Trouble In Paradise

There is moss on our lawn furniture and my wife is not lichen it.  Thanks, I'll be here all week. Cleaning.

I did make a friend! In the course of moving some rocks and giving some rotted logs the old heave-ho I exposed a lot of topsoil. A robin showed up and was hopping around within in four feet of me, scoring about a worm a minute. This bird had a pretty good read on my quickness and agility - I had to take at least two lumbering steps toward it before it would give me a courtesy hop and move a few feet away. I think we both know I kill chipmunks and squirrels, not birds. With traps of course! I'm not catching them bare-handed either.

Comments

[Comanche Voter]

My house is in the brushline of the Verdugo Hills--part of the LA metroplex and just eight miles from Los Angeles City Hall. I've got a concrete block wall back fence which keeps rattlesnakes out. The hillside above the fence is cleared for a firebreak. Lots of deer and coyotes cross the hillside--along with the occasional bobcat.

There are squirrels in the rosemary groundcover on the hill. They drive my 30 pound mutt mad. To keep peace in the house I do trap the squirrels from time to time in a Havaheart live trap. I relocate them a couple of miles away. That's probably illegal, but I release them in terrain and brush similar to where I trapped them. Occasionally a squirrel will come over the wall into the yard, and the mutt--who thinks she's part terrier will give chase. A couple of days ago she knocked one into pool. The squirrel was a pretty good swimmer and managed to get to the edge of the pool and pull itself out--to be met by the dog. End of squirrel whose carcass is now over the wall for the scavengers.

A few years back we had an infestation of Merriam Chipmunks. They stayed in the sideyard at night, but in the morning they'd run across the deck to get in the bushes along the back wall. They were cute little fellows--didn't stay out on the deck for more than few seconds since red tail hawks patrol overhead. That lasted for a couple of years. Then one day I saw two foxes in the backyard. Within a week no more chipmunks--the foxes cleaned the colony out.

If you're going to trap them and kill them, it's smart to use gloves. Chipmunks are cute, but they carry the hanta virus which is an issue here in the Southwest.

[jimmyk]

I think we both know I kill chipmunks and squirrels, not birds. With traps of course!

Wimp. Mayor Bane killed a groundhog with his bare hands.

[Gentlejim]

You need a wind turbine for effective bird killing. Have fun in the garden, TM.

[henry]

Haveaheart traps are ok. I catch raccoons inside my barn in them. Then a .177 tag behind the ear and release. Caught a sloth once, nasty critter. Today’s adventures included a deer, then a crane on the way to my mailbox. Later saw a garter snake and rabbit while cutting grass. Squirrels are getting bolder, might be time for plinking with the .22

[MissMarple2]

Jennifer Franco
@jennfranconews
·
34m
#BREAKING: The Fulton County District Attorney's Office announces 11 charges against former Atlanta Police Officer Garrett Rolfe, including felony murder and multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon, in connection with the the deadly shooting of Rayshard Brooks.
===========================================
This gal works for OANN.

[Old Lurker]

We had a gazillion rabbits which would eat newly planted plants in the garden, always starting with the most expensive and working down. Nothing worked.

Until it occurred to me that we have fox in the woods outside our deer fence. I experimented just how open I had to leave the gate to let the foxes in but not let the dogs out or the deer in.

I found the sweet spot, chained the gate open just that far and within a few weeks there were no more rabbits or chipmunks. Two foxes have a fixed schedule for coming in early morning and late evening, making the rounds and leaving quietly. They always leave a poop present and a scent trail that drives my dogs wild.

[henry]

Is “policing while white” a capital offense?

[Extraneus]

Prof. Jacobson on the latest efforts to deplatform him.

https://legalinsurrection.com/2020/06/anti-intellectualism-at-cornell-law-school-student-groups-organize-boycott-of-my-course/

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

Hearing that some Atlanta police officers are going home right now midshift.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

We had a deer in the yard last week and in about 15 minutes two thirds of my hostas on the right side of the house were reduced to stems.

[Porchlight]

Are those grand jury indictments against the Atlanta officer?

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

Sources have told Bloomberg that the two executives from Ebay named in the federal indictment are ex-CEO Devin Wenig and ex-PR chief Steven Wyman.

[Marlene]

Good afternoon! We finally realized that the owl's nest is in one of the trees in front of the cabin. That explains the hoot,hoot sounds we hear all day. Also explains the scarce chipmunk population. It is wicked dry here, we are expecting summer heat this week.

[Porchlight]

Atlanta DA is in the middle of a runoff election, from what I'm reading.

Guess it's time to destroy some lives for votes.

