Interesting Bits From Around the Web

Been trying to catch up with doings, both online and off–, and am lagging at each. (But I did learn how to purl at my last knitting lesson—woo hoo!) So much going on ... and behind the screen is a summary of stuff of most interest to me, and which I think may be of interest to a few of you.

In no particular order, then:

• Our voluble Conspirator NonEntity has another StR essay published: World Economics: The Most Simple of Calculations. I found it an evocative presentation of some fundamentally important ideas. Well done, NonE.
• Courtesy of The Happy Curmudgeon, I learned that the fedgov has set up a web site ostensibly to track the recovery. If you want to check out the gov site, I strongly suggest two things: 1] make sure you’ve enough hot water for a long shower afterward; and 2] it would be an excellent idea to go here first and make use of their services.
• Also via H.C., the first of F. Paul Wilson’s “Repairman Jack: The Teen Years” novels is out. Paul sure knows how to feed a jones!
• Wendy McElroy is working through a series on staying in the USSA through the hard times. I’m sure I’ll say something more substantive on the subject at some point; for now I will simply point out that, as one who has made an effort to go PT once already, the decision is not as easy as some paint it to be. And I see no reason to feel ashamed or bad in any way for deciding either side of that thorny fence—as long as one has thought through the matter and made an informed decision, rather than coasting or avoiding the issue.
• Kent McManigal has posted The Story of My Run for President, which offers not only some history for those of us who didn’t know him then, but also provides some insight into the electoral political sausage-making process ... no surprises there for freedom-minded folk, but still, good to know.
• I honestly don’t know when, or even if, Peter sleeps—and he’d certainly be a top candidate to have made a ‘bot or two of himself by now anyway—but he’s been on a tear lately. He’s just begun work on end to end encryption for IMs, and more importantly (!), in Res Publica he eloquently captures many of my thoughts and feelings. That also helps explain my eagerness in joining Anarch.Me ... which I see as a good first step, incidentally. It’s run on a public platform and, if I understand correctly, is vulnerable to being shut down, and is open for the JBTs to scour and collect info. Creating a completely private version would be considerably more work, but it would be all that more valuable. Wish I had the skills to help with such a project.

And with that, I’m off to tend to some offline stuff ... practicing my purling (why is it so difficult?), hunting for food preservation equipment, and later, trying to decide what to make in the nice crock I found yesterday (sourdough starter, sauerkraut, kombucha, or something else?) and when the snolfs are up, making some butterfly cookies with the pretty sparkly sugars I got yesterday. Maybe I can convince them to flavor some of the dough with lavender ...