The October Surprise of October Surprises

While out on a day trip yesterday I learned that the FBI is re-opening their investigation into what is largely called the Hillary Clinton email scandal.  As most of you know, FBI Director James Comey held a news conference last July announcing that he would not recommend charges against Hillary "What Difference Does it Make?" Clinton.  This came a few days after a so-called accidental meeting on the tarmac at Sky Harbor airport in Phoenix between Bill "I Did Not Have Sex with That Woman" Clinton and Attorney General Loretta Lynch where we are told that they only discussed grandchildren.  They discussed grandchildren?  Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and it snows in Death Valley in the summertime.

Now for reasons that are known at this time only to Director Comey and God, the investigation is being re-opened.  There has been, of course, a lot of speculation about this, with theories being posted on the internet and social media, and discussion on talk radio and cable news channels.  I am not going to offer any speculation as to why this happening, but I will offer speculation as to what's down the road on this.  I don't very often make predictions because I might be wrong more often than I would be right, but on this one I'm going to be upfront on this and tell you that I very much want to be wrong on what I'm about to say.

No matter how bad or how damaging the information to be revealed is, Hillary Clinton will not be indicted.

I will say this again.

Hillary Clinton will not be indicted.

There are two reasons why.

One:  she enjoys the protection of Organized Media.  Organized Media very much wants her in the White House no matter how corrupt she is.  Organized Media, that self-appointed Fourth Branch of Government has an agenda, and they want to see it carried out.  They know that the Donald won't carry it out, or at least, have no reason to believe that he will carry it out, and they've been in the tank with her for far too long to get out of that tank and throw her under the bus.

Of course, Organized Media isn't quite the monopoly on news that it used to be, and if you know were to go you can get other opinions and perspectives on things.  But the support of Organized Media is, lots of times, a formidable obstacle when it comes to elections, and they've been known to publish known false stories in order to advance their agenda.  But the support of Organized Media isn't the only factor here in why Hillary will not be indicted.

The second reason she won't be is that Hillary enjoys the support of the Establishment Republicans.  If you doubt me on this, then do some googling on Republicans who have announced they are going to vote for Hillary.  There's a former President said to be on that list, we have Republican Senators up for re-election who have said they are going to vote for her, and we have Republican Congressmen and Congresswomen who have said they are going to vote for her.

You have heard of the "Never Trumpers", haven't you?  Your very own beloved Organized Media has told you about them on more than one occasion.

With the support of the Establishment Republicans firmly in place, Hillary also knows that she will not be impeached, even if she is indicted, which she won't be.

Do you honestly think that Speaker Ryan will allow an impeachment vote to reach the floor of the House for a vote?  And even if he does, will there be 67 votes in the Senate to convict her?  Do you think for one moment, that the public "Never Trumpers" in the Senate will vote to convict?  They're on her side!

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has publicly stated that no matter what President Obama does, impeachment is off the table.  One surprise I can identify at this time is that he hasn't (yet) made a similar announcement regarding Hillary, although he's going to wait until the votes (including the fraudulent ones) have all been counted.

Impeachment, in my mind, is an impossibility.

Indictment, although not impossible, is extremley unlikely, in my opinion.

I think it would be much easier to get the Beatles back together than it would be indict Hillary Clinton.

The Bombing of the Republican Office in North Carolina

The Republican office in Orange County NC was firebombed over the weekend.  Organized Media hasn't had a whole lot to say about this.  Hillary "What Difference Does it Make?" Clinton has spoken out against it, as well she should, but she really should consider asking her supporters to join her in this.

Looking at online comments on the Yahoo boards and sound clips from Organized Media, you would think this incident is the fault of Donald Trump and his supporters.  One yoyo even suggested that the Trump supporters did this in order to generate sympathy for the Republican party (oh please!)

I'm going to give the Trump supporters this:  they are not going to take to the streets for a protest designed to escalate into a riot.  They won't be throwing rocks at police officers and setting fires to police cars.  They won't be smashing storefront windows downtown.  They won't be looting Nike stores to steal Air Jordans and they won't be trashing convenience stores that they steal beer from.

Yet Hillary's supporters seem to think that Trump supporters are what's wrong with the country.

Go figure.

A Favorite Silicon Valley Attraction (and more)

I've been up here in San Jose for almost a week.  There has been a lot to do in terms of people to visit and necessary family things that need to be done.  Until today I haven't had the opportunity to go out and visit a place purely for pleasure, until this afternoon.

The place that I visited was Weird Stuff Warehouse in Sunnyvale.  I've known about this place for several years and visited it a few times when I was living and working here.  It's a museum of old abandoned surplus computers and peripherals, except that if you come across an exhibit that you really like, you can purchase it and take it home.  I've gotten an old computer monitor there before, and a power supply for use in some electronics experiments, even though I've built a power supply.

I was telling myself that I needed to drop in look around when I got up here, and before meeting Franz and his new bride for dinner I did just that.

I wanted to spend more time hanging around, and maybe my next visit here I will.  I picked up a surplus surge protector that I intend to use in my garage, because during this sabbatical I see spending some time in my garage doing some more experimenting.

