The Viability of Monogamy

CNN published an article on the viability of monogamy, which was likely intended to inflame. There was a good point or two, for instance:

"[Americans] think if an affair happens, it's the end of the story, the fairy tale has been completely shattered, the person isn't the person we thought they were. The knee-jerk reaction is you have to get a divorce," Druckerman said.

"[In France,] there's less of a sense that the person who cheats is a terrible human being or that this is a marker of a person's whole character."

Perhaps that's the Puritanical character of the country showing up. And yet, even saying that it's bad, it still happens—the forbidden fruit must have the most attraction.

Well, I suppose the people who get the most bent out of shape when a partner cheats are the ones who have the lowest self-esteem. In that case, infidelity impacts the person's self-image. I would think that most people who have an affair do so not to hurt their partner. On one hand, if the expectation is total fidelity, then a breach is a violation of trust. On the other hand, one could view it as "no harm, no foul", or that one has to do things to make oneself happy. I would define the line between the pursuit of happiness and hedonism as the presence of patience and circumspect in the former, and wanton shortsightedness in the latter.

Maybe. I haven't hit that seven-year itch yet.

rsync Algorithm

Cool.

.950 JDJ

I just read about the .950 JDJ. That is one badass caliber! The trail of links that led to me finding this: was checking out the Tactilite .50BMG conversion, and the owner has a blog, upon which he posted a blurb about the 0.95. The post links to another guy's blog, which has a teaser picture and links to other source of information: a picture of the rifle, a McBros 95, and a picture of the ammo. The Guns Lot comments included text from Wikipedia that's enlightening. One guy commented that "20mm shits on that", except that the .95 is 24.1mm. Granted, the .95 bullet weighs 230g and goes 670m/s, whereas the Vulcan 20mm is 100g and goes 1030m/s, so the Vulcan has slightly higher muzzle energy.

Apparently SSK Industries has another cartridge that has a "sporting use" exemption: the 14.5mm JDJ (.585). And here I thought the .50 was the biggest cartridge that didn't require an NFA tax stamp (for a Destructive Device). Sweet!!

Edit [2012.03.11]: The 14.5mm JDJ link moved.

Bohica

Just when I was thinking about ordering a FAR-50 from Bohica Arms, I noticed that the website no longer listed Primal Rights on the front page as the official accessories store. So I found on the Primal Rights' forum that they'd had a falling out with Bohica. The thing that bugs me is that Bohica isn't shipping orders to PR even though they were already paid for. It sucks to screw one's customers over—even though they bought through PR, they were buying Bohica products.

I'd thought about getting an ALS, and right before I pulled the trigger on it, news of two kabooms showed up in the news. The way ALS isn't coming clean on the circumstances of the "safety recall" kind of rubs me the wrong way.

The one left that I'd be interested in is the Ferret-50, mostly because people are winning competitions with them. It's spendy and not very attractive, though. Or I could go ahead and try ordering the FAR-50, since at least that didn't involve a safety issue. Fuck, why do things have to be so difficult?

Libertarian Publications

I've been looking for a copy of 101 Things to Do 'Til the Revolution by Claire Wolfe, but can't seem to locate non-used copies for a reasonable price. I hope it's not out of print, but it sure seems that way. The publisher is Loompanics, which according to Wikipedia has gone out of business and Paladin Press, publisher of The Ultimate Sniper, has picked up some of the titles. Unfortunately they don't appear to be as bulk-purchase friendly as Loompanics was.

Incidentally, I found a scanned copy of the aforementioned book on Scribd. There's also an online bookstore called Laissez Faire Books that sells libertarian-type printed matter.

Apparently a revised version of the Wolfe book is available as The Freedom Outlaw's Handbook, published by Paladin Press.

Furthermore, a mirror of the apparently now-defunct clairewolfe.com exists. Fight on!

Composting

CNN had a rare useful article on how to compost.

Composting upgrades garden soil, keeps plants healthy, and can even lessen planet-unfriendly greenhouse gases. Here's how to do it.

It's not just for people in the sticks anymore: Composting is great for all gardeners because it improves soil, which in turn prevents plant diseases.

And it can even reduce harmful greenhouse gases.

"Organics that break down in a landfill produce methane gas, which is about 120 times more harmful than carbon dioxide," says Cary Oshins, assistant director for programs at the United States Composting Council, in Ronkonkoma, New York.

So why not help the planet and your yard by piling it on.

How to Get Started

Choose a container that's made of wood (or some other sturdy material) and no smaller than three by three feet. Place it in your yard in a shady spot with good drainage.

Start adding waste in a ratio of three "browns" to one "green."

Browns are carbon-rich materials and include wood chips, straw, branches, and leaves.

Greens provide nitrogen and include grass clippings and kitchen scraps, like eggshells and carrot tops.

When you're adding new material, Oshins suggests, dig a hole in the pile and stir the new stuff in so it gets coated with the old mixture.

How to maintain the pile

Composting is a smelly process.

You're breaking down food and yard waste, after all. But it shouldn't be so offensive that the neighbors complain.

If you notice a stench, make sure you have enough browns in the pile. (Ask a tree service or a landscaper for extra wood chips or brush.)

Also check the moisture level by grabbing a handful of the heap.

It should be at about 50 to 60 percent, meaning the compost feels like a wrung-out sponge.

If it's too dry, let rain even out the moisture. If it's too wet, add a few more browns.

How to tell if the compost is ready

When it's ready for use, which could take anywhere from a few months to a year, compost looks and smells like very dark soil.

If you're unsure, put it to the baggie test: Place a small amount in a plastic bag and take a whiff before sealing.

Then place the bag in a drawer for a few days.

When you open the bag, the sample should smell the same as it did before. If it smells worse, your compost needs more time in the pile.

ヘルシオ

Apparently Sharp has released a version of the Healthio in the U.S. under the name SuperSteam. Amazon sells it for about $950 for the stainless model.

Sharp also makes appliances such as a funky drawer-type microwave, a cooktop/oven combination unit, and a range hood.

Steve D. strikes it rich

A Newsweek article on the App Store Millionaire.

E. Coli Burgers

The New York Times ran an article on how ground beef can be contaminated E. Coli. (A copy that doesn't require login....)

Just cook it to 165 degrees and you'll be fine!

Original Intent

I found this website called Original Intent that has some interesting articles on various base legal topics, such as the origin of government authority, constitutional law, etc. The one I was looking for was regarding the basis of state sales tax. It wasn't readily apparent by reading the law itself what's covered, much less what authority gives them the right to lay claim to a piece of every transaction.