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TMOR (to my overseas readers): this blog
DOES NOT represent any average American life-style.

Warning. This blog has evolved through many phases and earlier posts did not allow for links that go dead or change. I would never intentionally link to a site that requires memberships or similar. Same with sites that don't pass my stringent filtering system. Thus, I encourage readers to NOT follow any links that attempt to redirect, use cookies, or are obvious wrong material for this publication, which is rated PG13.

A reminder to the reader this is not a political blog, but commentary on human behavior. I am not pro-Trump, but pro-American, plus I truly love watching liberal scum squirm. I am not for or against any political party. Liberalism is not a political party, but a social cancer. It is wrong to steal money and it is just as wrong to elect people to steal it for you. One more thing, never argue with a man who buys his printer ink by the barrel.

December 19, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: December 19, 2023, a mini-essay.
Five years ago today: December 19, 2019, can’t even march.
Nine years ago today: December 19, 2015, I have no shop.
Random years ago today: December 19, 2007, when lunch isn’t free.

           See that? More Texas corn pie, but with one extra ingredient for Xmas, namely slivered almonds. They complement the fried red onion and crumbled sausage. For reasons unknown, I have no strawberry jam in the house. I don’t eat it as jam, but as a condiment. That means I must have a double supply up in Tennessee. There really is no substitute, so I’m going shopping. Dang, because once in a while the recipe turns out a bit crumbly, like this one, and you wind up drinking more coffee. Nothing else is quite the same. Applesauce too tart, grape jelly too sweet, molasses much too sweet. Such is the hard life in the 2020s.

           Ha, like much of America, I awoke to what could be the best news in years. Maybe for different reasons, since I’m not well-versed on the issues, but I know crooked deals when they come along. It’s the budget and it looks like Trump is about to accomplish what so many taxpayer have wanted for decades. Defund the government and see what shakes down. The threat of no money for social security has been used so many times if bills don’t pass has too many people wondering if that’s really the case. Myself, I don’t think so. There is enough fat built into the system that essential services could, I believe, last the 30 or so days until Trump’s return.

           That does not apply to the Deep State. Corruption is dependent on cash flow, not assets. Anything that interrupts the payments spells doom for somebody. I also believe because that flow has never been stopped before, many of the most corrupt have badly leveraged themselves. Trump has said any Republican who goofs will be primaried. TMOR that means in the next round of candidate elections, they will likely be voted out and replaced by persons more in line with Trump’s policies. I hesitate to call them Republicans because it is all about Trump.
           Trump has said the bill must not pass and the word is that means the government is broke by tomorrow. Correction, the Biden regime is broke. As the meme says, shut it down and reopen January 21sth under new management. This is something entirely new in American politics. The sorry state of the government could only happen if both sides were corrupt and thus always able to pass these almost insane spending bills. Today could put a serious stop to that forever. And a return to single-issue bills.

           Good morning again, I got up, looked at the fog, and crawled back in the sack until 8:00AM. I don’t care for fog, I lived on the West Coast too long. Trump is now suing the Des Moines Register, a mainstream rag. I believe he is suing the small fry first to build a momentum of precedence. The crooked press has been his most persistent attackers. They deliberately lied about poll numbers, which is election interference. Just imagine if he gets them for that. Trump, dismantling both the Deep State and the crooked press. Has a nice ring to it. What’s this? I was unaware the Speaker of the House need not be a member of Congress. Hello, Elon?
           India is debating a 70-hour work week. Trump effectively cancels all military EV orders. Boeing says the Starliner is due back by March 2025. Texas Tech Hospital reports files hacked on 1.4 million patients.

Picture of the day.
New island appears near Pakistan.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           This is amusing, CNN is accusing Musk of spreading fake news. I had to drive into Winter Haven, which was surprisingly quiet for the season. Countless X users were able to quickly pick out the pork and fat, and the sore spot was a 40% raise for politicians. The actual wording was a cost of living increase, so 40% was open to interpretation. They are also objecting that a billionaire, who is not elected, has such influence with Trump, apparently forgetting about the connection between Biden and Soros. It was the one station that plays in the Hyundai, since the aerial is still busted off from long ago car wash. I’m also out of audio books unless I can find any around here.

           My sleep pattern is severely disrupted since last week. I can’t seem to drop off more than five hours at a time. Looks like I’ll remain out of sorts for a while, so bear with me. I watched my planned documentaries, for me youTube remains the best source, which could be misinterpreted as watching television. Most people who watch television don’t have a list prepared in advance, or do they spend nearly two hours reading for every hour on-line. Forty-four years after the Internet turned up, Florida will ban one porno site starting January. There are plenty of people celebrating the killing of the health care CEO. Next, I read up on the latest on passkeys versus passwords. The problem with passwords is that too many people are plain lousy at managing them. They do dumb things like using the same password for multiple accounts. A New York architect is charged with the deaths of seven prostitutes, er, I mean sex workers and has pleaded not-guilty. That’s all that got my attention today.

           My earliest recollections of air travel are by DC-3, hence I regularly check if there are any new tales from the trailer court, as these airplanes are still being found and restored. They were designed in 1936 and should still be flying by 2046. I imagine if fortune had favored me, I would be flying one as a hobby today. Like most three-year-olds, I took airplane travel for granted. Didn’t everybody fly in airplanes? I remember I liked watching out the portholes as the engines revved up for takeoff. I thought the engine took up the whole housing on the wings, but I never wanted to be a pilot, though I would have leapt at such an opportunity.
           I’ve written how most flights were WWII surplus Dakotas, with benches on one side and cargo hooks on the other. I do not recall when I first flew on a real passenger plane with stewardesses and hot meals, but I must have been pretty young. This may seem like to some like a privileged upbringing, but in reality, my family were undisciplined last-chancers and cargo planes were the only way to get across thousands of miles of trackless arctic wastes. I would have been around seven before I saw a stewardess.

