trout flopped around and then reached the event horizon of the ice-hole-turned-black-hole. Everything went to slow motion as even light stops moving in the gravity of a black hole and the trout disappeared.

"AAAAARRRRGGGGHHH!" was the collective yell.

What a screwy day. Dad - 2 (nice ones, too!) The Curmudgeon - Zip.

But, we also proved that test-tube trout go all over the place. There is no way they could be driven instinctively to an area that they MUST visit. They aren't from this lake. It's like they are renting a new apartment in a new neighborhood.

The Curmudgeon's advice for stocked stream trout: Pick any spot. Drill a hole. Fish. The only factor that you might consider is depth. If you like the simplicity of sight fishing, four to ten feet works well. Deeper water will require electronics.

Tomorrow, the Curmudgeon will attempt to improve his numbers and we are going to modify the gaff - or bring a .22. Haven't decided yet.

Flaming Horned Bull Gores Spanish Moron

2012-01-21T15:34:00.002-06:00

What on earth would possess any human being to light a bull's horns on fire, and set him free while crazed by the flames lapping at his eyeballs? It's like poor-man's fireworks and it's hard to believe that any civilized people would do something like this. Who are the animals in this village?

A Spaniard participating in the torturing of bulls to celebrate some saint was gored and flattened out. Can't say that the Curmudgeon is feeling real sympathy for the buffoon. Torturing animals for religious beliefs is their culture? Where DO they come up with this hocus pocus, voodoo, crap?

It's no wonder that only a few longitude lines to the east, there are still lots of barbarians there who think nothing of cutting off a live human's head, or locking someone in hole for 5 years, or firing off a nuke.

So, do they have cannibals in Spain, too? They apparently don't eat their cows. They just light 'em on fire and make them run around all ticked off and crazy. Sounds like ~~a bad~~ all Rob Schneider film(s).

Sheesh. And just when you start thinking Europe is so refined and so wonderful....

All of that haughty, superior intellect came from some village over there where somebody or some animal was freely tortured as part of a religious celebration. We definitely need to be more like Europe.

http://news.yahoo.com/flaming-horned-bull-fatally-gores-man-spain-154853109.html

CC

Obamacare slips into a distant memory

2012-01-21T11:00:00.005-06:00

Nobody's talking about Obamacare, but it is still there. The more time that gets between us and the hell that awaits us with this oppressive stack of orders, mandates and entitlements, the easier it is to forget and accept.

Nobody really knows what's in the 2,300 page mess. Nancy Pelosi doesn't even know what's in it and our collective liberal fools in this country support it because it mentions the word "free" in it. Our liberal slackers all would rather screw around than earn a living.

We have them all over Ely. They move here to "eek by" for as long as they can hold out. Free medical and easy welfare just makes it easier to be a non-producing "student" at Vermilion Community College taking six credit hours fully paid along with great living expenses paid for by the government while they go fishing, hunting, and camping. They take 4-5 years to finish that two year community college associate's degree. The college doesn't care. They want the money. The more credit hours they can show for whatever classes, the more funding, the bigger non-profit pyramid where everybody gets paid. The government gets to pay twice. Once for the student and then because the student took classes.

But harboring more slackers is not the real problem with Obamacare. It is the fact that the government is now definitely going to tell those of us who are not slackers, what we can and cannot do. If you are a fairy and willing to just accept when another man tells you what you have to do, you'll love Obamacare and all of its hidden tethers. If you consider yourself to be a rugged individualist, you should be railing against it and him. Sure, the government has been telling us what to do for years, but now they are cutting even closer to the bone.

The Catholic Church offers medical care in places around the country. They operate as a non-profit organization because they probably exist to operate and provide services without expanding and conquering like for-profit organizations do. Truth be told, the Curmudgeon doesn't really believe in non-profits because they are just avoiding having to pay taxes like everybody else and they also like to expand and conquer exactly like for-profit organizations. In many cases, they wear out more public roads and infrastructure and wilderness lands than any for-profit outfit. (Just hang out at the Lake One landing and watch the impact a non-profit church group has on the landing when they get off their bus. Or, go to Ennis lake and see what Minnesota Outward Bound does to the lichens on the rocks that they wear out with no restrictions whatsoever because it's not Boundary Waters. That's all OK - they are a non-profit.) Maybe this is not the case for a mainstream church organization. There is no doubt that most non-profits choose that tax-status to hide, but that is another topic for a different time.

Assuming the Catholic Church is operating health-services as a purely non-profit organization, they have their organizational rules based upon their religious beliefs and doctrine. It's pretty hard to argue that their method of operation is wrong or right. If you don't believe or support their beliefs, you don't have to be a Catholic. If you don't accept the way they do business, you don't have to participate. No skin off your nose or theirs. No Catholic governing body is insisting that you do anything for them and the Curmudgeon is willing to bet that they would help stop your bleeding no matter what your religious beliefs are and they probably wouldn't even charge you for the help.

The Catholic Church believes birth control is sinful. If you don't agree, join some other religion or ignore it and be a bad Catholic. It's still a free country. Unlike the cramming of islam down our throats by slowly and insidiously forcing us to accept facets of sharia law in the US (and even entertaining them in any court) plus listening to that incessant yodeling five times a day in growing parts of Detroit and other areas, Catholics don't really cram anything. It's been the Curmudgeon's experience that they don't knock on your door and they don't pester you. They pretty much leave you alone, but when asked, they do show up to help. So, in the health facilities that they provide, there are certain things that go against the Catholic grain and Obama and the rest of the self-righteous, evil liberals in the world, simply do not care. They know better.

Obama -that disrespectful rat bastard- is requiring the Catholic Church to provide birth control and most likely a whole slew of other services which go against Catholic beliefs or he will close them down. It doesn't bluntly say that, but you can pretty much read between the lines that this bum of a leader will challenge Catholic non-profit status if they don't tow the government line in Obamacare services. Essentially, Obama is saying that our populace is too stupid to not go to Catholic health operations to find what they need, so the government is going to make it happen for all of our Democrat dunces. If we don't agree with the Catholic Church, Obama will force them to become agreeable to us. He's fighting for the slackers all the time.

And that would be where some of us take umbrage with everything this worthless president does. The Curmudgeon does not like being told what to do. He is not a slave to Obama. It's still a free country - Obama and the rest of the evil liberals haven't destroyed it completely, but they are trying by having us forget. Keep quiet on Obamacare and let it blow over. They'll get their way insidiously just like a small tree next to your cabin for years on end. It just sits there until one day you look up and it's gigantic and looming over your roof. How the heck did that happen so fast, you wonder.

In you have a shred of independence and decency in you anywhere, you should be working to get rid of this guy. He is wrecking this country slowly and methodically. Obamacare, keeping us in a state of energy poverty, spending more than our GDP for the first time in history, making the US weak in the eyes of the world...he needs to go.

http://news.yahoo.com/u-gives-church-groups-birth-control-rule-200330535.html

CC

Obama Gets Clown Shoes from Spike Lee

2012-01-20T21:57:00.000-06:00

So, how many people on welfare did Spike Lee crush in some big-box doorway to get these special clown Air Jordans for President Obama?

What IS the obsession with materialism amongst all the shoe-fighters? Obama sure seems pleased. Must have the same fetish as all the other shoe kooks out there. The Curmudgeon's guess is that he's going to try to sell them on eBay to score a whopping profit. The Curmudgeon is pretty sure there are several pushers and pimps who would kill to own this particular pair. They'd be stylin'...and looking like a clown to boot.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/spike-lee-presents-president-obama-special-pair-air-181824652.html

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Another Screwed Up Kid Hits the World

2012-01-20T18:21:00.000-06:00

The gender-neutral family have announced that their little kid prefers mauve to blue or pink.

25 years from now, if the world is not annihilated by the insane and barbaric Iranians, pay attention to this kid. His mommy and daddy seem to be OK with their OWN genders but they don't want Sasha to know what he is or what his place in society is. Great - another confused kid grows up to be a serial killer because Mommy and Daddy decided to be politically correct, societal fruitcakes.

Yet another confused boy playing dressup with other confused boys instead of growing up to pursue girls and advance society. His parents make a point to the world at his expense...perhaps. Is it ethical to experiment on humans? Pretty sure there won't be any memorable fishing trips with Dad in his poor, mixed-up, future....

Poor little fart....

http://shine.yahoo.com/parenting/couple-finally-reveals-childs-gender-five-years-birth-180300388.html

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Old and Young Hippies Disrupting Hippy-Town USA

2012-01-20T17:12:00.002-06:00

Oh, the irony...

The city of "free & easy" is being disrupted by Occupy protesters blocking banks, jamming traffic, and causing San Francisco to spend more money on nothing of value just to protect all 23 of the "ordinary" citizens who actually reside and work in that city. You can define "ordinary" however you want as it pertains to SF.

It's entertaining to see Occupy Wall Street protesters who are about 2500 miles off course "making silly" with San Fransisco which from what the Curmudgeon heard tell, was a pretty silly city to begin with.

Kudos to the police and their restraint. The Curmudgeon does not know HOW they do it. He would already be in prison for police brutality if he worked in law enforcement with these time-wasting, non-contributing zeros. How does one take this disorderly crap day-in and day-out, looking at and listening to loud, stinky, dirty pigs "exercising their rights" while causing nothing but trouble for everybody? How does one do this without wearing out one's nightstick?

Well, here's the article. You can look at the old hippie with a gripe.

http://news.yahoo.com/occupy-protesters-block-banks-san-francisco-195414678.html

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Save Ely's Snow Sculptures!!!!

2012-01-20T16:28:00.000-06:00

They are getting ready for Winterfest in Ely.

There is no snow.

They are advertising for people to collect clean snow in bags and pick up trucks to haul to Whiteside Park.

Apparently, there will be really tiny snow sculptures this year. We used call them "snowballs" and throw them at each other.

A bunch of folks here at Red Rock suggested that they skip snow sculptures and make ice sculptures. We always have ice and ice sculptures are more spectacular than snow sculptures.

Or how about ice fishing? It's immensely more fun than wandering around the park looking at snowmen and some of the more creepy looking stuff they sculpted last year. Just a slightly biased idea. Note: the Curmudgeon never wandered around the park. He just spied some of the more abstract offerings as he drove by on occasion.

Then there's always popsicle stick crafts in the community center basement or weaving bits of yarn into keychains and bookmarks.

This season's Winterfest is going to be much less festive with the lack of creativity by those in charge. It will be just a lot of transplants padding around in mukluks and tunics saying "oooh & aahhh" at one, desolate, three foot diameter snowball.

It doesn't take much to get 'em going, though.

Remember to collect your garbage bags of clean snow tonight and head out to the park. It'll be an event just like gathering around a community compost pile.

The Curmudgeon needs to grow a scruffy beard and wear mukluks to fit in.

CC

Cold Weather and the Vikings

2012-01-20T08:59:00.010-06:00

While we are up here freezing virtually to death according to the local news who have now clearly joined the Minneapolis way of reporting the weather, Minneapolis politicians are agonizing over where and how to build the Viking's Stadium.

First off, should it not be called the People's Stadium? Minneapolis and eventually ALL the rest of the state's taxpayers will be forced by default to chip in for this wildly important property, so it should be named after the people who are paying for it. The Taxpayer Taj Mahal, maybe.

Then, all 90% of all the proceeds from ticket sales and other income should be used to pay the stadium off or at least to finance it.

It should then be open to every single Rotary, Kiwanis, Toastmasters, and other benevolent organization who actually raise money for the benefits of social causes through their own volunteerism and sweat to hold meetings, pot lucks, raffles and feeds. When the Curmudgeon was a wee curmudgeon, he personally washed 250 gazillion plates and sliverware for lots of Kiwanis pancake feeds. It was worth it though. All the breakfast sausages you could eat for pay. Those were fun events in which hundreds of Ely people would come to the basement of the Ely Community center and eat endless pancakes for $3.00 and it used to be 25 below outside during the event. Everybody made it to the community center and back home alive on a cold Saturday morning. Thank heavens!

They couldn't do that today. There would have to be a "safety alert" and the word "harsh" over our region of NE Minnesota during local TV weather reports so we'd all stay home and look out the window in awe and fear as opposed to just putting on long johns. The pancake feed would have 3 customers show up and they wouldn't eat any pancakes because they'd be so busy talking about how "harsh" it is outside. There would be TV crews outside the community center front (and side) doors interviewing those three pancake participants. Somebody from out of town would write a book about it and it would be an instant bestseller in Minneapolis. "Kiwanis KO'ed by Cold - Remembering the Pancake Feed of Doom in Ely, MN"

So, for these reasons, if we are spending money on an all-important stadium that nobody seems to want in Minneapolis (How many different areas have been reviewed - Eagan, Shakopee, Arden Hills, and more?), it needs to be named the People's Stadium and the Vikings will have to apply for a performance permit just like everybody else and ticket sales will have to pay for the building. They would be the primary users and this is all the state can talk about AGAIN!

Remember last summer when the state of MN was shut down by the Governor Googly Eyes because he wanted to raise taxes and the Republicans wanted to not raise taxes for the budget? For 6 months prior to that budget deadline, all they could talk about in the state legislature was gay marriage and the Viking Stadium. Then when the deadline arrived and the budget was unsettled, the idiot Dayton shut it all down in retaliation losing the state a billion dollars in revenues during hard economic times. He did this without regard to the thousands of people who make their livings in the summer by really disrupting tourism, damaging fishing license sales and sending MN state park campers over to fill Wisconsin campgrounds. People lost their jobs because of his trust-fund baby attitude. If you wonder why Minnesota is #7 out of the top ten highest taxes, this would be a major reason. Idiots are in charge.

When the state elections come up, do not vote for ANY incumbents. It's time term limits were put in place. All of these politicians are derelict in their duties as far as the Curmudgeon is concerned.

CC

So it's cold - It's really not that cold, however

2012-01-19T23:04:00.008-06:00

The Curmudgeon marvels at the global warming silliness that dominates the news until it gets cold. And, it really doesn't have to get that cold to get all of the media panicking about the "harsh cold" of the region. Right now during the typing of this post, it's a not-so-big-deal 15 degrees F below zero. We've had a few other cold nights and last night hit 25 below.

The local news has become dominated by sissies, apparently. Watching the tube, you would think that we were down to our last dining room chair and the windows have been broken out by Sasquatch allowing the deadly cold air to swoop inside.

Geez, it was only a couple of years ago when it bottomed out at 43 below during one January night. The Curmudgeon has even been here when our thermometers hit 59 below. That was when Embarass, MN was the coldest place on earth with 60 below. THAT was miserable. We cancelled all of the resort XC ski reservations for that weekend because whenever you have guests from metro area in extreme conditions, if something doesn't fail on it's own, they do something really stupid. Hey, it's 59 below. Let's go for a midnight hike and not tell anybody where we went or when we planned on coming back. Or, let's REALLY stoke the woodstove in our cabin more than could ever be safe. Or, it's midnight and as cold as it's going to get - I think I'll go try to start the car just to see if it is possible - at midnight. That's why we cancelled those reservations back then. All three of these events occurred along with many more. After 20+ years of winter exposure with the Mpls crowd plus observing their inexplicable actions for a lifetime of summers, the Curmudgeon gets a bit cynical, perhaps. If there was something really stupid and risky that occurred in extreme conditions, 95% of the time one or more Minneapolitans were involved. Another 4% was from Colorado, and the remaining 1% was from everywhere else. It operates to this day like clockwork. See somebody obliviously doing something really nonsensical and dangerous; find out where they hail from. Try it sometime.

So today, the Curmudgeon read about how Nome, Alaska was in trouble and how difficult it was getting 1.3 million gallons of fuel to the people there so they can stop burning their furniture to stay warm. But, he could not help but notice how the author colorized the article with the sub-zero temps and with temperatures "dipping to more than 30 below".

For Alaskans and all the miners on the Iron Range and a whole host of people in northern Minnesota, 30 below is not fun and hampers everything for sure. But all kinds of people work and have worked in those temps for weeks on end. Compared to years ago, 30 below is still notably cold and a real pain for operating pumps, hoses, and any outdoor equipment, but it's not even close to the coldest temps Nome has seen in the past. So, what's up with all the editorial drama?

It's just a sign of the times. It gets cold in Alaska! Shock! Does this now mean that the icebergs are not all going to melt this year and the polar bears will be able to hang on for another season? Global warming is killing us by having cold nights in January and lots of snow in some places and less in others. There's such a clear, defined, logical pattern. If global warming wasn't here, it would be cold in January and some regions would have lots of snow and others less snow. SEE?

One thing we know for certain: The news media is comprised of sky-is-falling sissies.

OMG! It just dropped one more degree to 16 below F. Time to get out the hard hat. Here comes the sky!

http://news.yahoo.com/apnewsbreak-fuel-transfer-done-nome-alaska-184815161.html

Winter is Finally Here

2012-01-19T08:31:00.006-06:00

-25 degrees F this morning at 7:30 AM. Sky is clear. The snow is very sharp allowing no glide. The Curmudgeon had to make a morning firewood run to the top of the hill. Got a full sled load of birch and ash and pulled the sled down hill in the cold snow. Zero glide. Usually with a day's load of wood, the sled pulls the Curmudgeon. Definitely more control, today.

Cool part is that even though it's just minutes per day, the days are getting longer. You can actually see at 7:30 AM. Now we just have to keep the septic systems from freezing up with the meager snow cover this season and we'll have it made.

Hopefully, we'll get a little more ice on the lakes as well.

On this past Monday, the Curmudgeon took a fruitless fishing jaunt over to Ojibway. He could not help but notice that there was just 8 inches of ice on that trout lake. Then he noticed that there was some fool, way out by the narrows, where there is always a current and always unpredictable ice. The fool had his SUV parked on the ice - all 8" of it. Same thing on Tofte but there was 10" of ice.

So, what must it be like, knowing that you are not driving on the minimum recommended 12 inches of blue, hard ice and you might bite the big one at any second? Top it all of with fool upon fool parking TWO full sized, double cab trucks next to each other like they were in a Walmart parking lot, on 10 measly inches of ice! When the water was coming out of the holes due to 10,000 lbs. on a thin ice in a small area, did that mean anything?

Unbelieveably, nobody died. Apparently, you only need 6" of ice to support a full-size vehicle. Anything more is overkill. Must be somehow related to the Green Initiative. Do more with less.

Watch one reality show and everybody's an Ice Road Trucker.

CC

Millions of Americans are suffering right now

2012-01-18T22:57:00.002-06:00

Romney, that dirty, rotten, rich guy, put some of his money in the banks of the Cayman Islands.

The liberals are all pointing to this and now starting to scream that "just because one can, doesn't mean one should." Give the Curmudgeon a break.

Romney only pays about 15% in taxes because his income is from his capital gains and investments. He's not pounding nails so that means he's evil because he's a dirty, rotten, rich guy.

So, where does all of this put Ted Kennedy and his clan? Ted kept $500 million in Fiji so he didn't earn an income here in the US. He was a US Senator! Ted registered his sailboat in a neighboring state to avoid paying the high yacht luxury taxes in Massachusetts. Ted lived a really pampered life of veritable royalty, far more so than Romney. That's all you ever heard about was Ted Kennedy starting with Chappaquiddick and his various royal relatives who also got away with murder or at very least, blundering that lead to the death of an innocent person. All during the "Ted" years, you never even heard of Romney, the dirty, rotten, rich guy.

You also never heard about Ted avoiding paying of all sorts of US taxes and all the tax shelters he and the rest of the Kennedy clan employed for years on end. You never hear of how Ted's father manipulated the stock market by short-selling stocks to make his fortune that his trust fund babies in the Kennedy clan grew to love and enjoy. The very same liberals who are now attacking Romney's finances never mention the royal name, Kennedy. (Or Soros for that matter.) Why is being really rich OK if your name is Kennedy or Soros? Why are suspected deceptive financial practices OK if there is a "D" behind your name? How come the only time they ever get in trouble is when they are pushed so hard against the wall, the rest of the "D's" finally step in to hang the offender in an attempt save their own hides?

In other questions, do you seriously believe that the Obama administration will ever issue any type of permit for the Keystone pipeline through the US? If the dirty, rotten, liars in the groups manipulating the BWCA can affect a cell tower from going up outside of the BWCA by telling us that the flight paths of migrating birds will be disrupted, the Curmudgeon is pretty sure that manipulating a lefty president will be pretty easy. Wonder if the unemployed union grunts will be cozying up with Democrats and their enviro-wackjob handlers so easily this go 'round? We do love our Chevy Volts now, don't we? Plus we love eagle-chopping, big white propellers, toxic-when-dead solar panels, and lead acid batteries laying all over plus all the free, borrowed money that comes with them. Don't forget liberal jealousy. They are a truly jealous, envious, negatively impressionable group who seem to prefer "feeling good" above all else. That explains their love for pot and bath salts.

Obama is going to Disneyland tomorrow to promote foreigners coming to the the US to go to Disneyland to help the economy. WTH? Why doesn't he come to Ely and try to get more tourists to come up and stay at the area resorts that haven't been hacked up and dissolved by greedy realtors, big city land pimps and rapists? Maybe he could encourage more people to rough it in the BWCA as opposed to the actual declining numbers we are now seeing as the world moves to Facebook and other time-wasting, digital, farting around.

Obama and his messed up priorities. Is he dressing up in a Pluto suit? Next he's signing on to be a greeter at Walmart.

CC

Cell Phone Opponent from Minneapolis at Red Rock - the irony of it all!

2012-01-18T14:31:00.001-06:00

The Curmudgeon just met a yet another person with a real problem out in the woods. Over the years we've had dozens upon dozens upon dozens of people wandering into Red Rock and Northwind Lodge for the "business" that is here all the time, rain or shine, to help them with their problems. Most of them are anti-business and anti for-profit types until they are in a bind from car accidents to frozen extremities to trees down in need of a chainsaw. Then, it's simply "go to Northwind Lodge" and find help from people we've never ever taken the time to meet before we actually needed their help. At that point, it's OK that an evil business is right near the road. This has been going on since the Curmudgeon was a wee Curmudgeon.

Of course, this guy was staying at his remote cabin with his vehicle parked in the Tofte gravel pit. Well, the car was a Minneapolis car an not trained for cold weather. Temps today hit 12 degrees F, and obviously it was too much for that Minneapolis-mobile to get started even though that's not really that cold.   City cars...what can you expect?

Well, after doing what ALL city folk in the woods do which is grind down their battery to nothing just because they can, he couldn't start his car.   He tried his cell phone and found out that it could not get any reception. What to do, what to do? Well, go right to Red Rock for help of course.   Never ever been to Red Rock before and don't know anything about it, he suddenly has a need to visit. And, assuming correctly, when one has a problem, the people at Red Rock and Northwind Lodge will help you. This is the Twin Cities mantra.   We don't mind, but it's always fun to note how they know us when they are in trouble.

So, after hearing his story that his car won't start and he doesn't know what to do, the Curmudgeon makes a few phone calls. The stranger noted that his cell phone gets no reception while standing around waiting for a call back from the starting service in Ely, 15 miles away on Red Rock's corded phone.

The Curmudgeon was not really putting two and two together with past letters to the editor by a certain individual who said if the 450 foot tower went up, he would have to sell his cabin and move from particualr lake in God's country. Note that his cabin isn't anywhere near the tower, and he couldn't see the tower if he stood on a 100 foot tall ladder from the swamp he's living in.

The Curmudgeon, on a continual quest to educate Twin Cities individuals who know better than we do ALL the time, gently stated that had we not been here, he'd have been screwed since his cell phone was worthless. He said he would have had to walk. The Curmudgeon said that he'd be lucky to get picked up if a car would even stop, given that many people now traveling the road are poling the hitchhikers. If you break down and are a supporter the Fiends of the Boundary Waters in their anti-everything endeavors, it's "have a nice walk".

The Curmudgeon, being completely oblivious to this man's position on the ATT tower and the irony of this whole event, mentioned that we locals are getting pretty sick and tired of the constant Twin Cities imposition for the sake of their own personal playground while we live here and can't have the same wireless services that everybody else has elsewhere in the world.

