Coal Trains

I am about to enter the rant zone. I've had it with the lefties bouncing from one anti people issue to another, while trying their best to destroy the human race, so they can more efficiently return our globe to whatever it's natural state was. probably without dinosaurs, though.

These issues are a scam to disguise the real purposes intended. First there was the spotted owls. These silly jerks didn't give a rat's ass about owls. They just wanted to make logging stop. They succeeded in the national forests.

Then there was the pipeline from Canada, connecting existing pipes to the short connector that was to cross the border. There again, it wasn't about how oil is transported, it was and is about stopping the use of coal, oil and anything that burns.

So now the pipeline is dead, Canada is building it's own. So now the howl goes up about the dangers of coal and oil trains passing through Spokane. That is a Trojan Horse as well. These extremists want at all costs to stop the use of carbon based fuels. Folks, you can't have it both ways. You kill the pipeline, more trains. You kill coal ports, Mississippi barges will take their place.

I was born in the late thirties and spent a childhood in the forties watching most everyone burn coal in their cook stoves or heating units. More coal was burned in this country during that period by many times than is used in today's power plants. We had a coal bin with home delivery. The entire foothills of the Bellevue to Puyallup was coal mines back then. Towns like Black Diamond and others were the gifts god created for us.

Many things in life are dirty. Disposing of human waste is dirty, but they haven't figured out a way to stop us from pooping, have they?

It wouldn't be so bad if these philosophically blinded had a substitute, but they don't have one, except nuclear plants, which they oppose as well. Allowing a misguided few to control our future is blatant insanity. You people have created your own  situation. Live with it.

Egypt Air Flight 804

I have some, though not all answers to this event. First, I am a pilot with many hours. Not an airline pilot, but aerodynamics are the same with a Piper Cub and a Boeing 747. Just the applications differ.

At 38,000 ft, where the air is very thin, it's  unstable. The higher the plane flies, the faster it must go to avoid stalling. A severe 90 degree roll to the left would immediately stall the aircraft, which probably caused a snap roll, which is to the opposite direction. That would have resulted either in a spin, or what is called a tight spiral, neither of which would be recoverable in a high performance aircraft.

There are absolutely no jet pilots that practice snap rolls.I have. One scenario, is an electrical short in the rudder control electronics. Remember, these aircraft are fly by wire, which means they use electronics rather than cable and pulleys to control the rudders and ailerons. Or in modern planes, ruddervators and flaperons. If the rudder votes hard left, the aircraft is immediately out of control, resulting in a stall and most likely a fatal spin.

The news programs are pretty much talking about terrorism with very little discussion on flight control malfunction. If, and this is purely speculation, the auto pilot had a glitch causing the rudder to slam to the left, it would have resulted in my scenario seen above.

This doesn't eliminate the terrorist theory of course, but it offers a credible alternative.

The news media, as usual, has jumped too far, too fast at the terrorist theory.

Comments may be directed to bayviewherb@gmail.com.

Annuals Invade

This is the annual weekend of the Annuals, a loose group of men that started coming to Bayview well over 30 years ago to party. Eventually most got married and had sons who now come with Dad to this bachelor extravaganza.

Since an unfortunate meeting with a law enforcement officer two or three years ago, Marie Streater has provided a shuttle between the encampment at Farragut and the Marianas in Bayview, protecting everyone from DUI's.

This is  a fun loving group that is well behaved and welcomed by all here in Bayview, Idaho.

Rest In Peace

Two huge memorial/Celebrations of lives occurred Saturday, May 14. One for Lorraine Landwehr, held at Farragut State Park near Bayview, Idaho, and one for Roger Kellmer, held on the patio of J.D.'s Resort.

I was only able to attend the second one here in Bayview, honoring long term resident and good guy, Roger Kellmer. Standing room only was the situation as more than 100 old friends both from Bayview and those he grew up with and worked with from Potlatch and his tire shop in Wallace, Idaho.

I'm told that half the town of Bayview attended the event at Farragut. The other half was at J.D.'s. Many old friends that no longer live here in Bayview, came out to say goodbye to their old buddy, the "Tire man."

Roger excelled at fishing and playing pool. Every Winter he would appear during pool league, and back when he had a ride, on the lake, where "Tire Man" was his marine radio handle.

Though mourning his death was the occasion, I got the impression that it turned out to be more of a joyous party. He would have liked to be host, and maybe he was.

