I have no words

Read Catcher for the first time at 16, for my 11th grade lit class.

Had to write a paper on it, and I'll never forget the comment I got from Ms. Tracy, "Perceptive approach!"

That's stuck with me all this time, and I doubt I'll forget it.

I may still have that paper buried somewhere. I think I'll try to dig it out of its box and have another go at reading Catcher in the Rye, soon.

Thoughts from The Geek

"Obama. Longest lame duck presidency. Ever."

'Bout sums it up.

Saab gets lifeline

More like life support.

It won't last.

Spyker doesn't build a car in the modern method, as they don't know how. They're still building their Stella Artois-styled cars the same way Rolls-Royce is building them...one at a time on a bench, and they're priced accordingly. Saab needs volume to keep it afloat, and that just isn't going to happen with an infusion of money.

This is a patient that has been economically unviable for probably twenty years or more, (and probably even in the Scania owned days, going back to '69) and Saab has always been overpriced and for what, funky engine/transmission layouts?

Oh, and if Spyker didn't know, Sweden has a new, neat little law about running all of your future shitboxes on supposedly "renewable" sugar-based ethanol. Anyone pay any attention to where that rum is coming from to fuel that 9-Whofuckingcares? How is it getting to Sweden, too? Hope you boys like the hoops you're going to have to jump through to stay ahead of the technology curve.

I hope Spyker likes losing money, 'cuz that's just what they laid out cash for, a big turd.

Suckers.

The things one sees

I did a check of the weather this morning when I awoke. Twenty one degrees fahrenheit.

I also know that it's January, and I'm also in Kansas, so that tidbit on the temp didn't surprise me. Now, that doesn't preclude it being a balmy seventy in the odd year in the late afternoon, but that's not what I'd call normal.

These two facts, that it's January and cold, would normally not be lost on anyone else who has endured the typical mid-western winters of the area.

I proceeded to get the fam ready for the day, fed the dogs, prepared breakfast for everyone, dropped off the boy at daycare and then left for work.

My morning commute is a fairly long one, both in terms of distance and time. This tends to increase the chances for being in traffic jambs, accidents or running across (or even over!) something...weird.

This morning, I'm making my lane change to switch highways, and this is what I see; A middle-aged, curly red-headed woman driving a Lexus SC430...with the hard top down and windows rolled up...at 21 frickin' degrees.

I suppose the severe weather that has besieged the region for the last month has some people fooled into thinking that 21 is warm, or something.

Here's a stupid idea

This law is just pregnant with the possibilities of being used as a club via Unintended Consequences.

It's pretty clear to me that what this stupid cunt, Sue Tibbs, is wanting to do is put a law on the books (always sold as a preventative measure, which it never is) so that yet another law gets broken when the tweaker meth cook gets his kitchen busted, he's facing even more time and fines. Ever more control, in an attempt at looking like the gummint is "doing something," I digress.

That is what it says, "...to willfully fortify an access point into any dwelling, structure, building or other place where a felony offense prohibited by the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act is being committed, or attempted..." which is specific to those circumstances, and ONLY those. NOT ANY OTHERS!

How it will be actually applied is something else entirely, and only the hopelessly naive would disagree.

Me; I'm really looking to get into some tangential work in this sort of thing within the next couple of years (I'm working some things out, business planning and schemata), as I think people's interest is beginning to get piqued in things such as "panic" rooms, shelters and entire retreats that are hardened against home invasions. Lots of work still to do, and I think ignoring this stupid piece of shit "law" is the best method of dealing with "ideas" from politicians.

H/T to SurvivalBlog.

Notes to consider

Some excellent posts have recently been coming in from readers to James Wesley Rawles' SurvivalBlog, nonetheleast of which is this tidbit which I excerpted;

"...I expect raiding to take two main forms. The roadside ambush and the home invasion. Home invasions are always dangerous and often brutal. If the raiders attack your home, they will try to take you by surprise and kill every combatant in the house before anyone can react. They will force every more at a very fast pace to prevent you from reacting. They may use some kind of distraction or disguise to gain surprise. Home invasion, carried out with professionalism and gusto is fairlysafe and easier than you would think. Expect to see some of them wearing body armor, dressed in police uniforms and carryingbadges. (Some of them will have professional entry training...like SWAT and military). Failing at a stack entry, they may use CS gas to drive out the occupants. Failing that, they will use fire..."

I can bet good money that the home invasion scenarios are going to get this bad, and worse, I'm just afraid that it's going to start a little sooner than expected.

And in a similar vein, and appropriately enough, fresh off the heels of finishing The Road, Mr. JIC adds this bit;

"...Don't ever underestimate the vile depravity of human beings. Anarchy is the dirtiest word in the English language. Rape and torture may be common. I believe as food gets harder to find, many people will turn to cannibalism to sustain themselves. (I wish this were not true, but historically, it's very common.) I am not advocating cannibalism in any way, but In all fairness, cannibalism can greatly extend a group's supply base. There are a whole lot of people out there and people are made of meat. While easy targets are available, some groups may prosper for some months eating human flesh. It could be a fairly successful strategy for some groups. Beware. History of other collapses warns us that this may be common..."

Again, I'm concerned that his timetable is closer than he anticipates.

With the real unemployment rate at 17%, possibly more, it shouldn't take too much more straw to break this camel's back.

Security Kabuki, part 4,856

Tell me again, why is it that we are supposed to be bending over and taking a microscope in the ass with a gloved hand for "screening purposes" when the fucking gummint is the one putting actual RDX into baggage, all in the name of "training," or some other rot?

I can, rather convincingly, imagine someone getting put into Club Fed, for an extended stay, no matter the source of the hijinx, just because these same retards are so resolutely challenged with regards to thinking, instead relying on the tired old line about, "just following procedure."

Seriously, someone is gonna get hurt, sooner or later, and I'm fairly certain it's gonna spark a fair amount of real outrage.

Had enough yet?

Rising from the ashes

Beck returns.

He's not happy.

I've not left our shores for some time, going on three years, now. I can say with all certainty, however, that if I'm to be accosted in a manner as told by Michael Yon, I might consider leaving, never to return.

I have means to do it and a cast iron will, if it should ever come to that, and a very receptive family into which I married.

Land of the Free, indeed.

Where's that ClueBat?

The headline is all that I needed to read,

"Financial crisis was not the Fed's fault, Bernanke insists"

How can anyone take the rest of what the man says seriously?

At times like these, I look at my larder and openly wonder, "Is it enough?"

H/T to SurvivalBlog