Then He Returned!!!!

Ok not really. I'm still on the road... in some little town in north Georgia. I wanted to post some pics though of my latest solo ride. JAC apparently sprained a felopian tube and couldn't come with me... so its just me. No worries.

This old covered bridge was apparently featured in a movie in 1951. I do believe all of them have been.

Not far passed the covered bridge I found the first winery. I may have had a sample... or two. And... I learned a great deal here. Aparently... wineries are where you go to pick up chicks. Who knew? Now understand... I will not divuldge which winery this episode took place at.

So I walk in... and of course... there are two cute chicks behind the wine bar looking to hand out free wine. At the bar are two attractive women in the low to mid thirties... who have... had a few samples. Perhaps... quite a few.

I successfully avoided the wiles of those particular harpies... but the wenches behind the counter proved to be far more challenging. The brunette serving samples was shameless in her flirting. Which of course was horribly offensive to one as noble and upright as I... but as forward as she was... the blonde cashier was her better.

So I picked out the perfect bottle for my beautiful wife... and attempted to pay for it... things went downhill from there.

Cashier Harpy: So... You ride a BMW.

....

Ooo... its red. That's a really pretty bike. Ya know my favorite professor in college rode a BMW.

Brunett Harpy suddenly appears and says, "You mean the one you were screwing?"

...

"She has a thing for motorcycles... especially red motorcycles. So watcha up to today?"

I would like to point out that at this point I haven't spoken a word. These women are good.

"Out riding around the mountains girls... decided to stop in and pick up a bottle for my wife."

Now... that was a dumb thing to say. Oh sure.. some of you are thinking that should've warned them off. Of course... the married men amongst us know better.

Now it was the blonde's turn... "aww... that's sweet... so you're off on your own today then?" Brunette... on demand... blushes and laughs and acts shocked that she'd be so forward.

Time to go. Palms are getting sweaty. Not good. These she-devils probly have bodies stacked up in a freezer in the back somewhere. Still.. a man has to leave an impression...

"There was a time girls."

Then I reached out and mussed their hair... and said, "But I just ain't as good as I was back then..."

Everyone had a good laugh and the blonde gave me a hug.... afterwich I was allowed to pay for my wine and escape with my soul safely intact.

This sight was only partly as terrifying as the girls in the winery.

I stumbled across this while I was out riding around. Apparently these falls were discovered by a Confederate Captain while he was out on a ride to. He named them after his only child... Anna Ruby.

The roads have been fabulous. Sorry I don't have more time to write. Smokes are calling my name.

Y'all be safe. I'll check in tomarrow.

YouTube - Cadillac Sky "Born Lonesome"

YouTube - Cadillac Sky "Born Lonesome"

Epic. Glorious. Awesome.

Warning: do not listen without booze near by.

WTF?

So a while ago I posted a little tidbit about the IRS buying short barrelled shotguns. Several poo-pooed to the post.

No doubt the news that the Department of Education is also ording 26 short barrelled remington shotguns will be met in a similar manner.

After all... why shouldn't the Department of Education have shotguns?

Duh.

Day 4: On the Greens with DrWho

Lets start with some general observations:

1) Vail is huge. Have I said that already? Over 5000 skiable acres on 2 mountains. The longest run... Riva.. is a black that is over 9 miles long.

2) Yankees. Pure Bred True Blue Yankees. Everywhere. Everyone is from New York City... or they're from Jersey and they "work in the city".

3) Rich yankees are dicks. I have seen at least 3 huge blowups over entirely trivial matters. This morning I was getting the boys ski boots from the storage girls... now there are two chicks at the window... you bring them your shoes and your id card... they go get your ski boots and store your shoes for the day. Simple right? So it just so happened that two guys walk up to the window at the same time... both with multiple pairs of shoes to swap for boots. So both girls were occupied.. they were doing their job.

This fat yankee with a revolting new york accent walked up to the window and immediately starts bitch, "Where ah the fucking girls? There's supposed to be two girls here. HELLO?? HELLO?? "

I'm watching this... and couldn't help myself...

"Dude. are you on vacation?"

The yankee looks at me... and says, "Who are you? I'm here to ski."

"Yeah so its a ski vacation then? So you're here to have a good time. So maybe you settle down."

The idiot yankee wasn't impressed, "I'll settle down when I get some service in here. These lazy fucks never do their jobs."

"Dude. There are kids all around you. Settle down. There are two chicks back there working their butts off. they'll be up here as soon as they get the 8 pair of boots these two guys over here sent them to get."

about that time a chick lugged four pair of ski boots up to the window and asked if she could help the idiot yankee.. who could only say, "its about time. get me my boots."

Now let me just point out... in a civilized society it would be perfectly legal and appropriate to beat the hell out of that fat bastard. Sadly... we don't live in a civilized society. and again... this is one example. I've seen it over and over again. The staff here has the costumer service edition of battered wife syndrome.

4)My wife is a badass. She had a tweeked knee from a fall yesterday... so she was hurtin' pretty bad when she put a lot of weight on it... you know... like you do when you turn? Well today she found herself at the top of a long... long... slope. Its vail green... but east coast blue... and you don't over shoot it.. because over that ledge at the bottom is a double black. or as I prefer to call it... certain death. Anyway... her leg really took her confidence and she kept looking down that looong run... a run more difficult than anything she'd done yesterday. I was watching from the bottom... but sure enough she came right on down. Smooth and in control... but slightly pissed off. From there it was catwalks trying to make our way to lions head until we hit the last section down... which is blue. Julie took it like a champ this time... great control... great technique... poll turns and everything. When I saw her at the bottom I thought she was gonna explode. She was so fired up that she'd been able to do it... worth the trip. Many adults never get that feeling... some of us need it so badly we dream up crazy schemes to experience it... regardless... when you get it... cherish it.

5) Jeb is better than he's getting credit for at ski school... because he refuses to play their reindeer games. He stops and turns very well... but they expect him to spend the day poking along... and he wants to go. I mean.... GO. so the instructor today told me as long as he was right with Jeb... he did the little slalom thing perfect... but if he wasnt... Jeb would take off flying down the mountain. He doesn't want to promote Jeb to the next level... even though he admits all the skills are there. This is mildly frustrating to me. The showing off indicates to me that he's bored and needs moved up. On the other hand... these are probably some of the best instructors in the world.

6) Eli is dealing with altitude sickness. But he's a trooper. He's having a blast at Ski School and doing very very well. He's stopping and turning.. and would be up on the mountain every day if he weren't sick. He was so tired he literally slept the whole afternoon session away... taking the world's most expensive nap. still I cannot fault the school. They handled it exactly the way I would have wanted them to.

7) I have a ton of pictures... but again... this stupid wireless network's upload speeds are so lame it times out before even one picture makes it to the blog. This is infuriating.

8) On the family friendliness scale... this place is a solid 10. The only complaint is the yankees... and you can take steps to insulate your exposure to them. You'd be amazed how fast they stop their idiotic nattering when you start talking about guns.

Day 3: Blue on Black

I am at this point moved to wonder if our dear Spacebunny has actually skiied Vail. As she protests that "its not even the best skiing in North America". The dear girl is, in this one rare case, flatly wrong.

