Happy circus and peanuts day!

May our federal pizza party lull you into complacency and out of revolution! (I’m personally enjoying a BBQ with friends/family and chilling by a bonfire as the world burns)

Enjoy your Day with friends and family! in the spirit iof celebration here is a hidden gem that's been a staple in my circle for well over a decade. The illusive SLIMER

How exciting! DAkkPOSTING today :-)

 I am proud to share with you my FIRST solar project. By any metric it is absolutely nothing to write home about but to ME in just the beginning, the ground floor. MY favorite thing about doing silly projects is imagining, executing, failing, learning and growing with the expanding and refining on the concepts at hand. You always learn a lot of the journey and failure is a part of the eventual success. ALL THAT TO SAY THIS-- I completed my first solar project and the scalability potential is uncapped! Today it is just some lighting for my kids playhouse, tomorrow lighting for MY HOUSE. 

But nonetheless I have accomplished a small feat. A like with all small steps they eventually add up to a big journey. The ENDGAME on my journey is discovery is partial or total electrical grid self-sustainability. So who knows....in the future I may refer back to this day as I'm saving money and helping the environment.

I love DIY ethics

 

Put on your Tinfoil Hats-- We have some Prepper nonsense coming at you

 I'm not Mr. Doom and Gloom, I'm not Mr. Paranoia. I wouldn't say I'm Mr. Don't-trust-your-neighbor, but I definitely would say I'm Mr. Be-prepared. I don't mind getting side-eyes or snickers, I mind starvation and no actionable response. So like with backpacking, like with film production, like with anything I do-- I. Am. Prepared. It is foolish to assume you will rise to the situation because the reality is, when the time comes for ANYTHING, you don't rise but you fall... to your level of preparation. I do RIDULOUS amounts of prep work on any project I am involved with and contingency is my best friend which is why I am typically not caught with my pants down. At the end of the day luck is only an intersection of opportunity and preparation-- not just blind chance from Life's RNG. 

All of that ^ is to say this: If you continue reading I've got some fun videos I'm stumbled across related to the umbrella terms of: EDC, DIY, and prepping. Do please come and check it out though, it is quite amusing and who knows..... could save your life.

"Well Gee that's kinda neat": A dad's guide to randomly cool projects

 I would like to start off by saying, this is INCREDIBLY random. I mean TECHNICALLY speaking a majority of the nonsense I post falls into that category here but this is... I guess especially the case here? IDK, I just work here (sometimes).

....ok, well maybe not. In fact technically this perfectly aligns with the style and gumption that I have always done (which is post stuff I think is interesting OR memes OR my fun adventures), but it has come to my attention that I have unmistakably and undeniably gravitated away from that (I mean c'mon, when was the last time I did a MEME round-up? (...I'm too busy $-!t posting them on my FB these days). But here are a few articles realllllll quick I'd like to share that involve DIY ethics. It's only three, nothing ot break the bank OR string you along though......continue reading to enjoy some sweet sweet guilty pleasures

PO-TA-TOS..... Boil em, Mash em, stick em inna stew

So I don't usually Diet..... I don't do diets, I dont drink diet, hell.....I don't body build or exercise unless I have to. I am so unfamiliar with the gym I call it James, but recently that is changing. I am not the young adult I once was..... Can't go on extended benders, can't eat acidic foods past 8pm, and can't have a diet which has 0 repercussions anymore. Lately I've been on a roll and eating a roll so my weight and gut have been racking up. Where I once was a nice 145 with a small bit of toned muscle and a slimmer waste (no gut) I have devolved into a cliche dad bod. Needless to say I have been on a semi-serious (well really not so serious) search for a good way to slim down and wind the clocks back. The past month I have increased and regimented and exercise plan and have been doing that with the sole intent of increasing my cardio and losing my gut. I also have been eating better and eating less later in the night. In actuality I am just reverse engineering the factors that led to my dilemma and while it is a slow road I would definitely still meet my target Goal. That's the prologue though, I needed to give a back story so this wouldn't seem like such a left field article. Again I typically am against dieting and body building if it isnt necessary. Fast forward to 4 days ago..... I'm just doing internet surfing like I usually do to decompress after a long work day (apartment maintainance and the general public can take a lot out of you) and I'm watching some Joe Rogan clips on youtube and I see this video:

