February 28, 2011

           Here's Pudding-Tat. I may have to make the sad decision to let her stay with the neighbors. There is the faint suspicion that they are only feeding her and being nice to prove something that will not be valid once I leave, but I'm planning a few trips out of town. I think she's happy over there but still spends plenty of time visiting when I am around.
           (Dang, I just accidentally deleted all my photos of the Tat lounging on my scooter. That's correct, she curls up on the right foot rest and sleeps. The pix are gone, blame that annoying feature of MS Picture Viewer that doesn't release the selection after every function. I renamed the batch but didn't unselect when I went to delete a single frame.)
           How about a blurry photo of the weekend's Blues festival? This is why I dislike digital zoom. This was a tripod picture, perfectly stable, yet it blurs as if out of focus. Digital zoom is worse than no zoom, if you ask me.
           I got to filing court documents, the part that I like the best is thinking how much it must cost others to do all the chasing around that I can zip done in an hour on my scooter. The library for research, the bank for a notary, the courthouse to file, all done in an hour. It is honestly strange how some people view the court system, they think it works the same as their own logic which of course, always proves themselves right.
           Dave-O came over this morning to use the phone. He's really in bad shape, they gave him drugs to promote red blood cell production and it makes his bone marrow ache. He cannot lie down, sit or stand for any length of time. There's nothing he can do except more and more painkillers, a dangerous high wire act. Remember California Johnny, who they addicted to morphine. He's been disappeared for three years now.
           Who remembers that KFC out on 441 and Hollywood where the Hippie at 27 pieces of chicken at the buffet? I dropped in there for a soda at noon and you know, I might just partake of that myself. I do not know why I cannot make chicken like they do, no matter what secret herbs and spices I try. The first smorg I ever ate at was the Royal Fork in Yakima, Washington, and I love a salad bar. Others head for the meat, but I prefer a massive selection of greens, no matter what color.
           And I know what I'm talking about. Take this thought. The tomato is a fruit, the beans are a legume, the carrot is a root, the cabbage is a leaf and the asparagus is a stem. I'm not even a vegetarian and how many of them know that? That brings up an interesting point from my childhood. There is a series of tests that determine the likelihood of a child being a "smart" adult. I'll see if I can find the test, there are 49 questions on it.
           I passed 48 of them with top marks, but received a low mark on the question about how well I got along with my peers. For some reason, decades ago peer-association was considered a mark of intelligence, though it wouldn't pass muster today. Not only that, I can neatly explain my failure in that category. The people that wrote the test were guilty of group-think.
           How does that affect my score? Well, let me see if I can put this nicely. Being the same age, weight, height, and being in the same classroom does not, despite all manner of protest from the underdogs, automatically make anyone my peer. If I am allowed to be the determinant of who is my peer, we get along handsomely. A peer is likely to be someone I never have to make baby-talk with, someone who does not have to cover the basics in every conversation but can hit the ground running. Of course, this rules out my family.

February 27, 2011

           Ah,coffee and lemon cake at the Starbucks in Sunny Isles. A perfect and very atlantic morning for a scooter trip. There is a breeze off the ocean, the water is what they call "choppy". The good-looking women were what they call "absent" and the coffee is what I'd call "expensive". It's a good thing I'm not spending my own money.
           I decided to price out a thermos and could not find one. If they don't sell them in Florida, it is because there are so few places to park for free. One such place is Greynold's Park, the section west of Dixie I found last week. Pictures may be a problem, as I cannot figure out how to email myself the photos I take with the phone. It goes through the motions, but no pictures arrive. Back to Radio Shack for instructions.
           Not a real fan of bluegrass music, I took in a few hours of the Greynold's Park show today. I know the reason I don't care for this music much is that it tends toward the repetitious. If anyone has written a new banjo lick in the past 50 years, I'd love to hear it, by golly. Today's groups are profoundly sterotyped and belong to "The [insert state name here] Bluegrass Association." The term "music preservation" is also bandied around, which does not explain the lack of local musicians on stage. Maybe "preservin'" gets easier the further you leave Tennessee?
           All the groups were 4 or 5 piece with no drummers. It truly sounds better with no drummer. You got mandolin, banjo, standup bass, flat top, and optional fiddle. Standup bass, I find, lacks expression. There is really only one oom-pa way to play it in the long run. Also, standup contributes to the fallacy that the bass is a background instrument.
           All music lends itself to variation but the standup bass does not make that easy. Since they took the liberty of electrifying an acoustic standup bass and calling it traditional, allow me to say I can play bluegrass music on an electric bass that would make their heads spin. Yes, real bluegrass, not speeded up guitar licks.
           The grounds were set up for a crowd of around 1200 people. The paid attendance by three hours before quitting time was around 65. I say paid, because there is not only a $6 per vehicle fee to enter the park on weekends, there was an unadvertised $20 per person admission at the fenced off music site. That's $26 to listen to some of the fattest musicians on the planet (Sumo Bluegrass), no wonder they call it a "festival".
           The new scooter stats are arriving. I like to reduce things to the simplest rule of thumb suggested by the numbers. Here goes. It costs $1 to travel each 25 miles. That is cheap and it is beginning to take effect in that no way would I have driven a car to Sunny Isles (40 miles) just for brunch.
           The weather remained totally agreeable, so I lingered over the last few chapters of "Huckleberry Finn". Old Huck seemed to be a magnet for robbers, murderers, caves, and free river transportation. His knowledge of classical history is roughly equivalent to what you find in the same area today, as in "Chateau Deef". Twain's style is certainly more colorful than the best sellers of today.

February 26, 2011

           Tomorrow, you'll find me at a Bluegrass event. At last week's art festival, I only saw one other person in the place with blue eyes. Meanwhile, I was up at the Barn on Griffin, the bookstore with the humungous self-help section at the front door. For those that feel the need. The three books on electronics are way in the back, next to the dictionaries. I've read them all, there is no OFF button on the smart switch, said David Letterman.
           Here's a borrowed picture, but I can explain. I could not get my camera equipment to take an accurate photo of the color of my eyes. I finally got a mirror and scanned hundreds of photos on the Internet to locate a true match. This woman has the same color of eyes as I do as displayed on four or five different types of computer monitors. So there.
           Now familiar with the e-book situation, I conclude it has all the features of just another scam. I could not find any straight answers concerning compatibility between manufacturers, and there are plenty of units for sale on the market that are no longer supported. This is important, since an e-reader should not easily become obsolete, but they do. This is deliberate, so except for dismal battery life, one is just as far ahead using a notebook computer as a reader.
           Also, I was tricked by the huge number of sites that advertise they will let you download books for free. The only worthwhile site is called Gutenburg, and most of their public domain offerings are either fiction or from the 1700s. Those who advertise free are liars, often it requires registration or membership, and in many cases the books can only be read on-line, not downloaded. Some books are just the hardcopy scanned into PDF format and do not adjust properly for the differing e-reader screen sizes.
           Other rip-offs include outfits like alot.com which try to install a toolbar on your computer (stick it where it feels good, alot) and thereadingroom.com which is found by a search specifying "free downloads" and turns out to be a site plugging vanity publishing. And don't waste your time with booktrope.com. Truth in advertising laws don't seem to apply to the Internet and it is clear e-book people are not bound by any ethics or moral code I've ever heard of.
           More congratulations are in order for the Asus Eee PC, the maker of my notebook computer. They have the idiotic touchpad system and get this, a screen size that does not conform to any of the standard selections available for Windows. When you get either the horizontal or vertical to display right, it clips the other dimension. Way to go, Asus, but we didn't really need any help to figure out you are inbred.
           Bingo was the top event of the day. The prizes are consistently some of the highest in town for such a small room. I heard a frightening rumor that the trailer court is going to ban all playing of music in the evenings. That would be dumb as it is practically unenforceable. Doesn't bother me, as I practice during the day, but just the thought of it is scary. I tend to disrespect delegated authority (not disobey, Runt, just disrespect). I'll listen to a forest ranger, but not a town councellor or a meter maid.
           Then, Ray-B dropped by. He was in the area and spotted my scooter from seeing it on the Internet. Finally, proof that a blog is good for something. As soon as I get settled, I'll make it a point to show up where he's playing but for now, I can't afford to hang out at G's Place where we met once, unless Alex the babe is on duty.