It is the best skiing in North America.

Today was insane... fresh powder... feet of fresh powder... and more coming. Glorious.

The first timers were moved to compare different ski areas... Breckenridge is to small... and black at "Breck" is a blue at Vail. A-basin and Copper Mountain don't even compare. I mean if you want to ski the same 4 runs all day.. fine... If you want to spend days on the mountain and never see the same trails... then you have to come to Vail. Greens? All day. Blues? All day. Blacks? All day. Double blacks and backcountry? Forever.

So it was blues today.. and my first blacks... Not east-coast blacks either. Blacks. I was feelin' pretty impressed with myself too... bouncing down.. pole turns... completely smooth and controlled....

Then this line of 5 year olds blew by me.

WTF?

The snow was up to their necks! God that was depressing.

Anyway... Boys made mad progress today and they'll both be on greens on the mountain tomarrow. Big stuff. Julie progressed from level 1 to level 4 in one day. That's pretty hard core in my opinion. We're skipping the lessons tomarrow as we both know the mountain well enough now for some exectutive skiing together tomarow... which should hopefully mean...

PICTURES!

And... if all of this hasn't been glorious enough... I met one of the 10th mountain soldiers that helped open this place up.

Vail Day 2: The first day on the slopes

Holy crap dude.

So the boys spend the day in ski school. They are both standing up and stopping consistantly... and Jeb is able to turn pretty well. Another day of ski school and they'll be monsters. We had the geared up big time. We spent a ton of cash on the gear... but it was worth it. It was -8 with a windchill of -26... and they were both fine. In fact... both said they got a little hot.

yeah baby. yeah.

As you can imagine when we got back to the hotel I got all manner of demonstrations of various stopping and turning manuevers. Jeb also protested bitterly that he was not allowed to go down the black diamonds.

DrWho and I also spent the afternoon in ski school... her as a beginner... and me as advanced. She was very pleased with her progress and had a great deal of fun. And of course... in the advanced course I was in... we did what one calls "executive skiing."

If you're unfamiliar... "Executive Skiing" describes a certain style... where one gets to the slopes about... 9:45.... hits some lazy blues and greens... then has a nice leisurely lunch by the fire for an hour or two.. then its back to the greens and lazy blues till about 3... then its time to retire for cocktails by the fire. Relaxed as it was... I was very disappointed to find myself sweating.

Still I am very much impressed by the Executive Skiing.... as it allows for signifant time for reading by the fire.... and Pride and Prejudice, and Zombies is fairly difficult to put down.

As for Vail itself... its staggering. First of all there are well over 200 named runs. 200. The layout is simply stupendous. Its such that even a hardcore seasoned skier could spend a day piddling around greens and blues and be perfectly satisfied... simply because of the way the terrain varies. You can ski for 7 hours straight... never hit the same slope twice... and never be even remotely close to lost. Considering the size of the places.. that's pretty amazing.

Needless to say... we're miserable.... we hate it... you should never come here.

Vail

In a few hours we're boarding a plane for Denver. From there its a bus to Vail... where we'll spend the next week at the Cascade Resort. This is a little stunning to me... as I can honestly say I never thought I'd get to ski the Rockies.

I'd done a lot of skiing... but east of the Mississippi its a very different thing. Its far more like sliding down a sheet of ice than actually slashing through powder. I've always wondered what it would be like to actually be able to stop.

The laptop is going with me... so you should look forward to being tormented with pictures and tales over the next week.

Come along for the ride boys.

Some Things You Never Expect To See

So my brother... who I was certain was straight... was confessing his desires to me tonight... rationalizing his sickening and perverse desires for various electronic readers... when he said this:

JAC:
I think I'll wait for the ipad.

Thought For The Day

If the government can force me to wear a motorcycle helmet to keep insurance rates down, then it can force your fat ass onto a tread mill for 3 hours a day for the eact same reason.

Let's see what the Fat Pride folks think of that slippery slope.

"Fear the Boom and Bust" a Hayek vs. Keynes Rap Anthem

Dude... I hate rap... hate it. But this is one of the 10 most awesomest things on the nets.

Heap Bad Ju Ju Mon

So I'm browsing around the internets minding my own business when I find this. Apparently they're looking for 60 remington 870s... parkerized... 14-inch barrels... wilson combat ghost ring sights.

Anyway...

Might better make sure that 1040EZ is in the mail in time.

Sleep well tonight.

Purchase Patterns... and Perverts.

Browsing through Amazon.com almost always results in some comedic gem. This particular item won't disappoint. Oh not the item itself of course... no the fun is to be found when you scroll down to the "People who purchased this also purchased"...

Who knew the communion crowd was so ummm.... impassioned?

Wafers... check.

Wine... check.

Anal Lubricant... check.

Uh Oh...

Looks like the Mad Aussie has some explaining to do.

I do believe... he's been Baaaaaahhhhhhhd.

So What Are You Gonna Do?

I have a friend that's going to summit Mt. Rainier this year.

I'm gonna ski Vail for the first time. Other than that... I haven't decided... but I know I will do something extraordinary in 2010... and it will involve a firearm or a motorcycle... or most likely... both.

But what?

That's me today. That's where I am. Ride to.... where?

The Big One is still out there. The one JAC and I always talk about... but seems just to impossible to consider. The ride to the Arctic Circle. It would be our first international ride. It would be an extreme ride to be sure... but what's the point of perfecting your long distance skill... if you don't ride long distances?

He has a GS. I have an RT. Why on earth shouldn't we ride to the arctic circle? Well.. besides the fact that it will take a month... And don't we have to finish the Trans Am Trail first? Maybe that's it.

But what about Africa? Couldn't I go hunt in Africa?

Or couldn't I just go to Texas and hunt a russian boar with a knife?

Or maybe I could have a fourth son?

Or...

That's a big damned word for just two little letters. But or... no... not or... how about... perhaps... yes...

Perhaps....

Perhaps.... I just do what I always do.

And try to take over the world.

Further Evidence that Macs Suck

So it turns out that I only have one friend that actually owns and uses a Macintosh laptop. And believe it or not... she's a programmer. You'd think she'd know better. Regardless... this otherwise beautiful, brilliant, and otherwise extremely tech-savy girl does in fact use the abomination in question.

Imagine my joy when the other day she lamented her laptop issues. Trouble with the mac? Couldn't be. After all... Macs "just work". Right? We hear that all the time.

Well not only does her Mac not "just work" its not even her Mac. Her Mac failed to "just work" so badly that it had to be taken to the Apple Store to be repaired... and what she was complaining about wasn't even her Mac at all... but the loner the Apple store had provided. Apparently, it randomly would shut down... way to often. Infuriatingly often.

So I looked her up to play some WoW the other night... and she informed me that she had no laptop at all... and that she was going to buy a "Gaming Laptop".

Gaming Laptop... AKA... Not a Mac.

Now lets consider how this trial could've gone differently... She probably spent over 2k on that Mac laptop. So for that same amount... she could've bought 1 comparable windows laptop... and 2 slightly older back up laptops that would still perform in case the nicer one went down.