           The trick to watching DC-3/C-47 documentaries is to avoid the dozens of bullsh low-effort videos of pilots and owners telling their personal stories. Most people, certainly not me, do not relate to the blah-blah of people with enough money to collect and fly airplanes. Make that double for people who plainly do not have the intellect to have made such money by themselves and you know what I’m talking about. While they have a story to tell, that doesn’t mean you want to hear them tell it. I’m saying people who are not responsible for their own success have shallow perspectives I cannot relate to. The nearby picture of an unadorned plane would be typical of what I knew, its use as a cargo hack evidenced by the lack of a paint job and plated-over windows.
           The interiors left no doubt the airplane was military. Cold, draughty, noisy, with sharp metal edges everywhere. My favorite seat was at the front window to watch the propellers. Many times, there were not seats, but benches, very similar to a school bus with seat belts. This is the closest picture to what I recall, the two seats on one side, the other side was pallets and hooks on the flooring. I early learned one downside of air travel was boredom, long hours of it—but I also learned that I had no trouble sleeping while others could not.
           These planes also flew through the weather rather than over it and were not pressurized. I’ve never been able to equalize without pain. It is quite freaky to be inside one of these airplanes if the pilot decided not to fly around a rain storm or blizzard. There were no heated walkways, you stepped off the airplane onto a ladder no matter what the outside temperature. And some still wonder why I don’t care for cold weather.

ADDENDUM
           Here’s a couple lotto tickets, and no, I don’t gamble. The odds of winning do not, for practical purposes, exist. But over a dozen people in history have defeated those odds, so my policy is to once in a while buy tickets if the prize is over a half billion. For tomorrow’s draw, it is $840 million. If I win, here will be signs. Actually, there would be mayhem, read on. Those who look closely may notice an unusual choice of numbers. One is a quick-pick, the other is an ordered sequence of numbers. The logic is if the lotto numbers are random, does not an ordered list decrease my chances. The answer is no. The numbers shown here, 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 are just as random as any others. While it would indeed be beyond suspicious if they were drawn in that order, there is nothing for or against pure luck if this ticket wins.

           On the other hand, if it does win, that would open a can of worms we’d never hear the end of. To the losers, it would be confirmation of the deepest occult and pseudoscientific shouts of satanic cheating. So, why just win when you can win and be infamous? Most lottery winners are not famous, can you name any. Pal, if I won, in a year my name would be a household word.
           If I won I would invest the bulk of it at 8%, a fairly safe return, but spread it over many sites that averaged 8%. The biggest mistake lottery winners make is to think the money will last forever. My tax rate would be around 20% (Florida has no state income tax) so I’d take the cash payout of $500,000,000. Because at 8%, I think I could survive on $109,000 per day. That’s milk and cookies. I would have my motorcycle back on the road within days. Did I mention my ultimate travel plan? To drive a couple hundred miles a day, but in style.
           That is, a total babe or two would drive ahead to my next planned stop in a luxury van. They would prepare an evening meal and entertainment for me when I pulled up later in the day by sidecar. I would spend the summers touring the northern USA and the winters the south for around ten years. By then I’d have seen and done most of it and be richer than when I started.

Last Laugh

December 18, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: December 18, 2023, data poisoning.
Five years ago today: December 18, 2019, wasn’t my day, I guess.
Nine years ago today: December 18, 2015, a generic day.
Random years ago today: December 18, 2006, on left-brain theory.

           A European man jailed for 13 years in error just got a bill for his room & board. A hundred thousand Euros, but look at the bright side. Where else in Europe can you live and eat for less than $8,000 per year? Valid question: when it is discovered Biden didn’t win the 2020 election, what happens to all his pardons? Today is the 20th anniversary of Newsom’s 10-year plan to end homelessness in California. State media people remain in shock that they can talk to President Trump by calling his home phone number.

           Finally, a new stage one-liner. They were easier to get when the social media platforms were mostly anonymous. Anyway, it goes like this. “I finally dropped my invisible girlfriend. People never knew what I saw in her.” I don’t think this day will bring much more, but if you see pictures of boxes, then you know I’m at least dealing with my recent loss. I’ve slated this afternoon for some documentaries advertised at the library. The piston engines on airplanes were not instantly replaced by jets, so I’m seeking how the latest airplane types ultimately evolved. Car engines don’t appeal to me.

           I’ve learned something already just glancing at the maps. It seems crossing the Atlantic was the impetus for long distance piston aircraft. The shortest route between airports at Shannon (west coast of Ireland) and New York City was on a Great Circle, which we know of from navigations. So what was it I learned? Well, this circle passed through a tip of land that was nowhere. It was built only as a refueling stop and reverted to nothingness when airplanes gained the range to fly non-stop. That, folks, is why it was ever even on the maps, literally because that’s where it was on the maps. Smack on a Great Circle. Gander, in Newfoundland, Canada, as you guessed by now. I also learned the reason for the three tail fins on a Constellation instead of a tall single rudder was so it would fit into existing hangars.

           But what is that second arrow pointing at Cornerbrook? That was the home town of the first “older woman” I ever dated. Beverly Gillingham was 19. She liked the slacks I was wearing at this high-school gig. Yep, what we did would be illegal today, since the Internet has obsessed losers into sticking their noses into other people’s business. Dating an older woman was a mistake I was only to repeat once more in my life, and that was around 40 years ago now.
           That comment about the Internet is not random. I totally blame the Internet for idiocy when it comes to sex laws. You cannot prohibit human nature, you can only criminalize it. And that’s how it happened. You see, before the ‘net, people like my brothers were aware that there were others having a great time with the local girls, but it was a secret, kind of. (I mean, by the time they finally got any, they would have noticed I was there first, hey, it was a small town.) Well, multiply their situation a few million times, and there you have it—the Internet mentality. Obsession with what others are doing. And in no time you got your police stings, age of consent statutes, and pornography bans. What do all these sex laws have in common? Ask my brothers.

           There’s a sort of box, a little birdhouse. This was slapped together out of scraps and I drilled a 1-inch hole. This is too small for most birds in this area except wrens. I don’t even know if we have any, but if so, this will tive them a fighting chance. The box is fastened completely with brads from my new pneumatic nailer, which I already like. It is great for holding pieces in place while you fasten them more permanently—and it’s way faster than using clamps. Here’s something you have not seen before, a strong box. No, not a strongbox. I wound up staying in the shed all day to get my mind off things, and this was one of the results.
           It’s another tool box and the array of screws visible is not overkill. This is designed to store and transport my 30-ton house jack. The jack that made my floors level, except for the kitchen but I’ll get to that. The kitchen as always been in full use so I’ll have to plan a few days ahead before commencing that project. I wonder if the hillbilly is still in jail? I could use some help around here. This box is designed to be carried by two people using rope handles, but I’ve moved it around a lot by myself. I’m contemplating putting it on wheels, but this item is used outdoors often over soft ground. I don’t have any wheels suitable even for wet ground. Hold it, what’s that sound. I’ll be right back.
           Yep, we have another rat to catch. He knocked over my dustpan just now. Vermin are a never-ending fight in older Florida buildings, like this one. The rat trap is out in the silo, as we have a smart one in there, so whatever got behind my fridge is going to have to wait his turn. Meanwhile, is this a job for my deer camera?