February 25, 2011

           Today's material is a little different, but I need to clear up some misconceptions. First of all, it is not true that there is no medical insurance in the USA. That kind of nonsense is "Canada-think". The difference is that in the USA, you pay for it, not the government. I, for instance, have plenty of medical insurance. I have never paid single penny for my stents, hospital stays or surgery. Not one red cent.
           [Author's note: I cannot remind Americans too often that nothing is free in Canada, and nothing ever will be, including medical. The medical is paid for via taxation and the average wait time is more than 18 weeks, although this varies by province. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) does not report on the frequency of death during these lengthy lineups. Doctors are allowed to incorporate (limit their liability), but the general difficulty of suing anyone in Canada makes this less scary than in the American system. Abuse is controlled by using health insurance ID cards which make frivolous users wait even longer.]
           Furthermore, I do not pay anything for my prescriptions. Plavix is now $244 per month, Tricor is something like $187. I don't pay anything, although sometimes there is a $2 co-pay if I use the hospital pharmacy. In all, it is totally untrue that there is no insurance in the USA and equally untrue to think that I didn't have insurance. I was and am completely insured for medical bills of all kinds for life.
           What I did not have insurance for was loss of income at such an early age. (Yes, I had unemployment insurance, but that ran out, since it is intended for those who can go back to work.) People would need rocks in their head to think I would not work if I possibly could. Hell, I was making five grand a month sitting at a desk, driving a Cadillac and banking $600 per week. It is completely false and/or shallow-minded to think I am lazy. I was (symptomatically) in perfect health and had planned on working at least another twenty years when I was laid low.
           And when I say planned, I don't mean the Panera-style bullsh. These were real, written retirement plans that included property in Belize, a $250,000 slush fund, and they are published here, you can go back and look them up. What happened instead is that I had to cash in my 401(k) and other plans to survive on while it was being legally and medically determined that I could not return to work, ever. I confided this information to false friends who took the opportunity to do a little back-stabbing.
           That is the exact explanation of why I went partners with Wallace. He is the only person in the world who knew that I could only afford $3,600 per year rent for two consecutive years. That was the arrangment, never was there a contract of landlord-tenant between us. Yet, that is what he is now falsely maintaining, so it is his turn to show it to the Judge in writing.
           What happened after his daughter found out about the purchase, she instantly began to worry that she might not get her hands on the $18,000 and went to work on Wallace. She convinced him that I was "freeloading" and that any degree of comfort I derived from "his" property is something that I should pay dearly through the teeth for. Wallace does not think like that, so I'm beginning to suspect that trip to Alaska in 2008 was at her insistance to gain time to work on him. He showed up in September with the attitude I was "preventing" him from renting the place for $1,200 per month.
           Since that point, he has broken every rule of civilized behavior. He does not deserve to be treated fairly, however, to treat him unfairly would be to admit I was totally wrong in becoming friends and I am not prepared to admit such a thing. But I do know that underhanded people always have something to hide, and I intend to find out exactly what she is hiding. We begin by finding out who did not like her in high school. Isn't the Internet wonderful when you know how to use it?

February 24, 2011

           Here's a late shot of the Art Show, in this case a robot head made of spare parts. The eyes are working cameras with the display shown upside down on the temples. You can see the size, it was a keen draw for the children, practically the only art for that age group other than t-shirts and free trinkets.
           I can eat popcorn again. I just got my results [from the clinic], and it turns out the popcorn ban was to limit salt intake. They didn't tell me that. On the return, I passed the break-in 500 mile mark on the new scooter. There is a second break-in speed limit of 45 mph, but other than the freeways there are limited places to travel that fast in south Florida.
           This may be a repeat item, but during this same week, I have passed the million mile mark in my life, that is, I have traveled a million miles. This includes airplane trips and the 13,443 miles I have ridden a bicycle. That last figure includes my distance when I had a paper route as a pre-teen. Are you sure I haven't told you about this already? Anyway, I have also noticed that people who drive a lot would have a very hard time reaching the million-mile mark, but at the same time are certain they have done it. Usually it is their imagination. Only about half of Americans travel as much as I, and the amounts are declining, that is, people are traveling less, not more.
           I spent a half-hour with my lawyer today, going over documents. It seems my adversaries are not obeying the Da Vinci rule: never undertake any project that will cause you to suffer if it does not work out as planned. Da Vinci probably said it fancier than I just did, but the concept is the same. Also, we have analyzed a series of weaknesses in my opponents which will practically guarantee they will fail in a courtroom. For example, who do we know that always changes the subject whenever he starts losing an argument? Who do we know that will lie if he thinks he has been caught on a technical or legal point?
           My lawyer thinks I should have seen this coming while I protest saying I don't normally go looking for shortcomings in my friends. He says it should have been obvious from telltale indicators like a head full of old-wive's tales. That's true, some idiots really think bird dogs should not eat chicken bones, that the Jews stole Israel from the Arabs, and that chess is intellectually superior to other children's games.
           There is also a slew of contradiction and hypocrisy now uncovered. Some people are trying to have it both ways. To be fair, I do not believe that my judgment in friends is wrong, nor is it that I chose bad people to associate with. The plausible explanation is that I did not allow for undue interference from greedy and self-serving relations and I would have spotted those relations as half-breed scum instantly had we ever met. There will be more on this topic in a few weeks, for at this point my lawyer and I are deciding which of the actionable wrongs are the best to pursue.
           Make no mistake about it. If you have indulged in any wrong-doing, such as breaching a verbal contract with me, interfering in private business affairs, making false attestations (such as saying you are poor while driving an $18,000 car) to the court, or attempting to enlist the court to enforce a meritless claim, then you should be very worried.

February 23, 2011

           You get trivia right away this time. Have you ever heard of baidu.com? If not, you are in the minority. It is the largest search engine used in China. The US still counts for 70% of all web traffic, almost half of it junk mail, but times will change soon. I have not been in China since 1986.
           Here's a little more trivia. Do you know anyone who is often stung by bees? Well, it ain't me. For unknown reasons, bees are more likely to sting a stupid person than a smart one. That is correct, the higher your IQ, the less likely a bee will sting you. Even worse, if there is a stupid person in the vicinity, bees will go after the klutz. Mosquitos don't bother me much either.
           Next, I figured out why the scooter gas tank is not exactly a gallon. It is five liters, which equals 1.3209 gallons, very close to what I had calculated on my own (1.227 gallons). That explains that. Funny that I had time to even look that up, as I am taking my lawyer's advice and suing Wallace for $4,800. Wallace has finally (and foolishly) declared in writing (falsely) that we had a rental agreement rather than being business partners. Now he owes me for 20 months of absentee caretaking and a finder's fee. I can effortlessly establish that I did all the work and was never paid. Everything is about to backfire on him because he tried to get smart with me. What a pity, he almost had it made.
           I made progress with the computers at the scooter shop, but really, some of the Internet equipment left over from my former business is really worn out. I have learned to shoehorn XP into a 4 GB drive and still trust wired circuits over wireless every time. Why hasn't somebody invented something better than the Internet yet?
           No wonder I thought I was ahead of schedule. I totally forgot Washington’s birthday again, the major effect of that day is the library is closed last Monday. I have no intention of hooking up Internet service in the near future. The scooter makes it twice as ecomonical to head to the downtown branch and besides, there is a gal I find alluring who works there.
           Speaking of gals, I met a nurse in Hollywood who said the town was full of nurses. Said they lived along Federal between the boulevard and Pembroke. I replied that in five years, I had never seen or met a nurse in that area. Oh, she continues, they all go to the Hard Rock. Why? Because it was open 24 hours and they could eat and smoke there. That confirms what I've always said about women being poor judges of character. This nurse understood I was looking to meet someone.
           But in her mind, my equivalent in a woman would be someone who gets off shift at 3:00 AM, heads for the gambling den, lights up a fat cigar, orders up some chow and belts back a few. I asked if any of them ever went to the library and she gave me that "what for?" look. According to her, the casinos are group behavior for all nurses, and I should go there to meet them. What, and listen to them complain all night about the bees?
           Just for the record guys, let me clue you in on a little advice. The best way to score with women is to be famous. Rich and good-looking work, but they are painfully inefficient and take far too long. Most men are not famous, and no, having all the barflies at the watering hole know your first name does not count. On the other hand, I don't mean you have to be world famous. Locally celebrity has always worked for me, let the women come to you, I say. (Keep in mind, however, that I am looking for a long-term relationship, not a fling. I get more by accident than most guys do on purpose, I just don't constantly talk about it.)

