Enough Snow Already

OK, I am done with the snow removal du jour. So maybe now I'll hike into town and watch "The Revenant" to see what sort of hardships other real men endure? Naah. I'll be watching NFL Championship Football! And rooting hard for the Cardinals since I have an Ariens snowblower.

And speaking of my snowblower, I had a Donald Trump epiphany this morning. I bought the snowblower last winter, we had plenty of snow, and it is the Greatest Toy Ever, although I say that as a non-owner of a huge chainsaw. When I am out there with that thing roaring I am the King of Snow. Well, a guy running a giant plow down an Interstate at fifty MPH in a blinding storm is the King. Call me a prince. Hmm, but do I really outrank the guys with the riding snowblowers? OK, I am the Duke of Snow.

Moving on, this morning I could not get my Greatest Toy Ever started. It was gassed up and ready to go but... to start it one must adjust the choke to open (not closed), the electrical switch to on (not off) and the fuel line to open (not closed). Three binary settings, only eight possibilities, even an idiot could do this, right? Especially having done it many times only ten months ago.

Maybe! But I would like to blame my difficulties on an absence of idiots. The on/off switch, which when I was a kid would have been labelled (get ready) "On/Off", in fact included only a pictorial aid. One choice was indicated by an unlocked padlock and an upraised hand, palm forward. I took the hand to mean "Stop" and the padlock to mean "Unlocked". Mixed messages! The other possible setting was a locked padlock and a picture I still can't make out. And as a final hint, there was a larger graphic indicating that all the dials had two positions and to run the machine they all had to be turned to the correct position, although what that position might be was left unclear. Not helpful!

After fifteen dark moments during which my life, or at least a snow shovel, my lower back and a bottle of Advil, passed before my eyes, I figured out that "unlocked padlock" meant "Off". I mean, duh. The Greatest Toy Ever started up and away I went, the Duke of Snow unchained! Oh, I love the smell of engine exhaust in the morning. It smells like... Actually, I have no sense of smell. At all. Got sprayed by a skunk once and didn't even realize it, although when I got back to camp my friends were quick to give me the news. Kind of a digression.

But my Donald Trump epiphany was this. I get globalization and international marketing and a more globally oriented America. But seriously, are "On" and "Off" that hard for people to grasp, even non-English speakers? What is with these useless padlock graphics that make no sense? And how many snowblowers are we selling to Mexico or Venezuela anyway?

Let's make America great again by finding the ON button and labeling it sensibly. Yeah.

Comments

[henry]

I used to have a giant snowplow for my driveway... an International Loadmaster 13000 with a dump bed and 12 foot plow blade. Great fun on the driveway until the hydrolics rusted. Then an F150 with an 8 foot blade, working heater and radio. Also fun on the driveway. Now I text a guy once a year and sleep in. I finally feel like royalty.

[Thonas Collins]

So far, red challenge flag is Pats' best offensive weapon.

[Dave (in MA)]

Man up, Nancy.

[Threadkiller]

When I am out there with that thing roaring I am the King of Snow. Well, a guy running a giant plow down an Interstate at fifty MPH in a blinding storm is the King. 

http://youtu.be/aMYYzOQgxWo

to start it one must adjust the choke to open (not closed)

I think the labeling is screwed up here as well. Cold engine = closed choke.

[Beasts of England]

I feel your pain, Tom. I left my car out front last night and had to blow on the windshield three or four times this morning to get all the flakes off...

[Dave (in MA)]

Looks that way, Thonas.

[Threadkiller]

Brady had a lot of PSI on that interception.

[henry]

Is Brady color blind?

[Threadkiller]

Manning had a lot of PEDs on that overthrow.

[henry]

TD Orange doods

[Dave (in MA)]

Daniels is Gronking the Pats.

[daddy]

Wow! Interesting game.

Looks like the question of whether Payton Manning still has "it", whatever "it" is, is being answered.

Exciting game so far.

[Dave (in MA)]

Denver is deflating the Pats' sideline computers.