That's where some gears started churning, and I got excited.... This is exactly the kind of thing I need. So here is my testimonial so far..... (continue to keep reading)

Things you appreciate only when you're getting older and becoming lame: Different ways to use a dryer sheet (20 tbe)

So.... in my aging wisdom I am always looking for life hacks to make the day to day grind easier. Five years ago I would've scoffed at myself for considering to blog about this. But that was also before I had been married, bought a house, decided to have a child and had a slightly unrealistic grasp on the world. Anyways....blah blah blah, got older and a littlle lamer....broadened my horizons and have embraced more things, new things, well- different things. ANYWAYS, getting off topic, this bring me here...excited. Talking about Dryer sheets, because it's gangsta...

Read on for this exciting article titled

"20 Ingenious Ways To Use Dryer Sheets Around The House That Save People A Fortune"

some light reading on Earth Day

Happy Earth day everybody!

Over here in Michigan today has been an absolute treat. Been doing yardwork and basking in the delightful rays. Today I also had the opportunity to record a video blog about wrestling, simply splendid. But fugitaboutit, we be blogging yooooooo. So in that spirit here are a few articles that will hopefully get your goat. so here weeeee go.

1.  How to be badass on a HELLO KITTY drumset

Ok, so this article is in no way a DIY instructional. I'm sorry if you feel I've mislead you. What this article is though is a gateway to the video that is as comical as it is talented. Watch Mike Portnoy kick out the jams on this childish instrument of satan! If you want to read the article you can do so HERE
or if you just want to skip right to the video click below

via METALSUCKS.NET

2. Pit yourself against another 

(computer)

Bewitched .com has a chess game that you can play against a supposed virtual intelligence (not possible at this point in civilian history but I still had to check it out) and it is pretty on point. The 4 games I played (not that that should be any indication of any skill on my part) I lost so maybe you take a stab at it? If you succeed leave a comment below and tell me about it!

Click here to playyyyyy a game (hehe...wargames) via bewitched.com

Got a few more too, just click and continue to get you blog on!

Matt Damon would be proud: day 1 of the potato experiment

Today is day 1 of my potato experiment. I am following a modified version of this video. In about 2 months time we should be able to harvest and I have no idea what to expect. I am on this indoor gardening kick and this is all a part of it.

Today I also did another experiment. I recycled my onion for another round (hopefully). If you want an endless onion supply allegedly alls you have to do is grow an onion normally. When it comes time to harvest the onion you have to cut out the bulb

Beneath the onion there is this, the bulb. I read that once you plant it, a new onion will grow. The outer layers you had to cut in order to get to the bulb can be eaten normally after they are properly cured. 

If my memory serves me right......if you take the stalk and plant it you can get green onions. Again though.... time will tell. updates in due time

DIY ARTICLE!!!!!! Hobbit holes and more

1. How To Build A Five Gallon Bucket Hydroelectric Generator

This generator is easy to build and easy to maintain. The way that this 5 gallon bucket hydroelectric generator was constructed was to use common martial that most people could get there hands on. Most of the components used in the generator are readily available just about anywhere in the world. A 5-gallon bucket should be your base and the rest will easily fall into place.

2. Two Uses for Vinegar!!!!! yay

I know, how exciting right? Of all the articles on all the topics I have found the most interesting one! because vinegar has only 2 uses....... (sarcasm)

3.  100-Year-Old Way to Filter Rainwater in a Barrel

A tattered, 4-inch thick, 1909 book I happily secured for $8 in a thrift store reveals, among umpteen-thousand other every-day skills, how to make homemade water filters. The instructions in “Household Discoveries and Mrs. Curtis’s Cookbook” are quite basic as everyone had a rain barrel back then and presumably knew how to clean the water. Now, 104 years later, I am thankful the authors had the foresight to preserve their knowledge for us, and pointed out that rainwater collected in barrels from a roof is a necessity in some locations, but also is best for laundry and “often more wholesome for drinking purposes than hard water.”