February 22, 2011

           Is it a church or a mission? The advertising says both, so I pulled in to have a look. Once on the grounds, there is not a single sign to indicate which is which. Now derned if that does not look like an old Spanish mission. So I walked around it to take pictures and presently found myself standing beside a priest with a room full of people praying in my general direction. I gave my best howdy-do look and backtracked out the door seen at the lower right of the building shown here.
           I've got a completely new set of computer gear, including a netbook computer, but trust MicroSoft to throw a wrench in the gears. MicroSoft Works will not directly save a doc file, something I use as a standard. Also, their crappy trial versions of everything just get in the way of installing the real thing. I'll work around it soon. On March 15, I'll be switching everything to Open Office, once and for all. I've had it with MicroSoft, imagine how I'd feel if I'd every really bought anything from them.
           I took the scooter for an extra 30 mile trip at 30 mph, and wound up out at Pines Mall, where I dropped in to see my family doctor. Guess what? I am able to put pizza and popcorn back on my diet, in moderation of course. I admit to cheating a little over the years with pizza, but I sure did miss popcorn (which I was allowed once per month).
           I've measured out the scooter shop for three computers. Don't tell them it is old models I was about to throw out. They work well on the Internet for surfing and reading, but not much for music and video. I zipped over to Fred's to get RJ-45 ends on my old cables. I knew I kept those for a reason. The scooter shop has a new salesman who has more recent training that I do on certain computer features.
           Therein lies a problem, because he can out-talk me on basics. Not because I don't know the basics, but because they have long since been assimilated into what I do and I don't deal with them on a common basis. For example, I've a computer running slow and he wants to know what paging file I'm using. I don't know and don't care, but I know you don't bother with paging files since they have nothing to do with the problem.
           He's also inexperienced with real life computer problems. He suggests adding a flash drive and using it as virtual RAM. He does not grasp that hardware solutions are always more expensive and generally too expensive in the long run. I'm trying to solve a problem, not put it off into the future. At any rate, he has an idea of a product to sell on e-readers. I'm considering it not because I like the product, but because the product is cheap, used once a day, and thrown away. (I am bound not to disclose what it is.)
           Meanwhile, I'm looking at some e-book generation software. I'm kind of broke until April or May and that is the exact situation I use to move into the unknown. Last time I looked, the only e-book software was expensive, or required a membership fee. I hear that has changed. Trust me, I am not above repacking what you see here, plus almost anything else I've written, and selling it under any title that brings in the cash. All that work I did for FireHow brought me in a piddling $70. (Mind you, early last October that $70 was most welcome.)
           I dropped into Jimbos to rig my PA, to wean it off CDs. Turns out with all my costly cables and adapters, I don't have a single compatible connection. I'm trying to get away from the CDs, as they tend to overheat after two hours [causing a laser misread which sounds like a loud "chirp") and CDs waste space unless you fill them up.
           My plan is to switch to SD cards as a new standard. I already own cameras, adapters, computers, printers and now an e-reader with the right design. Yet there is still not a single DVD player on the market with a slot, or for that matter, even with a USB port. Why don't all the uneducated consumers hurry up and buy all the crap so something new can take its place. DVD players haven't change in 15 years and it is about time they got junked.
           While at the club, I heard some of the staff bragging up this new computer genius they had met. He's 24 and knows "so much about computers you would not believe it". He's such a whiz kid they trust him with their equipment and buy all their gear from the store where he works. Actually, I do believe how much he knows. He is one of my students whom I invited to join my fledgling robotics club last December. Small world.

February 21, 2011

           The girl looks real because it is a 2D picture about 11 feet tall. Of course, a blonde by herself catches my eye. Remember, I never ask for something I cannot offer in return. This, if you ask me is art in pure form. Female form. The only thing I miss about living on the farm is meeting gals like this who were not posing or doing it for money. Sigh.
           One guy I’d like to shoot is the dickhead who invented the touchpad mouse. The least the bastard could have done is make it work right, but that was asking too much. It is really a contraption for people who aren’t serious about wha they do ona computer. Plus, its placement below the keypad is ridiculous and meant for those who can’t type. Only the untrained need to rest their wrists when typing. I’m working with a netbook, in case anyone can’t tell.
           Now that there is a slight surplus again, things are moving right along. I’ll be caught up on a dozen tail ends by end of this week. It is time to move ahead again after months of unjustified stagnation. I should not say that. Despite total letdowns by people I trusted, I did keep the blog going, bought a scooter, attended the usual events and commenced trifling with electronics and robotics. Throw in a couple dozen new books read, tons of research on everything from electric bicycles to radio circuits and I should be glad I’ve got better things to do than sit around thinking of ways to trip up other people.
           But one thing you can be sure of, anyone who tries to shaft me will gain the initial advantage, but in the end it they will wind up suffering exactly what they tried to inflict. It is strange how people who’ve known me for decades never learned this lesson. I make a nearly ideal business partner, but some folks have a strange idea of what a partner is and may not agree. They think a partner is someone who let down their guard and try a little back-stabbing. Surprise attack works and it always will. But few people are prepared for the long run where I plan years ahead.
           The termites are blooming again in the Florida room. Even protected wood, like my fancy desk, has to be periodically sprayed and that means I have to do it this year. It’s been four years since I treated it and I don’t want those insects getting into anything I own. I believe the deck under the Florida room was built with untreated lumber, it did not look that great since the beginning. And it has the damp termite smell. If given a free hand, I would have fixed this long ago. Now, the damage is serious, as it is slowly settling and pulling the two halves of the double-wide apart at the roof ridge.
           Funny, there are only deficiency experts around to criticize repairs, but none to be found when preventative maintenance is required. It is no wonder how little some people accomplish in a lifetime. I grabbed a coffee at the Panera after shopping at Big Lots and that place is sure full of nasty, noisy old buggars. They’ve also taken over the nearby Dunkin’. Do they really think the world wants to hear them bellering out their political opinions?
           Mind you, I know fully what causes most men to wind up that way. I'm just too polite and tired to go into it right how. But the first requirement is that you have to be a man who knows it all so that you never have to read or write after you get out of grade school. Myself, I have to learn something new every day or I can't sleep right. Guess I'll never know enough to hang out with the old boys.
           The second photo meets the blog criteria for novelty today. It is no big deal, but you see how the artist has painted the picture over onto the frame itself. Every picture in the exhibit had the same painted frame, no variation. Or, as I once heard it put, "Actual truth may vary."

