Lessons Learned…

It took us two days to cut out to reach a town maintained road. Every wire on our road was felled by trees and/or limbs. That’s one old guy & one not-so-old-as-me-is-putting-it-nicely gal.

Eleven days without power can be mighty discomforting (landline phone is yet to be restored by the phone company). Back to back snowstorms didn’t help a lot either (I won’t get started on the blown hydraulic hose on the plow). Thankfully, here at the DT homestead we were fairly comfortable throughout, albeit busy. The preparedness here was normal due to our semi-remote location. Given my former profession in quality assurance (read “anal bastard”), I necessarily reviewed what we did right & what could have been better. The following is a list by category noting what we did & related comments. I hope this helps someone preparing for a similar event or a zombie apocalypse, whichever comes first.


Heat: two woodstoves & h/w oil furnace
Remarks: stoves were adequate for our comfort (some “rescued” guests were less than toasty); furnace was available on generator for additional heat.

Light: Aladdin lamp, oil lamps, 12v LED trouble light clamped to photo tripod, head lamps, LED flashlights, LED lantern, LED keychain lights; Coleman lantern available in garage (didn’t use).
Remarks: Aladdin lamp (“stinky”/Mrs. DT) when running @ low output, but generates much heat when running high; oil lamp is low output, but serves for area lighting. 12v LED trouble light was great- could use another; LED headlamps & flashlights a necessity. The LED headlight is the best invention since beer.

Power: 5.5kw generator, solar charger w/100 a/h & car batteries.
Remarks: Ran genny ~1 hour on & 3 hours off; stayed off through the night. Freezer & fridge were fine. We sometimes ran the gen up to 4 hours when we had guests. It would be good to get small battery charging capability directly from 12v to avoid inverter power loss. The solar panel is only 15w, but produced enough juice to keep my batteries charged running the LED trouble light ~ 6 hours a night, as well as incidental charging of cell phone/small batteries on the inverter.

Food: on hand, freezer, cellar pantry
Remarks: A stock of food at home was a comfort; it allowed us to feed “rescued” friends & relatives. The first Saturday night, Mrs. DT cooked a pot roast (all day) on the woodstove, cooked up some frozen green beans from the garden, & added some mashed potatoes. Life is good.

Water: well (on gen- pumped twice a day to fill domestic needs & to water horses), 7-gal container, 1 gal milk bottles; cold (room temp) running water from modified ½ gal Tupperware jug w/ ¼” NPT ball valve, 4” nipple, & couplers, & 1.5-gal pot on woodstove for hot water for washing.
Remarks: A better cold running water delivery system is needed; bathing accomplished by wash-up at sink or shower when pump/furnace timing is coordinated (on gen).

Food cooling: fridge, freezer, cooler
Remarks: I gotta get a bigger, better-insulated cooler for daily use (used outside temps and/or snow as cooling agent); apparently generator use was adequate to keep food from spoiling in chest freezer & fridge.

Communication: GMRS & CB radios, cell phone, TV (on gen)
Remarks: Did not use either radio system. Cell phone was best- most comm was phone to relatives & friends; probably I will plan to use CB for initial local contact as it runs directly on 12v, & use charged GMRS radios as required. A 12v low drain TV would be a good addition.


So there you have it- how to stay alive in the woods, eleven-day edition. AND, all that time without the interwebs DID sharpen my cribbage skills.

If anyone has any questions, lemmeno via comments.

Happy New Year All!

Well, THAT Sucked...

1. Eleven days w/out power sucks large, but prior readiness paid off

2. Merry belated Christmas to all, especially to those who sent regards my way

3. Still no OFFICIAL phone connection (which is how I get my intertubes)

4. Two old guys can figger out how to multiple patch & connect a phone line even if it IS still on the ground

5. More later if'n I get the time

ANOTHER 100 Things...

Officially, my life sucks.
I mean, it's Friday night, & I'm reading blogs about "100 things".
So hey! It can't suck any worse than that, & I'm bored to death already, so I'll do one my own self.
Without further ado...

