“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”
Pablo Picasso

This year I will be be celebrating the end of the dog days of summer. the heat has been intense. The last time I had to set up water cooling sites for livestock was the late 1970's during an intense drought. Many similarities with the weather cycle of several decades ago. Some of the agricultural irrigation systems with junior water rights had to decrease or stop water deliveries, then and now.

The primary difference is the population has increased by at least 500%. The increased infrastructure to support the population and business growth creates more demand on surface and underground water sources. Urban growth area is expanding with new buildings, roads, paved driveways and parking lots absorbing and storing heat during the day to release at night.

Happy Friday everyone. As always, post any photos you like.

On Tuesday the camera club I'm in had it's monthly outing at the San Diego Automotive Museum. I think they should change their name to San Diego Automotive and Motorcycle Museum since they have more motorcycles on display than automobiles.
As automobiles go, I like our past and I like our present. Can't say I like our future.

Everybody have a great weekend, stay cool in this heat and drive safe.

Past

I've been calling this The October Surprise.

It is a bit complicated, but I will do my best.

First, Barron's and many other publications leaked the news that this year's COLA will be the largest ever---somewhere between 10% to 11.4%. (It is usual for this news to get out now and the official notice will come later on in October.)

Congratulations to James Dever:

https://www.carolinajournal.com/federal-judge-rejects-democrats-request-...

https://www.gp.org/federal_district_judge_rules_in_favor_of_nc_green_party

Courage comes in many forms. I believe it is inherent in all of us. Fear is the great inhibitor that may push it to the side or the catalyst that may bring it front and center. It may lay dormant, sometimes forever suppressed or it may ooze from every pore. Some may bluster about their courage only to fold under duress, some may be as timid as a mouse but rise as a lion in the face of adversity. Courage is an attribute that may manifest itself in ways that are totally surprising to the individual.

Die-Hard Trump fans don't care about facts. I can sort of understand where they are coming from because of the way the Democrats went about going after Trump (i.e. the Dems started with the B.S. Russiagate). So if you stopped listening after that then you missed the real and substantial scandals of Trump.