Thank You WCBM

For posting this.

Beautiful, but bittersweet because most of the participants are gone now.

h/t WCBM

From the Field

In lieu of content, since life is way too busy right now, a few more photos from a guy doing field work in Alaska.   I've had to watch for cottonmouths, fire ants, and humongous spiders while observing, but not grizzlies.

I didn't think to ask if he took the photo from the truck.  Somewhere along Rt. 7 between Chilkat and Chilkoot Lakes.

h/t Eric, who contributed this.

Dear Islamists

This is one Christian you don't get to kill.

Meriam Yahia Ibrahim Ishag, sentenced to death in Sudan for apostasy even though she had never been Muslim,  made it to Italy with her family today after sheltering in the US embassy in Khartoum for a month.  Bravo Italy for flying them out and welcoming them to Italy.

Question, though.  Her husband is a US citizen - why didn't the US fly them out?

h/t Weasel Zippers

Aaaaaaarrrrrrrrrgggggghhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

So over at The Sheckel Aaron has been battling a plant that inspires much fear and loathing in me - poison ivy.

 

I've always been horribly allergic to it, to the point of ending up with large patches of scarring for years after some bouts with it.  The worst go round with it in my memory being after getting a horrible dose of chiggers in Guatemala, I got a round of poison ivy on top of the already chigger-damaged skin.  Yeah, that was weeks of misery.  The dose that I'm glad I don't remember is when I was 3 and the folks were burning brush. The brush had poison ivy in it, and I got in the smoke. Head to toe.  Mom said it was awful.  But at least I didn't end up in the hospital with it - I've heard of that happening when the smoke from poison ivy got in someone's lungs and eyes.

It's an evil plant, insinuating itself in with other, more benign and acceptable greenery, just waiting to  pounce. And I was doing some weeding yesterday.  Grabbed a handful of green and pulled it up and then looked closer.  Aaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh nooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Run to house.  Scrub scrub scrub.  Change soap.  Scrub scrub scrub.   Rinse rinse rinse rinse.   I guess I'll know by this afternoon if I got the oils off before reacting.

Sigh, Updated

Need a new transmission.  For a 10 year old vehicle with +150,000 miles on it.  It may be time to euthanize.

Update:  Refreshing honesty  from the guy who would make money if he did the repairs/replace - don't.  The cost verses the worth of the vehicle isn't worth it.  It's still drivable, but has no overdrive.  It will pass inspection.  Don't be jumping out in front of traffic.  Don't be doing serious mountain driving.  Next year, when I have access to my money pot without the severe tax implications of this year, deal with it.

It's Time

To end it.  As long as Hamas exists it will try to destroy Israel.  As with Boko Haram, there are only two options:  a miracle or complete destruction.   Neither Israel or Nigeria can wait any longer for a miracle.

Either Education or a Brain is Dead

And I thought it was bad that people don't have enough science education to be suspicious of globull worming hysteria.

I am, however, assuming that the original poster did it tongue-in-cheek and was surprised at the response.

h/t Weasel Zippers