Day: June 28, 2025πŸ’Ύ

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American Outrage Over Red Blinkers

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I hear that Congress passed Trade Promotion Authority for the President. This will certainly mean the demise of red blinkers on the backs of American cars. This is an exclusive American feature on our cars. Unsafe? Maybe. But it’s one of the ways that American cars are globally unique. Heck, even the Japanese have been putting red blinkers on their cars, to be more red-blooded American (and because America requires bigger tail lamps).

Where is the outrage? Red-blooded Americans should have right to red blinkers. Americans shouldn’t put up with foreign countries demanding we have ugly amber blinkers on the rear end of our cars. I’m sure the Republicans will put in a bill to protect the basic American right to have red blinkers on the rear-end of our cars.

Of course, if our American Automakers were patriotic but want to be trade-friendly, there is an alternative they could adapt. They could use clear glass and have yellow light bulbs. That way the blinkers appear white — blending in with the backup lights — until somebody hit’s the blinker button and they turn yellow. But that might cost Detroit 50 cents more per car and that is simply un-American.

Disappointed with Marijuana

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A year ago, I purchased my first marijuana legally in New York. While I had taken a hit on work trips with colleagues in the past, I never smoked it recreationally myself even though I had heard many good things about the whacky tobacco from the popular culture.

There are so many songs that hint at or even explicitly suggest that smoking marijuana will give you great creative energy, restore clarity of thought. I got a couple of e-books out from the library about the history and uses of cannabis – I had great hopes of learning about what would be the perfect high.

At first it was kind of fun, giggling by the waterfalls and listening to the Grateful Dead singing Dire Wolf. But much like a great record you play too many times and get tired with and no longer sparks that special joy in your life, cannabis kind of wore off it’s magic. I only smoke up at camp, well and Election Day, I thought the absence would bring back the magic and not just make me sleepy. Maybe it’s the junky pot I was sold at the shady dispensary last November in Colonie.

Even at best though, pot made me giggle, enjoy the sparkles in the water, the shimmer of the green leaves of summer, the clouds in sky and enhanced the colors of the world to make it more real. But it hardly gave me the clear view of the world I so badly wanted. Mostly when I’m stoned, I actually don’t want to read, write or think deep thoughts. I just want to stare blankly in space.

I still enjoy the reaction I get from people who are surprised that I smoke pot. I never thought Andy was a pot head! I like the association of free thought, color and tuning in with pot as popularized by the culture even if I’ve never been able to get beyond being a bit stoned in the wilderness.

Map: North Lake Reservior

Look up yonder in the sky, what it’s I pray, it’s Saturday β˜€οΈ

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Everybody let’s sing along with Country Joe and Fish. Just like as it always is the case, the rain is getting ready to fall from the sky as is required for every weekend since last November. It saves up. Sunday looks pretty groovy as does Monday but then more rain on Tuesday. But maybe Independence Weekend looks good, especially if I get a jump start on it by taking off Thursday and leaving just early to get to For the Love of Bacon early when they open.

I really do think too much about bacon πŸ₯“ and smoking pot. πŸ€ That said, thank Dank Jack Diesel I got last November from that Colonie disperany with all attire of a DMV and a tiny parking lot for my big jacked up truck  is such crap, it really doesn’t get me high or maybe it’s gotten moldy and is crap. And it made my eyes so dried out and itchy, πŸ‘€ I still need to reach out TLC Eye Centers and a few others to learn more about getting the process started on LASIK before the end of year, and so I can open an HSA and save a bit on taxes on getting my eyes corrected permanently. I just so hate those tiny pieces of plastic in my eyes necessary to see, almost as much as I hate smell of Jack Diesel. Why on earth did I get talked in handing over $55 for it last autumn? πŸ’΅ Before summer vacation I need to get to Northern Lights. I really liked the stuff I got last summer, I’ll have to look back on my blog. I’m willing to pay for something that really makes me giggly and creative, and not just stoned out of my brain up at camp. My neighbor was smoking some of that diesel shit the other day, it’s even more noxious when you’re smelling it. I mean if I wanted to smell nasty burnt crap, I’d toss some rubber debris in the burn garbage. πŸ”₯

It just hasn’t been the same since I was in the wilderness swatting those deer flies. πŸͺ° So busy, I’ve not had a chance really to get my blog updated or my mind back together. Wednesday work was non-stop, I drove in as I had that work dinner to go to at 5:30 PM, and traffic was bad getting there. Thursday I was working on that map for somebody up in Troy. Friday was the dentist and remote work, which with my new position as head of Data Services πŸ–₯️ is so much of a pain because needing to access the network over the VPN, which only works on Windows,  And it’s so slow because my Windows HD is mounted in the CD drive bay, and it’s an old fashioned spinning disk. πŸ’Ύ

I was planning on doing a hike or bike ride or paddle πŸ›Ά this morning and getting to Rensselaer Wally World to get sparklers and the water-proof case for my phone but I think I’ll wait for tomorrow, πŸŒ₯️ as already the clouds have pushed and I actually got quite a bit of groceries yesterday at Hannaford so I’m in no rush to get shopping. πŸ›’ I think I’ll wait until tomorrow, early Sunday Wally World should be much more empty. That Rensslear Walmart on Third Street is always packed compared to Glenmont, there aren’t as many Woke Folk out that way who will never shop at Walmart, a lot more goat owners, mountain folk and teat-strippers in Rensselaer County. 🐐 Probably because the gun laws are slightly better, and there are a lot of hills and deep hollers with good soil for growing silage and making milk and ice cream. πŸ„ πŸ”«

I guess the alternative today is to stay home and stay safe. 🚴 I think there is some kind of festival at Five Rivers today, but I still might ride out there on my bike and just hang out there, do some reading and observing nature. 🐦 πŸ“– I got the replacement hammock in so I should try that out maybe later on. πŸ›Ά Could do that down at Henry Hudson Park. Low tide is at 2:32 PM, which means if I went out kayaking in the HudsonΒ  afternoon, there would be a gentle push to the north, but not too dramtic as the river’s flow tends to balance it out. I was thinking this time I’ll bring the kayak up to Pisceo-Powley for Independence Day though lately my thoughts have been evolving on that.

Terrain Map: White Pines Along the Kiakout Are More then 100 Foot
SVGZ Graphic: State Population that Rents