Category: Guest Contributors

Guest Contributor – Chemist – 02SEP2022 – Green Fantasy

photog Chemist, Fake Science, Guest Contributors , , ,

I confess I am mystified by Germany and the rest of Europe’s attitude.
They earnestly believe that burning fossil fuels will warm the planet and lead to global Armageddon. Well, unless those fossil fuels come from Russia. Then it is somehow OK.

Nuclear power plants produce zero CO2 and, if done right, are the safest of all power generation methods. (The US nuclear fleet has a perfect safety record going back over 50 years.) Oh, but Japan had an Earthquake followed by a tsunami which caused the pumps to fail at a nuclear plant leading to (Checks notes) zero deaths?
Never mind the fact that Germany is not on an ocean and is not subject to tsunamis, they decided to shut down all of their nuclear plants.

So they put all of their resources into Chinese made solar panels and windmills. Again, the fact that these items are only made by burning tons of fossil fuels (most far dirtier than European fossil fuels) is somehow ok.
They did this knowing that there was no way these “Green” methods could serve their needs. I guess the plan was to make up the difference with that “Green” Russian natural gas which they would still be happily buying if Vlad hadn’t had the bad taste to invade Ukraine.

Tucker is right. They will freeze. The question is – how many governments will fall>

Guest Contributor – TomD – 13AUG2022 – MCCarthy and McConnell

photog Current Events, Guest Contributors, TomD , , ,

Tom | Flickr

TomD

If the Republicans prevail in the house and senate in the midterms but McCarthy and McConnell remain as the leaders, just look for more of the same. But if we could somehow get Rand Paul and Jim Jordan, it would be happy dance in the streets time.

Both these guys are fighters, the opposite of the current “leadership”. Have you ever seen more inept “leadership” than offered to us by Paul Ryan and McConnell in 2016-2018? They did nothing at all despite having the House, Senate and Presidency by substantial margins.

The current Dims hold all three branches but the two legislative branches by razor thin margins. Despite which, they are ramming incredibly destructive legislation down our collective throats. And all we have to counter them is the ineffective duo of McCarthy and McConnell?

Guest Contributor – TomD – 04JUL2022 – Photo

photog Guest Contributors, Photography, TomD , ,

Tom | Flickr

TomD

 

100 trillion zimbabwe front.jpg
100 trillion zimbabwe front.jpg

Here’s an amusing part of my collection, the highest denomination banknote ever issued: a $100 trillion “dollar” (10^14th) Zimbabwean note issued in 2008. The actual monetary value of the note when issued was somewhat less that the worth of 8 ounces of used cat litter. Shortly thereafter the Zimbabwean currency system totally collapsed with the locals instead temporarily adopting 6 packs or Heineken beer (really!) as a basis for economic exchange until the US dollar became the de facto currency.

In the meantime, Zimbabwean currency in various denominations from a few hundred millions up to the pictured 10^14th became available for amusement purposes for a (US) dollar or two on ebay. I bought twenty or thirty of the pictured notes and gave all but two away as joke gifts. But, as it turn out, the joke ended up being on me. Fourteen years later, the highest denomination bill ever issued has become scarce and is now selling for $100 to $300 US dollars.

One wonders whether some enterprising Chinese group has started counterfeiting the notes yet? (Another story but the Chinese counterfeiters are the bane of the existence of collectors of pretty much anything valuable.)

Guest Contributor – War Pig – Memorial Day

photog Guest Contributors, War Pig , ,

My Memorial Day weekend will be spent visiting various cemeteries. I have veteran relatives to honor, such as mom, dad and several uncles and cousins. I will also remember comrades who died in action or later after retirement. My Vietnam generation is fast aging. Most of us who were privates then are in our 70s now, and those who were officers and NCOs are even older. Many of us served well into the War on Terror and against Iraq and even Afghanistan, as well as many places that never made it in the news.

For me and many others Memorial Day is bittersweet and rather melancholy. Families with a strong military tradition likely feel the same. Since the Civil War there have been men and women in our family who have served and fought in each war and “police action”. So I will stand and salute as the Anthem or Taps is played or the colors pass at various cemeteries and Memorial services, and I will shed the odd tear in memory of those braver than I who went before.

 

Guest Contributor – Chemist – Impeachment

photog Chemist, Current Events, Guest Contributors , ,

Impeachment! Tie him up with impeachment trials. The democrats won’t vote to convict? Fine. Have another impeachment. Keep it going and bind his hands until he(Or is handlers) realize that this is all that will happen until he is replaced.
Things Slow Joe can be impeached for (Off the top of my head):

Not securing the border. This is a responsibility of the executive defined in the constitution. He is not doing his duty. It will be easy to prove and it will be fun watching the partisans voting no when the evidence is incontrovertible.

Influence peddling. Lets have fun with Hunter’s laptop. Let’s put it out there for everyone to see. Lets name and shame the people who sent money to Hunter so he can give 10% to “The big guy”.

Extortion. Joe admitted to forcing the Ukrainian government to fire a prosecutor who was investigating Hunter. Let’s put that on display and, while we are at it, show the truth of the Trump phone call to Ukraine.

That should keep us busy for the first year. I’m sure there is more.

Guest Contributor – War Pig – Ulfberht Steel

photog Guest Contributors, War Pig ,

And we still don’t know who by or where the Ulfberht swords were made. The steel was centuries ahead of its time.

Ulfberht steel was crucible steel. It was remarkably fine grained and had very few inpuruties. Likely imported from south Asia. Europe did not work out crucible steel for centuries after the Ulfberht swords were made. You can learn a great deal in the NOVA special on PBS.

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6ciave

Also MAN AT ATMS REFORGED did a short on making an Ulfberht sword from scratch. They made their own steel from ore and all.

The flexibility and strength in sword steels today we rather take for granted. Ulfberht steel would have seemed to be magic to the smiths if the age. An Ulfberht sword would be equal in value to a small castle back then. Of course, where there is quality there were counterfeits. Humans haven’t changed much in the last thousand years or so that way. The NOVA special references fakes. Just like fake Rolex qatches today, there were fake Ulfberht swords.