Last but never least!

4. The hobbit hole project!

BONUS VIDEO!

Mega article yo yo yo

1.Tasteful Rain Boxes: A DIY guide for a cute gift.

A cute little open sourced project. A wonderful lil personal gift for any ocassion. Or simply, a project if you get bored....... THE DIY RAINBOX, otherwise known as a tempescope .

(vua tempescope.com)



2.A guide to homesteading while you're broke (in case that's your thing)

From the writers who brought you '$5 greenhouse' comes this nice little guide/blog for homesteading. If you've got the balls for this kind of thing then I say go for it. There is nothing more fulfilling then living off the land. I'm slowly going to implement this in my ranch home when we buy it. So here it is...... Homesteading when you're briz-oke and another piece of that pie
see also:
offgridquest,com
newlifeonahomestead.com/


3.A video every young person to should see: Understand consent with stick figures and a cup of tea.

You know I joke a lot and have virtually no moral compass when it comes to comedy but let us take an aside. This is serious issue, 1 out of every 6 american (statistically speaking) has been a victim of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime. That's alarming, seriously. The statistic doesn't stop at women either. Children are victims, men are victims. The point is mutual respect is a big deal in a world of conflicting perspectives and a value of life should be understood by everybody. Please show this and share this video or page or both, if only to raise some awareness. If you think about it, there is a chance this issue hits close to home in your family of friend circle. and learning can be as easy as a cup of tea!

Breaktime........enjoy this little chuckle

4. IRS dubs 'First Church of cannabis' a nonprofit

Full blown legalization or at the very least national decriminalization is going to happen in our lifetime. It will, no doubt. All the proponents and all the benefits are starting to outweigh the bogus studies, social stigmas, conservative thinking and flat-out smear campaigning attached to marijuana. So in the end this little win may be for nothing but it is a still a step in the right direction. Indiana will definitely be close watched when they open their doors. No matter how you feel on the subject morally it is a win religiously (if that sort of thing concerns you).

"The designation means donors can deduct gifts to the church on their federal tax returns if they itemize and the church is eligible for a property-tax exemption in Indiana. The organization has raised $10,905 in a gofundme.com solicitation but has not found a home yet.
 "What a GLORIOUS DAY it is folks," the founder and grand poohbah, Bill Levin, wrote May 26 in a Facebook post announcing the church's IRS approval as 501 (c) (3) charitable organization. "WE ARE 100% a LEGAL CHURCH. ... All say HALLELUJAH and SMILE REAL BIG! ... We are OFFICIAL!" -The source article

AND LASTLY!

5. Five Tibetan rites (at the very least it makes you feel great)

I started doing this about 5 days ago and already my body feels more flexible as well as less soar and achy. Even if it just the placebo effect I feel better as far as wellbeing goes, or at the very least this might just be budget physical therapy. Either way I'd recommend trying these.

Here's the source article that gives a run down on the 5 rites

6. Because who needs sleep: The lost disney UFO documentary

7. What a whacky, weird, wild and whimsical key.......IT BENDS!

Moving past things that aren't creepy weird aliens comes this practical little invention. The flexible key!

"As YouTuber bosnianbill explains in the video, picking this lock cleanly – i.e. without cracking it open – poses a considerable challenge. "This is not going to be a lock-picking video," he admits, "simply because I cannot pick this lock." It's bears mentioning that bosnianbill's YouTube channel boasts upwards of 50,000 subscribers, and hosts over 600 lock-picking videos. This is a man whose idea of "cross-training" is to pick locks while mountain biking, which should tell you all you need to know about his prowess.
 With a standard pick, "I can only pick the first pin," he says. "Beyond that, I can't get the pick up inside of there." When he wonders aloud how such a lock might be picked, his answer is to show us the key. "You push the key and you'll actually inject it into the lock, it goes around those curves, and then it actually works, very smoothly... so that's how you get in there." -The source article