The stranger noted that when he had Verizon Wireless, he could freely use his cell phone at his remote cabin with a little additional antenna that he stuck on a metal plate. He said it worked great and he could call anytime, but since switching to ATT, he is unable to get any reception. After we figured out who he was, we noted after his visit here today that he declared in his letter to the editor that he doesn't use a cell phones when up in Ely at his cabin. Wow - what a bald-faced lie that was! He said that he was considering switching back to Verizon to improve his reception at the cabin, so we know for a fact that he does use his cell phone up here frequently.

And get this: the ATT 199 foot tower is up on the Fernberg just the way the Fiends of the Boundary Waters wanted in their phony lawsuit (and this guy wrote about in his editorial). With the 199' tower in place, he gets NO reception from the Tofte gravel pit or his cabin!   That worked out great!

So here we have yet another Fiends of the Boundary Waters supporter who:

uses cell phones regularly back home in the Twin Cities and while in Ely in the wilderness.
lies about his using his cell phone to make a point about his love of wilderness.
even after he sees how a working cell phone might have benefited him, he still opposes the tower.
is considering switching wireless companies to improve his reception from his wilderness cabin.
has boldly written that he does not use wireless services when up at Ely and would sell out and move from Ely if ATT gets their tall tower while using ATT services today.
doesn't know how to start a car in cold weather. No shock there.
uses the resources of friendly locals to help him out because he is unprepared. No shock there, either.

The hypocrisy and the irony of typical Twin Cities "environmental-cause" liars is astounding to say the least. They will say and twist anything they need to do for their personal cause. If they agree with it, then it goes. If they don't agree with it, then they sue.

It's a wilderness of their convenience until they have a real problem. Whatta bunch of butt-faces.

CC

LOL - Please Give us out Drone Back - Pretty Please?

2012-01-18T09:05:00.002-06:00

Here's a symbol of our president's ability to molly-coddle the Iranians and the Muslim world. They catch our drone which remains inexplicable as to why the operators of said drone didn't not blow it to Kingdom Come when they lost track of it. Then, Obama - fierce warrior of America - "asks" the people we were spying on to give the drone back to us. It's ridiculously laughable that Obama believed he actually pacified the muslim beast by just his presence and impressive sounding, teleprompter-driven, voice early on in his presidency. After his apology-tour, muslims everywhere should be melt at the mere utterance of "America". What went wrong?

Now, to show the "leader" of the Great Satan that they can do whatever they want, they are making toy souvenirs of the US spy drone and selling them for key chains to Iranians everywhere. They are sending one to President Obama - for free- as well. You know you've arrived when a barbaric country of head-chopping, stoning, Sharia law savages mock you openly even after your navy and coastguard saved two ships in the Strait of Hormuz belonging to the savages.

http://news.yahoo.com/iran-mocks-us-toy-drone-174851478--abc-news.html

Just remember the hostage crisis under the satchel-ass Jimmy Carter. Liberals don't understand humility, but being humiliated by the effects of Democrat/liberal weakness when surrounded by muslim savages in the world doesn't sit well with the Curmudgeon. If Reagan hadn't won the election, those hostages would have died there in goat land. Carter would have made excuses and moved on with the presidential Chevy Impala and his empty "show" suitcases for more photo-ops. So powerful and moving - he was a man of the people!

CC

Striker Ice Suit Review by a New User

2012-01-18T08:29:00.000-06:00

Email:

Thank you for the review you posted about this suit. I finally got to use this suit in Mobridge, SD for the ice tournament this past week. I never got cold, actually had to take clothes off. Your review is right on about this suit!

I tested this suit by wearing shorts and a white jockey t shirt underneath. I had left my wallet in my ice hut about 3 mi away from where we were staying so I jumped on my 4 wheeler to go get it. Drove 45 mph in 10 deg weather to my hut and back to the house with shorts & t-shirt underneath the Striker Ice suit. I never felt any wind or cold the entire time. It is very comfortable to wear and your sizing chart is right on as well.

Thank you for the great ice suit

Scott W.

Response:

Wow!
That was an intense, albeit, a little crazy, test! I've never dressed in beach wear to go ice fishing myself. Glad you didn't go "commando".

I wish we could claim credit for designing this suit, but we owe that to Shawn Knodt from Striker Brands. It's one heckuva suit!

Thanks for the review!

Joe
Red Rock

Well, now we know why he hasn't ever done anything real

2012-01-17T23:27:00.007-06:00

Here's what Obama has been doing with your borrowed tax dollars for the past 3 years:

Solyndra - $543 Million Tax Dollars and they filed bankruptcy
Nevada GeoThermal - $100 million Tax Dollars - going buh-bye
Sun Power - $1.2 billion in US Energy Dept. Subsidy and then it was sold to a French company

Seven more "Green" companies received US Tax dollars and are going down the tubes.

The Obama Administration should simply not be involved in trying to start any business. Anybody with a brain can point to all the successful government programs that turned into businesses using free tax dollars. Not much to show. All the green initiatives are proving to be an absolute Obama pipe dream used to placate liberal simpletons. Yeah, he really deserves a second term.

Government-run GMC has produced the heavily-tax-dollar-subsidized electric car, the Volt, which sold a whopping 125 units this past July. Apparently, that 40 mile range for the glorified golf cart is not what the buying public really wants. Have those in charge ever heard of a market study? The government studies everything else ad nauseum but they can't study what the car market wants? That is exactly how the Soviet Union operated. Make something, anything, out of what's available, even if nobody wants it. That way everybody stays employed for a while at least.

Government marketers really should stick to national defense and infrastructure as opposed to social engineering for Obama. Obama's bureaucrats have zero skills as marketers. If they were in the real capitalist world, they would all be fired. In the a communistic-trending government, they get promoted.

On a more local scale, lets rattle off a couple of really failed government operations in the Ely area.

Giants Ridge Ski Area - even after they spent zillions of mining tax dollars on skiing and golf, it has amounted to not very much in the way of jobs and with no profit. It doesn't sustain itself so they just throw money at it. Meanwhile, it takes business away from private ski operators and when the tax dollars dry up, nobody will have any private alternative established because they can't now compete with endless, effortless money, and nobody will have a job. Wow - Giant's Ridge sure is helping improve the Iron Range.

Ely, MN's ski jump - at over a cost of $700,000 of mining tax dollars. It was a 60 meter jump with a finicky frost rail system from Finland that always had some issue and expensive malfunction. The jump was supposed to be a training platform for ski jumpers -year round with the refrigerated track. World-class jumpers were supposed to come from around the globe. Oooops! After all that money and effort, they realized that Olympic jumps were actually 90 meters long and to train on a 60 meter was an exercise in futility. This turned out to be a personal toy for a small group of enthusiast's kids and their buddies. After the kids went to college and moved away, it served as a rusted hulk and an unfortunate suicide platform. Ely finally sold the iron liability for a buck. $700,000+ in tax dollars, urinated away.

Duluth, MN's Aquarium - Today, the Duluth city council just approved paying the past due utilities bill for the aquarium of $130,000!!!!! Before this project started, the studies said that it would fail due to not enough people coming in to buy a ticket. Across the US, with the exception of one aquarium at the time of that study, all US aquariums in major cities around the US were in dire straights and not self-sustaining. The report advised that they NOT continue with the Duluth Aquarium project. So, what did the Duluth Aquarium Committee do? They discarded the report that tax dollars paid for and went ahead with the project. The Curmudgeon was amazed. Clearly flaming, pipe-dreaming liberals were in charge. That's all we have on the Iron Range. They are all nuts. Low and behold, the Duluth Aquarium is in trouble right now. They are going to have to have a bake sale to solve their financial woes. Maybe baked trout?

Ely Independent School District #696 - $405,000 is missing from the books due to accounting and management errors. They are in the hole for that amount. The superintendent - isn't that the overall managing position that gets paid like $180,000 a year in Ely - doesn't know how that big faux paux could have happened. Well, guess what? For that past 30 years, the Curmudgeon remembers the Ely School District having accounting errors of sizable amounts occurring. There was and is always a lot of finger pointing going on and nobody EVER gets fired. We wonder what is really going on in the government run mess called the Ely Public Schools? Quick, raise the levee and throw some more money at the schools. It'll produce more mediocre members of society.

There are more, but these obvious examples of government forcing their inept management skills really stick out in the Curmudgeon's mind.

It's always better when more government steps in and helps.

CC

Liberals and Pot

2012-01-17T09:09:00.002-06:00

Canada's Liberals party has now backed the legalization of marijuana in small amounts and they plan to tax it (of course) to make money on the gateway drug which will ultimately end up causing them greater drug problems. Yeah, like the Curmudgeon has never seen or heard of a Canadian citizen operating "under the radar" before. They will all proudly be coming forth, hoping and yearning to pay the extra tax on pot.

So, now we have pot to the south of us, pot to the north of us and and a whole bunch of worthless slacker pot-heads in the middle. Hollywood is already making fun of the "medicinal abuses" of pot by people with no medical problems scoring a 'scrip to buy it legally. Let's just all be stoned. Stop taking baths, stop paying bills. Have LOTS of really cool ideas but never advance on any of them. Make suggestions to others about what would "really be cool!" Steal sailboats and anything we can fence just to score some ganja.

Got the dreads goin'. Got the stinky wool cap. Got the Occupy protest sign ready. Way cool, dude!

CC

Trout Fishing on Tofte

2012-01-16T13:37:00.001-06:00

It's definitely a hot and cold lake, Tofte.

Yesterday, the Curmudgeon caught 4 rainbows and a splake, plus missed several as they came in and parried with his lures. The Cumudgeon's dad caught one rainbow as well and we both witnessed a very large rainbow swoop in and take a swipe at both of us before he zoomed out. The fish we caught were in the 14-15 inch range. The big one was heftier than an 18" fish. So, with all that activity, we headed out today hoping for a re-do, but the trout were having none of it. Four hours of staring down the hole in two different locations didn't even produce a look by any trout. It was like we caught the last one yesterday, but we know that was not true since we watched many more than we caught swim by.

So, scratching our heads, we wondered where DO they all go and do they talk to each other about a boycott of some sort? Is there a union rep telling them all not to show up to work today? Who knows. And that's why it's called fishing and not catching.

One thing the Curmudgeon does know is that he is capable of knocking down and packing up the pop-up shelter and all the gear in about five minutes flat. Using a Clam Basecamp Thermal, we've noted that in most cases, it is definitely warmer than a non-thermal. The 6 X 6 size, when collapsed, fits perfectly in a 60" Otter cargo sled along with all the other junk without putting it in the carry bag. And, using Valhalla Ice Locks with bungee cords is DEFINITELY the way to go for speed in setup and knockdown. You just drill a dry hole and attach the bungee cord to the anchor that slides into the hole. It really locks in if you just push on the tines a little while pulling up. The teeth saw right into the ice walls. Hook on the bungee and if it's too long, tie a quick trucker's knot and snug that pop-up down. We experienced some major wind and nothing the anchors held tight. When you go to knock it down they just slip out of the holes and you toss them into the cargo sled. Use the same bungees to criss-cross over the top of the gear and un-bagged tent an off you go. Very slick. Given how fast we can set up and take down, there is not a lot of point in owning a pull behind anymore. You get more floor space with a pop-up ice fishing shelter, it is very light weight and with a coupl of HT hangers, you hang up your coat and have ample room. Need to stand up to stretch? Stand up. Plenty of ceiling height as well. This season, the Curmudgeon has already about 30 hours logged in a pop-up. They are fast, convenient and inexpensive - a regular 6 X 6 tow man fits nicely in all sorts of vehicles. Set up time is about 45 seconds. Anchor time with Valhalla Ice Locks is about 1 minute.

We have it down to a science. Now, just have to get the trout back on board. Next week. We're giving the trout a rest and chasing some bluegills this afternoon. We'll see what happens.

CC

Boy, you can see how we're going down the tubes

2012-01-14T14:23:00.005-06:00

Remember Bosom Buddies? It was a show that launched Tom Hanks and Peter Scolari into their acting careers. It was funny but only watched by the Curmudgeon when nothing else was on. Two guys, dressed as girls to find employment and be able to rent an apartment or something like that. Who cares?

Fast forward to 2012 an ABC comes out with "Work It" which looks to be a knock off of Bosom Buddies. Two guys getting dressed as big, ugly chicks to get jobs in this tough economy.

ABC pulled the show due to bad ratings which is understandable. The Curmudgeon doesn't really care to watch cross-dressers. Who enjoys looking at a big, ugly woman who is a guy in a wig and grandma clothes - or any women's clothes for that part? Plus, it's been done already, so it is no surprise that the show didn't make it.

But that's not the story. The real story is that GLAAD (you can look it up) was opposed to the show because laughing at cross-dressers on TV might encourage us to laugh at cross-dressers in real life. The Curmdugeon doesn't really laugh at cross-dressers of 2012. He usually exits the building. Who wants to look at that? The Curmudgeon never got the whole Ru Paul thing either. Who would pay to look at that? It's not a shock however. This kind of weird crap has been going on since Caligula Caesar. It's not like it's new. The only difference now is that insidious and incremental forces are badgering us to participate. The Curmudgeon does not want to participate at all. Being a "progressive" just isn't his cup of tea.

There are way too many confusing things in this politically correct world that are forced upon us by various whining groups and simpleton politicians. Fortunately, these fairy groups are unable to force the Curmudgeon to stay in the room and accommodate. They also can't force him to watch any rainbow parades or overly colorful men. There is no doubt that the time is coming when leaving a room will be considered a crime, but that is not the case right now.

http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/entertainment/2012/01/14/abc-cancels-controversial-comedy-work-it/?test=latestnews

CC

Remember when it was the DFL?

2012-01-14T11:22:00.003-06:00

Remember when Democrats came from the Democrat Farmer-Labor party? Remember when farmers and laborers used to work hard for a living? (Go onto Google and type in "define DFL" and see what you get nowadays. Everything we've learned in highschool is becoming redefined into worthless junk in the world of the internet.)

Democrats come from the DW party now. Democrat Whiners.

It is truly astonishing what kind of effect having the so-called leader Obama in office is causing. It's sad that so many Americans are so stupid, lazy, greedy and jealous that they now look down on people who work hard and do well. If you can't quickly manipulate something to make a killing or a steal, then it's no longer worth doing. We're going to hell in a handbasket and Obama is leading the way.

The Curmudgeon has little use for the "trust-fund" babies you'll find all over Colorado, California and Minneapolis. These are the people who've gained all their wealth through inheritance and essentially retired at the age of 25 only to screw around on the monthly check. They are consumers only and while their consumption does aid the economy, sometimes their attitude can be abrasive and abusive because they are the "haves" in the purest form. Nothing means anything to them. As a result, they aren't wired quite right. While their numbers may be growing somewhat, they don't make up all of the wealthy that Obama and the current crop of Democrats have come to define for the poor to garner more votes for the DW.

Obama fails time and again to point out that there are many, wealthy, highly motivated contributors to society. He only talks kindly of them when he needs a political contribution, apparently. Not only do they consume, but they continue to produce despite all that this administration is trying to do to wipe them out. The Curmudgeon knows many well-heeled people who continue to work every single day even though they have enough money to go on permanent vacation forever. They are not greedy as the Occupy fools would declare. They are producers and believe in work and all of it's benefits beyond the financial. Many "have-nots" appear to see only the end result of hard, well-planned, work. Instead of encouraging the have-nots to contribute, the years of political correctness, affirmative action, and Jeremiah Wright, have produced a mush pants with attitude instead of a leader of this nation. Now, in a dereliction of leadership, Obama and the Democrats want us to blame the contributors.

Unfortunately, with the constant bellowing by Obama and his ilk, the "protestant work-ethic" that guided this country for so many years is seeing the major holes of decline. You can see it's complete and utter disappearance in the Occupy protesters who are completely supported by Obama. The Curmudgeon also knows quite a few folks living below the poverty line who are completely hooked on the government dole. Many of them think nothing of getting all that paperwork filled out and filing for food stamps, heating assistance, gas money, and whatever they can get. It becomes a bi-annual regimen. They will finally fall into a decent job and then quit it after 3 months at the drop of a hat for some weak reason - "someone made them uncomfortable" because they were yelled at. They get tattoos on a whim (for a hundred bucks!) and live at the Dairy Queen and Subway. They drive out of town regularly to go bumming around and they put in immense hours fishing great distances from home. They live from paycheck to paycheck. They save no money and pay no medical bills although they freely visit the clinic and emergency room on a regular basis. They use recreational drugs and drink a lot. Their yards look really bad. Should that couch be on the lawn? "Having a good time" is what it is all about. This is the product of old hippies and socialists in government positions.

And, the lazy whiners keep on drinking the kool-aid by supporting Obama. Instead of telling them to get their butts in gear, the government pays out longer unemployment and demands more money "from the rich" for social programs. This makes it even easier to do nothing for a while longer. On the other hand, the motivated individuals survive by struggling and re-inventing themselves and they now become the "haves" that Obama is constantly talking about. They are not rich, they just work and do whatever it takes to be self-sufficient and self-reliant. Fortunately, these people still do exist, but their numbers are falling off. Since 2009, the numbers of people who believe the "haves and have-nots" crap that Obama keeps pounding away with, is growing.

Yes, the Curmudgeon will be the first to admit that the economy is tough because it is this very business that feels the effects immediately. So, no smoke is being blown here. But, despite the extreme difficulty we are experiencing, we have reinvented ourselves countless times. The Curmudgeon would love to be a trust-fund baby. He figures that will happen when he hits about 80 years of age and then he'll get hit by a bus the very next day. He sure as heck isn't buying in to the "just give up and let the government help" nonsense as are so many of the "have-nots" who follow Obama and the rest of the DW.

http://news.yahoo.com/americas-rich-vs-americas-poor-study-numbers-004000455.html

CC

So Where is the Occupy Obama Protest

2012-01-12T21:47:00.001-06:00

The President is said to have $750,000,000 in his campaign bank account.

That makes him a pretty rich machine of sorts. Out of all the starving, unemployed, union Democrats who support him, how did they come up with that much cash? Why did they come up with that much cash? What message does it send to all those little guys who are in financial trouble and yet they support the president, his lavish travel on the American tax dime and his massive amount of cash to be spent on campaign staff, TV commercials, and the like so he can win another four years? Obama literally WASTED $500,000,000 US tax dollars on his green pipe dream, Solyndra which after the scammers got the money, they promptly went bankrupt. (Everybody was embarrassed in the BHO administration.) So how many suppliers went belly-up and how many employees lost their jobs after Solyndra pocketed the US tax dollars and avoided paying their debts? Fresh starts are always nice.

Today, they announced that Solyndra employees would be paid bonuses ranging from $10,000 to $100,000+ for being the charges of a failed, Obama, green initiative. How many US tax dollars were funneled back to the Obama campaign coffers from the leadership of Solyndra? They literally absconded with the cash.

From where is he getting all this money? It sure as HELL can't be because he's doing a good job. Not sure if you've noticed, but the economy is NOT getting better. In fact, he's dismantling the military and making a lot of changes that we'll all feel adversely after he's long gone from office. Those Occupy groups are protesting the big corporations who supposedly " destroy" their lives apparently by not giving them free money so they can be stinky bums. Don't you find it ironic that none of them are protesting Obama, Solyndra, and other dark deals that this administration is most likely involved with?

Like hiding in plain sight, something is not adding up with all the money pouring in to BHO coffers. This is all because he's a good speaker? Well, maybe with a teleprompter.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/12/obama-fundraising-could-fuel-small-economy/

CC

Jobless Claims from 2 Weeks Ago

2012-01-12T11:01:00.001-06:00

Wasn't it two weeks or so ago that the Obama administration was touting how they reduced jobless claims, right after the holiday season. Wow, how quickly things can change. Read Article Here

Wanna read something astonishing? If you are a liberal and especially, an intellectual-progressive liberal, you will not be able to understand this article about mismanagement in the Ely Public School system. It's amazing, but rest assured that all of these government workers will be keeping their good-paying jobs. Not one will be told to leave. All will keep their publicly paid-for pensions. This mismanagement is occurring in Ely, MN. Just think what goes on in big school systems. This is what the Department of Education under Obama supports: Ely School System Management

If you ran your own business like this, you would be out of business and probably in jail in about a year. Don't forget that.

CC

Minnesota - #7 on the top ten worst states to retire

2012-01-12T09:23:00.000-06:00

It sure is great being in the Top 10 Worst List!

Fourth HIGHEST income tax in the nation. Ironically, the Curmudgeon knows some fairly liberal retirees who've recently moved to Ely and after spending 3-5 years here have noted that Minnesota takes most of their disposable income and they can no longer afford to go on that yearly vacation or do much of anything other than live day to day on their fixed income. Now, that they are stuck here, they can go to Virginia, MN and spend some time at Target like so many people here do. A day-vacay at Target makes a great vacation.

Heck, Minnesota - Ely - is raising it's property tax valuations 27% for this year to make ends meet, plus Minnesota got rid of the Homestead Tax Credit. Now, whether you live there or not, instead of paying $6,000 per year in taxes, you can now pay $8,000. How are those cheap homes turning out now? St. Louis county is doing the same. So how are those fancy, 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom shacks that are for sale on Burntside doing, now? That Minneapolitan investment property which is just sitting and not even being looked at - well, it's working out so great now, you know? The bank won't let you sell for less the bloated price you paid for it because they aren't going to take a hit. The building is under constant assault by the elements requiring value-saving maintenance which is not cheap. And, your property taxes are now jumping skyward. Can you say "negative returns"? Will you have to sell your Minneapolis home to cover all the upcoming expenses for your great development idea? Will you be able to get rich selling "wilderness" now?

(Yes, the Curmudgeon is poking their eye with a stick. They deserve it. They came up here to get rich quick by completely raping the land and now it's sucking them dry.)

Well played, Sir. Come to Minnesota and our government will stick it to you in more ways than one. The liberals of the Twin Cities all support this, too. Who cars if you shoot your foot off? You still have one more foot. Move to Minnesota -We'll make you poorer than when you arrived!

No. 7: Minnesota. When you look at the various sources of income for the average American age 65 and older, you’ll note at least one interesting fact: Earned income represents nearly 28% of total income for the average American age 65 and older. By contrast, Social Security represents nearly 37% of total income. In other words, two thirds of total income comes from two sources — work and Social Security. That means, where you live while you work after age 65 could make a big difference in your take-home pay. For his study, Brady created a hypothetical couple that had $70,000 in income from Social Security, earnings, pensions and retirement savings. The 10 states with the highest taxes on earned income earned up to one negative point. Minnesota hits residents with the fourth-highest income tax in the country.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/10-worst-states-retirees-2012-050106199.html

Warren Buffet - Showboating Rich Guy

2012-01-12T08:48:00.004-06:00

Warren Buffet has presented a challenge to the Republicans to show the world how great he thinks he is. While the Curmudgeon does not care if the Republicans want to kick in some of their own money to be spent on a future senior citizen's swimming pool in Malibu, or more failed projects buildings in Chicago, he cannot understand why Mr. Benevolence doesn't simply kick in some more cash to the US government. There's a line right on your tax form that allows you to do that.

It's very easy to understand that the acts of subsidizing more Chevy Volt development, more Solyndra's and more Acorn protest pot lucks may not be the top priority for states who've promised FAR too much money to their government workers for retirement benefits. Warren Buffet's age must be affecting his ability to reason that we -the little guys- have a hard time coughing up more cash so that government workers get nice fat retirements at an early enough age that they can collect a pension AND work another job for 15 to 20 years. Challenging Congressional Republicans makes a point to liberals who believe money grows on trees, but is it helpful?