Picture of the day.
Genghis Kahn statue.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           his is yet another box, you’ve seen this stain before. This is the summer oak color, no with a one of two layers of poly drying. It makes for some elaborate boxes, but this is part of my learning. There is no trade school in the area that will teach me just this part, so I’m struggling along on my own. A lot of the work has been learning which parts of the process to do “backwards”. I’ll explain. If you are like me, you cut the pieces, fasten the box together, then apply the finish. But as shown here, that’s not what’s going on. Doing things in the logical order does not produce the best results.

           The fastening often requires pilot holes, so those are drilled before making any joint cuts. This is because if you cut first, any drilling to close to the edge can cause the wood to chip where you don’t want it to. The finish here is the interior of the box. Trying to apply any coating after the box is assembled makes for blotches in some of the corners unless you have care & patience I don’t even care to imagine.
           My windshield is still streaky. I’ve done all I can except go over it with Brilo pads, which I plan for tomorrow morning. Even acetone does not work, the streaks return. It’s some strange coating that is slightly oily to the touch. If the steel soap pads don’t work, I may have to take it to a pro shop or even replace the windshield. Otherwise I can’t drive at night. Others have begun complaining about the super bright headlight problem, it isn’t just me who can’t see the road when they approach even with a spotless windshield.

           As shown here, the less attractive side of the wood is facing inwards. I’ve not yet learned the finer points of matching up wood grain patterns. My tool boxes generally have between 12” and 16” as the largest dimension. That means most assembly is on a small bench and I have just enough clamps most of the time. This tool box is for the pneumatic nailer, a box that I priced out for “mass production”. This is an area of expertise for me. To break even making these boxes six at a time, I would have to sell them for $61.51 each. That’s, too bad, a no-go. That’s for the plain box with butt hinges and no interior partions.

           Last box for today (I have three in progress) is this display of that dark colored stain whose name I don’t know. It’s not the ebony black, but a dark brown that really brings out the patterns in this ordinary pine wood. This approached the smallest boxes I can build with my standard 3’4” lumber of choice. The next commonly available dimension is 1’2” thick and is sold as “hobby” board, expensive as hell. I would like some experience with this size of board. The birdhouse (see above) is mostly fence picket wood that is unplanned. Check in with me later, because what I do have is plenty of sawblades and the patience to cut my own boards to size.

           Another Festus Tuesday, postponed until today. This episode was the later format with three sub-plots. This was innovative in the 1950s, pioneered by Truman Capote in his book, “In Cold Blood”. There’s a panic situation in DC, the Democrat tried to slip through another bulk spending bill which included items like mask mandates, vaccine passports, and the right to declare anything they please as an emergency. As usual they did not release the text of the bill until it was too late for anyone to read it. Then threaten to shut down the government as an all-or-nothing threat. But 2004 tactics aren’t working in 2024. You see, the Internet lets thousands of people read the bill and expose the hidden clauses.
           The popular mood is to let the funding lapse. It is just 32 days until Trump takes over and it appears millions of supporters are willing to let operations suspend that long if only to see the reaction. It works like this, the Democrats want you to believe government operation is all-or-nothing. But in fact, they can’t shut it all down for very long, they would be forced to keep only the essentials going or they are toast. And the voters want to see what they consider essential. As in, disaster relief or their own paychecks. Friday is the deadline. One more thing, the Handsome Her Café that added the 18% “man tax” has gone bankrupt.

ADDENDUM
           Caltier has finally responded with what we needed to know. It is the SEC paperwork causing the mess. Caltier says there is one final hurdle and it is a compliance issue. The fund has performed well enough that there is a backlog of demand, which includes my allocation. Caltier reports that ten of the properties in the portfolio are now up to speed and have been putting cash back into the fund for three consecutive months. If that isn’t clear, let me explain because I chose Caltier for doing what I understand. They find upgradeable properties, or those that can be managed better. They do some professional renovations and bring in quality tenants on long-term leases. According to their algorithm, they then flip this property and the last time they did that, my share of the payout was $340, which I liked very much.
           This month begins my third year with Caltier, I have $19,000 of my own money invested. The company has gone through a buying phase and is now poised to begin selling. You bet I’m keeping my eyes peeled on that. Caltier has almost no debt and has expanded solely out of cash investment and rental income. To date, Caltier has sold two apartment complexes (with a total of 508 units), one commercial building, and one luxury condo. Most of the money was plowed back but the big payout was from that condo.

           There are 14 other properties you can view here, which total 1,707 rental units. What I like is I don’t have to lift a finger to collect that rent. Caltier is also in association with an outfit I do not understand, called Sundance. They seem to own a ton of property using much the same philosophy, though I cannot say for sure. Part of that philosophy is to only acquire property that sustains itself, which I believe is superior to how Blackrock operates. If the economy turns down Caltier will survive, Blackrock probably not so much.
           If you do read the Caltier material, you’ll encounter terms like value-added and core-plus. These are just fancy words for flipping fixer-uppers. One of the best descriptions I’ve seen can be found at Viking Capital. In fact, if you plan to piggyback my investments, I recommend you read that link. Several times. Do not overlook that I had thirty years of background calculations on the market before I chose Caltier.

Last Laugh

December 17, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: December 17, 2023, the new guitarist.
Five years ago today: December 17, 2019, we’re not mechanics.
Nine years ago today: December 17, 2015, must be Canadian.
Random years ago today: December 17, 2022, it was too cold.

           What a great way to help me out of my bad vibe. Trump can depose foreign dictators by announcing a tariff if Trudie-boi does not close the border to illegals using Canada as a base. Since Trudeau cannot do that without losing face, he is expected to resign as early as this afternoon. He will still rank as the most hated Prime Minister of all time. (Trump aptly called him the Governor of the State of Canada.) Other Trump enemies (such as Mitt Romney) are apple-polishing. But nothing will make the mob forget what these people tried to do.