[henry]

As exciting as running a giant plow down the interstate? Not yet, but it is early.

[Threadkiller]

Did The Deflator adjust for altitude?

[Miss Marple]

Regarding the Tate cookies on the last thread:

I had never heard of them.

My daughter just came home with a package of Tate gluten-free chocolate chip cookies from a store that specializes in gluten-free stuff.

I wish you guys had been talking about bringing home sacks of money! LOL!

[clarice]

I love Tom Maguire, And don't get me started on all the gizmos you need to work the TV--I loved the old on/off deal.

For NR fans:National Review in 1980: “Reagan’s image remains inchoate.… At the outset of his campaign, his image is largely that of the role-playing actor — pleasant on stage, but ill-equipped for the real world beyond the footlights. Reagan does not yet project the presidential image. He is not seen as a serious man.”

[Porchlight]

No analog playbook? Doesn't Darth Hoodie practice and prepare for everything?

[Miss Marple]

I have to agree with Mr. McGuire on the pictographs. I have a Dyson vacuum which has pictographs to show you how to disengage the hose for crevice cleaning.

I had to look up the directions on line because I couldn't figure out what they were telling me.

[Beasts of England]

The Microsoft Surface Tablets™ have been hacked!

[Rick Ballard]

"But seriously, are "On" and "Off" that hard for people to grasp, even non-English speakers?"

TM,

The purpose of the ISO symbols is to provide work for the committees charged with developing and publishing the regulations pertaining to and mandating proper placement and display of the symbols.

Questions regarding the actual utility of the symbols are really out of line.

[clarice]

We still haven't shoveled--too much snow, too, for our dinky little electric blower. waiting for the crew of Hispanic guys who generally show up to do it.

[Threadkiller]

Glenn Beck knows a Hispanic guy.

[Truthbetold]

TK

You sound a lot like those who defended Obama in 2008

[lyle]

All of our snow is where it's supposed to be: in the mountains. Very little shoveling thus far this winter.

[Threadkiller]

Goes to how crappy a researcher you are.

[henry]

Someone tell Brady which color his guys are.

[Threadkiller]

Colbert??

I may skip the Superbowl.

[Truthbetold]

TK

Once again, you completely miss the point.

[Threadkiller]

Take off your hat. I will be able to better see your point.

How about this. Don't address me until you answer the simple question.

We both win.

[Truthbetold]

What question?

[glasater]

This 'snow' post sounds remarkably like something Jeff Dobbs would write. The chainsaw mention is a giveaway here.

[DebinNC]

Two NJ teens were stopped by police last year for shoveling neighbors' snow without getting the mandated $450 for 180 days license. Christie signed a right-to-shovel bill last week. Newsmax: "However, there are still limits, as the bill removes only licensing requirements for snow shoveling, and only applies if businesses are solicited within 24 hours before a storm is predicted to roll in." Note to self - never move to a state that would pass such a law in the first place.

[Cecil Turner]

So far, red challenge flag is Pats' best offensive weapon.

That first backward pass was incredibly sloppy by the Broncos. (Looked like he was trying to avoid the rusher's arm . . . but then the whole team went to sleep after what was obviously close to being a lateral--and in fact was.) And yes, the Pats can't seem to get it in gear.

The game as a whole is sloppier than I expected.

[Porchlight]

No joke, DebinNC.

[Dave (in MA)]

Seeing Seth what's-his-name mostly naked in an ad isn't going to make me not buy Bud Light. Bud Light is going to make me not buy Bud Light

[daddy]

a guy running a giant plow down an Interstate at fifty MPH in a blinding storm is the King.

Nope TM,

This guy's the King:
Carbon friendly and good eating!

And if I may be so bold, in my link to Alaska Pet Mooses, which got lost in the quaking last night, one of the guys who had a moose to haul his carriage was Alaskan Mailman Joe Carr, first guy to bring news of the Yukon Gold Strikes to the outside world.

