tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302179302024-03-07T02:20:58.412-05:00Soot HappensThis was the blog of a blacksmith.
Soot Happens, but you clean yourself up when you need to (even if it takes years). If you find that life isn't where you want it, just toss it back in the coals, bring it to heat, and reforge.Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-43433530082777453462020-05-31T14:29:00.004-04:002020-05-31T14:29:54.889-04:00Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?<div>
We see those of you helping and those of you making things worse. In this Age of Information we are able to share what we see across the world.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Those who have been selected to protect and serve, please be mindful that there are those among you abusing their privilege. Call them out, take them down. If you see something you think might be an abuse of power, find out whats going on and relax the situation. If you see something that is a clear abuse of power, treat the abuser as any other criminal, if not more harshly.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I read the other day that it often takes nine months for an officer to be charged with a crime, regardless of the amount of evidence. When those in a position of trust break that trust, or even may have broken that trust, investigation should be a priority, as should removing that person from their position, at least until found Not Guilty.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I know there are "Good Cops", I know several personally, many of which are on my friends list. But I have eyes and see that there are "Bad Cops" too. Don't let the bad apples ruin not just the barrel, but the whole crop. Each time something like this happens, it taints that entire "thin blue line". You have a monopoly on the power of arrest (while "citizen's arrest" is a thing that exists, it is a legal nightmare). This leaves us common citizens with no practical, legal course of action for crimes committed by police. By not actively and harshly policing your own, we wind up in situations like we are in now, with riots breaking out nationwide because common people everywhere are sick and tired of the police, sometimes literally, getting away with murder.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In many, if not most, of these cases, there are racial influences. You have to be better than that. If you can not be, if you can not leave your prejudices behind when you pick up your badge, please turn that badge in and find another line of work, as public service is not for you.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Who polices the police? You, the police have taken that job upon yourselves. Do your job and police yourselves. When you do not, others will do it for you, and will do it unconstrained by oath or law. We see this happening now, please don't make it worse.</div>
Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-78932557121219984022015-12-08T10:18:00.000-05:002015-12-08T10:18:03.769-05:00Table Project - Post 0<p>As some of you may know, I have a short attention span for projects. I'll get an idea in my head, and if I don't complete it soon, it falls to the wayside and never sees the light of day again. I understand this is an issue for a number of people. Occasionally, though, an idea will come to me and I can't shake it. A great example of this is my honeybees. I was interested in keeping honeybees, so I started looking into it. My wife, wisely, would not let me get anything for beekeeping unless I still wanted them after some [lengthy] period of time. During that time, I did more research on bees, as much as I could without actually having any. So, the spring after we bought our house, I acquired the equipment for two hives and the bees to go in them.</p>
<p>Actually having the bees is great, and it has spawned interest in other areas that I hadn't much considered before, such as woodworking. I researched building my own bee boxes, found a table saw on <a href="https://www.craigslist.org/">craigslist</a>, bought some lumber from <a href="http://www.homedepot.com/">The Home Depot</a> and made my first pair of hive bodies (currently the top box on each of my hives). I have since acquired a router, router table, and drill press—which allow me to make boxes better and faster. However, it also put other ideas in my head. Ideas of doing more with woodworking than beekeeping equipment.</p>
<p>One of those ideas I have not been able to shake, I keep coming back to it, and I have the feeling it's like the bees. It's something that I will have to see through to the end and see what other things it leads me to doing. Like the bees, it's something that will require a good deal of research and new skills on my part, but many more skills than the bees required.</p>
<p><b><i>I want to make a solid wood kitchen table.</i></b></p>
<p>Or, more specifically, a pair of solid wood kitchen trestle tables of the same dimensions so that we can have a larger table area when need be, and break down to create more open area as need be.</p>
<p>Since this idea popped into my head late last spring, I have spent many hours on the internet looking at trestle tables, general woodworking, furniture making, and other related information. I still want to make the tables. Today I figured I might as well document the entire process from this point (very near the beginning) going forward.</p>
<div>Things I know I want:
<ul>
<li>Two identically dimensioned solid wood tables</li>
<li>The tables to be easily broken down and set up</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>Things I'm greatly considering, but unsure about:
<ul>
<li>Trestle tables</li>
<li>Oak, Mahogany, some other hardwood?</li>
<li>Carving the supports in a celtic or norse style, perhaps with the locking pins functioning as the eyes</li>
<li>2 or 3 adults to the long sides</li>
<li>Tusk Tenons</li>
<li>Danish Oil Finish</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>Ideas I'm tossing around:
<ul>
<li>Iron banding across the width of the tables</li>
<li>Built-in handles to make relocation easier</li>
<li>Chains for keeping track of the pins</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>Things I need to decide:
<ul>
<li>Table thickness</li>
<li>Trestle style</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>Things I need to learn:
<ul>
<li>Joinery</li>
<ul>
<li>Table top: Unknown</li>
<li>Breadboards: Unknown</li>
<li>Legs/Supports: Unknown</li>
<li>Stretcher: Tusk Tenons</li>
<li>Support-Table locking pins: dowel pins? tapered?</li>
</ul>
<li>Carving - the decorative elements, such as the supports mentioned above, this will take lots of practice</li>
