Author Archives: Joel

The past few days I keep running into variations on a poster that compares Barack Obama with Vladimir Putin. There’ll be a picture of Putin doing something absurdly manly, juxtaposed with one of Obama doing something along the same lines … Continue reading →

I’ve got nothing this morning, and anyway I’ve gotta run. Maybe later I’ll feel like sitting in front of a ‘pooter. In the meantime here’s a childhood favorite song I was just reminded of, which may help explain why I … Continue reading →

The mare will be shod at six.

Having been gifted with a couple of sunny days – or at least mornings – in a row, I’m trying to run an equalization charge on my batteries for the first time in two months. That means everything from the … Continue reading →

Delays for big employers. Delays for insurance companies. But rejoice, citizens! You’re still screwed right now. The limit on out-of-pocket costs, including deductibles and co-payments, was not supposed to exceed $6,350 for an individual and $12,700 for a family. But … Continue reading →

Hey, you remember that tongue-in-cheek white house petition demanding gun-free zones for the prez and vp? Well, it got over 40,000 signatures. Which means, as I understand it, that some poor whitehouse cubicle rat is required to spend his valuable … Continue reading →

I present to you the best picture there is. Nothing more needs to be said.

A few days ago the Bubbleheadgunnut wrote a short review of the commie Makarov pistol, which I can recommend (the review, not so much the pistol) if you’re into such things. I bookmarked it for further attention, because I’ve got … Continue reading →

A few days ago I mentioned that for quite some time I’ve been getting repeated search terms for something that just shouldn’t be drawing as much traffic as it is. Since then it’s gotten downright crazy. Here are a couple … Continue reading →

Snacky Time, RIP

Be a shame if…aw, you know the rest. Via Claire, here’s a heartwarming story about a group of selfless men and women who, seeing their beloved government strapped for the cash so badly needed for maintaining essential services, found an … Continue reading →

Starting day seven of our seven-day Snacky Time revival. Snacky Time is scheduled for 6 pm. It is now quarter after five, and both boys are giving me the big eyes. Ghost is refusing to go outside, presumably afraid he’ll … Continue reading →

Wow, it rained from noon yesterday until sometime just before 10 at night. I’m not sure just when, because it was raining when I fell asleep in my chair at 8:30, and wasn’t when I woke up at ten. The … Continue reading →

You’re not America. We’re America. You and your nosy spooks are more like a pimple on America’s ass. “I want to make clear, once again, that America is not interested in spying on ordinary people,” Obama said during a White … Continue reading →

Yup, it’s that time. In our last exciting episode, one of Landlady’s pullets had had some sort of leg-breaking accident. I gave it several probably excruciating days to see if it could get its act together, but it was clearly … Continue reading →

Aren’t they sweet? The Children of the Pellet live placid lives. I provide all their needs and keep them safe from all dangers…except one. Today I separated out the pullet with the broken leg, which is looking kind of bedraggled … Continue reading →

I have a nephew somewhere, and when he was a little kid he used to really annoy me. While watching Saturday morning cartoons (are there still Saturday morning cartoons?) every time the station ran a commercial for some toy he’d … Continue reading →

With the exception of the key cylinder, which we’ve repaired twice, nothing on Gulchendiggensmoothen’s dashboard works or to my knowledge has ever worked. Most of this is inconsequential. The speedometer’s a joke: The tractor might terrifyingly achieve 30 MPH downhill … Continue reading →

Every day for almost a week I’ve gotten a telephone call from some number I don’t recognize. I don’t answer those telephone calls. Not ever. So until yesterday it was a mystery just why someone kept calling me, over and … Continue reading →