MORNING
Rehearsal. That’s what happens on Sundays. And it is finally clear to everyone that there is no work out there. That is not to say there isn’t any money to be made but most musicians don’t like to take chances when it comes to playing out. Not me, I’ll play for tips any place I can. If it was my band (as in if I was the leader) by now I would be holding practices down at some pub on the beach. We’ve been ready for close to two months. Why keep rehearsing the same things when we could play out? I planted the idea long before and it is slowly taking root.
The rest are the same recycled musicians. I usually hear about them when they advertise for a member because the last guy quit because they never got any gigs because they play the same thing as everybody else because they lack imagination because most of them are dominated by useless guitar players.
We added a couple new tunes to the already too-long list. That term is relative, as one of them was old when I first heard it. Everly Brothers, “Wake Up Little Susie”. We just play this music without really rehearsing it, a luxury when a band stays together long enough to get it together. I can think of a couple of people who’ve never held it together long enough to learn that lesson because I fired them both.
I don’t like “Wake Up Little Susie” but recognize it was way ahead of its time. The lyrics kind of bug me because they remind me of growing up in a small town. I’ll say it again, I like small towns, but not the kind of people who live in small towns. I never had a small-town mentality. While everybody there could tell you who I dated, I cannot recall even one pair of names from back then. I could care less who went out with whom. This song kind of typifies the difference. Think about it.
The song says their reputation is shot because they weren’t home by ten and I grew up with people that sincerely believed that load of manure. My gal and I could get it on (as sex was called back then) like rabbits and still be home with a half hour to spare. In my teens, only the losers took their gals to the movies. My secret is that I actually thought all the others (including my brothers) were, like I was, just pretending to follow all the rules so as not to get caught. Heck no, those dumb asses bought into that "pay for it" attitude.
It was in my twenties before I found out the whole lot of them really were that thick in the skull. They once asked why the storm window on my room had hinges to the frame, boy were they stupid. I told them in case of fire. I do honestly believe I had more fun between 17 and 21 than 99% of all men alive today.
I have now closely watched the speedometer covering and the mineral oil coating gets just as cloudy as the other products. I won’t follow that up because “somebody else has already covered this ground”, the perpetual Mechanics Illustrated why-didn’t-I-think-of-that kick in the pants. Why is the scooter featured so often in this blog along with the batbike and the ebike? There is a reason, you know. Here it is.
Readership. Most of those who read this blog are not into electronics or mechanics or music, to name a few. Statistics show they are reading to see my reaction to situations and I’m okay with that. For example, I don’t give instructions on how to change the oil, but I do report the practical results I found from controlled testing and research. This is what seems to boost my ratings. And I’m happy with that. From my angle, I describe my reaction and I get credit for doing ordinary things. Some pictures and documentation can spice up any subject. You don’t get credit for reading, only writing. Ha, gotta love it.
EVENING
The owner of Lavabit, the one email company that did not keep copies of people’s correspondence, was effectively put out of business by the NSA. The owner said pretty much the same thing I did in 1997. Don’t use email for any sensitive material. He’s saying don’t use it at all, but that is far-fetched. While you are here, in 1974 I warned against sending any private documents in the US Mail and in 1985 against discussing anything private on the telephone. But most people will never listen until it is too late.
Lavabit was created in 2004 to protect people from the Patriot Act. It is an email service that does not keep everybody’s emails on file. It deletes them. Thus, when the government tries to strong-arm the company, there is nothing to give them. The only reason I never used Lavabit is because of their account requirements. Opening an account was like shouting to the Feds that you must have something to hide. Lavabit also used encryption but the type they used was super easy to crack.
If you are curious who is saying what about you on-line, set up a Google alert. Get your own directions on how to set it up, but the idea is to have Google send you an e-mail when there is activity on any phrase you put in the text box. So put your name in there and ask for an email once a day. I put in the name of this blog. All I will say about that is that nobody who is worth more a goddam plugged nickel has ever said anything bad about my blog.
ADDENDUM
Trivia. All Chinese, including the left-handed ones, use their right hands to eat with chopsticks. Using the left is considered impolite. Does that apply to those who are all thumbs? You know what gives me a laugh? Men who are impressed by 0 – 60 speeds. They aren’t real men. Like monkeys they all swoon when somebody announces a tenth of a second better timing. What kind of sheer guh-hunk is that? It just gives me a laugh, that’s all.
How’s the diet? Stalled. The literature says this would happen, but unless there is a dramatic loss in a few days, it isn’t working overall. What do I have to do to convince my people that this is no ordinary condition I've got? And if it is unusual, why me? I should be less harsh as there are benefits like increased energy and a sense that this thing is under control. But my scale doesn’t lie. What’s out of control is my air conditioning bill this month. I won’t even tell you what it cost, except to say over $100. Then again, I do like things comfortable. When I’m in charge, everything gets paid in full and on time, right Wally? Yes, guy, I photocopied everything in case anyone is foolish enough to say otherwise.
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