<li>Equipment usage</li>
<li>Finishing</li>
<li>Support math (will the legs hold the table)</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>Equipment I currently know that I need:
<ul>
<li>Pipe clamps</li>
<li>Planer</li>
<li>Joiner</li>
<li>Band-saw</li>
<li>Saw for cross-cuts (my tablesaw won't do it)</li>
<li>A way to sharpen my chisels</li>
<li>Probably additional chisels</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>Plan of Action:
<ul>
<li>Learn the bits I can as I can (for instance, grabbing a chunk of 2x4 and start carving again)</li>
<li>Sketch out the basic table design (without decorative elements)</li>
<li>Adjust design to lock in dimensions</li>
<li>Render detailed plans (with and without decorative elements)</li>
<li>Acquire tools</li>
<li>Create prototype from pine using plans</li>
<li>Source lumber</li>
<li>Build tables</li>
</ul>
</div>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-49788206548071163532015-05-10T18:42:00.000-04:002015-05-10T18:42:25.758-04:00Hive Inspection 2015-05-10<p>Inspected the hives today, and James assisted (though he is quite scared of bees—or any flying insect for that matter—he was quite brave and didn't flee).</p>
<p>Hive 1 is doing quite well, all but one frame are fully drawn, and the final frame is half comb (it's a foundationless frame). All the cells I could see had something going on from storage, to brood, to cleaning for next use. The half-comb frame had eggs in every cell—I tried to show James but he was unable to see the eggs. I swapped two non-adjacent frames from the top box with empty frames from the now 3rd new box I've added. Remember, I'm running all medium equipment, and that three medium boxes is equivalent to two deep boxes. To further mess up the <q>standard</q> beekeepers, I'm also running all 8-frame equipment, instead of 10-frame. So, all-in-all, hive one is doing quite well and growing exponentially.</p>
<p>Hive 2 is still putting along, they seem to be using only half of each brood box (the left half if you're looking at the front of the hive, or the <q>downhill</q> side if thinking about it in terms of the yard). I shifted some frames around, hoping they will grow a bit, but this hive has been much slower than Hive 1 from the beginning.</p>
<p>TLDR & Highpoints</p>
<ul>
<li>James assisted in the inspection</li>
<li>Hive 1 is doing very well</li>
<li>Hive 1 got a 3rd box</li>
<li>Hive 2 is growing, but more slowly than Hive 1</li>
<li>Eggs seen in both hives</li>
<li>Did not see Queen in either, but was not looking too hard either</li>
<li>No queen cells in either hive</li>
<li>Both hives appear healthy</li>
</ul>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com3Sudie, Georgia 30157, USA33.8673266 -84.8413285000000318.3452920999999982 -126.14992250000003 59.3893611 -43.532734500000032tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-82227347413649330532015-04-06T08:15:00.000-04:002015-04-06T08:15:35.217-04:00Beeginnings<p>After years of book/internet study, I finally have bees. Tomorrow night I will have had them for one week. I've made several posts about them on <a href="//facebook.com/kenzal/" target="_blank">my Facebook account</a>, but for some reason have not put them down in blog form.</p>
<p>Here is a brief accounting of what I've done:</p>
<ol>
<li>I attended the local beekeepers club last month (this month's meeting is this upcoming Thursday)</li>
<li>I ordered my equipment from <a href="http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/" target="">Brushy Mountain Bee Farm</a>
<ul>
<li>A traditional 8-frame medium beginners kit, which comes with:
<ul>
<li>A fully assembled hive with two 8-frame medium supers, the 16 frames to go in them, 16 wax foundation sheets to go in the frames, an entrance feeder, and an entrance reducer</li>
<li>A veil</li>
<li>A pair of gloves</li>
<li>A bee brush</li>
<li>A hive tool</li>
<li>A smoker and fuel</li>
<li>A basics DVD</li>
<li>and finally, a beginners book</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>A complete unassembled hive of the same style (though with different frame style – the BeeGinners kit came with grooved top and bottom bars, all others I ordered with grooved top and divided bottom bars)</li>
<li>An extra unassembled 8-frame medium box for each hive, with frames</li>
<li>A "regular" 8-frame deep box and frames to assist should I get my bees from a <abbr title="nucleus colony">nuc</abbr></li>
<li>An entrance feeder for the second hive</li>
<li>And a queen excluder (to assist in phasing out the deep box – so that I can standardized on medium equipment)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>I assembled all of my equipment last weekend (a week ago, not yesterday)</li>
<li>I began looking for a source of bees - it seems everyone is sold out this time of the season</li>
<li>Last Tuesday, I finally found some package bees at <a href="http://www.lookoutmountainhoneybees.com/" target="_blank">Lookout Mountain Honey Bees</a>, but they had already been in their packages for several days and I had to pick them up that day, so I…</li>
<li>Left work half an hour before I normally do on Tuesdays (I normally leave half an hour early so I can make it to Cub Scouts), and drove to Gadsden, AL to pick up two packages of honey bees (each package comes with about 3lbs of bees, a queen in a cage, and a can of syrup to keep them fed)</li>
<li>I installed them that night with my wife's help, in the dark, just before a thunderstorm - pretty much the exact opposite of best conditions for working with bees - but the bees were gentle and went into their new homes just fine. They each got a single box with the 8 frames that have foundation (from the assembled hive I ordered), as I haven't put the guide strips in the other frames yet. I filled their entrance feeders with 1:1 sugar syrup and went to bed</li>
<li>Each morning and evening I've refilled their feeders – they suck down quite a bit of syrup</li>
<li>Friday afternoon I opened each hive and pulled the queen cages (one cage was empty, the other contained a dead worker – both queens had been released) – the girls had been drawing comb nicely, and Hive 1, which I had thought was doing poorly, was actually doing better</li>
<li>I started adding green food coloring to the syrup so I can more easily see the level in the feeders and so that I can avoid taking capped syrup thinking it capped honey – I will maintain this unless I find compelling evidence to stop</li>
<li>This morning there was minimal activity in Hive 2 when I refilled the feeder, so one of a few things has happened (possibly more):
<ul>
<li>The bees, like me, are lazy and didn't want to be up so early</li>