1. Started your own blog. (FWIW)
2. Slept under the stars. Jus’ a campin’ fool in my younger days
3. Played in a band. Besides school band, high school buds put together a garage band, “A Stepp in Thyme” (hey, it was the 60’s)
4. Visited Hawaii.
5. Watched a meteor shower. Perseid (sp?) shower is pretty regular
6. Given more than you can afford to charity.
7. Been to Disneyland. I avoid large masses of people- no phobia, people just suck.
8. Climbed a mountain. Just a local Monadanock, and a couple in the White Mountains
9. Held a praying mantis. I used to catch then & put them in a jar with grasshoppers; they grab the hopper & eat it like corn on the cob; yes, little boys are evil bastards
10. Sang a solo. I had a couple lines in the ol’ band, mostly like “oh yeah” & such
11. Bungee jumped. NFW.
12. Visited Paris.
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea. Aboard ship- pretty cool- when it’s all around you
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch. Well, the guitar, badly, & blacksmithing, if that’s an art
15. Adopted a child. (Just don’t tell my son) (just kidding D)
16. Had food poisoning. Could have been- or really bad hangover, not sure
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty. And I was only about 12- took FOREVER
18. Grown your own vegetables. Every year; can them too
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France.
20. Slept on an overnight train. Never been on an overnighter- slept on day trains though
21. Had a pillow fight. Hasn’t everyone?
22. Hitch hiked. Primary mode of transportation for a few years back in the day. Used to travel regularly from southern CT to northern MA via thumb
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill. Uh, no?
24. Built a snow fort. I WAS a kid once
25. Held a lamb. Awww, it was a soft & snuggly, & it pissed on me
26. Gone skinny dipping. Again, in the 60’s I think we did MOST things without clothes
27. Run a Marathon.
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice.
29. Seen a total eclipse. Yeah, & the double exposed negatives as eye protection DON’T work
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset. From land & sea. Also saw the moon rise on Galway Bay (had to get that in)
31. Hit a home run. Sandlot ball of my yute
32. Been on a cruise. Day trips only
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person. A few times. River, gravity, whatever...
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors. Yup on the Irish side, the other’s been here for so long I live where they did, pretty much
35. Seen an Amish community. A few of them. Nice folks, great food
36. Taught yourself a new language. Been working on Buntus Cainte (Irish), but it ain’t easy
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied. This one is close; but what is “truly satisfied”? So, I guess no.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person.
39. Gone rock (wall) climbing. Leominster State Forest. One of the best sheer faces east ot the Tetons, I'm told.
40. Seen Michelangelo's David.
41. Sung karaoke. Not yet been drunk enough
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt.
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant. Semi-stranger. Bought the town drunk, Harvey, a meal in the downtown diner. They wouldn’t let him in, so we ate our breakfast (at 0200) in the back by the tracks. Harvey eventually fell in a construction hole & died. Really.
44. Visited Africa.
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight. Used to go with a girl who lived on the Cape (Cod for you furriners)- it was required behavior
46. Been transported in an ambulance. Unfortunately… see #77
47. Had your portrait painted. It’d probably break the canvas…
48. Gone deep sea fishing. Out of Kennebunkport Maine. Also off the back of a ship, if that counts. Also, met "Miss Dumpy" of K'port whilst later drinking in a bar. She was the... nevermind
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person.
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling. Hey- I used to watch “Sea Hunt”! Of course!
52. Kissed in the rain. Kissed in a lot of places… wait- that didn’t come out right…
53. Played in the mud. Male. At one time young. Yes.
54. Gone to a drive-in theater. When I was a yute, that WAS Saturday night. Saw Ben Hur & West Side Story when they were new. Later, we’d bring beer & cram guys in the trunk to get the best “per head” deal
55. Been in a movie.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China.
57. Started a business. Yeah, but I let it go (dumbass)
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia. I DO have a standing invite though
60. Served at a soup kitchen.
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies.
62. Gone whale watching. Ayuh. Even got blowed on by a whale (that doesn’t sound so good either)
63. Got flowers for no reason. Is that “got” to give or “received”- yes on former, no on latter
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma. Can’t.
65. Gone sky diving. Not until the plane breaks
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp.
67. Bounced a check. Uhuh.
68. Flown in a helicopter. Courtesy of the USCG
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy. Didn’t really save it, but my folks kept everything- most all of my stuff is still in my Dad’s house
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial. Looked just like the back of a nickel!
71. Eaten Caviar. Overrated, in my opinion
72. Pieced a quilt. Wrong chromosome
73. Stood in Times Square. I sort of remember it
74. Toured the Everglades.
75. Been fired from a job. “you can’t quit me, I FIRE!”
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London.
77. Broken a bone. Many. See below
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle. Probably about every riding day from 1967 to 2000
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person.
80. Published a book. Op-ed page editorial is my high point
81. Visited the Vatican.
82. Bought a brand new car. Well, trucks, three
83. Walked in Jerusalem.
84. Had your picture in the newspaper. Fortunately, no.
85. Read the entire Bible.
86. Visited the White House. Yeah, can we go now?
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating. Lots, mostly fish. Mmmmm…
88. Had chickenpox. I was a kid. Had it all I’m thinking
89. Saved someone’s life. Not directly…
90. Sat on a jury. BORING, but yeah
91. Met someone famous. Does Bozo the Clown count?
92. Joined a book club.
93. Lost a loved one. Sadly, yes, both human & animal
94. Had a baby. Well, not me, but I was involved in the fun part
95. Seen the Alamo in person.
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake.
97. Been involved in a law suit. Ouch, yeah.
98. Owned a cell phone. For emergencies only. Actually, it’s the wife’s. The one I have doesn’t have actual service, so it’s just for 911 fun
99. Been stung by a bee. Crap, yeah. Just noticed I still have a healing scar from one of the last two I had on my arm.
100. Read an entire book in one day. Not a lot, but it’s been done.


