Abitrary Countdown Start

Fifteen days left in 2018.

As Xmas looms and the rain pours outside, I'm finding myself thinking back on this year and wondering what the hell 2019 is going to bring.

I started 2018 changing jobs. I'd be lying if I said it was a smooth ride. More than once, I thought it was a mistake and considered walking and trying something else. All said, it's turned out okay so far. It certainly could be worse.

I've continued training in a new martial art. Haven't regretted it for a moment, though I could stand to be a bit more dutiful in attending classes.

I've managed a trip to England and seen more of the north. I got to explore York, including its myriad pubs and winding streets.

I've read a number of books. I've taken time to attend to life matters I've neglected for far too long. Hell, I've started reading philosophy.

My homeland is going nuts and it seems to be getting worse day by day. The planet isn't doing a whole lot better. The icecaps are melting. Climate change is far worse than anyone anticipated. Scientists believe we're going to hit the point of no return in less than twenty years. And the governments of the planet are not responding in time. Hell, in the US, half the country thinks climate change is a myth.

How can all that get fixed? What's the solution to all this? I honestly don't know.

I wonder if 2019 will offer any solutions? I wonder if I can come up with any?

Bolt-action pens

Another Kickstarter came in today. My ZeroHour APEX Bolt Action pen arrived, adding to my selection of "bolt action" pens.

Made me think a bit about the differences I've seen thus far of my bolt-action pens.

For the unenlightened, a "bolt action" pen is a pen with a little knob-like control that deploys the pen's ink-delivering portion akin to a bolt-action rifle's loading mechanism.

It's a new thing. Just roll with it.

Thus far, I have a growing collection of bolt action pens:

• The TiBolt by Brian Fellhoelter
• The GP1945
• The Titaner Bolt Pen
• The ZeroHour APEX Bolt action pen

Each has their pros and cons as I see them:

The TiBolt is a simple, basic, solid, titanium-frame, bolt-action pen. No fuss, no muss. Solid titanium. It's a dependable pen able to take Fisher Space Pen refills. It's with one of my notebooks at all times. In a worst-case scenario, it would serve as a reliable aid to delivering a bit of help in a close fight (as, really, would any pen). It's the first bolt-action pen I've ever obtained (or, at the time, even heard of).

The GP1945 is a clever riff on the concept, adding in a glass-breaker tip and an emergency whistle. A solid frame made of titanium makes for a delightful little writing instrument that can double as a bit of help in a close fight. The downside is that it takes very small refills that run out quickly. Kind of a bummer for an otherwise-awesome design.

The Titaner bolt pen has unique take on a bolt-action pen. Instead of having a side-knob control for the "bolt action" delivery, the tip of the pen serves as a rotating cover in a "bolt action" style. Further, it has a discrete glass breaker on the end and an hidden "pin" that's supposed to help with the little holes in cell phones that one uses for SIM cards. The pen is a solid, delightful little thing that takes Fisher Space Pen refills (a plus to me). The "pin" tool is a bit crap, in my experience. Still, it's a nice pen overall.

And that brings me to the ZeroHour APEX. ZeroHour has been one of those companies that has kept me interested in Kickstarter offerings, truth be told. I've backed their Flashlight offerings, a money belt, and their two pens. The APEX Bolt is pretty much the perfect pen. It's got a nice size to it. They offer aluminum and titanium frames that come with glass breakers and have the ability to hold screwdriver bits for those times when you need to have a pen-sized screwdriver. The Kickstarter had complications with the bits, so mine came without one but it's not like I need screwdrivers as a general rule. The glass breaker uses a ceramic nib instead of a tungsten steel point, which I'm a bit uncertain of, but it's not like I've ever needed a glass breaker, so it's unlikely to be something I'll ever notice in my life. The pen's size is bigger than their previous APEX pen. If one were forced to use a pen in a fight (cue Hollywood bullshit scenario), the bolt action APEX would be a better thing to have on-hand than their previous APEX pen.

Overall, it's kind of a wealth of awesome here. And now I have to acknowledge I'm developing a pen fetish.

Who would've thought that would be a thing? Fucking weird world.

Review: The Squid by Zombie Tools

Every year, just around Thanksgiving, the mad geniuses of Zombie Tools put out a special offering for about a day. This year, it was "the Squid". Based on an Inuit "ulu" knife, the Squid doubles as a nasty little payload for someone throwing a punch. Mine just arrived. I can't envision a situation in which I'd ever need it, but one never knows. And it's a Zombie Tools offering, so it's got a coolness factor that makes it totally worth it.

I have to admit, the Squid is a sharp little bastard and fits nicely in the hand. Doubt it would do me much good against a zombie (unless I have absolutely nothing else at hand) but it would do pretty good against a very mortal opponent in tight quarters.

God, I love these guys!

Blessed Rain

The rain has finally come to California. In the last week or so, we've gotten a nice downpour that's both cleared out the shitty, ash-laden, air and helped get the ground properly damp. I'll admit I'm damn happy to see water coming out of the sky.

I've got a crap-ton of N95 filter masks on backorder. This crappy air bullshit is going to happen again next year. I plan to be prepared. In the meantime, I'm enjoying being able to breathe properly.

Apocalyptic Air Quality

For the last week and change, the greater San Francisco Bay Area has been socked in with smoke from the "Camp Fire" (a series of fires in Northern California that destroyed the town of Paradise and has claimed dozens of lives).

The air outside is considered some of the worst in the world, beating out New Delhi and Beijing.

Fucking hell.

It feels to me like I have a small child sitting on my chest every time I go outside. The sun looks like the Eye of Sauron staring balefully down. The moon looks wrong. I can't see mountains, or in some cases, buildings from certain vantage points.

This is the new normal.

And we're lucky compared to the poor people whose homes were destroyed. Fucking hell.

Review: The Tainto (redux) by Zombie Tools

Yes, I already own a Tainto. I know.

The brilliant weapons-crafters of Zombie Tooks re-did their faux-Japanese offerings of a katana and wakizashi some time back. Recently, they upgraded their version of the tanto to match.

So I had to have one.

The revised Tainto has a shorter, more solid-feeling hilt. The blade itself is about the same length as the previous Tainto, but with a more sweeping curve to it than the more angular, tanto-like cut of the previous offering. It also has the round cross-guard that the revised Apokatana and Zakisushi blades offer. Overall, it's a solid, brutal little monster that comes with a kydex sheath and an aura of vague menace. It's a welcome addition to my little arsenal of sharp objects with which to cut myself as I behave like a fool.

Review: "Ant Man and the Wasp"

Yeah, yeah. I know. I'm late. I finally saw it.

Great caper movie. Funny. Quirky. It felt a bit rushed in parts and not as solid as the first one, but a decent sequel. I couldn't quite figure out what to make of Michelle Pfieffer's Janet Van Dyne/Pym, but Michelle Pfieffer rocks, so whatever works. Fucked ending, though. Overall, I quite enjoyed it.