<li>All the bees are dead or dying</li>
<li>The majority of the bees absconded, hanging around just long enough to build their strength</li>
<li>The majority of the bees absconded, but not before the queen left enough eggs to continue the hive</li>
<li>The queen died, some of the bees left, some stayed trying to raise a new queen</li>
<li>The package was mostly older workers and have just died off while they build up new workers (emerging later in 2.5 weeks at the earliest)</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ol>
<p>For those of you wondering, I have been stung five (5) times: once installation night, and once each morning and evening the first two days – each time it was my fault, for either not paying attention, moving too quickly, or both. I have not been stung since.</p>
<p>When I opened the hives on Friday, they were still drawing out comb on just a handful of frames, I will open the hives again this upcoming weekend and check them again. If it looks like they are doing well, I might put another box on, though I won't -need- to until the following Saturday (Friday afternoon would likely be safer). As that Sunday (19 April) is the earliest the first batch of brood will emerge, and the hive could get awfully crowded awfully fast. From what I understand, when starting from a package, from then until that point is like the initial uphill climb of a roller coaster. Your adult bees are having to do all the jobs until the new bees emerge, dying off the whole time, then there is a sudden explosion in colony population, then the remainder of those original workers die and your first generation is having to do all the work, but with new generations being born fairly constantly after that point.</p>
<p>This is an adventure I am enjoying, even though at this time it's simply extra chores (mixing sugar syrup and refilling the feeders) – I am looking forward to the rest of the adventure though.</p>
Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0Sudie, Georgia 30157, USA33.8673266 -84.8413285000000318.3452920999999982 -126.14992250000003 59.3893611 -43.532734500000032tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-68741482844004284912014-12-21T12:36:00.001-05:002014-12-21T12:36:39.155-05:00A Time of Change<p>At <time datetime="2014-12-21T15:57-05:00">5:57pm EST today</time> something amazing will happen. The tilt of the earth with respect to the sun will be as far as it's going to go in this direct this year. In the Northern hemisphere, we call this event the Winter Solstice (it's the Summer Solstice in the Southern hemisphere). Tonight will be the longest night of the year. Tomorrow night, will be shorter, and the next shorter still, and so on until mid-June at the next solstice. Though the shorter nights won't be noticeably shorter for a few days yet.</p>
<p>All over the world, for as long as people have looked at the sky and took notice of the changes, they have recognized this time as special. We place significance on this time of year. Those from more northern areas celebrate the return of longer days, while those closer to the equator can see the change in the movement of the stars. Many believe this is a time of miracles and magic. Others celebrate the birth of their god. Christian faiths teach that it was at this time that the magi noticed a new star in the sky, geosynchronous over the area of Jerusalem - there is a reason these men were looking up.</p>
<p>No matter what faith you claim, if any, this is a time of change, a time of interest. Recognize it how you will, and realize others may recognize it differently. If they wish you well, accept it for the intent, and return the well-wishes.</p>
<ul>
<li>Merry Christmas!</li>
<li>Happy Hanukkah!</li>
<li>Glad Yule!</li>
<li>Happy Holidays!</li>
<li>Good Afternoon!</li>
<li>Happy New Year!</li>
</ul>
<p>Each of these, though framed from different points of reference, mean the same thing - a sincere wish of better times for you and yours.</p>
Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-70924916719463234362014-12-12T07:02:00.000-05:002014-12-12T07:12:28.772-05:00Tech Support Charges<p>It has been 10 years since I stopped doing professional tech support. So here's some new policy for calling me with tech support issues:</p>
<ul>
<li>If you're one of my grandparents, none of this applies to you - we have (or will work out our own arrangements)</li>
<li>If you work for my employer, and this is an emergency issue, and I'm on call, you're in luck, they pay me to fix your issue, though be ready to hear that it might have to wait until morning.</li>
</ul>
Otherwise:
<ul>
<li>+$80/hour, 1 hour minimum, 15min intervals after the first hour</li>
<li>+$5/mile if I have to actually drive to your house to fix it</li>
<li>+$50 if there is an error, I google the exact error message, and the solution is on the first page of results (an extra +$50 if it's in the top 3 non-paid results)</li>
<li>+$50 if you wake me up. My alarm goes off at 4:30 every morning, I need what sleep I can get (an extra +$50 if it's not an emergency)</li>
<li>+$50 if it's your own fault and you should have known better</li>
<li>+$50 if there is no way I could know the answer ("what's my password")</li>
<li>+$100 if there is a free help desk included with the service and you haven't even attempted to call it (if you tell me you have, and I have to call them, I will ask, and that will cost you another $250 for -really- wasting my time if you lied to me about calling)</li>
<li>+$50/device involved, if I have to <em>actually</em> tell you to restart or turn it off and back on again and that solves the issue</li>
</ul>
<p>There's a chance that I'll just tell you how to fix it and will wave some or even all of the fees, it depends on multiple factors, including your history as a client. This is not a joke, if you get a bill from me listing charges at the above rates, I fully expect payment.</p><p><br></p><p>Rates subject to change. </p>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-57209991666959215942014-07-04T09:36:00.000-04:002014-07-04T09:36:26.546-04:00Independence Day<p>July 4, 1776 is the date 13 newly independent States placed at the top of their divorce paper. The decision had been made two days earlier on July 2. The war had been going on for over a year at this point. Work had already been started drafting the "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union", which we operated under until they were replaced wholesale by The United States Constitution in 1788.</p>