[Porchlight]

Too soon for a grand jury obviously, but I thought you were required to get a GJ indictment for capital murder.

[rse]

No, they are not grand jury indictments and not only is the elected da who just last week became the non-highest vote getter for reelection wants to law changed so no GJ is necessary. HIS signature alone should be enough he said to indict.

Moreover, he mentioned the death penalty for the cop. Insisted that sovereign immunity nationwide should be abolished so that families can sue in these situations. Insisted it was unreasonable for cop to view himself at risk.

We deliberately live outside city limits but we are only about 1.5 miles from it so I am in the city all the time including walks. No person with any options would want to be part of APS now and that doesn't count the fact that no one will want to police. It's just a property crime.

Tasers are deadly force against the spolied college students who drove away when stopped and then got tasered but not a threat to this officer after the man stole his weapon and fired back at him.

I can see firing him. But treating it as keisha and paul howard have is reprehensible and will tear this city apart ultimately because I don't think this can stick. Leaving it to grand jury was the appropriate action but then the DA would have had no chance to prevail in the runoff against his former assistant.

She comes across as having firing synapses unlike the two above when they speak.

[lyle]

It is wicked dry here

Not here. We’re finally going to start drying out tomorrow. We’re 250% over June average precipitation. I’m sick of rain and pumping off the pool cover.

[Threadkiller]

Mousetrap Mondays:

https://m.youtube.com/user/historichunter/videos

Rodent problems, pick a trap...

[Dave (in MA)]

Do you do woodchucks? We've got one that thinks of my wife's flowers as salad.

[Old Lurker]

Lyle "I’m sick of rain and pumping off the pool cover."

Amazon: "Auto Pool Cover Pump"

Next Day Prime and your problem is solved...

[lyle]

Check this out:

http://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=387800

Srsly.

[lyle]

Our pool guy suggested the same thing today, OL. Great minds and all...😉

[lyle]

Truth is, I rarely have to pump after around mid-May for the rest of pool season.

[Dave (in MA)]

Why is the pool still covered?

[henry]

Alas, Mrs Butterworth is no more.

https://twitter.com/marketwatch/status/1273369858269499397?s=21

Cream of Wheat dude got lynched as well.

[matt - deplore me if you must]

I can hear the DA now; "Are you going to believe all of these BLM activists or your own two eyes?"

Rarely do we see an incident like this play out to its conclusion on video. We saw 28 minutes of polite interaction, 2 minutes of violent wrestling and fighting and then 15 seconds when the perp turned and fired the Taser and the cop fired back, probably killing him instantly.

How in their right minds can the ME and DA call that murder?

[Dave (in MA)]

Got invited to a virtual meeting on Friday that is supposed to celebrate "Juneteenth" and kicks off a "day of reflection" about racism and "diversity and inclusion".

It coincides with an actual work-related virtual meeting, so we'll see how that plays out.

[Jane]

Between Bolton and Lighthizer, Trump had a very bad day.

I watched the DA's indictment - well most of it. It made me sick.

[James D.]

Matt, that DA doesn’t have a right mind.

[clarice]

We keep the cover on right now because otherwise the pool is full of leaves and pollen and it does keep the heat in when the weather is so variable. OTOH in DC water is very expensive and it's been raining a lot. Maybe we should rethink that.

[Captain Hate]

Ralph really does have a candy corn shaped head

http://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=387786

[D]

The Justice system once again fails the people.
I am disgusted with the entire incident.

[JimNorCal]

lyle's 5:32 will bring joy to all Rick Wilson haters.
http://acecomments.mu.nu/?post=387800
Breitbart: Credibly Accused Racist and White Supremacist Rick Wilson Was In Dire Financial Straits Before He Cashed in as a NeverTrumper
"But then some conservatives uncovered social media posts from Wilson and his wife featuring a cooler with a Confederate flag on it as well as the text in one image: "The South Will Rise Again." Wilson has been feverishly deleting the images from Twitter"

[henry]

My pond has a layer of cottonwood fluff on it. Need a good rain, one scheduled for Saturday. Brush clearance is better in the dry, fewer mosquitoes. So two more days to make a dentin the thickest part of the brush.

[Captain Hate]

Memories...

https://mobile.twitter.com/DrewHolden360/status/1273001174635954176

[Dave (in MA)]

Are they going to shitcan "Motaur", by any chance?

[Ralph L]

I found the back half of a mouse by my back door yesterday. My neighbor said he saw foxes in my yard at night, but we still have bunnies, chipmunks, and too many squirrels. And a groundhog.

[Ralph L]

Marlene, in March, an owl attacked me on the street after dark, so be careful.

