Checking my Amazon vendor stats this morning, I discovered that somebody (I’ll never know who unless they choose to “uncloak”; thank you, Mysterious Stranger) just bought one of these: Wireless IP Pan/Tilt/ Night Vision Internet Surveillance Camera Built-in Microphone With Phone remote monitoring support. Yeah, that’s a mouthful. But that’s also a lot of camera for $50. Until recently, I’d never thought about getting home-security cameras because a) I have nothing worth stealing and b) not many bad guys are going to choose a house with three dogs. But just this week the thought crossed my mind that a camera…
Category: Rural and small-town living
Life far from freeways, Starbucks, malls, and other benefits/distractions
Soooo … less than a week after I think I’ve cleverly gotten rid of Mr. Freeloader … knock, knock. It’s Mr. Freeloader’s oldest son (about 10). “Can I borrow $5?” Last time, Dad definitely sent the kids over to “borrow” money. This time, it’s not at all clear whether Dad did the sending or the kid has just learned Dad’s lessons and decided on his own that neighbors might be bottomless pits of favors. All I know is it’s damned hard to look an adorable urchin in the face and say, “No, you can never borrow anything from me again…
This year has been the busiest I’ve had since back in my 20s when, for a brief, delusional few years I worked like a Silicon Valley maniac. I don’t approve of work. I discourage all my friends from doing too much of it (and “too much” can have a pretty liberal definition). So how did I get into this state? I ask myself that all the time as I bang nails and computer keys (mercifully not at the same time, but as tired as I’ve gotten a few days this week there’s some chance I might mix up the two,…
Jim Bovard reminded me of an anniversary I thought I’d never forget: twenty years ago today, the federal government murdered Vicki Weaver. Twenty years ago yesterday, federal marshals kicked off the Ruby Ridge seige by killing a boy and his dog. I was already a freedomista before the Weaver monstrosity, but that was my radicalization. I knew from the moment I saw the fuzzy helicopter images of the Weavers’ cabin on the little antenna-driven TV I had then that something was rotten, foul, unspeakable, and more wrong than words could express. While attending parts of the trial, I also got…
I was going to just drop this into the comment section in the original post about my freeloading neighbor. But I forgot that webmaster Oliver has closed comments on old blog entries to deter spammers. So anyhow, here’s an update. It’s been five weeks since Mr. Freeloader has asked for any favors. I assumed (and hoped) that guilt over not returning things was keeping him from asking for anything else. It may have been. But this morning at 10:00 he showed up again. When I opened the door he was standing there with his hands tented under his chin in…
One of my neighbors got hauled off in handcuffs this afternoon — not an everyday occurrence, but not an unusual one ’round here. Cops followed him into his driveway, pried him out of his car, then set Officer K9 dancing around the vehicle. I was walking Ava past the place and feared that K9, a cute black lab, would get excited about the passing dog and get the poor guy in worse trouble than he was already in. But those drug dogs are focused. Fortunately this one didn’t alert to anything. Anyhow, it was only a three-cop bust. Small as…
Oh yeah. I’m sure we’d all appreciate advice from this guy. Actual peasants. With actual (well, maybe wooden) pitchforks. protest government overreach into their farms. Another one to share with your friends who are just wondering how to begin preparing. And for those of you who thought seeing the face of Jesus on a piece of burnt toast was as silly as it gets: evidence to the contrary. So wait. Why are they arresting this guy? Hasn’t the gummint been telling us for years that waterboarding is a good thing? Gray State. Not sure just what a “conceptual trailer” might…
Sorry for “lite” posting yesterday. I’m deadlining all this month while also trying to paint, trim, and partially re-side two walls of the house. I bought shingles and cedar boards in April in a wild-to-the-point-of-insanity fit of optimism. I dreamed spring would shortly yield to summer. Yeah. The supplies sat in the yard getting rained on. Now, we’ve got a brief eyeblink of dry weather. So I’m juggling: work-work in the a.m., improvement-work in the afternoon, dogs and housework … somewhere. I’m also getting to know a video camera sent by Terry Bressi The Checkpoint Beater. The only previous video…
Last week you no doubt heard news about the highly successful scam: The Obama administration will pay your utility bills! Just give us your social security number … First thought is what kind of moron would fall for that? Second thought is: a whole nation of morons. Isn’t that exactly how the welfare state works, anyhow? —– Speaking of dumb stuff to fall for, Microsoft is revamping its Office suite. One of the big changes is that it will now store all documents and settings in the cloud by default. (H/T PT for the link.) Nothing against the cloud. I…
What John Venlet says. Joel over at The Ultimate Answer to Kings (now at its own domain name, joelsgulch.com) is in dire need of a new prosthetic leg — which the good old U.S. health-care system has priced way, way out of his reach. I know Joel. I know how long he’s suffered with his old leg, despite benefactors having bought a much better foot for him a few years back. I’ve seen the sores on his stump with my own eyes. I know how the manual labor that brings in his small living is hurting the hell out of…