Happy Good Commie Day!

 

New for this year, The Clue Meter brings you Hopalong Ginsbergs Good Commie Day Theme Song!

That Time of the Year

 

Might be worth reminding folks...

 ...if they can do it to Trump, they'll do it to you without even a first thought, let alone a second.

Mozilla, developers of Firefox: 'We need more than deplatforming'

Whose Bright Idea Was This?!

So the weather has finally broken enough I can get out and put in a good 10000 steps.

On the homeward leg, I stopped at the local grocery store -- where I learned that for some reason grocery store workers don't seem to have priority for vaccines -- to pick up a couple things, cheap enough I paid cash.

When I got home I looked at my change and discovered that the 2020 Commemorative Quarter recognizes American Samoa National Park.

Yeah, I'd never heard of it, either but that's not the point.

National Park of American Samoa Quarter

Background

National Park of American Samoa is located some 2,600 miles southwest of Hawaii and is one of the most remote in the U.S. National Park System. The site includes sections of three islands—Tutuila, Ta’ū, and Ofu. Almost all of the land area of these volcanic islands—from the mountaintops to the coast—is tropical rainforest. The park’s area totals 13,500 acres, 4,000 of which are underwater.

That's still not the point. 

This is the point:

That's right, for 2020, #YearOfTheBlackSwan, #YearOfTheFruitBat, the Year of the Wuhan Flu, the CCPVirus, the year the world learned that some people eat bat soup, rare...

...The US Mint decided to commemorate the home of the Samoan Fruit Bat with a 25¢ piece.

Mind you, the decision was make well before 2020, but, still.

Meanwhile, I had to see this ad three or four times before I realized it was an ad for a mating dating service, not a trailer for a Marvel Supervillain movie. 

I have to say, it surprises me not at all that 2020 would best be summed up by an ad for a dating app. 

Meanwhile, in Olympia...

Washington lawmakers are done this year. Here’s what they passed — and didn’t — in 2019 | NW News Network

This list is far from complete.

Leaves out egregious gun control, and many tax increases.

Stay Tuned...

LOL of the Day

I didn't just LOL, I guffawed, right there in the Salt Mines.

WA -- SAF, CCRKBA WARN I-1639 SPONSORS THAT ‘UNREADABLE’ PETITIONS VIOLATE LAW

The Second Amendment Foundation and Citizen's Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms send:

SAF, CCRKBA WARN I-1639 SPONSORS THAT ‘UNREADABLE’ PETITIONS VIOLATE LAW
BELLEVUE, WA – The Second Amendment Foundation and Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms today warned sponsors of anti-gun Initiative 1639 via a demand letter that their campaign “is utilizing unreadable petitions in violation” of state law, and demanded that this be corrected to “conform to the legal requirements.”
Olympia attorney Shawn Newman, writing on behalf of the two Bellevue-based organizations, noted, “The petitions for I-1639 have the proposed measure printed on the back of the sheets in such fine print as to be unreadable… Use of fine print is unconscionable.”
State law mandates that initiative petitions “have a readable, full, true, and correct copy of the proposed measure printed on the reverse side of the petition,” Newman’s letter warns.
“In the short time that I-1639 petitions have been in circulation,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan Gottlieb, “SAF and CCRKBA have been contacted by several people who could not read the initiative language. I’ve always been warned to read the small print before signing anything. I-1639, as it appears on the back of each petition, is all small print. That should tell voters something about its content.”
According to Newman’s letter, “Obviously, due to the microscopic maze of fine print used by the initiative sponsors to disguise the actual language of the initiative on the back of their petitions, voters cannot be fully informed.” He cautioned I-1639 sponsors that having their paid signature gatherers tell voters to “read it online” is “no substitute for following the law.” Newman suggested reprinting the petitions, and contact voters who have already signed to allow them the opportunity to sign a readable copy of the measure.
“We would prefer that you become compliant with the law,” Newman wrote, “but if you choose to continue in this illegal manner, we will be forced to litigate this matter.”
Copies of the letter were sent to Secretary of State’s office, the Washington State Attorney General, and “many other interested parties to ensure that everyone has been notified of the fundamental problem with your petitions.”
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation's oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.

