Author Archives: Joel

Well, it didn’t get below zero, which is something to be grateful for I suppose. The cabin definitely needs more insulation. I got out from the blankets when Ghost’s pitiful whines began to sound actively painful and not a minute … Continue reading →

Hmph. Never did get above freezing today. Middle of the afternoon the clouds blew off, which the solar panels and batteries liked, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes below zero tonight. Glad I’m not in the trailer, sad … Continue reading →

Landlady has informed me that I’m getting a whole bunch of cards in the mail. To all who have donated to my new Blindness Sucks fund, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Some have asked for a Donate … Continue reading →

It’s never too soon to get back in practice, because I’ve a feeling I’m going to have lots of chances to hate it in the next few months. Took forever for the dish and modem to get connection this morning, … Continue reading →

If I ever meet anybody who’s seriously planning to move to our little slice of paradise and build a house, I’ll be honor-bound to tell him/her about the local curse. No, seriously. It must be a curse, it must be … Continue reading →

So here’s this anti who has sadly concluded gun owners may have a point about one thing… The 300 million guns that are in private hands aren’t going away; I can’t think of any law or incentive program that would … Continue reading →

Seriously. Democracy, as the president has said, begins with the people taking care of one another responsibly, importantly through government as an instrument of freedom. That how we get our public schools, our roads, our sewers, our patent office, our … Continue reading →

Two people who should certainly know have told me about this prescription discount card that the local electric coop hands out. At first I assumed they were giving them to customers, or employees, or at least people already on the … Continue reading →

David Codrea on the Newtown Shooting and a “national conversation.” If you saw someone methodically murdering children and you could get your hands on a gun, would you use it to stop him? Yes or no? There’s no time for … Continue reading →

I’ve only seen this guy in a couple of roles and don’t know anything about him at all, really. But this morning I have a high opinion of him.

Saturday night we got the first real snow of the weekend. It only amounted to a couple of inches, but it was just the first act of 24 hours of the heaviest overcast I’ve seen since a boy in Detroit. … Continue reading →

A very dear old friend, whom I’ve neglected unforgivably the past several years, heard about my medical trouble and immediately sent me a gift of $100. Being even older than me, he sent it via Western Union. Yeah, he just … Continue reading →

Um…

From Jim in comments here. “If I ever hear of you displaying shame as you deal with the bureacratic arms of the state, I shall come to your desert and do you harm.” I wonder how that reads in Latin?

On the way to morning shit-shoveling I heard on the radio about another mass shooting. This one in an elementary school, for God’s sake. Double-digit body count. My first thought, I do confess, was “Is the Brady Bunch paying these … Continue reading →

I filled out an on-line form with some social organization. If you had any idea how humiliating that sentence was to compose… To my shock I actually got a return phone call this morning. Nice lady, asked me some questions, … Continue reading →

Went to bed around 10:30. Laid there quite a while, finally passed out, and except for a few Zoe- and rain-related intervals didn’t stir till nine. That’s something like a record, I must have been tired. Rain in the middle … Continue reading →

Borepatch, in comments here: It’s a little know fact that if you did well in High School chemistry class, you can make your own Sudafed out of easily available meth.

I really, really wish Zoe would stop playing with live mice in the kneehole of my desk while I’m trying to use it.

“Intellectually I know it’s fine, but…” But it scares the hell out of me. I’d better get over it if I hope to spend a comfortable winter. Sooner or later it’s going to get cold and stay there. So this … Continue reading →