Author Archives: Joel

You come out of your shop at the sound of gunfire. There you see three cops lined up at the shore of your pond, blazing away at an alligator. Except there isn’t any gator there. Be patient – you first … Continue reading →

I’ve basically got nothing to say today, but over at Confederate Yankee there’s an excellent second-by-second analysis of the brief video released of the Jose Guerena shooting. I highly recommend it. Also: A pointless SWAT raid in which no innocent … Continue reading →

Geiger Counter Guy has a couple of neighbors who aren’t my very favorite people. He’s an ex-cop, she’s nosy and talkative. Lately I’ve been spending a lot of time in her presence, since she works part-time for GC Guy. Their … Continue reading →

It’s been quite a while, and I’d really dared hope we were past this. There’s something not-at-all-vaguely disconcerting about being awakened to the sound of moist crunching and snapping bones three feet from your head. And even though I knew … Continue reading →

Oy. After I’ve betrayed the revolution and become president-for-life, I’m gonna outlaw long weekends. Yeah, I know. It sucks, but it’s gotta happen. Why? ‘Cause they’re too much work, that’s why. I knew I was in trouble this morning, as … Continue reading →

With four of us working, things went pretty fast once we got into the rhythm. Naturally we picked a windy weekend, but this time of the year they really don’t come in any other variety. By the end of the … Continue reading →

Got out of work at Geiger Counter Central around three. Spent a little time gathering rocks for the Trench That Will Not End, then headed home through the wash. I’d felt bad all day because last week I’d promised to … Continue reading →

Grouchy. Sore. Antisocial. Not ready for prime time. Ol’ Hermit Joel is basically working seven days a week lately. I’m getting paid for it, so I shouldn’t bitch. I’m bitching anyway, ’cause that’s how I swing. Here are some funny … Continue reading →

That we may remain clamorous to be led to safety. One reason may be that a growing number of senators…have been raising concerns about a classified “sensitive collection program” that makes use of the sunsetting “business records provision,” also known … Continue reading →

While I live, he’s never living this down.

From this Forbes article… Upset about invasive screening techniques at the airport, the Lone Star State was considering a bill that would make a TSA patdown that involves touching “the anus, sexual organ, buttocks, or breast of another person including … Continue reading →

Me: Hey, did I tell you? I’ve been rigging one in ten of these things to peg the meter and go completely nuts at any hint of radiation. Geiger Counter Guy: Wha? Me: Yeah, that way whenever somebody so much … Continue reading →

From the Huffington Post, oddly enough… The cop says the guy in the wheelchair “assaulted a police officer.” Seriously. By bleeding on him, apparently. The Washington Post describes it as “an apparent physical encounter” Seriously. Because the WashPo writer doesn’t … Continue reading →

“So Lt. Evers is openly, publicly, and without any apparent shame promising that if gun owners exercise their constitutional rights in Philadelphia in a manner that is well within the confines of the law, they can expect a violent confrontation … Continue reading →

Just sayin’.

I have wormed my way via this forgotten, spider-webbed passage into the nether regions of MY OWN %$#@ing! BLOG, and am taking this opportunity to inform you that I’m not dead. Couldn’t access it at all yesterday. At present Blogger … Continue reading →

…that maybe the Rapture actually happened Saturday and I didn’t notice. It was a busy weekend. I don’t actually know any Christians except S&L and I often go weeks without seeing them, so the fact that nobody seems to be … Continue reading →

One problem we’ve had at Landlady’s property from the beginning was getting water from the well to the cistern. The well has a 120-volt AC pump, and it pulled so much amperage that the electrical system couldn’t run it for … Continue reading →

We went to town yesterday for some food and hardware.  Driving back toward the outskirts, I yelled “Stop the car!” It’s a 1939 (mumblemumble) agricultural tractor, that’s obviously seen a lot of turnip rows since it left the inside of … Continue reading →

…by doing it wrong. This morning M and I started waterproofing the Dome.  Oy, this is gonna be a job.  The concrete was sprayed onto the matrix of wire and [rebar and rebar and rebar and] burlap, and it wouldn’t … Continue reading →