Saturday, October 31, 2009

Make Mine Freedom

Back from 1948 when there was something called pride:

Wood Cutting!

First big day out for the new-to-me MS-360. Also used the new-to-me 024AV quite a bit for limbing, that saw is really running better and better the more work it gets. Hadn't been used much in the last few years by the last owner.

The anti-vibe gloves work really well too -- my hands don't swell up after running vibrating equipment if I haven't run any in a while.


Orange flagging for what I want to remove this winter, pink is for specifically protected stuff (mostly oak saplings).

Everything dropped exactly where I wanted and nothing pink was harmed. Fields in the background is the town's main recreation park.


Logrite 5' Peavey w/log stand. Outstanding. Flipped this log up in the air with finger tip pressure :) Ok, not quite finger tip, but one handed easily.


Most of the saw work done. I have this week off to study for a certification test next Saturday, so I plan to hack away an hour or two each afternoon on yard & wood stuff for a break, like splitting and stacking this, cutting the stumps down (I like to cut firewood at a comfortable height then stump it later), and stack the brush.

Monday, October 26, 2009

The disappearing middle

A point I previously hadn't realized:

From 2001 to 2007, California's information industries increased their output by 21 percent, but lost 6.9 percent of their jobs. In addition, the jobs these high-tech industries tend to create directly are high-wage jobs that require advanced degrees, while the jobs they create indirectly are low-wage service-sector jobs at homes, restaurants, offices, and hospitals. So, by their nature, they exacerbate the segmentation of California's economy.


From The New Republic.

While I know full well about how our productivity is rising faster then output which means a reduction in jobs, the second part of that which is the divergence between high and low paying jobs being created by, in part, the elimination of that middle tier of workers is something I hadn't seen so clearly stated before.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Tonite's the second fire of the year!

Had a small fire on Sunday. Another small fire tonight (October 1).

Should be down around 40 overnight.

Cool

Chasse, pĂȘche, nature et traditions

That's the name of a minor French political party -- Hunting, Fishing, Nature, and Traditions.

Thought that was a cool name.