The Kretinizer

 

Use only as directed...YAH!

From one of the guys that did Negativland.

Mark Hosler, one of the creators of Negativland, speaks about the lawsuit by the band U2

https://youtu.be/J2h1TOfeVFA

Trump's Wall

Heckle & Jeckle just came by. They'd run up the mountain -- an increase in elevation of 1500' -- across the top of the ridge & were making their way back down. Hearing them blathering away, I was awestruck.

They cautioned me that I'm in a high risk area where groups of evil men running fentanyl would see me as a "picnic basket." 

When I pointed out The Wall, they slavered in delight at its 380 miles and lauded the man for having done more than anybody before to keep 'em out.

I'm just not fast enough to say, "Except the groups of dangerous fentanyl runners, eh?"

But they were all good cuz, and he patted his shoulder harness affectionately, they have guns. 

Initially, I was so impressed I'd asked for their photos. After five minutes I realized they were pathetic and was glad when they left.

That dark line running from the upper left toward the center of the image is it.

Bisbee

We came here together the first time on February 22, 2018.

On February 18, 2020, the manzanita were blooming and the odour was almost cloying.

Today, April 9, I'm by myself. I was lucky to find a small spot next to the road; all the others are taken.

We're, Phoebe and I, enroute to Tadeo's Auto Repair in Douglas. Phoebe has a torn CV boot and may need new brake pads.

Intimate Pleasure & Procreation Day

IP&P Day! A celebration of enthusiasm & fecundity as exemplified by Rabbits.

On Morning Amble

It was around this time, in the northern hemisphere, when people recognized the arrival of spring. Unlike christians, many enjoyed multiple intimate relations and celebrated the natural attractions and new growth everywhere seen in nature.

Rabbits have, for eons, been revered for their amazing procreativeness. Below is an excerpt from this article....

A single female rabbit can have 1-14 babies per litter, but let's be conservative and say that the average litter size is six. We'll also make the assumption (remember, this is all hypothetical) that only half of those are females, and we will calculate the potential fecundity of our bunny population only from these hypothetical three females per litter, since females are the limiting factor in a population when it comes to making babies. We're also assuming no mortality, since we're talking about potential reproduction with no set environmental carrying capacity. (Since a rabbit can easily live seven years and beyond, this isn't unreasonable.)

From ABQ yard

Rabbit gestation lasts 28-31 days, and 31.581288,-109.523916 they are induced ovulators, mother rabbits can be impregnated again within minutes of giving birth. This means that mama could, hypothetically, have one litter per month if she is constantly with a male rabbit. (Poor mama!)

If our "starter bunny" begins reproducing at six months of age (again, not an unreasonable estimate), and has babies for seven years, then by the end of the first year:

One mother rabbit x 3 female babies x 12 months = 36 female babies (plus your original mama makes 37) Let's add the new babies to the reproductive population at the beginning of the following year. At that point, their average age would be six months--the time of their first litter. (This works if you consider this to be averaging the new females' reproductive output.) If--starting at the beginning of Year Two --each of the Year One female rabbits produces an average of 3 female offspring per month, then by the

• End of Year Two:
  37 mother rabbits x 3 female babies x 12 months = 1332 female babies
  (plus your original 37 will equal a total of 1369 total)
• End of Year Three:
  1369 mother rabbits x 3 female babies x 12 months = 49,284 female babies
  (49,284 + last year's 1369 = 50,653 total)
• End of Year Four:
  50,653 x 3 x 12 months = 1,823,508 female babies
  (1,823,508 + last year's 49,284 = 1,872,792 total)
• End of Year Five:
  1,823,508 x 3 x 12 months = 67,420,512 female babies
  (67,420,412 + last year's 1,872,792 = 69,293,304 total)
• End of Year Six:
  69,293,304 x 3 x 12 months = 2,494,558,944 female babies
  (2,494,558,944 + last year's 69,293,304= 2,563,852,248 total)
• Year Seven:
  2,563,853,248 x 3 x 12 = 92,298,716,930 female babies
  (92,298,716,930 + last year's 2,563,852,248 = 94,862,569,180!)

That's nearly 95 billion female rabbits in seven years!

Remember that we haven't even included the males. On average, there should be as many males born in each litter as females. We didn't include them in the multiplication, since "it takes two to tango". But each year, as many males as females are born. So that adds up to another...

• Year Two: 1332
• Year Three: 49,284
• Year Four: 1,823,508
• Year Five: 67,420,512
• Year Six: 2,494,558,944
• Year Seven: 92,298,716,930

Add that to the females, and it means that first mama and her female descendants will have produced

184,597,433,860 rabbits in seven years
END OF EXCERPT

-------------------------------

Big Rocks

Though "making like rabbits" was once a popular phrase, these days, with 9B humans and a doubling rate of somewhere between 20 & 40 years, it's hopefully about the pleasures rather than making more humans.

It's spring! Let the festivities begin!!

Image co-opted from HERE.

Greta's Earth Army

 

On the left is owner-builder

Greta Thunberg's Wiki.

New Stove

The wind was fierce, but despite its roar I heard the crash. I pulled over and gave Phoebe what I thought was a thorough look-over. It wasn't until the next day's morning coffee that I discovered the stove, formerly lashed atop one of the roof boxes, was no more.

As part of my hope-springeth-eternal aspiration to do some overnight backpacking, I'd bought a small single-burner. I retreived it from the pack and have never looked back. (Rolling Steel Tent also uses a single-burner.)

It does just fine as long as I don't need the hashbrowns to be ready at the same time as the eggs.

$22.00...check it out. With two adapters for differing kinds of fuel bottles.

Gotta love the Chinese...making $2.50 an hour?

Wild Mechanicing Pt. II

See previous post for Preamble.

Around 1pm, prior to jacking, I tried loosening the lugnuts only to discover someone put an oddsized one on the right front and me without a spoon.

At the Autozone in Green Valley we found that not only was it odd but it was cross-threaded. And once the kind young man with a bag of personal tools got it off, there was no way to put another on...the stud needs replacing. 

Back at camp intending to do the brakes I discovered someone had tooken the rocks I collected to chock the wheels. They'd kindly left the 4 x 4 though. This being an erosional bajada, the only rocks are out on the main road where the grader leaves a few.

Back with chock-rocks, I jacked her up to realize I've completely forgotten how to do it.

While puzzling, I discovered a torn boot that looked like it was (had been) protecting the CV joints...WAY beyond my ability.

A call to Tadeo's in Douglas let me know they're closed tomorrow for Easter but they can look at it Monday. 

Thinking to take the scenic route from I-17 through to Alto and thence to Patagonia, I went south to Elephent Head road (paved road with turnoff to Whipple Observatory). Maps led me toward Whipple and FR 149....which goes to Alto. It's dirt and not as bad as some, but more than I want to subject whatever that boot was protecting to.

So now -- at 5:25 -- it's back to Sahuarita for tonight. Then out to I-10, east to Benson, then south to Tombstone, Bisbee & finally Douglas...139 miles.

So much for Wild Mechanikin'.

The longer days are making it easier.