His two daughters, one living in Post Falls, Idaho and the other trekking in from Tennessee, were on the scene, alternatively laughing and crying and many people spoke of their experiences with Roger. It would be nice if they would attempt to visit us in Bayview in the future.

Many remember Mike Dotson, alias Airline Mike. He was unable to attend, since he now lives in West Virginia, sends best wishes to all. He was a good friend of Roger's.

With Liz Justus, Lorraine  for many years ran the Chamber's Bayview Daze activities. Especially the parade. They both will leave a hole in the fabric of Bayview. This has been a year of many of our leading citizens leaving us.The old guard is fast disappearing.

 

County Council

At the top of the list of qualifications for a commissioner, is integrity. By deliberately cheating on his building permit, Stewart has shown he doesn't have any. He built a beautiful pole barn with a barn like exterior, but in reality it was a luxurious house on the inside.

As a result, he violated building codes and cheated on real estate taxes. Areas that as a councilman he is charged with enforcing. For that reason I am voting for Chris Filios.

The 2 year term is a no brainer. Duane Rasmussen, a moderate Republican attorney is my choice.  You may have other choices, but above all, participate. Bitching about county policies without voting is absurd.

Roger Kellmer Funeral Arrangements

There will be a Memorial Service followed by a Celebration of Life
for Roger Kellmer on Sat. May 14th. 2:00 at JD's (out back on the patio overlooking the lake) The service will be performed by The Athol American Legion. Following the service JD's will host a Celebration of Life and Potluck. Please join us in honoring our dear friend Roger, he will be missed by all who knew and loved him. R.I.P. Our friend.
Additional Info Avail. @ JD's 208-683-9958

In addition, Lorraine Landwehr's life will be celebrated at Farragut State Park starting at noon, also Saturday.

Roger Kellmer R.I.P.

I first met Roger in 1994 when I brought my boat up to Bayview. I moored it at the Captain's Wheel where Roger was day bartender. I then moved to Bayview the next year.

Roger's nickname was the "Tireman." An avid fisherman, that was his handle on the marine radio.

I last saw Roger at the Bayview Mercantile just a few days ago. He was discovered dead in his home when a concerned friend went to check on him. He was a friend to all. He leaves a big hole in the social fabric of Bayview. He will be missed.

Shopping Center Update

There are several challenges to be overcome before the Athol Shopping Center is a reality. First, there is no water to the property, nor a sewer system. Access to Hwy 54 is dependent on ITD deeding an access permit to the property.

Also, Athol must annex the land, plus change the zoning.

As to a Super One anchoring the project, Ron McIntyre told me yesterday that if the hurdles are jumped and the project becomes real, then Super One would be interested in taking a look at it.

Updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

Athol Shopping Center

After many years commuting to either Hayden or Spirit Lake for Groceries and banking, Athol is about to get a shopping center.

This long awaited development is going to change our lives as no other local improvement has. I don't have a lot of details except I did verify the news with Athol's Mayor, Bob Wachter.


The proposed location is between Howard Road and Highway 95 with access off of Hwy 54.

Rumored is that Super One will be a tenant, which will suit me as I shop at the one in Hayden. As I develop more information, I will pass it on.

Contested Conventions

I have some personal knowledge of contested Conventions, the last being the Democratic Convention in the 1952 election year. This has to go down as the only advantage to my age. I grew up in a liberal democratic family. My parents were poor dirt farmers on a subsistence farm. When they referred to farm equipment horsepower, it was in reference to real horses. To them, the depression years were not kind, and President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was a God.

Naturally, we sat transfixed in front of our first TV set, a black and white picture. You could cut the drama with a dull knife as the favorite, Estes Kefauver went down to defeat, losing to Adlai Stevenson.

*From Wikipedia:

The 1952 Democratic presidential primaries were the selection process by which voters of the Democratic Party chose its nominee for President of the United States in the 1952 U.S. presidential election. These proved inconclusive and the 1952 Democratic National Convention held from July 21 to July 26, 1952, in Chicago, Illinois, was forced to go multiballot.^[1]

The expected candidate for the Democratic nomination was incumbent President Harry S. Truman. But Truman entered 1952 with his popularity plummeting, according to polls. The bloody and indecisive Korean War was dragging into its third year, Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-Communist crusade was stirring public fears of an encroaching “Red Menace”, and the disclosure of widespread corruption among federal employees (including some high-level members of Truman's administration) left Truman at a low political ebb.