I buy what I call a disposable laptop every year. I find something for 4 or 5 hundred bucks... and use it until it dies. If it lasts a year... I figure I've gotten my money's worth. If it lasts longer... bonus. So far.. I have accumulated 3 laptops this way... and none of them will die. I almost threw one of them away... because the keyboard was destroyed by Eli... and I didn't want the hassle of taking it to a shop and paying a repair bill.

Then I remembered... oh yeah... its not a Mac.

So I bought a keyboard off ebay for 3 bucks... and used the other 2 laptops until it arrived. When it did arrive... it took all of 30 minutes to install.

Because... after all...

It wasn't a Mac.

Just a little more anecdotal evidence.

Ho. Ho. Ho.






Yes... those are two 125cc atvs. I skimped out and bought the chinese ones because honestly they are a quarter of the price... and well... I have two brothers that are industrial mechanics. Special thanks to Welldigger and Papa who actually were at my house when they were delivered. They assembled them completely... examining all the critical parts and replacing much of the hardware with superior quality pieces... all the cotter pins... many of the fasteners... ect... I was out of town... and they spent hours on the job. Its greatly appreciated.

Perhaps tomarrow a video will appear.

Ya never know.

Merry Christmas

Luke 2 11:14

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
And suddenly with the angel there was a multitude of the Heavenly host praising God, and saying,
Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

SEX AND BEER 2

You're welcome.

The Carcass of the Beast

They no longer haunt the kitchen. Indeed nothing remains but the bloated happy bellies and lingering fond memory.

Success.

Get Cookin' Boys

Alright... get off your lazy ass and get to work. There's meat to cook dammit.

So what's on the menu at Nate's? Glad ya asked. Today I'm responsible for 3 things: fried turkey, fried boston butt, and fried green beans.

So... Ever fried a boston butt? That's a big ass ham for them what don't know by the way. Ain't to difficult really. Here's how it works:

Inject your ham with cajun garlic and marinade it for about an hour or so. Then drop her in the deep frier at 350. Mind the oil temp... it dips when the ham goes in. Plus don't be gettin' to rushed... she pops pretty good when ya put her in. I use peanut oil. Should take about 8 minutes a pound... could be a little more. Tastey!

The turkey is very similar excepting of course you have to rub bacon grease all over it after you inject it. Turkey goes faster to... about 3 minutes a pound.

And the green beans?

I don't share that.

Sorry.

ok.. so how about you? What's the menu at your place?

The Savings Glut

Just in case you didn't realize how incredibly stupid the modern economic talking heads are... allow me to quote Nobel Prize winner... Paul Krugman:

"If you want to know where the came from, then, think of it this way: We're looking at the revenge of the glut.

And the savings glut is still out there. In fact, its bigger than ever, now that suddenly impoverished consumers have rediscovered the virtues of thrift and the worldwide property boom, which provided an outlet for all excessive savings, has turned into a worldwide bust."

So setting aside the fact that a man just asserted that there is even such a thing as excessive savings... let us first start with the facts before we bother refuting the theory. That is to say... before we can blame the crisis on a savings glut... we must show that a savings glut actually exists.




Ummm...

So see? We don't have to bother refuting the silly theory that excessive saving caused the crisis... because there are no savings... excessive or otherwise.

Krugman's arguement isn't just built on sand... its built on the pretense of sand.

Where Do Pumpkin Pies Come From?





yes I know its an old one... but its classic.

A Busy Mornin'

So I was downstairs helping Eli with one of his Nintendo DS games... Jeb and Elkan were upstairs playing MarioKarts. Yes... Elkan plays MarioKarts. All was well until I heard Jeb yell from upstairs.

"Daddy. Elkan called the lady on the phone and she says now the police have to come to our house."

...

...


!


So of course I assume I didn't hear what I obviously heard and run upstairs hoping I was mistook.

"What's going on buddy?"

"Well... Elkan called the lady and he's talking to her and she said now the police have to come to our house. ***sigh*** little brothers..."

It was at this point that I heard Elkan still chattering away in his bedroom. I rushed in there and found him giving some poor woman a very stern lecture about something that was clearly extremely important. I grabbed the phone... hoping no one was there.

"hello?"

"Oh hi! This is Julie and the ER. Your baby called us and he's just been talking up a storm."

"... ummm.."

"We didn't know what was going on so we had to call the police to come check."

"... errr... sorry?"

"Oh its ok.. he's adorable. I can't believe he dialed this number though."

"I can't either. So he didn't dial 911 then?"

"No this is the unpublished ER number."

"What?"

"I know. I don't know how he managed it!"

Well... I eventually got off the phone with her. Turns out Julie had been on call and got paged to the ER a couple days before and Elkan had simply pressed redial.

At least the cops took their time showing up. The local chief of police, a buddy of mine named Brian, showed up about 30 minutes later. "Havin' a good mornin' Nate?"

"Its great Brian. Thanks."

"hehehe.. I told 'em everything was ok... That baby just tryin' to find his mama."


Its a good thing we live in Mayberry.

Good Riddance

I'm frequently told that we're not in the midst of an epic economic collapse because conditions today aren't as bad as they were in the Great Depression. I think the people of Detroit would disagree.

Consider this... In Detroit proper, the unemployment rate is now higher than it was in the peak of the Great Depression there. Not only that... but back then the numbers were figured far more strictly counting for people down to age 16.

Not only that... the city can no longer afford to bury its dead.

As is the case with most areas... if a family claims a body there and cannot afford to bury it, the city will bury the body in a plain pine casket in a nearby cemetary with a marker. So far... there are 55 bodies sitting in a freezer in the central morgue because the families can't afford to bury them, and the city is broke.

Whole areas of the city are abandoned... and are slowly turning back into wilderness. It looks like some place you'd find in Fallout.

As the city dies this slow agonizing death... I can only chuckle. A more wretched hell hole has likely never existed on this continent. Perhaps every major metropolitan area of the United States will suffer this same indignant death.

We should be so lucky.

Dollar Down

The dollar's downward spirl continues... as I'm sure you've noticed. I mean its hard to pay 7 bucks for a gallon of milk and think there's anything other than inflation going on.














That chart shows the dollar heading to the 2008 low of 71. Now compare it to the gold chart...











So the dollar is heading to the 2008 low, and simulteneously Gold's target is 1300 in the next two months. Now if you've read Vox Day's book, the Return of the Great Depression, you know that he said if Gold was to reach 1500 per ounce by the end of 2010 then the hyper inflationist scenario he calls "Whiskey Zulu" would possibly be in play.

Not only will we see $1500 gold before the end of 2010... we'll probably see it before summer.

and of course... if the percentage holds... a gallon of milk will be 9 bucks or so.

Tactical Pistol: Thoughts Unthunk... Usually

I'm inclined to ask... is it wise for a man to get into a gunfight without giving thought to the possibility of getting shot?

With that in mind... how much time have you spent drilling one handed? Lets say you're shot in your weak arm and can't use it. Can you draw and fire one handed? Can you reload a magazine one handed? Can you clear a jam one handed?

And don't we all practice shooting while standing still?

