A good weekend with both external and internal accomplishments---we have two baby doves in the back yard growing up--I gran torino'd the front yard life is doing pretty good the past few days---of course i took a couple of vacation days which always helps me to feel as if life is good.

I'm in the process of rebuilding my bug-out-bag that I keep in the Prius for emergencies. The old bag was thrown together with what i had available when i bought the vehicle and i decided to update to a real kit specifically for wait-out-walk out emergencies while operating the car. The bag itself was an old day pack that i am replacing with a european military style rucksack with more room. The olive drab version of course. I'm including flu masks, disposable sleeping bags, a military surplus hat, light jacket, water of course and a rather cool item I discovered called the Advanced Emergency Ration Pack from Survival Kits USA.

http://www.shop.survivalkitsusa.com/product.sc?categoryId=1&productId=32

I was originally looking for a single MRE to buy to keep from having to hack into the cases of them I have stored at home and found this item which is not only emergency food but contains necessary tools such as a compass, utility knife, fire starting kit, small first aid kit, and an emergency fishing kit--all together in a single bag. This prevents me from having to compile and purchase all the material seperately and seals everything against the elements, which is important in a long term storage situtation like the car. I ordered one to start with to see how good both the product and the company is and if acceptable I'll definately order more. This just seems to be a cool combination of what i needed for a specific task. As Burt Gummer said in Tremors 3---"I was born to hold out!"

This is a perfect example of both my personal strangeness and the marvels of self-education capability though the net.

Live Free or Die Hard is one of my all time favorite movies, combining computers and firearms.

What's not to like? Watched it till we can speak the lines on cue. An item that i focused on was the incredible movements of one of the "foreign" henchmen in the film played by Cyril Raffaelli--

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyril_Raffaelli

what he does is not special effects rather a martial art called Parkour. Developed in France and translated as the art of movement--Parkour is both a martial art--an extreme sport and a method of thinking. If you Parkour you are refered to as a traceurs.

Basically the idea is to cover any ground as quickly and efficently as possible without injury. It is not a show-off thing. There are no competitions, and the traceurs are often experts in other forms of martial arts or free runners. One of the best films displaying technique and of course co-starring Raffaelli with the co-founder of Parkour a David Belle, is Luc Besson's District 13.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_B13 also linked below is a youtube clip on Belle---amazing. The next time you are watching a film and think---it's all wiits all digital---think again if it's French ...where else could something this cool come from?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x98jCBnWO8w

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkour

Today we did our first table at the farmer's market Saturday--we enjoyed it. Sold some vegetables, met some nice people, gave some vegetables away and were home by 0930. We even survived the weird street dude. You know the singluar prophet who is apparently required by law to show up at any public function. At one point I walked a little bit away from the courthouse lawn to have a smoke and just enjoyed watching the market set up there from a distance. I was struck by the thought that people have been meeting exactly like this, exchanging surplus crops and hand made products in a local, central location since----well---since we banged on the monolith with the bone.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_(film)

It was so very cool to see localalistic capitalism at work. This is exactly the way the world will have to work in the future...where social capital and honest exchange takes the place of globalism and corporate greed. By the time we as a culture figure this out however, we may have to hit the monolith again. At any rate--we had a good time and feel like were part of a good thing...

Farmer's markets are subject to the same weirdness as any place else of course

-here's a link to an article on a locale where the powers that be want to kick a "good witch" out of her tent where she practices, providing love and money charms amongst the vegetables--

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12809288

Enjoy cutting your lawn....it's actually pretty Gran Torino like.........

warren

I received a strange, to me, but marvelous compliment today. Apparently in a conversation I was not a party to, I was referred to as a "real Renaissance man". The definition which comes the closest to Renaissance man is Polymath.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polymath

"The terms Arab Scholar, Renaissance man and, less commonly, homo universalis (Latin for "universal man" or "man of the world") are related and used to describe a person who is well educated or who excels in a wide variety of subjects or fields. Renaissance ideal differed slightly from the "Polymath" in that it involved more than just intellectual advancement. Historically (roughly 1450–1600) it represented a person who endeavored to "develop his capacities as fully as possible"