[D]

Ralph:
We had a groundhog and a turkey show up in our backyard.

[Another Bob]

The Atlanta police simply have to strike.

[lyle]

Why is the pool still covered?

It’s retractable. We close it every night and when we’re gone. No pool dipping from miscreants off the golf course.

[Captain Hate]

AB,

The Horde says there are walk offs starting.

[Dave (in MA)]

Ah, that makes sense. This was my first year with a porous safety cover after 27 years of a solid cover for the winter. No more pumping off the cover and then adding $100 worth of water every spring, but it took a lot longer to get the water clear this time.

[Another Bob]

Anyone still think this isn’t an asymmetric civil war?

[Jim Eagle]

Just back from Palm Beach where I went on a 3 hour one way drive to pick Frederick up and bring him back home only to find out he would not be coming. Girl driving him up had car issues. So, I did a 6 hour RT for zilch.

I also noticed that at one time up until now I loved driving, even long distance, long hours. Not anymore. Nothing a few Finlandia Vodka Tonics can't cure.

[Dave (in MA)]

Jack- I got a spoofed spam e-mail under your name. Probably nothing actually wrong on either your end or mine, but I thought I'd mention it.

[henry]

Finland is can cure many ills.

[henry]

Finlandia. One thing it can’t cure I s auto cucumber.

[Threadkiller]

Anyone still think this isn’t an asymmetric civil war?

I think the debate is how many years we have been in this war.

[Jim Eagle]

Southampton pool gets covered around the end of October. It is a heated salt water pool and you can swim almost all year. Florida pool is no cover. Except in heavy wind storms you rarely get more a dumb frog or a few palms in there. No need to heat it this time of year. Perpetually 85%.

[henry]

MacIver thread on election theft, as aided by the WI Elections Commission

https://twitter.com/maciverwisc/status/1273362874921029632?s=21

[henry]

OKeefe hits FaceBook tomorrow.

https://twitter.com/jamesokeefeiii/status/1273380565442494464?s=21

[Dave (in MA)]

✭ Wayne Dupree ✭ @WayneDupreeShow · "Atlanta police officers are refusing to answer the radio and walking off of the job. The county can go screw themselves. If you want a society without police we’ll give you one. Let it burn!" quote from ATL police officer's email

Well, there you have it.

[JimNorCal]

"Anyone still think this isn’t an asymmetric civil war?"

The leadership on our side, other than PDJT, is a ... well, a bunch of limp appendages. THAT is the heart of the problem.

[Porchlight]

Got invited to a virtual meeting on Friday that is supposed to celebrate "Juneteenth" and kicks off a "day of reflection" about racism and "diversity and inclusion".

Hey, me too. Almost the exact same wording too. Huh.

Juneteenth is a Texas thing that I never heard about until I got to Texas, and have hardly heard about since. Until this week.

It's all social justice all the time in my organization now.

[Porchlight]

BTW Dave, don't think they won't be taking attendance. Our meeting is not mandatory - so they say. Anyway, I won't be there.

[Dave (in MA)]

I don't think I ever heard of it until last week.
Virtue signaling Boilerplate, I guess.

[Rocco]

Almost two years ago, a Weymouth MA police officer was killed by a man who struck him in the head with a rock, stole his gun and killed him.

Massachusetts police officer was shot 10 times with his own gun

During a vigil at Weymouth High School Monday night, Chesna's mother thanked the community for its support, The Associated Press reported.

"Michael would be so proud," she said. "I have never been prouder to be from Weymouth."

Grimes, who also spoke during the vigil, weighed in on the ongoing debate over use of force by police officers, according to the AP.

"Hesitation gets officers hurt," he said. "The courts, the politicians and everyone in this country should put themselves in that split-second decision, and you tell me, 'is a rock a rock?' I stand here today and tell you it's not.'"

Lopes was expected to be arraigned on Tuesday, possibly from his hospital bed, The Associated Press reported.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/massachusetts-police-officer-was-shot-10-times-his-own-gun-n891846

I think this latest shooting was justified.

[Extraneus]

I don't see how foxes can eradicate squirrels. Maybe they chase them away?

Squirrels sleep and spend a lot of their waking hours in trees. A fox would have to chase a squirrel and catch it on the ground before it darts up a fence or tree.

I can believe that foxes dig up chipmunk holes, though. I know they get any turtle eggs where I am soon after they're meticulously buried.

[Another Bob]

“The leadership on our side, other than PDJT, is a ... well, a bunch of limp appendages. THAT is the heart of the problem.”

