Author Archives: Joel

e-cigarettes are about to be banned in San Francisco. Which, if SF logic holds constant, means e-cigs are about to be handed out free. Because once a practice is declared socially deviant it becomes enshrined as a human right and … Continue reading →

A lineman working with spikes and a belt. Didn’t know anybody still did that.

The place is crawling with them, about the size of small chipmunks. I think of prairie dogs as field-ruining plague-carrying vermin, but around here they’re like yard squirrels. It’s funny to watch them, though – out in the driveway using … Continue reading →

Willie covering the old Mac Davis guy anthem!

Karl gives us the inside scoop on shotgun speedloading for 3-gun competition. I see what I’ve been doing wrong now!

This is the only picture you will ever see of Torso Boy in the same room with a Roomba. And that only because he was outflanked and momentarily surrounded. The next picture, if I’d held the button down, would have … Continue reading →

Sometime last year I bought something for my rifle from Midwayusa.com. It was the first and probably only time but also kind of a gift that keeps on giving because now Midway won’t leave me alone. And I don’t complain … Continue reading →

Left at quarter past five, found out the Wal-Mart is not in fact open 24/7. Fortunately it opens at six. So I took a walk around to the other end of this big shopping center where there’s a Dunkin’ Donuts. … Continue reading →

Step 1: Leave home and note how you feel about returning. I’m in a very pleasant room at this moment. It’s 6:00 as I type this sentence. I have coffee before me, breakfast on the griddle, sunshine peeking through a … Continue reading →

Bake in your own kitchen twice a week for year after year and you’ll get to knowing where everything is so well you’ll stop even thinking about it. That can be a problem if you need to plan on baking … Continue reading →

Found this on Oleg Volk’s Livejournal page, which I ended up on while following a rabbit hole involving Leslie Fish, deserts, alternate coffee sources, and misremembered song lyrics.

I did something computer-related! I must be smart! Uh – this is my ‘pooter… …and this is the assorted junk that’s always attached to my ‘pooter. And most of the time I forget it’s even there because it’s poked into … Continue reading →

I honestly didn’t know that happened here. Big fat drops of hot water, more or less instantly evaporating on contact. Don’t expect it to ease the heat much, but no doubt it will convert the dry heat to humid heat. … Continue reading →

And if they don’t stay outside Torso Boy’s fence, he’s gonna… …well, he’s gonna keep chasing them… …while they contemptuously fly away. Because he refuses to believe quail can fly. Which only proves they’re evil, I guess.

I went outside for a few minutes and came back to find a new Grand Proposal in my inbox… Who does this? I know the blog is a sick-but-not-dead communication form and so if a would-be freelancing writer of ‘the … Continue reading →

…that quail are a treasonous danger to the republic, possibly a covert fifth column working for the rabbit (or maybe sparrow, he’s not entirely clear in his messaging) plot to take over the American economy and sap the purity of … Continue reading →

I suggested early on that TB might be unhappy about coming home by the end of our stay here, because once upon a halcyon time he had a fenced yard in which he could safely cavort to his stunted little … Continue reading →

As regular readers know, trips to any city are not common with me, and not really all that welcome*. And on those occasions when such visits are unavoidable I find myself acting like I’m visiting a completely foreign country – … Continue reading →

I give you CForce: It’s Chuck Norris’ water – it empowers you. No, seriously. We found a bottle of this during a fuel stop on the way to the city. I was in the very process of throwing the bottle … Continue reading →