Global Warming, where are you?

Went toodling over the Cascade Mountains this weekend, via two different passes. Stevens Pass, even at this late date, still has HUGE amounts of snow. Not drifts, actual snow deposits. Well over 10 feet in some places. The North Cascade loop, the return route, had less snow (but still there). Lots of avalanche debris, and huge boulders by the side of the road trying to look nonchalant that weren't there last year.

Back in Snark Central the cottonwoods are making their annual attempt to take over the world with fluff. Much to the consternation of the cats, the heat has been turned off but it isn't what you would call balmy outside. I remind them *they* have fur coats. And still owe me their share of the heating oil bill. And if we don't get some sunspots soon that heating bill is only going to get worse. I am going to have to have a bonfire every weekend to get caught up on my carbon emission. Gotta do something, after all!

Man and Horse

For Memorial Day

An Army man and an Army horse, 1917. For all those who have served, two-legs and four.

A few observations

-Bicyclists: I am happy to share the road with you, really. However, when there is a nice, functional bike lane completely unobstructed by potholes, gravel, dead deer, or lava I expect you to use it, and not the lane intended for motor vehicles. When I am Evil Overlord, if a bicyclist is run over and flattened *in* the vehicle lane where a bike lane is available, no charges will be permitted against the driver. Sometimes Darwin needs assistance.
-People Obama will Talk To: Never mind the preconditions/preparations hairsplitting. Your humble Snarkatron firmly believes the only things a red-blooded American should say to Amahdinejad is "Blindfold? Cigarette?" but the spirit of Jimmy Carter lives on. I just want to know why Obama is willing to talk to all kinds of bloodthirsty thugs, but gets the vapors even considering appearing on Fox. What's his rationale, here? Fox News hasn't slaughtered anybody.
-Looking At Watch Anxiously Dept.: We still really haven't started Solar Cycle 24. The only sunspots that are appearing are a) rather sparse and b) belong to Cycle 23 (yes, we can tell). This is Not Good except for Thermo-Pane window salesmen.

And Cigarettes are legal, too

Note to all the drug legalization proponents. Organized crime and cigarette smuggling. Tobacco, at least for now, is legal to own, use, grow, and you can even carry it onto school grounds. Smoking may give you a nice assortment of illnesses, but as far as I know it does not impair your ability to hold down a job (well, maybe liquid oxygen dispenser ...) or care for yourself or your family, or make you a hazard behind the wheel. Now, the article is quite clear that the smuggling efforts (and murder, etc) peak with high cigarette taxes and ebb when the taxes are lowered. No doubt the legalization folk are mumbling about how legal drugs *would* be cheaper, so there. Yeah, but how cheap is cheap enough for people whose teeth have fallen out and can't find any work at all because of their drug addictions? And you just know that the state will find drug taxes irresistible. Plus age restrictions, just like cigarettes, and you know kids will always obey the laws. Just like they do now. So that's at least two sizable populations that can't go to to the Hallucinogens-R-Us store and load up, aaaannd ..... we're right back to the criminal profit motive again.

Completely leaving out the bit about me not wanting to fund in any way, shape, or form all the medical issues the drug users will have, and want treatment at the emergency room for, that RIGHT NOW I pay for. The war on drugs is ongoing just like the war on murder. Deal.