Author Archives: Joel

The trip itself was actually pretty uneventful.  We ran into snow in the mountains but nothing terrible, got home about five. There’s more snow than I’ve ever personally seen here – it’s a foot deep in places.  Last night the … Continue reading →

Having paid more attention to weather reports than is probably good for me, for once I’m not really looking forward to going home.  But home is where I’m going, so probably light/no posting today.

So far, so good! As with so many such skills that have intimidated me in the past, halfway through I’m wondering what the big deal was. This is generally a prelude to hubris-related disaster. This is my victim. Costco is … Continue reading →

Peripatetic living comes pretty naturally to me. Hell, I’ve been all over the world. Going to strange places and doing strange things, though it’s not the pleasure it was when I was younger, doesn’t cause me any special distress. I’m … Continue reading →

Landlady walked me through the basics of canning this morning. I’m in a kitchen, surrounded by – er – kitcheny stuff. In the fridge, eight pounds of chicken. In the dishwasher, a bunch of mason jars. On the counter, a … Continue reading →

Via Claire’s blog, I just learned the terrible news that Aaron Zelman of Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership has died. I did not know Mr. Zelman well. We never met and only spoke on the telephone a couple … Continue reading →

David Codrea’s latest Examiner column is primarily on the “90% of guns in Mexico” canard, but adds something I find an interesting – and rather refreshing – twist: …a proven reliable source tells me that some guns are indeed making … Continue reading →

I was sitting in Landlady’s backyard gazebo this morning, thinking about all the things I should report about my visit to this alien place they call a “city.” The incredibly profligate use of electricity, for example: What’s the point of … Continue reading →

But neither is it the uniquely inspired gift of God. In this morning’s blog-crawling, I was directed by Robb to this anti-1911 screed titled, appropriately, “The 1911 Sucks.” The writer says, in part, It’s a 100-year old design. It needs … Continue reading →

So M has an AK receiver, and he’s at loose ends as to what to do with it. The problem isn’t that M finds the prospect of building an AK daunting – far from it. M owns more AKs and … Continue reading →

So for Christmas my weekender neighbors S&L got me: 50 pounds of bread flour2 pounds of baking yeast2 big bottles of isopropyl alcohol4 pounds of unsalted butter8 pounds of boneless chicken thigh meat …and they squeezed it all into a … Continue reading →

January 1 is just around the corner. Look busy. So long 100-watt incandescent light bulbs — California is ordering them off store shelves starting Jan. 1 in an energy-saving move. For now at the Home Depot in Redding, Calif., the … Continue reading →

Here’s something you need to check out. In partnership with some very knowledgeable and connected people, my very knowledgeable and connected friend M has created a website called Forgotten Weapons. It’s mostly about those developmental weapons that didn’t quite make … Continue reading →

…since I’ve spent time in a city. Last year this time I was in Phoenix for a week at the SAR show, but that was kinda different – my hosts’ house wasn’t in a development and all the overload was … Continue reading →

Ghost is in the middle of a prolonged meltdown, and has become firmly convinced that one of these doors leads back home. LB is enjoying this new mystifying adventure, and Click is just trying to keep everyone in line. More … Continue reading →

Spent a portion of this morning on my knees, scraping shit out of the floormat grooves in a horse trailer. And my only regret was … I shouldn’t have spent time last night sharpening my knife. Once, during my Mr. … Continue reading →

I read this sad article a few minutes ago, about the possible demise of Michigan congress(ver)men Sander Levin and John Dingell through redistricting. Normally I try to pay no attention to electoral politics at all, suspending the resolution only as … Continue reading →

Whatever that fuel system gadget is, bypassing it won’t be an option. The simplest solution, as somebody pointed out in comments, is to take it and get it heli-coiled. Since I’m going to the city in a few days anyway, … Continue reading →

Last Friday I drove Gulchendiggensmoothen home with smoke coming off the exhaust manifold from the diesel dripping onto it. The return line from the fuel injectors is interrupted by this … thing, and the thing is made of aluminum, and … Continue reading →

“I find your lack of intrusive inspections…disturbing.” Washington, D.C. – The House gave final congressional approval Tuesday to a sweeping overhaul of the way that the Food and Drug Administration regulates most of the nation’s food supply. A bill that … Continue reading →