           Good morning. All the resident birds are back, it takes around ten days before they recognize I’m around and the feeders are full. The robins are gone, but not their poop over everything including my lumber supply. Can I market that as something special like they do acai berries? Here’s the view from the back window showing the feeder stocked with black oil sunflower, and the clock and temperature gauges that were posed to keep an eye of JeePees environment. There was no known reason, the Reb feels it was just his time. But I’d planned on him being here forever and returning to Tennessee after I was gone. It’s a heartbreak.

           Meanwhile we should be hearing about another omnibus as government funding expires this week. Like many, I say let it lapse and see what transpires. By noon, rumors are flying that Canada is in chaos, with ministers resigning rather than face the public with more obvious lies. This could be interesting. Just not now, I seem to have just got into a long empty funk, still talking to JeePee like he was here. I know that’s a phase but there is more to it. I had plans ahead, thinking it would be me that went first. Which made me realize my circle of friends is shrinking fast. There are fewer than eight people I write and email to on a regular basis any more.

Picture of the day.
American colonial architecture.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           It was balmy today, I was looking forward to Festus Tuesday when the neighbor called to reschedule. I ran some computers into the silo to see what still works. Most of the afternoon, I stayed in the shed making boxes and staining wood. I found some super dark brown I like but the label is missing. When I’m like this I can make about one box a day. No appetite, just coffee. And that cheese I bought that was in the big bag? It was two small bags so I canned one of the, in a sealer jar. The label said cheddar, but it is bland, more like that cheese they have in the Circle K hot dog pump. Flavorless.
           It’s been days since I played bass or done any navigation. In a way, those are different hobbies, they involve short stretches of intense energy, while building boxes is a slow, even pace which I need right now. It is also a conservative way to save money, quite important at this time. The Biden printing presses have added, they say, $30,000 per year to the cost of the average family. Income has not changed much, so how are these people coping? By plunging into debt. There is a crisis looming. As usual, the manipulation of the markets means we don’t know what form it could take.

Last Laugh

December 16, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: December 16, 2023, you can’t do that now.
Five years ago today: December 16, 2019, drones are old news.
Nine years ago today: December 16, 2015, monopolized or outlawed.
Random years ago today: December 16, 2003,in the real world.

           Ha, I got the XP version of Word to work on this computer. This continues my lifelong policy of never having bought any software from MicroSoft. I never said they were wrong. I said they were evil and I don’t like the way they do business, selling software that does not work right, quashing legitimate competition, and a dozen other policies that should never have been. One being the fine print. Selling you something that you do not own. If you are using Windows, even if paid for it, the app is not yours. When you sell the computer, you are legally supposed to uninstall the program and return it to MicroSoft. You can’t hate these people enough.

           This dumb picture is paint drying. That’s how I feel. It’s a test piece of wood with white enamel paint, but it is not one of my dare-to-feature specials. It’s symbolic, I guess. I’m testing this oil-based paint for durability as I intend to paid the two oldest door in my cabin with this finish and it has to last a long time. That’s how I feel, just blank.

           You bet I’m grumpy today and no end of it in sight. I lost a good friend that kept my spirits above average for the past seven years and that cannot be easily forgotten. I’m getting around again but this has not been easy. I’m not the emotional type, but when I do commit to something, it stays that way. I talked to JeePee when in the room with him and miss the activity. He could tell when you were looking at him that far away.

           Unable to focus on much else, I’ve slated the day off. Sometimes, like y’day, I’ll do better in the afternoon. Take that clock on the birdie wall. It has been on standard time since I returned. Why? Because when I walk out in the day, I’m going to the shed or the silo, I see the clock, and remind myself to set it. Aha, when I’m working, I return and it is past dark. I don’t see the clock. It doesn’t get set. How do you like them apples?
           Even then, I was reminded of JeePee as I opted for the most dignified cremation I could afford. It’s quite nice, a plain small wooden box, more fitting a pet than an urn. Taking inventory today, we have $118 left for Xmas but now it’s likely I’d stay at home anyway. I don’t often take anything under my protection, but once I do, well, the story tells itself.

           I had to compose a set of letters to cove all bases should anything else befall us before mid-January. While there is no change of destitution like in my younger days, there is still a real pinch felt here. But I have a disbursement from tube sales and $100 of returns to Wal*Mart, including the TCL flip-phone, which could never be set to ring loud enough if you put it in your pocket. I also issued checks in advance to get around the 20 day wait for international mail. In all, we’ll be okay but the international mail situation had me looking at how other people are dealing with that delay, which I am convinced is intentional.
           Mostly they are using electronic cash, which will come back to bite them in the ass. I mean snail mail and bank clearing times. I believe we looked at these orchestrated delays some time ago. It’s a bit like the post office delaying mail that does not have a zip code, you know, they once promised not to do that. So guess which organization is fastest at moving money around the world? It’s not the London, Hong Kong, or New York banks. It is not the Deep State or even the Mafia. We are talking people who can move a hundred million in a wink with no oversight, no records, no taxes, and no disclosure. The Vatican.
                      This led to another click on Vatican affairs. It seems they may be teetering. It costs a pile to run a world-wide secret organization behind a façade of religion. And there are signs. Revenue has plummeted follow the latest round of Papal wokeness. Real people don’t like it. On top of the sex scandals that bankrupted some churches, the Vatican bank is now on the money laundering list for disguising billions (some say) in assets from creditors. Then there’s that butler who stole the documents about all the in-fighting among the bishops and other big shots. It’s not looking good for the Pope these days.

Picture of the day.
Bunker houses in Albania.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Here is a view of JeePee’s observation tower. It was amost ready for him to explore. He loved the challenge of climbing and this would likely have been a source of immense amusement to him. It was just being fitted for final size, he never got a chance to play in it. The unit was matched to his new habitat. Another thing he liked was height and when on the top tier, he would have been able to look down on people who were sitting. When used by itself, the tower would rest beside the birdie temperature and time gauges, directly visible from inside the back bedroom.

           I don’t like liars and the liars I hate worst are the ones who broadcast. Trump, after hitting ABC for $15 million, has announced similar suits and I hope this is just the beginning. My favorites are his case against CBS for editing the interview where Harris bombed and the various outfits that made fake poll announcements that she was ahead. Get the money in civil court, then let the criminal courts get them for election interference. We have zero noise from the RINOs whose days are numbered and Trudeau is losing traction in Canada, where 4% of deaths are now euthanasia, the ultimate outcome of “free medical”.
           Another school shooting and I got twenty bucks says it is another White Christian school. Those people after gun control do not kill their own. It’s a paradox for the Democrats. They will scream Trump won’t do anything but Harris would have. They are stuck having to pull their usual stunts before January 20th hoping everybody between now and then forgets it is Harris still in office. Ha-ha, but then in a way, it makes sense. The whole world is already behaving as if Trump is the one in charge.
           My opinion is only 10% of the people on welfare need it, Trump should begin cutting off the able-bodied. When the get hungry like I was, they’ll take a better look at those jobs Americans won’t do. Otherwise it becomes the same old progress of charity begats dependency begats entitlement becomes government office begats corruption.

