November 18, 2015

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 18, 2014, welfare "rates" . . .
Five years ago today: November 18, 2010, on solar water heaters.
Nine years ago today: November 18, 2006, that’s America’s job!
Random years ago today: November 18, 1982, me & guitar again . . .

MORNING
           Another day on the camper but I cannot afford to waste this perfect working weather. So I’ll try without promising to talk about other things, with the codicil that I just know the camper pod is going to creep into the blog. How about this, a toaster oven. You know my little secret is that I have never in my life owned a toaster oven. That’s right. You’ve never caught me without a microwave, but I found this brand new but outdated model at the Thrift this morning for $6.00. If you are nice, I’ll show you the first thing I baked to test it.

           AT&T is up to their old tricks again. A lady came in to the bakery this morning with her phone bill. I looked it over and it was a mess of add-on charges, the result of those phony “customer satisfaction calls” you get from phony “authorized AT&T representatives”. Remember folks, NEVER talk to a phone company employee without getting their ID (first name and employee number). Representatives are NOT employees.
           She was being charged $31 for a Call Canada plan that is normally $7. Some kind of “premium” service was another $30. And so on until her bill reached $132 per month when all she wanted as basic service. She does not even know anybody in Canada, but folks, there are major disadvantages to not speaking English. If you say “yes” to a phone “survey”, you are being signed up. Over the past ten years her bill crept up from $24 to $132 for things she didn’t understand were being tacked on.

           Aw lookit the liddle birdies. These are finches lined up waiting for breakfast this morning. It is very difficult to train wild adult birds in a city. Oddly, beaches are easy because the birds instinct knows they can escape over the water. Here is the result of several weeks of gradual feeding. You’ll see six birds, but there are many more. These are the bravest. The goal is to tame one female and the rest will follow. They are waiting because I had not yet spread the seed, but I had whistled for them.
           I’ve got the female picked out and she does not immediately scatter when I open the patio. Hence, last evening she got the treat of caraway seeds, sunflower, and some melted butter I had accidentally dropped on the floor last night. Gals, there are rewards for shying up to a guy like me.

           There was some clamor over a sports fan saying something about killing all the Muslims. Folks, I did not hear the broadcast but it is clear he was either an ass or he made a simple mistake. I’ll say it was the mistake. You see, these Muslims have an image problem. And when you have an image problem, it is best to quit blaming others for it.
           The problem is that the average person cannot tell the difference between a Muslim and an radical Islamist. They look identical. It is disgusting to see the old fart newsmedia knuckleheads repeatedly trying to trip up politicians into defining the difference. That’s sick, the best academic minds of our century have failed to do that. How is some politician supposed to know—ah, but that’s the whole idea. Media people who ask questions that can’t be answered are epic douchebags.
           The older the coot, the more persistent they get on this point. There was actually one sick puppy who trying to put Geert Wilder on the spot and made a complete ass of himself. I call them the Grecian Formula squad. Another favorite is to harp on the fact that the deportations mean “millions of families”, as if they are the only ones capable of grasping the full significance. Damn right, millions, and as for the cost, most Americans would gladly pay it. Because it is cheaper keeping them in/on than jails and welfare, I suppose.
           Not all of them are on welfare, some say, just a minority. Gee, that makes us taxpayers all feel so, so much better. Folks, one ILLEGAL on welfare is one too many.

NOON
           Eat your heart out, here’s more loot from the Thrift. Clockwise from where smart people would start without being told, I got a fully functional but old model monoxide detector in the original package for $4. And a surge protector with a grounding alert, $1. Say, is that a glue gun? Yes, but you know how when you unplug them and run outside to your project? You only get about 30 second before the thing cools off.

