America continues to America

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Great news this week. The group Veterans on Patrol, which the Southern Poverty Law Center defines as “an anti-government militia organization” are out to destroy the Doppler radars used to detect and track tornadoes and other weather phenomena, all across America.

You might not think that you know what a Doppler radar looks like, but you’ll probably have seen one. They’re basically the big balls that you might find on a tower near an airport or on the top of a hill like Constantiaberg.

There it is on the left. And on the right is the mast that no-one really knows the height of.

But I digress. Often.

No-one – as far as I am aware – is going after our local ball, though. But in the US, there’s a concerted campaign by the VoP group to destroy all of these facilities to prevent them from being used as “weather weapons”.

“This group is advocating for anyone and everyone to join them in conducting penetration drills on NEXRAD sites to identify weaknesses which can be used to ultimately destroy the sites,” the email stated, using an acronym for the weather radar network. The group referred to the NEXRAD system towers as ‘weather weapons,’ and claimed there were no laws preventing American citizens from destroying the ‘weapons’”.

Much to the bemusement of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

But, of course, there’s a serious side to this:

The NEXRAD, or “next generation radar,” network has been in place since the 1990s and detects precipitation in the atmosphere. It can also help pinpoint tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, prompting timely, life-saving warnings. 

This comes just ahead of the (May and June) tornado season, and at a time when – thanks to the Orange Shitgibbon and his Loud Mouth Space Wanker – there are fewer than ever engineers and staff at the National Weather Service to repair any damage that does get done.

And then when people die because there are no tornado warnings because the Doppler radars have been destroyed by right-wing loonies, and there’s no-one left at the NWS to repair them, it’ll all be Joe Biden’s fault.

Obviously.

Getting there

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I’ve been editing photos taken in testing conditions for far too long this evening, and I’ve run out of patience and screentime. On the laptop, at least: I’m heading towards a Premier League game just now.

It’s been a noisy, busy day here Chez 6000. We’re at that point with the builders where – despite everything going smoothly and stuff – we’re ready for them to leave, and they’re ready to leave. Their next job awaits, and we want our house back. They have been – and continue to be – really great, but it’s just time.

But hey, we’ve actually got a toilet that works (no seat yet, mind) and a promise of up to three basins (and maybe another loo) tomorrow. It’s Towel Rail Tuesday as well. And I think that everyone is looking forward to Shower Glass Friday and my particular favourite: Move Back Into Your Bedroom Saturday.

Can’t wait.

Right. Footy.

The Black Label Fund: it’s not enough

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I’ve mentioned somewhere that when I pop a paid-for post on this blog, I let you regular readers know by attaching the tag “Black Label Fund” to it.

That’s because adding “sponsored” means that the posts are disregarded, and therefore useless. But adding nothing means that you might think that those things are my actual views.

Nope.

Anyway. Long story short(ish), I’m clearly going to have to change more going forward. Because:

But I’m not sure that my current drinking habits are now economically viable.

Much like paying a ridiculous amount for getting a helium balloon filled, I guess that’s inflation.

£143.46. $190.43. Very expensive.

Tell Moira I say hi.

Take the positives

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A bit of a disappointing finish to United’s regular season, although third place (and 16 points clear of fourth) in a league that many thought we might drop straight through really isn’t too bad.

And still the lottery of the playoffs to come.

We live in hope.

So it might not have been the most amazing of seasons, but look… It could have been worse:

9 places, 34 points and 2 Steel City Derby defeats worse to be exact.

Ouch. I’m so glad we’re not them.

Footy

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With a friend’s sons playing (for two different schools…!?!) at the Wynberg Freedom Cup this long pseudo-weekend, I’ve taken a couple of trips down the road to watch and support them, and enjoy some schoolboy football.

It’s not the usual thing we’re used to up at this end of town, with Rugby, Rugby, Rugby and Cricket being the standard sports of choice, and Football coming in a distant fifth (or sometimes even sixth behind Rugby). But this invitational tournament features a lot of local schools, and several from up country as well, and it’s been well-organised, well-attended and well-supported.

And because of the heavy rain yesterday morning, turning at least some of each of the seven pitches into churned up mudbaths, it very much reminded me of my own school footy. OK, maybe not quite as cold or deep, but somehow every bit as messy. Also, I don’t remember there being a vineyard at one end of our field. Or Table Mountain beyond it. But it’s been a while, and maybe I’ve just forgotten these things.

Thankfully, today dawned much more brightly, and it was almost pleasant (if rather bracing at 9oC) for the [checks notes] 7:30am kick off. Two goals for our protagonist in this one, as his side romped to a 9-0 demolition of a sleepy, lacklustre opposition. Even Oscar put one in.

The semis and finals are all on tomorrow (Saturday) if you want to go through: entry is free.
Sadly, given the actual professional football happening tomorrow, I’ll likely be watching my favourite sport at home rather than out on the touchline. But this has been a nice distraction from building work and everything else at home.