           America is waiting for Trump to go after that disgusting E.J. Carroll, who by the way, has not received a cent. She must be squirming along with Stormy. The hitch is that these women were just the patsies, we’d like to know who financed their accusations, that is, why did their claims get Trump into court where they should have been exposed at the start? This got my mind off recent events and I read up on other crimes. It does not take long to notice that, like any legal industry, the crimes of forgery and fraud work much better if you have a rich daddy and study your crime at university. I’m reminded of the Bre-X gold scam in the 90s. This would have been impossible had the geologist also not known the exact chemical ratios of how to salt gold into the mining cores. It’s not like you can find a book on this at the local library. Or smuggling antiquities, which takes years of university study, then a ton of experience detecting fakes. You don’t get that kind of exposure working in a lumber mill in Montana.

Last Laugh

December 15, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: December 15, 2023, a generic day around here.
Five years ago today: December 15, 2019, nothing of chickens.
Nine years ago today: December 15, 2015, a Florida accident.
Random years ago today: December 15, 2010, six years, folks.

           If you don't mind, I'll post today events. There was a pre-dawn fog off the Gulf the past couple days and the robins stayed barely a half-day. The new pair of beige-white birds seen to have stayed on and the cardinals are finally back. After 22 years of daily use, my Danelctro bass has developed a problem with a humming sound that is not from the pickups. I was at the St. Charles vet hospital until late last afternoon, they are turtle specialists. I opted for cremation and will return JeePee's ashes to Tennessee next trip.

           This morning I caught up on matters, including contact with Tonio in Valdosta. Fortunately, he has two towtrucks. He reports Hurricane Helen caused a lot of flooding in the area. He had changed his phone number so I've been past his place five times without any way to contact him. I had even stopped at the lottery store near where I thought he lived, but nobody could place him. We have now established a commitment to meet up for coffee when I'm in the area. The guy has a family loyal to him that is astonishing to anything I ever knew.

           I'm just catching up on things but the mood is still gloomy. I spent time in the shed doing some light work on tool boxes but found I was unable to concentrate. I will terribly miss JeePee, as he represented a permanence not possible with the other pets and was one of a kind. I will carry on with minimums for now, such as vacuum tube orders and yard work. I don't know if the north fence is repairable. Forgive if I stay in the house today drinking a lot of coffee. I have chores to keep me distracted.
           Later, I'm not dealing with JeePee's loss well at all. I'm dropping things, bumping around, and making mistakes by not concentrating on what I'm doing. This photo is from this afternoon, where I stumbled on a stain that I like. more appealing than usual. This box was for the pneumatic punch, but now I don't know. Yes, those are expert-looking rabbet cuts around the entire rim of the end panels. So the whole box has recessed sides. I'm learning.
           Also later, I am going to have to sink some new fence posts along the north side. At least four. The last of the hurricane branches and limbs are finally raked and it will be two full burn barrels. Look into these things before you move to Florida, and yes, I have now spent half the purchase price of this cabin in property taxes. The account to pay for that, Caltier, is still “paused” without explanation.

           Two other tasks took an hour. One was to disable that annoying Windows 11 screen that slides in from the left. The first ten minutes is wasted with a MicroSoft classic—trying to figure out what those Redmond AOLs call the damn thing. It's a “sidebar” and is controlled by a widget, deeply hidden in the “personalization” sub-sub-menu. It goes to show how in 40 years of operation, nobody over there figured out each item on your screen should ha have a name that displays when you hit one of the rarely used F-keys. The other was a two-step process deleting all the garbage on my smart phone screen, like Candy Crush and Temu. Could not be done, the only way to select the app is to tap it, which does not give any option to remove. I'll have to find an idiot to help.
           The other fail was how to activate call blocking and call display. I have dropped every menu I can find, so if it is there, it is hidden well. I should be the one who decides if it displays, but they may have taken that away. Better yet, I should be the one who controls what it displays. And there is still no option to limit incoming calls to your contact list. Those people hate you. Also, these games keep beeping the phone and flooding the screen so you can't turn them off without turning off the phone. I'd like to cattle prod the XYZers who come with this kind of crap. How did they know I wanted peace and quiet today?

           Seeking distraction, I watched a documentary on the South China Sea. I was surprised to learn the audiobook I recently had in the van is based around actual incidents in this area. The island chains around the sea are generally US-friendly. This is where China is building up atolls like the Spratly Islands. These have airfields that extend the range of jets to cover the entire sea and coastlines. The Chinese claim all the water including those recognized as territorial The Chinese send in fleets of “fishing boats” which appear to be steel-hulled with uniformed crews. These clash with local fishermen and the Chinese Coast Guard is just over the horizon ready to “protect” the fishermen. They take care to keep each incident too small to elicit any military countermeasures, as all the local navies are too small to tangle with the Communists and the US Navy is hardly about to start anything over a fishing boat.

Picture of the day.
Fuerteventura Island.
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           Teams of volunteers arriving in Tennessee to aid families living in tents during freezing weather report meeting townspeople in the area who have never heard this was going on. That's the MSM for you, and their anchor who just got sued for $15 million over slandering Trump seems to have disappeared. I found myself too saddened by the loss of JeePee to do anything much today. I watched a documentary on the latest generation of electric freight locomotives in Germany, Fascinating, but my thoughts kept returning to JeePee.

           The trains are each the equivalent of 23 semi-trucks. I watched assembly that used robots and later in the video the wiring was stated as 35 kilometers, still a lot since the unit is a rolling computer with a cab at each end. They use that characteristic overhead trolley supply cable. Here's something odd, if you have ever watched any of the many videos showing military tank construction, particularly the interiors. There is an attention to quality that is unmistakable and the chassis assembly practically shouts “Tiger” or “Panther”. You'd have to have seen the other videos for comparison but it is surely there.