Well, that took care of the boredom, & now it's time for sleep. That worked out...

Posse Comitatus Act be Damned...

Is this the inaugural (heh) move of the Lightbringer’s Internal Security Force?

I wonder what a "other domestic catastrophe" could be- hmmmm?

Welcome to the Brave New World…

You Go Now!

to read this.

More insight on Oboob's cabinet appointees.

Just do it- you'll be glad you did.

The Nuge...

has some interesting insight.

"Obama- King of Fools"

(& it doesn't say much for the rest of our countrymen either...)

Check it out here.

Apparently…

These fools haven’t checked the calendar recently.

I think the big one will look fine on the table next Thursday.

The Eleventh Hour of the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month: Armistice Day

THE CAUSE (1918)
By Paul Scott Mowrer
Poet laureate of New Hampshire


Let but the cause seem beautiful, dear God,
If we must die. Make us believe, in truth,
For all mankind we thus forswear our youth,
To stay till end of time the oppressor's rod;
That but for us, harsh power would ride rough-shod
Through freedom's delicate gardens, and the tooth
Of hatred rend our people without ruth;
So might we sleep contented, under the sod.

For else, who knows what gladness here on earth
Was destined us, what nobly high employ?
Oh, hard it is that youth should cease to be!
For now came love, with a great glad rebirth
To company our way, and now came joy!
Not death we fear, but death's futility.


Thank you to all veterans, past & present, who have sacrificed their time and lives to maintain our freedom.

God Bless America & Those that Keep Her.


Go see how it was for the Brits

Thanks again, vets.

Mmmkay...

Obama to use executive orders for immediate impact

U.S. firms should expect more scrutiny under Obama

Obama raises a long-neglected concept: sacrifice


And how will this work out for U.S. businesses?

Anyone?

Bueller? Rearden? Taggart?

And So It Goes...

TURNING and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again; but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

W.B. Yeats- 1919

The Audacity of Impudence?

Where, exactly, is this "office" defined?
Or, are they just making things up as they go along?

We are in for a wild ride on H.M.S. Change…

Who is John Galt?

OK, I was wrong & I suck.
Sorry...

For the Non-Believers...

Please go check out this post at Hot Air.

Many of the comments are spot on; give it a read.


UPDATE: And this at Ace

I Know What I'm Doing Sunday...

John McCain returns to New Hampshire

For the Final New Hampshire Straight Talk Town Meeting

Sunday, 2 November, 2008
Peterborough Town Hall
1 Grove St, Peterborough, NH

Doors open @ 4:30 PM
No tickets required- be early!

Rush is Right...

again.

While working on the tractor today, I heard Rush's "Prebuttal" to Obama's infomercial on the tube tonight.

It's 13 minutes long, but worth every minute.

Give a listen.

A Fine Example...

of what I'm talking about when I speak of "our" America & her inhabitants.

Bruce nails it here- go READ!

Oscar has seen that man before...

Looky Here!

I can levitate a one ball from the end of my fingah!

Vote for ME, I'll set you FREE!

Oh, wait, that's been done...
(photo courtesy of the Tehran Times)
(THEY really like him)

I Read the News Today…

“U.S. Congress works on bailout deal”

“Shots fired in US/Pakistan clash”

“Mugabe urges lifting of sanctions”

and

“Man charged with battery for farting on police officer”


Serious stuff goin' on in this here world.

Hokey Smokes Bullwinkle...

the left is becoming entirely unhinged.

I know it's been blasted all around the blogosphere, but MY two readers haven't seen it.

So here ya go- drink strong liquor before attempting to figger' this out...

A Tomato.

I once knew a g...
Uh, nevermind.

A picture of a tomato.

WOW- Just, You Know, WOW...

GO here & read.

While reading, remember that this is in a dead tree newspaper, not a wacko interwebz site.

I had no idea the lefties were actually OVER the brink of insanity.

Wow...

Remember...

True Colors...

"Lipstick on a pig", my hairy Irish ass.

Go here to see what our folks are made of.

