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TMOR (to my overseas readers): this blog
DOES NOT represent the 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.

November 5, 2024

https://gab.com/home Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 5, 2023, typing.
Five years ago today: November 5, 2019, anniversary fence coincidence.
Nine years ago today: November 5, 2015, he hates gravel roads.
Random years ago today: November 5, 2008,no foolin' him.

           Into the kitchen, I made up enough food ti last to the weekend and the pets were the real benefactors. Things they are not supposed to have, like any chicken bones that make it into their food dishes. Out in the living room, the pro-Harris people are letting us know who is winning. Whenever Trump is called for another state, you hear the “Shit!” exclamations. And by now, it is almost a chant. Nice guy that I am, I won’t remind them I told them so. Trump in every major state by a landslide. By late enough in the day it was obvious Trump has a commanding lead everywhere that counts, including the Senate, and he kept Congress.

           The pundits say for every month a non-communist is in power, it sets the red agenda back a year. This is because communism cannot rear up, it has to creep in. If Trump plays his cards right, he will shunt the Democrats back into 1986, from which they will never recover in our lifetimes. The question on everybody’s breath—when to the deportations start. I would start by giving anyone who leaves voluntarily a free ride. The rest to be put in prison camps. They came here not to seek better lives of their own, but to sign up for yours.

           Still having clashes with PC or Apple because all the gear in this house is Apple. That’s what my generation traditionally called the differences between the two major systems—Apple or PC. All these so-called “new” systems and code (like Android or Python) are all PC to me. Time has made the differences even worse by letting the basics become non-intuitive. I’m on the Mac, which seems to have no icon or drop box to find or open a file. It’s there, but what have they done with it? Where is the command to undo and the list of all the drives? True, I could and should learn it, but not just now. The Reb called and she’ll be home just past noon. Everything that looked like the pets might have slept on it or resembles a towel just got dumped in the washer.
           xI was outside in a rather nice morning due to a short in the Hyundai. Did I mention that? When I went to plug the portable compressor into the cigarette jack, it popped the 25 amp fuse. Ouch, unlike a 15 amp you just replace, when its that rating, you have to find out the cause. I mentally meshed with JeePee, the third in command, before I went to work. And in around a half hour, I may have it. One of the octopus cables I use when a van has limited outlets. I think, because I could not find the fluke meter I know I put in the tool closet. You know how to find a lost fluke meter? Go out and buy a new one and the old one will magically appear.

           She’s going to be busy, giving me a chance to get into the library, hopefully too early in the day for the welfare cases, illegals, and riffraff on day passes to show up. They all sleep until noon and don’t deny it. Later, I made it to the library and ran the gauntlet of piss-brains waving political placards at the entrance. The building next door is the voting station but they get to block more people’s way using the library sidewalk. God, what useless lives these people must lead.

Picture of the day.
Illegal “sand burrito”.
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           This afternoon, late as it after dark, we took her KIA with the heated seats over to Phat, seeking a quiet Sunday snack to go over business matters that are overdue. While I was away, two of the CDs rolled over, dropping the interest from 4.75% to 2.21%. While the staff can boost me back to what we now know is a new customer sweetheart deal, that only happens if I’m their in person during the renewal window. It did not happen this time. Nor was I that happy with any of the results except the satisfaction of knowing I’m going broke slower than the proletariat. The best of the CDs, which I buy only in denominations of $1,000 paid only $25.07 in seven long months.
           Showing up at Phats, the first thing to note is the parking lot was full. The evening turned out to be a classic and completely blogworthy. Here’s the goods. We got in and the place was packed. Unbeknownst to us, there would be an full orchestra playing beginning in around twenty minutes. I ordered the special, which was two chicken tacos. We sat down and went over the business, making decisions and right on time, the food arrived. It looked like tacos, but smaller. As soon as I took a bite, I know this was far more expensive food than I had ordered. She took a bite, it was something we;d not see before, with an equally delicious dipping sauce.

