Category Archives: For Your Education

The Kill O Zap Has Been Invented!

“The designer of the gun had clearly not been instructed to beat about the bush. ‘Make it evil,’ he’d been told. ‘Make it totally clear that this gun has a right end and a wrong end. Make it totally clear … Continue reading

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It Could Be Worse

From Dead Man Dance and A Trainwreck In Maxwell is an excellent video.  It shows literally every nuclear weapon detonated on earth.  In time scale too; very clever.  It’s oddly poetic.  (Of course it’s SFW too!)  I didn’t know how … Continue reading

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The Magic Of The Media

I’ve been unable to post lately because I’m mired in construction.  (The horror!)  Have you enjoyed the peace and quiet? Meanwhile a specific pattern has emerged around the suffering in Japan.  It’s too ridiculous to ignore so I thought I’d … Continue reading

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Book Review: Dersu The Trapper

Because I know you’re all looking for antiquated Russian adventure stories I’d like to recommend Dersu the Trapper.  For those of you who like Lewis and Clark type adventure I heartily recommend it. This is a book I couldn’t put … Continue reading

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A Brilliant Observation

What metal is to rock, bluegrass is to country. How had such a simple observation heretofore eluded me?  It explains why I love bluegrass but avoid country.  Whenever I tune to a country radio station I’m soon turned off by … Continue reading

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The Furnace Chronicles Part VII: Eating Your Vegetables Is Good For You

My time for amassing firewood ran out long before my enthusiasm for cutting it. Autumn became a flurry of activities and cutting firewood gave way to more urgent winterization tasks. Then it snowed. Summer was over. The first snowfall is … Continue reading

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The Furnace Chronicles Part VI: Ant Kicks Grasshopper’s Ass

In the summer you don’t need a furnace. So you’ve got time. What do you do with that time? First you fish, then you mow the lawn, then you prepare for winter. It is as it has been since the … Continue reading

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The Furnace Chronicles Part V: To Have My Cake And Flush It Too

Even at my subarctic hovel, summer must come. By then I’d saved some scratch to install a furnace. At my leisure. No hurry at all.  Cash.  How cool is that? Then the septic system went all third world on me. … Continue reading

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The Furnace Chronicles Part IV: Economics Thoreau Style

By now I was a man on a mission. I wanted to exploit my dead furnace “event” to: Save some bucks by NOT financing a new furnace. Live a year of flipping the bird at oil companies. I was adamant … Continue reading

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My Commute Got “Stimulused”

My commute is pretty easy. I carefully compromised between the rural location I want and the commute that I’m forced to accept. (If it weren’t for daily commuting I’d live farther from civilization…possibly Death Valley or Pitcairn Island.) I drive … Continue reading

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