Author Archives: Joel

…because Putin says he’s not. 🙂 Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that U.S. President Donald Trump had not passed on any secrets to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov during a meeting in Washington last week and that he … Continue reading →

I’ve been stuck inside most of the day, as another half-week-long Spring storm meanders through. We had lightning and thunder this morning, lots of cold wind, on-and-off rain that probably won’t amount to much but has gone on all day. … Continue reading →

…much deeper into the desert… Supreme Court Could Decide If Kids Can Be Arrested for Burping in Class Really. It’s that stupid out there. How do you guys do it?

Or maybe it has. I’m always several generations behind on prosthetic tech. Okay; I saw this picture at Wendy McElroy’s place… I’ve seen lots of strap-on dog prosthetics, but this one looked like an implant. Which, as you can imagine, … Continue reading →

In other news, planet Earth was destroyed over the weekend by a massive singularity brought about by a cosmic overconcentration of self-righteous hypocrisy. Film at … well, never. ‘Having a closet full of shoes doesn’t fill up your life’: Oprah … Continue reading →

Landlady came to the Lair for coffee this morning, as has become our Sunday-before-leaving tradition. Before coming to the door she took a turn around the yard, exclaiming over the new woodshed. I showed her the simple drawing I’d made … Continue reading →

“Everything Not Compulsory is Forbidden.” “Everything Not Forbidden is Compulsory.” It’s supposed to be a scene in a fantasy novel. A cautionary scene, in which Merlyn tries to teach the future king what not to do. But, as with 1984, … Continue reading →

So yesterday I hooked up my Battery Minder to the second set of batteries, which basically meant I was using one set of batteries to charge another. What could possibly go wrong? It didn’t even occur to me until after … Continue reading →

😀 Have you seen this? Remember when we were told we should defer to the people reading the news because they were the adults? So…I’m thinking not so much now.

Yesterday I knocked together a little table for them, moved them back into the powershed, then wired them to my 12-volt lighting. Right now I’ve got them on my Battery Minder, but in the next day or two I’ll run … Continue reading →

The morning walky is the single guaranteed big one, rain or shine, so as to allow LB to do his eliminatory chores. We were out in the wash, he had assumed the position, and I was leaning on my spear … Continue reading →

Yeah, it’s like that here in spring. Yesterday the temperature crashed and it rained off and on all day, so my fingers tingled even through work gloves and except for necessary chicken chores I barely left the cabin dawn to … Continue reading →

It seems to me an awful lot of these published research studies point out in great detail things anybody could have told the researchers. Can’t touch this: The psychological effects of functional intimacy From the introduction: “Functional intimacy induces discomfort, … Continue reading →

Via Wendy McElroy comes the story of an entire city school system deciding that, since stupid and stupider was so fun, they’d just firewall the throttle and see what stupidest felt like. Student Issued 10-Day Suspension For “Liking” Instagram Photo … Continue reading →

There was only one tier to go, plus a bit. I am officially done bitching about last winter.

Naw, everything’s fine. It’s just cool and windy and spitting rain and I’m bored and grouchy. So I’m sitting inside with coffee and a James Michener book that should have been titled Tedium. I’m thinking of switching to some Correia.

The weather was taking a turn toward the cold and rainy, but seems to have paused in that endeavor. So I was able to spend part of this afternoon making up for time I lost on the Monday morning water … Continue reading →

#3: Profit! So the cops are cracking down on a big cigarette smuggling ring. Cigarette smuggling. Dig it. A crime caused by the absurd taxation laws of one single city, but we’re all supposed to be very happy the feds … Continue reading →

I’ve got 30 cans of this stuff, immured for decades in Big Brother’s utility room against the Big One, and I sure don’t plan to open them all at once. So I’ll likely be working with two open cans, opening … Continue reading →

In two words, Luke Skywalker. In over six hours of video Luke Skywalker never once makes a correct decision the first time, constantly whines about how he can’t or won’t do this or that thing that he will certainly end … Continue reading →