Access to Tools

[hannah j]

After WP's visit early this summer (so long ago!)  my interest in human powered (with some help) vehicles was rekindled. 

With the extraordinary heat, the problems of growing food in a changing or erratic climate was made clear.

So, I thought maybe we needed a discussion centered on tools and such.  Thoughts?

[BO]

Charmed 'em right out of your accommodations, eh? Good move. ;-)

Seriously, I always flash on this great scene from Five Easy Pieces whenever I encounter assholes in the service industry. Best line at the end: "I woulda just punched her out."

[pan]

I coulda been Jack Nicholson!  I've got the receding hairline and more than a bit of the attitude.

[pan]

The longer version of the story: There and Back Again

[pan]

Neglecting your latest installment - have to submit a questionnaire for a job in Lawrence, KS.  I need to come back to this.

[pan]

Oh Waldo, it makes me wanna cry, it makes me want to direct - to put those words into mouths with movement - to go through the process of exploring and moving and discovering all that is there.  You sir, it is an honor to call my colleague and friend.

[waldo mobile]

Awe garsh (blush). Ya mean ya liked it?

[waldo mobile]

All I can do from here is send a selfie. What really happened. It was no battle it was a ballet. Costumes and everything. We stayed in Flanders on the battlefield you see Cleary after 100 years. If not for the signs and monuments and tourists you would never know anything really happened at Gettysburg. In 50 years it grew so you could see the fucked up earth today. She is anyway.

[pan]

We found a cute hotel south 20 km of Brussels - wasn't in the mood for getting lost so we took main highways - drove right past Bastogne. Felt a bit sacrilegious to drive right past a shrine to all those deaths.  Being "over there" and realizing that France isn't very far from Belgium, isn't very far from Germany gives the "World" Wars a little different perspective.

Actually, that isn't quite accurate, before we hit the highway we drove little roads into Luxemburg (they paint their houses wonderful bright colors.  We found a little bike trail into the woods in the hills so we took a walk.  Very humid, very wet.  The hills, trees, fields, dense population reminds us a bit of the Adirondacks. There was a time that the earth was thoroughly covered with forests.

Just gonna chill with some beers.  The whole Belgium beer experience doesn't quite meet my fantasy.  True, they have some of the best beers in the world and this small country brews somewhere around 400 different beers, but I expected more of the US brewpub culture/experience - I imagined I would travel from town to town going to little brewpubs and being able to speak to the brewers while I sample their wares.  Not so.  The Abbeys have outsourced their brewing and just want the profits so they can focus on prophets.  The commercial brews are, well, commercial.  And the few small microbrews have limited access.

Love that selfie....that poster in the background looks like an interesting show....probably has some good lyrics.

[waldopaper]

Oh I went crazy ape-shit about visiting the battlefields... and the death camps.  Needles to say... my fam thought it was boring/ bummer/ bring-down.  Certainly not boring.  Bummer/ bring-down, you bet.  Just had to cast me own eyes (had two good ones then) on the horrible stupidity so I could actually believe it. 

I have not forgotten about the quad: 

tthey seem to be evolving fat tires.. and also a solar charging system.  Got tired of discussing it because everybody wants an electric bike that carries passengers, luggage, goes 40mph and costs $200. 

It is hard to explain how this is so NOT like riding a bicycle.  I am still sure that if I could conjure one up, plenty of folks would be blown away by the experience.  They cost what they cost.  Sure, you can always do it cheaper. 

Anytime you discuss what is possible, it always seems to come down to the fucking money.  Here is a fun new trend:  broke my glasses.  Had to replace the frames.  Cost $200.  We have a vision plan on insurance... so I ask, "won't our insurance cover this?"  Answer:  dunno.  pay us first, then call your insurance company and ask them. 

That's the "insurance" scam now.  Sure we'll fix your glasses, teeth, body, car whatever.  Just pay us up front.  Then submit these forms to your insurance company.  Oh we don't have them.  You can get them on line.  Suspect I would not get any bread.  Probably a cancellation notice.  So why are we paying for "insurance?"  Because we have to. 

I really should stop driving a car.  But that's just me.  But there are some things the collective needs to do right and do it right now.  Like stopping this union-busting "privatization" shit.  It's hard enough to find good gear that does not fall apart from normal use.  "Services?"  Feggedaboutit. 

Oh and here's another flash for the world.  Nobody cares about "creating jobs," ok?  Nobody. 

ok.  the text sucks.  but hey... it's up to the characters now.  if you don't like the story, blame them.  if you don't like the style, blame me.  after the story plays out, i will will write a nice simple one-page plot summary that anybody can read.  but right now, Gloriana and Germania are engaged and I don't want to get in their way! 

[BO]

No profit in morallity. 

Here's an opus written by the devil himself.

[pan]

Don't quite understand the fat, knobby tires on the quad - looks like it is tricked out for mountain bike trails, which tend to be too narrow for quads and, with the uneven, rocky surface would require independent suspension to keep the tires on the trail.

[Mouse]

Here in England I don't even get an empty box of the videos you post, that's gone. Now there's just space. space is spacey

Never drove, tried now and then. Don't have insurance, only had it once for a few months when the cat knocked it off, seemed ridiculous. now lots of lovely pots to use and choose and let my glance play idly over, resting upon treasures of light and form resting amongst the use and usefulness, the holding and pouring forth


though catlike in softness and sleeping and loving the dark night to stand and listen beneath the trees
silent and still she stands
alert and on guard.

she does not climb shelves or nest in palettes of silk and cotton colour,
nor does she catch a bird in her mouth and bring it to me
to hold at the open door and let go, flying away, sound and with a song to sing,
as she did once, my dog.

but I digress.