<p>Most people today who were raised within these united States were educated in schools run by the States and regulated by Union. As such, we are led to believe that the Revolution was supported by the majority. It was not. It was supported only by a vocal minority, with an even smaller active minority. However, those vocal (and active) about continuing the existing relationship with the British Empire were a similarly sized minority. The vast majority of Americans grumbled about taxes, but didn't much want radical change, either; they were concerned with their own lives, keeping their families fed, and not being dragged into the war raging on around them. To most people, it didn't much matter who was in charge as, to their eyes, it didn't much affect their day-to-day lives.</p>
<p>This day, we celebrate our independence from the British Empire, officials of our current government will give speeches telling us how good it is to be "Free". To have liberated ourselves from such an oppressive government. The officials of the modern governments of this union should be hiding in shame. They give speeches today to distract us from the fact that our current government is worse than the one from which that minority declared independence (and I am not just talking about the current POTUS, as things were bad long before he or his predecessor took their Oath of Office).</p>
<p>Today, go forth and spend time with your family, friends, and neighbors; remember that today is the date we filed our divorce papers with our oppressive government and that if we hit that tipping point, if thing get bad enough, if the oppressed realize they have a common enemy, it may become necessary to dissolve the political bands that bind us, to alter or abolish the current government and institute a new, to file for another divorce.</p>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-70246213323387558342014-04-14T09:06:00.001-04:002014-04-14T09:06:49.797-04:00Inward-to-Outward FocusOne thing that continues to amaze me is how different things could be if we changed our <span title="that's right, double clarification square brackets!">[individual, and [various levels of] collective]</span> focus. Right now, we are too focused on trying to fix (or give the appearance of fixing) everyone else, with the further away the better.<br />
<br />
If we reorder our focus, many things could be improved, including the lives of those further away. Focus first on the self, you can't help anyone (at least well) if you are in lacking in that area yourself. Then your family, your neighbors, your local community, your city, your greater local community/county, your state, your nation, and then finally, those in other nations.<br />
<br />
Different levels of assistance can be at different stages depending on needs and what's covered; for instance, we're pretty good on fresh+clean water in most of the country, so we can assist other countries with getting fresh+clean water. Food, on the other hand is a little different. We have people that will donate money to purchase food for other countries (too much of which never makes it to the people who need it) while their neighbors are living on ramen noodles and peanut butter.<br />
<br />
If you want to feed the hungry, reduce your spending, increase your health, increase your happiness, and improve the environment, then grow a garden. By doing so, you remove your demand on the food supply systems, increasing supply and lowering costs for those who need it. Additionally, you will have surplus you can give to neighbors or the local community. By producing your own food, you lower the cost of feeding yourselves and potentially gain an income. Food is never better for you than when it is harvested and consumed at it's peak; by growing your food, you increase your nutritional intake greatly. Further, gardening can be a constructive, stress-relieving activity, increasing psychological health and happiness. Finally, growing plants is beneficial to the earth, especially if done so with keeping care of the earth in mind.<br />
<br />
When it comes to finances, this inward-to-outward approach is even more critical, especially in our modern money-centric society. If you are in debt to your eyeballs, you can't help anyone financially, at least not in any significant manner. Once you've squared yourself and your family away, focus on the local community. The less is needed at one level, the less of a burden it places on the level containing it. For instance, if your city/community has few demands on it, then it can begin paying off it's own debt, as well as planning for more solid investments (for instance, being able to pay the extra money for park equipment that will last 25 years as opposed to 10). It also places a lesser financial burden on the county at large. As the county approaches a similar position, it has the same effect on the state.<br />
<br />
The best thing about this method is that it only requires individual action. It coerces no one. If you grow a garden and pay off your debts, you improve the lives of those around you, even if they make different choices. You begin to lead by example, and can share your methods (as well as produce, or surplus funds) with others without worry of negative impact on your life.<br />
<br />
There is no downside.Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-48727005154359932112013-12-20T06:28:00.002-05:002013-12-20T06:29:43.362-05:00Thrice Three Years AgoThrice Three Years Ago, something wonderful happened.<br />
Like the strands in celtic knotwork, a path and my own had crossed many times, but carried on, never remaining together,<br />
until this day, thrice three years ago.<br />
<br />
Thrice Three Years Ago, something truly happened.<br />
The orlæg of she who's had only crossed before, had merged with my own. We spoke our Oaths to one another, splicing the threads of our lives,<br />
on this day, thrice three years ago.<br />
<br />
Thrice Three Years Ago, something amazing happened.<br />
My Life became More. My Self became More. My Future became More. It all started renewed<br />
of a morning this day, thrice three years ago.Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-63559254828174017172013-11-05T07:53:00.001-05:002013-11-05T07:53:20.088-05:00The New Guy Fawkes Night<a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AGuyFawkesMask.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="By Kigsz (Own work) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons"><img alt="Guy Fawkes Mask" height="200" src="//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/92/GuyFawkesMask.jpg/256px-GuyFawkesMask.jpg" title="Guy Fawkes Mask" width="167" /></a><br />
<h2>
The New Guy Fawkes Night</h2>
<div>
I remember, remember the 5<sup>th</sup> of November,<br />
The Gunpowder treason and plot;<br />
But things take on new meanings,<br />
And political leanings,<br />
And reasons they are taught.