Instead of cutting and planning for a downsized, more manageable future, Warren Buffet is promoting more Democratic insanity by indirectly cowtowing to teacher's unions and federal spending projects which have nothing to do with our country's security or the betterment of its future. More pay for failing schools, lazy government workers backed by a solid contract, and government acceptance of poor/nonexistent parenting is not the answer. Bigger government that feeds the kids 3 squares a day now is not the answer. Where are the damn parents? Why are they not held accountable the actions and care of their children? Just throw some more money at them. They are running low on crack and we know what happens when the crack runs low.

If the Curmudgeon were in Congress, he sure as heck would NOT want to get on board with contributing to the Obama's lavish vacation spending by calling Warren Buffet's bluff. An extra $4 MILLION was spent on Michelle's extra plane travel because she and the kids did not want to wait for four stinkin' hours to start their vacation so they took off early. The president followed in Air Force One later that very same afternoon! Why are we paying for Barry and Michelle to zoom around the world? He plays golf a lot, he flies all over and she does, too. Sure, it's a tough job, but the times are tough, too. Despite the usual, fogged, liberal thinking , the Obamas are NOT royalty. If every Republican gave some money and Warren matched it, would it cover the spending habits of just our First Lady? Start adding up what she charges to the USA just for vacation travel.

So, put a sock in your showboating mouth, Mr. Buffet. You are further hurting the debt problem by encouraging ridiculously dumb liberals to believe that spending money wastefully is more and more acceptable. It is not. Maybe if you are a really well-heeled guy it is. For the rest of us, or at very least, the Curmugeon, that is not the case.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/buffett-gop-pay-211046623.html

CC

18 feet of snow on Alaska - Where are all those Green Initiatives?

2012-01-11T22:56:00.000-06:00

So, how come a Russian tanker and US Coast Guard ice breaker are for the first time ever, delivering one million gallons of gasoline to Nome, Alaska? How come the USCG ice breaker is running on diesel fuel and not sunshine?

Instead of burning fossil fuels, couldn't they have just put up some windmills in Nome? How 'bout those solar panels? Funny, you don't hear a peep out of the "green" promoters and environmentalists. Hmmmmm...

The Curmudgeon remembers Obama emphatically stating that jobs would be coming out the the green initiatives the government forced upon us. Apparently, they did. Remember Solyndra? Lots of great payoffs there. Surely, somebody had to benefit from the work created in the bankruptcy filings. Oh, that's who got the jobs...the lawyers. Hmmm, again. Obama's an attorney and so is Michelle, ma' belle.

Meanwhile, the TV commercials about the new hybrid Buick which sells for $30,000 + are intriguing. That car is going to sell like crazy! 36 MPG and your tax dollars most likely funded it along with the Chevy Volt. They sold 125 Volts this past July! Wow! That's a bunch! Someday, research how much money you the taxpayer contributed for each Volt made. You are subsidizing every one who buys that exciting techno car that causes ZERO pollution - in your driveway. It is technically a coal-powered car but we won't talk about that. Coal is bad.

Meanwhile, the much cheaper, zippier, non-subsidized Ford Focus gets 40 MPG.

So, which makes more sense? A car that burns less gas to go farther thereby polluting less, OR a car that, with a whole bunch of complicated junk attached, gets poor mileage for each gallon of gas burned? Does it make sense to add a bunch of pollution fighting mechanisms so the car gets only 30 miles per gallon instead of less pollution control crap so the car gets 50 miles per gallon? For the same distance traveled, the anti-pollution car ends up burning more fossil fuels. Wouldn't we eliminate more pollution by burning less fossil fuels to travel the same distance? It seems that burning less fuel would lessen our dependence on fossil fuels as well as cost us all less money. Burning less to go farther seems to save money and reduce pollution as well. So this whole hybrid-silliness seems to be a complete exercise in ridiculousness.

Apparently the big corporations who mine the open pits for zinc, plus the big corporations who manufacture those batteries in those "pollution-reducing" silly-cars are making, or see the opportunity to make, a lot of money. (Where's the Occupy gang when you need them?) Big, evil corporations are sure as heck not building ANY cars just because they "believe" in mankind and the environment. If, after a market test run, there is no profit in the goofy-mobiles, you will see the silly-cars lying dead on the roadside. The industry simply isn't going to continue to pursue the unsellable car market forever. There has to be a return on the investment, unless, of course, Obama writes them another check and some more marching orders. He's a true marketing guru.

Before you know it, we'll be using solar-powered calculators.

CC

Beautiful Areas in the BWCA - Backpacking -Camping Skills, don't mean much overall

2012-01-11T13:58:00.006-06:00

Q. To whom it may concern,

I am starting to plan a trip with a few of my buddies for August 25 - September 3. I have been looking at a lot of Outfitters websites and yours stood out to me. I like your no non sense and straight forward approach to you business. I am interested in using your services for our trip. We are all experienced back country hikers and campers so we are not looking for a trip that every jerk with a boat can go on. Our top priorities for this trip are solitude and scenery. We are not afraid to work a little harder in order for those two things to happen. We will have all of our own gear, food and I will get the permits as soon as we have our entry point nailed down. All we will need is canoes and since you rent the best canoes in the world then I think I found the right place. Can you help me plan a 7 day trip or just give me some ideas about what routes we should take in order to avoid load obnoxious people and see the best that the Northern Minnesota has to offer?

A. Hi-
Well, "beautiful" describes every single entry point so that separates nothing. They are all beautiful or at least lead to somewhere beautiful.

Backpacking and camping skills distinguish very little for a canoe trip since portaging is absolutely nothing at all like backpacking. Backpackers always have backpacks that don't fit in the canoe and cause plenty of problems in rough water. They are made to be carried on one's back, not hauled around in a canoe.   By the time backpacks are clipped into place on one's back, a regular duluth-style pack will be carried across the portage with the bearer sitting on a log waiting for the backpacker to come along. You also cannot portage a canoe while wearing a backpack. I only point this out because we frequently hear the "experienced backpacker/campers" description and while similar in their outdoor nature, they are not really related due to the canoeing skills involved.

Paddling and handling canoe skills are 90% of what can make or break a trip and usually the only part that will kill you barring accidents with axes, knives, falls and chest pains. Crossing portages efficiently is the other 10% of a canoe trip in summer months.

For a trip entry point, enter at Snowbank Lake (27). There are a few different routes options in that region that you can take for a 7 day trip.

Joe
Red Rock

Response:  Thanks for the rapid response Joe. I DO know that hiking and canoeing are completely separate things and take different skill sets. I was merely stating that we are experience backcountry hikers cause I wanted to rely to you that we are not fat old guys that sit in a cubicle all day and cant handle a challenge. If having the duluth-style pack is really something that is needed than I assume that we can and will rent that from your shop when we get there. Thanks for the heads up on the Snowbank Lake entry point.
There is no doubt in my mind that all the scenery up there is beautiful. I was just hoping to get some local insight into places that might be a little less traveled and that really stick out in your mind. I would much rather have your opinion about the area because of your extensive knowledge and experience. If one entry point is the only thing that you can tell me then I will just keep researching the area on my own or with another "outfitter." If you can think of anything else please email me at your earliest convenience.

Joe's Response:
Hi-
By the end of summer using your dates, every square inch of the BWCA has been traveled many times over.   Further-out spots see less people, but they see a fair number of people, nonetheless. The close campsites all get hammered with people taking their "wilderness trip" right next to their cars in the parking lots. Two portages in - each over 150 rods or longer - and the numbers drop off somewhat. At the end of August, all the kids have gone back to school. We could do like all the other outfitters and tell you what you want to hear as opposed to the truth, but we usually avoid the "easy way" of renting canoes.    They are not in the canoe renting business for your health regardless of how flowery their websites read.     Snowbank will serve your needs very well. Buy a map and see the options. It's pretty much just "connecting the dots".

Joe
Red Rock

Curmudgeon's Notes: This is a "classic" canoe trip inquiry like the types the Curmudgeon has been fielding for over 30 years. He used to send a long, descriptive, detailed response to each one of these with several route options included. Over the years, he has learned that they are "mining" for free trip routing and recommendations dangling the "we're gonna rent from you" carrot. Once they get the free info they want, they may or may not actually rent canoes. If this guy was serious about renting canoes from Red Rock, he wouldn't get so upset with the Curmudgeon's response. Usually, they get trip info they need and then miraculously find a canoe that they can borrow that is not a Souris River Quetico 17, but, being FREE, is "almost as good". If he's serious about renting from Red Rock, he'll be back. The Curmudgeon is not holding his outfitter's breath. The veiled threat of going to another "outfitter" for "better, more complete" info is so old, it's laughable.

Yoga - There's Gym Yoga and Real Yoga - from a non-yoga guy

2012-01-09T12:53:00.003-06:00

For those of you who do yoga every week as you head off to the yoga studio in some metro area, this article may be of interest to you. Mrs. Curmudgeon is a very experienced yoga teacher who in a short amount of time, will be acquiring her 1,000 teacher training certificate. Mrs. Curmudgeon's yoga is founded in the Kripalu-style, not one of the "trendier" yogas out there like Bikram yoga where you stretch in a sauna or the usual yogas you see them doing at a gym. Real yoga should be a challenge but on many more fronts than the actual stretching part.

Annette's particular style of yoga has been formed with inspiration coming from one of her more prominent teachers, Don Stapelton who was one of the big cheeses at the Kripalu Center in Massachusetts. Don and his wife Amba have their own school down in Costa Rica so Annette has to go there to endure the sweltering heat and toilets that can't accept toilet paper. She does this because the style of yoga she has developed is NOT like the ordinary yoga that so many people have come to expect. Her style is developed based on many of the teachings of Don and the foundations of true yoga. Annette follows no fads or trends but instead, principals in guiding her practices in her studio, the Yoga Den.

In traditional gym yoga, the Curmudgeon likens it (loosely) to confession at the Catholic church without the confession part. Traditional yoga is more like the absolution of sins after the confession. After you are through confessing, you are instructed to say (for example) "10 Hail Mary's, three Our Father's, two circles on the rosary, and prayer in general", then you can go. In a gym yoga class, after signing in you are instructed to do 3 sun salutations, 6 downward facing dogs, 3 side plank rights, 3 side plank lefts, 2 flying wazingas, 4 burpees, one head-stand, one shoulder-stand, one child's pose - and rest for precisely three minutes. The assembly line is complete. Pick up your mat and leave the studio. See you on Monday. You have seven classes left on your card to complete your yoga task.

Sure, the moves/poses are from yoga, but gym yoga is not real yoga. If the yoga instructor moves everybody in the class through a set number of stretches regardless of how the class is performing, a few things can happen. Some folks will not be able to perform all the moves and they end up sitting there while the instructor is having an ego trip. The students meanwhile are feeling like they are worthless. Definitely not very yogic and it happens all the time. Those people just get ignored as the "pose train" rumbles through town with usually more and more difficult poses stacked on top of each other. The Curmudgeon actually knows of a case where a yoga "instructor" called out those who were struggling to break their necks with the rest of the class, and told them they were no longer allowed in this class. (!!!) In other words, the "yoga" instructor was exercising her superiority as opposed to helping the individual during the class by allowing them (with dignity) to "sit this one out".

Ego reigns supreme in many yoga studios and with many, so-called, "accomplished" yoga instructors. This is one area where you'll hear the Curmudgeon declare that competition is a bad thing. You can be injured, especially if pressed to go further, faster and stronger. Intimidating others with your yogic prowess is not very yogic. Out-head-standing your competition should really be frowned upon in real yoga because real yoga is more of a train of thought with meditation and using poses to help guide awareness. It's not about doing jumping jacks in the form of poses as so many studios (and their members) mistakenly conclude to be real yoga. From what the Curmudgeon has seen, true yoga is a practice - not a regimen to be conquered and then move on. True yoga is very Taoist in many ways. The Curmudgeon knows of many who will have no clue as to what that means. To be a true Taoist is to not define Taoism. It's really a constant struggle for balance and awareness - kinda like real yoga.

Yoga is really taking off in the US. Unfortunately, a lot of it is gym yoga and accepted as the norm. In the hands of the wrong teacher, one can really get messed up. Take it from one who is not a huge yoga participant, that being the Curmudgeon. If it hurts, or you are not comfortable, a truly skilled yoga instructor will make it very clear that it is both acceptable and encouraged that you stop at your limits. Part of the yogic awareness is to know your limits by paying attention to your body during the poses. The challenge in true yoga is bringing about awareness while breathing. That sounds kinda boring until you actually take Annette's yoga class. It's pretty hard to put into words as defined by the more concrete yoga studios popping up all over the place making a mess out of what should be a complete experience in growth and not just mere exercise.

Mrs. Curmudgeon is a gifted, true yoga teacher, not just somebody with a bunch of training hours and certificates. There is a huge difference.

The Curmudgeon invites your to Read this article at your own pace.

CC

Life is Not Exciting Enough

2012-01-09T10:46:00.000-06:00

For some people, traveling to a third world country at 22 years of age and doing stupid things is just part of their existence. They need to make their mark by taking unnecessary, foolish risks in a crap country because life is not hard enough.

Even though we have witnessed many bungee stupidities going awry in the past 20 years or so, they still continue to flock to try it. The Curmudgeon must have been a curmudgeon back in his days of yout. He had already been guiding people on day fishing trips way out in the boonies for 8 years at the age of 22. He was in charge of making sure they caught fish and all got home safely as very few of them had any experience beyond piloting a desk. After literally keeping everybody alive in pounding whitecaps for years on end, he never felt the need to see if he could survive anything as moronic as bungee jumping in Africa. Actually, travelling to Africa remains incredibly low on his list of things to do before he dies. Bungee jumping is in the negatives.

This young girl participates in paid lunacy and will be revered as a hero in the eyes of many other fools for her ability to survive. Clearly, it was not her time to go and that's a good thing for her. Trouble is, now a whole bunch of others will follow suit. The Curmudgeon doesn't really care, he's just marveling at the whole event.

Seems like these folks could somehow contribute to the world in a more meaningful way. But, hey, look at Richard Branson! He does silly stunts all the time and he employs lots of people. Maybe this girl will become an inspirational speaker and maker of millions.

That's it! The Curmudgeon is going to grab a bunch of 40-inch bungee cords from the camping section at Red Rock, rubberband them all together and start out small - just jumping 48 inches while hanging on. It could eventually mean millions in sales from all the inspirational marketing ideas that come up with the adrenaline rush!

http://news.yahoo.com/australian-survives-terrifying-fall-bungee-snaps-065552713.html

CC

Exactly What is Wrong with the South?

2012-01-08T20:33:00.000-06:00

It's astonishing to the Curmudgeon that the south STILL holds on to the slavery BS! What is wrong with those idiots? The Curmudgeon wants a constitutional amendment that makes illegal the displaying of the confederate flag from 2012 forward. If you insist on putting that damn flag up and being an idiot NOW, you don't get any federal funding for anything, but you still have to pay federal taxes and you get nothing in return.

Whatta bunch of Non-Contributing-Zeros coming out of that region of the supposed United States of America.

Where is the outrage? Sure, some Georgia parents are outraged, but how do these friggin' weirdos keep getting into public office? You won't believe the math question in this article:

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/08/georgia-parents-reportedly-outraged-over-school-math-assignment-that-used/

CC

Republican Debates - Saturday Night

2012-01-07T21:42:00.002-06:00

Nothing the tube tonight but the 413th Republican debate.

Observations from the chesterfield:

When will Ron Paul just go away? If he gets the nomination, the Curmudgeon is going to have to vote for (Egads.) Obama. Ron Paul says great buzzwords and phrases on occasion....but he's NUTS! In 23 years, he brought forth 620 laws for a vote and passed only one successfully. Give it up, Ron.

Yelling at the TV now - Ron Paul is speaking about having tailgate parties with the Iranians to make them like us because yesterday an Iranian sailor was rescued by a US ship in the Persian gulf after their ship was pirated. The sailor hugged the US military guys for saving his life. Ironically, they took the captured pirates and are going to "prosecute" them. They should prosecute them with a machine gun and feed them to the sharks like they used to do to pirates all through history. Sure, it's not a deterent, but those guys won't be causing trouble any more and nobody has to feed them, either.

Boring as they may be, Romney and Santorum are sounding good. Both remaining calm with the irritating, whimsical, interview style of Diane Sawyer [she should stick to fluff pieces] and the cutting-edge "journalism" of George Stephanopoulos. Sorry, but the Curmudgeon couldn't stand "Steffi" ever since he used to organize Clinton's administration all to meet on the Oval Office floor while eating pizza. What were they - sophomores at a dorm party sponsored by their college? Whatta youthful buncha casually-dressed, boobs in charge of the US at that time. Time magazine thought their new, irreverent "style" was "refreshing". Most Occupy Protesters wound have been 10-16 years old during the Clinton years of irreverance. So, now we know who's responsible for shaping those idiots and their lazy, worthless, sense of entitlement.

And, then there's ABC's Josh McWhoCares?

Can't stand Gov.Perry. Don't know what it is that bugs me about him, but he needs to go.

Newt is coming across as intelligent as ever. Too bad he can't hold it together. Whenever he gains ground, his large head inflates a bit more and then he screws up something critical a few days later. It sure would be fun to have him debate Obama. He would shred BHO to pieces.

The Curmudgeon is sick and tired of hearing about any president's ability to create jobs. Sorry, but if anybody believes any president "creates" jobs, they are a fool. The media believes it - all you hear about is Obama's job creation. The president's policies and regulations affect our abilities as businesses to grow. No growth, no jobs. No jobs, no tax base, no long term stability, bye-bye critical infrastructure and national defense. Bye-bye BWCA management. No funds, no green suits running around saving idiots with cell phones and chest pains 20 miles in. Maybe, it will actually become a real wilderness at that point. Don't know what you are doing, you get buried right next to the portage. That's a wilderness. This is a park.

Gov. Huntsman brings some interesting points to the debate. He doesn't have a chance. Huntsman just blabbed something in Chinese to attack Romney. Gaggggg, already.

Debate's over. And so is this post.

Iranians are Willing to Share - Nice

2012-01-07T20:55:00.000-06:00

While searching for someone to partner up with for mineral resources, Iran has put it out there that they would be willing to share their nuke technology with African countries who are "friendly" to them. Ah yes, msulim benevolence shared in yet more insane countries. Instead of machetes, poverty, AIDS, and death, maybe nukes will be in some despot's arsenal in the not-so-distant future.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/01/07/iran-offers-to-share-nuke-technology-with-africa/?test=latestnews

CC

Softer Side of the Whitehouse

2012-01-07T09:08:00.001-06:00

She is seen publicly as the friendly and popular face of the softer side of the White House, the one reading to school kids or promoting exercise as a means to reduce child obesity.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/01/07/book-depicts-tension-between-first-lady-white-house-aides/#ixzz1imkdreHx

You can get "softer" than mush? The Curmudgeon did not know that was possible.

CC

The US vs. the World and Obama

2012-01-06T16:52:00.006-06:00

This is a list of stats the Curmudgeon received today via email. Their accuracy has not been checked as time is on the short side today. However, the Curmudgeon has a sneaking suspicion that they might be accurate or maybe not. Check them out yourself if you are so inclined. They are very interesting.

There are actually two messages here. The first is very
interesting, but the second is absolutely astounding - and explains a lot.

A recent "Investor's Business Daily" article provided very
interesting statistics from a survey by the United Nations International
Health Organization.

Percentage of men and women who survived a cancer five years after diagnosis:

U.S. 65%

England 46%

Canada 42%

Percentage of patients diagnosed with diabetes who received treatment within six months:

U.S. 93%

England 15%

Canada 43%

Percentage of seniors needing hip replacement who received it within six months:

U.S. 90%

England 15%

Canada 43%

Percentage referred to a medical specialist who see one within one month:

U.S. 77%

England 40%

Canada 43%

Number of MRI scanners (a prime diagnostic tool) per million people:

U.S. 71

England 14

Canada 18

Percentage of seniors (65+), with low income, who say they are in "excellent health":

U.S. 12%

England 2%

Canada 6%

And now for the last statistic:

National Health Insurance?

U.S. NO

England YES

Canada YES

Check this last set of statistics!!

The percentage of each past president's cabinet who had worked
in the private business sector prior to their appointment to the cabinet.
You know what the private business sector is a real-life business, not a
government job. Here are the percentages.

T. Roosevelt.................... 38%

Taft.................................. 40%

Wilson ........................... 52%

Harding........................... 49%

Coolidge......................... 48%

Hoover............................ 42%

F. Roosevelt................... 50%

Truman........................... 50%

Eisenhower................ .... 57%

Kennedy......................... 30%

Johnson.......................... 47%

Nixon.............................. 53%

Ford................................ 42%

Carter............................. 32%

Reagan........................... 56%

GH Bush......................... 51%

Clinton ......................... 39%

GW Bush........................ 55%

Obama..................... 8%

This helps to explain the incompetence of this administration:
only 8% of them have ever worked in private business!

That's right! Only eight percent---the least, by far, of the
last 19 presidents! And these people are trying to tell our big
corporations how to run their business?

How can the president of a major nation and society, the one with the most successful economic system in world history, stand and talk about business when he's never worked for one? Or about jobs when he has never really had one? And when it's the same for 92% of his senior staff and closest advisers? They've spent most of their time in academia, government and/or non-profit jobs or as "community organizers." They should have been in an employment line.

Banking Policy Obama-Style

2012-01-05T23:01:00.009-06:00

For those of you who support our president's actions as somehow good for us, let the Curmudgeon explain one facet of the regulations that are tying the hands of the US Economy.

Fortunately, the Curmudgeon had the opportunity of meeting one of his more avid readers who explained the banking mess our Manchurian candidate has implemented to "help" us little guys weather all the evil done to us by evil corporations and the other buzzwords that get all socialist liberal lemmings in a tizzy.

Back in the hometown of the reader (call him Bob), the small hometown banks used to have to keep 6% of their assets in reserve. Folks could invest in their bank and the bank would make a profit by lending out that money. Then they pay out dividends to the local folks who invested so kindly in their community just like Jimmy Stewart in "It's a Wonderful Life". It was their investment and the return on their investment back to them that made the world go 'round. In order to have an economy, things have to move out and come back in like the ocean's tide. If things do not move, there is no economy. It is that simple.

So how does this apply to the Obama banking rules? Simple. The local bank in Bob's hometown is now required by Obama to hold all invested money and not pay out dividends. The contributing factor to getting money to make the bank able to run (which is investor cash) is drying up. Investors normally buy shares in the bank for the promise of getting a dividend for their efforts. Otherwise, why would they invest? If there is no risk and no dividend paid for the risk, they might as well be part of that old Bible story where an employer gave three employees money to hold. Two invested the money wisely and brought the boss a return which pleased him because they were willing to go above and beyond simply holding the cash. The third employee played it safe and buried the money in the backyard. When the bossman came back, employee #3 dug up the cash and just gave it back. He just kept it safe but did no work to help it grow which showed just how much like your average Occupy protester he really was. Needless to say, he was kicked off of the island and made to lie and gnash his teeth in the street causing the advent of grind guards.

In the parable, the bossman wanted a return on his investment and only will entrust his cash with people who will work FOR him because EVERYBODY knows that if you don't continue to grow, you will be squashed at some point. Everybody knows this but Obama, the unions, and the Occupy idiots. So, the banks in Bob's hometown want to pay out dividends to their investors who are starting to invest less because they've heard that the bank never pays dividends anymore. How much money do they need to have in reserve before they can pay out some dividends to their investors under BHO's policies? Well, the bank doubled the 6% reserve to 12%. Now can they pay dividends? Well, no, says Obama. We still don't want Bob's small town bank to pay out any dividends. Save some more reserves. "OK" says the bank, "but what level of reserves are required by Obama before we can pay out dividends to our investors?", they queried.

Obama WON'T give them a number. Nobody knows where the minimum level is before Bob's bank can pay out dividends to the bank's investors. Nobody in the Obama administration will say when dividends can be paid. Their only answer is NO payouts, period. So, for the socialist liberal fools out there, how many of you will be investing your mary-jane money in Bob's bank if you don't know WHEN, if ever, you'll get paid back? Who willingly invests money to get nothing back? Aside from muslims forced to abide by Sharia law, nobody. Not even socialists or guys like Hugo Chavez are willing to tie up money for no return. So why, is Obama telling a private, small-town bank what to do when they had nothing to do with Lehman Brothers, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac? Good question, eh?