Truman's main opponent was populist Tennessee Senator Estes Kefauver, who had chaired a nationally televised investigation of organized crime in 1951 and was known as a crusader against crime and corruption. The Gallup poll of February 15 showed Truman's weakness: nationally Truman was the choice of only 36% of Democrats, compared with 21% for Kefauver. Among independent voters, however, Truman had only 18% while Kefauver led with 36%. In the New Hampshire primary Kefauver upset Truman, winning 19,800 votes to Truman's 15,927 and capturing all eight delegates. Kefauver graciously said that he did not consider his victory "a repudiation of Administration policies, but a desire...for new ideas and personalities." Stung by this setback, Truman soon announced that he would not seek re-election (however, Truman insisted in his memoirs that he had decided not to run for re-election well before his defeat by Kefauver).

 When President Harry S. Truman declined the Democratic renomination in 1952, the party had its first open convention since 1932. Negotiations over the various nominees, debates over delegate credentials, and fights over the party loyalty oath resulted in a six-day convention, the longest in post-World War II history. Although ten Democrats were nominated, convention delegates drafted a favorite son--Adlai E. Stevenson of Illinois. President Truman not only endorsed Stevenson but flew to Chicago to ensure his nomination. Backroom negotiations at the Congress Hotel neutralized a "Stop Stevenson" movement, and his supporters clinched his nomination on the third ballot.

*End Wikipedia

Well, the Democrats of 1952 went down to defeat, since war hero, Dwight Eisenhower was elected president and werved 2 terms. But the Democrats survived, and so will the Republican Party. I survived my brain washing and became a Goldwater advocate followed by my involvement with Ronald Reagan in 1965.
 

No, this isn't a picture of Appalachia during the Great Depression. It is the Evans family, pioneers in Bayview, way back. I'm posting this because I'm sick and tired of politics and decided to change the subject.

A few years ago, I wrote a four part history of Bayview and surrounding areas, assisted by our very own historian, Linda Hackbarth. Although I didn't use this picture in the series I probably should have.

I had a lot of fun researching the history and gained immeasurably knowledge of our area that I otherwise wouldn't have learned.

That history is available in the Spokesman-Review archives under my name, Herb Huseland. Maybe some day I'll drag it out from my hard drive and publish it on this blog.

My next post will probably be about contested nominations which as a kid I watched on black and white TV during the 1950's when they were a regular occurrence.

PC Run Amok

In the 240 years of our nation, no more egregious politically correct act has happened than the announcement of a new picture on our twenty dollar bill. First it was determined that it had to be a woman. Then if that wasn't enough, how about a black woman abolitionist?

My objection isn't that she is not deserving of being honored, it is the degree. Today's announcement that former slave, Harriet Tubman would replace Jackson on the $20 bill. As a famous black neurosurgeon said in his remarks, why replace a famous former president? Why not re activate the $2 bill. Discarding Jackson was unnecessary and a rejection of our past history.

Every time I use a cash machine, I'll be reminded of the severity of how far the Obama administration will go to revise our past. His legacy will definitely linger, but not for good reasons.

Comments

In the 11 years I have been posting on this blog I have only blocked free comments once. I am doing so again. Either a sociopath or mentally ill person has been stalking my blog recently. Of course always anonymously. For the near future, you will only be able to comment through my e-mail, which is bayviewherb@gmail.com. Naturally when you use e-mail it discloses your identity.

My page counter shows that I have had over 418,000 page views since I started keeping records. I thank all of you for your patronage. I have many unsolicited opinions to share yet, so stay tuned and wish for an abbreviated election year.

Cooks Needed

Our little village of Bayview, nestled on the south end of Lake Pend Oreille needs some help. Two and perhaps three cooks are needed. Call me at 208-9107 if you are interested. I'll see what you are looking for and try to steer you to the best place. Hurry before the word gets out and you miss the chance to work and play here.

College Costs

While the special credit classes in high Schools are a good start in the right direction, it isn't enough. Most students that aspire to higher education are not blessed with rich parents. I have a plan.

I graduated from high school in Renton, Washington in 1956. Probably no more than 20 per cent of my class went on to obtain a college degree. We had a large Boeing plant and other industry for those not wishing to go further in school.

Today, sixty years later, we in this country are importing most of our intellect from India and the orient. These countries are sponsoring their brighter kids to universities in our country. To keep many of these professions for out own brightest kids, I propose a 13th and 14th grade, with college credits and funded in the same way high school is. We would limit these 2 years to students with a 3.0 or better gpa.

