TESLA'S LAPTOP: Menger Sponge

I had the Prius through it's 90,000 mile service this week. MPG for the week averaged 50.6..I call the Prius the 'death car' I intend to conduct by the book maintenance and keep this car for 300,000 miles or death, whichever comes first. I did order one of those car gizmo things, you see all the time,--a dash top cell phone holder.
I call my wife every morning and evening on the way to and from work..and I prefer to use a plug in earpiece..deaf you know, as well as a bit safer i suppose....but the phone winds up in the old crotch or on the floor boards so I am going to try putting the phone in this on the dash..usually these kinds of car accessory things never work---but the fact that they don't, doesn't make us give up trying?

Francophile

I admit--- I am becoming a Francophile. It has been a process over a period of time...Starting with words and phrases the French have to describe elements--feelings--things--- that English ignores...for example:

Attaque au Fer...to pressure, to beat upon, as in a blade duel..

One thing leads to another...I am even attempting that common stupidity of attempting to learn French...by cassette tape... during the commute...of course me being me i am using, what is now considered an antique, Marantz, portable, cassette player/recorder and a used $2.00 set of French tapes.....
seems fitting...

Incoming are the books-- Conquest of the Sahara by Douglas Porch

Life in the Legion by Frederic Martyn. These continue my research and fascination with the Legion in Morocco 1890-1930. Life in the Legion is a memoir and Conquest of the Sahara a study.

My fascination with the Old Legion is based on several factors. The first being the self-sufficiency the Old Legion was known for..their ability to create a home for themselves in the most desolate, dangerous locations. The men created their own gardens, workshops, roads, built their own fortifications-- The second consideration is that the Legion of 1900 to 1930 was the last time there were map less, unconquered places and peoples---I am attempting to apply a 'lessons learned' technique to the information i am obtaining from Legion history--towards our own uncertain future.

As promised several true photographs of the new garden boxes. We have attempted to adapt to the change in New Mexico climate with the PVC tube hoops to hold shade cloth against the hotter temperatures and more powerful sun...

Each box has it's own timer operated, slow drip irrigation system..and believe me these are a pure bitch to install--the process strips the hide off your hands and I have about 3 more sections to do--the full yard length boxes pictured below are also framed, with drip irrigation and covered with full length shade cloth. The plastic mesh allows the plants to climb, while allowing recovery of produce from both sides of the plant--My JoJo was the designer--of all these boxes and the watering/shade system...i am just the lug that hangs around----

Bear in mind the intent is the production of vegetables in a logical fashion..and we are hoping that the physical changes we have made in the method of planting will produce a greater number of produce this year.

RCIR--Ration de Combat Individuelle Rechauffable---

I would like to expand our food storage section by acquiring several French RCIR's. The RCIR contains double the calories of an MRE--3200 and rather than containing only one meal as the MRE does, the RCIR contains a full days worth of food and is less weight. I have to keep an eye out at gun shows and so forth since i imagine the shipping costs from Europe would be just untenable...and I am working on translating the menus---since canned rabbit, and boar pate' i would prefer to pass on. However you cannot argue with the combat zone black market mentioned in the link below---French meals cost much more in Nato occupied area(s)on the black market as compared to American meals.