----------------

I forced myself to turn on the TV last evening to watch a bit of the news, as I had heard on the radio of the big rally for John/Sarah in Ohio.
So I’m watching the dipshit talking heads, & a guy comes on who is the pollster type, there to interpret the polls for us morons out here in America.
He’s droning on & on, remember now, he’s just a neutral (!) guy explaining the polls, when he gets to a part where Oboy’s numbers are down. Here he says (I paraphrase):

“The percentages have slipped, but we are still doing well in the overall trend”. (emphasis mine)

We?

WE?!!!!

I did manage to get the TV turned off before it caught a round in the vitals.

You Know You've Been Here Too Long

when you get to this page...

(H/T to Ted)

Dear Mr. Obama...

If this doesn't get you, then nothing will.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG4fe9GlWS8

Go watch (all the way to the end).

Damn.

This Just In!!!

Todd Palin was on the grassy knoll in Dallas in 1963.

Now you know...

Un F@&#$'n Believable...

Toolin' in the truck this morning, I heard on the radio that a member of the Massachusetts political delegation started in on Sarah Palin for the loose moral compass that has resulted in her daughter’s pregnancy.

Anyone want to take a shot as to who made said comment?

None other than Barney Frank, the morally superior member of the legislature, once busted for running a male prostitution ring from his apartment (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Heh.

Good Lordy, what the hell are these people smokin’?

Done Deal.

All righty then…

The addition of Sarah Palin to the ticket has just sealed the election for the Republicans.


(yeah, that's her)


I’m out to do the Happy Dance…

Now You're Asking for Trouble...

Yeah, THESE guys are a bunch o' swell folks.

Beijing Olympics 2008: Elderly evicted women given labour sentence

Chinese authorities have sentenced two women in their 70s to a year's "re-education through labour" following their application to hold a protest demonstration during the Beijing games, a relative said yesterday.

RTWT here.

NEW TRUCK !!!

in a few hours.

Update later...


OK, crappy pic, but here's the update:



No, it doesn't have a mural of a house painted on the side.
It is green metalflake, so it will be easy to camo with just a couple rattle cans of brown & black...

You Want Weird Bugs?

OK, how's this one?

No, I have no clue what it is other than a caterpillar of some sort.

And no again, not photoshopped (I don't haz it).

Anyone?

Bueller?

Commies, Obama, Et Al.

Over at Bruce’s place, he has noted that the Communist Party USA is pulling hard for the Obamessiah. Gee, that’s what I wanted to hear…

In an unrelated development, Kathleen Parker has W’s, B.O.’s, & the Mc’s response to the Poot man’s, ahem, exercise in Georgia. Go read. It’s teh funny…

Points Off for Spelling?

I was doing some research on a Winchester Model 1873 lever action rifle this evening, & found the promise of a new & exciting feature.

Who knew you could get one with a "hecktigon" barrel?

Is that like "Well, it was a .38-44, & a .357 fit, so where’d the barrel go?"

"Hecktigon"

Don’t Hold Your Breath…

Marko and Tam both had a post this morning about a miscreant who is too fat to be executed(?).
This particular scumbag now resides on death row in Ohio.

Accordingly, the title of this post.

My Grandfather was murdered in East Cleveland in July of 1986.

The perpetrator of this crime forcibly entered my GF’s house, bound him to a chair with a cord, looted the place, doused him in lamp oil, & set him afire. The perp then stole the GF’s car, & drove it until he was identified. The GF lived for a couple more days- he was 84 years old.

The perp was tried in 1987, found guilty, & sentenced to death for his crime(s).

In 2002 he was scheduled for execution, but someone thought up a dodge in that it would be cruel to terminate someone who was mentally "deficient". Some tests were done, & it was found this particular scumbag had the intellect of a grapefruit (this would be a surprise to who?).

He’s still on death row, & will probably remain there for the rest of his natural days.
Requests (to proceed) to then governor Taft have been ignored.

So, like I said, don’t hold your breath waiting for justice…

What Goes Around…

comes back to haunt.

This, excerpted from the current issue of Smithsonian magazine:

"They were a hybrid group….representing myriad issues and a wide range of
philosophies, but they were united behind an encompassing cause: ending the long
war .… and challenging Democratic Party leaders and their delegates to break
with the past, create change—yes, that was the term....—and remake the battered U.S. political system."

Sound familiar?

That selection was referring to the 1968 Democratic convention; the war in question was Vietnam.

We all know how well that worked out for the Dems…

Must Add to Blogroll...

Mike, of Mike-istan: AKA Mr. Fallacy, AKA Breda’s other half.

He has offered a bit of excellent logic regarding those (IMO) dumb-ass "COEXIST" bumper stickers.

He’s a smaht dude…

What'jda Think?

Got a new keyboard yesterday-

the words look better today?

AND on the Third Day...

He returned.

I heard about this earlier today, but it's been linked a zillion times since then.