 (More after the jump...)

You can't make this s*** up

Developer Shuts Down Fake Cryptocurrency PonziCoin after Things Go "Crazy Out of Hand"

Oh. Em. Gee.

Looking at Candidate Statements for the position of King County Executive, I just realized that the one that makes the most sense is...

...Perennial candidate GoodSpaceGuy.

(Do they have these guys where you live? Always running for something?)

EDIT, and FOLLOW-UP:
Of all the people running for a Port of Seattle Commissioner position, only two made a statement about making the port pay for itself, instead of constant, annual or biennial increases in property taxes.

Most of the candidates for the open seats are commies who support raising taxes to guarantee a "living family wage" and/or a $15.00 minimum wage.

Unfortunately, Richard Pope and Ken Rogers are both running for the same position.

Jeeze, guys.

Oh, and raising my property taxes again, this time to support "Cultural and Arts Programs"...?

Mayoral Race:
Mark Greene is a Marine who made a point of slamming two of Seattle's "Radical Left" city councilbeings by name in his statement.

Good enough for me.

GOAL Post2017-Special-Final?

Missed this one. 

On the subject of Seattle agenda and Seattle taxes, the Constitution of the State of Washington specifically bans income taxes, including those levied by municipalities. 

They're going for it anyway.

They're mandating that landlords give tenants voter registration cards. No mention if ensuring that the tenants are eligible to vote. 

Plus, RUMINT has it that the progressive super-rich are putting together a ballot initiative of  "common sense gun laws" which will include a requirement to register all "assault weapons" including  "high capacity" magazines, with a surtax on each item registered.

***

FROM: GOAL WA goalwa@cox.net (Joe Waldron)

TO: Undisclosed recipients

SENT: Fri 7/21/2017 2:04 PM

SUBJECT: GOAL Post2017-Special-Final?

Legislative Update from Olympia21 July 2017

·        THIRD SPECIAL SESSION ENDS

·        NO ACTION ON GUNS

·        GRIDLOCK PREVAILS

·        SPECIAL ELECTION UNDERWAY

·        GOAL ENDORSEMENTS FOR SENATE

There was no action taken on gun issues throughout the three special sessions.

The third special session of the legislature came to a close last night without passing a capital construction budget. The governor says he will not call them back into session until they have resolution on a capital (state construction) budget.

What is at dispute is control of water in rural areas. A year-old state Supreme Court decision that allows counties to block well water drilling on private property, thus limiting development. Easy access to water is crucial for rural development. But the Seattle gang that controls Olympia wants rural to stay rural, so they can drive out on the weekend and see the pretty greenery.

Primary ballots have already been mailed for a handful of special elections to be held this fall. Control of the state Senate is at stake, and with it control of your wallets. If Democrats take just one (of

three) Republican senate seats up for grabs, Governor Inslee will have total Democrat control of the legislature next January, and this year’s failed tax proposals (state income tax, capital gains tax, etc.) will sail through next January.

Our focus in this special election is on the critical state senate seats, which will; determine who prevails in Olympia next legislative session. GOAL has endorsed the following candidates:

7^th Legislative District Senator Shelly Short (R)

31^st Legislative District Senator Phil Fortunato (R)

45^th Legislative District Jinyoung Englund (R)

The 45^th is probably the most competitive race and places both gun owners and taxpayers at greatest risk. If ever there was a time to get involved in politics, it is now. Make a donation (the cost of a box of bullets… or more; some of your time to volunteer – campaigns survive on volunteer support). Or you can sit back and kick taxes in to support whatever cockamamie programs Seattleites come up with next year to buy votes.

Hopefully this is the final GOAL Post for the year – for legislative matters, anyway.

BILL STATUS/GOAL POSITION: Nothing to report.

Clearly...

"Socialist Worker Peasant's Paradise" ≠ "Paradise".

This is why American tourists don’t want to travel to Cuba - MarketWatch

Indeed, the initial excitement about the formerly closed off country gave way to moral dilemmas over food shortages and other problems caused by tourism, as well as disappointment over limited working internet, lower hotel standards, and lack of running water there. The Allianz study found lack of travel infrastructure was a major cause of anxiety about traveling to Cuba for 13% of Americans.

