Author Archives: Joel

Yes, indeedy. I almost forgot! Oh, dear, I seem to be missing a couple of 1099 forms. Guess I should get on the phone.

Or maybe it’s just my old-man luddite powers of dysfunctionalism. (Yes, that’s a word. Now.) Oi lost me bloody password.

The past several days I’ve been laying low, just doing my hermit thing. Which is to say mostly not doing much of anything at all. I haven’t been keeping up with the neighborhood news, even though it turns out I … Continue reading →

Yup. “Fees will be calculated on the surface area of properties as the theory is that roofs, driveways and carparks create more potential for drainage problems and water contamination,” Metro explains. “Councils are supposed to determine how much to charge … Continue reading →

Newtown families: Victims turn lobbyists What started as a support group is now a lobbying force unlike any other to descend on Capitol Hill. The family members typically begin their pitch to senators softly, telling the story of the child … Continue reading →

The chicanery that ensues when legislators vote up or down on laws not even they have been permitted to actually read… Every time this comes up – and it comes up a lot – I get such a WTF moment. … Continue reading →

“Cracking an Impasse” is politispeak for “compromise,” which is NRA-speak for “giving up something precious.” “I’ve got to tell you candidly, I don’t consider background checks to be gun control. I think it’s just commonsense,” Toomey said. “If you pass … Continue reading →

I was about half buying this, till the first one on the trapeze…

Winter has returned, in a desultory way, to the gulch. Two consecutive nights of snow. Wind like a flatlander wouldn’t believe. Not real cold, though the wood stove has been back in business. Not much sun. I put off shit-shoveling … Continue reading →

Yesterday was supposed to be wind all day, t-storms in the afternoon and all night. The weatherman got the wind right: On the ridgetops the gusts would knock you off your feet. But the sun stayed out all day. It … Continue reading →

The mole people: Police find ‘homeless city’ where vagrants – including kids – live in labyrinth of tunnels 25ft below Kansas City Below the streets of Kansas City, there are deep underground tunnels where a group of vagrant homeless people … Continue reading →

…hasn’t worked out quite as well as our masters hoped. So far. This round. But now they’re just gettin’ nasty… A group of gun sellers and owners sued to block the gun tax, saying it violates the Second Amendment right … Continue reading →

After a long hiatus, Bill St. Clair is blogging again. He not only often has good things to say, but he has apparently mirrored every good thing that was ever on the intertubz. If I could only figure out how … Continue reading →

I wish I’d had the balls to do things like this when I was a kid… Stolen from Claire.

And there I am, egging them on.

Yes, a Forgotten Weapons video is pending, which shall never be forgot. Ghost wanted his Jeep ride, but he was not getting in back.

Look what Ian brought up with him! He showed up unexpectedly yesterday afternoon, having spent all day on the road. No, he didn’t drive it up from the city. He’s intelligent and therefore not nearly that trusting. But it towed … Continue reading →

I took that picture planning to crop out everything but the roof-top panels so I could bitch about bird shit. This I have done. But the exercise got me to thinking about the things that can happen to utility buildings, … Continue reading →

When I rule the universe, I’m either going to outlaw all large birds or do a radical redesign on their digestive systems. Who’s cleaning that up? Huh? I hate roofs, though at least this one is flat.

Heh. HARTFORD—Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy’s security detail has cancelled an appearance by the governor at the capitol Wednesday, citing security concerns as hundreds of gun-rights supporters rallied here in protest of a scheduled vote on a package of new gun-control … Continue reading →