Now This Was A Bad, Bad Man...!

There are lot's of really bad guys in the annuls of history, and this guy was one of them!

I guess that what attracted me to this guy's history was the fact that he was a real life hermit! Interesting fellow to read about! I found this article over at history.com!

Jul 15, 1904:
The Mad Trapper of Rat River heads for U.S.

When he was six years old, the Norwegian Jonsen headed for America with his family on this day in 1904. His Swedish father settled the family on a barren 320-acre homestead in North Dakota. At an early age, Jonsen became a skilled outdoorsman and hunter, and by the time he was in his teens was bored with the backbreaking life of a high plains farmer. He struck up a friendship with a local rustler and gunslinger named Bert Dekler who helped him refine his expertise with a pistol.

In 1915, at the age of 17, Jonsen committed his first robbery, seizing $2,800 from the Farmers' State Bank of Medicine Lake, Montana. He managed a successful escape, but was later apprehended in Wyoming for horse theft and returned to Montana. He served three years in the Montana State Penitentiary before being released and quickly returning to a life in crime.

Because he used a variety of aliases, it is difficult to know exactly how many crimes Jonsen committed, but they were apparently abundant. Yet, as he grew older Jonsen began to retreat into the wilderness, where he increasingly became an antisocial hermit. By 1930, he was living in a cabin along the Rat River in an isolated far northeastern section of the Canadian Yukon. There he tolerated no visitors and survived by trapping beaver. He had not totally abandoned his larcenous ways, though--other trappers complained that he pillaged their trap lines.

In late December 1931, an officer for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and three other men arrived at Jonsen's cabin with a search warrant to investigate the claims that he was pilfering from other trappers' lines. When the Mountie knocked, Jonsen replied by shooting through the door, wounding the officer in the chest. The four men fled, but a larger force returned soon after and began a 15-hour attack with gunfire and dynamite that failed to force Jonsen's surrender. The following day, a blizzard swept in and Jonsen managed to sneak off obscured by the thick curtains of snow. A massive manhunt began that eventually involved scores of men aided by airplanes, dog teams, and skilled Indian guides. Yet, Jonsen-traveling on foot with almost no food-managed to avoid capture for more than month.

On February 17, 1932, the posse found Jonsen and trapped him on the ice in the middle of a frozen river. Still Jonsen refused to surrender. He shot one of his pursuers before the posse killed him with a massive volley of bullets. Having survived 45 days traveling through some of the roughest country in the world with almost no food, the once robust "Mad Trapper of Rat River" was skin and bones. His corpse weighed less than 100 pounds.

Like I said, this was one bad man! Made some of the outlaws we had in the wild west seem pretty tame in comparison!

What say we get some fresh coffee and sit outside on the patio! Just might get some sprinkles!

HOA Strikes Again...!

Just when you think that Big Brother has no more disguises, this shows how wrong that kind of thinking is!

From the Chronicle, this story just makes you sick and angry at the same time! I say again, this is getting way out of control!

How dare they grow veggies!

Posted 7/9/2011 10:14 AM CDT

These stories pop up in the news every so often. Some scofflaw homeowner decides that he/she should be able to grow what they want on their own property and the keepers of conformity say, "No, you can't!" It's happened again. This time in Michigan.

In Oak Park, Michigan, the Bass family's front lawn got torn up when some sewer work had to be done. After the necessary repairs were completed, the Basses decided that, rather than replacing the grass, they would put in some raised beds and grow vegetables. They consequently installed five large planter boxes in their small front yard, filled them with garden soil and planted tomatoes, peppers, herbs and other vegetables.

Here's the Bass front yard with its five raised beds.



The city code of Oak Park says that yards should be planted with "suitable live plant" material. The Basses thought that vegetables met the definition of suitable. Apparently, at least one neighbor disagreed and contacted the city. Soon the enforcers came out and wrote the Basses a ticket for using inappropriate plants in their front yard. The ticket is for a misdemeanor offense which carries a punishment of up to 93 days in jail.

In the picture of the Bass property that was posted online, their front yard looks neat and well-kept. It is really hard for me to see how anyone could object to it, but the city's Director of Planning and Technology says that the code's "suitable" plants mean plants that are "common" to the area and that includes "grass, trees, bushes, and flowers." Not vegetables.

Now, I'm certainly not a lawyer, but it seems to me that a code that provides for "suitable" plants is plenty broad enough to include vegetables. What could be more suitable than a family using their own property to grow food for their own consumption? I understand HOAs and cities wanting to uphold standards, but why should standards mean conformity and monotony? Shouldn't there be space allowed for individual taste and freedom of choice as long as things are kept neat and are within public health codes?

The Basses vow to fight the city's citation. More power to them, I say

You would think this family was trying to grow pot or something in the front yard other than food to go on the table! Why is it that the ogres at these HOAs are always trying to run people's lives? Maybe they are all trying out for careers in the federal government!