If you haven't yet read it, go now.

For Thine is the Power & the Glory...

Fall in a Pile of Shit…

And come up smellin’ like a new truck.

I’ve got a 1999 Toyota Tacoma truck that I bought new (guess when). I’ve always thought of it as my “new” truck, as she still looks good, paint is shiny, & it always starts & gets me where I want to go (original battery too!).

I got a letter from Toyota USA last week indicating there may be some issues with the frames on trucks of my vintage. So off to the dealer I go, & sure enough, the frame’s got the STINKINGCRUDROT. That’s the bad (?) news.

The good news is that Toyota is buying back these trucks at 1.5x the Kelley Blue Book retail price, and all units are considered in excellent condition for this buyback.

So, here I am, with a damn near 10-year-old truck, & they’re going to give me the better part of $13k for it.

Happy crap like this doesn’t happen to me.

But y’know? I think I just might buy a new one for the $5k & change…

Random Post Action Notes…

Sortin’ out the trash yesterday afternoon (we have to do that here), I was impressed with the sheer quantity of empty ammo boxes. Calibers with numbers from .22 to .45, & a shitton in between. Even with about half the total quantity somewhat crushed, they amounted to a 1/2 filled 33 gallon trash barrel!
Folks, that’s a lot of cardboard.

And the cool part? Much of what was fired was done so by someone other than those who brought it.
-----------------

A side benefit/curse of hosting an event, are the leftovers.

I’ve got a lifetime supply of Gatorade.
Good supply of bottled water & soda.
Still eating the beef jerky (mmmm…)
Watermelon for breakfast, lunch & supper- good with the jerky for a balanced meal.
Peanuts- Peanuts- Peanuts!
I have enough brass to jumpstart the red metals economy were I to release it to the market.
I’m still munchin’ on Lissa’s cookies (mostly just crumbs now- 8^(.

Bayonet Charge on Teletubbies

Sorry.

I just had to see what sort of linkage that title would offer...

Video here.

FREE MONEY!!!!

OBOY!

This is gonna be great!
In the new Obomination we'll all get more free money.

I wonder where he gets it all?

...

Yes...

the cannon will fire tomorrow.

Alot.

Happy Independence Day to all!

HELLLL-A-BRAATION…

Good Times!

Let's all Hellabrate and have a good time
Hellabration
We gonna Hellabrate and have a good time

(w/apologies to Kool & T.G.)

It's HELLA good...

The Longest Day: 6 June, 1944

Go read about Utah & Omaha beaches here.

Google is celebrating Diego Velazquez- it figures.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I had the opportunity to talk with an older gentleman a few years ago, & the discussion came around to the military- I asked him if he had served.

"Oh yeah", he replied. "Most everyone did in those days".

I pressed on- where did you go?

"Well, I was over in France, y’know, at Normandy." Then he quickly added, as if in apology, "But I was only there for the first three days ‘cause I got hurt & they sent me back…"

Yeah, ONLY the first three days at Normandy. Such are, & were, these men.

Thank you Charlie.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Enlighten someone today about this momentous event a short 64 years ago.

When a Poll is Not a Poll...

Squeaky is running in interesting quest for information that could prove to be entertaining & educational.

Go to her place & comment if it is suitable to your political position.

We can’t leave Squeaky disappointed in her quest, now can we?

The Beaver is SIXTY Today...

No, that's Jerry Mathers, wiseguy.

Makes one feel kinda aged, it does.

Curious…

While sitting in the truck waiting for the Mrs., I noticed a sign that announced that parking in the handicapped zone would result in a penalty of 5 hours of community service.

What exactly does that say about our society when community service is inflicted as a penalty?

jus' wonderin...

Well, That's IT Then...

it appears Obama is our man.

After all, Fidel said so... good enough for me...

Channeling Dr. Smith…

"Ohhh, the pain…"

Well, the wood’s almost done, about ¾, I’d say. The pile is just less than 3 cord by my calculations, (which is actually looking at it and thinking, "’bout 3 cord"). My arms are letting me know how much work this is.

I usually get this whole bit done in April, but a two-week battle with the Army of Gout has delayed the start of the effort.

Here’s a pic of the pile thus far:


Here are the tools used to make the stuff fit in the stoves:

6# maul for most splitting
8# maul for the full size rounds
4# hand sledge for "helping" the mauls when necessary
1.5# Snow & Nealley hatchet (for making the shreddy stuff let go)
And for when things get tough-
10# 36" sledge &
(2) 5# steel wedges

Some of the real gnarly "arm (branch) wood" needs the application of the sledge & wedge, but most all else is accomplished with the mauls.

It’s hard work, but enjoyable in its own way. 'Frinstance, it gives one time to think, it does. Things like, "why the hell am I splitting wood by hand?"