</div>
Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-28600734944042642572013-10-31T08:58:00.000-04:002013-10-31T09:06:26.706-04:00On Halloween: Candy To/From Strangers<p>Tonight is Halloween, and already I have seen several references to the tradition of <q>Trick 'o Treat</q> as <q>giving candy to strangers</q>, <q>getting candy from strangers</q> (dependent upon perspective) or one of many other variants on different social media sites. The phraseology exposes some problems in our current society. Namely that either the tradition has evolved to include strangers, we no longer know our neighbours, or both.</p>
<p>Up until the last decade or two, we knew our neighbours. These were people we interacted with on a daily basis. Our kids all knew each other, and the parents knew each other as well. We knew the elderly across the street. When a new family moved in, we would introduce ourselves, even if not right away. On Halloween, the kids would go from door to door seeking treats, not from strangers, but from people they knew. Parents stayed home to meet the neighbourhood kids at their own door to treat them. Even if they weren't sure exactly who was behind the mask, it was the child of on of the neighbours, someone you knew.</p>
<p>At some point, though, we became reclusive. We stopped trusting our neighbours. Not because they became less trustworthy, but because we stopped interacting with them. We ceased introducing ourselves to the folks who moved in. We became surrounded by a sea so strangers. Suddenly, the kids weren't safe to go out by themselves on Halloween. Not because of any increased danger over yesteryear, but simply because we didn't <em>know</em>. The majority of doors knocked upon were those of strangers, through no fault but our own. Who is the child behind the mask? It could be anyone.</p>
<p>So, not realising what caused the problem in the first place, we began to come up with solutions. The most simple and best solution, getting to know your neighbours and community, was out of the question, why, those people could be <em>anyone</em>, they could even be <insert scary thing here>. So instead we broke the tradition further inventing things like <q>Trunk or Treat</q>, where parents drive their children to a predetermined location and the kids go from car to car collecting treats, always under the watchful eye of the parent.</p>
<p>Or, worse yet, we drive our kids to the so-called <q>good candy neighbourhoods</q>, a feat of which I am guilty myself. Though, at least in my case, only to neighbourhoods where I well knew at least one resident, and only because the area I currently live in is <q>Halloween Dark</q>, not many children here, so all the houses are dark and without many (if any) treats for any costumed kiddos, though we still visit the few neighbours that do have treats.</p>
<p>How can we fix this? Over the next year, get to know your neighbours. Build community. If you have a garden, give away your surplus (food is a great get-to-know-you). Have cookouts and barbecues. Someone has to start, don't wait for it to be the other guy. Your neighbourhood isn't scary, even on Halloween, unless you don't know your neighbours, and the only way to combat fear is knowledge.</p>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-22766452488526069622013-09-10T06:20:00.000-04:002013-09-10T06:20:43.743-04:00Dreams of K — Faechilder<p>Odd dream last night. Nikki and I had just moved in to our new house (still making it livable) and we walk away from the hallway we are working on and when we returned, we had additional children: triplets, a red-headed girl and identical twin blonde boys, around four or five, but with the articulation and abilities of seven or so years of age — they were painting the hall (the parts they could reach anyway). We now had four children, as we knew they were ours, even though we'd only had the one an hour ago.</p>
<p>The children were ours, though the twins didn't speak often, and we only had them from the autumnal equinox to the vernal. During the other half of the year they did not exist. In the dream we raised them, they were our children after all, and watched them grow up along with our year-round child. Though we did not remember them in the warmer months, when they were with us, we realized we only had them for half a year. We begged and prayed to keep our children, all of them, for the whole year, but our request fell upon deaf ears. Whatever being had placed these additional children in our life was only allowing us the half year we had, and no more.</p>
<p>The faechilder walk my dreams, and though I have washed the sand from my eyes the shadows of their footprints are still upon my heart. Hopefully, the dawn will burn away those shadows, as it often does the shadows of dreams. For all I know, I raised three fae last night, and if I did, I wish them well, and hope they remember the lessons they learned in that time.</p>
<p>Be careful what you wish for, what you say in passing, and rhetorically request, for the fair folk are all about us and always listening and should they find you worthy, just might grant you what you didn't even realize you were asking for. Their gifts may not always come with a price, but those that don't are far more complicated than they seem.</p>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-89353921292398018412013-06-30T18:15:00.000-04:002013-06-30T18:15:32.796-04:00What Does It Mean: DOMA Gutting<p><time datetime="2013-06-26">This past Wednesday</time> was my birthday, and some very momentous things happened that had a very real effect on a lot of people, but, like my birthday, it had absolutely no affect of most folks.</p>