I have it in mind to build a low power transmitter for ham radio use, though the idea of building an FM radio transmitter is also lurking back in the recesses of my mind.

* * * * * * *

The drive up here last week was a blessing, in the sense that it was uncomplicated.  Oh, the luggage key did break in the Samsonite suitcase that I bought, so I had to wear the same clothes on day two of my drive here, but fortunately my parents had a Samsonite key.

I don't normally lock my suitcases, but I had to before leaving Quartzsite, in order to comply with California's laws regarding transport of a firearm.  I couldn't get my gun case to lock, so I locked up my revolver in the main luggage.

Now the gun case is locking, and the revolver is safely there, until I'm back across the state line in Arizona.

There's no doubt that California's laws cause great inconvenience to the gang members whenever they transport their guns, but everyone knows that they don't want any trouble with the police so they very much cheerfully comply.

* * * * * * *

This was my first time meeting Franz' wife Diane.  My regret was that Sheila wasn't there to meet them too.

I think Franz did as well as I did in getting the wife that he got.

* * * * * * *

I'm already homesick and missing Tucson.  I wanted to leave Friday but rain is in the forecast, and I don't like having to go through Pacheco Pass in that kind of weather.  So, it looks like I'm out of here on Saturday, but if it rains then I'll be here a while longer.  I may not want to leave on a Sunday and thus have to share the road with those nice wonderful super-considerate southern California drivers on their way back to the smogberry trees in Los Angeles, so I may hang around here a while longer.

* * * * * * *

I guess that I'm supposed to comment on the latest in the Presidential campaign, and about what Trump said some 20 years ago when he had no idea he would run for President.

I'm not going to defend what he said.  I'm convinced that he regrets it, just as I regret saying some things I said back in junior high, high school, or college.  Yes, I have skeletons in my closet too.  As do you.

What gets me is that those who are going to great lengths to appear genuinely outraged about this can't wait to vote for the wife of a serial rapist.

* * * * * * *

I'm thinking that I will be in San Jose again for Thanksgiving, and possibly also for Christmas.

I don't particularly like San Jose, but I spent several years here and in one way this place is part of my being.  I got my degree here and I came away with some lifelong friends.

This place isn't a trashcan, though I do frequently think the state is as morally bankrupt as they are financially.

Sunday Evening, 10/2/16

My last day of the contract on Friday went very well, and although I am glad to be getting some time off I also felt some regret in having to go out.  I chatted with some other managers there and was told by all of them that they want to see me back next year when things ramp up.  It will be something of a drain financially but it won't break us as that I've had two years worth of house payments in the bank for the last several years just in case.   As stated last time, I will be keeping in touch with my boss, and if there's an indication that the up and coming project slips or gets cancelled (which I doubt that it will be) then yes, I might have to do some serious looking.

In the meantime, I have been resuming my radio hobby, and picking up where I started some 40+ years ago in high school, and that is, tuning in distant radio stations on the AM broadcast band and identifying them.  I can't recall if I ever told the story of how I got into this, and if I don't see where I have told the story then I'll have to address that in a near-future post.  With winter approaching, the "season" for medium-wave (AM broadcast band) DXing (long distance listening) is starting to kick into gear, and I've already logged some good catches.

So far the easternmost station I've gotten is KFAB out of Omaha.  I remember getting WWL out of New Orleans when I was in San Jose but I haven't gotten them here yet, but I think I will before too long.  Another one I'd like to get here is KMOX, which I heard when I was in high school back in New Jersey, and getting them again would bring back some memories.  One station that I was pleased to get was KLPZ out of Parker, AZ, which runs only 58 watts at night.  They came in one night last week but the conditions must have been unusual as that I haven't gotten them since, though I think it was KHEY out of El Paso that I was getting last night on the same frequency.

Some lower power stations out of Oklahoma and Texas have also been logged, as well as a high power border blaster out of Ciudad Acuña Mexico.  I'm fairly certain that I've also gotten with regularity XEP out of Ciudad Juaréz on 1300, but I'll have to listen to their internet stream to make sure it's really them (though who else could it be?).

I'll be taking the radio with me when I'm on the road next week.  Maybe in San Jose I'll be able to log stations out of British Columbia, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.  I may also tune the shortwave bands some, but I haven't heard very much here aside from time signals and the rantings of Brother Stair, who is as of today conveniently forgetting about his rapture predictions he recently made about it happening this weekend.

On the coin collection front, I've done some organizing and sorting, and I plan on returning some rolled coin from my box searches to the bank in drips and drabs as that I think it might be bad form to drop them all off at once.  Well, I'm not taking them back to the source bank, but I do take them back to three other branches.  I try to use only one or two banks as a "source" and two others as a "sink".

Sheila has tomorrow off, and we'll be spending some time together before I leave Tuesday morning.  Regrettably she doesn't have vacation time on the books to come with me, and I'm not sure how long I will be gone.  I'm thinking of two more trips to San Jose this year after this one.  On the way back from this one there might be a detour to Las Vegas to visit with some friends I have there, though to be honest I might want to get home sooner to be with Sheila.