           Not this one, it is propane powered. Works perfectly and so does the peizo igniter built in. Also $4. And that is a GE dimmer switch, you know what those cost these days. This was another dollar. And the sad news is, I haven’t shown you the coupe de grace from the Thrift. Hint, it is a 1969 Craftsman (Sears) and was barely used. Inside the carry box was the original owner’s manual, an assortment of brand new blades, and a cord caddy. What could it be?
           The monoxide detector replaces the more expensive unit that I’d installed in the camper. Folks, never sleep in a camper without a monoxide detector. This one has a test button and three alert lights, so I felt it is safer than the household unit I was using that makes the same beep when the battery is low. That one is going back in the bedroom.
           When I emptied the boxes, out fell one of these chuck key holders. I have not seen them in ages. It was brand new in the package, not installed on my drill press. That has a special chuck key that had a spring loaded tip, and expensive replacement item. Mind you, I finally took it apart and got rid of that little spring. Useless, because it you press the key so hard you need a spring to release it, you are wrecking your tools, ya bozo. It’s not all work stuff, I also bought a book by Garrison Kiellor, that’s the character who single-handedly put “Prairie Home Companion” on the map.
           When I left morning coffee, the sports page guy was all up in arms about the “kill Muslims”. I decided to calm the guy down and explain the mistake. In the course of that discussion, another facet of the situation came up. He is of that simplistic view that terrorists exist in isolation and their families should not be deported along with them, the old “some of them are good people” argument. Which nobody disputes, but it is another matter altogether to say the culture is not responsible.

           Nonsense, a glance around the room will tell you that the single largest determinant of behavior is cultural values passed along by family ties. True, not every time, but you show me a doctor, or an actor, or a space cadet, and I’ll bet my money so was his father. For the few times I’m wrong, I’ll walk away rich and let you gloat, deal? What I’m saying is if terrorist melt so well into a certain society that you can’t tell them from the innocents, you have no choice but to get rid of them all. Until they clean up their act.

           He also said that Hitler was totally bad, which is propaganda since there is nobody who is totally bad or totally good. Stick around, and in a day or two, I’ll maybe explain a thing or two about Germany. Not about the Holocaust, that is a different subject, but what led up to that situation. I won’t touch the Holocaust, but I will tell you that 6 million is a semi-sacred number in Judaism that has cropped up time and again throughout history since ancient times.
           You should also be aware that the only “evidence” of the holocaust has always been survivor testimony. You may, as a lot of people do, choose to accept that as unassailable truth. A lot of other people do not. For instance, the Russians admit they build some of the “conquered” concentration camps in 1946 and created cover stories to hide their own misdeeds. Again, I won’t go there, but this family cultural matter has a far greater influence on society than many people understand. They presume family values stay at home. They could not be more wrong.

AFTERNOON
           I’m fitting the rear doors on the troop compartment, er, I mean sleeping area. What I built works fine, but it would work even finer if I trim 1-1/4” off the edges. Not so easily done, as it is akin to moving a door frame. You can’t just make a couple cuts, you have to realign the whole shebang. But it should only take a couple of hours, then I’m ready for a test run to Miami. I’ve also found that aluminum angle “iron” is excellent for shoring up any spots that sag. Where I would normally have put 1x4, I use aluminum at about twice the price of $3.47 per piece. And working aluminum with the drill press and band saw is a breeze.
           Plus, the job will be made considerably easier by the mystery tool I’ll save as a surprise until tomorrow. Because inside the carry-case, I found the orginal guide. A little treatment on my buffing wheel and a new paint job, it looks like new. And it has never been used. Even the set screw was there, all metal fasteners are soaking overnight in oil.
           I had to resort to a nap, but I had a dream that might be one of those million dollar ideas for somebody out there. Ready? Okay, in the dream, I had a cash register, but the cash drawer was longer and wider, and had dozens of small compartments. How it works is the operator needs a certain number of small screw, bolts, washers or rings. He walks up to the register and presses what he needs and the quantity. The cash register opens with that compartment exposed to dispense that material.

           It keeps track of expensive small components. Sure, there are other ways, but would not a country used to cash registers be cheaper. I mean, cash registers will be obsolete once the New World Order outlaws cash and makes all transactions electronic using your DNA. Why not give the industry an alternative use? Or am I just making this up so I can use “New World Order” in this blog? Ooooooh, listen to the “Jaws” theme.

EVENING
           Here we go again, with the Frenchies. There is a big sign saying do not plug your Skype into the park Internet service. The management does not grasp the concept that “fiddling” is a virtue in Canada. The service has been knocked out again. Be patient. Fiddling? Theft of government or regulated services. Every nice Canadian knows how to hook up his free cable and bypass his electric meter long before he reaches middle school. It seems mostly confined to public services, for which the Canadian government vastly overcharges the paying customers, who are too chicken-shit to protest. Think of Canada as the Old World Order.
           If you are reading this, I’ve successfully tapped into service across the road.


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