Author: David

Over-educated Curmudgeon, Bit-Bucket Tuner and Budding Brewmeister.
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Memory Hole?

Intercollegiate Studies Institute performed an annual “Civics Literacy” survey for six or seven years in a row, tracking trends in the general population with isolation of various demographics. While all demographics showed levels of civics literacy that would not be able to pass the dumbed down quiz prospective naturalized citizens are required to take, two things stood out to me:

1. High School seniors consistently out-performed college seniors, and
2. The lowest scoring demographic was. . . elected officials.

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“Exterminate! Exterminate” ~ Every Dalek Ever

On the subject of the destruction – nay! extermination! – of meaningful communication, this sidebar:

More and more often I find myself baffled by the precipitous pejoration of “decimate” used to imply utter and complete destruction instead of the former pejoration implying destruction of a large part of [whatever]. What useful purpose does it serve to utterly destroy a formerly useful sense of a word? It’s almost as bad as Dhimmicraps harping on “democracy” when they mean “tyranny by means of vote fraud.”

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Not Sure If I Should “Yelp” This Weekend or Not. . .

Weekend and on into tomorrow, stayed (am still staying) at a once well-known resort in the Ozarks. Future stays here? A tossup, at best. *sigh*

Advertises stables and horseback riding o web site. Horses “on vacation.” (Markdown)
Confirmed reservation. Complied with check-in times. More than five hour wait for room. (Markdown)
Room: OK, special rate for conference (Markup) So-so accommodations and substandard details, REALLY noisy. Remote from all resort amenities, with one Post Polio person (they knew this) and LOTS of hills. (Markdown x 3)
Workers: pleasant and helpful (for the most part) (Markup) but institutionally hamstrung at times (Markdown)
Said the room was noisy? REALLY noisy “music” imposed on everyone in public areas making communication difficult and speech LOUD. (Markdown)
Super hokey décor mandated by new owners. (Markdown) Seems designed to appeal to low-brow, nekulturny rednecks (not the good kind of redneck; trust me on that. Markdown)

Still, it’s a conference for my Wonder Woman’s librarian association. Lots of fun folks, but the especially good thing is that I’ve gotten to spend more time with her than usual, even with her meetings and different lecture sessions.

Weekend as a whole: Mark WAY up even with the accommodation negatives. Would do it again (even at the overcharged, IMO – given the accommodation flaws – special rate), even if it were here. But NEXT time, there had better be horses!

Oh, I should add that while the bed was made by a prankster, the sheets themselves were almost as nice as on our bed at home. The pillows sucked, though.

Workers were uniformly as helpful as circumstances and resources allowed.

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Like Donuts?

Never go to the donut shop with the BEST donuts. You’ll be waiting for HOURS while the cops are on *cough* “coffee breaks” *cough*. (But when you are late to work, get behind a cop if you can, ‘cos he’s probably speeding to his donut break. NOTE: For several years, I followed a speeding HiPo supervisor to his morning kaffe klatch, so this tip really does work.)

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Ancient Memories

It’s been over half a century since I tacked up and rode a horse – yeh, I know: a crime – but the memories linger. Watched a video demonstrating how to tack up (western tack) a horse. Nothing new at all to me, apart from new saddle pad tech, until the bridle was added. The person tacking up the horse rides bitless, which I’ve done with a hackamore, but not using one of the bitless bridles that have become more recently popular. Nope, just a thin rawhide “string” on top, which looks like it’d act sort of like a hackamore.

Intriguing. It’d be interesting to train a horse to respond well to that. I do like the looks of the cross-reined bitless bridles I’ve seen, though I’ve not used one, of course.

Hmmm. . . I probably need to get with a local stable that rents out for riding (well-known) trails through one of the conservation areas. Every step along the video, I could almost feel following along, but the aromas and textures, and other kinesthetic feedback were (naturally) missing, and I realized that I do miss that.

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Not User Friendly

Not User Friendl

Users can just hit the door (and better do so running). All others welcome. . . until they exhibit User tendencies.

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Fairness?

Bicycles that are used on public thoroughfares should be licensed and taxed just like other vehicles are.

(And unlicensed walkers who use sidewalks OR streets/roads should be ticketed and fined.)