I say just leave folks alone to grow THEIR veggies on THEIR land for THEIR own table! Get a life! Get a hobby! Get the HELL out of the lives of these poor people!

Whew! Now that I've got that out of my system, let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside for a bit! OK?

Now Ain't That Sweet...?

What a mess this must have been!

I know one thing...I don't want to be in that clean-up crew! I think after trying to clean up this many bees, I would lose my taste for honey! I sure hope these guys had some sting proof clothing!

Truck spills 14 million bees on Idaho highway

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

(07-12) 07:21 PDT Island Park, Idaho (AP) --

Cleanup crews in Idaho have finished clearing honey and an estimated 14 million bees that got loose after a delivery truck overturned on a highway.

Fremont County Sheriff deputies say several workers were stung during the first few hours of the cleanup Sunday.

And some observers told The Post-Register about seeing a strange black cloud and roaring noise above the spill area before realizing it was a massive swarm of bees.

Authorities say a truck was hauling the bees from California to North Dakota when the driver veered off the shoulder, tipping more than 400 hive boxes and honey.

Crews worked all day Monday before removing all the honey from the roadway, though deputies say a significant amount of bees were still buzzing.

I guess this is what you might call a "sticky situation!" Sorry, but I just couldn't resist that one!

Would you like some fresh coffee on the patio? We almost had some rain yesterday! Almost!

How Badly Do We Need Rain...?

I know some folks probably would like me to stop talking about how badly we need rain around here, but maybe this story in the Houston Chronicle will show just how much we do!

This could make a big difference in the fishing if it keeps up. Not to mention the possibility of some very dangerous fires from campers, storms, and other means!

Texas lakes lose 358 billions of gallons of water

Associated Press
July 11, 2011, 2:08PM

LUBBOCK — Searing temperatures and a drought rivaling Texas’ worst on record are taking a toll on lake levels statewide.

A June water report found levels in 109 lakes dropped by 4 percent, or more than 358 billion gallons. Three lakes — all in West Texas — are effectively empty.

Only one reservoir, Lake Livingston north of Houston, was full, six fewer than in May, according to the Texas Water Development Board.

The 109 lakes are 73 percent full, down 13 percent from a year ago, the report indicates. Of the 109 lakes monitored for the report, just 41 were at 85 percent capacity or fuller.

Statewide, this past June was the hottest on record. The average temperature was 85.2 degrees, besting the 1953 record of 84.9 degrees.

Well, there you have it! I'm sure other places need rain as badly as we do, but this just shows what kind of shape we are in around here! BTW, I know the average shows 85.2, but I can tell you this. It's reached 100 on my patio nearly every day this last week!

Want some coffee on the patio? I've got iced tea as well, if you want!

This City Is Going Nuts...!

I don't know if it is the lack of rain, the over crowding, or just what the cause is...but it seems like the whole town is going bonkers!

I mean, what possible other reason could there be for something like this? As many years as I've been here in this cesspool of a city, I've never known things to be as crazy as they have been here lately! Straight from the pages of the Chronicle, folks!

Authorities seek tips to ID SpongeBob-clad robber

By CAROL CHRISTIAN
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
July 9, 2011, 1:21PM

Crime Stoppers and Harris County Sheriff's Office investigators are asking the public to help identify two suspects who last week robbed a store in the 12900 block of Aldine Westfield.

The suspects, one of whom wore yellow cartoon-character SpongeBob SquarePants pajama pants and held a high-powered assault rifle, demanded that two female employees give them cash from the registers and safe around 9:50 a.m. July 3, according to a Crime Stoppers news release.

The suspects, described as black men in their late teens to early 20s, got away with an undisclosed amount of money.

The one holding the assault rifle is also described as about 5-foot-6, weighing 200 to 220 pounds, with short hair and a light complexion. He wore a blue McDonald's work shirt with SpongeBob pants.

The other suspect is described as about 5-foot-4, weighing 140 to 150 pounds, with dreadlocks and dark complexion. He wore a white hooded shirt and black Jordan shorts and shoes.

According to the news release, the women feared they would be sexually assaulted because the suspects made sexual comments and one inappropriately touched one of the women.

Crime Stoppers will pay up to $5,000 for information leading to the suspects' identification, charging or arrest. Call 713-222-8477 (TIPS), visit www.crime-stoppers.org or text TIP610 plus your tip to CRIMES (274637). Tipsters remain anonymous.

carol.christian@chron.com

I just gotta get my old fat butt out of this city and back out to the safety of the country, or at least to the sanity of a small community!

Let's get some fresh coffee and sit outside on the patio. I don't think the crazies can see us out here, but you just never know!

The Can Get's The "Can"...!

Looks like an iconic symbol is about to face extinction!

The term "a can of soup" is about to change for good, if Heinz follows it's newest marketing scheme! Quoting the excuse of the rising cost of metals, the cans are being replaced with tubes. Sounds like a pretty good idea, but it is going to play heck with the organization of all our pantries, I think!