Not necessarily disagreeing Jim, but what republican could/should have done what lately?

[D]

Henry:
One of the comments asked if he voted the absentee ballot, what would happen if he went in person to vote again.
In our Ohio system it shows that you already voted absentee so you cannot get a ballot at the polling station.
Do you have the same system?
Application is the key word here.
If they don’t return that they must vote in person.
If wrong address or other difficulties, they vote a provisional ballot.
I am disgusted with Bolton.
Also when President Trump gets re-elected, I want a stiff broom that sweeps clean.
He needs to get rid of the dead weight of Obama’s crowd and reassign them where they have no knowledge of policy.
Get rid of disloyal people waiting to stab him in the back.
He knows how to do this and it should happen immediately.

[Jim Eagle]

I brought up Juneteenth a week or so ago as the next staging event. And don't think this BLM and Defund The Police are not choreographed, Cyd Cyrisse style.

Since Frederick was going to be a no show, I stopped at Mickey D's for a double cheeseburger (damn they are good:). They had no inside dining and if you had to wait for your meal in the parking lot, a young AA girl wearing white face mask with "Black Lives Matter" came out to diver to you.

I gave her my 81cents change and suggested she apply it to her Phi Bett Kappa membership. Yes, in these days, I am a very bad person. As OL says,

FEMALL

[Extraneus]

I worked for a Fortune 100 company for a long time, and then a university system in a major "progressive" state, and never once attended a diversity meeting, whether mandatory or not. Good thing, too, because I don't think I could have held my tongue.

I hired many non-whites over the years, but never because of their non-whiteness. I spit on the whole concept of diversity as some sort of inherently good thing.

[Dave (in MA)]

It's not bad enough that they just elected a woman to the Board of Selectmen who ran with a blog that was all about climate change and diversity. And if that's not enough, "traffic calming".

More of the nannyism that made single use plastic bags mandatory (Chi-Com Cooties) a few months after they forbade them ('Climate Change') appears to be coming right up.

[Rocco]

I had a friend years ago who mainly hunted raccoons with traps. This was back in the late 70's, early 80's and he said $25 a pelt was the going price. He also said he had made an extra $2000 that year trapping. He also told me he got 25 cents per squirrel tail. I haven't seen him in years, I hope the raccoons didn't get even.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

There are no national statistics on how many times officers' guns are taken away. But the FBI says that of the 616 law enforcement officers killed on duty by criminals from 1994 through 2003, 52 were killed with their own weapon, amounting to 8 percent.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

SBW,
Here is the the twitter thread that had that CCP bug graph from the last thread you wanted a link to.

[JimNorCal]

My wife's company got last Friday off and were asked to meditate on racial justice (rolls eyes).

Name the political party:
Andrew Jackson initiated the Trail of Tears.
Southern political leaders defended and wanted to extend slavery.
Southern leaders seceded from the Union.
The KKK was founded and comprised of them.
Jim Crow laws that treated Americans differently based on race were passed by them.
President Woodrow Wilson resegregated the US armed forces, indeed most of the federal work force
FDR put Japanese Americans in camps.
Fast forward to today:
Minneapolis has been run by them since 1974.
Chicago, where blacks die from shootings every week, has long been controlled by them (since 1927).
Atlanta has been run by them since the 1800s (1879)

[Dave (in MA)]

Jim, Narciso would say you are not of the body.

[lyle]

It's all social justice all the time in my organization now.

I’m absolutely sure it would be in my previous employer and this makes even more happy that I left there, contract settlement be damned.

[MissMarple2]

After years of scandal and neglect, the Trump Administration has reorganized the Department of Veterans Affairs around the principle that our veterans deserve the highest standard of care. pic.twitter.com/XCHhEmfVXa

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 17, 2020

Video at the link.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Mrs Butterworth?
Corporate America makes the GOPe dopes look like Curtis Lemay.

[Dave (in MA)]

I once worked at a famous software developer in Cambridge and they were posting some desirable openings in an internal discussion forum, for "diverse candidates only". I asked how "diverse candidates" was different from all candidates, and my access to the forum was revoked.

[henry]

Maryrose, in WI it now depends on which party the Gov is. Before that, the GAB would tilt elections left when they weren’t conspiring with Dem DAs to no knock raid republican aides. Your belief in laws seems naive to me.

[Dave (in MA)]

So I wonder what names they'll be coming up with for their maple-flavored corn syrup?

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

If and when a hot civil war erupts I am most definitely not in favor of the old divide it up between red and blue states baloney. Why should those traitors be awarded huge swaths of the fruited plain?
If they want to hold onto metropolitan hellholes like Chicago or LA as island people's republics in a sea of liberty and sanity I'm ok with that, but they better get used to staying inside the damned things.