Have you ever played a first person shooter where people stand still and shoot? While first person shooters are in no way definitive when it comes to tactics in this case they are dead right. Gun fights are not static affairs. Move while you shoot. Shoot as you move.

In an armed confrontation always move in a rotation that keeps your own site on the enemy... while moving you towards his strong side. If he's shooting right-handed... you rotate around him to your left.

And how about reloading one handed? If you carry a full sized backup and cover ain't available... this is a good time to drop your primary and pull it. If you can find cover, drop the empty mag... put the pistol between your knees with the empty grip pointing towards the front of your body. Grab your new mag, put it in the grip... pop it once to seat it... bring the weapon back to ready position and hit the slide release. This should take just a few seconds.

If you have a jam... most can be cured by simply racking the slide. Use the offending case to catch on your belt and push down until the slide racks and ejects the bastard. If ya can't do this... drop the useless weapon and pull your backup.

And yes... you should always have a backup.

I practice these drills quite a bit. I hope you do the same.

ATF: The Gourds - Gin and Juice

Say boys!

Its hard to have a little ATF without a sound track... so I opted for an old favorite. The finest cover ever.

Now.. onto the more imporant matters... Like...

A: So julie brought me a bottle of Mezcal home from mexico. 3 worm tequila boys. 3 worms in the bottle. Big bastards to. Good for molotav cocktails... I don't know about drinkin' it.

T: Can someone tell me why it is that cigars dry up so fast and pipe tobacco can somehow remain moist for decades in a damned jar? I don't get it.

F: What would you have to do to make a glock cool? What if ya had a milled steel frame? And... what if you put a .50GI conversion kit on it? Then of course we'd have to put a decent trigger on the thing... but hey... at least it would be a real weapon. So there ya go... for an additonal 1200 bucks...you could make your Glock cool.

Setting Fashion Trends...

... at a military funeral.

Great job Michelle. Classy as always.

Taurus Thunderbolts

Several years ago Taurus started offering quality reproductions of the classic winchester pump action rifles. I've lusted for one of the plinkers ever since... but now loins have been stirred to the point of out right burning lust.



Now they're offering the same classic rifles in .357 mag and .45acp. Oh my...




I already have a matched caliber handgun/rifle set... a vaquero and a winchester 94 both in .44 mag. As nice as that is... I believe a pump action .357 rifle to match my .357 tracker would be even more useful. Plus... you can shoot the more economical .38specials for plinking.





All I want for Christmas...

iGlock




Every girl should have one.





Sorry to one up you, JAC.

Lynyrd Skynyrd - God and Guns

Check it out boys! We can now officially forgive Skynyrd for that stupid Saturday Night Special song.

Brutal Honesty

Cretaceous Internal Combustion

So... I'm mind my own business... fumbling around the web when I discover a completely reasonable justification for throwing paleontologists and climatologists in a cage for a no-rules death match.

Bear with me here...

In this article we learn about this gloriously vast snake fossil. Which really has nothing to do with my point... except that there is this one fabulous nugget slipped in. That's how it works really... if you pay attention... the inter disciplinary contradictions just jump right out at you.

Buried in the article we find this:

"Why are today's snakes smaller? The report concludes that temperatures at the equator were higher (86-93.2 Fahrenheit) than today (82.4 Fahrenheit) and facilitated the large body sizes of air-breathing animals whose body temperatures are dependent on ambient environmental temperatures. "

Now we are reliably told that a 1 degree increase in the global temperature would utterly destroy the world as we know it.

And yet... it was 11 degrees warmer... 5 times the doom.... just 65 million years ago... when life as we know it supposedly developed... or so the fairytale goes. But how can this be says I? How can it have been so hot? It couldn't possibly have been that hot... I mean unless we're positing that early mammals made use of the internal combustion engine.

Which we're not.

...

Are we?

Ummmm....

Back before it mattered that much....

Do indeed note the headline... and the don't forget to note the date at the top.

Proof of Inflation

So...

You think it we're rolling down the deflationist path eh? Now remember... Gold hit its all time high yesterday... again. The deflationists of course claim this is because countries are scrambling to gold to get away from the dollar.

Ah..

But if that's the case then explain these facts: it is more than 30 per cent below its highs in Australian dollar terms, 15 per cent lower in yen terms and 6 per cent lower in sterling terms. Now if deflation were actually happening... you'd see it at the grocery store. You don't. A 12 pack of cokes for example is 7 freakin' bucks! Almost double what it was just 2 years ago. I don't know if you've noticed... but the you can still by a coke for 99 cents at the convenience store on the corner... but its only 16 ounces... not 20. They shrunk the bottle. The 20 ounce is now a $1.50!

And yes... I understand that the MSM is putting out all manner of articles about low prices. Fact is they are poorly researched pipe dreams. Prices are going up. Not down. In fact the only thing that is seeing steady prices instead of spikes is Natural Gas... and that is directly related to a massive spike in supply.

In spite of all this imaginary money disappearing into thin air... we're seeing inflation. Not deflation.

1043!!!!

Dude.

Gold hit its all time high today... because you know... all of that deflation.

Never Dial 911

If this story doesn't convince you that the cops ain't on your side... nothing will. I know its long but trust me... you need to read it.

To sum it up... a family is at home when a dude crashes through their living room window and runs into their son's bedroom. Daddy grabs a gun and goes there and holds the dude while they call 911.

As a bunch of officers run up to the house Mommy grabs one and explains the situation... and then they hear gun shots.

One of the cops has just shot Daddy in the back... 6 times... while he still had 911 on the line!

The best news?

The 911 recording picked up everything the cops said as they discussed how they would cover up the shooting.

The facts of the case are amazing. What they did to the man they just shot while they were paniced and trying to figure out how to cover it up... its just bizarre.

Its just further evidence... NWA was right.

UPDATE:

Holy Shit! They got away with it!

Worstest Written Communication Ever

Look... I realize this blog ain't a paradigm of proper spelling... but we have some standards. I can't say the same for the author of the trainwreck that follows. Remember... this is a real ad posted on the net.

"samic bass pearl white 4 string rose wood fret bord asking 160.00 also have electric acustic bass carlo rebbeli black 2 littil niks but not bad been fix 1500.00 ill send pick if your interested in eathere one.also have black speshal edition epephone nice one of my babys 350.00 .also have an older small boddy acustic guitar $75.00 nice .also have a 1980's firebird gibsun matalic red exselent shape 450.00 .also have 3 efex pedles ones DOD FX40B equalizer 8 band's on it 35.00 / 2nd one is DOD FX25 envelope filter 45.00/3rd one is arion sfl-1 not shere what it is its got rate/depth/manual/feedback also can go frum direct or sterio switch 20.00 & i have small B/C ritch amp nice new only been use to show it works & about 20 minuts of playing on it for my self.i have violin you would half to come look at it 300.00 mandelin 250.00 bouth frum grmany i beleav an electonic ametranome 25.00 an old 30's trumpet need work 45.00 slide trumbone 45.00 4 drum skins encor new 35.00 in box .also may trade for somthing im interested in. every thing i sell is to bild use an addition to the house & pay bills so the munny you spend is for good coz were in need of 3 bed rooms"


Seriously? bouth frum grmany I beleav? What f'ing language is that? And what the hell is a "gibsun matalic red exselent shape"? The most shocking thing was the fact that he managed to spell "shape" correctly.