More economic lessons for those of you who don't pay attention: If Bob's bank loses investors because they haven't been able to pay any dividends due to Obamanomics, how much money will they have to invest in future businesses in Bob's town? If businesses in Bob's town can't get cash due to government restrictions as described above, what happens to jobs and growth? Remember that in order for an economy to exist, things have to move. Things can be money, things can be materials, things can be people. If a government shuts down part of the things that move, and they break the circle of an economy, everything crumbles. Obama is making things crumble in Bob's home-town economy with his feel-good rules that suck the lifeblood out of an economy. Liberals support economic destruction by default because it sounds good - stick it to the rich guys - the usual mantra. By supporting these policies, they are unwittingly destroying their own feel-good worlds. That would explain why so many liberals are always so angry at everything. Nothing is ever enough for them, and nothing ever makes them happy.

It doesn't stop in Bob's hometown. The more the government steps into your life and lays down more restrictions like those that affect your bank, your grocery store, your hardware store, you vacation resort, the car you drive, the nickel in your cell phone, the more defunct the economy becomes. What then, is the government's correction for this problem when a guy like Obama is in place? More government programs with restrictions designed to garner your vote. You get a false sense of advantage in the form of food stamps and other entitlements. The government will give you a fish so you don't have to go fishing anymore. Don't you feel proud about your "Participation Award"? "Present!"

Hope you like fish.

CC

China Refuses to Play Global Warming Tag - Fernberg Cell Tower, too

2012-01-04T23:46:00.003-06:00

Guess what? China does NOT want to pay an extra tax from a European cap & trade scheme to provide a course correction to save the polar bears by noon tomorrow. Whatta surprise to the Curmudgeon.

It's pretty laughable. The global warming sky is falling. This winter, it's turning out to be pretty mild. That climate is amiss! Quick! Tax airplanes that land in Europe. Yeah! That'll solve climate change overnight. The polar bears will stop drowning. The birds will stop falling from the sky in Arkansas. Mother Earth's magnetic field will quit reversing in the next 500 years. How would we navigate the BWCA if north and south flipped on our cheap compasses?

Those rotten Chinese are responsible for destroying the planet by not paying an airliner tax for landing in Europe. Why don't the Europeans just admit that they hate Chinese landing those junky planes in in Europe. Sure, the planes say Boeing on the sides, but we all know how the Chinese knocked off Apple complete with fake Apple stores all around China. There's nothing like a 747 built in the 1970's full of Chinese knock-off parts whirling around in the engines flying over the Eiffel Town and Madrid. We know what's going on with Europe. They just can't be direct because they are wussies.

Read Story Here

In other news, the shorter, 199 foot ATT cell tower has been installed on the Fernberg road. It's not hooked up yet so we don't know if it does much at that height. The most notable detail of that tower is the lack of dead birds at it's base. The Fiends of the Boundary Waters declared (laughably) with their usual, liberal, psuedo-science that "migrating birds would have their flight paths altered as a result of the 450 foot tower." They actually offered this as testimony. So, using their facts that they feel to be possible, let's do some simple math.

If 50 migrating birds crashed to their deaths with a 450 foot tower, wouldn't it stand to reason that about half as many birds would die with a 200 foot tall tower? So, if we reverse-engineer this simple math and find zero dead birds at the bottom of the 200 foot tower throughout this upcoming year, how many birds should we expect to find at the base of a 400 foot tower? Another example: If today's temperature is zero and tomorrow is going to be twice as cold, how cold is it going to be? Back to the altered migration of birds. Apparently, the birds passing through Minnesota are so dumb and so lacking in instincts that only the Fiends of the Boundary Waters can save them using environmental pseudo-science.

Can you imagine the conversation of the lead birds in a group of migrating birds passing through the Fernberg road area? "OMG! There's a gigantic pole in front of us! Alter course! Alter course! Oh, crap! We ended up in North Dakota and we were supposed to be in Wisconsin! Now, what!?"

The really fun part of the whole environmental irony thing is with those big propellers by Virginia, MN. All that "free, clean" electrical energy that they are generating should be lowering electric bills on the Iron Range one would think - otherwise, why put the ugly things up? However, in effect, they have actually caused electric bills to go up all for the price of "being green". We already knew that they would do nothing for cost WAY before they put the big living room fans in place. The part the feel-gooder, enviro-wackos left out lies in California, the home and breeding ground for liberals of the lowest kind. Wind farms have been out there for years spinning away in some ugly desert. But, due to their size and their location they are placed to take the best advantage of the wind which also just happens to be where condors and birds of prey like to glide. Those big prop blades come screaming around and slice the birds in half in the air. For a while, the Sierra Club was bellyaching about the problem, but now it's just swept under the rug. Don't hear Al Gore ever comment about the actual dying birds as opposed to the faked drowning polar bears. Apparently, generating almost a full, half a percent of the electrical power we need in the US while NOT improving our 100 year old distribution grid is more important than those poor, cuddly, fluffy birds of prey getting all chopped up.

You can just feel the Jonathan Livingston Seagull moment as the orchestra builds and swells like a rising tide as the enthusiasm and freedom under the wings of a magnificent Golden Eagle lifts him to the heavens.. And, FWOPPPP! A cloud of feathers that only Native Americans are allowed to touch (or even look at) blows up in mid-air as a "green energy" propeller chops through that big bird like a Ginsu through a bag of Jett Puff marshmallows.

It's sad. But, it's also green - so it's also good! Besides, the Indians probably have some use for those eagle feathers. No use wasting them.

Be GREEN. SAVE our planet! Save our big, rock-covered, molten ball of iron from dying out tomorrow by using compact fluorescent light bulbs today - and puppies!

Hat Fail

2012-01-03T21:20:00.000-06:00

Portlandia = Ely-ia in many respects

2011-12-31T12:51:00.000-06:00

Just had the opportunity to watch the first episode of Portlandia on Netflix, and it felt like the Curmudgeon was in Ely watching the hippies and environmentally, politically-correct, affected, summer-homers as they make their way into town. The old hippie who's been hiding in the Portland library since 1979 looks an awful lot like so many of our environmentally-conscious, summer (warm weather) transplants, that it was rather surprising and also sad to know there are more out there than just here in Ely.

Every spring we get them flocking to town. There are two types and they easily identifiable. The one has long scraggy, salt-&-pepper hair/beard, dirty old army clothes and a packsack on his/her back and hangs out at the coffee shop, stinking away. The other is dressed in Eddy Bauer, drives a Volvo, Saab, or Subaru and stops at the local coffee shop to order a double half-caff, soy mocha-chino-dilly-eeno with organic, farm-raised, hemp seeds while putting on the dog. They use a credit card to pay for a $2 cuppa joe with zero regards as to what it costs the coffee shop owner in processing fees. They do this on their way to their 4 bedroom, 3.5 bathroom, hand-hewn, log "cabin" on one of the neighboring lakes where they cut down all the trees to increase their wilderness view. Then, once they get settled into their cabins or their summer tents on the edge of town, they head to the hardware store and begin name-dropping with names who they think are "locals" while they are standing in line waiting to be rung up. Then, every single day, they drive (or hitchhike) into town to buy a coffee, put on airs (or just stink up the air), get a paper to check the stocks (or read a free paper at the coffee shop to have something to do). They play a round of golf (or use the free public showers in the community center) and then schlep back out to "cabin" (or the hippy base camp) to enjoy an hour of wilderness before sack time.

Both refer to all watercraft as "boats" so nobody knows what they are talking about - could be a boat, could be a kayak, could be a canoe. Regardless of "cabin" or tent, they wear Teva sandals and wool socks. In the winter time, they wear mukluks and a locally made fleece "tunic" when visiting here. They think that's what all "locals" wear. (We call it the "Ely uniform" - Mukluks and tunic.)

They righteously oppose anything that might somehow upset their world like a cell tower, but they all get irate if they can't get a signal on their cell phones. You should see the shock and sputtering when their cell phones don't work at Red Rock. "This is a powerful phone - I just got it! It ALWAYS picks up a signal! Well....uh....hmmm - NO signal!!!!?." They both support the Fiends of the Boundary Waters but neither of them live here year 'round, so they make due with the lack of techno-amenities for their time and that's good enough for them.

They both prefer organic "everything" despite the fact that in many cases organic farming uses 3 times the land to yield the same volume and sometimes at even higher pollution levels. They both oppose logging except when using toilet paper or building their big summer, hand-hewn cabins. That's OK even though one log, 4 bedroom cabin wastes enough wood to build three, full-size, high-efficiency homes. They advocate sustainable public transportation but drive their Volvos into town EVERY day for coffee. They advocate escaping-to-wilderness but they drive their Volvos to town EVERY day and sometimes multiple times per day, on a whim after their hour-long canoe paddle. They oppose all energy use in favor of alternatives such as riding bikes but they drive their Subarus in during their canoe trips (illegally, while camping under BWCA permit) from Wood Lake and others. They have central air in their log "cabins" because opening a window won't do in Ely, MN. They have a security systems installed on their summer "cabins" complete with cameras, sensors, and 24 hour monitoring because they don't believe God's country is as friendly as they tell their friends back home.

Obviously, the stinky tent-dwellers split-off from the big-city "cabin"owners with the whole "haves/have-nots" thing but they do share common ground in choice of footwear, ideological belief systems to a point, and references to watercraft. Now, if a stinky tent-dweller wanders onto a Burntside Lake property, the Volvo driving owners will have him arrested (and killed) for trespassing. The ideology splits into a large crevasse when you put them both into the same space. So much for "Minnesota Nice".

It kinda feels like Portlandia.

Obama Planning to Negotiate with Taliban

2011-12-30T18:44:00.001-06:00

The Political Hack in Chief, BHO, is planning on giving up high-value Taliban terrorists from Gitmo to the Afghanistan Taliban "to get talks and dialogue up and running" so the US can pull the military out of that rat-hole.

VP Biden said a few days ago that "the Taliban are not our enemies".

Hamid Kazai, pres. of Afghanistan has broken off all talks with the Taliban animals because it goes absolutely nowhere. It's the Taliban way or no way.

So, our "leader" is going to give up 5 of the high-level terrorists we have in Gitmo while believing that we will then be able to talk to them with the US "show of faith".

What a complete and utter moron. Yeah, that'll work. We'll be out of the rat-hole in time for his re-election.

Murdering, religious, twisted muslim terrorists are people too, according to BHO.

CC

New Catalog at redrockstore.com

2011-12-30T11:00:00.001-06:00

For those of you who might be interested, we've added a new catalog at redrockstore.com. Now we have some 100,000 items listed in some spiffy new software. Check it out here, if you are so inclined.

CC

Voter ID's will keep the poor from voting - Whatta Crock!

2011-12-28T22:22:00.000-06:00

Having to show an ID to vote will somehow prevent the sick, the weak, the downtrodden, the poor, and minorities from voting because some don't have an ID. Really?

So how do they buy liquor? How do they produce and ID for medical care? The Curmudgeon had to produce an ID just to get in to the Ely Clinic. No ID, no go to the doctor.

No ID, no welfare check. No ID, no food stamps, or Medicare, or Medicaid, or Social Security checks. No ID, no bank loan, period. No ID, no using a credit card - more and more each day.

No photo ID, no voting in union elections - that seems odd. The unions are determined to prevent voter fraud by ensuring everybody gets ONE vote. And they stand with the liberals screaming down the voter ID requirement for voting in local, state, and federal elections. Kinda makes them all seem suspect doesn't it?

You need a valid form of ID with a picture just about everywhere you turn. Iran is going to need to show a photo ID before they launch their first nuke. It's clearly the way of the world, today.

So what do all of us oppressed, weak, downtrodden and minorities do? How do we function? We need an ID at some point or another ALL the FRIGGIN' time. You can't cross any border without an ID. You can't get on an airplane without an ID. You can't check out a book in a public library without an ID. You can't use a computer in a library without an ID. You can't get a PELL grant without a photo ID. You can't get a student loan without a photo ID. If you don't currently have some sort of a photo ID for endless day-to-day activities and ventures, you are screwed. Many big box retailers won't take your credit cards in a lot of places unless you can produce a driver's license. So how come the liberals and their stinky Occupy buddies aren't protesting that? They are all in Iowa protesting Republicans, right now. (Non-Contributing Zeros using Mommy's credit cards to survive in their tents. Their parents must be very proud.)

You can barely buy toilet paper without a photo ID.

So, what is this constant, bellowing, liberal BS about showing a photo ID to vote and all the reasons why it won't work? How stupid do you think everybody else is, anyway? Voting is your duty as an American. Proving you are who you are is also your duty when voting. If you don't like it, move to Mexico. They have great, optional elections down there all the time. Not all the candidates survive and some the voters get knocked off every now and then, but they are definitely a better country than the US. You should go. Please. Great canoeing down there, too. Just paddle around the bodies and don't forget your kevlar vests. And no, a kevlar canoe will NOT keep your legs and butt from getting shot up. That's an old wive's tale started by some crazy canoe company long ago talking about how tough their kevlar canoes were. "Will Survive a Drug Cartel Attack on the Rio Grande With EASE!" That's a completely bogus slogan. Don't fall for it.

The BIG question is what all the liberals have to hide so vehemently? You have to have an ID for everything else and if there is no voter fraud now, why are you all so worried?

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/28/battle-over-voter-id-laws-heats-up-in-states/

CC

Trouble in Fiji

2011-12-28T17:26:00.001-06:00

A friend of the Curmudgeon came in today and after looking for fly rod reels and supporting accessories - he doesn't really ice fish - he mentioned that he attended a church social with his wife and they played a trivia game for homemade, baked, prizes. After answering one question, he was asked by the women of the group to leave the church basement and the building for that matter. There was talk of him being escorted out by security - had there been security at the church social.

To take the cake, The 64,000 Question was: Name the place where a woman's hair is the curliest?

As any red-blooded male in his 70's would, he piped up with his very knowledgeable and to-the-point answer. Winning was imperative. A beautiful homemade chocolate cake was at stake. And, from that point forward, everything went downhill... and rather quickly. It was a church social after all.

Apparently, he later found out in the car from his less-than-supportive wife; the other correct answer was "the islands of Fiji".

CC

Yahoo.com is owned by ABC - and down the tubes it goes

2011-12-27T20:58:00.000-06:00

The Curmudgeon used to click onto Yahoo.com for the daily news as presented by the mainstream media. Reading slanted articles from the AP, Reuters and others would give that rounded out experience. From the articles of the past, we were told:

Europe hates us and rightly so
Obama is going to make Europe love us again
Obama is going to make muslims love us
Islam is misunderstood
the US is crumbling under debt - lets borrow some more
the US is always bad in the eyes of the UN
the Russians are bad but not as bad as us
Conservatives are always wrong and half-crazed ranters
Occupy protest groups have a reason for existing. It just hasn't manifested itself, yet.
palestinians are always oppressed by Israel and they do nothing except sit there minding their own business and Israel puts them in jail - for no reason.
Obama deserves $4 Million vacations on the taxpayer dime
and on and on...

Now that ABC is at the helm of Yahoo.com, we get the feeling that:

Obama is the greatest living president See what the polls say about Obama and Hillary
Obama is a real leader for the US and the world and a formidable opponent for any challenger
everyone loves Obama and finding someone who does not love him is difficult
Obama deserves $4 Million vacations on the taxpayer dime
Nancy Pelosi is taking a vacation at a $10,000 per night hotel in Hawaii - oh, that's right - nobody from ABC is mentioning any of that because she's one of "us" especially now that her eyebrows have finally begun to settle down. She's part of the 99% - she said so herself, numerous times. Being that we are like Nancy, we all have an extra $70,000 laying around for 7 glorious nights in Hawaii hotel because the $300 per night room just won't do. So how much does a beer cost in that hotel bar? Like $800, maybe? Oh, now we can see how they spent $16 per muffin in the Justice Dept a while back. Apparently, Nancy showed them the ropes. This is how the 99% conducts themselves.
the GOP is always evil and flailing and they exist to crush all little guys
unions are always working with the best interest of the country in mind
corporations serve no good when they are "for profit"
"for profit" is always evil and does nothing good for the country - ABC is "for profit" - so how does that work? Is it legal to be a "for profit" media outlet in the pocket of the President? How's that work?
non-profits are always good no matter how much their executives get paid (American Red Cross's top dog makes over $500,000 per year - he can't perform his duties for $250,000 per year? in a volunteer organization? Wouldn't you like to see the car that guy drives. The Curmudgeon bets it's a Kia Soul. - and that's only one tiny example of how your donations are employed along with [shhhhh] federal grants, etc.)
solving today's yout's lack of learning can always be fixed by throwing money at the teacher's unions

So, Yahoo.com is becoming less and less a source of real news. It is doing wonders with a truly annoying number of pop-ups that you can't get rid of except by closing the page. No, the Curmudgeon does not want to look at Betty Crocker Frosting. Too many trans fats.

Sure do know a lot about how the celebs in H-wood are dressing, however. Some have no fashion sense apparently. Some are very snappy dressers. It's just all the news that's worth reading.

Clam Basecamp Thermal vs. Eskimo Fatfish 949i

2011-12-25T17:00:00.002-06:00

Just got back from spending about 3 hours in a Clam Basecamp Thermal 6 X 6 Ice Fishing pop-up.

For all of you who are desperately searching for the Eskimo 949i - sure that's an interesting tent, but the Curmudgeon is willing to say that he believes the vast majority of ice fisherman who MUST have the new design Eskimo thermal - well a whole bunch of you are missing the boat in value.

To compare - the Clam Basecamp Thermal is beautifully built. Beautiful stitching, doors that have wind flaps over two, STRAIGHT pull zippers, ceiling storage nets, solid ice anchors, and overall GREAT construction. Top it all off with the beautiful, TOUGH carry bag with the external ice anchor pocket that has room for a tackle box, and you have a pop-up well worth the money. The Curmudgeon double-dog-dares you to compare the carry bag of the Clam to the carry bag of the Eskimo Fatfish tents. Without even touching either, you will be able to identify the piece of crap and it ain't the Clam bag by a LONG shot.

We set up two guys inside with ample room for two flashers an LX-7 and a Showdown 5.6 dual beam. Two chairs, various ice fishing paraphernalia, and a bunch of ice rods set up for various species. Now, it wasn't cold outside at about 30 deg. F with a stiff wind, so we didn't get the greatest test for insulation, but it definitely was nice with the lack of dripping on us that ALL other non-insulated tents experience. After an uneventful fishing experience but for a few perch, we knocked down the Clam Basecamp Thermal and stuffed it in the really nice bag, dropped it in the sled and headed home.

Tomorrow, it will be heading out to search for fish. They are out there. We just gotta find them - so we've heading for deeper water.

Don't sell yourself short by getting stuck on the hype. Clam's carry bag alone is worth a pile of points compared to the flimsy 25 cent bag Eskimo provides. When you check out the stitching and overall construction of the Clam, you'll wonder what all the Eskimo-blabbing is about.

You save $30 bucks and end up with a really nice thermal tent. It's a no-brainer. See Here

Remember that Axis of Evil?

2011-12-24T10:00:00.003-06:00

The Curmudgeon remembers the George W. Bush Speech where he declared the "Axis of Evil" to be Iraq, Iran, and North Korea back in 2002? All the Democrats and liberals cried "foul" and mocke d and ridiculed G.W. Bush.

Well, how about this new "anti-war president"? Right now, his administration has given the OK to put up a $10 Million reward for some terrorist who is living and working out of Iran. Leon Panetta has declared that all options are on the table if they find out that Iran has a nuke or is close to completing one.

Hmmm - Sounds like we're ramping up for war. Paying for intel on an Iranian citizen. The only other one we are offering money for is mullah Omar in Afghanistan. We're undoubtedly offering money for any intel we can find because, in order to win the next election, BHO needs to get us started in a war.   This Democrat operated war is going to be a bad one involving nukes because this president has shown the he can act with complete an utter impunity over sovereign lands.

The Curmudgeon thinks that power has gone to the head of the idealist in chief and all that "hope and change" is moving into executive directives for death and destruction.

Lets add it all up. He doesn't close Gitmo after he said he would. He pulls out of Iraq like he said he would so Iraq is now suicide bombing themselves into submission. He doesn't say a peep about how he's completely at ease with unleashing Hellfire missiles into Pahk-ee-stahn via drones.   He never once mentioned during his bid for leader of the free world that he was willing - from his Senator days when he called the Iraq war "stupid"- to go in and test our battle-hardened military out in Iran.

So, while the Curmudgeon has no qualms about ending Iran for all the trouble they continually cause us and the world, should we be going into a brand new war right now? Is this president the guy you want at the helm? We'd be taking a pacifist-turned-warmonger and letting he who has done nothing except head the Harvard Law Review - take us into uncharted territory with the Russians and Chinese not on board. How is it going to be funded? Given our current debt-crisis and that of Europe, this could be interesting in a very bad way.

Iran is a major oil supplier to China and a gas supplier to eastern Europe. Should Iran turn off the power to those entities during an Obama attack, how many more countries will be then fighting the US? Also, for all the liberals who will undoubtedly now embrace the Obama's inner-warmonger as "just and good for all humanity", note the "surgical strike" thing that they will all begin talking about as they prep the public. Just remember the positions you and the media took back in Iraq. If a little kid got a cut on a finger as part of the collateral damage that all war brings, Bush was plastered all over the media as a baby killer. When liberals are in charge of the war, even using nukes is OK.

What's even more interesting is that the BHO administration is concerned with "building-a-nuke" while completely ignoring the "delivering-a-nuke" part. While we strain to see what's going on underground with the Iranians, nobody is paying any attention to their completely above-ground ability to work on a delivery system, unfettered.   You just don't duct-tape a warhead to a big bottle rocket and eyeball the target. That's how the palestinian terrorists lob mortars into Israel. If Iran has a nuclear bomb, do they have the means to deliver the big, heavy thing with accuracy? A gun without a bullet and vice versa is pretty worthless.

The Curmudgeon is probably getting too old to take up arms against an invader with nukes and liberals with no brains or foresight. Iran is building a nuke, the US is prepping for war, the US is ignoring their delivery capabilities, the Russians and Chinese will stand in the way,   we're in debt up to our eyeballs, and a whole bunch of our "truly engaged" populace are pummeling each other over buying a pair of Nike Air Jordans - for $180 a pair - money that they probably don't have.

It really feels secure right now with all that hope and change coming from above and so many qualified voters coming from below.

CC

Air Jordans and Top Quality Americans

2011-12-23T18:54:00.001-06:00

Watching the throngs of top quality, dignified Americans pummel each other on the evening news over Nike Air Jordans - well, that really makes the Curmudgeon wonder why American soldiers die for the safety of these cannon-fodder individuals. People are unemployed, having a tough time feeding all 42 children by 42 different fathers, can't put clothes on the kids - but they can fight for "shoes". And they are shoes that really and truly offer the wearer's foot nothing special other than bragging rights. They are just overly priced $180 running shoes or what we referred to as "tennies" back in the days of the Curmudgeon's youth.

So, we have Occupy protesters out there opposing all mining and oil exploration plus big corporations while using their laptops and cellphones and Facebook to communicate and get more Occupy protests scheduled. We have many, many, people who are completely among those in the US who pay no taxes whatsoever - the 47% - somehow managing to scrape up $180 plus the muster to beat down the competition and act like complete and utter animals to buy not food, not medicine, not shelter, but Nike shoes. We have a Congress who sends money to the Occupiers (via welfare) and shoe people (via welfare) to pay for their food, healthcare, and shelter. This very Congress can't figure out what to cut from the budget to fund the necessities of the country. We have a president who joins the ranks of "helping" the poor by wanting to spend even more money through taxing the rich so we can help the unemployed and irresponsible buy Nike shoes because Payless just won't cut it so long as there are retro-Jordans available. Nike makes over a billion dollars per year. The Occupiers are fighting specifically for the plight of the shoe people who prop up Nike at any cost - for shoes. So, Obama supports the poor shoe people who are supported by the Occupiers who are, by default, huge supporters of the mega-corporation, Nike.

