I heard about Steemit and DTube from the @corbettreport and guests on Ernest Hancock’s “Declare Your Independence” like @tatianamoroz.
In spite of having routinely been diagnosed as a “stodgy old fart”, I still really enjoy trying to figure out how this world works. Maybe not so much with politics anymore, but things like “life hacks”, homesteading, crypto (and metals), and home/car/tractor repair. I am also increasingly intrigued, and too frequently disturbed, by history and how it explains what is going on today.
Anyway, my wife and I have two sons: currently 21 and 18. I have worked for a software company since 1990. (Yeah, I am old.) We have a small plot of land in Indiana nestled between bean fields, corn fields and cow pastures. So, I can be somewhat left alone to do what I want.
We enjoy travelling: both in the U.S. and internationally. I have been to almost all of the U.S. states as well as Mexico, Canada, and several Caribbean(-ish) and European countries. Somewhat recently, my wife and I helped chaperone a group of teenagers on a 2 week tour of “west-central” Europe. So cool! We also went to Hawaii this year for our 25th anniversary. Unfortunately, our travel budget is kind of… gone. At least for awhile.
I try to garden. I recently planted a couple of black-raspberry patches from cuttings and moving roots. This year I ventured into a bit of back-to-eden style gardening. I plan on expanding that next year assuming I can get enough wood chips. (I found it to be MUCH less labor intensive.) I enjoy sharing the bounty as-grown or making things like tomato wine.(Sounds gross. Looks gross: especially with the orange-ish hue. Actually, it doesn’t taste too bad.)
More than an oil change… too far?
In the past couple of years I stepped up my auto-repair game thanks to information AND encouragement from people on the internet. I have graduated from oil-changes and brake-jobs up to pulling engines, fixing head gaskets, replacing pistons, etc. Mostly on Chevys and Subarus. (I have really grown fond of older-ish Subarus.) I am amazed at what all I am now able to do thanks to the kindness of other people. Most of these people I do not know and will likely never meet in person. Amazing.
You really can do a lot more than you think you can, AND
There are really good people out there all over the world.
Favorite places
Home (It is nice to get away, but it is always great to come back home.)
Beaupré, Quebec (10th anniversary - Ricard House)
Oahu, HI (25th anniversary)
Freeport, Bahamas (Honeymoon)
Strasbourg, France
Paris, France (Three days were NOT enough.)
Munich, Germany (Many pleasant surprises including surfing. Yes, surfing!)
Trek through New England to Bar Harbor, ME in a rented RV (So many “adventures”. Not entirely unlike the first National Lampoon Vacation movie. Only nobody died… that I know of.)
Lucerne, Switzerland - (2015 - All that we saw of Switzerland was absolutely beautiful.)
Some favorite movies
Strange Brew (1983)
Red Dawn (1984) [definitely NOT the 2012 version]
Metropolis (1927)
Great War Diaries (2014 - okay, it is more of a mini-series than a movie)
Troll Hunter (2010)
Music
There is very little music I do not like. Some of my favorites groups/artists in no particular order:
AC/DC
Van Halen
Ramones
La Femme
Zaz
Johnny Cash
Remy Munasifi (a.k.a. GoRemy)
(I’ve not heard many of Tatiana Moroz’s songs, but what I have heard I like.)
“Recent” Interesting Reads
“The Revolution: A Manifesto” Ron Paul - I bought two copies, both have been lent out and now are missing. I guess that would be a success, eh?
“Out of the Crisis” W. Edwards Deming
“The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy” Douglas Adams
“The World War I diary of A. W. Miller” (http://udel.edu/~mm/wwi/)
“All Quiet On The Western Front” Erich Maria Remarque
“Poilu… [really long title] “ Louis Barthas [currently reading]
Ruby, Go (Go-lang), Java, and Javascript - I’m able to get around, but it takes me longer than it should
There are others, but I haven’t touched them in years like: C, C++, and Python
So, I guess that’s me: the stodgy old fart. Whatever. I’ll own it. Sorry for what ended up as a long post. In case someone made it to the end, Mr Bunz says “Hey.”