8. Are we ever going to develop FTL travel (That stands for 'Faster than Light' in case you didn't know....yo)? 

I say yes.....I also say not anytime soon. But I do have hope, we still use the most primitive form of propulsion known to man, a technique first discovered for use on fireworks so we are long overdue. Just waiting for theory to move into reality. The whole 'you can't beat the speed of light' thing is a real ball buster but saying 'can't' has never stopped humanity before (I'm looking at you luna). Either way this IO9.com article explores this issues with some interesting depth. Click HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE HERE (or any of the here's of this here or that here)

10. A fun lil' Comic Site: LeastIcouldDo.com

To commemorate the Life of Sir Christopher Lee this comic was released. It it but a mere example of the awesomeness that is this website. Might I also recommend 'LookingForGroup' if you like RPG humor.

LEASTICOULDDO.COM

WE GOT A LIVE ONE OVER HERE!!!!! (mega post about to roll out) ....btw...4 away from 300posts

1. 15 Pranks That You Can Pull Without Hurting Anyone

pretty self explanatory.... if you like shinanigans then this is for you.

click click click here here here

(how bout the old....replace stick deoderant with cream cheese gag...)

2. F- U- 50 shades..... New chemical bond discovered

"Chemistry students around the globe are pretty familiar with ionic, covalent, hydrogen, and van der Waals bonds, but a study has demonstrated the existence of one more: vibrational bonding." --the article from IFLscience <--------learn more!


3. Breaking GoT news: 'the Mountain' is the strongest Viking in 1,000 years......IRL..for real

Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, best known for playing Gregor "The Mountain" Clegane in HBO's Game of Thrones adaptation, just broke a 1,000-year old Viking strength record by carrying a 640 kg (~1410 pound) log across his back for five steps. According to Viking legend, the previous record holder was Ormur Stórólfsson, who managed to carry the log (which was actually the mast of a Viking ship) for three steps before breaking his back and being forced to quit. via Geekologie via the parent article

LIKE.................a.....................BOSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4. Neil deGrasse Tyson Sounds The Alarm Over Science Illiteracy, And For Good Reason 

seen here looking like a boss, Neil DeGrasse Tyson weighs in on science literacy and measles.
me....personally..... I am just glad he liked Interstellar as much as I did...... F*** GRAVITY Neil!.... I'm right there with you (The movie not the concept BTW) ....opps -----> the link



5.Florida Makes Off-Grid Living Illegal

(click here or here or here or really....anywhere in this little area to read the source article... blah blah)
Now typically when I read some junk like this the skeptic in me comes out..... and I look for reasons to debunk and scrutinize and I try to check my sources and fact check the site too....anyways.... I did a two day search over this article, probably about 4 hours total, and I couldn't find anything debunking this...... and that is alarming..... normally you see something like this and it is blow out up context or just fearmongering but as far as I can tell......not this time. spread the word. shareholders and CEOs dont want your independence.



6. 7 reasons a Zombie OUTBREAK/Apocalypse would fail

We've all fantasized about a zombie apocalypse.... You know youve daydreamed about being a survivor like in the walking dead now let's let reality, science, and the cold-hard truth destroy those dreams...... Damn you logic (this article is brought to you by the lovely folks over at cracked.com)



8. Complete DIY Slow Biosand Filtration Guide, off grid water awaits!

Basic information on Slow Sand Filtration 

http://www.biosandfilter.org/biosandfilter/index.php/item/229 

Basics on Designing a Slow Sand Filter

http://www.lifewater.org/resources/rws3/rws3d3.pdf

Lots of resources from the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology

http://www.cawst.org/en/resources/pubs/

Another large guide from the Department of Health in Washington state, US.
www.doh.wa.gov/Portals/1/Documents/Pubs/331-204.pdf

 — with Martin Ceja.

