Retiredtoflorida

So back when I worked in Huntsville I had a friend named Ron and a coworker whose name escapes me. Let's call him Bob. Even though it annoys me not to be able to remember bob's real name.

So bob was a hunter, and had a deer stand across the river somewhere near Laceys Spring. When you cross the river and head south, you hear banjo's really quickly. I've seen entire valleys covered in nothing but kudzu over there. It was like an alien horror movie. Really weird vibe.

But that was where the deer were, so that is where Bob hunted.

One day Bob confessed to Ron that he'd seen some really weird stuff out there. He refused to really elaborate, but we got the impression it was really hair and made weird vocalizations. Maybe a black bear walking on it's hind legs?

Now you have to realize, this isn't that far from Arab Alabama. One of the most racist, hairy and vocal populations in a state full of rednecks. They like to ride around waving the confederate battle flag and doing the rebel yell. So hearing weird noises echoing off the hills not that surprising.

But Ron did some internet digging, and found some web pages that handle weird shit and printed them out and handed them to Bob.

Bob really freaked, and started babbling about things that walked like a man but were all hairy and definitely not human.

He got really really upset and never went back.

I don't blame him, even driving my ford explorer through all those back roads gave me the creeps. Deserted homesteads, shacks with confederate flags. You couldn't pay me enough to get out of the SUV and walk into those woods.

Ron's dead now, cancer, and I think so is Bob. But I thought I'd share their story. If I remember more I'll post them.

We know how we are handling space exploration. We send robot probes. So once you get good at space travel. You set up automated factories on an asteroid and just churn out probes. Scattering them all over the universe looking for radio waves, nuclear explosion and polluted planets.

Imagine what it must have looked like to the swarms of interstellar probe cruising between the stars, when we detonated Ivy Mike or when the Russians detonated the Tsar Bomba. They would all come running like moths to a flame.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivy_Mike

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_Bomba

I feel I should point out that the civilizations who did this are probably long dead or just don't care what the probes found. After thousands of years they are gone or have moved on. The probes are just on auto pilot.

Trump puts ‘Project Freedom’ on hold, saying he hopes to finalise a deal with Iran

US president says he is pausing US effort to guide stranded vessels out of the strait of Hormuz but blockade remains Mark Saunokonoko and agencies Tue 5 May 2026 20.55 EDT Prefer the Guardian on Google

Donald Trump announced he is pausing ‘Project Freedom’, the US effort to guide stranded vessels out of the strait of Hormuz, so he can finalise a deal with Iran, but added that his blockade of Iranian ports would remain in place.

Trump’s abrupt change of plan was declared in a social media post, saying he was pausing the effort for “a short period” to give space for US efforts to finalise a settlement with Iran to end the war.

Despite Project Freedom only launching Monday, Trump said he’d made the move based “on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran”. Iran is yet to comment.

https://www.federalreserve.gov/publications/2026-stress-test-scenarios.htm#%3A%7E%3Atext=Equity+prices+fall+about+58%2Clevel+of+5.7+percentage+points

This is why banks are tightening credit. https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/02/us-iran-war-credit-score-loans-mortgage-rates.html

In these times of economic turmoil it's important to remember that famine is a recurring part of human history. And that time and time again, people have turned to wood as a solution.

Properly prepared, sawdust in particular, is a great way to stretch out those lean meals. Whether it is as a filler in meatloaf and burgers, or as a thickening agent in soups and stews.

It has also been used historically for bread making. https://selfsufficientprojects.com/people-used-to-eat-these-during-famines/

Now it is important to properly prepare your wood, so as to avoid intestinal injury. What you want is sawdust, not a block of wood, and not splinters and twigs. Be sure to sift the saw dust through a screen to remove larger pieces and splinters. The finer the grind the better.

Also, be sure to pick the right tree for the right job. Maple is quite sweet, while oak, with its tannins is quite bitter. While walnut can be quite aromatic, and fruit trees will taste like their respective fruits. The needles of the pine tree can be made into a tasty tea high in vitamin C. The Sassafras tree has its own unique flavor, and use to be used for making root beer.

Avoid using unidentified trees and shrubs. Some can be poisonous, like hemlock and the American chestnut (often called a horse chestnut). Always check your pocket edition edible wood guide before consuming questionable shrubbery and trees.

I hope this handy guide can be useful in this trying times.

Humor should not be mistaken for dietary advice.