           While on an assembly line, the locomotives are still made by hand, producing only 200 per year. But they can apparently adapt to fit every European track gauge and electric power supply. Yes, they do have a small diesel donkey engine for those backward places without electricity [insert Albanian joke here]. I best liked the system used to align beams and flanges. It is laser that projects an outline of the part in the exact position and further insures the parts are added in the correct order. Ingenious.
           Equally impressive was the paint shop. The four layers of undercoat serve a number of purposes, the one that gave me a chuckle was the layer that “facilitates graffiti removal”. There is a great-looking compressed air braking module and the underside of the floor is lined with sensors, though they don't specify what for. The price tags range from (harumph, Win 11 does not have a Euro symbol) 3 to 5 million Euros each. The wiring is in its own league and some of the harnesses and parts look 3D printed, while others look like 1980s IBM computer surplus.

           Later in the video, it mentions the cab can “communicate” with the tracks. Now that, I'd like to see. But what sold me was the scene (26:10) with the coffee maker – it that a Keurig? These Europeans have classy coffee gear. After a slow start, I recomment his video if you have time. It moves a bit slow but is worth it just to see the quality control. Very well done and rightly avoids any climate change or green bullsh. The scenes of the interior gangway are reminiscent of submarine movies.
           There are a couple mentions of carbon dioxide emissions and some green posters and paint jobs in the backgrounds, but a least nothing like the Biden-era in-your-face gimme money propaganda.

           Unable to shake my gloom, I went out to the shed and worked a couple hours on the brad nailer box I seem to prefer rabbet joints and medium dark stains. I use the neighbor's table saw for all the joint cuts, it's a mere 30 paces from my shed door to his barn. I checked in on him later when his light didn't come on after dark. He was just snoozing extra, the privilege of a planned retirement. I talked with him about JeePee and he explained the process, why this one gets me. First, it happened on my watch, and second I was present. Of course I'm full of doubt. Could I have checked sooner? Should I have driven 100mph instead of 90mph? Did I miss something?
           I've lost count of how many boxes I've built, which is a good thing. It's the only time my mind didn't wander today. My focus is now more toward finishing touches but the boxes remain many times sturdier than needed for storage and tools. I've no plans to alter that feature in any way. My best work is on medium sized boxes, at least 8 inches in at lease one dimension. Bigger boxes, like my chain saw and footlockers are showing signs of age after just a few years. I've learned to reinforce corners like you see on old steamer trunks. Thanks for listening to more box lingo as I am still off balance and on my ninth cup of coffee today.

ADDENDUM
           The Perserverance rover has reached a region of hills in the Jezero crater on Mars. This is the area often shown which contains that river delta formation. A region of sedimentary rock has been dubbed Valinor Hills and the terrain is similar to Earth, where we know that fossils can be found. The rover is collecting core samples but they won't be returned here for many more years.
Extrapolating from a sample of NASA statements (it would be unfair to call them promises any more), there will not be a manned mission to Mars until 2042. If I make it that long, I'll probably not know what's going on anyway. NASA dashed my childhood dreams all for their own fat paychecks.

Last Laugh

December 14, 2024

JeePee passed away
at 4:04 PM December 14, 2024.

December 13, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: December 13, 2023, 100,000 names.
Five years ago today: December 13, 2019, sigh, remember Matilda?
Nine years ago today: December 13, 2015, Sundays, back then.
Random years ago today: December 13, 2012, we took the bus.

           Fifty degrees this morning as JeePee and I decide what's for breakfast. I fancy cream of wheat, coffee, and maybe an egg. Cold doesn't get me moving. The satellite say up to 74F, so we'll get something done today once the chill burns off. My plan for JeePees playpen is now 36 square feet, up from the 15 in Tennessee. I can't find my spare roll of wire cloth but I have a budget of $21 for the frame. Are you with me? Then JeePee can romp around the front yard almost on the ground. I've sketched a removable lid, as I suspect the little guy likes to solve mazes. I would cut re-arrangeable pieces out of cardboard.

           He is visibly livelier in his new environment, that makes the Reb happy. She's never been here, so it's a leap of faith for her and she's had JeePee most of her life. His new cage is custom-designed for better efficiency. There is now a direct path for him to bask or bath. Can turtles skinny-dip? Also, the new water dish makes it just deep enough for him to get submerged to the brim of his upper shell. Is he trying to swim?
           Here's the new brad nailer unboxed and getting its first oiling and test. It stayed cool enough to do some yard raking, laundry, and some computer testing in the silo. The nailer is easy to load and has a proper slot to see how many nails are left—but only the longer pieces. I used the time to unload the van and get things ready for the next trip. There were enough small repairs today that I did not get a chance to used the nailer, but I did test some 1-1/4 brads, the maximum size the electric too would handle. You can probably guess, no comparison. The air tool is markedly superior, easily punching the nails through 3.4 inch stock. See nearby photo it then drove the same through this piece of 2x4.. The trigger has a way to set the tool so the brad heads are flush, but it looks finicky.

           If he likes mazes, the outdoor playpen will provide him that opportunity. It will have the paint tray watering system. For clarity, in his new habitat, his water dish and basking brick are side-by-side, making the natural temperature regulation activity quite active to observe. I may rig up the camera to see more of his behavior around water. Could be this is something he never had before, who knows? He gets into the water as deep as he can, with his head under the surface, then under the basking lamp, back and forth. D'think maybe he's a Finnish turtle? You know, the sauna and snowbank bunch.

           In the end, it was cream of wheat and coffee for me, chicken and yams for JeePee. There is no heater in the kitchen, a Florida tradition. But it meant I added the wheat a little quickly and it was lumpy, another sure sign of how life has slowed down, telling me I'd better find something to make today at least semi-interesting. Other than turning on the radio, which is nothing but leftist propaganda and Biden issuing last minute pardons as well as taking credit for leaving Trump such a wonderful economy people don't even know it.
           The lady who accused three white men of rape 18 years ago and ruined their lives has admitted she made the whole thing up. Her video reveals she is such a low-grade liar that the people who prosecuted these men should be held to task.