^All provided from a Facebook link

9. I may have already posted this, but just in case......'The Mushroom/LSD Experience Explained & Explored'

"Anyone that has tried a psychedelic drug know that it’s impossible to fully explain the experience to someone who hasn’t tried one. The entertainment industry completelymisrepresents these experiences with dragons flying out of people’s faces and walls melting into nothing, which never occur even with strong doses. So, here is my best attempt at explaining the psychedelic experience."
-------nuff said------------if youve never done mushrooms------try em----unless youre allergic-----

DIY December: Some ittle lifehacks, re-purposing, and example of how Coca Cola is bad for you (but so delicious)

Hello Ery'body! I've got collecting some pretty nifty articles for the Do-it-Yourselfer in you. Mostly just cleaning related but thrifty and useful nonetheless. (I very much enjoy writing and finding these articles!)

To conserve space I'll include the first article and a brief list of some others but....CONTINUE READING for the Rest! (huzzah)

Other Articles:
=DIY Handwarmers
=Coca-cola universal everything!
=Lemonsssss and their uses
=Build an outdoor cat home so wild kitties don't freeze! (awwww)
...and more!



1.45 Uses For Lemons That Will Blow Your Socks Off

(via plantcaretoday.com)

------->(Here's the actual list)<-------

Bonus:

Article Mega-post: EVERYTHING MUST GO

Over periods of time I accumulate articles and things that peek my interest or things to talk about and/or weigh-in on. Every time I hunt for knowledge, or lore, or fact or fiction I bookmark my entries so I can come back to them at later times. MY hiatus was no different. I cataloged a decent amount of things both fresh and old. Hot topics and has-been discussions. Like this really cool Flower animation pictured above, I found that stumbling. I didn't know when or where or even how I was going to use it in the context of an article but here we are. So enclosed is a pretty Decent collection of Topics and such. Pick and choose what to persue but at least give all the titles a read.. It is pretty random afterall

So even in my absence of posting articles and what-not I was still perusing, searching, viewing, and cataloging future posts. I have an abundance of them so here is a Meta-post. It's The ocasional post containing a lot of posts....post. Let's get started!!!!

Article 1: 41 Camping hacks you'd wish you though of sooner

A nice article if you're a DIY enthusiast.

Continue reading for more article..... there's a bunch.

Awesome Sauce: fun for the whole family!

Scary/Vintage Halloween costumes

Because who needs to sleep easy at night right? Prior to modern times (1977?) before the internet and 3D printers and Slutty-Halloween-Costume-Mass-production people had to make their own trick or treating attire. Let me tell you how creative and down-right terrifying some of these things were.... intentional or not...

For all (zombie) Apocalypse enthusiast: Clean Water for Pennies A day

First of all I'd just like to point out this poiniant/miniscule/major point about this product: Plastic absorbs bacteria n such...something to think about.... anyways......

I just came across a nifty lil' condensation machine (that's what I'd call it at least)

It's called the WATERCONE and apparently it's been around since 2004 (and probably wayyyy before that before we went mainstream with plastic...) but this lil' nifty device can definitely come in handy. Continue reading for a more indepth look and video (and slight ridiculing)

F$*k you Frodo I got my own Elf-Cloak: Instructions to 3D print an invis cloak

Now I'm sure this is just like any 'as seen on TV' product and it doesn't work nearly as good as advertised or initially assume (they things NEVER ARE!!) but either way this would be a good learning experience. 

Well Provided You could actually afford to buy, rent, or use a 3d printer this would be something awesome to test out. Me personally, I think I'd start with the 3d printed guns then move onto 3d printed organs....you know the interesting (albeit EXTREMELY CONTROVERSIAL) subjects.

Continue reading for instructions! (brought to you by POPuLAR ScIencE)

DIY update: This time they're not destructive. The Arts N Crafts edition!

So D-I-Y time is back in full swing (as if it would ever leave!) and I've got some cooool projects I'd like to share with you!

Now this isn't going to be a multiple project or multiple website post. But since there are

32 ideas (really they're just pictures and really I'm not including ALL of them. Just the ones I like) I've got to have you continue reading so

this article doesn't take up 90% of the Blog's room.