Kickstart My Heart

Oh hell...

WASHINGTON — The FBI is investigating the hanging death of a U.S. Census worker near a Kentucky cemetery, and a law enforcement official told The Associated Press the word 'fed" was scrawled on the dead man's chest.

Boys... War may have just been declared. Now we just have to figure out who's declarin' it.

Counting the Cost of Girl Power

Empowering words come easy. Dare I say... cheap. What's easier than looking at a child and saying, "You can do anything."? For going on 3 decades now we've rammed that lie down the throats of our girls.

You can do anything.

Maybe so... but you still have to pick one thing... and by picking that one thing you must then sacrifice virtually all the others. You don't get to be a professional football player and a rock star. It doesn't work.

Now this is nothing new for boys. We've done it forever. Oh sure it may take boys a little while to figure out that they aren't going to be the quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys... but they eventually get around to it... and even those that have been blessed with atheleticism such that professional sports is a legitimate career choice... they instinctively know they have to choose one. Charlie Ward won the heisman trophy as Florida State's quarterback... then got drafted to play point guard in the NBA.

Unfortunately... for all their education and high minded child psychology... it hasn't yet occured to our egg headed educators that maybe they should be explaining this same realism to girls to.

Girl power has had many consequences. When I look around and see these 20 something females paralyzed... wholly incapable of making a life choice... I am reminded of Girl Power. Well... you tell me... if you've been told your whole life you can be anything... what would you pick? And then how satisfied would you feel with your life... after having those words drilled into your head for decades... only to end up as a human resources officer at some hospital?

And there is another obvious consequence. Look around at the pressure women put on themselves. Don't you think it could be related to the empowerment they were subjected to as kids?

The fact is a generation of feminists grew up sheltered and secure from the pressures to perform... and then prompted decided to drop the weight of the world on the shoulders of the kids of the next generation. With empowerment comes expectation. You can pout about it the unfairness of it all you'd like... but it won't change. Its like a law of physics. Actions and reactions folks.

This girl power crap has to stop. Because Girl Power is killing our girls.

Theft Protection

Fun with tesla coils! Now... I wonder how big it has to be to strap on top of an Escalade...

Divided We Stand

United we fall. Got it backwards says you? Depends on who the we is says I.

If by we, you mean those of us in fly over country, then we only survive through division. We're fighting to tread water people... and in their crazed psychotic panic the zombies on the coasts are pulling us under the water with them. We have two options... give up and go down with them... or kick them in the face and pull ourselves out.

I hereby challenge you to name one single issue that there is not massive disagreement on in this so called united nation.

And disagreement is one thing... we've always had that. What we've only had on rare occasions... is hate. Hate is what we have today. We hate each other. Urban hates Rural. Republican hates Democrat. Liberal hates Conservative. The South hates the North. The West hates the East. Everyone hates California.

And its not just regions... its topics... pro choicers hate pro lifers... the Gun Culture hates Gungrabbers.

The United States is divided. More so than its been since The War.

So what now?

Game Time!!!!!

Its a national freakin' holiday. The NFL season starts in an hour boys. Light 'em up.

Ahh.. but what to look for tonight? We keep hearing that the Titans lost Haynesworth. Newsflash: The Titans didn't have Haynesworth or Vanden Bosch when they dismantled the Steelers in December.

And the vaunted Steelers Defense? What about Rodney Harrison? Yeah... what about him? The Titans Left Tackle, Micheal Roos, completely shut him down last year. Do you suppose he won't tonight? I certainly don't. Football doesn't work like that.

Oh but Towelgate! The Titans stomped the Towel!!!! The Steelers will be extra mad and play hard!

Yeah... like they weren't playing hard back in december when Home Field Advantage was on the line eh? Right.

Here's the truth: The Steelers did more to disrespect that towel by the way they played than the Titans did by stomping on it.

Titans 30. Squeelers 13.

Democrats are Face Palming Themselves

All over the country right now. Yes yes... One of the most amusing stories I've seen in a long time. ACORN actually helping a couple set up a child prostitution ring... Telling them how to file the taxes on it when the "very young" girls from el salvador finally get to america.

Nice.

Seriously you can't make this stuff up. You really can't.

Who's Got Next?

I've worked JQP about as much as I can. Come on ladies... who has a honey do list that needs some cleaning up? He works hard... works cheap... and is completely house broken. I officially vouch for him.

The Red Stick Ramblers - Made in the Shade

I had to post this. I know... Its turning into a regular music blog. Its not my intent but lately I've found a few obscure tunes that I thought you guys would enjoy.

It this don't put a smile on you're face I probly can't help ya.

You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive

Eli's favorite song.

Petrified Wood Found on the Moon

What? You don't believe it? Why of course its true... otherwise the American Government must've lied to someone... and we know that's just not possible.

I can't believe this isn't bigger news... I mean here this authentic genuine bonafide moon rock was actually petrified wood... then clearly there has been life on the moon! Not just life.. but trees... and all the things that go with them.. water... atmosphere... all of it.

Friends... its the most important discovery of all time.

ATF: Greek Fire

So I was showing Welldigger the catapult... and he was duly impressed... when it occured to me... Its gonna get dark soon... and we could recreate greek fire! Woot!

So if you look at the picture to the left you'll see the basic ingredients we started with. We planned to take cotton balls... soak them in... well... various things... light them... and launch them... in the general direction of the house across the street.

What did we learn?

Lamp oil seemed like the best bet before we got started but it proved entertaining... but unpredictable. More often than not the fire would be extinquished during the launch.

Lighter fluid worked far better... but eventually we ditched the cottonballs completely in favor of balled up aluminum foil with smokeless powder inside. IMR 3031 for anyone who's keeping score. Again.. this was entertaining.. but ultimately it didn't get the job done.

Finally we moved on to a wood cylinder with a hole drilled into it. We'd dowse the whole thing in lighter fluid... filling the hole as well.. then construct a small fuse from aluminum foil. The results were quite satisfying. we achieved excellent distance... and the fire spread itself about upon impact in a most enjoyable fashion.

Well... how did you spend your Friday night?

A: Shiner Bock

T: Backwoods

F: Taurus PT-101

Yes... We Built a Catapult


What else would you expect?

I mean if you can't spend a few hours constructing small scale siege craft... I just don't see the point of livin' at all.

We need to shim it up at the top to get a little more distance... but we did pretty well considering we were forced to contend with polyester string and built the thing with no plan in mind what-so-ever. I'm sure that's a big suprise to.

Regardless... no one was injured. No... seriously.

Evening

Beauty.

Nate's World Famous Hot Beef Sandwiches

1 Chuck Roast. Big.

1 Red Onion.

1 Garlic Clove. Minced.

1/4 Cup white rice vinegar. Or plain ol' distilled.

Salt and Pepper.


Chuck the chuck roast into the crock pot... low heat. Mix everything else together... maybe through a shot o' bourbon in there to if ya have the urge... and pour the mix over the roast. Put the lid on it and leave it set for 10 to 12 hours.