This is the link to the New York Times story from 16 July, 1897, that first breaks the news of the Gold Strike to the masses. I find it really exciting in capturing the sense of Gold Fever and instant riches that must have gripped the nation like a narcotic, and since Trump's Granddaddy was one of the guys who hustled north to start the family fortune, worth a read. I love the letters written to relatives to urge them to bring up important stuff like rubber boots!
GOLD STRIKES IN ALASKA

[JeanD]

MaryD,

Thanks for the recipe!

Little changes can make a big difference, so I will be interested to see how these come out.

I am certain that my CC cookie eaters will gobble them up. The only question will be whether they like them more than the usual offering.

[clarice]

Here's a snarkilious piece:http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/22/the-national-review-donald-trump-attack-will-backfire?CMP=share_btn_fb

[Threadkiller]

They rarely say "Manning." It seems to be "Peyton Manning" this and Peyton Manning" that.

Do they say "Tom Brady" more than "Brady?"

[glasater]

Today is the one and only day I am rooting for Denver.

[Dave (in MA)]

There are multiple Mannings.

[Threadkiller]

Playing for Denver?

[Cecil Turner]

Here's a snarkilious piece:

Take election advice from a lefty (a foreigner lefty at that), and you deserve . . .

That said, I agree with the first part of his headline: it was counterproductive. (The sub-header, not so much.)

[Threadkiller]

If it was a Giants Broncos matchup, I could see the need. Sort of.

[daddy]

Bud Light is going to make me not buy Bud Light

Word:)

[James D.]

I've only watched since halfway through the 2nd quarter. My thoughts:

The Pats can't protect Brady, and I don't see how that's going to change in the second half.

Peyton looks awful, for the 3 possessions I saw him play. I guess, if they win, they've got the extra week to try and weld his head back into his spine a little more securely for the Super Bowl, so there's that.

[Miss Marple]

daddy!

Starring John Wayne, Ernie Kovacs, Stewart Granger, Capucine, and FABIAN!

Way up north, north to Alaska, way up north, north to Alaska
North to Alaska, go north, the rush is on
North to Alaska, go north, the rush is on

Big Sam left Seattle in the year of ninety-two
With George Pratt, his partner, and brother Billy too
They crossed the Yukon River and they found the bonanza gold
Below that old white mountain, just a little south-east of Nome

Sam crossed the Majestic mountains to the valleys far below
He talked to his team of huskies as he mushed on through the snow
With the northern lights a-runnin' wild in the Land of the Midnight Sun
Yes Sam McCord was a mighty man in the year of nineteen-one

Where the river is windin', big nuggets they're findin'
North to Alaska, go north, the rush is on
Way up north, north to Alaska, way up north, north to Alaska
North to Alaska, go north, the rush is on
North to Alaska, go north, the rush is on

George turned to Sam with his gold in his hand
Said, "Sam, you're lookin' at a lonely, lonely man
I'd trade all the gold that's buried in this land
For one small band of gold to place on sweet little Jenny's hand"

"'Cause a man needs a woman to love him all the time
Remember, Sam, a true love is so hard to find
I'd build for my Jenny, a honeymoon home
Below that old white mountain, just a little south-east of Nome"

Where the river is windin' big nuggets they're findin'
North to Alaska, go north, the rush is on
North to Alaska, go north, the rush is on
Way up north, north to Alaska, way up north, north to Alaska
Way up north, north to Alaska, way up north, north to Alaska
Way up north!

[Cecil Turner]

Peyton looks awful, for the 3 possessions I saw him play.

He actually looked pretty good on the first drive (after the first two passes). And then it all kinda went south . . .