           We were deciding to inform the staff, when they brought over our food, saying we had gotten somebody else’s order. Since we’d already started, they said it was ours. Brunch then turned into a three course meal we got for the price of the special. Then the band started. Talk about loud, but a totally professional 1950s era jazz band. Folks, I can now report I took the Reb to a joint with an 11-piece orchestra. Four horns, drum, bass, keys, bongos, guitar, vocalist, and a couple more itinerants playing instruments of opportunity. I mean loud, and I know loud. Nobody could talk, but they certainly had a following. I’m no fan of jazz, to me it it cacophony and they played the same song all night.
           xWait, there’s more. Back when I was a ballroom dance instructor, most of my clients were already retired, so guess what brand of music they liked to dance to. I was a teenager at the time but I easily recognized the different dance beats even if the must was noise. The Reb spots the same and wants to dance, dance, dance. Which we proceed to do and the band quickly picks up they have a show. We are not the greatest dancers but any proficiency at all caught the attention of that place. I’d shown her a few moves, such as how to “salute the band” and we danced until my back gave out. It was more than a hoot, because the Reb is a natural.
           After a brief rest, we got on the floor again, the only couple now dancing and the band’s presentation slowly switched marginally from jazz to swing beats, they must not see this too often. The audience was drawn toward the mood, since we were not putting on any special show, these were basic dance moves and we brought down the house. (Oddly, we barely noticed this, as it could have been for the band since we were between these two groups.) But the follow up was compliments enough, as other couples got on the floor and tried to emulate the moves. All in good fun, mind you, but I saw how they had to push and pull, whereas the Reb can follow the slightest cue.

           For a Tuesday, this was the best yet, it will go down in history. I was hoping the Kaiser might be there, but missed him by a day. Other than the band being too loud, this was a memorable occasion, as they say in the movies, the stuff memories are made of.

Last Laugh

November 4, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 4, 2023, a junk box.
Five years ago today: November 4, 2019, it’s been 40 years.
Nine years ago today: November 4, 2015, more paved wagon trails.
Random years ago today: November 4, 2007, $10 dollar bills.

           Up before dawn to find we are out of everything that makes a house a home. Coffee, paper towels, rice, bread. I put the pets outside at dawn keeping a very close eye on Sammy, He’s active bug still recovering from recent treatments and he worries me. It’s like a signal for myself. The software is working finer than ever but the hardware no longer obeys the commands. I decided to take Chooks with me alone to the recycle depot. I took e one van load, it’s like nobody emptied the bags since I was last here. I stopped at Wal*mart and got most of my list. Which set me back $62 If you don’t see photos right away, it means I heed the library computer.

           They had no blueberries. So JeePee got carrots, coconuts, chicken, tomato and his super favourite, parsley. Fresh green parsley, he just buries his tiny turtle nozzle right into the stuff. Part of what I planned this trip was to see about ordering a hollow-body bass. I don’t have credit cards in Florida. I’ll do some research which could provide some welcome time away from politics, as the final round of baseless accusations has begun. But this time it is not working, I doubt most anyone is going to change their minds based on accusations. Trump has certainly changed that aspect of politics.

           We took a walk near the depot, it used to be wooded and is now down to one patch. I had a hard time keeping up with the big dog and I know since the last few trips the cooler weather isn’t going to make things easier. I read the labels on the doggie prescriptions and one of Sammy’s is marijuana juice. What do they all it, CDV or something. It does call him down, but brings him to a standstill. Give him two drops and if you leave him standing he stay standing.
           Home in time to make up a huge batch of rice and ten pounds of chicken. The doggies know that aroma and will patiently wait. Always facing the kitchen. They can’t have any until it is cooled to room temp. I made the rice with strained chicken broth, man that is good eating. And spuds. I’m the only one around here who buys spuds. What part of staple don’t these folks get.