Do NOT disregard the stuff in the pot when this bad boy is done. Make like a frog and use it for dippin' your sandwiches in.

Y'all... its good.

No Way This Ends Well






So my wife asks me and JQP to build her a pergola...


And dammit... I've told him about proppin' boards up on his feet like that... Cause ya know we rednecks are all about safety!

Its a Beautiful Day

The sun shines brighter... food tastes better.... whiskey goes down a little bit smoother... and hope peers over the horizon.

The Internets Awesome

Nothing amuses like the random firestorm on the internets. For the bored among you... looking to kill a few hours and shed a few tears laughing... may I humbly suggest you take some time to examine the reviews of this product... the legendary Three Wolf Moon t-shirt.

And Then He Returned



We appreciate your patience. As you can see JAC and I have finally made it home. To make for my lack of attention... please accept these trophies.

Distiller Down

Jimmy Bedford was only the 6th Master Distiller for Jack Daniels... that's dating back to 1866. He retired last year... and today was found dead. Jimmy held down the job for 40 years... and was a true ambassador for fine whiskey.

Raise a glass tonight for a fine man lost.

Go Time. Or... Not.

We're ready to roll. Well... actually we're not. The plan was for JAC to show up at my place this evening / afternoon and we'd change my tires and roll out for parts unknown. Sadly... my brother allowed mere life to interfere with his progress... and the new KLX remains unfit.

JAC swears he'll arrive bright and early tomarrow...

In the meantime...
















I'm ready to go.

On the logistics front... Some fine commenters have offered up The Bunker for our use as a staging point for the trip. We are indeed greatful for their offer. So at least progress has been made on that front.

So there you have it... Go Time posponed... Direct complaints to JAC... aka The Anchor.

TAT Prep Update

Ok boys where are we? We roll out friday... we've got to make sure we're ready to roll. Time's a wastin'.

- Spot showed up a couple days ago in a box that said, "Opening this box is the first step to making sure you don't come home in one." Not an accurate statement. But entertaining.

- Sat phone is proving a pain in my ass. Forms must be emailed..printed..filled out...and faxed. Its like I've stumbled into 1998 or something. WTF? Have we not yet discovered web based applications?

- Luggage issues are up in the air. I ordered a couple bags 10 days ago... they have yet to arrive. They sat in UPS' warehouse in Portland for 5 days. Didn't move an inch. Good thing I made sure I ordered from a vendor that offers same day shipping.

- Unfortunately the same shipment has the new 2.7 gallon gas tank. Now 2.7 gallons doesn't sound like a lot of gas.. but the KLX gets 70mpg on a rough day. Its a big deal. Sadly it looks like it won't arrive till Thursday... leaving very little time to get it installed.

- Also arriving Thursday... our new radiator guards. These things are cool... and they'll save your butt no doubt. No one wants a 2 day hike because of a busted radiator. They only had one gold one... JAC has already called dibs on it. You know how he loves his bling.

- DJ showed up lastnight and dropped off some saddlebags she's letting me borrow. What a sweetheart that girl is. Best sister-in-law around. Now if I could just convince her to run around my house half naked...

-Logisticly speaking we have issues. We need to trailer the bikes somewhere... ditch the truck and trailer for 6 or 7 days... and ride back to them... then trailer the bikes home. Trouble is we have no place as of yet to leave the truck and trailer. Plus... our end point, monticello, UT is about 1200 miles from our preferred start point. Ouch. We're thinking a storage facility might let us park in the gate on the cheap if a hotel won't. Suggestions are welcome. And no... shipping the bikes home ain't an option.

- I had a 12x20 shed delivered and had to rip up a section of chainlink to get her in the backyard... and I had to get the chainlink back up before we roll out... so yesterday afternoon was spent workin'. The fence is up.. but I was sick as a dog all day yesterday. Ended up pukin' in the hole I was concreteing the corner post in. I've got it on good authority though that it will help the concrete set.

- The Steyr .40 and the Tracker .357 are definately coming on the trip. JAC will likely bring a 1911. I am still considering the SU-16. The decision will be made on the initial packing attempt.

- Gear is tricky. It'll be 103 degrees and dry in OK... but in Colorado it'll be in the 30s in passes and thunderstorms are a given. Combine this with the fact that you just can't put that much stuff on a KLX 250 and you see our problem. I believe I will simply use my standard dual sport gear with a rain jacket packed somewhere.

- Hydropacks will be a must. This isn't debatable.

So You Hate Feminism


Good. So do I. But who do you blame for it? Do you blame the feminists with their stupid ideas and destructive visions?

I blame men. Yep. I'm a man basher.

Why do I blame men? Because God didn't put Eve in charge. He gave Adam the responsibility. And just as Adam's failures caused Eve to stray... so have the failures of western men caused women to stray.

The results are the same. Things fall apart.

Men complain about society being feminized? Well why is that happening? Its happening because we men are throwing up our hands and giving in. We're allowing it to happen. We point out all manner of excuses... but in the end it all comes down to our own refusal to work and fight.

So the church has become a gossip club for the girls? I agree. It has. And who's fault is that? Ours. And who is going to be charged with fixing it? We are.

This is my advice...

Stop bitching. Start leading.

Lead your family. It starts there. Bringing in a paycheck doesn't make you a leader. Its about making the tough decisions and accepting responsibility for the mistakes. Everything is your fault. Everything is your responsibility.

Why?

Because you're the man. You're the leader. You can take it.

Say yes when you can. Say no when you must. Always be accountible. Always takes responsibility for your actions, and the mistakes of others as well.

So who is the more foolish? The feminist that demands to drive... or the man that hands her the keys?

Western men have checked out. Its time to check back in.

Are all the Children In

When I'm alone I often think
of an old house on the hill.
Of a big yard hedged in roses
where we ran and played at will.

And when the night time brought us home
hushing our merry den.
Mother would look around and ask
Are all the children in?

Well its been many a year now
and the old house on the hill
No longer has my mothers care
and the yard is still
so still

But if I listen I can hear it all
No matter how long its been
I seem to hear my mother ask
Are all the children in?

And I wonder when the curtain falls
on that last earthly day
when we say good bye to all of this
to our pain, and work, and play

When we step across the river
where mother so long has been.
Will we hear her ask the final time
Are all the children in?

Making a Man

Last night I was putting my boys to bed. I was talking to them about their day like I always do... when Jeb looked up and said, "Daddy... I'm growing up."

I chuckled a little and said, "Why do you say that buddy?"

"Well..." That's how he always starts off important thoughts... "Today I was on top of that tall sliding board, and I was scared. I was really scared. But then... I stopped and I thought... I have to face my fears. So I did... and I just slid down that sliding board. And that's what you do daddy. That's part of being a man. Like being responsible. So see? I'm growing up."

Yeah.. I admit it... I'm a daddy blogger.

Deal with it.

TAT Prep

Well boys its that time of year again. Time to rig up the KLX and head out to God's Nowhere in search of adventure if not fortune.