Our brain drain has to stop. 14 years ago I traveled to Seattle where the VA imported an associate professor of Radiology to perform a Brake therapy procedure for my prostate cancer. Assisting him were five students, either interns or residents, all from India. In most cases, I take a conservative position. Education isn't one of them.

Play Ball

Thankfully, for us couch slouches, we have another season of every night sports. Baseball.as always,  tends to start awkwardly.

Yesterday, The Mariners got in there own way to make the record books as the first team to limit the other team to one hit and still lose. The uncharacteristic meltdown of the King cost the Seattle team their first win.

Tonight was way different. The Rangers and Mariners faced an inept plate umpire that couldn't seem to find home plate with a seeing eye dog. and when he did, the locations tended to change from pitch to pitch. Since the advent of radar recording  pitch locations, losers should not last very long as plate umpires. This one won't either unless he changes his view.

However, the Mariners changed their direction as dingers and doubles flooded the scoreboard. Scoring 10-2 they destroyed the Texans. The only entertainment was after giving up two home runs and two doubles, former pitcher for the Mariners,  Tom Wilhelmsen. He finished with a deliberate pitch that was the only one that hit the intended target. The Mariners catcher. Ruled intentional, Wilhelmsen was chased, which was a merciful act.

Tomorrow Seattle faces The Rangers again, 6:00 pm our time.

Political Terminology

Many opponents of Donald Trump have labeled his supporters as. "The Great Unwashed," Rednecks and low class blue collar workers. I'm the last person who has the wisdom and/or the ignorance to follow this trend. I can, however, point out some important points.

Many of us Republicans have mixed feelings about this. That the party is being ripped apart is obvious. That it is doomed is not necesarily the case. While the polls and pundits have faced many issues, they haven't yet counted democrats among Trump supporters opposed to republicans.

The pronouncements from the press and pollsters have repeatedly stated that republican votors have in some cases doubled in numbers. This isn't necessarily an indication of a resurgent GOP, but a possible crossover vote from the democratic party and of course thos that never vote. UNTIL NOW!

Broken down, the dems may lose just as many voters as the GOP if Trump wins the nomination. In my view, If Trump becomes our president, we will either become a dictatorship or he will be charged by the congress and convicted by the senate in the early days of his administration.

While terrorist are attacking all over the world, we may be hoisting one into the most powerful position in the world, by popular vote. God help us all.

Patty Duke, LIVE 1965

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo7VlwKtIGg

Back When

I started blogging in June of 2005. Yesterday, I went back to the beginning to see what was still valid today. I wrote one about the economy just as we were sliding into the great recession, but before it became obvious. Here is a link to that post which I believe is even more appropriate today than back then. Perhaps I will be the new male Cassandra.

http://bayviews.blogspot.com/2008/12/when-will-recessiondepression-end.html

Brokered Conventions

Since the advent of primary elections, brokered conventions have become rare. But let me tell you how it used to be.

Many candidates in high delegate states would run as favorite sons. When the conventions occurred, bargaining began. Sometimes the favorite coming into the convention would lose to a candidate that may have started out as a dark horse.

This was due to many delegations would send uncommitted delegates to the convention, who would then horse trade for what they wanted from the new president designate. My family used to sit for hours as 10 and more ballots would take place. Finally, a state would switch candidates and a nomination would happen.

Folks this was the way it was back in the 1950's. Whore houses in Nevada had better reputations than convention delegates. Still it was great entertainment. The price is right and do you want to be a millionaire of today wasn't as entertaining.

The roll calls were tense, as you would hear, "Mr Chairman, the great state of (fill in the blanks) cast all 38 of it's votes for (fill in the blanks) the next president of the United States of America.

These would usually take the place of a chamber of commerce with some taking 10 minutes to announce their selection while we the audience hung on every word as we sat on the edge of our seats.

This wasn't democracy in action so much as representing the smoke filled room strategies of the day. The closest we can come to those days are the states that still use caucuses that represent a small fraction of the electorate.

Whether this type of convention happens this year, only time will tell. The pundits tell us that it is extremely possible  that the clown named Trump may not have enough votes to trump ( I couldn't resist) the other wannabes.

After the first ballot or so, depending on the individual state's rules, if a majority isn't there, the bargaining begins. If anyone wonders why some candidates suspended their campaigns rather than dropping out, they still have their delegates to bargain with come the convention.

Let the carnival begin as most of us traditional republicans, (Neither Tea Party, Constitutionalists, libertarians, etc) try to squirm out of the prospect that we may have of a president Clinton or Trump.