Author Archives: Joel

You know how fond I am of Little Bear. I suspect you’ve been bringing him food at night, and anyone who cares for LB is a friend of mine. So, that’s fine. But this business of big gut piles on … Continue reading →

“…and sent hither swarms of officers to harass our people, and eat out their substance.” Thomas Jefferson thought he had reason for outrage back in 1776, but the King of England was a piker. If TJ had met the California … Continue reading →

Yesterday after our Sunday Morning Concrete-Schlepping session, M drove Gulchendiggensmoothen down the wash to the Lair’s meadow. After an adventurous trip 20 feet from the wash to the meadow, he got a start on digging out the Lair’s septic pit. … Continue reading →

I wasn’t going to blog about this. M sent me the picture a couple of days ago, so proud a pappa that I’m surprised he didn’t enclose a cigar. Now, while I think it’s just as cool as muscle cars … Continue reading →

Resolved a couple of open issues this weekend, opened at least one more I had thought settled. M helped me get the generator’s carb apart. We sorted out the needle valve, put things back together, cleaned the spark plug, and … Continue reading →

When I decided to build the Secret Lair, I had a series of problems to overcome. They all had to do with Money: Lack Of. As much as possible of the Lair is built with salvaged material: All the dimensional … Continue reading →

It takes a special kind of hubris to wake up one morning and decide that what this world is lacking is your visionary leadership, and an even more perfectly-distilled narcissism to think that if millions of people don’t like you, … Continue reading →

About a week ago I kinda-sorta promised a series on our own real-world form of “Eco-living.” That, by the way, is not a term I’ve ever heard used out here. We just call it “living.” Anyway, I haven’t forgotten about … Continue reading →

Landmines.  I need more landmines.  And claymores.  With automatic sensors to detect the sound of “I’m from the government, and I’m here to…”  BANG!

Check out the big charge on M’s tractor battery! A couple of weeks ago I received a gift from a generous blog reader, which (the gift, not the reader) advertises itself as able to restore sulfated batteries.  In the intervening … Continue reading →

I was looking up LED lightbulbs on Amazon, which seems to be where my online-buying friends go when they want to, you know, buy something online.  And I came upon this, apparently for no better reason than my amusement… The … Continue reading →

Lord, it’s been gorgeous lately.  It was up in the mid-seventies the past two days, and the weather report promises it’ll keep coming.  Down around freezing every night, but really nice by nine or so. Been piddling with a bunch … Continue reading →

Paulo the Former Stallion update: Well, Paulo’s lapse into reasonable behavior after his gelding was somewhat brief.  He still can’t stand the sight of Spirit the Unreasonably Large Mare, and seems to feel the solution should involve violence.  In an … Continue reading →

The next likely Speaker of the House, John Boehner, and the next likely House Majority Leader, Cantor, met with reporters this morning to react to last night’s Republican landslide victory that resulted in the GOP seizing control of the House … Continue reading →

Well, that’s the only logical spin I can put on his post-election remarks… “As far as I’m concerned, my No. 1 job is to help create jobs, and I’m going to do everything I can. The only thing that’s going … Continue reading →

Via Uncle.

So!  What’ll it be, citizens? You can have Boot-On-Your-Neck Party Candidate A, and bravely stay the course. Or!  Revolution!  Boot-On-Your Neck Party Candidate B! Remember!  If you don’t vote, you don’t have the right to complain! ETA:  Kevin Wilmeth’s How … Continue reading →

Information for people interested in building an off-grid electrical system on the cheap: A 1500-watt inverter will not, in fact, run a circular saw. That is all, carry on. Also, damn.

…reminds me of wet mornings, when all those broken bones and wrenched joints complain… No, I was never a fighter. My nickname was “lucky.”

Courtesy of Claire, here‘s a very interesting article drawing parallels between the way courts traditionally and – er…modernly? – approach rape cases and 4th Amendment cases. …there are many parallels to be drawn between rape and Fourth Amendment consent law. … Continue reading →