Here's mud in your eye

When a troubled youth with a knife decided he wanted Caleb's stuff, our man reacted with a java toss and followed up with sterner stuff. Go see Caleb.

(H/T to Tam)

Putter

That doesn't refer to the golf stick that makes people cuss. It's the verb form and the activity I intend to pursue today. Puttering is important. It helps a fellow find things -- pocket knives, the three-screw Single Six, a letter he meant to answer in August and didn't, and probably some stuff he even forgot he lost.

Nothing new here

It's just that I suddenly realized I haven't bitched about it before.

An area hardware chain is hawking antifreeze as "50-50" (half water) as though it a very special thing. Ready to pour, y'know. Price is $4.95 per gallon. Full-strength stuff is $5.95. Water being somewhat profitable at c. 1.95 per gallon, you just know that Bomgaars is solidly behind the NEA and others dedicated to producing a dumber America.

Uh-oh

A little local news here, but as you read please keep in mind that Ruby Ridge and Waco were certifiably planned by certified and/or certifiable government planners.

This little county is composed mostly of two middlin' towns and a clutch of tiny contiguous burgs strung around the lakes. The result is that some 18,000 people are governed and taxed by at least seven mayors, seven city councils, the county board of supervisors, and gawd knows how many special taxing units for the sewer, greedy green groups, and so forth.

I just learned that we're beginning another efficiency drive to combine services and all that crap that will either (a) never happen or (b) incur costs higher than "savings." We've heard it before, but this time we've hired an expert, and the radio says, straight-faced and without a hint of irony:

"Alvin C. Blatnik the Fourth (not his real name), who leads the ISU Extension GIS group, will be the lead researcher. He is also a certified planner with the American Institute of Certified Planners."

If all that certifying doesn't curdle your spit with fear I'll kiss your arse at the courthouse flag pole and give you an hour to round up every tax-sucking bureaucrat in the area.