JAC and I are heading for Oklahoma. The initial plan is to follow the trail through Oklahoma, New Mexico.. through Colorado across the Great Divide... all the way to the Utah line.

1569 mile of dirt road for anyone interested.

We still have a few weeks before we go.. so its time to start getting the bike ready.

So far I'm thinking:

*** Smaller rear sprocket... maybe a couple teeth smaller. I want to be able to really pop the front wheel if I have to. Big rocks out there. Also... I'm looking at a

*** Larger fuel tank. It only has a 1.8 gallon tank. It gets around 70mpg so that's nice... but a 2.7 gallon tank sounds a lot nicer.

*** A better bash plate.

*** Heavy duty radiator guards.

*** Substancial luggage. At least one legit waterproof compartment.

*** Satelite communications device. Either a phone or a Spot. Recommendations welcome.

*** Big Bore Revolver. The .44 mag may have to do. I doubt the bears will be impressed.

Suggestions welcome.

Eusebius, Africanus, and Josephus

"That a Prince shall not fail Judah, nor a ruler from his loins, until He should come for whom it is reserved." Gen 49-10

Now I realize your Bible doesn't exactly say that. But that... is precisely what the prophesy means... and it is what the ancient historians Africanus and Eusebius understood as they invariably quoted from the Septuagint.

Making the prophesy even more plain... it simply says that Jews will ruled by Jews until the Savior comes.

Now looking back at the jewish people's history we see sucession unbroken all the way back to Moses... High Priests and Kings were replaced in an oligoliarchic aristocratic form of government that was not broken until Herod.

Aristibulus had been both King and High Prist by sucession until Herod removed him and gave the post to his brother Hyacanus who had befriended Herod as a child. Hyacanus was the last of the High Priests by sucession. After him, Herod began appointing obscure figures.

Now consider this.

By the time Christ arrived... the priesthood was in utter shambles. The highest offices were occupied by political appointees.

Does this not show the trial Jesus faced in a slightly different light? When you think of the old jewish priests rejecting Jesus as a threat... doesn't it seem a little different when you consider that they were no more than political hacks being rewarded for some favor previously performed? According to Eusebius... It was not the true jewish leadership that rejected Jesus. It was a bunch of Jessie Jackson's and Al Sharptons.

I haven't even finished Book I of Eusebius' Ecclesiastic History... and yet I've found my mind at a buffet. It is a feast for thought. Its a view of history we are simply not exposed to.

ATF

Well... here we sit. The boys are all in the bed... Alestorm blares merrily from the speakers. All is right with the world. Seriously. Pirate Metal. What could be more awesome?

Now.. the question of the night is this... under appreciated firearms. Name some. Name some truely awesome firearms that no one cares about today... or that just never got the recognition they deserve. Pistols... Rifles... Shotguns... everything. You name it. I'll start you off with three:

Savage 99: Finest lever action ever made. Unreasonably accurate. Awesome original cartridge for its day. Superior to the winchester lever gun in every possible way.

Steyr M-series: This won't suprise anyone. You know how much I love the weapons. You know that know one even knows what the hell they are.

FAL: The AK-47 may be the hammer of communism... but the FAL is Western Civilization's right arm.

A: New Castle
T: Romeo y Julieta
F: M&P 15... Ruger Vaquero .44 mag. Just because.

Alestorm - Nancy The Tavern Wench

Pirate Metal. The greatest musical advancement of the 21st century.

Coed Writing is Fun!

English 44A, SMU, Creative Writing, Prof. Miller.

In-class Assignment for Wednesday:"Today we will experiment with a new form called thetandem story. The process is simple. Each person will pair offwith the person sitting to his or her immediate right. One of youwill then write the first paragraph of a short story. The partner will read the first paragraph and then add another paragraph to the story. The first person will then add a third paragraph, and so on back and forth. Remember to re-read what has been written each time in order to keep the story coherent. The story is over when both agree a conclusion has been reached."

"The following was actually turned in by two of my English students: Rebecca - last name deleted, and Gary - last name deleted."

_____ STORY: (first paragraph by Rebecca) ________

At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted. The chamomile, which used to be her favorite for lazy evenings at home, now reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in happier times, that he liked chamomile. But she felt she must now, at all costs, keep her mind off Carl. His possessiveness was suffocating, and if she thought about him too much her asthma started acting up again. So chamomile was out of the question.

Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack squadron now in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things to think about than the neuroses of an air-headed asthmatic bimbo named Laurie with whom he had spent one sweaty night over a year ago. "A.S. Harris to Geostation 17," he said into his transgalactic communicator. "Polar orbit established. No sign of resistance so far..." But before he could sign off a bluish particle beam flashed out of nowhere and blasted a hole through his ship's cargo bay. The jolt from the direct hit sent him flying out of his seat and acros sthe cockpit.

He bumped his head and died almost immediately, but not before he felt one last pang of regret for psychically brutalizing the one woman who had ever had feelings for him. Soon afterwards, Earth stopped its pointless hostilities towards the peaceful farmers of Skylon 4."Congress Passes Law Permanently Abolishing War and Space Travel," Laurie read in her newspaper one morning. The news simultaneously excited her and bored her. She stared out the window, dreaming of her youth -- when the days had passed unhurriedly and carefree, with no newspapers to read, no television to distract her from her sense of innocent wonder at all the beautiful things around her. "Why must one lose one's innocence to become a woman?" she pondered wistfully.


Little did she know, but she had less than 10 seconds to live. Thousands of miles above the city, the Anu'udrian mothership launched the first of its lithium fusion missiles. The dim-witted wimpy peaceniks who pushed the Unilateral Aerospace Disarmament Treaty through Congress had left Earth a defenseless target for the hostile alien empires who were determined to destroy the human race.Within two hours after the passage of the treaty the Anu'udrian ships were on course for Earth, carrying enough firepower to pulverize the entire planet. With no one to stop them, they swiftly initiated their diabolical plan. The lithium fusion missile entered the atmosphere unimpeded. The President, in his top-secret mobile submarine headquarters on the ocean floor off the coast of Guam, felt the inconceivably massive explosion which vaporized Laurie and 85 millionother Americans. The President slammed his fist on the conference table."We can't allow this! I'm going to veto that treaty! Let's blow 'em out of the sky!"


This is absurd. I refuse to continue this mockery of literature. My writing partner is a violent,chauvinistic, semi-literate adolescent.


Yeah? Well, you're a self-centered tedious neurotic whose attempts at writing are the literary equivalent of Valium.



Asshole.



Bitch.

*** I am aware that this has gone around the net... but some of you may not have seen it... and you can look it up on snopes. It has been verified as much as anything can.***

Obama Opossum




Doubtful many of you remember this... but back in the Great Depression... ol' Hoover promised a chicken in every pot. That didn't really work out to well of course.

Folks were so poor they were forced to eat armadillos... and to mock their president... they took to calling them Hoover Hogs.

Looks tastey doesn't it?

I know you're thinkin' next year is 2010. But financially speaking... its 1931.

Wonder what the poor folks are gonna boilin' in their pots come next February?

Moon Timing

Ok... so according to NASA the decision to go to the moon was made in 1961. Also according to NASA we landed on the moon for the first time in 1969.

