Unicorns!

OK, so maybe this post isn't about unicorns.

But it's about something I saw yesterday that's almost as rare involving a "Lane Hanger"
A lane hanger is what I call someone who refuses to leave the left lane of a multi-lane highway, regardless of traffic conditions or the lack thereof.  Unfortunately, Lane Hangers are extremely prevalent in the Not-So-Free state. (MD)  I view it as a symptom of our general societal degradation and the "me first, you be damned" attitude that seems to be ever increasing.

As I was commuting home yesterday afternoon, I was traveling on I70 in the left lane.  I saw a MD State Trooper making his way closer as the vehicles behind me moved to the center lane to allow him to pass.  As he got behind me, it took a few moments to get to a clear spot where I too could move to the center lane.  About that time, we came up on a slower moving car in the left lane.  Moments after I moved to the center lane, traffic cleared that allowed me to move to the right lane to clear the center for the Trooper to pass the lane hugger.  To my surprise, the view in my mirror instead was that of the red and blue lights coming on and the lane hanger being pulled over.

Very satisfying, indeed.

It only takes one idiot to ruin your day

Pre-note: Wow! has it really been six months since my last post? Anyway, I digress...

It wasn't my day that got ruined yesterday.  It was some poor bloke truck driver that happened to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time.  But if one wanted to play the game of "What ifs", then it's entirely possible this truck driver saved someone else from having an even worse day.

Let me explain.
I was driving to work yesterday morning, typical routine.  I had passed through Frederick, MD on I-70 and it was around 0430.  Traffic was it's typical relatively light smattering of vehicles.  I was in the center lane of three lanes, another vehicle about 40 yards ahead of me, traveling about the same speed and slowly overtaking tractor trailers in the right lane.
A car passed me with no uncertainty on the right.  The vehicle in front of me changed lanes to the left, even thought there was no one in front of them and no traffic in the left lane.  I can only guess they did that out of courtesy or to avoid the overtaking car from cutting them off as said car was quickly closing the distance with a tractor trailer in the right lane.

As it turned out, this was one of  Murphy's favorite drivers; a 20 year old female.  Don't know if she was distracted by something or simply zoning out, but she almost rear-ended the truck.  At the last second she swerved to avoid the truck, albeit too late, clipped the left rear corner of the trailer which sent her into a spin to tag the truck again, this time on the fuel tank, then zip across all lanes and finally came to a stop against the guardrail in the median.
Did I mention yet that the roads were also wet from sporadic rain?

I also think it's fortunate that the vehicle in front of me changed lanes when they did or she would have taken them out as well.

I stopped, flipped on my emergency lights and called 911.  She got out of her car and was freaking out about the crash.  I was concerned she was going to inadvertently run out into traffic.  She was soon on her phone, apparently calling her parents and boyfriend, because they all showed up before the fire department and state troopers.
Boyfriend took her to his car.  Moments later the cavalry arrives.  Parents and I directed the trooper to boyfriends car, where he finds her smoking weed!
I don't know if she ended up getting arrested for the weed or not.
 
The trooper told me I could leave and he didn't need anything from me so I continued on to work.

The truck had a fuel leak from the saddle tank getting hit.  Talking to another guy at work that travels that route, the clean-up operation had traffic snarled for quite awhile.

It is fortunate that no one was injured.  Or worse.

A different kind of vocabulary

Last night I was talking to the Mrs. and discussing one of my earlier career endeavors back in the late 80's.
I had been working numerous different jobs, none of which I considered to be anything more than "stepping stone" jobs, with the pay range around $7.25/hr.
Being a graduate of a vocational technical high school, where real skills are learned, I knew that drafting and drawing interested me, so I decided to enroll in the local community college's Computer Aided Drafting course.  During the first semester though, I realized that was a zero-sum gain endeavor, as the pay rate for draftsmen was only about $9-10/hr.  In hindsight, programs like AutoCAD and Pro-E made those jobs obsolete anyway.

So all that, just to get back to me explaining computer aided drafting.  Apparently I wasn't enunciating well enough, because she thought I was saying "computerated".  It took a few moments of laughing discussion to clear that up and then we got on a roll of massacring other words.  Larry the cable guy would have been proud.
"You can send me a litter on that computerated thing, cause I'm literate!"
So now I'm wondering, could there be multiple meanings?  Verbs, nouns, pronouns?  Such as;

"I used to use maps, but now I have that computerated thingy in my car."
"I computerated all my pictures into a slideshow" (AKA "Death by Power Point)
The act of being frustrated with technology?  "I am completely computerated with trying to figure out this video editor!"
The digital version of obliterated; "The hard drive stopped working and now everything is computerated!"

I'm most certain there can be other examples as well.

Can't put it down

After a slow start, between just having a lot going on and not quite in the mood for a sci-fi book, I finally got into oldnfo's latest book, Rimworld.
I knew it would not disappoint.   I was not wrong.  Now I have a hard time putting it down to do things.  You know, basic things like my job and going to bed.
I have a dentist appointment this afternoon.  I will put my time in the waiting room to good use.

Catch-up time

Weekends for me are usually pretty busy.  Certainly much different from my typical daily schedule during the work week.  As such, I spend very little, if any time online checking email, reading blogs or looking at the latest non-events on (anti)social media over a weekend.
With many of the bloggers I follow giving much appreciated reports from NRAAM, it's going to take some time over the next few days to catch up.
But I think I'll manage...

Well! That's refreshing!