           I’ve got the deer camera set up in the planned trail. Return tomorrow to see what we got, reminding you the camera is tricky to use. That path is also the only real option for any wildlife between the main road to the west and the next subdivision quite a hike eastward. That makes it election day, so who knows what or who we’ll come back with.

Picture of the day.
State prison.
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           My findings. Most of the hollow-body basses sold on line are unsuitable. The manufacturers know it is not a guitar and it cannot move the volume of air needed to get any volume. But they do know bigger is better, so they use the same body as the largest guitar, called a dreadnought. To balance this, they fix on the next from a full size bass. And I cannot play a full size, the frets are too far apart. This has been a design fault of the bass since day one and it was avoidable. Because the entire sound is electronic.
           I examined most of what was easy to search and see the standard size they offer has a neck at least 30 inches long. I believe the bass I use is called a 7/8ths scale. I don’t see this term on-line, just “shortscale”, but they don’t give a definition. The fretboard on my Danelectro is just over 29-1/2” and i can tell you it makes a world of difference.

           Over the years, I’ve learned what to avoid in a bass design. Make sure you have 24 frets and stay away from Fenders due to excessive neck dive and Peavey war clubs for being just to damn heavy overall. Two hours later, I don’t feel I know anything more about the design I want than before. I see now I want a regular guitar body, which averages 4-1/4 inches deep but with a 7/8ths neck. I’m wondering if the correct approach is to find an ordinary guitar that I like and find out from Bryne if there are any insurmountable reasons it could not be reconfigured with the fittings for bass strings.
           The library. The Hickory branch, that not only has no noise restrictions, it openly encourages cacophony. The same outfit that lets the third worlders hold drum lessons. Nothing spells open-mindedness like letting people bother the taxpayer. Today there was just one gimp, but she loud and ugly enough for a squadron. Fake half-shrieking belly-laughs at one of her pretend friends that live in her ear pods. “I can’t help it!” she keeps saying when others look over. Hey, fatso, just help yourself out the door.

           tI was up late, Sammy was not having a good night. Even sound asleep he seems to be having dreams that can scare him. But he’s had arthritis for years and it is know pain killers can have this side effect. He will not go without luxury meals while I”m here.

Last Laugh

November 3, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 3, 2023, you could point at.
Five years ago today: November 3, 2019, every one, watching me.
Nine years ago today: November 3, 2015, tell me again.
Random years ago today: November 3, xxxx, WIP

           By rights, this whould have been a wonerful late summer trip. It wasn't. It turned into a grueling 15 hour trek all along the usual route. TThe traffice was around the same in both directions, which a counted an average of48 cars per mile of road. Anybody who has visited a third world country knows there is not such thing as a relaxing drive on the freeways any more. I hate to bitch but every low-IQ AOL was on the roadway today. I was the usual hour late getting away, which is bad planning this time of the year wen days are so short and the police never seem to clamp down on people with headlights set up too high. All I've got fot you is trip dettails because the first problem was the fuse blew on my cigaretter lighter power plug.
The squirrel that got America off their ass and cost Harris the election.

           There was no time to fix it and as the Hynunda has a brokern CD player, a missing radio antenna, and now no power supply, I'm without anything to help wile the hours along a road I know by heart. Thansk to the sputtering manifold, I have to take the shortest route, which today was 764 miles, that is, 59 miles more than average. I have a partial explanation. I thought, why not connect up the Yeti battery to that old radio in the saw shed, since the CD part still works. Turns out that was two headaches. It only works sometimes. Even sitting on the nice cushione seat, it would cut out on any slight bump on the road and lose its place. So you can start it over, but only at the beginning. The second bad deal is the Yeti. It has ratings whereby it will run a fan for 8 hours, or a light bulb for 24 and so on. So how much electricity should a simple CD player use? Plenty.