February 20, 2011

           I started out to put some miles on the scooter and wound up at Quizno’s in south Miami. JP was out in the Keys and I had decided not to attend the Coconut Grove Art Festival. It is no fun without somebody to help drool over the pretty girls and have guy fun picking up women. Besides the admission is $10 and they do not provide any shade or any place to sit in the fairgrounds.
           I still wound up at the show. The best art was these wires shaped like women. They are weightless (like the women I date) and are meant to hang from a wall or ceiling. I didn't ask the price, but I'd like to meet the model.
           As usual, the prices at the show were astronomical, so I spent nothing, zero. A hot dog is $5 and a turkey leg was $12. I don’t pay to go to sales exhibitions, I feel they should pay me to attend.
           However, in the convoluted logic of experience, you can’t leave a hole in the fence and blame the boys for crawling through it. Five years ago, JP and I painted an apartment in the area. You park behind, avoiding the $20 parking fee everyone charges during the show and ride up the service elevator to the 12th floor. Then you walk through the never-used conference room, take the passenger elevator to ground and melt into the crowd just inside the gate.
           [Author's note: Before anyone starts playing preacher, remember, I did not say I sneaked in, only that I know how. But let me say it is no loss to anyone if a few people get in that would not attend unless they could do so for free. I fall squarely in that category, again, not saying I did anything. This blog is for entertainment.]
           My guess is there were 26,000 people present that day. JP’s standards are much lower than mine, so I had a hard time girl-watching. I found exactly one babe in the whole crowd. She was the image of Judy, my late teenage sweetheart. I could see she found it stifling to be stuck with her family group, and her father was watching her like a hawk. She was a little too old to be single and he wasn’t letting anyone approach her that didn’t look like a millionaire.
           In a related incident, I found a shady spot of grass, there being no chairs or benches. A group of ladies nearby were complaining that they weren’t meeting any “single guys”. One of them must have seen my eyebrow raise and realized what I was thinking. If you want to meet singles, ladies, why are all of you pushing baby carriages? I saw a lot of that at the phone company, women who thought being female meant they could get away with anything they pleased. Then complain over the consequences.
           Another interesting item was the Rolling Ball Sculptures for those who remember what those are. The one shown here was $3,600. Although cheaper than kids, that's a lot of loot for something that makes a racket in your living room.
           Today I put 70 miles on the scooter, bringing it closer to that 500 mile break-in mark. The machine has not yet been over 35 mph, most of the sustained travel has been around 30 mph. That explains these photos from the art show.

February 19, 2011

           This is a "Spyder" clone. I think they cloned the price as well, this used unit sells for $18,000. That's better than spending $73,000 on a Cadillac Esplanade, which comes with a heated steering wheel. That's a real must for those chilly Florida mornings where it can drop into the 70s.
           An e-reader finally fell into the price range where I’ll test it. Remember, I do not test leading edge products, I wait until the cost-benefit ratio falls out of the stratosphere. Borders is closing 40% of their 500 stores, and dumping their “Slick” e-reader for $90. I got one, and I’ve been pushing it to the limits, examining every feature.
           They are trying to charge the same outrageous prices for e-books as the hardcover versions in most cases. No way should an e-book coast the same as the hardcover version bound in leather and gold leaf. I’m instantly looking for free sources, ahem.
           I’ve already read most of what’s worth reading in the public domain. The Slick comes with Sherlock Holmes and Huckleberry Finn, most generous of them. Maybe that is why they are facing bankruptcy and canning 6,000 employees. Then again, maybe it is coincidence, you know, like Kodak failing to realize they could not gouge people for film and developing forever.
           The e-reader comes with lousy instructions. The easy stuff is fairly intuitive, and you should be able to work the reader, music and photo features. The MP3 player lacks many of the standard controls, such as a “stop” button and a repeat is from the beginning or nothing. But I can live with that.
           What chokes me however is the video player. While the literature states the unit plays flash video, most of the time it returns a “file format error” message. This is totally unacceptable, even if the cause was documented. The same flv files play fine on a computer. That is a real let-down, Borders, I’m working on it..
           Here's a shot of the Esplanade I just mentioned. I call it the SUV choice of the credit junkie crowd. The specs say it gets 20 miles per gallon. Add a grain of salt and take that down to 12 or 15. Salt is heavy, you know.
           Last, the red truck. Well, it has an ad on the back for an adult video store, proving once again that adult Americans have some very strange ideas about what kind of sex is "naughty". And that they think alike, trying to re-write the rulebook to prevent anyone from doing what they themselves missed out on.
           Did you see that news item the other day about a 24 year old jock in trouble for poinking a 17 year old? Hey, she was a sleazebucket, for crying out loud. Then, I am against any statutory laws that attempt to regulate what people do for pleasure. You just cannot outlaw booze, sex and drugs. Statutory law makes criminals out of ordinary citizens. But, like I said, most lawyers never scored with young women, so they love to make laws preventing others from doing so.
           Musicians, well, that is a totally different story. I've never met a musician who isn't guilty of the statutory crimes of underage drinking, sex with a minor and possession of narcotics, except myself of course, since I've been lily-white since I first touched a bass when I was 13, cross my heart and spit three times. What the lawyers have done is criminalize a reality they envy so bad it hurts. Not all lawyers, but the ones who try to force their loser morality on others.

February 18, 2011

           Last day I mentioned finding a great new picnic spot. Here is a photo of one of the bridges on the footpath. The park itself is underused, you can tell that the hiking trails are not that trampled. They also have a mound around 45 feet high you can walk up, though the climb was beyond me until I have another good day.
           Another test run on the new scooter reveals some side marker lights are not working, but in all, it is a great little machine. I nicely lost my cell phone. I left it unattended at the library for 4 minutes and one of the punks got it. I'm pretty sure I know which one, but you can't do anything. (I already have a replacement.) I've been toying with the idea of testing the new cell phone spyware that is on the market. Also, in case anybody still is not aware of it, all cell phones in N. America can be traced to their location (using TDOA, not triangulation) and the microphones can be activated by the police to listen even when the cell phone is turned off.
           This morning's callout was a new wireless printer system and I think I can give Netgear a compliment. They finally have the setup wizard they should have had in 1995. It still has problems, such as not recognizing valid NIC (Internet adapter cards). Netgear is still one of the easiest to setup and one day I would like to find out what all the options are for. They say they have a simulator on the Internet, but it is not on their site and I can't find it.
           For those who like a happy ending, here is a photo that made it too late for y'day's publication. This is the squad car I sicced on the stupid old broad who cut me off. She actually tried to pretend she didn't see the cop car and pulled through the intersection shown here with the sirens wailing. Much as I would have liked to, I did not stop to witness the results. For the record, I have incriminating photos of almost everyone who drives badly around me.
           Today’s research shows that it is th apmperage, not the voltage, that controls the rotational speed of an electric motor. Of course, all the people I asked about this last week that didn’t know this claimed they told me the answer. When I pointed out that a transistor would be required to operate such a control and that I didn’t know transistors yet, so this was an opportunity for them to tell me another answer. Or do I have to conduct another experiment before they “remember” they told me.
           I am unaware of the analog device which controls amperage. It is not the potentiometer, which works with voltages. Once again I find that even the most authoratative of text books and manuals fail to cover these basic points. I know the device exists, because otherwise the whole concept of PWM is meaningless.
           MetroPCS got their last dollar out of me. They are just too difficult to get any service out of. When I went to upgrade my cell phone, I had to wait over an hour and pay for parking for one of their people to tell me their office does not upgrade phones. I have to go to a dealer. Well, why didn’t the person at the door who asked me what I wanted tell me that and I would not have had to pay for parking. MetroPCS pulls this kind of stunt all the time. Everybody's in charge but nobody has any idea what is going on.