Make that TWO ways- have you seen the price of oil lately?

Gimme Some ‘O That Earth Day…

At the doubletrouble ranch, April is logging month. I make an earnest effort to get the trees felled, twiched out, bucked, & split before the invasion of the winged blood suckers, otherwise known as blackflies. Additionally, felling a tree that is in full bloom presents a number of other problems, most notably the "sail" effect in the wind, where a fairly light wind can throw the tree from where it was planned to go. Also, cleanup of all those leaves is a bitch- they’re heavy when green. So, no leaves, no bugs, April is it.


This is the stump of my latest takedown. Note the 12" ruler for scale. That bad boy was 35" across the widest part, & was a PIMA to cut with my 18" bar on the saw. Sixty-six feet high to the canopy as measured with my rangefinder- nice crash when it landed. It went where I aimed it, but it still took me all day today to get it out of the woods, topped, & ready to process.

Go hug that tree hippie!

Who Writes the Lyrics?

I was doing some reloading this evening after it was too dark to split wood. As I listened to the radio while working, I’m thinking, who writes these lyrics?

One song, by Elvis Costello, I think, goes,
"Allison, my anus too…" What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Then another, by the Four Tops (?),
"Ain’t no woman like a one eyed slut…"

Those songwriters need to get a grip.

Home Schooling, or, I High Tailed it up South Street…

Reading Marko’s post about how his kids are virtual leaning machines, reminded me of my yute & another, more timely story.

Part 1.

When I was a crumb-snatcher, my Mom was a mom- in the 50s most families were like that. I had a "yearnin’ for learnin’" that my Mom recognized, so she would read to me about airplanes, trains, & other stuff of great interest to a young lad. When I entered the pubic (not a typo) school system at age 7, I could read, spell, & do most of my numbers. I’m no Mensa sort; she just fed me what I, & probably most kids wanted- more.

Set up: first grade in my day was in a big brick building. We kept out coats & such in the "basement", which also housed the bathroom area.

Part of "curriculum" was "letters"- these were scrabble-like cardboard squares loose in a box. When "letters" time came around, Miss Phelps (I still remember her name??!!) would print a word on the blackboard, something challenging, like "cat" or "house". Our mission was to form the observed word on our desks using the aforementioned squares. I found this to be the stupidest thing on the planet- bored doesn’t describe it- more like loathing.

So, in my evil little mind, a plan takes shape.

I raise my hand.
"Yes J?"
"Can I got to the bathroom?"
"Yes, you may. Please hurry back"

I go down to the basement, still filled with the loathing & resentment of being made to do this stupid crap, grab my hat & coat, & go home (everyone walked to school in those days).

I walk into the house, "Hi Ma"!
"J! What are YOU doing here, you’re supposed to be in school!"
"It was boring".
"I’m calling your father".
Uh-oh.

Dad came home, tried to figure out the problem, & brought me back to prison, err, school.

This happened a couple more times (combined with actual basement "needs"), each time with increasing suspicion by the teacher, until one day, as I headed for the outside, Miss Phelps was standing on the stairs by the door.

Buh-bye. Out the doors I went, with Miss Phelps in hot pursuit. The school was on a big hill, & as I ran up that hill I could see that old Miss Phelps wasn’t going to catch me by a long shot, so I took my time, only running when necessary.
I have a feeling this perturbed her even more.

By the time I got home, taking my sweet time, Dad was already there, & I received a stern warning (& a bit more IIRC) that this behavior was to stop.
I stayed for letters after that final episode.

I was a hero in my first grade class, probably because no one else had the cajones (or was dumb enough) to escape.

Moral of the story? If you teach you children well at home, there is no need for the futility & drudgery of pubic school.

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Part 2.

This is a more recent anecdote.

My good friend has a daughter in the 4th grade. She wasn’t doing so well, averaging just in the top half of her class in reading, & in the lower half for math & science. As his wife was/is a teacher, they decided to homeschool.

In THREE MONTHS, 3 hours per day, she finished the work for 4th grade, & finished at the TOP of her class. In another FOUR months, she had completed the 5th grade, again testing at the top of her class (the girl is brought to the school for testing along with her "classmates").

Moral of the story? If you teach you children well at home, there is no need for the futility & drudgery of pubic school.

Phew, I got blisters on me fingers…

OK, OK, It’s YOUR Pie…

Breda has an absolutely perfek visual on Michelle Obama’s latest verbal diarrhea.

Go see.

BTW, this applies equally to all the leftly socialist’s ideas on income distribution.
This little poster should be on the Conservative Battle Flag…

No Blood for Oil, ergo, No Food for Fuel?

HEADLINE:
Haiti's government falls after food riots.