Although a wonderful compliment, my proof of justifiable denial is that although, among other things, I can juggle, have written two books, put out two music cd's and can curse in 5 languages--I cannot sing from memory the Bruce's Philosphers song which is a well known requirement for all true Renaissance Men.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_WRFJwGsbY

Let us speak of oil...in a pure number format...based on available figures-----

The United States produces + or - 5 millions barrels of oil a day domestically. The United States consumes +or - 20 million barrels a day. It is estimated by citizen groups that our strategic oil reserve in storage is approximately 700 million barrels of oil. This could be higher or lower

since obviously information is tough to come by. The Strategic reserve is designated for the military use only-- we have tapped it a few times, by Presidential decree, to instantly lower gasoline prices at the pump--- otherwise Bubba would have voted whoever was in office out of office immediately.

This is the best guess strategic reserve stockpile number that concerned civilians bandy about.

If our external flow of oil was cut off (for any reason)---based on our reserves and domestic production level we would have 58 days of oil at current consumption levels.

There is no factoring in of conservation--we as a society are incapable of conserving now---there are no alternative conservation methods for the majority of Americans. We have painted our society into a corner that we cannot lie our way out of.

What about DRILL BABY DRILL?----

The USGS (the United States Geological Survey--the group the character Harry Block claimed to be with in the movie Evolution, very, very funny by the way)

guesstimates that there is possibly--possibly mind you, 23 billion barrels of oil somewhere under US terrority. This includes what we know of for sure and what we think-hope-bullshit ourselves might be there in the areas where the Republicans are willing to drill through an Eskimo's head while he's sleeping to get at...

If these estimates prove true--if we can produce this oil from

the ground and if we had it the moment the imported supply of oil from overseas was cut off, and if we combine this drill baby drill oil with everything else we have producing and in stock, and if we could refine it fast enough, we could then hold out on our own for: 3 years at the current consumption rates then all we have is gone.

Kinda demonstrates the STUPIDITY of the drill baby drill argument.

Buy Hybrid cars and solar panels.

New York Times posted a striking photo essay online titled the "New American Ghost Town". The failed developer's subdivision.

Uninhabitable rotting reminders, these bankrupted McMansion housing scams litter the nation. Every day brings additional abandonment, sentencing those who live within or nearby to 125% mortgages, isolation and destitution.

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/07/05/magazine/20090705-gilded-slideshow_index.html

The photography is stunning and disturbing, accurately displaying the stupidity of our society, the overwhelming failure of Republican economics and in many ways what our future may look like. Consider that we have only been struck so far by economic depression--peak oil is coming.

Until you have seen these photographs---

The end of suburbia is merely a thought concept, another thing you do not wish to deal with. This photography brings the issue into overwhelming perspective. Own a small house, live within your means, grow a big garden, make your own power, invest social capital in your community. That is what this photo essay should tell you.

this article is also available through the site Mental Floss:

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/28026#more-28026

For an excellent essay on social capital and the future go here:

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/07/07/socialstructing-brin.html#more

Random items that caught my attention and made my brain work this week were centered on California.

California------should become an even more interesting rat maze, test box for overall society as it struggles to find it's path through current problems and tries to face the future. The issues that California is dealing with NOW is what all states will have to deal with sooner or later. California is the mine shaft, canary in the cage so to speak for our American society as a whole...

Internally many Californians continue to push for statewide legalization of marijuana...there actually does appear to be a well organized, strong ongoing public element who supports with funding the state wide, all citizen, legalization of Marijuana. (hit link to go to an article on ads running in the state.)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31796985/ns/business-us_business/

Being a strong proponent of marijuana legalization I personally follow what's going on in California closely since it is the breakthrough state on this issue.

The state powerful enough, and with the largest segment of the population apparently willing to break the stupidity stranglehold of Federal Enforcement and Sarah Palin followers. My belief has always been that as California goes on the legalization of marijuana issue---so goes the nation--it may take awhile but all states would follow the path blazed by Californians. There was a time, in the not so distant past, when none believed that gambling of any form, would ever be legalized in the US.

