Author Archives: Joel

I’m not a big Sarah Palin fan, but I’m sure not gonna deny that Palin Derangement Syndrome does exist. It’s been a busy couple of weeks so I mostly missed this in my surfing. But in this clip, Jon Stewart … Continue reading →

This is the sort of thing I wish I’d said. Financial instruments (even cash) are ephemeral; digits backed by a system of ideas. Firewood is solid, real, and undeniable. The wood pile is mine and mine alone. It is on … Continue reading →

Some of our neighbors have shinier gear than we do. In particular, there are a couple of sweet Japanese tractors, with tools that swap out fairly easily and engines that start without complaint. I occasionally envy them that, and I’ll … Continue reading →

So the U.S. Government has dropped tens of millions of dollars developing “stealth internet” systems for foreign dissidents, for use when their governments cut off communications. Cool! But…hey? It’s just barely possible you’re missing an important point here, Barry. H/T … Continue reading →

So this morning both boys went galloping off into the boonies, in chase of who knows what. I determined not to worry about it, since I’m trying to relax about such things and there’s now nobody around for them to … Continue reading →

Via Tam, here’s the ultimate concealment piece: The Gen4 Ninja Glock! I expect a write-up in Forgotten Weapons any day now.

Born early this morning, after (of course) a very long night for mom and dad. Her name is Kaelyn, she and Mom are fine, and that’s all I know right now. Pix to follow, when I get them.

M and Landlady’s Brother just drove off into the smoky haze, leaving me alone for the first time in 40 days. Ahhhh… We got a lot done on the Meadow house this  weekend, and the only part without a layer … Continue reading →

Fat Albert the packrat met T-Rex the rat trap yesterday morning. I discovered him on a sandwich fly-by, rejoiced, and determined to clean him up when I got home from work. When I did, I found a packrat head, spine, … Continue reading →

It’s good to be king. As far as I can tell that’s the first thing a new Congressmaggot learns as it slithers through taxpayer leavings, waiting to grow its committee member wings and get into the big bux. They rode … Continue reading →

It’s been a couple of days since anybody saw Ninja Bear, now probably wounded but nobody knows how badly. Lots of rifles in evidence, but no bear. Yesterday was a long day. Move a bunch of stuff to M’s Dome, … Continue reading →

This is the very model of fascism. And look who’s talking up higher taxes… [GM CEO Dan Akerson] is grateful for the government’s rescue of GM — “I have nothing but good things to say about them” — but Akerson … Continue reading →

GC Guy said something kind of startling this morning, while enthusing about his new rifle and spotlight. He said, “Thanks for talking me down and taking that trip yesterday. I was really freaked and out of my element, and you … Continue reading →

Okay, you caught me…I like it a lot. But mostly I just wanted an excuse to post this… Remember: Safe storage is vital. Responsible parents don’t let their children play with politicians.

That’s not a raincloud. It’s wildfire season, and we’ve had one cooking about sixty miles away for some time. Until this morning it was a subject of no more than mild interest. Then this morning I showed up at Geiger … Continue reading →

Imagine the pants-shitting horror of the anti’s at the sight of an 11 YO girl practicing a shooty martial art. That alone is worth the price of the ticket. I’ve never understood what’s supposed to be so terrible about a … Continue reading →

Couldn’t have been a government tornado. It was destructive enough, but far too efficient.

Landlady’s house now has one coat of stucco, but only on the front where the porch is. Too long a story, but basically we ran out of stucco. So this morning I was free to go and nod at my … Continue reading →

Last week saw the Texas legislature cave under a TSA threat to shut down commercial aviation in Texas should it pass legislation limiting where TSA goons were allowed to put their hands. Needless to say the legislature caught more comments … Continue reading →

I’m having flashbacks to a bad time, in a typically neurotic way. A man who doesn’t have a lot of regrets by the time he’s pushing sixty, hasn’t lived very hard. By that dubious standard I must have lived as … Continue reading →