           I tried to make you a couple short videos but Win 11 has a bastardized version of Movie Maker. It seems to have no titling or other features, rather just takes video files and, well, that's about it. It's 8:00AM, I'll give a listen to Tampa radio. Los Angeles has voted that airport workers get a minimum wage of $30. That's the “wage” my salary worked out to in 1996, but my job entailed more than bussing tables, let me tell you. What's that in today's money? It's around $60 per hour, which seems fair unless you factor in minimum wage. For me to fix your satellite circuit, I was paid 5.6x minimum wage, which is totally justifiable.
           There is also another principle here, and it is related to opportunity cost. I am a highly qualified technician who on a regular daily basis regularly out-performed the other 14 men and 2 women in my department combined. The operative word is “regularly”. Yet we all got paid the same, which is one of the reasons I left the company at the first opportunity. The principle is that if I am required to do work of a lower category or pay scale, I am still to be paid the full 5.6x minimum wage, or get somebody else. Thus, if I was serving soup and assuming I was only at the airport minimum wage (unlikely), I should be paid $168 per hour, because I am paid for what I know, not what I do. And my duties are not to include listening to anyone who bitches about it, for they are being paid what they are worth.

           My research for video-to-text continues. I may have read some advanced features into the learner's mode I would need for starters. One that I got wrong was the ability to post a custom background, which would include my own graphs and charts. Even where it can be done, it doesn't seem that easy. What else? Well, Canada says they will stop importing US whiskey if Trump imposes tariffs. Hey, Ottawa, let us know how that works out for you. The OnlyFans gal who bopped a hundred men has broken down in tears. Seems she never planned on being alone for life, but hey, she should have done it privately in a college dorm like most other Plain Janes.

Picture of the day.
Statue in Luxemborg.
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           Shelly Duval has died from diabetes complications. I heard she had that so long ago I don't remember. I recall her as one of the “younger” actresses when I was growing up, even if she was born in the 40s. So sad. Trump is still talking like Americans should pay for the deportations. I say no way, they can pay their own way. Here is the nailer later in the day being sized for a box. The extra space is for accessories. That would include the Allen wrenches, a small oil supply, a six foot travel hose, space for the brads and staples, with a bit of room left for surprises.
           The star of the show was JeePee. He is not startled by loud noises and is drawn toward electric motor sounds. I think he hears them differently. I know he loves the sound of loud bass playing. His camper in the shed keeps him high up off the work space but he moves toward the sound of any sound of a rotary tool. I also gave him a run in the yard, closely supervised. This is the logical place for the playpen so make sure he likes it first.

           And he loves it. He gets up to a turtle gallop across any shady part of the yard toward open sunshine. This would not be possible in Tennessee where the ground is not flat, so the 150 feet he sprinted today may the the longest run he's had in twenty years. He relishes in the attention, he knows after a run he will be picked up and won't settle down until he gets that. I'm learning turtle ways as they apply here. For example, in Tennessee you must be careful when feeding him chicken, as the dogs are forbidden to have any chicken bones. Here, I toss JeePee the left over drumsticks whole. He drags them around to where he wants.

           You will have to wait for any videos, as Win 11 has totally screwed the pooch on editing sofware. The “new” movie maker lacks a title feature, although with MicroSoft, it could be there but the AOLs have hidden it. I found the shortcut icon to rename files but is barely any improvement. I'm also using the Dell desktop, another rotten piece of equipment that won't run a lot of legacy software. It lacks an SD card reader, usually the brain-fart of somebody who says just use a USB reader. Duh, the readers are too wide to place beside any other USB plug, so either unplug something or buy a hub, which is the definition of a millennial—make the other person go through hoops instead of taking any pride in your work.
           Last for today, I used the warmest part of the day to survey the fence and the hurricane damage is more extensive than I thought. Some of my fence posts are off perpendicular and I did not see pieces that had been torn off until I walked the perimeter. I had braced some of the oldest fence to tree trunks, the only places with no damage at all. There is also the spot where I built shelves to see if I could use the area to start plants where they would not shrivel in the sun. But those are also damaged because I think the fence panels may have been swaying more than it seems possible. I estimate around fifteen hours of repair work, so it won't be any time soon.

Last Laugh

December 12, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: December 12, 2023, I've seen zero, pal.
Five years ago today: December 12, 2019, until he's 81.
Nine years ago today: December 12, 2015, laced with spyware.
Random years ago today: December 12, 1981, 44 years ago, already.

           It was almost like a traditional motorcycle tour this morning. We wound up near but not in Ruskin, Florida. It's the town nearest the Sun City shopping area and I've been there before. I left through Mulberry through to the Wimauma corner. I allowed time for a leisurely trip but got caught in traffic anyway. Here's the tale from the trailercourt. JeePee had a full breakfast of chicken, carrot, and a single blackberry. One only because once again the Internet does not result in any specific info on this berry as turtle food. Instead, it's like talking to a Canadian, tons of shallow data, most of which you know is wrong, hearsay, or old wives tales.

           This is a view along the way, laser-leveled radish farms, one of four big fields visible from the roadway. The trees on the horizon are along the Alafia River. It's only 25 miles long but has something like 29 branches and lakes an is one of the oldest settled areas in Florida. Much as some would like to change it, most of the best spots are private property. Sometimes you can see abandoned pilings and docks that reveal just how old the area is back in there.
           Florida's twelve-month growing season means these few farms product almost all the radishes in Florida and tons for export. I believe it has to do with the soil, as there are springs that feed phosphates and other nutrients (and toxins) into the stream. It's unverified, but the word alafia is Caloosa for “River of Fire” which stems from pebbles in the water coated with phosphates that under the right conditions will glow in the dark. Say it, how many turtle-friendly blogs would get you such a lovely photo of a radish field?

           The way inbound was smooth sailing though it never did warm enough to open the window. I had two quests. The pneumatic brad nailer, and a rectangular water dish for the big guy. His new digs are longer but not as wide, making cleaning and maintenance easier. He formerly had a surplus pie plate but that took up a lot of width. (The paint tray dish is for his playpen, not the habitat.) I had to find a tray with just the right dimensions one TW (turtle width) wide. Success on both the nailer and the dish.
           I go out of my way to get you new and interesting pictures but today was not the day. I got the shopping done but when I started east from Ruskin toward Wimauma, the entire city was out Xmas shipping. I drove just to old Highway 301, where I knew the motorcycle trails and that saved me. The GPS and de Lorme are useless as their rating system is bad and so are many of the side roads shown in their systems.