[windansea]

used to drive my friends MB Unimog in Sun Valley, felt like a king

https://search.yahoo.com/yhs/search;_ylt=AwrTca8PSaVWtaYAEYgnnIlQ;_ylc=X1MDMTM1MTE5NTY4NwRfcgMyBGZyA3locy1tb3ppbGxhLTAwMgRncHJpZANYX1lXM2ZrclJVQ3Z0eXB1RDZubXRBBG5fcnNsdAMwBG5fc3VnZwM0BG9yaWdpbgNzZWFyY2gueWFob28uY29tBHBvcwMwBHBxc3RyAwRwcXN0cmwDBHFzdHJsAzE4BHF1ZXJ5A3VuaW1vZ3Bsb3dpbmcgc25vdwR0X3N0bXADMTQ1MzY3MjczOA--?p=unimogplowing+snow&fr2=sb-top-search&hspart=mozilla&hsimp=yhs-002

[anonamom]

Deb in NC, re snow shoveling permit--we left Massachusetts when they legislated in the early 80s that hospital charges could never exceed those of 1978, adjusted for inflation.
We didn't know what it would mean in the long run, but figured it showed a lot about the general mind set.

It ended up being a major blow to what til then one was of the premier cardiac surgical programs in the country at MGH, because they could
not afford to start a heart transplant program if htey couldn't exceed those charges, and fell far behind til they legislature finally gave them an exemption after many years of seeking one

[daddy]

That's a doozy of a read, Clarice!

Many laughs. Thanks.

[MaryD]

Miss M, the recipe for Tate's gluten free choc chips is supposedly out there somewhere, but I haven't found it yet. Rumor has it that you save a lot of money by baking your own. Will keep looking.

[daddy]

Back when men were men and they didn't need no "On-Off" switches:

[anonamom]

TK

"They rarely say "Manning." It seems to be "Peyton Manning" this and Peyton Manning" that."

Probably because they are used to saying that to differentiate him from Eli in their normal conversations outside of announcing.
We refer to my partners who share the same first names by their full names often in conversation so we know which Jim, Jeff or Matt we mean.

[Marlene]

I just read the list of candidate events leading up to the NH primary in the Manchester paper. Trump has a pre-primary rally on Feb.8 at the Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester. The capacity is about 10,000 people,probably the largest venue in NH.
Just FYI...

[Miss Marple]

MaryD,

Thanks!

My daughter was told by her doctor that she may be gluten-sensitive.

So now we are on the hunt for gluten-free products and recipes. I figure this will last for about 2 months. I have been through vegetarian, no red meat, no pork (she thinks pigs are cute), no sugar, etc.
I am becoming a specialty cooking expert.

Guess I will make macaroni and cheese on days when she is going out. LOL!

[lyle]

Longest Bronco run of the game so far is by Manning. Unbelievable.

[glasater]

So glad you liked that oyster sauce idea, anonamom and I cook pot roast pretty much as you described. Hope your gravy was as heavenly tasting as the cooking aroma :-)

[Dave (in MA)]

TK, they must be reading this thread, because they've been saying "Tom Brady" a lot.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--although I say that as a non-owner of a huge chainsaw--

I have a Stihl MS660 for sale. Second biggest saw Stihl makes and can handle a 48 inch bar.
Perfect opportunity to become a non non-owner.

[daddy]

Miss Marple,

Just got to your Daily Caller link from the prior thread on that Malloch guy hammering National Review.

Many thanks. Interesting to watch the pushback, and waiting to see what NR mounts by way of a counter-attack.

[Miss Marple]

daddy,

Today they had an article comparing Trump to Sadr, the nutso imam of Sadr City in Baghdad.

They've gone round the bend.

[Miss Marple]

Cruz on Howie Kurtz misleading people about Trump's abortion position.

You know, I really cannot like him, no matter how conservative he is.

Sorry, Cruz supporters.

[derwill]

--All of our snow is where it's supposed to be: in the mountains. Very little shoveling thus far this winter.--

Ha, Lyle. Tell me about it. 8 feet so far in McCall, and at least two more months of winter still to go.

[Cecil Turner]

Longest Bronco run of the game so far is by Manning.

A little jolt of life into the Bronco offense . . . and their D continues to dominate. (But it's still a one-score game.)

Cruz on Howie Kurtz misleading people about Trump's abortion position.

You mean this week's position? Or last week's?

[Dave (in MA)]

Sadr

I would have thought they were against smoking weed @NRO.

[Dave (in MA)]

OK now I have to quit drinking Diet Dr. Pepper.

