In my last post (October 8!) I warned I might be offline for a while. That was true — and the “while” continues. I’m checking in, but not yet ready to return to the heavy-duty, brain-pain, hopefully freedom-saving posting I was doing. The next week will be crowded with non-blogging work. Physical work. Sweaty work. Grubby work. Then after that, I shall (cross fingers) return with Actual Content. Meanwhile, here are some pix from where I’ve been. And at the bottom … some dog news. And more than dog news. —– Because sometimes you must have a little R&R —–…
30 CommentsCategory: Travels
Observations while wandering near and far.
Happy post-Fourth of July. I hope you enjoyed what scraps of freedom you have left in these strange and parlous times. Although I left New England, I had further adventures and observations. —– In one day, my companion and I crossed five states. By road. Which sounds pretty impressive until you realize the states in that part of the world are scaled for Ken and Barbie. Did you know Delaware is 35 miles wide at its widest point (nine at its narrowest) and contains only three counties? I knew the states in the upper corner of the U.S. could be…
11 CommentsAs a Western-hyphen-American (bitterly clinging to the Pacific coast as I do), I never thought I’d see this storied place. But here I stood. At first as I approached along the path I thought I’d cry for the wonder of being here where it all began. Just as quickly I realized I might cry for the sorrow of being here in the days of its ending. (We came to the statue under a blazing noonday sun. No angle allowed a good photograph until I surrendered to the understanding that I could get only a silhouette — and got this grand…
17 CommentsNo, what I’m about to relay doesn’t really show the decline of civilization. Or rather, it’s too early to tell whether it does or not. Hopefully, what’s happened in my small sphere in the last few weeks is just “one of those things.” Two of those things, actually — signs of personal or societal distress that portend exactly nothing about the bigger picture. But you know how it is. When stuff is happening to you, it’s personal. Then everybody else chimes in, “Oh yes, that happened to …” [me or my next-door neighbor or whoever]. Or “Oh yes, [City X]…
30 CommentsLast night I watched Charles III, a PBS drama about the future reign of the present rather weary and gray Prince of Wales. The story posits that in his very first week of rule, months before his official coronation, he precipitates a constitutional crisis that throws not only the UK, but the very future of the monarchy, into turmoil. What does poor old fictional Charles do to throw the realm into such chaos? He refuses on principle to sign a bill curbing freedom of the press. The bill can’t become law unless he signs it. But that’s not the issue.…
11 CommentsYeah. Because nobody needs an AR for personal or home defense. Famous tech institute suppresses student dissent by enforcing non-existent policy. Caught in the act, they then turn around write the restrictive policy after the fact. Cops claim it was okay to murder an innocent man (in a wrong-house raid) because he was an illegal immigrant and therefore had no constitutional rights. Have these guys actually ever read the BoR, and especially its preamble? This Florida orangutan, OTOH, has human rights. (Via Wendy McElroy) The NTSB concludes the Boeing 737-Max wasn’t designed for humans. I consider all airliners (and airports)…
18 CommentsSunday. March 17. Seventy-two degrees. Barely a breath of wind. Not a single cloud. And Furrydoc and I walked barefoot on that warm, pristine sand with the dogs. We didn’t write that message in the first photo, but we sure shared the exuberance that inspired somebody to do it. Beaches in this part of the world are commonly socked in or howling with wind (or both) at any time of year. A day like this would be a rare treat, even in July or August. In March? It’s a miracle! My favorite moment was rounding a curve in the cliffs…
10 CommentsOh great. The NYT wants credit card companies to recreate Project Chokepoint. Only they want hundreds of thousands of innocent gun buyers reported to the cops for fitting a “profile” the NYT doesn’t approve of. Aww, isn’t that sweeeeeeet? The TSA is switching to floppy-eared dogs because the pointy-eared ones scare children. No word on whether those airport blue-hands realize the kiddies are probably even more terrorized by having their pubes pawed. Add one more aspect of shadiness to the dirty business of buying pet-shop dogs: Dog leasing to the unwary. (Nitpick: It’s not animal-rights organizations protesting this; it’s animal…
7 CommentsAnother excellent piece from Ammo.com: “Policing For Profit: How Civil Asset Forfeiture Has Perverted American Law Enforcement”. Once again, there’s something here even for people who think they already know all about it. A good article to share. The latest juvenile cant about socialism is that it leads to better sex. Jim Bovard — who ventured behind the Iron Curtain more than once — questions that manufactured reality. Still curious about those “let’s stop Trump” texts between the pair of illicit FBI lovers high up in the collusion investigation? Well, too bad. Because the DoJ wiped them clean, claiming they…
7 CommentsHi, guys. I hope you all had (and are having) a wonderful holiday weekend with great food, good company, and minimal stress. Mine’s been nice. Quiet with a combo of idle days, a few industrious hours of DIY on the house, and world-class Thanksgiving leftovers. I expect by tomorrow I’ll be back up to full blogging speed. But for now, I’m still idling about. So to ease gradually back into action, here’s a two-parter I posted four years ago. I recalled this when a member of Claire’s Cabal introduced a topic on memorable travel experiences. This piece involves an encounter…
7 Comments