February 17, 2011

          Is this ignorant bitch your wife or mother? If so, she's lucky I didn't catch her on a deserted stretch after she cut me off at 45 mph. She is an asshole driving vehicle tag AKV B67, ignoring the law that says she must give cyclists 3 feet of passing space. She was roaring past them with inches to spare, I have it on video. I followed her for twenty miles. She tried to lose me by cutting through a private club in Boca. I followed her until I was able to point her out to a police car.
You decide for yourself if such people should be allowed on the roadways. Look at that careless attitude, trying to pretend she doesn't know why I'm taking her picture. Snotty old hen thinks she owns the road and can get away with anything. I hope she'd been drinking when the cops pulled her over. I mean, sunglasses? Like she was some kind of movie star? She was a shrivelled up old grape. And dumb. Trying to lose a guy on a motorcycle is real dumb.
           I have nothing to do for "5 to 7" days. I took the scooter on a 140 mile trip at precisely 30 mph. The break-in period is not half complete. I drove north along Andrews until it became a major road, then east on McNab to Dixie, then north again to some Copans.
           This was a test run to see if the scooter is suitable for longer day trips. Driving along the Florida east coast is all city driving, something you might not care to do in a car. I was on the road eight hours. There is no eastern equivalent of the PCH (Pacific Coast Hwy) out here. The road (Ocean Drive) alternates between beach stretches with no parking and inland behind fortified mansions.
           I see my camera equipment is inadequate. Some great shots I missed include the Goodyear Blimp hangar, a flock of around 800 seagulls riding the waves, and a schoolbus surrounded by police cars. I've known I needed a better digital camera for some time now.
           The road eventually terminates on a river bay around ten miles north of Lake Worth. I stopped at the same place on the ocean Wallace and I visited two years back. A retired NYC cop came over and asked about the scooter. He was on a scooter detail back when and said it was the fastest way to get around New York, since they were allowed to use the sidewalks.
           He said they used to stash the scooters in the masoleums at the graveyards and use them to spring surprise take-downs. All they had was two-stroke models, so I let him take my four-stroke out for a ten minute drive.
           At the turnaround point, I was in a fairly posh neighborhood, so I zipped around the side streets for a looke-see. An astonishing number of the estates were for sale. What a pity that if you see a fashionably dressed woman in Florida, it is a real estate agent. Speaking of a bad market, there is a place on Plunkett asking $42,000. Three years ago there was nothing less than ten times that.
           This was the longest scooter or motorcycle trip I've been on since I was 16. I had a Honda 90 which my brother stole and smashed up. In my mother's twisted mind, that was my fault. Since I didn't let him take it because I knew he would wreck it, he had to steal it, don't you see? There were others around, but he had to steal mine. If I was a real brother, I would share even if I knew he'd run it into something the first time he got on it. And they wonder why I don't speak to these people.
           After the trip, the scooter had a noticeable improvement in power. It fairly flies up to 30 mph now, the fastest I've taken it. The trip to Okeechobee will have to wait until I can travel top speed (around 68 mph), since almost every arterial road north of here has high speed stretches unsuitable for puttering along.

February 16, 2011

           I walked out of the government office on Monday with a sore throat. I never did like that waiting room. Now I have a full-fledged fever. Dave-O was over this morning and I had to decline hanging out for the day. I finally made it to Denny's for the first time in years and see the coffee is now $1.99 a cup ($2.11 with tax). I had two refills.
           I'm still a few hours away from finishing "The Hunt for Red October". The book goes on quite a while after the movie, which ends with the submarine sailing up river. The book goes further, telling of the events concerning the Russian, pardon me, Soviet sailors and the reaction of the Moscow committees. The character count is endless with ponderous Slavic names still being introduced at the 81% mark.
           I've enlisted some help finding out what the extra capacitor is that appears in most modern radio circuit diagrams. Eddie, the guitar guy, knows electricity though not necessarily electronics. The difference is an electrical guy knows what the components do, but not always how they perform in combination. His theory is that it prevents "bleed" from the speaker. I hesitate on that because a circuit that will only power an earphone still exhibits the extra capacitor. See it in the nearby diagram, labeled "C1 1000".
           [Author's note: the tank circuit in question is basically what is known as a crystal radio set. It derives power from the antenna. The earpiece is a piezoelectric crystal and should not need an anti-bleed feature. Original 1930 radio schematics, such as the ones I prefer, lack this capacitor. If you examine the layout, one side of the capacitor receives a rectified half signal, the other side gets the raw signal. We're working on it.]
           I'm still driving longer than usual daily distances to break in the new scooter. Today I found a park I never knew was there, south where West Dixie parallels Biscayne. It has two attractions instantly noticeable. The clientele is Anglo and they have unvandalized picnic tables. Or did I just repeat myself? Remember, I call 'em as I see 'em. I am not prejudiced, particularly not against verifiable facts.
           I also dropped into that excellent Italian market near 163rd. It is worth just a walk through that place. It's a little pricey but they've got things you've never seen before. I didn't stick around as for some reason the area was crawling with police. Scooters and wild crossfires are rarely a good mix.
           My favorite game show, Cash Cab, has a second location. This time Chicago, although the lady cab driver kind of looks like she grew up around there. The show is terribly disliked by people who can't get the answers. I'm still waiting for a confirmation call from the government, so I spent the hot part of the day in Barnes & Noble. They do not stock a single book on the topic of angular momentum.
           The Internet was not much help either. Isn't it interesting that to get past the surface knowledge on any subject, I still have to find a library with a good reference section? Ft. Lauderdale library comes to mind, but it is unlikely I'd ever go there until they provide free parking. Sometimes I make a parking arrangement with the staff at a nearby convenience store, but that is hardly a good solution. Otherwise, Ft. Lauderdale is a nothing town, and don't even bother with the beaches off season, all the queers hang out there. And Ft. Lauderdale truly has its quota of queers.

February 15, 2011

           "The Hunt for Red October" gets an F-minus before I'm half-way done. The plot is great and Clancey makes no errors on matters of military equipment. But he fails due to character bloat. I'm barely half-way and already have logged some 80 names. I can't be exact, as Clancey has an even worse habit of not giving the person's full name at once. Or, he'll refer to the same character by title or nickname. Boo, Clancey. I wanted to read a spy novel, not memorize the Sedro Woolley phone book.
           Clancey gets caught up in military egotism. I lost count of how many admirals, captains and executive officers he names. Clancy, nobody cares what their names are except other egotists. Instead of cooking up stereotypical characters, why don't you use the time to proofread your own writing? Do you know you refer to the protagonist as both "Jack" and "John"? Which is he?
           The book is more detailed than the movie, but I advise you merely skim-read it and ignore the blast of names, most of whom are mentioned once (Wynne Greville, Hans Tofte, Bud Wilkins, Barry Somers, Charles Goodman, Tony Parker, ad nauseum). How many damn useless departments does the US military have, anyway? Everybody has a hidden agenda and is answerable to somebody other than who he works for.
           I also looked up several of the undersea features Clancey mentions, such as the Reykjanes Ridge (which exists) and Thor's Twins (which may not, depending on who you believe). There are numerous web sites that purport to analyze the book, but which are nothing more than movie trivia, which we already have enough of.
           I dropped in to see how the on-line ordering system works at Wal*Mart. You must use a credit card or a pre-paid card, they will not take cash. The card seems the better deal if you don't want to be profiled, until you discover the cards are incompatibly priced with most of the merchandise. If you want something that costs $150.01, you have to purchase a $200.00 card. The clever bastards don't let you split a purchase over two cards, so it's spend the other $49.99 or eat it when the card expires. Way to go, Sam, you are so smart I can hardly put my feelings into words.
           The scooter is in the shop today for the 100-mile checkup. They are made in China but assembled here and you get a variation in skill levels. For example, my throttle control cable was loose. Sadly, they let my buddy go, saying the head office didn't like him. That is precisely why I avoid working for small companies. Too much of a small office job is based on social variables, the effective opposite of professionalism and productivity. I like an inert workplace. Those who go to work to socialize should join a dart club. Or something.
           Trivia. Extensive trials with scale model tanks exhibit much the same performance and kill ratios as full size tanks. Still one of the top ranking, though it has not been manufactured since August 1944, is the Tiger Tank. Wiki states a later variant, the Tiger II (King Tiger) once hit its target from over 2-1/2 miles away, kind of hard to believe. Crews reported the tanks were "roomy".

