Category Archives: Uncategorized

12/16/18

Santa Claus Exclusive Interview

So, the Big Red Car was over getting some work done at the garage and who did he run into? Santa Claus.

Santa was having the runners waxed and trying to correct a shimmy in the front end at 186 knots (TAS – true airspeed).

When we finished our work, we had a chance to chat over an adult beverage as he took the old sleigh for a test ride.

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Santa’s sled on the wheel base getting worked on. The Jag on the wall is what Santa drives during the summers in Winter Park, Florida.

Here’s how it went.

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12/11/18

Terrorists on Terror

Big Red Car here on a glorious, cold ATX day, y’all.

In Tehran, three days ago, there was a conference about fighting terrorism — yes, you read that correct.  In the capital of the nation which is the largest state sponsor of terrorism there was a conference on fighting terrorism.

Amongst the participants — six nation invitees — were Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, China, and Russia.

One could fairly single out Iran and Turkey as being cesspools of terror support. Pakistan is up there.

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12/9/18

Who Are We?

So, the Big Red Car is trying to get into the Christmas spirit and is reading an article in some touchy-feely periodical which ruins the spirit of Christmas.

Or does it?

The article says there are all wired in a certain way. In this article that way is dark and forboding.

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11/27/18

Holidays – Make Them Special

Big Red Car back from a Thanksgiving trip to Savannah (to see My Perfect Daughter, Wonder Husband, Lola the Bad Dog, Bella the Saint Dog, and My Perfect Granddaughter) and to Charlotte to see #1 Son for Thanksgiving dinner.

For some reason, this Thanksgiving feels different than others. Not sure why. Really?

Baby Tempe (My Perfect Granddaughter, one of half a dozen Tempe’s including her grandmother and great grandmother). Southern thing – Faith, Hope, Charity, Temperance (thus Tempe).

Note the gang sign. This was Baby Tempe’s first Thanksgiving and it was a good one. She wants to make sure you know she is not an elf. It’s just a funny hood. Very sensitive about this. She’s eleven months old in two weeks.

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11/15/18

Corporate Welfare – Incentives

Corporate welfare, Big Red Car? Huh?

Big Red Car here on a sunny, cold Texas day. Ahhh, winter is here at 41F at dawn, but 65F now. Winter is hard in the ATX, y’all.

So, the Interwebs are all aghast at the gargantuan incentives provided to Amazon (richest guy in the world, Jeff Bezos, at your service) by New York and Virginia to get half of the new HQ2.

The gainsayers and the naysayers are in full throated-uproar, but nobody is really keeping score on these things, are they?

Let’s go back and explore a recent deal — the Tesla SolarCity Buffalo, New York incentivized transaction.

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Oh, my, what have I done now? Solar City? Rooftop solar panels? Was that me?

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10/25/18

Bombmakers and Baloney Bombs

Having been a combat engineer and dealing with explosives of all types, the making of improvised explosive devices is something with which I have some familiarity.

We used to receive training and give training on the use of conventional explosives — to blow up bridges, fortifications, airfields, buildings as part of the mission to aid the mobility of the friendlies and to impede the mobility of the enemy. Typical combat engineer stuff.

We also used to receive and give training on the construction of “improvised” explosive devices.

We used to learn all about the explosive chain :

 1. The charge (the explosive);

 2. The initiator (the fuse or blasting cap);

 3. The activator (what activates the initiator);

 4. The power source (what activates the activator); and,

 5. The container (what contains the finished assembly)

In addition, you may add something to the device, such as nails or bolts, to injure the victims.

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