Soup in a tube: Heinz launches green alternative as tin can feels the squeeze

By Sean Poulter
Last updated at 12:00 AM on 9th July 2011

You can find a can of soup in almost every kitchen larder.

And they have even found their way into art galleries thanks to Andy Warhol’s iconic paintings.

But the supermarket staple could soon be squeezed out by soup in a tube, which is being launched by Heinz.

With the price of metal rising, the ‘squeeze and stir’ soups, which come in a plastic sachet that resembles a tube of toothpaste, could replace both cans and instant powders.

A similar pattern is being seen with the success of milk bags, which are being introduced by supermarkets as a green alternative to bottles and cartons.

The Heinz product is a puree rather than a powder and makes a mugful of soup when diluted with hot water and stirred.

In recent years, fresh soups have enjoyed huge success based on a perception they are healthier than those sold in cans or as powder.
Squeeze and Stir: The new portable soup range takes in the flavours Cream of Tomato, Mediterranean Vegetable and Cream of Tomato with Basil

Squeeze and Stir: The new portable soup range takes in the flavours Cream of Tomato, Mediterranean Vegetable and Cream of Tomato with Basil

Heinz is keen to play up the natural ingredients in its new product – pointing out that they are equivalent to eating one of the recommended five-a-day portions of vegetables or fruit.

The soups, which will be available from the end of this month, contain no artificial colours or flavours and are low in fat.

Heinz spokesman Matthew Cullum said: ‘The tubes can easily be popped into a handbag, briefcase or pocket to be enjoyed as a convenient lunch or snack’.

The instant soup purees come in four flavours - cream of tomato, minestrone, Mediterranean vegetable, and tomato with basil.

The purees are arguably the biggest revolution for Heinz since 1910, when it first began selling canned soup in Britain.

Mr Cullum added: ‘We’re confident that consumers will not only love the thick, velvety texture and delicious flavours but also the fact that because it’s a puree, not a powder, it gives you one of your five a day.’

Some manufacturers have responded to rising commodity prices in recent years by introducing new pack sizes, often slimming down the contents or using cheaper or greener materials.

Sceptical consumers may see the new shape as a back-door way of raising prices.

The Heinz 70g tube costs 59p, which equates to 0.84p per gram.

A normal 400g can of soup, which is considerably more expensive to produce because of the metal, costs 85p, which works out at 0.21p per gram.

Even taking account of the fact the puree has to be diluted, it would seem the new product is a more expensive option.

I can't help but think this might make carrying soup in our BOB just a little easier, don't you think? If nothing else, carrying a tube or two in the car or truck a tad more handy!

Just like the old song says "The times, they are a-changing!"

Coffee on the patio this morning! Still no rain in sight!

Remember This Time...?

Amazing to think that it's been so long ago that this song first came about!

It introduced me to two big influences in my life...song writer Bob Dylan and the group Peter, Paul, and Mary! I still enjoy the works of this time. How could you not?

Jul 9, 1962:

Bob Dylan records "Blowin' In The Wind"

"This here ain't no protest song or anything like that, 'cause I don't write no protest songs." That was how Bob Dylan introduced one of the most eloquent protest songs ever written when he first performed it publicly. It was the spring of his first full year in New York City, and he was onstage at Gerde's Folk City in Greenwich Village, talking about a song he claims to have written in just 10 minutes: "Blowin' In The Wind." A few weeks later, on this day in 1962, Dylan walked into a studio and recorded the song that would make him a star.

Dylan's recording of "Blowin' In The Wind" would first be released nearly a full year later, on his breakthrough album, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan. This was not the version of the song that most people would first hear, however. That honor went to the cover version by Peter, Paul and Mary—a version that not only became a smash hit on the pop charts, but also transformed what Dylan would later call "just another song" into the unofficial anthem of the civil rights movement.

"Blowin' In The Wind" bore little or no resemblance to the highly topical, highly literal protest songs of the day, but that may have been precisely what made it so effective as a protest song. A lyric like "How many roads must a man walk down, before you call him a man?" lends itself perfectly to those seeking racial justice, just as "How many seas must a white dove sail, before she sleeps in the sand?" does to those seeking peace. The moving, vaguely spiritual, clearly dissatisfied, yet ultimately ambiguous nature of "Blowin' In the Wind" made it the quintessential protest song of the 1960s—"A song that the times seemed to call forth," in the words of critic Greil Marcus.

It also represented a significant breakthrough for Bob Dylan as a songwriter. From "Blowin' In The Wind" onward, Dylan's songs would reflect a far more personal and poetic approach to self-expression—an approach that would lead him away from songs like "The Times They Are a-Changin'" and toward songs like "Like A Rolling Stone." And Dylan's development as a songwriter would, in turn, have a similar effect on The Beatles, whose own move from "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" to "A Day In The Life" can be traced directly to their exposure to The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan in the spring of 196



Sorry, but I was feeling the need to trip down memory lane this morning! Forgive me, OK?

Let's get some coffee on the patio this morning. We can talk over all the old times and how times have changed!