           The trip took me within ten miles of Tampa, so I turned off the radio. The Democrats have gone on a last minute spending spree. The plan is the usual, to compel Trump to spend most of his term patching things up. But Trump is smarter than they are, so let's see what measures he comes back with. He could, for example, warn anyone who accepts such money that they will have to pay it back. Nothing hurts the corrupt like being stung like that. Or fire every bureaucrat or civil servant that even tries. There is something cooking. Why has not the Left gone after Musk with the usual hoaxes, prostitutes, tax investigations, and home raids?
           How about the mystery drones over New Jersey? These college pranks have gone too far. Maybe it's an attempt at distraction, but from what. Everybody knows the Democrats are looting the treasury. Biden is even auctioning off Trump's wall materials amid rumors Musk is secretly buying them. America is wondering why the government, which can crush just about anybody, is doing nothing while the Democrats steal Arizona. I could care less about the politics, I'm just fascinated by the process. Obama is back, making speeches that America should not be “hasty” about going after people who caused the health care crisis. Politics. It has become impossible to ignore it. My interest is the human behavior, but this could easily be defined along political lines. For example the FBI has reluctantly admitted it did have 26 agents in the Capitol on January 6. But covering it up for four years is the equivalent, in people's eyes, of denying it.

Picture of the day.
The Silfa Rift.
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           JeePee's dish is from a Thrift in Ruskin, which almost didn't happen. You see after paying for the nailer, all I had left on me was a $50 bill, which due to diversity, very few stores will accept and the rest don't keep enough change in the till. I cobbled together $8.11 from my pockets, cigarette tray, and change jar. To make the sale, they took that. There were some real yahoos on the road today. As I pulled in to park, the two angle spaces beside me were open and just as I was about to open my door, some jerk sped through the slot. Back on the road out of town, some lady drove off a side road right across both lanes of oncoming traffic. Two seconds more and people would have been killed. As soon as I saw the road to Turkey Creek, I got off the main roads and took an extra hour and a half to drive the remaining 31 miles home.

           Here is a picture of the size of drill bit I consume the most. This 1/4 inch and the similar 7/16s are my pilot hole standards. The number I go through is mainly due to loss and breakage. How's that for a daring blog topic? Hey, at least drill bits and turtles are more distinguished that cat posts. Am I right? Besides, a real man should be able to buy all the drill bits he wants without any comments from the peanut gallery. Turtle cages don't build themselves, you know.

           In the past couple years I've gotten to know the main roads around the Parrish area, but still not Tampa. The traffic 15 miles out of that city is back enough. I got home past 3:00PM and you know, the nailer is still in the box, but I'm crawling under the covers. So much for a big day when I had planned to at least install the overhead heater bracket. I used some of the leisurely trip to plan out a change in the way I invest in CDs. The bank rulebook pretty much takes advantage of how most people can't be there on the maturity date, but I know the bank has to obey a letter saying do not auto-renew. For most, it stops there.
           But I notice when you don't renew, one month later along with your statement, there is a card advertising the higher first-time rate. My plan is to see if I can use that to my advantage. If the certificate is not renewed, then it is a new account, based on the way the bank does things, I've mentioned this before. At the moment, I finished my coffee and I'm about to crash. I think JeePee is learning my sleep habits.

           Now might be a good time to remind us that I warned against Blackrock. They do not own $13 trillion, they manage it for other people. And they gambled heavy in real estate, instead of buying outright they put downpayments, planning to flip the properties before reality kicked in. Today we hear their CEO has dumped $50 million in stocks. He knows something and he's dumping fast. A closer look at text-to-video reveals my first choice of Synthesia may be the best, but that all of these sites place severe restrictions on usage. The $18 beginner's monthly fee limits you to an average of 10 minutes video per month. Design.ai generates its own backgrounds but cannot cope with my choice of words, often auto-creating scenes that have nothing to do with my topic. I plugged in the above few paragraphs to discover it balks at words like “yahoo” and “jerk” and has no idea where Tampa and Parrish are. Most offer a choice of avatar speakers but there is something annoying about the results, some underlying aspect they are pushing that leaves an aftertaste.
           I may still go ahead anyway, as there are entire processes that they do not cover or assume you know. Like how to upload, publish, monetize, or distribute the results. It may be there once you sign up, but if not you be careful if you are a clear thinker that was not raised around the wrong way of using computers.

ADDENDUM
           JeePee & I finally read the articles about the proposed future train tunnels. With centers of finance moving away from the USA and presuming Trump does not put a stop to that, these projects would entirely be build with foreign money. There is no shortage of the plans following the success of the Eurotunnel at generating billions in revenue. This blog predicted a return to rail travel would cut costs and tunnel operations, making it therefore natural to harness the two. I'm looking only and passenger and freight tunnels, not partical accelerators and water ducts. The longest train tunnels are in Japan. The more intriguing of the new proposals are:

           Gibraltar – Africa. It's been on the table for years. The snag is that once you get to the African side, there is no infrastructure, no goods to transport, and the Sahara Desert. By the way, the Sahara is the source of the Spanish word for desert, “sierra”. Morocco built a high-speed train (200 mph) called the Magic Carpet or something, but it just goes to yet another nothing town. And as of late, Europe does not need another link otoBlack Africa.

           Alaska—Russia: Again, the remoteness of the link negates any savings in time and the sub-zero conditions on most of the route make it unlikely that much new settlements would be spurred. This makes more sense as a cargo route linking northern Canada to the trans-Siberian railway. While shipping by sea is cheaper per mile, costs pile up at ports as ships queue for dock time and the huge costs and delays of cargo transfer.

           UK—USA: This is the most likely, the trans-Atlantic tunnel. Proposals range from a tradisional dig to a tube anchored 300 feet below the surface. A vacuum system would allow speeds of up to 5,000 mph but as always this poses the problem of slowing the trains down at the far end. I see this one as the only instant money-maker but the cost is beyond comprehension and I think the bidders are lying like military contractors.

           Persian Gulf—Turkey: Long eyed as an alternative to the Suez, this would be funded by oil money. That means it might go ahead even if it proves a loss. Most Arab states have long been jealous of the Egyptian cash cow. Information is hard to come by as this tunnel would also be militarily strategic and since it is not underwater, it is not all that fascinating to me.

           The shorter tunnels like Japan and Korea, coastal Norway, and Denmark to Sweden were not part of this short study as they presented no new technology. I'm too old and too broke to see any of these tunnels unless Taylor says she'll pick up the tab for me being her mentor in the real ways of the world. Any gal who can sell ten million concert tickets is okay by me. Just remember, she's waited over-long and now has to pass the JeePee test.

Last Laugh