February 14, 2011

           This is the first Valentine's in years I have not been helping out at the flower shop in Miami. Instead, I sat in the government office from 8:00 AM till noon. I brought along the paperback,"The Hunt For Red October", a Clancey classic. It is also one of his older works and is indisputedly better written than what he's lately churned out. I'm only a quarter through it and already it suffers from character bloat. Really, how central to the plot is the sonarman's wife's name?
           Speaking of hearse-shaped cars, here is a Rolls-Royce convertible. It was parked outside a Chinese restaurant, albeit behind a barricade of parking cones up at Sawgrass. It had a white leather interior. The problem is, there is no safe place to drive something like that in this country, except maybe around the private estate.
           I could easily have parked by scoot next to it to snap this photo, but I was tired. This was the Phantom Drophead Coupe (you may have to hit "replay"), but the English have always had funny ideas about word connotations. It comes with an aluminum frame and a V-12, base price $494,195. Plus tax.
           While up in government row, I zipped over to Sawgrass Mills to visit Books-A-Million. They've revamped the format and that entire store had just two books on electronics. But they've got shelves of self-help (what a joke) and lots of instruction books on how to live with insomniacs, alcholics and pregnant women. A type of literature I'd brand "bleeding heart pornography".
           Due to a virus attack, I wound up talking to an 18 year old by phone and advised him not to get into computer repair as a career. He was astounded to learn I knew exactly how colleges and universities operated, how they are geared to squeeze you for money, and that I would speak openly on the topic. I wish somebody had done told me when I was 18, you know.
           I wanted to tell him to go to college even if he eventually failed. It is the only and last place after high school you will meet dozens of single (undivorced) women who are away from parental rules for the first time. I have pity for any young man that misses out on this experience. I had it even better, for I was the only hippie at a college full of nerds like my brothers. Nerds lived through the entire sexual revolution without ever leaving the trenches.
           Even today, I got the look from a babe up at Dunkin' Donuts in Dania. I thought she smiled at me but brushed it off as she was too good-looking. Five minutes later she both smiled and gave me the look. There are two ways to figure this. If you think she was a prostitute, you'd be wrong, because if she was, I would not have been impressed and would not have written this account. In the moment I hesitated, she got a cell phone call and was gone. What a babe, and I blew it.
           My lawyer is advising me to sue for back wages as caretaker for the past three years. The amount he says is justified is $4,800. I'm taking this under close consideration. The major obstacle is that I do not think my judgment in friends was wrong, but my judgment of how vulnerable they were to bad influences. Stand by for developments.

February 13, 2011

           Offerdahl's, shown here. It's a sandwich grill across from the Hollywood Target plaza. Bingo bought brunch so I settled on the black bean burger. Add coffee and it was a $9 mean that didn't quite fill me up. Good food, but the place is a little too yuppie for me.
           Home Depot is 14 minutes by scooter versus nearly two hours by bicycle. I spend 96 cents on bolts for my cargo rack. The bungee cords cost more. The fact that I am now using the scooter for such mundane tasks is very good news, if you know what to look for.
           Then, to the scooter shop. For a productive day of advertising and planning. I'll be setting up two Internet computers and today learned how to create Google maps. These will really make the scooter ads stand out, plus I figured out how to manipulate and pad the scripts so our ads always stay on top.
           It is clear Google got sued or stewed over those maps, considering the security measures they take to insure the business is for real. Within the hour, I found posting an ad under Craigslist services is also subject to intense verifications. Does anybody know the story behind all this?
           I've also developed a handy list of deprecated tags that still work on Craigslist. It makes our ads the most sophisticated in the categories (motorcycles, cycles, and services). My idea of plastering any vacant scooter stores with our ads has paid off. I was in the shop when customers rolled in mentioning the ads.
           My logic was pure simplicity. Bankrupt businesses often leave their exterior signs up for incredibly long periods. It would be foolish to waste such opportunities.
           While investigating scooter headlamp law (yes, you must leave the light on in Florida), I found that EFR is allowed in this state. When you buy vehicle insurance from a company, you are really borrowing the money for them to put up a bond. They overcharge you and often reveal your private personal information to anyone who wants it. It is well known that many civil law suits are instituted because people who don't like you are able to find out you have a policy and how much it is for.
           EFR is "evidence of financial responsibility", which I've had my entire adult life. I post a private bond equal to the amount of required insurance. This avoids the agency rip-off rates, makes it difficult to discover where the money is without you finding out about it in advance, and you will drive more carefully because it is your own money at risk.

February 12, 2011

           A first in years, I went out for breakfast. Today is was the classic cafe in the Town Drugs building, near I-95 on east Hollywood Blvd. It has the works, counters, booths, surly waitresses, patrons right out of Happy Days and get this--an almost real breakfast special.
           Hold on, waddaya mean "almost real". I mean that calling it a special traditionally means the restaurant threw in the coffee and toast for free when you ordered the breakfast. (If they don't, it isn't exactly special at all.)
           There is a regular item on Town Drug menu for $3.79 that includes two eggs, a pancake, a tiny sausage pattie and (wonders) free refills from a thick, heavy coffee mug. It is cheaper than the advertised "special" at $3.79 which does not include coffee. And so it works out to $5.00 including the tip, and that is as close to a breakfast special as to be found in this county.
           They are only lacking some of those juke box remotes to make it a movie set. I found the place a little noisy as there was one 40-ish blonde waitress really pushing things, and of course, there are always married men flocking around such behavior. During the course of my half-hour meal, she managed to say the appetizing words, "facial hair", "lactating", "wet all over", "naked", "stripping" and approximately five sexual innuendos per minute. Next time, I'll sit up at the far end instead of at the stools.
           [Author's note: the juke remotes can take credit for my original interest in computers. Years ago, I had a paper route and used to stop and play the "Wall-O-Matic", fascinated by how it knew how much money I put in it (usually a dime). Don't confuse your juke boxes, there were three major competitors: Wurlitzer, Rock-Ola, and Seeburg. The remote box I am referring to was by Seeburg.
           According to Wiki, the juke box you are probably thinking of is the Wurlitzer 1015 because it sold 46,000 units. The rarest juke box is the Rock-Ola president, priced at $150,000 for the only known survivor. Great trivia for today!]
           Face it, I'm a shop lizard, I hang around shops. It beats associating with office workers and construction types who are generally such losers they are prone to one-up-manship. In a real shop, you either get along or get the hell out.
           I'd gone in early to set up bingo. There was a movie on AMC I haven't seen since I was a teen: Jeremiah Johnson. That's the last time I was ever at a drive-in. My date, a dance instructress from Seattle, was so boring, I watched that movie. I did. Besides, I had recently broken up with Judy Minty and she was one hard act to follow.
           Bingo, as we know, has evolved and the pots are twice the size from a year ago although the crowd has leveled off. A small group often means one person winning several pots and we've had people pass the $200 mark. Tonight, three people won 8 out of 10 games. That makes for record tips, and makes me very popular with the staff.
           I'm not a Saturday night person, but this time I went to Kelly's to watch the ladies on Harrison. There are no decent single women left in S. Florida, but one should never quit looking. What? Hey, I said, "decent".