The slide in demand has led a number of airlines to reduce or completely eliminate flights to the country...

Sumers suggested confusion over the approved reasons to go to Cuba is keeping the average American visitor away still. As of May 2017, visitors to the country have to select one of 12 categories for their visit, which include religious activities, humanitarian projects, “support for the Cuban people,” and journalistic activities. “You can’t go to Cuba to sit on the beach and have fun and that’s what Americans like to do on vacation,” he said. “Cuba is a bit of an outlier still — it is not easy to visit and for a lot of people it’s still a pain. You have to really want to go there.”

...

Cuba has a long way to go before it’s suitable for many high-maintenance American tourists. “This will come with certain expectations: Americans expect that cell phones will work, credit cards will work, and that access to internet won’t be limited,” ...

(Emphasis added.)

So, let me get this straight, you want my money, in exchange for not letting me do what I like to do on vacation? And you can't (or won't) let me stay in touch with the folks back home?

I talked the other day with a co-worker about a recent (Trans-Panama Canal) cruise she went on, and she's already excited about the Cuba cruise she is planning to sign on for: "Just waiting for a bargain rate." A cruise may be the way to do that, since you are not reliant on the "tourism infrastructure",  although it sounds like the Cubans are very insistent about the excursions allowed. (I.e., you have to go on their excursions. But then, it's a Socialist Worker Peasant's paradise, what other excursions are there...?)

I had heard that Cuba was a popular destination for Canadians and Europeans who wanted fun in the sun sans Yankees. Now I'm wondering if that was exaggerated.

$igh

Got the renewal notice for the Drangmobile's tabs.

• $30.00 License fee funds road construction and maintenance projects
• $25.00 Vehicle weight fee funds highway improvements, transit, and other transportation needs
• $3.00 Filing fee funds go to the county in which the fee is paid
• $5.00 Service fee retained by subagent, or funds ferry replacement if renewed at County Auditor/DOL
• $0.25 License service fee supports the computer system used to provide licensing services
• $0.50 The DOL service fee supports the computer system and reimbursement of county licensing activities
•  $143.00 Regional Transit Authority tax.

Ohhhh, look: Sound Transit uses inflated car values to collect higher tab fees | The Seattle Times!

WA Governor proves he learned nothing

One might think that one of the few democratic governors left these days might have learned from  the 2016 election that now is not the time to double down on Democratic party big-money causes.

Nope.

Courtesy of Shift WA we learn that Governor Inslee has decided that Olympia is coming up a little short. $8.7 Billion short.

But that's OK, he has a plan...

That graphic neatly summarizes what Shift WA calls Governor Inlee's Lumps of Coal for WA:

1. A lump of Inslee coal in your stocking: A “bold” budget to fund bigger gov’t. A 21% increase...
2. Lump #2 of Inslee coal in your stocking: A new state income tax Proposals for an income tax always play so well here...
3. Lump #3 of Inslee coal in your stocking: A BIG gas/carbon tax We voted down a carbon tax last November. This one was even designed to partially offset our high sales tax. So what does Jay want to do? Of course!
4. Inslee’s Lump of Coal #4: Let’s sock it to small businesses This one is a "Gross Receipts tax", not a tax on profit, so it will literally tax some businesses out of business...
5. Jay’s lump of coal #5: Tax the foreigners (from Canada)! People from out of state are exempt from the state's high sales tax. He wants to end that.which costs businesses business.

(edited to add) RELATED: Washington has what’s the nation’s most regressive state and local tax structure.

Logic and logistics (not!)

So, locally Amazon started shipping a lot of stuff using their own service.

This was fine until we discovered that stuff would be taken to the Big Brown Store where we have a box, and then taken away and then taken back...

I would get a notice from Amazon saying "No one at desk to sign for package", which is stupid, unless they show up in the middle of the night...

...and then the folks at the Big Brown store told us that sometimes they found packages left at the front door when they open in the morning Or sumdood would wander in, no identifying clothing or announcement, call my name, and then leave. Or drop a bunch f packages without bothering to get a signature.

Well, there's that big block of bright yellow lockers over by the Safeway...

Turns out that the Amazon Lockers work OK.

But still...