For these people, we have our soldiers dying overseas.

The Curmudgeon is having a tough time connecting all the dots into a line that means something of value. The word "value" is losing its meaning. How do all of these Non-Contributing Zeros fit in for the betterment and growth of the United States? There is no doubt that the supply of Non-Contributing Zeros is endless.

Priorities? What's a priority?

CC

Finally- Science, not pseudo-science; Wins

2011-12-22T17:30:00.002-06:00

The Curmudgeon has to say that it is refreshing to see actual scientists like Dave Mech and other biologists supporting the delisting of gray wolves from the endangered species list. The beauty of professionals who stick to the actual science is that they don't hear the wolves talking, they don't cry for weeks when one dies and they understand what's going on with the animals. They are confident about the state's ability to manage it's resources. That should be enough right there for anybody. But it won't be.

The Curmudgeon does not believe for one minute that all the wolves are going to fade into oblivion now that the government has delisted them. It is really doubtful that they are going to suffer higher mortality rates now than they did before while under federal protection. Intelligent people know that we still need wolves even though some of them may talk tough in the bars about killing wolves left and right. And, there will still be laws against killing wolves willy-nilly. There will still be those who do shoot a wolf for some personal belief that they are helping the world and saving "their" deer which they have named while feeding them all winter. But, ultimately, with the exception of the most brazen, hardened anti-wolf guys, even the tough talkers come around and realize that wolves have to be here as well. Can't just have all deer and no wolves and we just can't have all wolves and no deer. We need a balance with humans factored in if possible and that would be the "management" part by those who are paid to do so.

Anybody with a brain should be able to understand that if we have lots of deer, we may have a healthly, growing wolf population. When the deer herd gets smaller, the wolf population follows suit. Weather plays a large part in this as deeper snow is advantageous to the wolves for catching deer. Less snow makes it easier for the deer to outrun the wolves and fine browse in which case you could actually see a starve-off in wolves with a growing deer population. Not only can deer get around better with low snow, there is a lot of browse available for them to eat. So you have healthier deer that the wolves who are weakening, cannot catch. When you grow up with wolves and deer living and dying just outside, you should be able to figure that out. It's not hard. It's macro-economics using wolves, deer and the weather. You could plot charts as the Curmudgeon is quite sure there are many charts in the US Geological Survey regarding wolf and deer populations relative to weather over the last 65 years.

The only ones who will never, ever, get it are the ones who are crying right now and planning lawsuits to get the government back on board to re-list the wolf. The article says that some enviro-wackos may be giving it up, but there are far too many enviro-wackos out there to just let it go and have the paid, trained, scientists manage the wolf population. They feel they know better. They don't actually know for sure, but they sure can feel they know. Then it becomes all about winning with the enviro-groups and "saving the wolf" is always a fund-raising hit for those executive directors of all of the Friends of this and that. So, don't be surprised to see lawsuits from the fringes popping up because that is what these people do. Science be damned - the Humane Society feels that the the wolf population is not high enough! All of their pseudo-scientists said so and this is just the beginning. The staff needs a paycheck and where there's an enviromental fight full of underestimated, down-trodden, misunderstood wolves to save, there will be donations flowing freely into the non-profit. Just give them some time to work out all the angles and the marketing plan.

Here's the Article

CC

Gray Wolves Delisted as "threatened"

2011-12-21T18:45:00.000-06:00

Mmmm! Mmm! Good!

Now, instead of getting a $20K fine and 37 years in prison for killing a sacred timber wolf, you'll get in trouble for shooting one out of season. Probably a fine, may get your gun confiscated, might lose more gear, etc. It all depends on how dumb you are to the conservation officer. Nonetheless, the delicacy of fricasseed gray wolf will cost a whole lot less compared to yesterday when it was still a federal offense. Boiled wolf, fried wolf, baked wolf, barbecued wolf, sauteed wolf in mushrooms, sun-dried wolf - you could go all Forrest Gump on the possibilities.

So, the Curmudgeon wonders, when will they have the wolf season and will we all have to dress up in blaze orange? There could be a black powder season, a bow season, slingshots....just think of the wolf hunting license revenue as a whole bunches of bwanas from far away states make their pilgrimage here to hunt dangerous, blood-thirsty, baby-eatin', bambi-killin' wolves.

The Curmudgeon doesn't really care if they ever have a season on wolves because watching the whole new pile of idiots from the other side of the pendulum is going to be irritating at best. They'll be coming in to town all decked out in Eddy Bauer with their elephant guns and their tough-talking, imported "wolf guides" in tow. To the Curmudgeon, it's not much different than all the bleeding hearts who come here dressed in their Eddy Bauer to save the wolves, and the bears, and the snail darter, and the planet, and the BWCA, and their own personal interests. That would mean their 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom, cabins on the surrounding lakes of Ely. Players and posers...cynical but true.

No matter where you look, it's all smoke and mirrors.

CC

Occupy Duluth - Rock Stars of Deep Thought

2011-12-21T18:16:00.002-06:00

The Curmudgeon saw the local news tonight where the Minions of Madness; Occupy Duluth, is taking a stand to "oppose all mining". One dufus was on the tube in a suit saying that even though the Duluth labor unions have voted today to disassociate themselves with Occupy Duluth, that Occupy Duluth would still back the local unions if they needed help with something. What a nice, young man.

As the Saboteurs of Sanity continue on protesting in their complete and utter fog, the Curmudgeon wonders if any among them who can actually afford a car made out of a combination of steel, aluminum, tin, copper, silver, gold, platinum, and a several more metals, ever wonders how their car works? The mere fact that the Curmudgeon even has the opportunity to ponder this question about the knowledge depth of the Non-Contributing Zeros (NCZ's), is a marvel in itself. A five year old knows what cars, and bikes, and skateboards, and spoons, and tin cups, and tent parts, and cook kits, and zippers, and saws and food cans, and everything else is made out of. It is not bamboo and it is all recyclable for the most part. The mere fact that unions were completely stupid enough to lend any backing to the NCZ's should tell you everything you need to know about the local union labor and it's leadership. Do we REALLY want unions in control of anything in the US? The fact that they can be completely bamboozled by a bunch of worthless, stinky, dumber-than-celery, fools shows us right there how well equipped unions are for having any say in the management of the US. The Curmudgeon's apology to celery, but unions have absolutely nothing to be proud of in any of this Occupy silliness. Don't forget that unions world-wide have been supporting the Occupy NCZ's both in spirit and possibly financially.

It's fun now to watch the union's nefarious plan of using stupid idiots to disrupt the world, backfire.

CC

Who's Getting the Short End of the Stick Here?

2011-12-19T21:46:00.001-06:00

To get back one Israeli soldier, Israel traded over 1000 criminal palestinians. So, astonishingly to the Curmudgeon, the Palestinians are proud that they are worth about 1/1000 of an Israeli. They cheered for the trade. It's surprising that some US group like the ACLU or Amnesty International hasn't sued Israel for being worth more than the average criminal palestinian. It's hard to believe that the palestinian "authority" hasn't caught on to the unfairness of the deal and cried crocodile tears to the United Nations. It's a wonder that the UN hasn't denounced Israel for being of greater value than the disorganized nomad terrorists who lob bombs and mortars to kill unarmed men, women and children because of their religion and the fact that they are NOT palestinian bums roaming around in the desert with no real country to call home.

If Israel acquired property on the moon, the palestinian "authority" would organize a ramshackle space program so they could go up there and attack the Israelis because the palestinians would want the property the Israelis landed on and developed. The Israelis would then acquiesce and offer them land and hire them to work, and that wouldn't be good enough. Then the palestinians would then start bombing the Israelis on the moon and some of the terrorists would get captured and end up in an Israeli lunar prison. The UN would denounce Israel for anything that might garner world support on the palestinian "plight". US college students would don their "Che" t-shirts and hold sit-ins to raise awareness for palestinians. Then the palistinians would capture one Israeli soldier and would require a trade of 1000 palestinians.

And, even on the moon, nobody would notice that it still takes 1,000 palestinians to equal one scrawny Israeli. They are apparently are too ignorant to see how "highly regarded" palestinians are.

Let's see here: got rid of 1,000 palestinians so that's 2,000 meals a day we no longer need to cook. No more medical attention. No more dental. The freed prisoners get to go back and live in mud huts and cardboard boxes in the desert. Those palestinians really showed those Jews.

Palestinian swap for one Jew

How to Deal with a Home Invader

2011-12-19T08:49:00.003-06:00

Good advice.
CC

A home invader's worst nightmare. Words of Wisdom

If you own a gun, you will appreciate this.

If not, you should get one and learn how to use it.

Shooting Advice:

Cops carry guns to protect themselves, not to protect you.
Never let someone or thing that threatens you get inside arm’s length and never say "I’ve got a gun". If you feel you need to use deadly force for heaven’s sake let the first sound they hear be the safety clicking off, and they shouldn't have time to hear anything after that if you are doing your job.
The average response time of a 911 call is over 23 minutes, the response time of a .44 magnum is 1400 feet per second.
The most important rule in a gunfight is: Always win - and cheat if necessary.
Don't forget, incoming fire has the right of way.
Make your attacker advance through a wall of bullets. You may get killed with your own gun, but he'll have to beat you to death with it, cause it's going to be empty.
If you're not shooting, you should be loading. If you're not loading, you should be moving, if you're not moving, someone's going to cut your head off and put it on a stick.
Do something. It may be wrong, but do something.
If you carry a gun, people will call you paranoid. That's ridiculous. If you have a gun, what in the hell do you have to be paranoid for?
You can say 'stop' or 'alto' or use any other word you think will work, but I've found that a large bore muzzle pointed at someone's head is pretty much the universal language.
You have the rest of your life to solve your problems.
How long you live depends on how well you do it.
You cannot save the planet, but you may be able to save yourself and your family.

If you believe in the 2nd Amendment, please forward...

Which is the BEST Ice Fishing Pop-up

2011-12-17T15:08:00.006-06:00

Q. Which is the best ice fishing pop-up. I'm looking at Shappell's Ice House series because I have some friends who had poles breaking in their Clam pop-ups. I've also heard that Shappell uses heavier cloth than everybody else. Bill D.

A. Well, Shappells are good tents. They have a bigger door than all the others. I spend a lot of time in Clam pop-ups with zero significant problems so I wouldn't worry about a pole breaking. Clam and Shappell both use 600 denier cloth. Shappells windows are velcroed in, Clam's are sewn in. We've sold a couple thousand Clams with zero window problems and a few pole issues that Clam took care of. We sell far less Shappells and they break poles right up there with Clam, Eskimo, and every other brand of pop-up. All of these tents appear to come from the same factory in China. They just get spec'd with different features here and there. They all work just fine. I'm chalking up most problems to user error. Biggest mistake a user can do is pull the pop-up wall towards him instead of straight out, causing the poles closest to him to bend super hard and the poles furthest away to bend just a little. Snap! Oh-look it's defective. I watch fisherman setting them up on the lakes doing this very thing in complete obliviousness. If you pull by extending your arm and pulling up (not towards yourself). they usually don't ever have an issue. The other BIG factor in breaking poles is getting the hubs tangled at take-down and not separating them right then and there. Instead of taking 30 seconds and a tiny bit of care, they just stuff it in the bag, throw it in the sled and load a bunch of gear on top and let it bounce over snow drifts all the way home behind the snowmobile. One hub will saw a nick into a pole and then it pops on the next use. The same, exact thing happens to graphite fishing rods. They vibrate against something sharp in the boat and snap right there at the rub spot. Then everybody's screaming "warranty" when it truly was user neglect. So when I hear about the "quality" of ice fishing pop-ups based on "friends" who have trouble, unless I was right there watching, the whole thing is usually suspect.

After attending the St. Paul Ice Fishing Sportshow for the past 3 seasons, plus dealing with a tons of customers, I've decided that there are far less tents with bad poles/issues and there are more fisherman who do the dumbest stuff imaginable. That being said, I have personally logged over 400 hours of use in a Clam Summit 6X8 pop-up in ALL sorts of conditions. Once I set this poor pop-up up in -18 F with all the pole slots frozen in from the day before so the tent went up misshapen only to straighten when we got the heat going inside. I purposely put them through reasonably tough paces so that when I hear BS like the ice fishing "experts" online are spewing, I know what the real truth is. I put it away every day all frosty and icy inside and leave it outside over night in subzero temps. Then I take it out the next day and set it up again and it creaks and groans with the ice peeling off the fabric. My poles are now showing very visible wear at the ball-ends in the hubs. The paint is all gone and the poles are starting to "notch" slightly. All this, and not once have I snapped a pole. If, considering how many times I've used this tent, I were to snap a pole now, should I complain about the "quality"? And yet, we have a fair number of people who can't get a Shappell out of a box and open it right-side-out. They do the same with Clam, Eskimo, and Frabill. The herd of dumb bunnies appears to be growing exponentially, so when I hear of people having problems with gear any more, I tend to view the problem with an open mind and a I remember to check the brain compartment labeled "Potential Operator Error" as well. So, all the crap, mis-information and confusion one may read at Ice Shanty.com or other fishing forums should be taken with a grain, no-a boulder, of salt.

All pop-ups set up exactly the same. They all knock down exactly the same. We sell about 700-900 pop-ups a season. We've had relatively few but equal problems across the board. Clams and Shappells BOTH use 600 denier cloth no matter what anybody says. Eskimo uses 300 denier cloth. And, these have been this way for a solid ten years. All of the companies use shaft-collar reinforcements at the end of the poles in the hubs. Shappell uses outside corner anchor grommets, Clam and Eskimo uses inside anchor grommets. All can be tied down from the hubs. Eskimo has the best ice anchors with tapered shafts. Shappell has and Clam have about the same anchors.. All of the anchors from all the brands work fine. Screw them in at an angle and you don't need to screw them down as far. Shappell's windows are all removable with the flaps as well and they leak some light around the edges. Shappells have the big round door that is good for the "bull in the china shop" fisherman to get through. That would describe a fair number of ice fisherman I've decided. There are no ballerinas in the ice fishing world Eskimos and Clams are more of a "D"-shaped door. They get skinny at the bottom of the "D" so Klem Kladiddlehoppers with big feet can tear them up as they blindly go crashing out to chase down a tip-up when the flag's up. Clam's windows are sewn in permanently and NEVER have we had a Clam window ever cause a problem. We've had a fair share of Eskimo windows break in years past, but it looks like they have finally resolved that. We sell far less Shappells than Eskimos and Clams so obviously "issues" are going to be less with Shappells. Zippers - maybe two zipper issues among the brands in 5 years.

Stupid Moves
Somewhere deep in Ohio, we've had two wingnuts take their brand new Shappell out of the box in the dark on the ice and open it up inside out breaking all the poles and then claiming "warranty". If the poles end up on the OUTSIDE of the pop-up when you get it set up, you can just keep that pop-up and there will be NO warranty. Don't even bother calling. They all come with instructions. They are NOT hard to set up.

In Massachusetts, we had an idiot claim that his Eskimo Quick Fish 4 (nice tent) was defective and it, too, was opened up inside out. Then he completely disassembled it and sent it back to us for another - to which he did the exact same thing. We just wanted him to go away and never call us again. We'd like to provide "customer" service, but not "idiot" service.

Then there was a guy to whom we shipped a Clam Basecamp 6X6 in Minnesota. After buying it at a super-clearance price in the summer where we had a few listed on eBay, he (and his buddy) took 2 full hours to set up the pop-up in his garage. (With 5 minutes of practice, they take about 45 seconds to pop up- for ONE GUY!) He said the set-up time was "unacceptable". NO KIDDING! Did they have to break for lunch? He demanded his money back after telling eBay that we "misrepresented" the product and essentially stole his money by selling him a "defective" pop-up. Not only was he dumber than a bag of hammers, he was an arrogant, lying SOB to boot. Best part - we got that tent back and I took it outside and set it up in under 45 seconds. There was not one thing wrong with it.

So, to sum it up - if you read about Clams being not so great, that's complete and utter bull. Look at the features you would like such as the door, windows and size. Then pick one out of the name brands. Avoid off-brands like Black Ice, AP Outdoors and other "house" brands that companies are selling. There is no warranty to back a lot of the oddball brands up. You actually get a warranty and a customer service department with Clam, Eskimo, and Shappell. For Clam, Eskimo and Shappell, ice shelters are their business. It's not some side-product line made to go with a store's name on it but being made by someone who isn't really in the pop-up manufacturing business. We learned our lesson well about having house-brand gear at Red Rock. Never going there again!

Leaving Iraq Today - Place Your Bets

2011-12-15T18:40:00.001-06:00

The Curmudgeon wonders how the "tribes" of Iraq will do now that the US military pulled just about everybody out. Turkey, Syria and everybody's favorite, Iran closely surround Iraq. So watch who courts Iraq in the upcoming weeks and months.

Since they are rid of Saddam and his monster sons, they actually have a chance to make it go but the Curmudgeon does not believe they will be able to pull it together and stay a democratic country. Their leadership lacks resolve and their populace will always take the shortest path to rewards without thinking things through before they sign the bottom line. A dirtbag country like Iran will come in, beat them up and then offer to protect them from bullies for protection money paid every week. Sadly, with the religious zealot kooks that hear voices telling them who to kill, it won't be long before they turn into yet another terrorist nation. It's a terrible shame given all the Americans who died there for no pay-back. For a while, the Curmudgeon believes that the world will be a tad less threatened by terrorist muslims coming from this country, but he's pretty sure that the evil-doers using Islam as an excuse are planning and conspiring right now. Iraq has oil resources and controlling them means completely controlling the Straits of Hormuz. Iran will then have a very large bay to park all of their military toys. Given that Saddam kept up with the WMD hints to keep Iran from attacking (and to his detriment), there must have been quite a threat from Iran prior to the US invading Iraq. He bluffed so well that Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Ted Kernnedy, John Kerry and many other Democrats called him a major threat to the world saying that he needed to be dealt with specifically for his ignoring the world's demands regarding his WMD. When Bush finally did invade, ALL of those aforementioned jerks made a HUGE about-face. And they are all on video making speeches about taking out Saddam! The liberal population just ignores this very obvious detail. How is that even possible?

The next time we have to go back to Iraq, we're going to have to use bigger bombs and worry a lot less about collateral damage. The politically-correct method is going out the window on the next go-round. It costs too many American soldier's lives and too much money.

It's only a matter of time.

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Twin Cities at it Again - Sulfide Mining

2011-12-14T21:34:00.004-06:00

Some outfit called the Curmudgeon yesterday with a number of topics and did so with what appeared to be the questions they wanted for an opinion poll. After two questions, it was obvious that there was an agenda in the way the questions were presented. They threw a few in to make it sound like they are in the center of public opinion. The importance of waste reduction, using legacy funds as they were intended, and blah, blah, blah.. It was ConservationMinnesota.org and the questions were geared towards garnering a strong public reaction on the main topic : sulfide mining. It was a complete, slickly worded set up. The way they worded the questions would easily take a flaming liberal and give them the answers they were seeking. Later on, some poll will come out taken in NE Minnesota by a "completely fair and balanced" organization in which the data will prove that Minnesota doesn't want evil sulfide mining. Then the Fiends of the Boundary Waters, the Sierra Club and Conservation Minnesota and point to and say "SEE!!!" One of the questions was worded something like, "do you think sulfide mining where everything might die is still acceptable for Minnesota?", Please rate it 1 to 5 with 1 being you most agree that it is acceptable and 5 being that it is definitely NOT acceptable. The Curmudgeon gave them a 1.

So, the Curmudgeon went off to research this wolf in a sheep suit. Wouldntcha know it; the entire board is made up of white guys and women who live in the Twin Cities. It looks like many of them are highly trained, Wharton School of Business types who have turned their efforts to saving Minnesota from businesses making profits. The ironic part is that many of the impressive board members all have, or had, high-powered jobs either currently or in the recent past with major, for-profit corporations. And now, after they made their fortunes in the cities while spewing massive carbon footprints, using cellphones incessantly, playing on their iPads, attending events and important meetings with their Volvos and Saabs, enjoying central air conditioning in the summer, they've found religion. They now serve on the board to save the state from corporations who want to make an evil profit just like the companies they work for and who writes their paychecks. Normally, the Curmudgeon would just let this go as yet another liberal wack-job group wrought with irony and hypocracy. However, after participating in the intentionally weighted phone poll and reading their website the Curmudgeon decided to opine.

They want us to sign a petition to ban the sulfide mining which is an open pit in the Polymet deal nearby Aurora, MN. They also make reference and take advantage of people who can't comprehend what they are reading and that would describe many, many people. They lump the planned underground mine south of Ely in the same reference as open pit mining. Being highly educated city people on a mission to save us all, they are surprisingly ignorant about what they are saying. There's positively no shock with that. There are SO many Twin Cities educated intellectuals who don't know the difference about the points they are referencing. This is from their legislative action page:

Sulfide Mining Must Pay Up to Clean Up
Recently, Conservation Minnesota came across some disturbing news. Several companies are trying to open sulfide mines in Minnesota. Glencore owns a majority of stock in PolyMet and its project in Hoyt Lakes. Glencore has hired former BP CEO Tony Hayward to oversee environment, safety, and clean-up operations. BP was responsible for the worst oil spill in the nation last year.
Sulfide mining is already like nothing we've ever seen in Minnesota. The technique extracts copper, nickel and other metals from open pit mines usually located under or near lakes and rivers. Around the nation and the world, it has created an environmental catastrophe 100 percent of the time. In Wisconsin, taxpayers are stuck cleaning up a mine that's been polluting the Flambeau River 13 years after it closed.
Now, Governor Dayton and your legislators need to hear from you.
We share Lake Superior and the Boundary Waters with other states and with the rest of the world. We can't just turn the future of these treasures over to someone like Tony Hayward and hope for the best. Tell Governor Dayton and your legislators that any company doing business in Minnesota must prove it can and will adequately protect our lakes and rivers from toxic pollution. It's our responsibility as good neighbors and it's the legacy we must pass on to our children and grandchildren.

Notice the use of buzzwords used to rally the troops. Who couldn't agree with that? Stop mining, go after corporate profits. Clean up the world and make Earth a better place. Be a steward to the land.

The Curmudgeon HATES Tony Hayward from BP. He's a prime example of how not to lead in a time of great crisis. He shouldn't even be allowed back in the US for the terrible job he did. But the Curmudgeon doesn't have much use for Gov. Dayton either. Conservation Minnesota also chooses to remind us of the Gulf oil spill for which President Obama did absolutely nothing to help. The way Obama was handling the Gulf disaster and the fact that all the envirowackos were saying nothing about his dereliction of leadership is why this very blog took its shape. The Curmudgeon does not remember seeing anybody from Conservation Minnesota down there making noise in the Gulf. There was not one peep out of the Sierra Club, the Fiends of the Boundary Waters, the Issac Walton league and on and on. But they are all up here stopping everything in their private playground. Just like the electric cars they drive - there's no pollution with their car so long as one develops amnesia as to where and how the power is generated. That's convenient.

If you more carefully read the above quote, you'll note a major flaw in their buzzworded statement that would indicate that nobody there actually knows anything about the mining subject other than they-want-it-to-stop-because-they-know-best. After reading the pedigrees of these highly-motivated power players, it is obvious that they are interested in winning far more than presenting any facts beyond buzzwords.

How does one have an "open pit mine under a lake or river? It reads "metals from open pit mines usually located under..." . So, with all those Wharton School of Business MBA's plus expert, seasoned city lawyers on the board; nobody there noticed what the Curmudgeon picked up having earned merely a business degree from UMD - a public school? Well, apparently when you live in a citified ivory tower and govern from afar like these folks, an obvious blunder such as this is more understandable. Lofty goals are what they seek.