It took around 8 years to get to the moon the first time. That was using 1960's design techniques and technology.

Also according to NASA... the name of the mission that will finally put us back on the moon is Orion 13. It is scheduled to take place in 2019.

So think about that. It took 8 years to get the moon the first time. But... even though the Constellation Program has already been in the works for years its going to take us at least another 10 to get back.

And of course... lets just set asside the fact that the whole Constellation Program looks like a massive Apollo do-over.

No matter... Virgin Galactic will have a hotel on the moon before NASA gets back there with their pathetic 1960's rocket.

One Last Night



Well believe it or not the girl just wasnt ready for this vacation to be done. So, we opted for one more night. We've been through Topeka, Manhattan, and Kansas City Kansas... all the way across the wretched state of Misery and the barren hell of Illinois... I never thought I'd be happy to see Indiana... but after all those miles at 55mph I surely was. So it was through Indiana and across the Ohio to Kentucky... through my old home town of Owensboro and down to Bowling Green.



And here we are.

Greetings from Paxico Kansas

Well a good day on the road has found us in Kansas... we're hold up in a fine little campground with everything a family needs in these parts. We've got a fire ring... a creek to skip stones in... a playground... wifi... and of course... a storm shelter.

Clear skies... for what its worth. Which... in Kansas.. ain't much.

Sometime remind me to tell ya about the All you can eat ribeye, sirloin, ribs, and prime rib buffet.

Holy crap dude.

Yankee Hospitality

A contradiction in terms without question but it appears that Waterboy's wife must've taught him a thing or two about the southern tradition.

I gave the ol' boy a call lastnight around supper time and... ok... I have to be honest... initially he claimed he couldn't grab a beer with me because he had to get a perm.

Read that again.

He had to get a perm. I realize he'll protest this... but I will place my hand on a Bible and swear the truth of it. Anyway after working out a schedule that would allow for his beauty treatments we met up a little micro brewery that was just down the road from me.

Phantom Canyon I believe is the name of the place. I had the cream ale or some such. Damned good. A fine plate of pork chops followed a couple of those I believe... then it was out to the bench to smoke a couple fine cigars that dear ol' Aqua lad had just aquired.

No shit boys this was one of the best cigars I've ever smoked. Romeo y Julieta Museum Edition. The thing came in a hand painted tube. Unbelieveable. It was so good I almost feel bad for sharing that bit about him getting a perm... almost.

At any rate its always fun to meet you guys. I can now add Waterboy to the list along with Luke, Underwater Operative, and Bill. Shame I missed out on meeting Res... but what with him swoonin' lately I figured he must need his rest.

So thanks for the hospitality Waterboy. Ya make one helluva a host... even when you're hostin' a no good redneck.

Greetings from Colorado Springs


So...

If a man wanted to drink and smoke with some God fearin' liberty lovin' folk... where could he do so? I apologize for not keeping y'all better updated on our progress... but mechanical difficulties left us in Albequerque last night and we just got in a couple hours ago.

We're here till saturday in the AM.

Suggestions welcome.

Kindred Spirits

While we were on the train we found ourselves chattin' with one of the cowboys that had participated in the Old West Shootout. Big ol' boy... also happened to be mayor of Williams, AZ where we were camping.

I had talked to him for quite a while when Jeb came up and asked, "Excuse me.. But why do cowboys always fight indians?"

His answer was both correct and insightful.

"Well young man... the fact is cowboys didn't fight the indians. The Calvary did. So really... the Indians fought against the same people you folks did... and for the same reason."

Reckon our southron accents gave us away.

It was a little suprising when he went on to add...

"Of course lookin' back I'd say the indians got a better deal than you folks did. I mean at least they have the reservations and their own governments."

Ouch.

Junk in Space

Well... here it is. Look at that crack boys. That's an Apollo command module. And yes... there is rust on the crack.

Hey look... missing rivets! I guess all the stress of sitting around in the desert was to much for the state of the art 1920's technology... they just started falling out.

And what's that stuff in the seems? Is that... oh my... yep... its caulk. You can actually pick it out with your finger nail.

Another view of the very large crack. Looks confidence inspiring doesn't it?

Wow look at that sweet welded seem! So smooth! Oh no wait...

That's more caulk.

Big Day at the Canyon

I have to share a few short stories...

While riding the train up... Jeb and I made our way to the rear of the car where a large groop of limeys informed us that there was a "que". While standing in line I overheard one of the women remarking about the excellent landscaping. I'm paraphrasing here but it went something like this:

"The landscaping is unbelieveable. I mean you really feel like you're out in the middle of nowhere. You'd never know you were in the middle of a modern industrialized country."

I had to let that sink in for a while... I kept listening and confirmed that she honestly believed there effectively in the middle of civilization. Like a park that if you just got off the train and walked a couple minutes you'd find a gas station and hotel.

Once in the park... I found myself in a little ice cream shop waiting in another line. There was a group of teenaged girls in front of me... more brits... and an Aussie behind me who was inexplicably sober. The aussie was an old man having the time of his life and he was talking to anyone and everyone around him including me and the girls.

The subject of knives came up and he asked about them being illegal in England. They were chatting about what made a knife illegal and what did not when one of them stated that civilized people don't carry knives and knives are not necessary in a proper society.

She then made the egregious error of asking me if knives were legal to own in America.

I flashed my fancy digital camo SOG open... and the girl damned near lost her composure completely. She went pale. Her eyes got big as saucers... and she started stuttering. "W... why would carry that?"

"How else would I cut my nails?"

The aussie was behind me making a heroic effort to stifle his cackles.

"That knife is of no use."

"I know. That's why we carry firearms sweetheart."

"You own guns???"

"Several. And I carry two or three everywhere I go. My wife carries a Glock .45."

At this point the aussie chimed in. "Mate... that's a fine woman."

Ok... one last story.

If you'll notice in the pictures above the squirrels are extremely friendly. Of them took quite a shine to the boys and kept coming up to them to check them out. He got so close to Elkan... that the boy picked up the bottle water we had resting on the wall and tilted it down for the squirrel.

"Eat?" offered the generous 2-year-old.

The squirrel was clearly tempted... but noting the looming father figure... he wisely scurried off.

Williams Arizona

And we're here... finally. Holy cow dude. Damned 2000 miles thanks to side trips. Big fun though. Today we walked down to an Ice Cave. Its a collapsed lava tube that is so cold there's a huge puddle of ice at the bottom year round. Even though the land around it is 98 degrees. Truely bizarre.

Up next was the Hole. No not the Grand Canyon... that's tomarrow after the train ride. No... I'm talking about the meteor crater.

I was amused to no end to find an honest to God Apollo Command module on display there. I'm sure you'll love the pictures. Oh yeah... this thing was truely built to last. Rivets falling out all over the place... CAULK failing... CAULK DUDE! Rusted cracks... yeah. This thing went to the moon and back. Of course it did.

Anyway... MANY pictures. I'll upload them in the morning. But dude... its late and I gotta get up to meet the train in the AM.

Y'all be cool.

Oh yeah... I almost forgot...

Flagstaff S U C K S.