<p>I'm talking, of course, about the <abbr title="Supreme Court of the United States">SCOTUS</abbr> opinions published that day. Centering around Proposition 8 in California and the definitions of ‘marriage’ and ‘spouse’ provided by the Defense of Mariage Act (DOMA).</p>
<a href="http://soot-happens.ksavalon.net/2013/06/what-does-it-mean-doma-gutting.html#more">Read more »</a>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-13292340210696044172013-04-14T20:47:00.000-04:002013-04-14T20:47:25.458-04:00RePost: Berserker<p>Below is a micro-story I wrote back in September of 2004 on my LiveJournal (<a href="http://fatesplaything.livejournal.com/118796.html">Original Link</a>). It was referenced today, so I figured I would repost it somewhere easier to find.</p>
<p>For those wondering, the [lack of] backstory post is <a href="http://fatesplaything.livejournal.com/119431.html">here</a>. Basically, there is no backstory, not officially. It was kept open to reader interpretation. The story came from what flashed through my head when I heard <q>Bodies</q> by Drowning Pool and tried to figure out what would take me to that level.</p>
<hr>
<h4>Berserker</h4>
<p>He walked into the house at a near run. On his way to the stairs he shouted to the man on the couch that the girls would be home soon and he needed to fix them something to eat. All he got in reply was a grunt from being forced to wake too early.</p>
<p>Once upstairs, he grabbed the small duffel he had sometimes used for short weekend trips. He put in a white sheet from the linen closet, then made his way to the closet. Pulling various things from the shelf behind the clothes, he strapped them onto his arms, legs or belt.</p>
<p>Before he left the room, he grabbed the necklace that bore the ring she had worn so many years before. Putting it on, he did run now, catching a confused look from the man, and answering it with a look to which the man could only nod.</p>
<p>By the time he made it back, he did not hear, and could only barely see. He dropped the bag, kissed her, and he squeezed her hand. As he stood, his eyes faded from the deep forest green they had been to a dull grey. He saw little except for the flash of a red bandanna on the kid running behind the building. They were the reason he was here, and they knew it.</p>
<p>He started with a slow walk. The first one still had the look of shock on the face that was, along with the rest of his head, severed from his body. He did not think, he only acted. One of them thought to aim a gun at him, only vaguely did he wonder if that one had felt the small throwing knife sink into the soft place in his throat. They were shouting at him, but he did not hear. Those that came to him were dead before they realized they didn't have the upper hand. Those that ran were followed, or fell from a knife in the knee or tendon.</p>
<p>One by one, those with the red bandannas fell. Knives, and other blades were discarded when they were no longer necessary. The last one tripped over her, the end result of their deed, and fell to the ground, tears streaming from his eyes as he prayed to his God and begged for mercy. What he got was the hilt of a seventeen-inch dirk sticking out from between his eyes where the blade had been driven home. Twenty-three had worn the bandanna. Twenty-three had done the deed. Twenty-three corpses were now in the backstreets and alleys they had once claimed.</p>
<p>With the white cotton sheet he pulled from the duffel he wrapped her lifeless form and lifted her from the ground. After carrying her back to the garden they had grown, he placed her on the bench they had placed there.</p>
<p>Pulling his last clean knife, a sgian dubh with their clan crest on the butt, he cut her a longstem red rose and placed it atop the sheet, already soaked with a red deeper than the petals of the rose.</p>
<p>He stepped inside the house and found his girls at the table with Tim cooking grilled cheese sandwiches not far away. Kneeling down, he hugged the two close, "Mommy won't be coming home, and Daddy's going to have to go away for a while." He ran his hands through their hair and kissed their foreheads. "Uncle T will take care of you until I get back."</p>
<p>He took the sgian dubh and placed it, along with the ring, on the table before the eldest of the girls, his First-Born. "Never forget who you are."</p>
<p>He collected his things and walked towards the front door. "Take care of my girls, T, they are all I have left of her." With that, he opened the door and walked out, bag in hand, shutting it before the children could notice the red and blue flashing lights.</p>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-37398942083277485752013-01-08T14:47:00.000-05:002013-01-08T14:56:17.113-05:00Frugal Living 2: Food Frugality<p>In an online "discussion" (<a href="http://politics.slashdot.org/story/13/01/07/2347206/">link</a>) on taxes, food stamps, "fair share", government spending, and other semi-related things that typically get brought up in such "discussions", I came across someone making the statement that <q cite="http://politics.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3364885&cid=42514117">Eating fresh, healthy, unprocessed food is expensive and a luxury.</q></p><p>It does nott matter if you fall to the left, right, or centre when it comes to fiscal matters; that someone would make (and believe) such a statement is wrong on many levels. Including in those levels the fact that government subsidies (such as those for corn) has driven the cost of "junk food" well below where it should be. Further, people have forgotten how <i>easy</i> it is to grow "fresh, healthy unprocessed food", and even if you include the cost of preserving it for later use, it is still far more <i>inexpensive</i> to grow and store your own food than it is to purchase it from the store; at least for the items you can produce on your own.</p>
