Source: frugaldad.com

Internet piracy is the most unsexy piracy ever, but SOPA and PIPA aren’t the way to stop it.  Internet censorship can hurt us all. It is by far more dangerous than theft.

Freedom and liberty require constant vigilance. I’m with Google and Wikipedia (and many others… including Michael Moore) on killing SOPA and PIPA. The most effective way to shut down pirate websites is through targeted legislation that cuts off their funding. There’s no need to make American social networks, blogs and search engines censor the Internet or undermine the existing laws that have enabled the Web to thrive. This isn’t China.

Learn more about today’s strikes here. Or don’t. Totally up to you.

Oh… one more thought… Representatives… if you are completely out of touch with your constituents and vote this in, then you can be replaced by the people… just saying.

As to the evil which results from a censorship,
it is impossible to measure it,
for it is impossible to tell where it ends.
~ Jeremy Bentham (1748 – 1832)

Merry Christmas from ElegantErica

At Christmas I no more desire a rose
A good conscience is a continual Christmas.
~ Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790))

Turns out Officer Dale likes The Walking Dead too. He laughed and agreed with my choice of weapons (any serious ammunition shortage would constantly make guns useless).

This area's DoT is prepared!

Which got me to thinking… what are important zombie survival skills? Well (since you’re still here and seem interested), I’ve comprised a list.

1. I would need a crossbow for long range zombie killing. Quiet and less loss of ammunition. Would also need to learn how to use it.
2. I’m thinking a sword… for decoration and protection… though… a machete is better than a fancy sword like a katana, because most of us are not trained to use a katana and could hurt ourselves rather badly.
3. I need to learn how to decontaminate/purify water.
4. Kevlar jeans. No teeth sinking into my legs… and fashionable!
5. Also, a long sleeved Kevlar shirt to protect my chest and arms from bites… I haven’t found anything cute yet though.
6. A full head helmet. You can never be too careful.
7. Gloves.
8. Comfortable boots or shoes
9. I need to learn how to hunt (much better than I can now, I’m a terrible shot) and how forage for food.
10. Hot-wiring and lock-picking… also very important skills.
11. Medical supplies
12. A backpack
13. Flint and striker for fire and knowing how to use it as well as knowing how to build a fire.
14. An extra pair of socks… good socks… like the ones HusbandMike took to Russia (they are super warm and nice).
15. A good dog could be useful.  In World War Z, dogs were used first to detect the newly infected who hadn’t yet turned.  Later, dogs could alert their owners/handlers to hidden zombies, or be trained to lead zombies into a trap. Céilidh would need some serious training.
16. A compass (and a map). I used to have a map in my car, then I had sort of had a GPS (well… HusbandMike had one), but now I have an iPhone (there’s an app for that)… I’m pretty sure that the internet will be down and Google Maps will be unavailable after the zombies take over.
17. Computers and calculators won’t be around (except those that don’t wear out). Let’s add learning to use a slide-rule and abacus to the list.

Here is a pickle though… What about transportation?  I think with zombies roaming that you would need to keep mobile, unless you can build one big medieval wall… hopefully something awesome, like the one in I Am Legend. Anyway, I’ve been struggling with this.

• Option 1: Horse. A horse could eat grass, but could be attacked and eaten by zombies… like in the first episode of season one.
• Option 2: Car or motorcycle. These would use gas, which may be hard to find. They never seem to have too much problem with this on the show, but I’m not so sure. Plus, unless someone in your group is a mechanic then if any problems come up then there could also be an issue.
• Option 3: Bicycle. Bikes, even a rugged mountain bikes, seem impractical.  You can’t carry too much on your back, and you can only escape from zombies quickly for a while… and only if the terrain isn’t too bad.

Earlier this morning, I had another thought… that I should learn to make soap… cleanliness should be important when dealing with a zombie outbreak.  So… I googled how to make soap.  Seems you need lye… okay… so then how do you make lye… oh… by running electricity through a mixture of water and salt.  Hmm.  That’s not helpful.

However, it seems that you can also make lye from wood ash (potassium hydroxide, not sodium hydroxide)… at least that is what they did in colonial times. Unfortunately, it doesn’t sound like a quick process.

Yeah… Hygiene is going to be an issue.

I am a conservative, but I am not a zombie.
~ Glenn Beck (1964 – )

watched... /sigh

I think KindredKeegan will be most pleased.

Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.
~ Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900)

In case you can’t view the video, she wanted me to do this speech from the movie Bladerunner:

I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I’ve watched c-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate. All those… moments will be lost in time, like tears… in rain. Time to die.

I made a sketch, with some rain drop circles or and simple embellishment like she requested. She loved it. I got started.

I showed it to her… almost finished!

Then we noticed this:

yep, watced instead of watched

Yes, I misspelled watched.  Right in the middle. I have to do nearly that whole line over. Ick.

Do not fear mistakes. You will know failure. Continue to reach out.
~ Benjamin Franklin (1706 – 1790)

We’re moving this weekend, so HusbandMike and I have been busy. I’m sure I’ll resurface later.

The great thing in the world is not so much where we stand,
as in what direction we are moving.
~ Oliver Wendell Holmes (1841 – 1935)

child: Hello.
me: Hello.

I start mixing a powdery substance into my drink.

child: Is that Kool-Aid? Can I have some?
me: No, this isn’t Kool-Aid; this is medicine. You can’t have this.
child: Why are you taking medicine?
me: To make me feel better.
child: What’s wrong with you?
me: Nothing.
child: Then why are you taking medicine?
me: That is not important… Where are your parents?
child: Where are your parents?
me: Are you repeating me or are you really asking?
child: Are you repeating me or are your really asking?

At this point my coworker (and I assume mother or relative of the child) walks in, after hearing the conversation.

coworker: Samuel, stop it. Why are you behaving like such an immature child?
child: I’m five.

He had a point.

My Grandmother, ElegantErica, JustJessica and SisterMonica

Happy Grandparents Day!

Giant Flowered Swan Perches

/sigh

It would have gone so nicely with the swan ice sculpture