Money talks.

Aha--I predicted this---Having harassed smokers to the point that it is no fun any longer---attention has turned to the FAT. I always knew fat people were next, on the holier than tho's, harassment program. The same stupidity behind shunning smokers is appearing in published articles against the FAT, in California. These types of articles are the offical signal to the wolves that it is acceptable to begin the hunt....California budget problems are caused by the FAT according to this article.........

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_12787218?nclick_check=1

Call in sick to work and spend the day writing.... what you listen to and what you watch really IS YOU....In your brain forgive someone in your past every chance you get.

warren

busted!

One of our rain barrel recovery set ups-- this one against our shed----we have two identical systems presently and I want to add a third which would bring us from having 160 gallons of recovered rain water on hand to 240 gallons available.

Our Chinese cheap solar panels on the shed roof--there are now five, since this photo was taken all producing to a gel battery storage system. I'm really only running shed lights, and recharging stuff until i can increase power production as money avails itself. But i really enjoy making any independent power I can..very pleasing to the soul.

I've written quite a bit about our garden without proving anything so i thought i would put up a few pictures of our backyard. bear in mind that we started everything from seed, so we are about two to three weeks behind most people tomato/pepper wise--and our flowers really haven't come into bloom yet. The area behind the rear lattice work is where we compost and where i would like our chickens(house) to go if we decide to get a pair. Eggplant, tomatoes, peppers run the width of the far back privacy fence.

We have several square foot gardens not visible in these photo's and about 20 more tomato plants vining up the fences also not visible. Eggplant, cucumbers, herbs, potatoes, gourds, melons, cantaloupes, watermelon, squash and flowers are planted in the sun protected area that runs the length of the yard pictured below.

Corn, beans, squash, gourds, planted indian style in this area that runs the yard length back to the studio with tomato, eggplant and pepper plants against the studio.

Not bad considering that we started this spring with the entire back yard dead--no grass nothing. My amazing wife planned and built up everything you see here..(I was just occasional, doubting, labor) and there is more you do not see in these photo's but this will have to do for now.

My tenure as hybrid boy began as a search in early 2000 for a Honda Insight, a 3 cylinder, two seat, gas-electric hatchback being produced then---not a Prius.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Insight

I was literally forced to turn to Prius ownership because Honda dealers I contacted were all dicks.

I could not find an insight on a dealers lot nor would a Honda dealer help me in ordering an original Insight. So i lost out on a vehicle that I really did want because the people who were supposed to be selling them were----truly dicks. Every dealer blew me off and kept trying to sell me one of their SUV's. They were bait and switch ---uh----Dicks.

The 1999 Thu 2006 insight would have been a better commuter car

for me. Small, light weight, two seater viable really only for the daily drive back and forth to work. Anywhere between 14,000 and 19,000 are claimed to have been produced with a guesstimate of 70 mpg on the highway. They are visible on the roads today if one looks for them. Please do not misconstrue. I am satisfied with my Prius at 52.7 mpg during my daily commute--but it is a larger car than what i need for this duty, almost a family car. I never use the backseat for real humans..and honestly it was the only thing available that i could seemingly actually BUY...

Honda stopped production of this little car in 2006. Used original insights have at least 80,000 miles on them and with a technologically complex vehicle..... buying used is something to avoid, which explains the lack of Citroen's in America. When I do see an original insight on the road i always nod, smile, and mutter to myself---"what dicks".

GOP weirdness continues unabated.

Sarah Palin will not run again for Governor of Alaska.

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0709/GOP_sources_Palin_wont_run_for_reelection.html

--William Gibson in his novel Burning Chrome obliquely but aptly described a specific segment of the public as a sweating blind, potato the size of a baby hippo, housed in a trailer outside of Topeka that can only scream it's disapproval.... or vote it's approval....... Palin is the darling child for this screaming, sweating, hippo potato public, and with their----- her one true audience's support. She will run for Potato President for them...and titanically lose.