One of them said they prefer their cabin to their city home. Wonder if they might be one of those many from the Twin Cities who come up to northern MN to cut all the trees down to the water's edge for that unfettered view of the "wilderness". What was their carbon footprint when they were building their cabin? Was all that heavy equipment used for their site prep all running on hybrid power? Nice that they can afford their home plus a fancy "cabin" with maybe three bedrooms, a grand room, a kitchen with granite counter tops and a large chandelier. So you know what the Curmudgeon is talking about, take a boat ride around any of the non-BWCA lakes of Ely. Visit the lakes where a gargantuan outboard motor is allowed and see how many concerned city folk like to waterski and go boating. See how the neighbors are doing. The "cabins" owned by Twin Cities intellectuals are rather astonishing. And, they sure do like to show it! When they go home, they work on denying open pit mines that usually end up under lakes, somehow. Lets put it this way, if it were 100 years earlier and these same people were present, they would have stopped all the iron ore mines in Minnesota as well. They really don't care. They have their great city jobs and wonderful "cabins" in the north country. So long as their butts are full, that's all that matters. Just quit with this phony altruism already. Like union reps, they take care of #1 first and by any means necessary.

Their goof was trivial, the gentle reader might say. It was a typo, an oversight. Really? Or is it much like the Curmudgeon said starting with the slanted phone poll they were taking yesterday? Is it designed to incite or to present all of the facts? "Almost" all the details are given to the easily inflamed using buzzwords and vague generalities. There is no mention being made of the state permitting process and the stringent restrictions of the year 2011, not 1974.

Every time there is a liberal involved, they are attempting to manipulate everything to their advantage. It's not about the environment - it's about winning.

CC

Time Magazine: Man of the Year is a Terrorist

2011-12-14T08:43:00.003-06:00

They sure do make it easy not to read or subscribe to that moronic waste of paper. How come the environmentalists aren't protesting the amount of paper and toxic chemicals Time puts out every single week? We always hear "stop logging, save a tree". How come we never hear "Stop buying Time Magazine because they cause major pollution for no real purpose?"

They put the face of a suicide bomber on the cover. The terrorists are the most influential people of 2011 as determined by their intellectual editors.

Protester - the Curmudgeon's butt! The whole world is going to crap and the lib's are reveling in it like they are kicking back and watching Les Miserables. The revolution starts and ends all in about two hours with colorful characters and then we all feel great about it and go home to our brave new socialist world. Well, not all of us are so happy. Lending credence to protesters and their last several picks for Man of the Year show exactly where the "intellectuals" of Time's editorship stands. Yes, it's all about the "influence" they've had on the world the Curmudgeon understands. Does Time ever move to "help" the country? Of course not, because THIS is Time "journalism" - stir the pot , give them credibility - lots of "news" will come of it.

http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/celebrities/135570258.html

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The Lunatics are in Charge of the Asylum

2011-12-13T09:06:00.002-06:00

How come the Curmudgeon never had to endure these discussions and be constantly fed some wussie's whine about his or her "identity" When he was a young Curmudgeon, we had two teachers who were thought to have been interested in the same gender. Sure there was some snickering and sneering discussion from time to time among some of the more cruel, stupid children, but an adult should have been able to take it. These two teachers were not openly playing tonsil hockey, nor were they making a scene. They really didn't bother anybody and nobody (of the people who mattered regarding their employment, not the stupid kids) seemed to bother them as they taught in the Ely School system for many years. As a result of their acting normal and going on with their lives, the Curmudgeon does not remember any of the students making a gender-attraction switch. No one appeared to be "indoctrinated" or encouraged to do anything other than get through school. Now, the Curmudgeon says no one "appeared" because nothing unsual comes back to memory regarding this teachers.

It sure as HECK wasn't like today with all these friggin' gay militants and there sure was no talk about gender identity issues and all the other crap that today's kids are being submersed in to try to get the future laws changed to the advantage of a minority group.

Whatever happened to just getting school completed? They used to have math and English, and speech, and history, and geography and typing and shop. Now they have "gender identity" support groups and "fat kid groups" and "participation awards". Regardless of gender attraction, the fruitcakes who are now in charge - well, you can see why Congress can't figure out what to cut from the budget. The Curmudgeon is starting to think that maybe we should stop advancing medical breakthroughs that extend human life. It's getting time to cull the herd. Boy, that's depressing.

http://www.startribune.com/local/north/135484948.html

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In the US this is called Homeopathy

2011-12-12T22:32:00.001-06:00

Better be glad you live in the US where complete and utter quackery is embraced and a booming business.

They stone 'em to death in Saudi Arabia, but the funny part is that they actually believe it is "sorcery". How can they (and many other parts of the world) be that backasswards and still know how use a cell phone, the internet, nuclear bombs, a Mr. Coffee, etc?

It's astonishing to the Curmudgeon that we can live in 2011 and still fall prey to a magician's slight of hand, a con man's grift and a fake healer who was a "sorceress" in the simpleton parts of the world. In the US, we constantly allow ourselves to fall prey to voodoo medicine by practitioners who really know how to keep you coming back for adjustments on problems that will heal all by themselves with just time on the patient's side.

Then, there's the use of magical machines (biomeridian and lots more) where although proven to be complete quackery with not a stitch of scientific method being used (they just make it all up), patients are "treated" and cured even better than what the Mayo Clinic would be able to do. Heck, good medicine is SIMPLE! MD's are ALL crooks and all about overcharging their patients with no hands-on practice that so many of us apparently crave. This is fertile ground for quacks. With very little difficulty, they find somebody desperate or in need of attention to their problem for less money, and use a machine that looks scientific and give them a great sales pitch. All they need to do is be somewhat cheaper than modern medicine, make a great pitch full of buzzwords that apply, and they've got a client. Make them feel just a little better via placebo effect and they are yours until they die from the cancer they were diagnosed with originally.

If these practitioners were in Saudi Arabia, they'd all be burned at the stake, or shot, or stoned, or left in the desert, dragged behind a camel, etc. Ironically, they would not be killed for quackery, but instead, sorcery. That's how friggin' dumb they are in that part of the world. They actually believe there is magic in the sales pitch.

So how does one deal with a country that is ruled by a monarchy and holds vast wealth and the world hostage while still believing in ghosts, magic and spooky stuff? With a little research and investigation, all of the sorcery this woman committed could have been brought out to prove that it was just a clever con to part victims with a lot of money and no brains, from their money.

Sorcery in modern times! Whoda thunk!

http://news.yahoo.com/saudi-arabia-executes-woman-convicted-sorcery-132159048.html

Ouch! A liberal must have stuck a pin through the stomach of a voodoo doll that looks just like the Curmudgeon. Or, it's gas...

CC

AquaVu 740c AV, Micro AV, Cubby Jigs, and Ice Fishing Bass

2011-12-12T21:14:00.010-06:00

On Sunday, the only day we are closed at Red Rock in December, the Curmudgeon took advantage of the unseasonably warm (38 deg. F) weather, and got a snowmobile started. Then, after picking up underwater cameras to test and a new Marcum Showdown 5.6 Dual Beam digital flasher, exactly 5 lbs. of new3 ice fishing lures, and getting dressed for the event, we headed out to the lake and the Curmudgeon's dad's permanent shack.

AquaVu Micro AV

AquaVu 740c AV

The first place we tried yielded only small perch but we were able to test out the new AquaVu Micro AV pocket camera and an AquaVu 740 C which is a spiffy new LCD color camera. The last time the Curmudgeon used an AquaVu was quite some time ago, and the clarity back then was OK at best but grainy and feeling really "Chinese" in overall operation. Back then, it did an alright job but it wasn't stellar by any means. Well, fast forward to today and, WOW(!), things have changed. The LCD monitor's color and clarity made it clear to the Curmudgeon that he ain't in Kansas anymore. Beautiful picture, great color right down to the tackle being jigged so a Gapen's Red Ball Jig looked like a red ball. That was the 740C. The only two criticisms the Curmudgeon had for the 740C was the absolute lack of anywhere to hook the camera cable to so it would not keep landing in the mud below. The Curmudgeon forgot to bring along a Marcum Camera Panner (friggin' awesome tool!) so he struggled with the cable but made due. The other small gripe s that AquaVu used a super-clear, hgh quality Sony HAD camera that is based on a 4:3 ratio aspect. When you project that image on the monitor which is a 16:9 capable screen, this makes the Curmudgeon's butt look one ax handle wide and all the 4" long perch below look like tuna. So, if you want a true picture of the Curmudgeons's butt, and perch that look like a normal-sized perch for this area, you need to go into the menu (easy) and select the 4:3 monitor setting. Sure, it makes about one inch on each side of the monitor unused, but who cares? The picture quality was so excellent, the Curmudgeon found that to be a really minor detail. If you are the type to get all bent out of shape for this piddly detail, get a Marcum camera but it's going to cost you about $300 more.

After growing tired of perch jerking with no signs of predator northerns in sight - our real goal for playing with the perch, the Curmudgeon and his dad packed up the permanent shack and turned it into a portable behind a Skidoo Skandic. It was hard to get going as there was a half inch of light snow on top of smooth ice, but we made it to one of our favorite winter ice fishing spots on the other side of the lake, hoping to find largemouth bass which are large and often cruise below.

We drilled a test hole and decided to see if we were in the right spot and not right on top of a thick weed bed which makes for hard fishing. Dropping the tiny camera down the hole, the Aqua Vu Micro AV showed us in excellent color and clarity, that we were in the thick of the weeds. So move about 75 feet away we did, to deeper water and we drilled another test hole. Dropped that handy-dandy little micro only to see bass swimming in to look at the little camera. We hit pay dirt! Silhouettes of bass were in all directions. This was the spot. We drilled the holes inside the shack got situated and dropped down with the cameras. During struggling with the cable on the 740 C, the Curmudgeon dropped a Gapen's Red Ball down the non-camera hole. Suddenly, while not paying attention to the rod, the there was some light downward tension, very slight and then it became negative tension. Drop the camera into the mud below and set the hook. Wasn't really ready for this and a significant fight ensued. It was a big fish and the Cumudgeon's hookset was poor at best. Got him just to the bottom of the hole, enough to see belly, fins and tail drive past with power and out came the Red Ball Jig with no fish in tow. It looked to be about a 4 lb. largemouth. Woohoo!

So, back to fiddling with the camera, the Curmudgeon saw a nice school of large bass circling below. Maybe 12 to 15 of them. Dad put down the Micro AV and was able to clearly make out the same fish on that little screen. (Pretty amazing actually!) Once adusted, the cameras allowed us to see bass silhouettes for more distant fish and then we were able to see largemouth and small mouth all hanging out together. That's how it always starts - you get 'em all hanging out together for long winters under the ice and before you know it you end up with a whole bunch of medium-mouth bass.

Anyway, for the next two hours they came and disappeared ignoring our offerings until the Curmudgeon put on a Cubby jig. Apparently, the entire state of Wisconsin is Cubby crazy and in Minnesota, nobody uses them. Cubbies are a bluegill/crappie jig with this tail for which EVERYBODY makes on all sorts of knock off jigs trying to replicate their fame. At least all of them appear to be similar. However, Cubby tails are actually patented. Sounds goofy until you watch them on an underwater camera. Unlike other jigs with look-alike tails, Cubbies have a unique design that vibrates and looks alive if you've had just a little too much coffee. Making them tremble with trepidation is really easy. Trepidation means that poor rubber lure is really, obviously, worried. All you have to do is try to hold it still and that tail vibrates like it's alive. When no bass were around, the Curmudgeon would jerk the Cubby harder like a 3 year old seeking attention. Then, when the fish would appear, stop jerking and watch as a big bass takes three swipes at the Cubby with his mouth barely open. Every time he bumped it and passed, the Curmudgeon would go into coffee-shaking mode. On the fouth pass, he just barely sucked it in and the Curmudgeon waited a half-second and set the hook. Buried the small, aberdeen hooked jig in his top lip.

Having only a light action, 24" St. Croix Premier rod and 3 lb. fluorocarbon line, meant this fish would need to be able to run and after several really strong pumps downward, the bass took off with a run under the ice for about 40 feet. The drag was singing and the line cutting hard into the ice when the fish doubled back much more tired. Of course, then he had to head right for the camera cable. Not knowing what to do, the Curmudgeon just kept tension on the line hoping that the fish would untangle itself. Usually the Curmudgeon just loses the fish at this point, but the bass, with constant tension on the line, worked around the cable and headed towards the hole unfettered. With the bass nose in the hole, the Curmudgeon reached down and grabbed the prize by the head and pulled him out. Nice largemouth! Throw him outside and repeat the process for a second similarly sized bass. The fillets ended up being over a 1.5 pounds. Fish two nights in a row fried in Goose Antler Lodge breading! Strange name but very good, thin, crunchy breading in the Lemon-dill flavor! The Curmudgeon can't wait until this Sunday. He's going to be testing some new colors in the Cubbies to see if that makes 'em bight faster because bass can be a little sluggish in the winter. It's a dirty job...

That vibrating tail sure does move well. The guy who builds Cubbies is constantly fighting the reasearch and copy machine in the ice fishing world for patent infringement. He should. It's a great lure. It's somewhat embarrassing that Wisconsin is beating Minnesota in cool jigs - but we'll catch up.

Never did get to test that Marcum Showdown 5.6 Dual Beam. Next Sunday...

CC

PS: If somebody tells you fish are afraid of canoes with aluminum gunwales due to noise, you can ask them how it is that with a gas motor trolling in open water, or a gas auger buzzing a hole through 8 inches of ice, there are still fish hanging out and biting directly below all the ruckus. Sure, fish can be spooky, but the occasional clunk on an aluminum canoe gunwale is totally insignificant. After you watch wild fish on an underwater cameras for as many years as the Curmudgeon has done, you realize that they were put on the planet for humans to eat. Not much for brains down there.

Fears the Iranians will be spreading US Drone Tech

2011-12-11T21:50:00.002-06:00

No kidding! You don't say!

The Obama administration appears to be waffling about whether or not the US drone has info that the Iranians can and will spread around the globe to help disable the Great Satan (that's us for you libs out there and being called a "Great Satan" is a bad thing even if you are an atheist).

Iran is not the drone back and they won't tell us how they caught it. Nooooo. You don't say! Obama had the recommended choice of destroying the drone or just doing a "Jimmy Carter" which is "nothing".

When it came time to make his final decision, he voted "present". BHO chose the Jimmy Carter route because he was afraid that dropping a cruise missile on the drone might be considered an act of war with the gentle Iranians. Hmmmm - Lessee here....the Iranians have already declared that Obama's act of flying a drone over them is an act of war. So, Fearful Leader, it appears we're already there. Soon the Russians and the Chinese will be there with us after reverse engineering all the secrets inside that drone. You just KNOW with all the chatter, that they did not destroy the guts of the machine. We didn't have anything to lose with the blow-up and now we have something kinda important to lose in that intact drone with no built-in fail safe.

So, Obama can blow up suspected al Qaeda monsters in Pakistan - and brag about how he "took out" 23 out of 30 terrorists, but he can't take out OUR OWN, non-human drone in Iran. Now, that's what the Curmudgeon calls "leadership". How liberals can defend this sort of left-insane "leadership" as acceptable is beyond the Curmudgeon.

So how many Americans will now die in the future as a result of the current inactions of our president? All we get out of this incompetent individual is perpetual campaigning and more "shoulda, woulda, coulda". If a golden retriever runs for President and he looks like he might take out Obama, the Curmudgeon is voting for him. Lassi would never screw up like this. Heck, neither would Flipper for that matter, or Gentle Ben.

CC

Fast and Furious - A possible reason

2011-12-09T21:02:00.004-06:00

The Curmudgeon was sitting around thinking about why Fast and Furious ever came to play with Eric Holder and Obama. The Curmudgeon believes without a doubt that Obama knew all about this fiasco involving US sponsored, tax-payer based gunrunning into Mexico. This is all a scam coming from the enemies of all things good: the left.

Obama in his initial running for the US Senate was all about banning guns. He supported putting serial numbers on bullets and eventually squeezing the ammo supply down to nothing so our guns can become expensive clubs. This was a major part of his platform. We haven't seen or heard much by Obama regarding guns, lately. Trust the Curmudgeon, that will be saved for Round 2 of the Omananation if he wins a second term.

For now, he attempted (via Eric Holder, his appointed, loyal, lefty minion) to make it so that guns would flow freely into Mexico. Then, after they used those American supplied guns to shoot up innocents on both sides he was planning to use the extreme gun violence (that he actually and literally financed) in Mexico to show that the US is responsible for all the gun problems in the world. He would use that "evidence" to show all of us (who didn't even know about the idiotic, careless plan) exactly why we need to give up our hunting and target arms or face federal penalty. If you think for one minute that he's changed his mind and is going to slack up with the anti-gun/anti-hunting crowd, sorry but you may be delusional or an ordinary liberal. He's going to keep trying to make criminals powerful and honest people weak which is what he and Eric Holder proved by setting up Fast and Furious. The Curmudgeon believes that only a narcissistic, liberal ideologue could allow such a ridiculous plan to take place with no concern for those innocents on both sides of the border.

CC

CIA Contacts Red Rock for $18 Million!!!!!!!!!

2011-12-09T12:14:00.002-06:00

From the Director of the
Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA)
1400 Defense Pentagon,
Washington DC 20301-1400

United States of America
Date:17/11/2011

Clarification of your payment valued $18M,

We are very sorry as We are not supposed to get to you via e-mail but due to time factor, We know It's very certain that this e-mail will get to you as a big surprise but do not worry , I am quite convinced that you have received dozens of such e-mail in the past which you have classified as one of those fraudulent e-mails that you receive from different people in the time past.

Well this is the Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA) in conjunction with the World Bank and Department of Barclays Bank as the payee bank.

Base on the recent economic crunch that is hitting the global century we have decided to embark on the way out to save our sinking nation in the little way we can, as well as to save our economy mess to help bring more funds to our great country as to have good circulation of funds in other to help our BANKS.

In recent research we found out that you have an on claimed contract/inheritance payment with the British Government that has been due for payment for long ago , after series of consultation with their Ministry Of Finance(M F ) we where told that you have made several attempts to claim this fund through their apex bank but all to no avail but I have a good NEWS for You.

After long tech-ate c the Ministry has agreed to pay you 10% of your funds which is the total of $18 Million through their reserve bank in London. We were also made to understand that a lady with name Mrs. Joan C. Brain from OHIO has already contacted them and also presented to them all the necessary documentations evidencing your claim purported to have been signed personally by you prior to the release of your fund valued at about US$18,000,000.00 (Eighteen million united states dollars), but the Barclay's Bank London office did the wise thing by insisting on hearing from you personally before they go ahead on wiring your fund to the Bank information which was forwarded to them by the above named Lady.

So, that was the main reason why they contacted us so as to assist them in making the investigations.

So at this junction, you are advice to contact the said bank immediately you receive this mail. The British Government said this is the Little way they could only support the new Elected President to achieve this goal to stop the Economic Problem by all of us saying yes we can. Below is the contact of the Bank, You are to contact them Immediately:

Name of the Bank: Barclay's Bank London UK.

Foreign Remittance Department (BARCLAY'S Bank London UK)

EMAIL: barclaysbank1940@gmail.com.
Tel: +447045760948

You are advise to contact the Bank immediately with the information below:

FULL NAME......................
ADDRESS:......................
TELEPHONE AND FAX..............
YOUR OCCUPATION................
YOUR AGE.......................

YOUR BANKING DETAILS WILL ALSO BE NECESSARY FOR BANK TO BANK SPEEDY WIRE TRANSFER OF YOUR FUNDS INTO YOUR ACCOUNT.

Finally you are advise to comply to the rules of the bank to ensure a fast transfer of the said fund to you so that together we can all say,[YES WE CAN].

YOURS FAITHFULLY,

Robert Michael Gates

Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA).
1400 Defense Pentagon,
Washington DC 20301-1400
United States of America

Response:
WOW! Is the THE Robert Gates? You are FAMOUS dude! I can't believe that you are taking time to email us personally! Thank you so much for your service to the country. Only one question I have: How could you be SO stupid to fly a drone over that muslim hell-hole Iran and NOT put a fail-safe in the drone just in case it accidentally landed behind enemy lines? I mean - don't you feel kinda stupid that your guys would make a $6 Million dollar drone and you couldn't blow it up remotely. Like, did you think the drone was infallible? Or did it fail because you put a bunch of Chinese parts in it? These are rhetorical questions.

Call us for details about sending us the $18 million. My people will talk to your people.

Keep up the great work!

Joe
Red Rock

PS: One final note You are the CIA, man. You should already know my age.

Where is the FRIGGIN' FAILSAFE?

2011-12-08T15:52:00.000-06:00

Boy, that's been working out well! As Americans, we've never qualified high enough to look at "Top Secret - Classified" materials or CIA toys. We might let the cat out of the bag. The enemy might get a hold of us and bribe us or torture us to find out the information. So, it's Top-Secret all the way at the testing over Area 51, scaring the locals, and keeping every last one of us unqualified, loose-lipped Americans out of the loop. We're just civilians, you know. We couldn't possible be trusted to NOT impart secrets.

So what do they do? They drop a drone in the lap of the WORST animals on the planet to now be shared with the world and the Chinese and the Russians, and terrorists worldwide.

Where was the part that makes our toy go boom in the event that Iranian rats might catch one? How come the Curmudgeon finally now gets to see one of the super secret drones courtesy of the Iranian cockroaches of war and the internet? Why are we not able to watch as Iranian technicians get blown to kingdom come instead of wandering around and helping all the rogue parts of their nightmare world with secret information?

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/envoy/iran-releases-images-downed-u-spy-drone-171144210.html

Man, this kind of government failure sure does infuriate the Curmudgeon. And it should do the same to you. Unless, of course this was like Eric Holder's Fast & Furious where we spend a lot of money, break a whole bunch of laws, and get innocent people killed on both sides of the line for some cockamamie plan to catch bad guys by throwing weapons at them. Then, he pretends he didn't know anything about it. It's a lot like liberals throwing money at welfare recipients and nothing else. No wonder why it never gets better with liberals in control of the reigns. Here's some drug money - don't spend it all in one place.

The Curmudgeon could be wrong. Maybe the drone was a $6 million dollar Trojan Horse. It's monitoring the stinky Iranians right now, prepared to strike at a moment's notice. If that was the case, perhaps we could have sent the $200 stryofoam mock-up instead. Oh, that's right. We don't need to cut; we need to raise the taxes on the rich! That'll make everything all better.

Yeah, more government involvement is very helpful.

CC

Pushing the Agenda in Communist China!

2011-12-07T23:07:00.001-06:00

You KNOW the end of the world is coming when the Chinese embrace the "agenda" for penguins. Supposedly, one of the the penguins is the fish-winner and the other keeps the 'berg in order. When they hire a baby-sitter, they both like to go out shopping for 840 thread count Egyptian linens, edgy home decor and colorful bowties.

That poor chick is going to grow up so confused. What next!

Brace for Article Here

CC

Bachman and the Eight Year Old

2011-12-07T22:46:00.004-06:00

The Curmudgeon neither cares about Michelle Bachman nor the continual gay agenda. That is never the point when it comes to using an eight-year-old kid to deliver such an adult-themed message. The little kid was instructed by his gay mom to go up to Bachman and deliver the mother's position. He said this in front of rolling cameras:

"My mom's gay and she doesn't need fixing."

So is this proper? Should an adult parent take her own child and remove his innocence in favor of her own attractions and desires? Regardless of who or what she is attracted to, the Curmudgeon wonders what the HECK she was thinking? Sure, lady, your agenda is important and you really need to change the world to get it done. Do you have to drag your little kid into it? What next? Are you gonna show him how to smoke a doobie telling him some BS about it's vast medicinal properties? Just pick him up and drop him into the adult world so you can get your own point across.