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ADC

Hmmm, wondering whether I need to expand or cut back on my “ADC” (All Day – “pocket/belt” – Carry). It’s now at a little over six pounds. (Of course, I’ve cut my weight pack – almost all day “exercise” to increase my load-bearing capacity – back to thirty-five pounds, so. . . ). If I can locate the right multitool, one that replicates the tools in both a mini-multitool and my Swiss Army Knife, I might be able to at least cut the bulk a little. Looser-fitting pants have meant easier access to pockets and room for an ITWB bellyband, but the *cough* items *cough* carried there add only a little over a pound, more or less.

It’s a work in progress, and part of that progress is having different belt-carried “keychains” with configurations for different days’ expected needs, along with just general EPrep. As soon as a new pouch comes in, I’ll have a small of the back carried (using Velcro™ attachments) IFAK, slanted toward a Stop the Bleed IFAK (CAT, blood clotting agents, bandages, etc.). My mini-trauma kits are here in the house and with my EDC Car Kit. (Already used the FAK in the car kit for a person who fell in a parking lot.)

Well, lefthand front pocket “ADC keyfob/chain” hanging from belt hook now has

  • micro flashlight
  • Swiss Army Knife
  • Mini-multitool
  • Lansky Pocket Medic (blade sharpening tool)

Added 16-pocket vest. Is handy when I get hungry, too. Was out and about around Noon the other day and appreciated having a loaded “Sandwich Pocket.” Yum. (The Backup Sandwich Pocket wasn’t loaded, but that was OK, since the loaded Sandwich Pocket was sufficient.) Also, small IFAK loads nicely in inside upper righthand pocket, so waistband carry is unnecessary.

Lansky Pocket Medic moved to its own “keyring/fob” flipped to D-ring on vest and zipped into pocket. Taking its place in left pants pocket is Zippo lighter fluid canister (neat lil thingy). Other vest contents:

Cell phone (inside upper left pocket)
Kershaw assisted opening pocket knife, “tanto” blade (lower inside left pocket)
3×5 notebook and 2 pens (outside upper left pocket)
Snack food (3rd pocket down, outside left)
Lansky Pocket Medic (4th pocket down, outside left)
Cash/ID, etc. (bottom pocket, outside left)

Pocket NT and pack of gum (upper right pocket)
“Keychain,” Mini-flashlight (second pocket down, outside right)
Small IFAK (in repurposed “backup sandwich” pocket)
Small “tactical” LED flashlight (4th pocket down, outside right)
Day’s purchase receipts (bottom right outside pocket)

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Speaking of Neverending EPrep Tasks. . .

First aid kits (FAKs) need to be regularly checked, refreshed, and updated. Here’s a wee tip:

If you are making up a new FAK or refreshing an old one you may find costs have risen to uncomfortable levels for some things that need replacing or refreshing. Use alternate materials. Sterile pads for wounds? Get a double whammy by using. . . ladies’ panty liners. no, seriously! Most even contain hydrophilic homopolymers or copolymers that help contain blood lost. Oh, and duct tape is sometimes appropriate as a substitute for medical adhesive tapes. Sometimes.

And about that bleeding. . . clotting agents. Quickclot, Woundseal, et al, can be a wee tad pricey for what is essentially a finely-ground clay (kaolin), but if you reach into your kitchen cabinet (or wherever you keep your spices and such) and pull out some alum, you’ll have something that works nearly as well. There are LOADS of workable first aid materials available in nearly every household. The key is identifying them by function and getting one’s head around using them properly for first aid. (Then, of course, one has to make sure they are included in one’s kits. 😉 )

One thing I do not recommend replying on ad hoc substitutions for effective results is “field expedient” tourniquets as first line equipment for stopping large bleeds. Nope. Shell out for a good CAT (Combat Application Tourniquet) for each FAK. Just do. (An “Israeli pressure bandage” might also be a goof addition.)

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Eprep Is Not a “One and Done” Thing.

It’s constant, ongoing.

Setting up a new “ADC” (All Day Carry) system to supplement my regular EDC bag. It involves adding a “dooty” (nah, NOT “duty”) belt hanging from my regular belt, and various tools and equipment attached to that via keychains (actually leather loops w/d-ring connectors on each end) to enable draping most things into my front pockets. It’s comfortable and handy so far, but I still have yet to add a multi-tool (though I doubt I’ll need to have much of one for All Day Carry, since I have a really good one in my EDC bag). Glad I have some baggy pockets. . .

Next to be added: an easily-detachable IFAK for small of back wear on “dooty” belt.