[Porchlight]

Dave:

[Porchlight]

>I think this latest shooting was justified.

I agree, Rocco. Seems to be 100% political charges.

rse, thanks for the background. I'm still confused as to how a capital murder charge doesn't require a GJ.

[Dave (in MA)]

Ha!

[henry]

Dave, I once was pursuing a PhD in IS, then saw that ALL job openings were “women and minorities preferred.” Why waste my time kissing enough ass for a dissertation when the hiring universities stated no white males need apply? Five years in a Cleveland for that reality sandwich. FEMALL.

Needless to say, none of that bullshit is accepted at my firm. Funny coincidence, I hire based on talent. 55% of my tech staff are women. All are conservative.

[Another Bob]

“but they better get used to staying inside the damned things”

👍🏻

[Another Bob]

“how a capital murder charge doesn't require a GJ”

Because shut up, that’s why.

[Davod]

"BTW Dave, don't think they won't be taking attendance. Our meeting is not mandatory - so they say. Anyway, I won't be there."

Not mandatory doesn't mean names will not be taken.

[MissMarple2]

Retweeted by the President. Video at the link.

pic.twitter.com/SxzJCZ0BSi

— TONY™️ (@TONYxTWO) June 16, 2020

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

Isn't the Quaker Oats guy himself a stereotype?
Don't you find him offensive, henry?

[D]

Henry:
Do they still have same day registration and voting?
Do you have Republican poll workers and observers at your polling places?
Do you have a Republican and a Democrat take the voting equipment and the sealed ballots in a locked box down to the main voting office?

[Porchlight]

>Not mandatory doesn't mean names will not be taken.

Exactly.

[Davod]

Thank G-d we are past only Quakers being able to eat oats.

[Porchlight]

Yep AB. But still. Are ATL judges that corrupt?

I acknowledge that IANAL and am therefore probably missing something.

[Dave (in MA)]

[email protected]
·
5m
Facts that NBC didn't have any time for tonight.
Quote Tweet

Greg Price
@greg_price11
·
The DA who just charged the cops in the Rayshard Brooks is currently under investigation for funneling $140,000 in supplement his salary, is facing allegations of sexual harassment, and is currently facing a tough primary challenge.
https://ajc.com/news/local/gbi-opens-probe-fulton-paul-howard-over-use-nonprofit-funds/cgSq6UgzmHbCfGNJcxMJ6O/

[GUS]

OH DEAR. Famous Amos has been arrested for BEING CAPITALIST WHILST BLACK.

[D]

How is it possible to avoid the snare of the injustice system and still do your job.
How is it possible for a political hack to bring charges against an innocent man for doing his job ?
How is it possible that a presidential candidate can be spied on and then continue to be spied by the sore loser previous administration and no one be called to Justice?
Less than a week to bring charges in Atlanta.
4 years later ,still the Obama seditionists and traitors of the soft coup run free and lecture us on cable tv.

[Porchlight]

OT: our gas water heater is leaking and appears to be finally shot after almost 18 years. It was a good run, especially considering ZERO maintenance.

Assuming we upgrade from a 40 gallon to a 50 gallon, and the new dimensions fit in the designated space, is this a thing that a reasonably handy husband (albeit no direct experience with hot water heaters) can replace on his own? Or not?

Please do not tell Mr Porch that I am asking.

[D]

Dave:
How does he still have a job.
He is a felony charging someone else with jumped up felony charges.
This is a travesty of justice!

[GUS]

MANNIX re-runs have all been canceled.

Mannix was sort of a cop or sorts kinda. Like John Shaft, he was a PRIVATE DICK.
Also, he had a WOMAN, a BLACK WOMAN who did all the work. I bet she picked up his laundry too.
Gail Fisher, a.k.a Peggy Fair. Ironically she was NOT FAIR, she was DARK.

[Another Bob]

Porch, gas or electric?

Theoretically it’s a straightforward job.

[DrJ]

I spit on the whole concept of diversity as some sort of inherently good thing.

I agree. Hire good people, regardless of race creed, color or gender. They are out there, but it has nothing to do with "diversity."

[Jim Eagle]

MCCGA

Make Chocolate Chip Cookies Great Again!

[lyle]

Doesn’t that Mr. Clean guy have to answer up for some kind of privilege as well?

How about Cap’n Crunch? How’d he get that rank? Privilege.

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
@realDonaldTrump
·
5m
Joe Biden was a TOTAL FAILURE in Government. He “bungled” everything that he touched!