The Curmudgeon is getting sick of this constant, all-important, agenda being forced upon us. Heck, you can't even turn on Glee without watching constant same-gender-tonsil-hockey when all the Curmudgeon wants to hear is the music. Seriously, who wants to watch constant opposite-gender-tonsil-hockey? Yes, we know how it works. We don't need any more lessons. These are supposedly highschool kids. So much angst, confusion and really tight clothes. The Curmudgeon must be really out of touch - is that how they dress today? Somebody needs a good, swift kick in the ass -maybe several around the parking lot. The Curmudgeon thinks we need to start with the parents first. What the HECK is wrong with you people?

Making an eight-year-old make political gay statements in public. Yeah, lady, you are a REAL hero for your cause. You're a SUPER loser for your kid. No wonder why so many of today's boys are such confused wussies. They don't know where they fit in anymore.

Got Back from the St. Paul Ice Show

2011-12-06T22:10:00.004-06:00

The Curmudgeon was glad to be back. The St. Paul Show is a fun show with a lively, rabid crow of ice fisherman wandering through in droves with a record turnout this year.

The Curmudgeon brought along one of the newest and coolest ice anchors called the Valhalla Ice Lock

This wicked looking device is an ice anchor that you use to secure your flip-over portable fishing shelter or pop-up shelter from zooming down the lake and into Canada when you least expect it.

To use this device is pathetically easy. Drill your holes THROUGH the ice for fishing where you will be needing them to fit in the floorspace of your flip-over or pop-up. Then, drill one more hole outside of where your shelter will be set up but only 6 inches down into the ice - not through the ice. This is your ANCHOR point. You take the spring-loaded Ice Lock and insert it into the dry hole that you just drilled. It slides in and bites the walls of the dry hole you drilled. If you pull on it, it bites the walls harder and more securely. This is just not hard to figure out. Secure one end of a longer bungee cord to the top hole of the Valhalla Ice Lock and the other end of the bungee cord to the corner of your tent or flip over. The whole process takes 5 seconds at worst. Now that it's anchored, when you set up your pop-up, you don't have to worry about it blasting down the lake at 50 mph after it slipped through your butta finghas. This is neither difficult to understand nor hard to do, or so the Curmudgeon thought. Clearly, the Curmudgeon inaccurately held the ice fishing world in much higher intellectual regard.

The Curmudgeon saw this neato ice anchor and figured that the ENTIRE ice fishing world being comprised of men who wear belts and think wearing crotch-dragger pants is beyond stupid would instantly get it. They also don ball caps with the brim forward, have a knife on their person, aren't afraid to touch a fish, aren't scared of the cold, etc. Well, lets just say the Curmudgeon was lured into the false belief that these city men who know how to dress properly in public and go ice fishing actually possess some semblance of mechanical aptitude. Wow - this event 'splained a lot!

With Valhalla Ice Lock on table along with other ice fishing goodies, they began to stop almost immediately. With complete, utter fascination, and curiosity they queried, "What is this?", to which we responded hundreds of times that it is an ice anchor. About 1/8 of them visibly had the "lights go on" as the confusion made way to guarded revelation. Then, 400 times more of "How does it work?"should have been the sign for the Curmudgeon.

The Valhalla Ice Lock is made out of 1/8" thick plate steel. It has what appears to be 4 aluminum rivets that are capped off on one side with plastic caps to finish out the accessory. Judging by the thickness of the metal alone and the ice anchor's less than 1 lb. of weight, it should be pretty obvious even for a complete bird brain to figure out that this would not be considered "heavy" equipment. So, here is the list of memorable questions that "men" should be able to figure out all by themselves. They were completely incapable of doing as such. The Curmudgeon STILL can't believe that men who go ice fishing lack so much in mechanical aptitude. Maybe 6 guys out of several thousand could figure the Valhalla Ice Lock out instantly. This explains why we consistently field some REALLY unbelievable questions at Red Rock. This also explains why ice fisherman suffer carbon monoxide deaths, fall through the ice, drive on too thin ice, and float away on ice flows when they could see that was going to happen. When reading the questions, pretend you are hefting a Valhalla Ice Lock while querying.

Can this be used to pull a 4 wheel drive, 3/4 ton pickup out of 14" of slush?
Is this for pulling your 4-wheeler out of the lake when it goes through the ice?
Could this be used for pulling a car out of ditch on the highway?
So, if you shove this completely thru the icehole and open it under the ice, how do you get it back out?
Well that thing is stupid. You have to get your entire arm wet to use it?
Is this a mouth spreader for like muskies and big northerns?
Is this (really flat piece of metal that is obviously made for digging into ice) a canoe anchor and how would you get it out?
What is the load capacity of this? To which the Curmudgeon answered "the weight of a flipover or pop-up in the wind - that IS the total load capacity. Then the confused looking guy suggested that the Curmudgeon did NOT understand the question and then said he was trying to determine if this anchor could be used to pull his truck out of slush. Noooo! The Curmudgeon had not heard that one yet!
And, the best question presented by a fat guy in all seriousness as he held up the Valhalla Ice Lock: "Can this be broken?", to which the Curmudgeon replied in less than friendly terms "Seriously; do you know of anything that cannot be broken? Do you think that ice anchor is made out of beryllium and being flown to Mars on the next mission? And, if it were made out of beryllium, would you be able to afford it?"

Of course, at this point, he stared at the Curmudgeon with mouth agape in total confusion, set down the Valhalla Ice Lock and walked away. 400 more just like him followed. At one point, the temptation to tell some of the ice fisherman that they are banned and order them to leave the table was very tempting. Unfortunately, if the ice anchor challenged would be banned, there would have been only about 6 guys left at the show.

Zounds! That was an awesome event. Now we know how Obama got elected.

If you can figure it out after ALL this explaining you can order one here

It's really good to be back in the woods.

If ever there was reason to NOT vote for Obama...

2011-12-06T20:45:00.000-06:00

The Curmudgeon does not really care about the GLBT silliness where more and more of them are trying desperately to lobby for their cause. Everybody has a battle to fight somewhere about something. What bugs the crap out of the Curmudgeon is that NOW - when the US is facing dire consequences for the fact that we have worthless, spineless ineffective, greedy and just plain dumb politicians - we are using our US Foreign Aid dollars to fight for gay causes abroad.

Any liberals, regardless of sexual orientation or gender issues simply must see that this is not an appropriate use of money - any money- right now!!! For this kind of silliness -improving acceptance of gays abroad - Obama keeps beating the drum about increasing taxes on the rich and making them contribute "their fare share". If there were any reason to impeach Obama, this would be it right here. Dereliction of duty to the United States. We have to raise taxes to pay for this? And the Super Committee couldn't find anything to cut...

If you are liberal and can't see this inappropriate use of monies during difficult times both now and ahead, you are completely beyond dumb. You should be banned from voting in any election ever again. How many thousands more inappropriate uses of tax payer's money are being poured down the drain by Obama himself? And they couldn't find anything to cut.

http://news.yahoo.com/us-foreign-aid-promote-gay-rights-164944423.html

And, guess what? The article is NOT from Fox News! You KNOW it's gotta be good and fair and balanced and safe for simple liberal minds.

CC

Simple Math is not for liberals, apparently

2011-12-06T20:39:00.001-06:00

BHO has been saying over and over that billionaires were only paying 1% income tax. He was making a big deal out of it to the obviously highly educated union grunts and students sitting in the room. They were nodding their heads and bracing for the media-promoted, class warfare coming down the pike for the rest of us. And the Curmudgeon remains positive that NONE of them understood why they were agreeing with BHO. The Curmudgeon is pretty certain that any and all brain-wave activity shuts down with the well-used, liberal "tax the rich" mantra.

So here's a pass/fail test so nobody feels denigrated by only getting a C or a B-. Nobody should ever be better than anyone else.

A Multiple Choice Online Test for Liberals

1. If you could force somebody to give you their stuff, which would you rather have?
A. 1% of $20,000,000,000
B. 25% of $28,000 and a brand new Toyota Prius with a dashboard GPS.
C. A pretty bouquet of pastel colored balloons

2. Which amount sounds like more when taken completely out of context and used to placate liberal simpletons?
A. 1%
B. 25%
C. Math is hard

3. When tax percentages are converted to actual dollar amounts, who pays more?
A. Rich guys with a 1% income tax
B. Poor guys with no jobs, no income, lots of hope
C. Gay guys with continual, never ending agendas
D. Occupy members on the union payrolls and living in tents
E. Environmentalists who consider the BWCA as only THEIR cheap vacation place
F. Pretty Flowers on Tuesdays in the springtime

4 . How many workers do poor guys hire - ever?
A. None
B. 1 or 2.
C. Many
D. Chocolate Cake is delicious

5. How many liberals can actually do simple math in their heads?
A. None of them
B. Three of them
C. Only Paul Krugman but he no longer believes in 'cipherin' reality

6. When will the media present the "1% of a lot - 25% of nothing " scenario to Obama?
A. Next week
B. Never
C. When Obama gives the OK. The art of manipulating simpletons (highly educated and otherwise) is all about the timing.

This is a self-graded test. Remember not to make fun those among you who had a tough time with this test. We should all be equal in every respect and we should all share everything. Even diseases.

CC

OK, Government Workers.....?

2011-12-05T15:22:00.002-06:00

Iran has captured a super-secret drone from the US. It is being confirmed and now unconfirmed by the US military. They don't know where it went or so say the current articles

So, you mean to tell the Curmudgeon that the idiots in charge of doing "super secret stuff" didn't build into the drone some super secret chemicals that completely dissolve the guts of the drone so they can't play with the innards? Or, how about putting enough C-4 explosives or whatever "super secret" crap the Curmudgeon is sure they now have, to blow the drone to smithereens and hopefully take a few Iranians with it?

How is it possible that the higher-ups in government did not plan for a hostile takeover of our "super secret" toy in the event of a malfunction or a shoot-down? In WWII the SS muckity-mucks in Germany had cyanide capsules sewn into their cheeks - in case they were captured. How come they could plan and our current rocket scientists did not? Let the hand-wringing begin and then bring out the RQ Drone version 7.3 because the old 7.2 now has hackers playing with it.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/05/us-military-sources-iran-has-missing-us-drone/

No one would EVER capture our stuff? That's right up there with saying that no one could ever beat our military because we are so good so we should make cuts and decrease it's size.

Unbelievable.

CC

Brumby Burgers - Mmm, mmm, good!

2011-11-30T12:06:00.002-06:00

It's only a matter of time. When we leave the woods after months of never setting foot beyond Ely all winter long, we'll smell that delicious waft of barbecued brumby floating through the mall parking lot in Duluth. Mmmmm - Come over the rise heading down towards on the Miller Hill Mall and you'll just know that that seared odor of deliciousness might be a grilled brumby. Or stop in and place an order at Bar-B-Q Barney's for the BBQ Baby-Back Brumby Ribs, Brumby Brisket, and Brumby Boil! The brisket just melts in your mouth!

So many enthralling dishes delivering that veritable "party in your mouth" are just down the road as a few more hurdles with the government hacks the trail to protein. Soylent Green is not that far off now that they are allowing the Curmudgeon's friend Flicka to grace the dinner table and cars everywhere with burgers across the country. Harry's Horseburgers...has a ring to it.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/11/30/horses-could-soon-be-slaughtered-for-meat-in-us/?test=latestnews

CC

"Thinking" of ordering Ice Fishing Gear?

2011-11-28T17:45:00.001-06:00

If you are just now getting around to "thinking" about getting your ice fishing gear here's an eye opener.

Lots of gear is just about sold out right now.

Getting more in stock is already becoming a problem for us dealers. The Curmudgeon just talked to the nice lady in Customer Service at Frabill to order some 38" Medium Ice Hunter Rods because we've already sold out of our stock on hand. Guess what? She said it's "awfully late to be ordering ice gear right now" and they did NOT have the rods. The Curmudgeon ended up ordering the LAST FOUR 38" combo's (rod and reel) they had in stock and will part them out if need be.

This is only one tiny example and the big examples are starting to pile up. Eskimo is sold out of the Fatfish pop-ups, and with the exception of the ones earmarked for Red Rock, very few other dealers will be getting many more. We are expecting another several pallets of Eskimo Fatfish pop-ups to get here maybe tomorrow. Bobcat is plugged in and ready to go. Hopefully, nobody pilfered the pile before it got on the truck. That's happened before. Last year, Nils master Ice Augers that sat on a loading dock for one extra day disappeared. They weren't stolen in the traditional sense. A store somewhere out east knew somebody at the warehouse and the warehouse guy gave them our entire order. We're guessing he was paid off. By the time everybody figured out what happened to all of our augers, it was too late. Somebody swiped the whole thing and that was that. Some of our customers who'd been waiting didn't get their augers as a result. It's a dog-eat-dog world in ice fishing. Who would have thought...?

So, the Curmudgeon can't pound this in hard enough - if you want it, or if you see a really great deal at Red Rock, take it!!!!! It won't be there forever and then you'll be wondering why you are stuck with old, worn out gear for the rest of the winter. In case you haven't noticed, winter is coming in kind of slowly, but it is coming!

Get your ice fishing suits, ice augers, pop-up ice fishing shelters, and accessories nailed down, now.

Winter ice fishing season is the most glorious time of the year! Try not to miss any of it!

The Curmudgeon just got a tip about tulibees and crappies whapping the snot our of Lindy's tiny little jig pack with all the tiny tails. He can't wait to go the minute he can get out on the ice!!

Lindy Ice Jigs Here

They were smokin' these jigs and really aggressive on Birch lake all winter long. Hopefully we'll have decent ice and we can get out there. No limit and taste delicious smoked. You can even fry the smaller ones. C'mon cold weather and no snow!!!

Here We Go Again - Studying More Wolves

2011-11-28T16:00:00.000-06:00

Sure, this wolf has had an amazing journey, some 700+ miles. Everybody's all a-twitter! Oh, HOW exciting!!! It's inspirational - Why?

From the article, we now know that most of these lone wolf adventures turns out to the wolf kicking the bucket all by himself, and once and a while they start a pack. They've known that for years. So, what's new and inspiring here?

OK, since we already know about the challenges of the lone wolf, what good does further study provide for us other than giving city-dwellers and 14 year old girls something exciting to talk about? Before you know it, they will be naming this particular wolf and giving him a Facebook page.

It's all just a big waste of money as far as the Curmudgeon is concerned. This is right up there with the "Bill Mason Style" of paddling a canoe. We don't know why we do it, we don't know what benefit is gained by the silliness of it all as it renders a canoe worthless for hauling anything more than your butt. but we STILL need to find out more!

Same thing goes for studying animals like timberwolves and black bears. The bears are all over the place and the wolves have come back full strength and then some but we still want MORE studies! And for what? We have more wolf tracks in the yard at Red Rock than any other animal. We don't need one more minute of study no matter how warm and cuddly it makes the Walt Disney world feel. There's not shortage of wolves anywhere and they are causing problems. The Curmudgeon does not care if we are learning to live with them. They seem to be doing just fine on their own. The strong survive and eat people's pets. The weak die off.

Bears are nowhere near ever going extinct. Now, monitoring these animals for disease or illness would be part of management, but it sure as heck doesn't have to be a full time adventure for all the US Wolf Researchers on federal payroll. Can't one biologist study more than one species? Does everything need to be THAT specialized for animals which are in abundance?

But, so long as the study is exciting for some particular group and you can talk about what the wolf "feels" when he's making decisions, studies will continue to burn up government financial resources. It's getting kind of absurd. Maybe we should send out a government team of biologists to study Yeti sightings. We could really burn some cash on that.

http://news.yahoo.com/wandering-wolf-inspires-hope-dread-094012216.html

CC

Stocks Soar after Black Friday

2011-11-28T15:06:00.000-06:00

Today's article:

Stocks SOAR after the holiday sales kick-off! Yayyyy!!!

Tomorrow's article:

Stocks plummet after Italy sneezes! Boohooo!

The Next Day's Article:

Stocks Skyrocket after Mcdonalds Sold One Billionth burger! Yayyyyy!!!

The Day After That:

Stocks Bottom Out on Canadians Developing Heartburn on McDonald's Burgers! Booohooo!!!

The Day After That:

Stocks Go Offworld with a Gasoline Price drop of 2 pennies! Yaayyyy!!!!

The Day After That:

Iran Really Was Flatulent - Stocks Tumble to New Lows! Boohooo!!!

And on and on and on.

The Curmudgeon is beginning to think that we really need not worry about the Occupy Wall Street protesters.

We have enough idiots ruining Wall Street already. Can you imagine what it must be like to panic and react sharply on every single change the very second it occurs? We're up - NO, we're down, NO we're up, NO we're down! You get to the point where you just don't really care anymore. It's all meaningless regarding the markets. The next new meaningless area of news reporting - health: Salt is bad for you. NO, Salt is good for you! Drink Coffee! Stop Drinking Coffee! Drink Wine, Don't drink Wine! Eat Celery - Celery is full of toxic chemicals - Don't Eat It.

Just ignore it all and work to CUT the funding of all the government agencies and government scientists and grants to universities who keep putting out these insane studies. Don't buy stocks. They don't know what they are doing. Why waste the money on do/don't-do contradiction which cancel each other out. It's all BS. Go eat something in moderation, and if you die, you die. Sheeesh!

CC

Gov. Brownback from Kansas Needs to Grow a Set

2011-11-28T08:59:00.008-06:00

The Curmudgeon can't believe that a state governor would dignify an off-tone criticism by a teenager by having his henchmen contact the school and find the girl who did it.

The Curmudgeon's prediction: Guess who's going to be apologizing when this is all said and done? It's not going to be the 18 year old with the trash talk.

http://news.yahoo.com/teen-tweeter-wont-apologize-kan-governor-230737888.html

She was angry because they cut the state arts program due to lack of funding which means the girl is a typical, ideological student with no clue as to how the world works - in theory anyway. But, for all the Curmudgeon knows, Kansas maybe cut the arts and the governor's cronies all got a whopping pay raise like they are doing right now in California. They cut their MediCAL program and all the government staffers then got a $16,000 pay raise so the some of the California state staffers now earn $180,000 per year!!!!! The Curmudgeon gets ticked just reading about it! So if Kansas did something like this and cut the Arts funding as a result, well, Guvna Brownback really deserves a negative tweet.

Regardless of what occurred, Gov. Brownback's people really need a bit more common sense. Apparently, power has gone to their heads enough that they can't even see the "freedom of speech" part in the girl's tweet and her school should have backed her up and used the moment as a lesson. They might have pointed out that she should have been less undignified in her choice of words. But, being scared, over-paid lackies of the higher-ups as are the majority of government employees, they caved in and then trampled all over the girl's rights as an American.

Just because they are Republicans doesn't make it right. Republicans should know better.

CC

Eskimo Fatfish Pop-ups and Nils Master Augers

2011-11-27T18:11:00.000-06:00

We're expecting more Eskimo Fatfish series pop-up ice fishing shelters to arrive this week If you have not purchased yours yet, do so soon. Our first order has been just about sold out and several have been sold on the incoming second order from Eskimo to Red Rock.

Also, we see this every season and this year is no different. You know right now that you're going to want a Nils Master power ice auger or just the hand unit. Well, guess what? They've been selling pretty fast and this is your hint: Order Early if you plan to use one this winter. Buy early, we mean now - this week.

We have all sorts of ice fisherman who think early ordering for Nils augers is mid-December, but you guys are coming in under the wire if you are able to get in mid-December. The same goes for the Eskimo Fatfish pop-ups and Striker Ice Suits.

redrockstore.com will be at the St. Paul Ice Fishing Show this coming weekend. Stop by the booth and check out our Valhalla Ice Locks. Buy one and feel like a Viking! Not the football player, a real Viking dressed in a Striker Ice Suit standing next to your Eskimo Fatfish 949i and your Nils Master Auger. Don't forget to pick up a Red Rock flyer!

http://redrockstore.com/Catalog/index.php

CC

Sandusky and Other Molesters

2011-11-27T15:50:00.006-06:00

The Curmudgeon was reading bits and pieces of the whole Sandusky/Penn State thing. From what he can see and has read, it doesn't look good for Sandusky and all those involved who did nothing or tried and then quit apparently due to the famous, important perverts involved. Granted, this is not a court and all the evidence has not been aired, all the witnesses not brought forth and the Curmudgeon is not even remotely close to an attorney other than he can spell the word attorney.

That being said, if the evidence presents that Sandusky is guilty of molesting just one child, our court system should get rid of the silliness of prison time and the notion of rehabilitation. There should be a fast track to the death penalty for all offenders such as he allegedly is. Spend about $10 on ammo and assemble a firing squad, cut the cancer off the world and dispose of it. The Curmudgeon is sick and tired of the perverts and weirdos allowed to live among the rest of us. Based on Dru Sjodin and the Level 3 offender who was released from prison (Alfonso Rodriguez, Jr.) only to molest and kill again, the Curmudgeon believes that there should be no place or rehab allowed for monsters like these. Sure, they haven't found murder in Sandusky's line up just yet, but he's allegedly right up there if found guilty as far as the Curmudgeon is concerned. Rodriguez is in federal prison awaiting the death penalty and will probably die in prison before it's carried out and at a cost to taxpayers of about $20 million. He was a monster initially on his first crime and one of the worst kind on his second go-round. There should be a fast track to death for him and all molesters whether they kill or not. To put any little kid through something like that is horrible in any case, but particularly so when the molester is in a position of authority or power. Coaches, priests, school teachers, it doesn't matter to the Curmudgeon. Those kids look up to authority figures who twist and warp their reality. Sure, a quick death will not deter other perverts from rising up and committing horrible acts, but it sure as hell means a reduction in recidivism if at least by one monster. Dru Sjodin might still be alive today and as oblivous as ever if Rodriguez had been killed and buried in a swamp after his first attack on some other poor soul.

So, let's get rid of the bleeding heart liberals out there who protest and carry on at the prison gate whenever bad people do evil things to innocent people and are sentenced to death. Keeping these evil bastards alive in prison means they might escape, they might make parole, they might figure something out that allows them to repeat the whole process again. Dead men don't re-offend. Authentic sex offenders need to be fast-tracked to a firing squad, regardless of their race, color or social standing. DNA evidence, eye witnesses under cross-examination and the most vigorous defense should be enough. And common sense needs to apply. A 17 year old boy and a 16 year old girl may not qualify. There needs to be judges and prosecutors with the brains, courage, and common sense to stand up for what's right. Yes, the Curmudgeon knows that there are always gray areas and that is why we have courts and supposedly wise judges working for us. However, for the black and white cases, defining the type of molestation that affected ten year old kids - that's purely asinine. All of it's bad. None of it's good.

But what about the caveats? The molester was found guilty but has a family. The molester was found guilty but has a psychological problem or was molested himself as a child. Sure it sounds cruel, but we need to break the chain and stop the cycle whenever we can. Counseling sure doesn't appear to be working all that well. Child molesters seem to be crawling out of the wood work. We should skip counseling and pull the trigger. Start thinning the herd. When timberwolves have a weird wolf in their pack, they kill him, eat him and move on. They solve the problem.

Compassion is the trait that separates humans from most animals. It's time we let our inner-animal out on the bad guys. Even animals don't act like this. Start removing the monsters, now.

CC

We Have Proof - Obama Wants to Retire for Certain

2011-11-26T21:33:00.000-06:00

BHO wants to be done. The presidency is too tough. He's sick and tired of all the details. Reading the teleprompter is no fun anymore. He's decided to get out of the business. It must be time for Michelle to be earning her keep. Barry is gong to become a house husband with a presidential retirement package for about the next 40 years or so.

How does the Curmudgeon know these intimate details and decisions?

Easy - read this headline

CC

President Riles Critics - Critics are a Little Goofy

2011-11-26T09:59:00.005-06:00

Yes, you read right. The Curmudgeon is coming to the defense of (GASP!) Obama.

Obama left mention of God out of his Thanksgiving speech. The whole world is now coming to an end; at least for some.