<a href="http://soot-happens.ksavalon.net/2013/01/FrugalLiving2Food.html#more">Read more »</a>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-42187432511785272052012-11-27T08:01:00.000-05:002012-11-27T08:01:05.219-05:00Insight: Selective PerceptionLast night a number of recent conversations culminated in some very reflective dreams. originally, I was going to write a long blog post about family, and may yet do that, just not today. It was going to be about the different kinds of family, with a portion dedicated to "the family we choose" and how, over the years, most of my family of this type has dwindled to nothing before I realized what they were.<br>
<a href="http://soot-happens.ksavalon.net/2012/11/insight-selective-perception.html#more">Read more »</a>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com1Lilburn, GA, USA33.8901036 -84.142971933.863730100000005 -84.182453900000013 33.9164771 -84.1034899tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-76614412575650195942012-11-25T00:03:00.000-05:002012-11-25T00:16:59.551-05:00Frugal Living 2: Extreme Couponing<p>At the grocery store tonight I got stuck behind a Couponer. I was reminded of what it is I dislike about the whole "Extreme Couponing" phenomenon. It perpetuates the illusion(delusion?) that how much you are saving is more important than how much you are spending.</p><a href="http://soot-happens.ksavalon.net/2012/11/frugal-living-2-extreme-couponing.html#more">Read more »</a>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0Lilburn, GA, USA33.8901036 -84.142971933.863741600000004 -84.182453900000013 33.9164656 -84.1034899tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-69485544557695939382012-05-10T09:33:00.000-04:002012-05-10T09:33:06.612-04:00MilestonesIn just under four dozen days, I will have been on this earth two and a half dozen years.<br />
<br />
Somewhere in those 0z40 days I'm going to have to write a post as to why I prefer dozenal over decimal, but for now, just understand that dozenal ages make for great milestones.<br />
<ul>
<li>At a half-dozen years, I started the first grade, and, more importantly IMO, Cub Scouts.</li>
<li>At a dozen years of age, I was given my first [pellet] rifle and taught to shoot.</li>
<li>At a dozen and a half years of age, I graduated High School, became recognised as a legal adult and eligible to vote in elections.</li>
<li>[Incidentally, the legal drinking age in this state is one and three-quarter dozen years old.]</li>
</ul>
You can see why this makes for great milestones; well, as stated above, I will be two and a half dozen years old fairly soon, so it's time to assess where I am, and, more importantly, where I want to be in six years.<br />
<br />
<div>
Here's where I am:<br />
<ul>
<li>The Good:</li>
<ul>
<li>I'm married to the love of my life</li>
<li>I have a smart, handsome son</li>
</ul>
<li>The Bad:</li>
<ul>
<li>I'm broke</li>
<ul>
<li>Over $40k (decimal, not dozenal) in debt</li>
<li>No House</li>
<li>Currently living with / renting from my mother</li>
<li>Car that constantly needs fixing</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<li>The Ugly:</li>
<ul>
<li>I'm obese (I weigh well over two gross pounds, and I consider two gross too gross)</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
So, where do I want to be in six years? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Well, I want the parts that are currently good to stay that way, if not improved upon (growing the family would be nice).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I want to be in shape, 0z160lbs would suit me just fine if it was muscle instead of fat. I want to be able to do all the things a human should be able to do (pull myself up onto a ledge, walk around Stone Mountain at a decent clip without getting winded, etc). Barring injury, I want to have participated in a few Highland Games.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
As for the improving my financial state, I need to be in my own house. I don't want to be in any more debt than I am now (including any mortgage). I want a new vehicle, one that I can do some of the maintenance on myself (I'm currently too fat to change my own oil).</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've got a long way to go, but I'm constantly working towards becoming debt free, self-reliant, and fit; while maintaining honour & integrity, improving happiness, and decreasing negative stress.</div>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com1Atlanta, GA, USA33.7489954 -84.387982433.6433744 -84.5459109 33.8546164 -84.2300539tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-71459635003387912162012-02-01T08:00:00.000-05:002012-02-01T08:53:27.698-05:00KUpdate!<p>I tried to start back to my paleo/primal diet at the beginning of the year, and it lasted for a little over half the month of January before we hit a snag with the finances. So, I was eating grains and other such foods I should be staying away from for the later half of the month as they were already in the pantry. As of this morning, I am officially back to the low-carb lifestyle. Also, as of yesterday morning, I am back to taking my multi-vitamin of choice.<p>