[Thomas Collins]

OK, Patriots, it's time to prove me wrong that your offensive line issues would do you in.

[Cecil Turner]

Okay, now one and a half.

[daddy]

Pat's can still win if they get enuff flags thrown against Denver.

[James D.]

That penalty was an absolute gift for the Pats. No way in the world should it have been a flag.

[lyle]

I feel for ya, derwill. I'm heading to SV on Thu. Great ski conditions this winter.

[DebinNC]

I'm with you re Cruz, MM. He seems to be an acquired taste, but I haven't acquired it and am increasingly unlikely to. I don't view his senate behavior as noble and brave, but carefully planned to up his name recognition via all the coverage that followed each show-boating episode and to win the "most-conservative" crown in anticipation of his POTUS run. He probably mistakenly thought the "least congenial" tag would be seen as a badge of honor, instead of narcissism and hubris clearly on display imo.

[glasater]

I have some good friends who live here in Walla Walla but have a cabin in McCall.

[Threadkiller]

Cruz: No Actual Voters Ask About the ‘Silly Birther Attack’ http://www.breitbart.com/video/2016/01/24/cruz-2/

[Beasts of England]

I'll say this about Theodore Roosevelt Malloch: I like any Oxford scholar who uses "ain't no" in a sentence. Bazinga!

[henry]

TK, have you informed Cruz you actually vote? ;)

[Cecil Turner]

Go for it . . . Doh!

[derwill]

Yeah, Lyle, I've been skiing practically everyday--which is playing havoc with my day job.

Although with the crowds coming up for Winter Carnival this weekend, I'll be staying close to home for a few days.

[Threadkiller]

This has been one of the most enjoyable election cycles ever, henry.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

One yard? Quarterback sneak = Belichick staple.
Hmm.

[glasater]

In the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries he frequently used 'ain't' in phrasing to make some kind of point..

[lyle]

From my goofball 86 yo uncle:

I was visiting my daughter and I asked for a newspaper. She said, "Dad, this is the 21st century, we don't waste money on newspaper. Here, use my iPad."

I can tell you this...that fly never knew what hit him."

[Dave (in MA)]

James D., that was helmet to helmet, almost always called.

[Threadkiller]

Brady on the surface again

[Cecil Turner]

James D., that was helmet to helmet, almost always called.

It was, but he was moving (rather quickly and evasively) and it was not an easy tackle. I can understand it, but . . .

[Miss Marple]

lyle,

I would love to meet your uncle! LOL!

[Threadkiller]

Gronk reminds me of the zipper-necked goon in Highlander.

[derwill]

glasater, I think using "ain't" was some kind of British upper class affectation back then. Perhaps to differentiate themselves from the social climbers with new money, who could afford to live on Berkeley Square and who might even buy themselves a knighthood, and especially took extra care always to speak properly, but who would never be able to acquire the proper lineage.

[daddy]

Here's a head scratcher.

Glenn Beck says he's such a Conservative that instead of Trump he'll vote for Bernie Sanders.

Bill Kristolsays he's such a Conservative that instead of Trump he'll vote for Hillary Clinton.

Which one of those 2 Conservatives is more Conservative?

[lyle]

Trollope uses "ain't" a lot in his dialogue in The Way We Live Now, written 1875. I found it rather surprising.

[Threadkiller]

I had to abandon the conservative market to save the conservative market.

[Threadkiller]

Funny anecdote lyle.

[Threadkiller]

Denver wastes a time out.

[glasater]

derwill,

using "ain't" was some kind of British upper class affectation back then. Perhaps to differentiate themselves from the social climbers with new money,

Loving English authors and reading them over the years made me come to similar conclusions altho never heard it used on Downton Abbey :-)

[daddy]

Good Challenge. I thought he caught it and had control.

[lyle]

If you're familiar with that novel, almost all the characters are upper class British.

[Cecil Turner]

Don't see any call other than incomplete or first down. Wouldn't have thrown the flag.

[Threadkiller]

GRONK