The Curmudgeon doesn't care what your religion is, nor is he against you practicing it. This country was founded on religious freedom. Do what you you want. But, it was also founded on the phrase "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness". When you combine religious freedom and the LLATPOH part, that means leave the Curmudgeon alone. He's doing what makes him happy and you do what makes you happy so long as we are not infringing on each other. Now, obviously, the way this doctrine is written, it subjects all of us to all sorts of interpretations and potential arguments because what makes you happy, might be the act of making sure that you bug me about "finding Jesus" or saving the Boundary Waters from any infraction, or joining the climate team to "save the planet". Ironically, finding Jesus, saving the Boundary Waters, and saving Earth is pretty intangible. They've got a 2,000 year old book on Jesus, the BWCA is already defined by law, and what we do today theoretically affects Earth 100 years from now so we won't be even around to see our efforts in play. They are all about the same. The hard-driving members of those "Find/Save" teams are all wackos to the Curmudgeon. He doesn't need to be pounded constantly by somebody who claims to be some sort of expert about some intangible subject. He has his beliefs and they have theirs. Shut up and leave the Curmudgeon alone unless you have some solid, unmanipulated evidence to back it up.

Obama was making a fluff, play-nice, speech to unify and sooth during a holiday season. So, in this speech, he didn't say God. Those muslims who are fanatical murderers say something about God every time they kill an American and then they break for prayers five times a day with their AK's right next to them. They are trying to cram God down our throats or kill us if we don't agree. They don't believe in religious freedom, they believe in religious power which has nothing to do with religion or God. It has everything to do with controlling the masses through fear of the unknown. "God" is their twisted excuse for their barbaric behavior. So, when you hear God mentioned by muslims, do you feel better and safer? Do you remember all the good things God does when a muslim tells you all about it? The point is, do you have to always hear about God from somebody else to remember who put us here? Most likely not if you have some semblance of a brain.

So, in a rare moment, the Curmudgeon says to cut BHO some slack on his speech. He can't help it that he is a politically-correct, extreme-left liberal who probably actually does believe in God himself. For fear of not being all-inclusive and potentially offending idiots such as Bill Maher and Christopher Hitchenson, BHO left God out of the speech because he's a wuss and constantly pandering to the liberal loons out there. For the rest of us thinking conservatives, we really don't need to hear the word God to know that God exists. We also don't need anything pounded into us by christian evangelicals who act a lot like muslims (minus the constant, never-ending, killing) regarding God.

We want life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We're conservationists, not envirowackos. We believe in real science and the scientific method, not quackery and make-believe. We believe in a society run by a democracy, not a theocracy. You can't allow what you can't see, touch, or feel to completely tell you what to do. That leaves a lot open to interpretation and corruption. We certainly can have faith and faith can help guide us. Some of us don't need faith to be moral. We can tell right from wrong all by ourselves.

Unfortunately, perfectly controlling all these factors of a free society is impossible. Responsible adults don't need to hear mention of, nor do they need to fear God to know right from wrong. Irresponsible adults won't be moved by anything they hear, that's why they are irresponsible. Heck, irresponsible adults don't even keep up with current events and things that actually matter, and there are millions of Americans (mostly in California and Canada) who are like this. Getting all bent out of shape and piling on Obama because he didn't mention God in his speech, is pretty silly.

Obama's speech affects no one other than romantics who want to feel all warm and cuddly inside - you know - liberals. The mere mention of God would have wrecked their day....wait a second....why, that no-good, %$###@%! He left God out of the speech deliberately to attack conservatives!

Start piling on Obama!

CC

Fin Bore Ice Augers

2011-11-25T15:19:00.007-06:00

The Curmudgeon went to Canadian Tire, Canada's premier website for ice fishing after reading the rumor-mill about Fin Bore augers and how "they are the same thing" as Nils Master augers. The Curmudgeon noted that the VAST majority of ice fisherman completely lack observation skills altogether.

Just by looking at the picture, a visually-challenged, elderly, female, librarian could see the differences between Fin Bore and Nils Master. Here they are in a list for those of you who are not librarians:

Fin-Bore blades are essentially Strikermaster Lazer Mag style BOLT-ON blades with each requiring 2 bolts.
This auger has about 2-3 flutes (spirals) total depending on how you count them. Swede-bore has 3-4 flutes and basic, straight Mora blades on it. Not even close.
The handles have bottom flares to allow for exerting downward pressure just like a Strikemaster Lazer Mag auger.
The handle is height adjustable must like any other cheap auger. Even though they all copy each other, this is always a sales point - "Adjustable Height Handle!".
The flutes are the same diameter as the outer edges of the blades.
The handles are not offset - there is a dead giveaway in itself.
If you buy a Fin bore, you are pretty much buying a Strikemaster Lazer that's been painted blue. This is not even close to a Nils Master no matter how the misguided spew baloney onto the ice fishing forums.

For a Nils Master Auger

Nils blade is a cutting head - all one piece with no bolts that have to be driven through the ice chips as you turn.
A Nils hand auger has about 6-7 flutes that lift more chips out of the hole but in a smaller lighter quantities which is less tiring to use. You are not drilling a hole and lifting a lot of snow at one time which is what conventional hand augers do. Less flutes carry more ice chips in bigger quantity upward. More flutes placed closer to together lifts smaller amounts but lots of them. That's a Nils.
There are NO flares on the bottom of the hand grips on a Nils. You don't push the auger down. Let the blades do the work for you.
No height adjustable handle. Nobody ever really messes with the auger handle height.
The Nils handle folds for transportation and is OFFSET. Both arms do the work and there's noting to lean on like with a Fin Bore or a Strikemaster Lazer. You don't need to lean when you punch a hole through that fast
Nils flutes are smaller than the outer blade diameters. That way they can't bind on the side of the holes like a Fin Bore/ Strikemaster Lazer.
If you own a Nils Master, you have the faster hand auger made. If you own a Fin bore, you own a Strikemaster Lazer.

To put it all into perspective, (and you can call it hype and a sales pitch if you want, because the Curmudgeon does not care if you don't want to believe it) Nils Master 8" hand auger is about equivalent in speed to a 5" Strikemaster Lazer hand auger in speed. The Curmudgeon knows what he knows. If you don't believe him, he can't help you.

The Faces of Occupy

2011-11-25T08:25:00.010-06:00

While there are some normal looking ones out there, the Curmudgeon likes these and feels they represent the movement more clearly and precisely.

Here's a good lookin', obviously very employable feller hangin' in a tree...

Here are the People's Library Books. Wow - makes the Curmudgeon want to put on gauntlet rubber gloves and dive right in. These books, when in the hands of hippies who want everything to stop for the "better", look a lot like the books you find in the public-tax-dollar libraries all across the nation. Yeah, all those public books look like garbage as well, neatly stacked and organized by real people. Too bad we can't bring our entire country down to the level of the Occupy mongrels.

This is horrible. Adding all that spicy goodness to a bunch of worthless, bad-tasting, pizza toppings. Hey, when a cop tells the Curmudgeon to move, he moves. Huddling on your butt is a pretty ineffective, undetermined, lazy way to get anything done. Just because Ghandi laid down in front of the horses doesn't mean that tactic will work again especially when everybody has seen the incredibly boring, 3-hour movie. Hey, look! Here comes the cop who told us to move with the pepper spray. Lets all stay and shut our eyes. How bad can it be? Waaaaahh! The cop sprayed us! POLICE BRUTALITY! EVERYBODY ATTACK THE FIRST WOMAN DEAN OF THE COLLEGE! If the cops where smart, they'd have sprayed them with deer scent and set them all free in the woods to live out their lives among the male deer.

A wildly attractive Canadian woman. The Curmudgeon had no idea they had a Wall Street and a financial district in Toronto just like in New York. Some people apparently like to protest. Their otherwise boring lives are too dull.

Gosh- they look a lot like the Fiends of the Boundary Waters who frequent Ely and protest everything and anything or withing 100 miles of the Boundary Waters. Stop the cell tower NOW! They always have the scraggly, scrawny REI look about them. Gotcher sandals - check, gotcher nylon windpants - check, gotcher old wool clothing - check. The guy with the flag doesn't even know which country's flag he's carrying.

We should be able to bust through this line. Put on your sandals and rasta hats and we'll storm that gazebo! Looks like Red Rover with guns.

See? Act like an animal with a mask and they put you in a kennel for a time out.

It's like, I don't have a job. Got no valuable education. I do like laying out with a few doobies however - and reading Nietzsche, or at least the cover of Nietzsche so I can impress the chicks down here, you know?. I used to work the cardboard box press at the grocery store, man, but I quit that job to come down here and see what's shakin'. Like, I got paid $50 to protest by some union dude and he said there'd be free food. Peace out, dude! Life is good.

Live music and meditation with a wool beanie. That should solve this mess.

Wow! Somebody went out an bought a brand new Eureka tent. Eureka is owned by Johnson Corp. who also owns Old Town Canoes and TONS of other outdoor products since as far back as the early 70's and maybe longer. Ironically, Johnson is a HUGE, PROFITABLE, CORPORATION. This all leads to the Curmudgeon to say that the Occupy protesters are complete and utter idiots. They support the corporation they want to destroy. We need to brandish stronger pepper spray.

If you are that old and that dumb to go play with a pile of mental cases and you get caught up in the pepper spray, you really get what you deserve. Based on how the younger idiots are holding her up for display (and proof of police brutality) the Curmudgeon assumes that she is part of the stupidity. In that case, Grandma got spiced with the rest of the idiots.

Here's what the boys of Occupy are really after! Most men don't get caught up in "equality" protests and other girl-gripe activities. Heck if the Curmudgeon were young and stupid, he'd probably be waving signs as well! Free food AND chicks! Maybe not the one on the right, however. She actually does look a little scary and maybe ornery, too. It's probably just digital distortion from the camera.

Got the knit hat on, got the gloves, serving free food. Nothing wrong with that. Kind of like the Salvation Army because you just know that a bunch of folks having dinner are not yet part of the movement. With the exception of the Salvation Army and a few other reputable, committed charities, everything else has strings attached. Wonder who paid for the food?

See all the pics here and write your own commentary

The Curmudgeon looked for the Occupy Ely tents yesterday. Couldn't find any...yet.

Turkey Bux Sale is ON Today - Happy T-Day!

2011-11-24T07:55:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all the readers of the Curmudgeon and their loved ones. Wishing you all a safe and enjoyable holiday....yes, and that includes all the liberals.

Throughout the day today, if you have time and would like to knock off some shopping from your own home, thereby avoiding crowds, traveling, and sticky little kids while still getting great prices, check out the sale we are having online. Order today, and we'll be shipping it out on Monday!

Turkey Bux Discounts are available until 9 PM tonight. Click Here to see the discounts and coupon codes.

Have a great, unpolitical day; unless, of course, you find political arguing cathartic. In that case, knock yourself out!

CC

Government Interference Again - Airlines

2011-11-22T20:02:00.001-06:00

The Curmudgeon used to like air travel, but with all the searches, pat-downs, and x-rays, the whole "air travel thing" has somewhat fallen out of his favor.

A report just came out the other day about the airlines pulling in $3.4 billion in fees for checked bags. That's TERRIBLE! Those greedy, rotten, SOB's! The nerve of the airlines trying to make money in the face of high fuel costs, high overhead, and high everything.

So, you don't like the fees? Don't fly. You HAVE to fly? Then pay the fees. It sucks to be you right now. If you'd rather not pay the airline's prices, get your own jet, your own airport, your own security, your own stewardesses, your own fuel, baggage handlers, tower, and on and on and on. Or, drive and really stick it to them.

The Curmudgeon feels that propane prices are too high so he burns wood to supplement. This is not hard to understand. For business people, flying is the cost of doing business and a necessary pain, maybe. For business people who need to meet, there's now iMeet online. Screw the airlines yourself. We don't need the government helping us set things right.

If everybody is so upset by the high cost of flying, why are they anticipating packed airlines for this Thanksgiving? Those aren't business people and they sure as heck aren't letting the cost of flying deter them. Do you HAVE to go home on T-Day? How about if you go the next weekend and hold T-Day a week late? Turkey doesn't taste as good if it's a week late? Maybe not all of the relatives will be able to gather together a week later. Maybe that's a good thing. Also, think of all the crowds you could avoid.

So, why does a flaming liberal Democrat from Lousiana feel we need to make yet another restrictive law that tells airlines to not charge for one checked bag? Heck, why doesn't Sen. Mary Landrieu tell the airlines to make tickets free? Government clearly knows best and the Curmudgeon is pretty much convinced that 98% of all Democrats are clueless in all things business. Unless you are into some sort of short-selling, buying high and selling low always seems to fail. Perhaps this is only true for the Curmudgeon.

Remember when the boob-extraordinaire Jimmy Carter set the prices that the gas stations could charge during the Arab oil embargo? Let's see here - what did those evil stations do? Did they go out and buy more gas to then sell it at Carter's price which was lower than their cost? Apparently, clueless Democrats felt that they would do that. In reality, they closed their doors and the cars of every major metropolis backed up for miles. There was plenty of gas - no shortage anywhere. The only reason cars ran out was because a ridiculoulsy liberal Democrat was pandering to the people to cover up his own massive shortcomings in management and foreign affairs. Man, did he suck.

What next for the airlines? Maybe a limit on how much they charge for sandwich components? Force them to add one more piece of cheese at no extra cost? How about letting the free market determine how much cheese ends up on the sandwich? Maybe competition would ultimately decide the layers of stuff between the bread instead of the government who doesn't even know how to buy muffins, let alone tell someone how to make a sandwich. The airline with the better sandwich gets more passengers. The airline who throws in one free piece of luggage gets more business. The airline who gives free booze would really get busy. Maybe a free toaster with each ticket purchased would help.

We sure as heck don't need a liberal Senator dictating how the airlines do business. If you don't like it, man up and tell the airlines. You don't know how to send an email or write a letter to the editor in one of those - what do they call them? - newspapers. Or really stick it to the airlines and stop flying. Or eat a lot right before the flight so you weigh more and cost them more to fly your newly fat butt to your destination. That'll show them. Ultimately, competition will always arrive at the lowest price for the best service. After they've all made some money to bandaid all the losses they've had over the years, they would have started throwing in your luggage for free all by themselves as they start fighting for marketshare. This is nothing new. It's called competition and it always ends in prices being slashed or services being enhanced, or a combination of both. It all depends on their financial situation and the state of the economy. The Curmudgeon participates in this exact game every day that he gets up. The parameters and time may vary, but the principle is always the same in a free market. This is basic economics and apparently there are not a lot of liberals in economics except for Paul Krugman and he is a complete and utter lunatic regardless of his education level.

Let the market decide and you can help by participating in the solution yourself. Gripe, complain, stop flying or whatever. Don't go whining to clueless Mary Landrieu who is simply using her way-too-much-power to pander for votes. What a complete and utter hack.

CC

Duluth's Occupiers - LOL

2011-11-21T18:16:00.000-06:00

The Curmudgeon just saw a newscast of the Duluth, MN Occupy movement who is now fighting to keep one tent on city property against the local ordinances. All 8-10 of them are upset because to keep a tent there would require a permit at a cost of $150 per day. The reason they can't stay is because they do not have the proper insurance indemnifying the city. All the scruffy students looked a little confused and dismayed when a city councilor came down to tell them the news or lack thereof.

But the REALLY entertaining part was what the newscasters called a campfire. They had a pretty hot fire - in a cheap wheelbarrow. The Curmudgeon noticed that the tire just clears the metal of the bucket of the wheelbarrow by about 2". Wonder if the smell of burning rubber signifies anything significant while they are on the protest?

The president of the Duluth City Council is supporting the Occupiers right to protest from 6 AM to Midnight every day. The number of Occupiers appears to be dropping and the guess is that it will no longer be about anything significant other than who could stay outside the longest this winter in Duluth.

Smokin' tires and other stuff since August 2011.

CC

Super Committee Fails

2011-11-21T12:18:00.001-06:00

So, what are we paying these guys for?

So what would happen in the real world if somebody magnificently failed at their assigned task?

How come we can't just fire these guys and find better ones?

Is anybody out there with a brain even noticing the crappy job these fools are doing?

Or are you all playing on your iPhones, Facebook and World of Warcraft? Maybe watching some football, catchin' the game.

No worries. We'll all be just fine.

Someday, we'll see.

CC

Canada: After 100 year of ignoring the High Arctic

2011-11-21T08:28:00.006-06:00

After ignoring the High Arctic which is sovereign Canadian territory for 100 years, the Canadian military has put out a $500K offer for someone to come up with a battery powered / gas powered, super stealthy snowmobile. They are NOW concerned that entities from the other side of the globe are trying to take over their part of the world most likely for gas and oil exploration.

Guarding their territory is fine. But, battery operated snowmobiles that have a gas motor as well? The Canadian military has far too many children apparently running it, nowadays. With the exception of cordless drills, the Cumudgeon has noted that Li Ion batteries in large sizes do not exist affordably anywhere. The current ones you see in the market today come from the cleanest place on Earth called China.

And after you get a snowmobile engine and Toyota Prius battery strapped on to the hybrid snowmobile, where does the driver sit? How much will it weigh? What if you bury that monstrosity in slush? They'll need Canada's finest helicopter to get it unstuck. Where will the Canadian military mount the Canadian ray gun? And, what happens to batteries that are moderately weakened by use in super cold temps? They go to crap rather quickly. Where do they recharge it? The Curmudgeon offers many questions, with doo-diddly for answers. This is what happens when the whole world is connected by Droids and feeling - not being- powerful.

$500K is not going to produce anything more than a big box of Duracell Double-A's taped together and a really long, retractable extension cord that won't shatter in -50 below F and colder. It'll be like a snowmobile on a tether. You can drive it in circles around the post it's tied to and anchored in the permafrost.

How about installing satellites, radar, camera surveillance, and outposts, instead? How about flyovers with jets with high powered cameras? Regular armed patrols with regular snowmobiles - there's a thought. Make your presence be known? Turn the lights on. Get a yappy dog. Play a radio loudly. Just listening to the boring, state-run, CBC will stop the enemy dead in his tracks. Then, there's always torture by the insipid Red Green show.

What a goofy idea. But, the Curmudgeon guesses that the Canadians can dream, eh?

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Iran: Whatta Great Place to Be

2011-11-20T21:54:00.003-06:00

The presidential press adviser of Iran was sentenced to a year in jail by the monsters in charge there because he said that a particular woman's black get-up was imported and not of Iranian design from the get go. For that, he goes to prison and then is banned from journalism for three years.

http://news.yahoo.com/iran-presidents-press-adviser-sentenced-143043095.html

Maybe Jon Stewart or Bill Maher could take his place. There is a job opening and they say the pay is pretty good. You also have a captive audience who is required to hang on your every word or else they get hanged by the neck until dead. Top it of with a whole bunch of Americans who seriously believe that these two comedians are journalists and they'd fit right in with Iran.

Which brings up another rhetorical question: When sentenced to the gallows officially, why do they say you are to be "hanged by the neck until dead"? Is there a list of other possible outcomes in a death sentence? How about other ways to hang? You are to be hanged by your left ankle until you barf. You are to be hanged by your earlobes until you fit in with the Occupy Wall Street group. That in itself would be a lot like dying a death by a thousand cuts. The sandals, the bongos, the stench, the Rasta beanies, the entitlement attitude. Such a great, productive group. In Duluth, they are packing up for winter. Of course, one of them HAD to be wearing a muslim terror scarf wrapped around his neck. Just get him an AK and he'd blend right in Iran.

The Curmudgeon wonders what the Iranians would do with the Occupy protesters? Oh, that's right. They would summarily hang them by the neck until dead. Heck, they locked up a guy for saying that a design of apparel was adopted by Iran and not an Iran-original. One of their gay designers was really offended. Oh, that's right, there are no gay designers in Iran. Ahmadinejad made that perfectly clear a long time ago. It's only a western "thing".

The Curmudgeon just heard about a really beautiful waterfall along the Iranian border in the lawless Kurdish country. Sounds like a great hike! Anybody up for a go? Just make sure you have a half million US dollars in a savings account BEFORE you go. Remember to bring your bongo, your sandals, and your free-and-easy nature. It'll be swell!

Use you as a political pawn? Nah. Who'd do such a thing to purveyors of peace and feelin' good in the neighborhood?

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Giving the Innocent Sandal a Bad Name

2011-11-20T11:13:00.019-06:00

MADISON, WIS. -- Veterans of Wisconsin's year of political turmoil and recall like to say that this is what democracy looks like.

In the Capitol rotunda one day last week, Chris Reeder stamped out a beat with his sandaled feet and led a rousing chorus of "Roll Out the Recall," while joyful demonstrators danced polka turns under the majestic dome.

http://www.startribune.com/politics/134186908.html

Why is it that every friggin' protester ALWAYS has to be wearing sandals? OK, maybe not all, but the loudest and dumbest of the group so often seems to be sporting sandals, sometimes wool sox with sandals, scraggly hair, a knit beanie (in 85 degree F heat), tatt's, a mangy beard, and multiple piercings. Then, there always seems to be a bongo drum somewhere in the crowd. Is it because along with their complete and utter lack of skills and ability to do anything but protest, a bongo is the only instrument they can play? It's pretty basic. If you can keep a beat, great. If not, great.

On a lighter note, the Curmudgeon sees that the Washington DC Occupy contingent is planning on staying there for the winter in their tents. A camera crew donning gas masks and rubber gloves (maybe a hazmat suit or two), went in to interview the youts who were planning on staying there until spring to make their point. One scraggly-bearded, wool, Rasta-style-dirty-knit-cap-wearing "brave", "courageous" and particularly "stupid" Occupy idiot was showing his plans to the camera. To keep warm, he and his possibly disease-ridden tent-mates are planning to use his propane heater. You know the type - an infrared, dual "sunflower" type that mounts to a 20 lb. propane tank that he's going to keep in the tent with him. Looks like he stole if from his dad's garage assuming he had a father and wasn't conceived in a test tube. Anyway, the Curmudgeon took note right away that there is an extremely good chance that the unit he was using was NOT a low-oxygen-shut-down model. No sensor. Smoke a little crack, shoot up a little crank and fall asleep in the warm goodness of your tent and it'll be lights out forever. Hopefully, there will be somebody digging the gravesites before the ground freezes or they will have to be kept in frozen storage until spring like in Ely.

If they were ice fisherman, they'd know of a case or two where a couple-too-many beers in a really warm house causes a permanent nod-off when heating with a non-shutdown-type, non-vented heater. Everybody has one and everybody misuses them. Every year, the Curmudgeon talks to countless ice fisherman who DO NOT know this. Directions on the box? Warnings? We don't need no stinkin' warnings! Never had to worry before! Apparently, carbon monoxide was less lethal back in the good old days. So, there are fools in the ice fishing crowd as well, but at least they died fishing with purpose, not "occupying" for no definitive purpose.

We'll see how this winter turns out. If they had any applicable skill, any basic knowledge of anything that really matters, they, and the camera crew filming, would be saying, "Whoa! You sure you want a 20 lb. tank of propane with a dumb heater on top, no vents, cranking out about 15,000 btu's in this 7 foot X 6 foot Sierra Designs tent? While you take a nap?

The Curmudgeon is doing nothing to let the idiots know about bright red fingernails from monoxide poisoning. No need - all the 20-somethings out there know everything already. We've been listening to their wisdom all Fall.

The Darwin Awards are right around the corner and somebody has to be the big winner. Why not be it several Occupy idiots? They need to feel good about winning. Weren't they the ones who insist that everybody needs to win in some new sort of socialistic sweep? For this particular event, the Curmudgeon couldn't agree more and will be an honorary socialist. The world will be a better place if they win the Darwin Awards hands down-and as a very large group. Apparently, keeping warm in a tent full of carbon monoxide is more important than saving the planet from the big corporations. But wait - what about global warming?

Watch the news. The Occupants of Thunderdome will be holding Thunderdome-style funerals all winter long, or maybe, they'll just decide to let the bodies lay out and freeze for easy pick up by the DC sanitation crews.

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