The Bantha was out of commission for a few weeks this spring while I tackled a few wiring projects. Rather than post them here, though, I’ve posted them on IH8mud (where Land Cruiser junkies document their addiction), in hopes of helping others waste time and money on their projects.

In doing so, I came across two blogs that (I’m embarrassed to say) I previously didn’t know existed. Between them, they paint vivid and wildly divergent pictures of the country. But if you’re at all interested in Yemen, you owe it to yourself to look read them as a sort of antidote to the stupid stuff that you’ll find elsewhere.

• Nomad Out of Time (for the beauty)
• Waq al-Waq (for the mess)

Fuck the Aughts. Fuck racist stupid-as-shit Republicans. Fuck our lazy-ass press who can’t do their own fucking jobs. Fuck Bush, his pointless wars, and the fucking chickenhawks. Fuck Wallstreet, the banksters, and the crisis they caused. Fuck astroturf campaigns. Fuck terrorists and the excuse they gave the fucking Neocons to shred our Constitution. Fuck Theocons and “Intelligent Design.” (They lost in court because they’re so fucking stupid and such bad fucking liars.) Fuck the goddamned 2000 election and Poppy’s fucking Supreme Court flunkies. Fuck Gitmo, extraordinary rendition, Abu Ghraib, Blackwater, KBR, and any fuckers who supported any of it.

And if the Teens are half as fucking awful as the Aughts, they should know that I’ll rip their fucking head off and shit down their fucking neck.

Happy Fucking New Year.

Truth be told, there’s really no reason for me to post this here, except that I wonder how many of my colleagues, in this day when e-publications are so readily available, have made similar decisions. Since I have access to the ASOR publications through my wife, the only tangible benefits of maintaining my membership were the line on my CV and my own personal pride. But since I’m not actively looking for a job (and, therefore, my CV isn’t especially important), I guess it means that I’d sell my pride out for a mere $110. Should I feel proud of myself for my honesty, or should I just feel dirty for selling out my pride for so cheap?

Maybe I’ll just drown it all in a couple cases of good beer bought with the money I saved.

Tools Required:

• Drill & bits
• 2 1/4″ Hole saw
• Table saw or mitre saw
• Router with a quarter round bit
• Tape measure
• Screwdriver
• Sandpaper

Supplies for one jump (two stands + crossbar):

• (1) 1″ x 4″ x 8′ board
• (1) 1″ x 3″ x 6′ board
• (1) 1 1/4″ x 4′ dowel
• (2) #10-32 x 2 1/4″ round head stove bolts
• (2) #10-32 tee nuts
• (2) #10 flat washers
• (4) #8 x 2″ flat head wood screws

Assembly Instructions:

1. Cut the 1×4 into two 4′ lengths.
2. Cut the 1×3 into two 1′ lengths and two 2′ lengths.
3. Chamfer the 1×3 boards as shown in the drawing.
4. With the hole saw, cut holes 1/4″ from the edge of the edge of the 1×4. (In the drawing, these holes are 6″ apart, on center, with the first hole centered 3″ from the top of the board. In the photographs, the holes are spaced a bit farther apart.)
5. Attach the 2′ boards to the uprights with stove bolts and tee nuts. (I used 3″ stove bolts, and cut the extra off with a cutting wheel, 2 1/4″ stove bolts should require no cutting.)
6. Attach the 1′ boards to the undersides of the 2′ boards with the wood screws.
7. Round the edges of the upright board with the router.
8. Sand the entire assembly, removing sharp edges from the 1×3 boards and splinters from the 1x4s.

I built a set of six jumps (i.e., twelve stands) in about eight hours. It’s a fairly tedious project, but simple enough. I was also modifying the design as I went, so another set would probably take me substantially less time. The total cost for these six jumps was under $150—only slightly more than the cost of a single jump purchased at the local saddlery.

Below: Sketchup drawing of a jump. In this drawing, the uppermost bracket is centered 3″ below the top of the upright, and the lower holes are 6″ apart. (Note that my jumps used different spacing, resulting in only four brackets per jump. Feel free to use whatever spacing you think is best, but I think that the spacing in the drawing is better than that which I used in the actual assembly of Xenia’s jumps.)

The uppermost bracket in one of the uprights. Note that all edges have been rounded with a quarter round router bit. Since these pieces are going to be picked up and handled by children, I felt that it was important to remove any sharp edges.

The base of one of the jumps. Note that the base is secured to the upright with stove bolts and tee nuts. The 1′ long feet are secured to the 2′ long crossmembers from below with wood screws.

An assembled jump, with the crossbar in place. Note that by offsetting the bracket holes 1/4″ from the edge of the 1×4 uprights, the dowels sit lightly in the brackets but can be easily bumped out in case a child doesn’t clear the jump. (If you prefer, drill the brackets 3/8″ from the edge, to provide a slightly more secure seat for the dowels.)

Action shot (maniacal facial expression optional):

So take a few minutes to read it, and then a few more for your blood pressure to come back down:

A Case in Antiquities for ‘Finders Keepers’

But what I really want to know is what the neighbors’ big, mean, calico cat is good for? Seeing that is spends most of its life hanging out in our front yard, right next to the Bantha, you’d think that it could help us out a little, right?

It’s great to see my theory get some public recognition, but I wish that they would have used a better image than my decade-old hastily-thrown-together rendering.

The Rules of When on Google Earth are as follows:
Q: What is When on Google Earth?
A: It’s a game for archaeologists, or anybody else willing to have a go!

Q: How do you play it?
A: Simple, you try to identify the site in the picture.

Q: Who wins?
A: The first person to correctly identify the site, including its major period of occupation, wins the game!

Q: What does the winner get?
A: The winner gets bragging rights and the chance to host the next When on Google Earth on his/her own blog!