September 14, 2011

           Here’s a sign that tells the tale. And it is prophetic for Ft. Lauderdale. Pedestrians are not stopping, not for the $19 lunch “specials”, not for the $16 pizzas, not for the $3 coffees and certainly not for the $5 bottles of domestic beer. The beer is actually $3.75, but they’ll get you for $5 anyway. And won’t serve you again for an hour if you don’t. The funny part is they think you don’t know what they are up to. The sign is right in front of a string of bars guilty of this pricing, but it is meant to stop people from standing on the railway tracks. In America, you have to tell people not to stand on railway tracks.
           I would like to unwind and purge for the day, but the system gets you anyway. Nothing works right any more. Like that black spray paint “Quick Color” from ROC Sales in Vernon Hills, IL, the paint that never dries and remains sticky forever, as in three months, without any real warning on the label. I thought to take today to describe the “easy” life that I lead, the realities of standing still without permission.
           So, what is on my mind? I’d like to split the following list into matters into groups of voluntary and government but they didn’t arrive in that order. Besides, the topics overlap for the greater part. I would like to have relaxed today so when I didn’t, here’s why.
           1. Map out the next 14 months or go broke.
           2. My legs will begin to look like a different race than my arms if I don’t buy SunBlock.
           3. Where do I find $25 for the next sewing class?
           4. I need to find $10 for the sonic turn-signal alarm on the scooter.
           5. Time to Ghost that IDE drive into a SATA drive.
           6. I am not maintaining my 1:3 ration of old blogs to new.
           7. Why have I not bought that 5,000 BTU A/C for the kitchen?
           8. I forgot the outlet box for the new bedroom A/C.
           9. Tell Florida I am not paying $42 registration for a stolen scooter.
           10. Write to EVAN for that missing document so I can file my 2010 taxes.
           11. Set up that advertising account for Fred.
           12. Contact Maryland about that Social Security report.
           13. Buy the developer trays for the seminar this Friday
           14. Purchase the positive developer, known as Sodium Hydroxide, known as Drano.
           15. Get over to Guitar Center for those new jacks.
           16. Update the lyric book, on 22 pound stock.
           17. Buy new sneakers, the ones I have are blotto.
           18. Remember to pick up a big pack of AA batteries for the label maker.
           19. Fix the odometer light on the scooter.
           20. Take a day off to visit JP.
           21. Send that 32-page letter to Harry.
           22. Refill the printer cartridges or regret it later.
           23. Finish downloading the new bingo mix.
           24. Find those drill bits nobody sells.
           25. Cost out my new eyeglasses.
           26. Renew my prescriptions
           27. Don’t forget grocery shopping.
           28. Find that drill press.
           29. Update the gold/silver charts.
           30. Practice my vocals, through a microphone, standing up.
           31. Find the problems with the new antenna.
           32. Pay that $60 electricity bill.
           33. Return the new computer for repairs.
It’s a wonder I find time for the important things in life. Like Obama’s bill that makes it illegal to discriminate against the unemployed. How does one do that? Let me see, “Well, little lady, I’d like to take you home, but you have no job, so get lost.” I mean, who else applies for jobs these days? Have politicians started to believe their own straw man arguments?
           I know less about politics than anybody, but is Ron Paul running or not running in 2012? It is scary that there are people who oppose his policies running loose in our streets. I mean, why does the US have 900 military bases in 103 countries? So I drove the scooter to the Barn in Aventura. Saw two good-looking women but the non-blonde was taken and the blonde was reading maternity literature. In that vein did you hear about the discovery of a pregnant dinosaur? So much for them laying only eggs.
           Last, I see this ad for an electric Rolls-Royce claiming 91 watt-hour batteries. Have I missed something? That’s half again the energy density of any existing rechargeable battery I know of. I think NiCad is something like 60, but I forget the units. It is something like watt-hours per kilogram, let me look that up. Okay, I’m back. Yes, watt-hours per kilogram. Conclusion: Rolls-Royce is fudging. For the record, gasoline’s energy density is something like 13,100 wH/kg. But you can’t recharge gasoline.
           I just got an elbow in the ribs about that straw man comment. Okay, I’ll explain. It is when a person in an argument doesn’t refute the topic, but changes the topic and attacks with that. That off-topic change is the straw man. Example: I say, “Two plus two equals four.” Wallace says, “Mathematicians aren’t always right, you know.” He isn’t saying my statement isn’t true; he’s creating a straw man. I use him as an example because he thinks it is normal.