February 11, 2011

           Those who like my photos hit the jackpot today, three pictures. The first one you have to figure out what it is. The hint is that there are many more where that came from. I was down on the beach today but the weather turned too cold to stick around. That's the second picture. To the right side, you see HWB restaurant. I was in to see Barry. He reports that he once had a 1966 Corvette stolen, saying "The other liked it better than I did."
           Shown here is the torn up beach access road, another phase of the interminable facelift being given to the beach now that the winter crowds have disappeared. The city is doing exactly the wrong thing by investing in this type of infrastructure. They should be creating free, secure parking. That's right, patrolled parking lots with security cameras. The increased business will take car of everything else. If they want to wean themselves off the tourists, all that's left is the locals. I would not go to the beach unless I could park for free.
           Hollywood is run by idiots. Who else puts maximum time parking meters on the biggest tourist draw in town? When you go to the beach, forget about relaxing all day, you have to go back to your parking meter at what will always be an inconvenient time. I know I've had to take unopportune breaks from playing music to go plug in coins. All because the City of Hollywood and everybody who works for them is too stupid to see things from the other side of the desk.
           Of all the web "How To" sites, I find eHow the most amateurish. In some cases, the posters are after hits and don't even know what they are talking about. For example, I wanted directions on how to return an uncashed money order, a process technically called "redeeming". The eHow people don't understand that redeeming and cashing are not the same thing.
           I was there because Western Union was not helpful on my situation. They have lots of directions on how to redeem the money order if this and if that, all grabbing a $15 to $30 "processing fee". What they don't state is what to do when the purchaser (myself) has everything: the uncashed money order, the original bottom half, proof of purchase and proper ID. It could be they don't have many customers as meticulous as myself, but hey, why can't I just take it to one of their offices and get my cash back? Instead of waiting eight weeks.
           But that eight weeks will be very well used. Things looming on the horizon will eclipse the hardships of the previous three years. That's not to say I'll be busy, in fact, thanks to the scooter, I'm all caught up. I've read every book in the house several times have started hanging out at the library most days. I went up to Dania to check on some property and passed the old Dania Beach Hotel, shown here. I thought it would be long gone by now.
           It seems to me the city condemned it for being an eyesore. Look what they've replaced it with. It is also right across the roadway from the hotel that had that landmark "Jai Alai" sign, which they also condemned and tore down. It was atop a pub I went in once to see if they had live entertainment. No, and I never went back because of the weird atmosphere. Fifteen drunks trying to pick up the overage barmaid who had perfected her working class appeals. Rather disgusting, actually.
           But not as offensive as the local politics. The first picture today is a tiny fraction of the condo blight on the waterfront. The politicians tear up the streets ten years too late and in the middle of the tourist season, if there was one. And they destroy tourist attractions in the false name of the public good. They got the wrong policy at the wrong time for the wrong reasons while lining their own pockets.
           Oops, pardon me, my mistake, I was thinking of Hosni Mubarak when I said all that.

February 10, 2011

           I was all over town. I’ve got a new scooter. I even dropped by to see Dave-O, who is much better off. I’ve fixed up an older (but adequate) computer for the scooter shop and I’ll network it in there soon. Remember, I’m used to driving a couple of miles to a shop than working the same arrangement at home. Why be vulnerable? Besides, a shop is where you network with the correct people. And before too long, you’re back in the Internet business again.
           What about the old computer shop? It is now being re-opened. Here is a photo of some guy working on the display rack. You can see his head and shoulders left of the tree. No hint yet of what kind of business it will be. I wonder if she got her $3,000 per month rent. If so, you watch, the shop will be like those mall cell phone stores that crop up by the dozen every spring and fold within a year.
           While looking for encryption programs on the Internet, I find a site of dozens with an interesting trait in common: their advertising is lifted almost word for word from an article I wrote concerning privacy and the dangers of profiling some twelve years ago. The telltale phrase is “This occurs without your knowledge or consent.” I’m amused, not offended. The software was all written by different people so I suspect the copywriter is the plagiarist.
           I am testing a program that scrambles e-mail in a unique fashion, in that it does not require the recipient to have descrambling software. It works by encrypting the message but adding a tiny script. When the e-mail arrives at the far end, it is rendered in plain text and a confirmation automatically returned to the sender. This prevents the e-mail from being read in transit. If it passes muster, I’ll review it.
           My gas generator on the Coleman is unfixable. I’ve tried all I know and can’t get full operation out of it. There are no professional repairmen in this State. The new models are expensive and nowhere near the quality expected. Without gas light, my evening reading has tapered to fewer hours, which has always been the case when I use electric light.
           Who do I bump into but Jeanie, the gal I used to play bass with up at the Octopus and similar venues downtown. I dedicated my Karaoke set to her, she is indeed looking good these days. She does sing a lot of slow music. She knows Laurie, Karaoke Laurie. Jeanie is leaving town, heading for Ashville (N. Carolina). This kind of decision is hard to reckon until you’ve lived in both states. I hope she finds it up there. Most people don’t.
           I live in a trailer court, in case anyone has noticed. Thus, I know what is happening in all the trailer courts even nearby, right down to occupancy rates. The establishments along Federal and east cater to Canadians, but they do not respect them. They shove the Canucks around all they want and never get sued because the Canadians are technically here illegally and won’t squawk. But times are changing, for the clientele are all well over 70. These trailer courts are not thinking ahead who is going to replace them within a few years.
           The next wave is going to be American retirees and people whose Enron-like pension plans don’t afford them to live in condos and detached housing. This crowd knows their rights and don’t put up with nonsense like “credit checks” that abrogate their civil rights. Somebody is going to sue these trailer parks sooner or later, and I hope they win.
           The local joke is that Canadians are tolerated because they are the least bothersome neighbors. “At least they are white, have money and use their own medical.”

February 9, 2011

           For curiosity’s sake, I did a search on public picnic and campgrounds in Florida. As figured, the free places, if they exist, don’t advertise, but usually somebody will post something. Nope, and my five or so trips around Lake Okee in the past ten years show that every square inch of the shore is owned by somebody. I know there are a couple vantage points on the east side.
           This satellite image shows a couple pine tree icons, the usual symbol of camping facilities, but these direct your search to a monstrous state “recreation” site that focuses on RVs and $68 annual passes.
           The state campgrounds charge a fee, and you must make a reservation. Others charge as well, ranging from $3.00 for “primitive” tent camps to $30.00 for tent camps with pool, bathhouse and tuck shop. Most have cabins for up to $150 per night. I don’t like mixed campgrounds, you know, RV and tents together. And yes, if you have an RV, you really can park overnight at all Wal*Mart parking lots except in Vancouver, British Columbia.
           The state reservations are not just a name and payment, they want your life history, and I’ve noticed the newer sites don’t respond to the older workarounds. (The jsmith@aol.com used to get information anonymously. Hey, it was you who called them for information, not the other way.) I can understand them wanting to know your first name and how long you’ll be staying, but take a look at the form. Happy Trails prisoner number 9248731.
           The new scooter is a sweet ride. It lacks the power of the old unit but top ends 5 mph faster. There is a 500 mile break-in period, hence my interest in the Okee tour. The weather is perfect for such an outing, dawn to dusk. I saw a video of this dude who rode a 125cc around Scotland. He had a compact rack on the passenger seat of all the camp gear he needed.
           I was at the library twice. I totally enjoyed the read about kerosene (coal oil) lamps last day. I measured the output of one of my standard models. The blurb says a quart of oil lasts 28 hours. I say it is more like 24 and I burn mine at a predictable rate. I’m not so certain it amounts to a bargain, but it is a better arrangement than the electric company. Why oh why did I throw out that propane stove? On January 14, I told you what propane fridges cost.
           I examined my kerosene lamps, and noticed there are several important factors the manufacturers don’t tell the new owner. For instance, there are two ways to hang the lamp. One is by the tiny loop at the top of the “chimney”, the other is by the long fold-over handle. Here’s the difference. The tiny loop is the correct way to suspend the lamp. The larger handle is meant to be draped over the side of the lantern. If you don’t fold it over, it gets too hot to carry. I toasted my fingertips a few times before clueing in.
           This painfully important fact is not mentioned in any of the instruction manuals or safety precautions. It must be one of those uncountable bass-akward tidbits from down on the farm that you are “supposed to know”. It may explain those many old photos showing some hick missing finger or an eye. Duh-yup.
           Trivia says that 44% of Americans think the Theory of Evolution is bunk. They also think the theory says man descended from apes, which it does not say. If you need a yardstick to measure the ignorance rate in the USA, that’s probably a good start.
           I found the perfect mobile home. Very similar to this place and only $4,750. Why not? Because it is out on 441, suburbia. Where there are no women between 18 and 42. Enrique is coming around regularly dropping his price, sorry he didn’t take my offer of $3,100. He dropped to $3,000 but I’m not biting. Yet.
           My robotics research, even at my beginner’s level, is paying off with the greater understanding gained. The new scooter has an alarm that triggers at the slightest touch. I now know it uses three transistors that produce a six million X gain. I’ve not worked with any transistors yet I grasp the operation. I also learned about “air soldering”. This is where you have salvaged parts with leads too short for a breadboard. You use a third hand device and solder them together directly.
           [Author’s note: One of the 44% has already emailed me. Darwin did not say that man descended from apes or that apes will evolve into man. Apes will evolve into different apes through natural selection, but they will still be apes. For some reason, people with low IQs cannot grasp this.
           Darwin says we share a common ancestor, which we do with all mammals, not just apes. No matter how they twist things, it is not coincidence that most mammals have ten toes. And incidentally, even the Vatican, with an eye to the future, has wisely stated that there is nothing in the Theory of Evolution that contradicts their doctrines, providing you admit God caused evolution. In his own image. Look left and cough.]