So, without using the "R" word, one of the things we are doing this January is joining the local community center to take advantage of the exercise facilities. So I needed new gym shorts. and there were some gym shorts on a Lightning Deal. So I ordered two pair...

...which arrived as two separate packages. Because it's too hard for Amazon to recognize "He ordered two of the same thing."

Worse:

One pair of shorts filled the envelope. Two would have left a little space in the box, not sure why they shipped one in a box and one in an envelope.

Well... darn!

I have mentioned the local beer store, 99 Bottles, a couple of times.
The Clue Meter: Breakfast of Champs
The Clue Meter: Kudos!

Plus, a lot of the beer I've mentioned was purchased there. They introduced me to the concept of buying a growler and taking it home.

I started wondering if they could last when you started being able to buy craft and micro brews at the local Safeway.

Then we voted to get the state out of the booze business (sort of: that thumb is still on the scale, covertly), and booze super store opened on town, and the writing was on the wall.

So the latest "Weekly Brews" email newsletter announced that they are closing the doors forever on  December 10th, and they are selling everything.

Damn it.

Well, that escalated quickly...

In my previous post, as I was lamenting the fact that I had discovered by day three of MAG-40 that the three "generic" stainless steel magazines for my 1911s were crap, and the feed lips had spread to the point where, not only would they not lock back the slide when empty, but I couldn't even get one of them in the mag well, I added as an aside

the blued ones actually marked as GI mags seem to be working OK.

By the time we had finished shooting the last drills and were about to shoot the qualification several of my blued steel mags were also failing to lock back the slide.

I suppose the "COLT" marked ones have an excuse, since they came with my Combat Commander, which I purchased almost exactly 30 years ago.

Annoying, but nowhere near as annoying as getting that hot brass down my back from the Marine shooting his Ruger LC9S S&W Shield next to me was. ("Mas! The blogger is doing Saint Vitus' Dance!""Is his muzzle pointed in a safe direction...?")

That and it made the Glockenspielers even more insufferable.

Note to self...

Dear Self:
Remember writing this post? 

Turns out that when you said

• On the one hand, my habit of buying 1911 magazines over the last year or two seems like a good one.
• On the other hand, buying the cheap ones marked and packaged as GI 1911 mags may not have been so smart.

the twinge you felt when typing the first bullet was not just your bursitis acting up at the self-back-patting, it was foreshadowing.

Bullet two OTOH, was prescient. (Except the blued ones actually marked as GI mags seem to be working OK.)

Day three of MAG 40 and I now have three fewer 1911 magazines than I came with. Turns out those "generic" stainless steel magazines simply marked ".45 ACP" weren't even worth the sawbuck each they cost me.

In mitigation, I would like to point out I bought the things strictly for use in training.

Too bad they won't even go into the mag well easily enough to use them to practice reloads.

Newsflash! Treasury replaces founder of Democratic Party w/Black Female Republican Gun Owner!

So, Andy Jackson is out, or rather, off of the twenty dollar bill, to be replaced by Harriet Tubman.

Actually, Andy By God Jackson is moving to the reverse of the double sawbuck.

Apparently, the original plan was to replace Alexander Hamilton, but his place on the sawbuck was saved by a popular, successful musical I never heard of.

Doubt they'll use this picture...

It'll totally work this time, now the right people are in charge!

Obama administration pushes banks to make home loans to people with weaker credit - The Washington Post


h/t Tam 

Well, that's not supposed to happen...

Members of the US military are covered under Servicemembers Group Life Insurance, or SGLI. It's a pretty good deal, considering that you are subject to going to unpleasant places and living an unpleasant lifestyle, which you may not survive.

Upon separation from the service --  discharge, retirement -- one has the option of converting it to Veteran's Group Life Insurance, or VGLI.

For years decades there has been a rumor that would periodically pop up that a "dividend" was being paid based on performance, or over-payments, or something. I don't think anyone knows how it started, I first heard it back in the early 80s. I always suspected it was part of some kind of scam that I was too naive to unravel.

Until now.

I got a refund check for overpayment. Not huge, it'll pay for a nice, but not epic, night out.

So I suspect that someone got a refund, and the rumor mill took over, and the next thing you knew...