“Salt.” Head down and tucked into his meal after a hard day, it was unusual for my dad to speak in monosyllables during the evening meal. Normally the man who once talked across the entire state of Ohio on a road trip would entertain us with his “Floyd Stories” while we ate. But when he … More Salt
What’s worse than finding a worm in your apple? My dad delighted in posing this riddle to us when we were kids. The answer? Finding half a worm. That was the feeling I got last week as I searched for the best price on a bottle of Ballistol. If you don’t know what Ballistol is, … More The Tax We Didn’t Know About
Sawdust and sweat, and muscles swimming in lactic acid. Gravity gets into everything, and at midday even the rays of the sun feel heavy. These were my thoughts during the spring project that finally broke the ice of winter inertia. For farmers, carpenters, and others who make their living defying gravity, this is just the … More Burning The House To Stay Warm
It’s been a while since I updated you on the status of our fleet of chickens. I knew Shawn would be asking me about them any day, and the loyal fans of our velocicrappers always want to know. The question hovered in the air like the electric, hair‑raising expectation that heralded the arrival of our … More Thunder Toe, and the Adventure of Unintended Consequences
On 13 May the FBI released an early look at annual crime data. From FBI.gov: “The preliminary data show violent crime decreased an estimated 9.3% from 2024 to 2025.” These encouraging statistics arrived to the sound of two parties assuming their predictable positions. The numbers show a real decline in violent and property crime, which … More Good News In A Time Of Bad Faith
Let’s visit for a moment a fictional world where local independent retailers and suppliers have all been replaced by corporate entities with little or no competition. Enter Don Q. Public — gentleman(ish) farmer, shade‑tree mechanic, consumer. Don buys groceries at a big‑box store called Walshark and a German chain named Baldi because the one grocery … More Turning the Screw
A president survives an assassination attempt — again — and instead of a moment of national sobriety, we get a stampede of memes, conspiracy theories, and elected officials competing for the title of Most Irresponsible Commentator. The technology is new, but the reflex — the urge to turn fear into faction — is as old … More It Is To Scold
I took a walk in the woods yesterday in the cool of the evening. “That’s good!” No, that’s bad—I found a big hole and fell into it. “That’s bad.” No, that’s good; inside the hole was a big strongbox. “That’s good.” No, that’s bad—when I lifted it out, I dropped it on my foot. “That’s … More That’s Good, No, That’s Bad
Before we built our house on my grandparents’ old farm, I spent many hours wandering the woods and looking. I’d sit and imagine the view through a window or across a porch and absorb the feel of the place. Then the other side of my brain would back‑of‑the‑napkin calculate what it might cost to build … More The Old Rocky Hill
It’s called Dim Mak. An approximate translation would be “pressing the pulse,” and the phrase is familiar to students of martial arts and fans of martial‑arts movies. I have an old book of the same name, subtitled Death Point Striking. I keep it mostly because I never get rid of books. It’s a relic from … More The Art of Dim Zi
Outside The Box 