Missive #258

“It was so interesting to learn about other valleys in Blue Ridge Country—it covers a large area in many states as part of the Great Valley, also called the Great Appalachian Valley, one of the major features of eastern North America. This trough extends from Quebec to Alabama.

I did not like this book as well as the first one that I read in the American Folkways Series. It was published in 1942 so is very dated except for the geography and history which is good information. It is also as this other customer review said “this was not a story, but a series of small stories that frequently seemed disjointed and/or repetitive.”This book’s history and people, their tradition of independence, and wonderful descriptions of nature, rivers, and hills made me feel like I had been dropped right down into the mountains in the 17th century. This area was settled by Germans and Scotch-Irish dating from 1730, although Native Americans lived here for nearly 11,000 years before European settlers penetrated the mountain ranges. Many of the early trails ended up as national highways, and today Skyline highway leading to Pinnacle Mountain has a view of six states: Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. All in all, I found this a good read and a book to keep for the history of the Blue Ridge Country.” — Customer review @ goodread.com

A good posting by JHK for Eclipse Day; this is the closing paragraph.

So, if you are among those who believe that the cosmos seeks to convey an occult message in this eclipse that will supernaturally darken half our country today, maybe it’s this one: just stop it, America! Stop meddling in every flashpoint across the planet. Look to yourself and your own monstrous problems: your jive-tragic government, your fake economy, your breached borders, your sick-and-depressed population, your racketeering corporations, your broken banks, your buggered election methods, your faithless news media, your political mental illness. Or else, get ready for bang-and-whimper. — Bang And Whimper by James Howard Kunstler

The quote is a lead in to an interview that I suggest you read.

April 4, 2024, marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of NATO. As a product of the Cold War, NATO should have been disbanded, but over the years, it has served as a war machine and facilitated US hegemony. The Global Times talked to a number of experts and scholars to reveal how the US exploits NATO to serve its geopolitical purposes and how NATO destabilizes the world, exacerbates nuclear threats and brings confrontation to Asia.
In the second interview of the series, Global Times (GT) reporter Li Aixin talked to John Pang (Pang), a former Malaysian government official and a senior research fellow at Perak Academy, Malaysia. John said that having set Europe on fire with its aggressive enlargement, NATO proposes to bring their formula to Asia, against a far more powerful opponent – “It’s an imbecile proposition.” — NATO shows real signs of impending demise A Global Times Opinion

A good posting about those 303,000 job that were ‘created’ last month.

The tell-tale sign of a third world economy is the concentration of wealth in the hands of a tiny minority. In the United States this is called “democracy.” And an increase in third world jobs is misrepresented as economic progress.

They will never stop lying to us. — America Has A Third World Economy by Paul Craig Roberts

The mobile RV repair guy showed up thirty minutes late on Monday; I had almost given up on him showing up at all. He went right to work and found that the water pump was shot and had it replaced in just a few minutes. I then had him replace the water inlet that always leaks unless I mess with it for a long time. While we were doing that my neighbor came over and offered me her eclipse glasses but I told her I was too involved with my water problems at the moment.

When we finished the job and I paid a steep price to get it done I went over to see the eclipse. We had no darkening here since we were not close to the shadow track but I saw the eclipse. When I looked at the sun with the glasses the moon was covering most of the sun leaving what would be a moon waxing crescent rotated 90°. Without the glasses there was no sign that the moon was passing in front of the sun.

Yesterday was tooth extraction day. I now have a gap in my lower front teeth that along with my bib overalls gives me that old farmer or hillbilly look.

I was in the chair for a little over an hour and had five teeth extracted; four in the lower front and a lower right moral. There was infection at the root on one of the front teeth and the molar plus I was told ten years ago that those front teeth were going have to go sometime. Generally speaking it was painless except for the shots which I think the dentist gave me plenty; they took a long time wearing off. There was what I though to be more bleeding than other extractions I have had but I never have had four taken out together before.

The cost was maybe one fourth, or less, what my United States dentist would have charged me. I also think the US dentists would have made it two or three appointments rather than doing it all in one day. Back next week to get the temporary bridge fitting then another appointment to have it put in. This may stretch out into May when I’ll have a longer drive to the office. The permanent bridge will be another trip in October from a closer camp.