"Disturbances over high food prices have broken out in several poor countries, primarily in Africa. Record oil prices, rising demand for food in Asia, the use of farmland and crops for biofuels and other factors such as market speculation have pushed up food prices worldwide." (RTWT here)

So I know what let’s do, let’s make fuel from corn! It will only use up a little more energy than is produced, but we’ll all feel so G R E E N!
What a cool idea!

Numbnuts.

Those short-sighted green types & the idiot politicians that agree with them are gonna fuck up the entire civilization of this planet, I swear.

Clinton Campaign in North Carolina...

Reptile Breeders Net Two-Headed Dragon

and, they named it Hillary.

Charlton Heston, 1924-2008

Charlton Heston, actor, activist, & NRA President has shuffled off this mortal coil.

During the 90's reign of terror, er, I mean the Clinton years, I had a bumper sticker that declared,

"MY President is Charlton Heston".

Heh.

RIP Mr. Heston...

BREAKING NEWS...

This just in...

Hillary LIED about something...

More as this story develops... BWAHAHAHAHAHA.

You CAN'T make this stuff up.

WTF???!?!!??

Would somebody please explain to me why Nancy Pelosi is in Tibet,
why she has jack-shit to say about anything,
and why her presence has China in an uproar?

AND, who is paying for her stupid shenanigans?

Oh, wait, I think I remember who's paying.

Assholes. The bunch of them- & US, for letting it go on…

An Irish Ghost Story...

John Bradford, a Dublin University student, was on the side of the road hitchhiking on a very dark night and in the midst of a storm. The night was rolling on and no car went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few feet ahead of him. Suddenly, he saw a car slowly come toward him and stop. John, desperate for shelter and without thinking about it, got into the car and closed the door... only to realize there was nobody behind the wheel and the engine wasn't on!! The car started moving slowly.

John looked at the road ahead and saw a curve approaching. Scared, he started to pray, begging for his life. Then, just before the car hit the curve, a hand appeared through the window and turned the wheel. John, paralyzed with terror, watched as the hand repeatedly came through the window, but never touched or harmed him.

Shortly thereafter John saw the lights of a pub appear down the road, so, gathering strength, he jumped out of the car and ran to it. Wet and out of breath, he rushed inside and started telling everybody about the horrible experience he had just had.

A silence enveloped the pub when everybody realized he was crying, and...wasn't drunk.

Suddenly, the door opened, and two other people walked in from the stormy night. They, like John, were also soaked and out of breath. Looking around, and seeing John Bradford sobbing at the bar, one said to the other...

"Would ya look at that, Paddy... there's the idjit that got in the car while we were pushing it!!"

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!

Another Drive By...

HOW MANY MORE MUST DIE!!!!!

It's time to outlaw those evil... arrows?


Wonder if it was black?

THAT's Gonna Leave a Mark...

An Al Qaeda leader, the Saudi Jar Allah aka Abu Yasir al-Saudi, was killed Wednesday, by a guided missile fired from a US Military helicopter...

I wonder if he could see it coming at him through the windshield.

I hope so...

Thanks for Gittin' 'er Done...

Lest we again get all forgetful & such of the actual day...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the Father of our Country,

General George Washington.

Thank you Mr. President.

Now, go stare at a $1 bill...

BIGGER Mice…

Lead scouts.

There’s a brigade of squirrels staging to attack.

Humans unite!

We MUST repel the attack of rodentia!!

Happy Birthday Mr. Lincoln...

Back in the day we used to celebrate Lincoln's & Washington's birthdays as separate events.

Now, so as not to EXCLUDE anyone, we celebrate President's Day next Monday.

Bah.

Happy LINCOLN'S birthday!

Of Mice and More Mice…

Over at his place, Marko has mouse catching tales (tails?). He thinks he’s got the population down to the last one, but I’m here to tell ya that there’s never just “one more”.

We thought, when we moved here, that the few field mice running around were due to the house being uninhabited for awhile. Good enough- we got the traps & had at them. Caught quite a few, then they stopped showing up in the traps.
Good job, well done.

BUT… fourteen years later were still trying to catch that LAST one. He’s damn elusive, & resourceful.

This pic is of the air cleaner element from the wife’s Rav4. The little demons regularly work their way into the air cleaner, but the element keeps them from going further. Well, used to anyway.

The Rav was running poorly, & the throttle was acting weird. I checked out the linkage, lubed everything up, still NG. Then the throttle body was opened & bingo! A huge handful of mouse nest.

Cars run better without rodents.

That LAST one is proving to be a mighty bitch…

CRAP!!! again...

*sigh*

Well, the Republican choices are down to three.

This is disgusting...


UPDATE:
To paraphrase the predicament-

Here is the menu: turd sandwich on rye, turd sandwich on wheat, or turd sandwich on white. Your choice, same price.