---the karmic wheel spins............

Remember that we are the little locker people in MIB II----

warren

The garden is happy and producing, the lawns are deep green, cut and detailed...the dogs are done playing and tired. I'm writing, taking pictures, organizing.

Since disposing of our cable TV we set up a ROKU system off of netflicks. This system allows one to transmit, online, movies and documentaries from the Netflick site to your actual television set rather than having to view this material on your computer. It is obviously good and cool. Neflicks has a good' viewable on line collection of documentaries and movies which i run in the background in my nerd cave while doing, well doing stuff. I'm running a documentary on green buildings and skyscrapers in New York as i write this.....I've been enjoying this process and feel absolutely so much better mentally since getting rid of the stupidity of cable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roku

There are things that i need to get caught up on tonight---the Internet is a demanding place. I must email friends, photograph and upload photos of my stuff to flickr for my EDC (every day carry) and what's in your bag---- groups. Download today's garden photo's to my files---and on and on. Strange how there are to do lists in the metaverse? It's a good idea for me to bunker up today and work in the vapor of the internet.

As i write this on the day before the july 4th holiday from the start today felt as if it was one of those "one click off days"......the vibe did not feel right even tho today should be a good day... i have a free day off and i accomplished good solid work on the house....I've got the place visually perfect in the Gran Torino mode, .....insert get off my lawn here. i think the vibe floating on the wind of the weirdness of a national summer holiday on the cusp is strong---the sense of tomorrow's redneck ambulance calls, the bizarre boating fatalities, the family's gathering for phony celebrations whose members really hate each other but are trapped in the endless, pretend, i love you requirements, all these things are sending out powerful signals of "I hate this"....i can almost feel the thousands of stupid human tricks with fireworks lying in wait to happen against hands and fingers of lower bell curve denizens......maybe this is what a human version of M. Night's The Happening, feels like....i liked the film, a lot, so fucking bite me, i liked it. Anyway, that's the interpretation on the signal i am receiving...and right or wrong "You Can't stop the signal Mal".

Every day i realize, visualize and am thankful for my luck, karma opportunity in life. I am a bizarre individual to exist with and I know that fact. My wife, who loves me and accepts me, is the key element in my life i am thankful above all others....i am most thankful ...every day....but especially on the days when, for reasons unknown to me, she gets me stuff that i covet...whu-ho.

My wife got me a Laguiole knife. I can barely believe it. Ebony and nickel

( actually stainless) file carved, inlaid, identical to the left, sample photo.

i am just beside myself---my geek element, my survivalist element, my weird historical element all these strange homelands within my brain are singing thanks in tune for once..I've written on Laguiole knives previously in the, i am coveting one state...but this is written in the state of possession. After a few weeks living with my Laguiole i am in love with it. There is tradition, you cannot receive one as a gift or it will cut you, therefore I paid my wife one cent. There is history, 18th century Sheppard's would plunge the knife into a loaf of bread upright so the cross would serve as a center for prayer on specific occasions. Standing out from everything else there is just the coolness of this item.

In regards to a practical review-----It is a large knife for the pocket of a non-farmer or non-Sheppard type like myself. A solution lies in the knife's leather,open top slipcase, which, with the knife inside rides well in my business guy, oppressor of the people front pants pocket--you still know it's there but it is smooth and unobtrusive. It is wonderfully sharp out of the box, the craftsmanship is everything i thought it would be. The opening and closing of the blade is smooth and pleasingly mechanical. It is like pulling a piece of European art from your pocket to cut up your apple. The 1943 film Sahara with Humphrey Bogart----in which french actor Louis Mercier, when they are staving, mimes cutting with his Laguiole saying " a little, cheese, a little apple, a little onion, a little wine". This pocket knife has big, big massive JuJu........

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahara_(1943_American_film)

http://www.musee-laguiole.com/en/histoire_laguiole.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laguiole_knife

"the downside of being outrageous is that you have to go around explaining your fucking self to people." Ozzy Osbourne

above all else never explain yourself.

warren