</p></p><a href="http://soot-happens.ksavalon.net/2012/02/kupdate.html#more">Read more »</a>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com2Lilburn, GA, USA33.8901036 -84.142971933.863730100000005 -84.182453900000013 33.9164771 -84.1034899tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-34948828457435725212012-01-31T08:00:00.000-05:002013-10-12T07:45:52.104-04:00Baked Scotch Eggs [Paleo Friendly]<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kenzal/10223921436/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Scotch Eggs by ksavalon, on Flickr"><img alt="Scotch Eggs" height="200" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7335/10223921436_75185f3810_m.jpg" width="150"></a>Time for another recipe post, this time for baked <strong>scotch eggs</strong>, one of my favourite paleo-friendly foods. I was initially taught how to make them by Pam Kohler-Camp of <a href="http://andsarahlaughed.com/">And Sarah Laughed Pottery</a>, who is like a second mother to me. They are dead simple to make and can be altered to fit your dietary requirements… maybe… as long as you can still eat eggs, I'm pretty sure you can find vegan sausage out there, but I'm going to stick to meat.<br>
<a href="http://soot-happens.ksavalon.net/2012/01/baked-scotch-eggs-paleo-friendly.html#more">Read more »</a>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com2Lilburn, GA, USA33.8901036 -84.142971933.863741600000004 -84.182453900000013 33.9164656 -84.1034899tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-79360116513196629382012-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:002012-02-01T08:53:37.080-05:00Electoral College – The Last Bastion of State Power<p>The Electoral College is probably the most debated aspect of our election process by those who are aware of its existence. You will find many articles and arguments on the internet calling for it's removal; I say most of these are by people who either a) don't understand why it exists or b) understand why it exists but believe in having a powerful central government rather than a limited one. Here you will find my views on the subject and some of my arguments on why we should keep the Electoral College, and perhaps strengthen it with a repeal of <a href="http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html#23">the 23rd Amendment</a>, which, I am proud to say, was never ratified by my home state of Georgia.</p>
<a href="http://soot-happens.ksavalon.net/2012/01/electoral-college-last-bastion-of-state.html#more">Read more »</a>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com1Lilburn, GA, USA33.8901036 -84.142971933.863741600000004 -84.182453900000013 33.9164656 -84.1034899tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-77185260930805834832012-01-16T15:27:00.000-05:002012-02-03T08:19:01.284-05:002012 Goals<p>Okay, stealing the idea for this post from <a href="http://www.shawnstratton.info/">Shawn Stratton's Blog</a> and his post of the <a href="http://www.shawnstratton.info/2012-goals/">same title</a>, I am posting a list of my major goals for the year (along with some of the minor ones). Like Shawn, I don't really do New Year Resolutions all that often, but I do set goals and swear oaths.</p>
<p>As the below goals get completed, they may be replaced with newer goals. This is especially true of the <a href="#health">Health & Fitness</a> and <a href="#pro">Professional</a> goals.</p>
<a href="http://soot-happens.ksavalon.net/2012/01/2012-goals.html#more">Read more »</a>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-66401464568630165922012-01-11T21:42:00.000-05:002012-02-01T08:54:16.323-05:00What's Cooking: Steak & Onions<p>Evening, folks. I'm going to try a new segment called <q>What's Cooking</q>, where I will share what I'm cooking, and how I'm doing it. I will also try to post pictures to a web album, so you visual people can get a better idea of what's going on.</p>
<p>Tonight's dish is <q>Steak & Onions</q> which is one of the things we do with the <q>London Broil</q>(Top Round) that comes as part of our package from the meat market. This is about as simple as we make it, as we always have onions in the house. Feel free to add mushrooms or strips of peppers to this dish, we do. This dish is a low-carb dish and is suitable for paleo/primal diets/lifestyles.</p>
<a href="http://soot-happens.ksavalon.net/2012/01/whats-cooking-steak-onions.html#more">Read more »</a>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0Lilburn, GA, USA33.85188457907509 -84.11201477050781233.825509579075089 -84.151496770507819 33.878259579075092 -84.0725327705078tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-11283465627610245292012-01-10T12:11:00.000-05:002012-02-01T08:54:23.817-05:00Cast Iron Skillets<p>As I get back into my paleo/primal/low-carb diet/lifestyle after a break of a few months, which I realise now was a <em>huge</em> mistake, I realise I should do an article on cast iron cookware, specifically, the skillets that I use to prepare so much of my food. This morning, the small skillet was finally re-seasoned to the point that not a bit of egg stuck. So, I feel now is the perfect time to go over the care and use of cast iron skillets.</p>
<a href="http://soot-happens.ksavalon.net/2012/01/cast-iron-skillets.html#more">Read more »</a>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30217930.post-23456176924396617452012-01-06T11:06:00.000-05:002012-12-11T12:17:39.012-05:00Spaghetti Meat-Sauce [Paleo Friendly]Greetings folks, I know it's been a while, so I thought I would post a recipe of mine. My famous Cheap & Easy Spaghetti Meat-Sauce recipe. It's not quite ‘from scratch’ as it uses sauce packets, making it easy for those of you getting started in your adventures in cooking. Keep in mind, this is a thick meat sauce (almost like a chili), and is hearty enough to be eaten alone for those of you on low-carb diets, such as Paleo or Primal.<br>
<a href="http://soot-happens.ksavalon.net/2012/01/spaghetti-meat-sauce-paleo-friendly.html#more">Read more »</a>Kenzalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05801208286634991251noreply@blogger.com0Atlanta, GA, USA33.848748170607671 -84.377574920654333.835561170607669 -84.3973159206543 33.861935170607673 -84.3578339206543