"reJIGGERS the race"???!!??!?

OOOOOOOooooooo...

Someone's gonna get whacked for THIS headline.

heh.

UPDATE:
Observant commenter Skul has noted that the headline has been changed on the linked page. The word "reshapes" has replaced "rejiggers" (for you late arrivals).
Still, someone musta got a beatin'- it's Time/CNN fer cripe's sake...

Coincidence? I Think Not…

As a comment on my previous post, Jay G mentioned that I should run for governor & fix those problems.

That got me to thinking (always dangerous); Meldrim "Live Free or Die" Thompson was the most capital "C" Conservative governor of NH in memory.

Our recently "lost" leader shared the same last name.

Could it be that....????

Nah, M.T. wouldn't have given up unless he strangled someone on his way out.

Appreciative Assponies…

Here’s another one that touches off the sphincter igniter.

Manchester – The city welfare commissioner says a security guard is needed to protect caseworkers from crazed or belligerent welfare applicants.

"Lately, there's been an escalation," Commissioner Paul R.R. Martineau said. "My case workers just don't feel comfortable, and I feel as though I need to do something to alleviate this before something happens."

RTWT here.

Seems that welfare applicants are getting a little disgruntled.

"Tough shit" comes to mind.

If these scumbags can’t act like decent human beings WHILE THEY’RE BEING SUPPORTED BY MY TAX DOLLARS, then they can go defecate in their bonnet.

First sign of trouble, you’re outta here & disqualified.

Another few head twistings are due…

CRAP!!!!!

Jan. 22 (Bloomberg) -- Fred Thompson, the former senator and actor, is withdrawing from the Republican presidential nomination race, accordingto a statement from his campaign. Thompson, 65, had pinned his presidential hopes on winning the South Carolina Republican primary on Jan. 19. He finished a distant third behind Arizona Senator John McCain and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee.

``Today I have withdrawn my candidacy for President of the United States,'' Thompson said in a statement released by his campaign. ``I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort.''

Now this thing is REALLY gonna suck...

…and One GREAT, GREAT Broad…

Today, January 19th, is the anniversary of Janis Joplin’s birth, one of the best hard blues singers to come down the pike.

She would be 65 today, eligible for Medicare.

Unfortunately for us all, her excesses of the late 60’s did her in at age 27.

In 1968 (IIRC, which is highly doubtful), I saw Big Brother & the Holding Company perform at Franklin Pierce College in Rindge, NH. It was a fairly small venue in a gymnasium, & when Janis was introduced, the place came undone. She came out on stage, had a few introductory remarks to fire up the crowd, then chugged what appeared to be a pint bottle of Southern Comfort.

People went crazy nuts.

After the bottle was empty, she let out one of her signature "Whaaa-OOO-Whaaa" riffs, & flang that bottle out into the audience.

I’m sitting there stupefied in a weed-induced haze, & think, "Hey- she threw that bottle at ME"!
I stood up, reached up, & that damn bottle bounced off the end of my hand hard enough to near bust my middle finger joint.

A guy behind me two rows caught it.

I still wish I had caught that thing.

RIP Janis, I miss ya…

Would that be the Viagra Problems again??

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FDA Issues Alert on Bone Drugs
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Stopped by the Local Store Today…

to pick up a few beers.

Heh.

My Name is DT, & I Vote in NH…

ONE of the 58 calls I received today (just the ones I answered because I was IN the house):

Me: Hello?

Phone Voice: Hi. I’m calling from the Center for Data Analysis & Anal Data- could you please tell me which democrat candidate you’ll be voting for? Will it be Sen. Obama, Sen. Clint…

Me: I wouldn’t vote for those asswipes on a bet.

PV: You’ll be voting Republican then?

Me: None of your goddamned business.

*Click.

What the hell is wrong with people? The (full-page) ads in today’s Union Leader would have one convinced that it really would be swell if today’s ad influenced your vote. I mean, if by today you haven’t decided which candidate will receive your vote, TWO days before the primary, then you shouldn’t be voting because you’re an idiot.

‘Nuff said.

I'm doubletrouble, & I approved this message.

Somber Start...

Sorry to start the New Year on a sad note, but folks need to seriously consider their ability to drive a motor vehicle after drinking.

As in- DON'T DO IT!

Go here.

Usually this stuff doesn't bother me, but I stared at this picture for a few minutes to let it sink in.

Kids clothes & Christmas presents scattered on the highway... damn.

Life has permanently changed for a family & their survivors, all because one asshole needed to have a few.

Life is over for the young man that caused this, as I hope he spends the rest of his life in a hell-hole prison.

Before YOU drink & drive, remember this picture.