February 8, 2011

           As stated February 5, the new budget is in place, so watch for developments shortly and rapidly. While I can’t and won’t give any money details, this budget is unique for two reasons and I’ll share those with you. First of all, it is not conservative plan. A victim of childhood poverty, I’ve always had to proceed very cautiously, always holding back reserves in case of failure. As of now, however, my supplies are guaranteed, something I’ve never known before. See the brand new red scooter? It’s got 11 miles on it.
           Second, and more importantly, money can be spent as soon as I have it. No matter what, it will always be replaced within 30 days. While my budget tightly controls any danger of squandering, I can now take far greater chances by concentrating everything toward a single venture or against a single opponent. I no longer have to watch my flanks. Anything lost will just come back the next month. Like I said, watch for developments.
           This situation has been long awaited, and it is a pity others who would have materially benefited chose to be stingy and greedy instead. Recently, two contradictory notices have been posted, the mark of an amateur. Each quotes a different statute. Thus, neither has any effect until one is withdrawn. The one thing stopping me from taking my lawyer’s advice is that I don’t blame the same person as he does.
           Make no mistake about it, Wallace lied to me. It may be true this place could have been rented for more or could have been sold at a profit, but that is only because I am very good at finding true value, for which I have not yet been paid. Wallace ain’t found nothin’ in his life, much less a successful rental property. This place was never created over the premise that I would maintain it at my own expense year round or support Wallace’s house guests. Ensuite, my eye.
           Here’s the interesting development. I’ve received notice from Wallace that I am in breach of our lease. Strange, considering how many years Wallace has repeatedly denied the existence of such a document. Dang, I seem to have lost my copy. Why, I’m so dumb, I can’t even think of words that rhyme with “Roberta”, “interference”, and “backfire”.
           If, as she insists, Wallace is an adult, funny she is his mouthpiece. She also asked the snarky question about how much a room rents for in this town. About half of what I charge for caretaking, that’s how much.
           Even worse, their total mismanagement of this place (there were never any problems when I was in charge) has turned a sleepy corner lot into the focus of great and renewed attention at the office. They ignored the fact that it was a double paying single-wide pad rent. There is now talk of cranking the monthly fee up to what every other double pays. ($590 per month.) Some people are so smart they can’t learn anything.
           There may be no written contract, but there are plenty of things in writing. The lack of a lease is now going to cause problems for everybody except me, the opposite of their conniving plans. The lawyer says wait and see how this month plays out, see if they make any more big mistakes. He also says my recent video could have “real consequences”.
           I may have the perfect part-time job shaping up. Windows System 7 does not have a full set of drivers. The Internet is dominated by bullies who misdirect all searches to their own sites and then try to sell you the drivers. That gets expensive, unless you know somebody like me who can find them. I don’t know how Internet advertisers are allowed to bait and switch, but I know who started it: Amazon. Ask Amazon for directions to the men’s room and the bastards will try to upsell you a road map.

February 7, 2011

           The long awaited day of reckoning. Starting today, 10,000 boomers a day (on average) turn 65 years old. This is the situation I've watched for years. Let's see if they are any smarter today than they were in 1946. My opinion is they thought they were the chosen few, but in fact, their complacency caused all the problems in the USA (and Canada) today. They allowed wars, inflation, corruption, and house prizes to fly unchecked with their "I'm alright, Jack" attitudes, narrow minds about personal privacy, and blind trust of politicians. Now, we shall see.
           This photo says 77.3 million, but I tend to include 1965 births (when the replacement rate rather than the birth rate began to decline) bringing it up to 80+ million. One in three of these boomers owes more money on their house than it is worth. Of them, 18 million play guitar, 20 million are on welfare, and there is no way all of them can sell their houses and retire in comfort. And once the housing market implodes, so does the mortgage-backed security industry (stocks, bonds, CDs, debentures).
           Unless you are capable of at least partial self-support, the strangulation will be gradual. Those relying totally on Social Security and unfunded or under-funded pension plans (civil servants, teachers, wage-earners) will not see the light of day again until 2032. Ahem, for the record, I will be fine no matter what. Can't say that about the people who let me down, though.
           The first obvious signs will be runaway inflation. Ten thousand people a week will start spending money without having jobs that provide anything. This will further shift value away from the traditional home as a store of personal wealth. A loaf of bread is $3 and milk is already more precious than gasoline. A journalist would say that's just the tip of the iceberg, and for once he'd be right.
           I’ve got good news today, but it is too early to say anything, so I won’t mention it. There are two scooter shops out of business since New Year’s, they just can’t keep the doors open. They are good locations on busy thoroughfares and people can’t see the closed sign until they pull right up to the entrance. I advised Shay to do some psychological advertising: plaster those doors with his business address.
           I’m eyeing a new scooter, or at least a newer one. I’m working a deal for a few hundred dollars off to do Internet ads. They notice quickly how my ads draw in the customers. But don’t take my word for it. Go to Broward motorcycles on Craigslist and see for yourself which ads are most appealing. No, copying the ads won’t work because the real draw is they are linked to huge blog that you don’t control.
           Which brings me to blog stats. My readership has dropped by slightly over 800 people. The few other daily blogs I investigated are showing the same percentage decline. The consensus blames Facebook. I can’t compete with social networking and hope I don’t appeal to the same audience.
           One of the Frenchies came over and wanted to buy my wheelbarrow. They are leaving in small batches. There is a trailer court up in Boca that is paying for anyone to move in there. The Frenchies are taking the offer, so watch for some real bargains around here soon.
           There are about 30 counties in all of Texas where nobody has discovered oil, and I may be heading for one of them for a visit. The timing will be tricky depending on finances. If everything goes right, I may be away three weeks. I intend to take the new scooter if that happens. It will do 70 mph. Indeed, it may be the scooter that makes the trip possible. Consider the stats that follow.
           Operating the scooter at 55 mph has a variable cost of $2.30 per hour. Can’t go to the movies for that. A six-hour drive costs $13.80. That is the cheapest form of entertainment in this town. Still, it would take two weeks to drive to Texas and back and that means $200 in gasoline. I believe I’ve already pointed out that the plane, train, and bus all cost around the same $200, which must be pure coincidence, right? The difference is local transportation once you get there.
           On a lark, I may do a pilot trip around Lake Okeechobee. This is speculation. I’ve been warned about the summertime fly infestation. Wallace, Millie, and I can confirm that first hand a couple years ago. It was high summer and nobody said anything or warned anybody. We were instantly caught by swarms of green bugs, which oddly Millie just ignored and was ready to romp. It was us who ducked into the Malibu.
           Today’s trivia. People who sail around the world average 250 miles per day. If there was a road, I could do 330 a day on my scooter.