Upon browsing the news this morning, I came across this edition of "Watter's World" on the Fox News website.
He is talking to a handful of college students who did or are spending their spring break helping rebuild a community in WV, rather than go to the party town beach with their classmates and friends.

If you recall, large portions of southern West Virginia were devastated last year by massive flash flooding that was almost unprecedented.  Many, many communities suffered extensive damage that will take years from which to recover, if ever.

Kudos to you kids.  Perhaps there is some hope in the upcoming generation.

  

Fishing expedition?

Those in the eastern panhandle of WV, NVA or southern PA that are attuned to the shooting sports are likely familiar with (in name, at least) Peacemaker National Training Center.

Peacemaker has a lawsuit against them regarding excessive noise.  On the surface, it sounds like just a pain-in-the-butt type of lawsuit.  However, the plaintiff has filed for information in discovery that involves private information on pretty much anyone that has ever been there, including law enforcement and military personnel.

I really have to wonder what the true agenda of this lawsuit is.  The West Virginia Citizens Defense League is involved as well on behalf of Peacemaker.  
Below is the press release from Peacemaker;

PNTC Members and Customers,
We would like to thank each of you for being members and customers of PNTC and we look forward to your continued support and use of the complex. We cannot stress enough how much we appreciate and need your continued support.
We feel compelled inform our members and customers regarding a recent court ruling related to PNTC’s private customer information. Specifically, a resident of Virginia has filed a nuisance complaint against PNTC alleging that noise from operation of the shooting range is a nuisance, and therefore interferes with his property rights. This complaint was filed in Berkeley County Circuit Court and is before Circuit Court Judge Grey Silver, styled Ben and Diane Goldstein v. Peacemaker Properties, LLC and Peacemaker National Training Center, LLC, Civil Action No. 15- C-520. Court documents filed in the case are public record and may be reviewed through the Circuit Clerk’s office.
Although our legal team pointed out that Berkeley County, WV specifically exempts shooting ranges from their noise ordinance and prevents nuisance claims against shooting ranges, the complaint was filed and not dismissed by the court. You may also access the Berkeley County Noise Ordinance at this link: http://www.berkeleycountycomm.org/docs/ordinances/amendnoiseord0409.pdf
Despite numerous motions and requests to reconsider, and numerous mediation efforts with the plaintiff, the court has ordered PNTC to produce the below documents and other private records under a “Protective Order.” Under this order, the plaintiffs and their counsel are legally permitted to access the following information:

• -  All member files
  
• -  All waivers from any person who has accessed PNTC, to include all law enforcement,
  federal agency personnel, military personnel and foreign military personnel names
  
• -  All shooting competition files and lists
  
• -  All training information and lists
  
• -  All customer waivers
  
• -  Identities of all persons who have used PNTC ranges
  
• -  All ATF & NFA records (to include Forms 4473 and ATF bound book information)
  Unfortunately, PNTC is unable to answer additional questions or comment on this matter at this time. Please know that we have done everything in our power to protect your private information, but we must comply with the court order.
  Again, we look forward to seeing you soon and thank you for your support and understanding.
  Thank You,
  Cole McCulloch – President Peacemaker National Training Center
  

The snow hath come

We almost made it through this winter without any appreciable snowfall.  We had a few quick moving storms that gave us a heavy dusting, but nothing to really speak about.
Even this Nor'easter wasn't really much in the grand scheme of things.  Not that I'm complaining.  I still well remember the 3+ feet of snow we had last year and what a pain that was for our county's emergency services.  My department's 6x brush truck (with all wheels chained) and our utility truck with plow and all 4 wheels chained were some of the few vehicles getting around in that mess.

This storm dropped around 6-8 inches on the frozen surfaces.  Not so much stayed on the ground and paved areas as the ground temps were still pretty warm from the mild weather.  The snow I cleared from the driveway was probably around 4-5" deep with a slushy base.

The snowing is now pretty much over and the wind is picking up.  I'm a little surprised at how much the snow is blowing and drifting given how wet it was.  Should make for some dicey road conditions tonight when the temps drop.

Sure is pretty, though!

I have been reprimanded

I sent a text message this morning to a certain someone  to let them know they were missed during a trip to the range with some other friends yesterday. 
It was duly noted that I failed to take provide photographic evidence of such activities.

In spite of that, a good time was had by all, with much noise and demolition of paper.

If history came with a do-over

I would imagine the Native Americans would want to enact a travel ban.  Starting around... say the 1600's?

Cry, cry, cry

It's almost becoming the norm now, to browse the news and see the whining ,the red herring and straw man arguments and outright fact misrepresentation or lies amped up to new levels. 

One of the latest cry-fests was the SAG awards the other night.  Glad I didn't watch it.  Not that I typically do, anyway.  Don't care to watch pompous egos patting themselves on the back. 
I don't suppose these social justice warriors would like to open their homes to those "unjustly discriminated" against, now would they?

Wait....What?

Apparently, President Trump is calling for a voter fraud investigation after criticism of his claim that 3-5 million votes were illegal, hence Hildabeast getting the popular vote.
Naturally, the Dems are all in an uproar about it.
The party of hypocrites, who are quick to espouse increased government surveillance of US citizens as "if you haven't done anything wrong, you have nothing to fear" are pledging to do what they can to block this.
Weren't they the ones claiming the Russians influenced/ hacked the election?  One would think they would be all for this.
Oh.  Never mind.  Maybe they don't want more of what was discovered in MI during Stein's recount suit to come to light.  That would certainly put a damper on efforts in four years.  

Happy National Pie Day

Today is National Pie Day.

So I am posting my favorite pie chart.