March 14, 2015

Yesteryear
One year ago today: March 14, 2014, difficult to follow.
Five years ago today: March 14, 2010, economics lesson?
Ten years ago today: March 14, 2005, quite prophetic, actually.

MORNING
           I got a late start, but that’s one of the privileges of early retirement. You can get there at noon and still be on time. That makes for a short morning, but then, it also means the most important item is the sandwich. Shown here is a special, made for me only. Caraway salt bread with tomatoes, lettuce and shredded chesse. It isn’t on the menu.

           But it was what you’d call a menu-less day. Let’s see what I got up to. What do I do on the spur of the moment. First trip is up to Ft. Lauderdale to buy that 2015 edition of the Sight Reduction Tables. This is a book of lists that “reduce” celestial sightings down to simple adding and subtracting, the easiest form of navigation.

           Did I get there late? Maybe not by this morning’s standards, but because GPS seems to have largely put that book out of print. I’ll find a copy eventually. There will always be just to many people in the world who recognize the danger of trusting electronic devices programmed in C+. That computer language was designed so that even borderline retards can produce a gadget that appears to work fine.
           By taking the long way around, I didn’t arrive on 84th until around 2:00PM, a leisurely pace. Traffic was light, the weather was perfect, you can’t blame me. I toured West Marine to find they no longer stock the tables. They have plenty of gear there if you just like to windowshop indoors. I was taken by the display they have of marine radars. It’s like a studio, you can walk from screen to screen. Most of them take the work out of the job.

           I later stopped in at Sailorman but no luck there. Anyone who has a copy of the tables is plainly holding on to it. I went through the entire used book section to no avail. Unlike the almanac, the math tables are good in perpetuity, that is, they don’t get outdated every year. Tell you what, I’ll give you a mystery, try your luck. What is this item I’m holding?

           It is light metal, probably aluminum. It sells for five bucks. That’s your challenge. I won’t reveal the answer until tomorrow. Readership is down and I admit writing for large groups is a little easier on the author, even if it is only good for morale.

           There were also displays of expensive ($1200) “captains” binoculars, claimed to give everything short of night vision. My only conclusion is that I would not want to go overboard with something that heavy around my neck. Oh, and the sextant. I found the virtually identical model now sells for $245, or three times what I paid. I did mention my sextant turned out to be brand new, did I not?
           Okay, I'll give you one hint. The mystery object is made of metal because, shortly after it is used, it can become way too hot to hold in my hand, as shown.



NOON

           "The biggest troublemaker you'll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin'." (Farm wisdom)

           Last day I grumbled about stores sold out of what I want. I solved that situation by driving next over to the famous MacDonald’s Hardware. Found what I needed in ten minutes or less and that gave me time for an extra coffee to ponder my tank treads. I generally think better when things go smoothly. That explains my unproductive youth. That’s a joke, Patsie. I get more done by accident than you do on purpose.

           In fact, here is a picture of the tank bogie testing for fit into a stationary track. What you see here does not work because the “pins” are round and the track links are square. Thus, the axle has to hop over each slot. But it won’t be long before that situation gets addressed.

           The thornier problem is the axles. A solid axle makes for strength, but means the wheels have to be mounted on roller or ball bearing shafts. Think about it, the way a tank steers, the wheels have to be able to rotate in opposite directions. If they are joined to a solid axle, then the wheel must be free.
           Now if the wheels are joined to the axle, then the axle must be split, probably at the center. While it seems weaker, I have not tested if it matters, but would not having the differential internally be safer for the entire vehicle? These and other deep questions, why, I had to have a refill. In the absence of the Sight Reduction Tables, I found extensive volumes of other navigational publications that could, with patience, be used to accomplish the same ends.

           Or how about this book, “Sailing for Dummies’. I know what you’re thinking. Is getting in a boat something that a dummy should be doing? Well, they do give them driver’s licenses and let them vote, you know. They even admit them by the droves into college. Then again, anyone who works for a living that thinks they can afford sailing must be a dummy. Sailing for dummies? Say again. But, I thought I just did.
           Another tiny article that has proven useful for robots is those tiny aluminum sleeves that are used to clinch fishing line together. Like a wire rope end clamp, the kind you loop around and back through, and tighten down. The tiny fish model work excellent for the smaller wiring on robots that you just do not want to come loose. There are times I’ve woven, soldered, and clamped the pieces to make absolutely sure. For those, I went over to the Pro Bass shop.
           There was registration going on for a dog show. One of the requirements was that the owners bring the dog in to be checked and such. Talk about chaos. Naturally, the husband wants to go into the store and leaves the wife holding the reins of two dogs that weigh about as much as she does. On the younger models, I meant, of course. Mayhem, that’s what you get. Frantic cell calls to the hubby, who by now is in the rod and reel section a half a block away. With his buddies.

AFTERNOON
           By now, I’m tuckered and decide to find myself a root beer. I spot this roadside diner called Hot Diggidy Dog and park. Inside, the literature says hotdogs made from Vienna sausage, not from ground up leftovers are the glue factory. For a buck-ninety-nine, it was the best hot dog I have ever had. I was a bit of a connoisseur of those back in my student days, so I’m not handing the award over lightly.

           Here is their menu, I must try their fish sandwich and the potato pancakes. Maybe tomorrow, when Hollywood goes nuts with their St. Patrick’s Day parade. Must be those three Irishmen that actually live here, two of whom the Queen wants extradited. What? Well I know that because they told me. Anyway, the hot dogs are great.

           I think they must have a sausage stuffing machine in the back and feed it real sausage or something so much better than average that it got me to eat beef. I’d live in Dania Beach, but there is one detrimental aspect you have to get used to. See this random photo of the sky. It’s photo-bombed by a passenger aircraft. The entire city is in the approach glide path of the Ft. Lauderdale International. Every ninety seconds, 24/7.
           The “ski-jump” runway is on the other end of the airport, facing east, so the accelerating jets pass over the open ocean. However, it’s not like the landing jets don’t have the turbines running. On the way home, I stopped at the foreign cinema to watch “The Lovers”, one excellent film. There were a few discontinuities I missed, like how did the ring wind up at the bottom of the ocean? And who is that first guy that got poisoned? Otherwise, great scenery a some unexpected good acting, if you don’t mind the constant reminders that Scots are noble and that the Hindus really had only your best interests at heart, sorry about the rest.

EVENING
           I decided to stay home and make chicken stew. I’ve been putting off sorting out my small parts, which should give you a really good idea of how exciting things really are in South Florida. Here’s excitement, a photo of me pointing to the location of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. If you note the location, immediately north of Hawaii, there are two possible sources of all that flotsam.

           The west coast of North America or the east coast of Asia. I was horrified by pictures from National Geographic and other sources of the plastic debris floating in these areas. Then, I later find out that the photos were faked.

           In reality, the great patch merely has an increased number of parts per million of plastic and the dead marine life and scoops of garbage were filmed in a polluted canal near Manila, in the Philippines. I’m still concerned about the plastics but it was not very fair of the media to be so misleading about the topic.
           You can read the phony article for yourself. This is not, repeat not, in the Pacific Ocean. While National Geographic does not say it is, you decide for yourself what message their publication is deliberately meant to convey on this one.
           So that's my Saturday. I guess I just am no longer able to compete with the fast-charged pace of all my critics. They are so busy enjoying life to their respective maximums, that they have no time for silly things like keeping a log. Besides, their achievements are so famous they will be remembered forever and ever. You know.


Last Laugh

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