Month: January 2017

Posted on

Islands of Sanity

Elsewhere on the Interwebs, I saw an otherwise nice lil ole lady stating that as divided and rancorous as the public square has become, she expects she’ll have to “duke it out in real life at some point. . . ” in the real world.

Maybe, maybe not. It mostly depends on the venue, methinks. Here in America’s Third World County™, the irrational, emotionally-derived non-arguments (spewing of lying memes, parroting of angry rhetoric) just does not exist for the most part, at least as I am out and about in the county I have never found it so. As a matter of fact, America’s Third World County™ seems to be such a haven of sanity and safety that when nour state’s so-called “Constitutional Carry” law went into effect, I felt no need to take advantage of it as I went about my daily affairs here in America’s Third World County™. Oh, I put a lil revolver in a holster and–legally, now *heh*–carried the thing concealed inside my waistband for a few days, but since so many other folks are doing the same (or carrying in the open, also lawful), and the general conditions of civilized safety and sanity still prevail here, I just set the lil wheelgun aside for plinking.

Seriously, I am THAT comfy with the civilized deportment of ou citizens. LE guys (and gals *sigh*) still have too much swagger and project far, far too much self-importance (unnecessary here, IMO), and there are a few bad actors around, but realy very few, but still, overall this area is the safest and sanest, the most civilized I have ever lived in, well, at least since I was seven years old, nearly 60 years ago. Oh, we lack some of the amenities and pleasures of big city life, but a trek of less than an hour can afford a trip to a world class museum of art, a middlin’ quality orchestral performance, good craft beers, etc., if desired. Fortunately, no professional sports teams are within what I’d call driving range, which pretty much eliminates the hooliganism I associate with that stupidity.

Yeh, unless I stray too far from America’s Third World County™, I don’t think I’ll have a lot of RW “in your face” confrontations with rancorous loonies. I suspect there are more such enclaves of civilization around, islands of sanity in this mad, mad world, havens of civilization contra the Crazy Years.

Posted on

“Solutions” for all the sturm und drang in the passing scene?

For “the passing scene,” I got nuthin’.

My “solution” to the passing societal scene (politics, media, wacko people all around) is to take care of my own business, and, when interfered with by a “gummint” busybody, do whatever I can to distract, befuddle, redirect, frustrate, bar (yeh, even to relying on a junkyard dog of a lawyer, if necessary, the meanest one around), etc., them from messing in my stuff that’s none of their business. If TEOTWAWKI does come about in my lifetime, I want to have plenty of (well-preserved and protected from marauders) “popcorn and beer” and a (relatively) safe (well, well-defended and as secure as can be effected with my resources) place from which to watch the show.

Of course I’ll do whatever low-key things I can to ameliorate problems on a local and neighborhood level, but I’m pretty much limited to everyday politics and prayer (though that’s unlimited *heh*) when it comes to affecting things further afield than that, so just making as sure as I can that “me ‘n’ mine” are as well-provided for as possible seems. . . prudent.

OTOH, being “a voice in the wilderness” crying out, “Repent sinners! Make way for the return of the Lord!” seems like something to do, too, eh?

Posted on

Dangerous to Whom?

The Puffington Host touts the bill referenced in the linked article as “The Most Dangerous Bill You’ve Never Heard Of.” Dangerous to whom? Certainly not to citizens who are concerned about the tsunami of “feddle gummint” encroachment on their rights. Hmmm, must be dangerous to statists and other anacho-tyrannists. . .

This bill is barely a start on reversing the illegitimate encroachment on God-given rights that darned near the whole apparatus of the “feddle gummint bureaucrappy” has become.

Posted on

Tightwad Tip

Like those wet wipe cleaning cloths but dislike (relatively) expensive one-use throwaways? Try this:

One part isopropyl alcohol
one part white vinegar
one part water
a few drops of dish soap
an “essential oil” that appeals to you (optional)
some clean rags (I have a bunch of cheap microfiber cloths I used for my “kitchen batch” of these)
a glass jar with a lid

That’s it. Mix the liquids. Rags in jar. Liquid mix poured on top. When you need a cleaning rag for kitchen or bath, open the jar, take a cloth and squeeze out any extra cleaning solution. Replace lid. Clean.

When you are finished cleaning with the rag/cloth, just launder it and then re-treat.

Isopropyl alcohol is inexpensive, as is vinegar. Cleaning cloths can be as cheap as just about any old absorbent cloth rag. A few drops of dish soap? *pfui* Heck, the most expensive thing, relative to amount used, might be your choice of an “essential oil.”

Pro tip: if you elect to add an essential oil, choose one with cleaning and/or disinfectant properties–preferably both. I added a few drops of melaleuca oil to my cleaning solituon, for those reasons. Oh, and I like the aroma, though it’s a bit faint with so much vinegar.

Posted on

A Simple EPREP Tip

Ever have unreliable water because of service problems (widespread power outage or other). . . and would have found a simple, reliable method for purification/disinfection handy?

SODIS

Oh, and lay in a supply of coffee filters and charcoal (for sediment and taste), if you want. As effective as most expensive methods, easier than boiling, especially if you’ve not *cough* prepared for an alternate method of cooking, and your primary method is interrupted.

Just have a few clear, 2-liter PET bottles handy, and some coffee filters, and you’re good to go for cleaning and disinfecting a source of suspect water.

Works also for camping. Does take six hours of sunlight, though.

Do note that you probably ought to have at least 3 days’ potable water safely stored at home, anyway, as well as a day’s supply in your car, just in case. Water for personal hygiene can be less stringently obtained and stored (tap water in safe storage vessels should be good enough for general washing), but drinking water–potable water–is more important for general emergency preparation, whether it be for storms, widespread power outages, or whatever.

Just sayin’.

Posted on

My observant reader *heh* will note. . .

That something different is goin’ on here at America’s Third World County. . .

Yeh, the theme I’d used for years was broken by an incompatible WP upgrade, and I’m reduced to using an outa the box plain vanilla theme. Probably for the best. I may reinstall a few of the plugins I once had installed and re-list a (very trimmed down) set of blogs and other features. . . eventually.

Meanwhile, I think this will just serve as what it became six or seven years ago, after its first six or seven years as. . . something else, and just be the place where the voices in my head are free to utter. . . whatever opinions they have. (I’m always interested in what they have to say, whether anyone else is or not. 😉 )