Neanderpundit

or How I learned to love the Dumb.

Saturday, after the wife and Oglet and i headed for home, a bunch of asshelmets hopping up and down on a bridge fell, not to their deaths, unfortunately, but to their dampness.

A couple injuries, which will result in lawsuits, no doubt.

Bottom line, is, stupidity reigns. It should hgurt to be stupid, and these people got precisely what they deserved, which was to be dumped into the drink because they were too stupid to stay off the bridge as directed to by cops. Instead of staying home and missing work and nursing their lumps for being stupid, they will probably get a nice payday.

Had I designed that bridge, it would slowly lower as it was overloaded, so people would get wet without getting hurt, a direct result of their own stupidity. Maybe that’s what we need- a world that once again has consequences for stupidity and bad decision making.

And that’s just what Mr porretto has in mind, here. He has an interesting plan, and the more people I can reccomend it to, the better. I like it a lot, and i hope it works well.

Here’s the thing: I have but one fear, and that is of hubris. I mouth off in public, and I put my opinion out there writ large, so everyone can see it. but in my private life, I am the very model of humility, because I understand what Hubris is.

The very model of Hubris, on our planet, right now, is the wingnut-headed fool at the helm.

Let me remind you, for a moment, of the story of Nimrod.

Nimrod is seen as a great hunter. He is looked upon as some model sportsman, and this is where he started to go wrong. Accounts differ depending on what you read, but having the power of death over all of God’s creation gave him the (erroneous) impression that he was godlike himself. (Not realizing it was the ability to endow LIFE, and not DEATH, that made one a God)

Nimrod’s hubris brought him more and more defeat all his life, until his crowning glory, the building of the Tower of Babel. Babel was built to be a monument to mankind and the builders, with no recognition of the place for The Creator. And it was summarily destroyed.

Our little dumbo-headed nimrod has coe to a place where his hubris is about to vertake him. It may be the Creator doing so directly, it may be legions of people following Porretto’s plan, it may be something else- but the cosmic toilet is being flushed, and the shit storm is a’coming. Watch this space.

for the guns, anyway. Lots of blasty goodness on friday, so the guns needed some attention.

The toughest in terms of getting it immaculate, of course, is the Speedmaster 241. This rifle is almost as old as my father. And it’s a beautiful rifle to shoot.

This got me thinking about Roberta’s attachment to old stuff, so to speak, and while I’m a practical man, I do share a definite affinity for the antique.

Like this rifle. It’s a 1937 version. it was at the highend of what was available in the day, and I only have it because it was dirt cheap. There isn’t a spare, unnecesary part. There isn’t a part it will function without. And the quality of manufacture is staggering.

My friend has a 1972 Monte Carlo. Due to diligence on his part, this nearly thirty year old car is flawless. I have a 45 year old lawnmower. Old things can be good.

The deal is, there’s a pragmatic aspect to life. It’s nice to have a cool old car. it’s nice not to have to buy a new lawnmower every fifteen minutes. It’s nice to click open a Zippo and light a smoke off the oily tasting flame of that lighter. it’s also nice to be able to do things without a lot of effort.

What are the things you’d rather not mess with? I like old bolt action rifles. I like zippo lighters. I like Jon-E warmers. I like bamboo fly rods. I like leather shoes with goodyear welts. I like all cotton underwear and Levis jeans. I like cars and houses and office buildings with windows that open.

What are the trhings you like fine new? I like modern ammunition. I like non corrosive black powder substitutes. I like cars that run despite little or no maintenance. I like cars and houses and office buiuldings with air conditioning.

Your prefs in comments.

In comments at this post at Tams, she points that high powered snark of hers at a troll:

You’re an ignoramus. Find the “partisan hyperbole” in this post, fold it ’til it’s all sharp corners, and SHOVE IT UP YOUR ASS.

Emphasis mine.

Not because it needed it, but because those are the parts that make me giggle.