           When you plug the Yeti in, the guage says 54 hours remaining. Plug in a CD player and that drops to 7.2 hours, oops, I blinked, 7.1 hours. I have a $400 battery that won't power a CD player worth a shit for a single 8-hour work shift. I figured it might be the old CD unit, so by the time I got to Gainseville, I thought, I'll just stop in Valdosta and buy a cheap CD unit. I forgot my rues that there is no such thing as a quick stop these days. Patting my pockets, I realized I did not bring my business card clip, so forget rounding up Tonio for a brunch or coffee.
           On top of that, I get millennialized. I already know whatever the GPS says, there is only one library in Valdosta and it is closed on Sundays. But I never thought Garmin would like about a post office. It gave me an exact location, on the "4-way" as the locals call the only wide street town.
           Spotting that address as near the closed library, I drive over to find a big parking lot with a Piggly Wiggly in the center. Wanting a cold drink, I zipped inside and bumped into a troop of firemen on their lunch break. Hey, you guys from aroune here? Yep, born and raised. Take a look at this GPS screen. That's what I thought, there has never been a post office on this site. The Piggly Wiggly has been the only building here since 1963. Yep, when the mapmakers can't get the post office right, time for them to find a new career in waste management.

           I resorted to using my little FM transmitter to listen to the disk through the radio because it was clearer. Until the batteries wore down. This was around Macon, where they millennialized the entire freeway. I know the area well and there is a 15-mile bybass route. You gat around five miles into it before you see the sign two lanes closed ahead. You see, if they put the sign back at the turn-off, peoplel who knew the local roads could have avoided that half-hour traffic snarl. The bommom line with so many of these millennidals is their insane need for attention, a result of how their mother's never picked them up. Here is the squirrel picture since it has gone viral on-line. Tbis is Peanut, or was Peanut. Killed by the Establishment.

           TMOR, do not underestimate the seriousness of this pet killing. You do not do that in America. It was a stupid move. The Department Head, Karen “Olga” Przyklek was forced to take down her media account and go into hiding. The pet is the symbol, the outrage is government overreach. In the public eye, ugly women who do evil things are always associated with the Democrat party-and killing that squirrel was the stupidest possible thing.

Picture of the day.
Castle arrow loops.
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           Its election time so gas has dropped below $3 a gallon, I got into town on $95. The last 120 miles, from Soddy-Daisy on, was in pitch blackness. I should get an eye test as bright lights as night bother me more than they used to. Misallinged beams have always been a problem at night on American roads but recently I do not like them at all. I tanked up in Sparta and got into Hermitage at 8:00PM local time. To find the place out of everything that I normally supply. Examples, paper towels, sliced bread, coffee pods. You know that story, they all don use them. Paper is bad, bread has gluten, coffee is a drug, yadda-yadda. But when somebody else buys it, that's a different spin. And dogs have not had a chicken meal since I was last here. Here's Chooks, did not take him long to find the memory foam.

          I walked the dogs separately in the dark, Sammy has lost weight down to a visibly bad condition. Like me, the software is functioning as good as ever, but the hardware is time-worn. He is still very much alive, though often does not know where he is. I put him in a pile of leaves which he loved. But he has to be supervised, he does know know how to find his way, often walking in circles navigating by smell.
           He cannot easily find his way back out of any corners if he gets trapped. All bedded down, I went for a break at the old club, Shooters, where the staff all know me. I've been semi-regular there since 2018. Abeer in a honkytonk in Tennessee is now $5. I took along the bank statements that piled up since I was last here and two ladies came over to check me out. Quickly spotting they were not single or there stag, I ladeled out my usual cover story.

           Be patient for pictures, the Mac does not recognize my camera as a storage device.

November 2, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 2, 2023, less than 2%.
Five years ago today: November 2, 2019, a defining characteristic.
Nine years ago today: November 2, 2015, distancewise.
Random years ago today: November 2, 1994, hurricane wreckage, Venezuela.

           Up at dawn and immediately millennialized. I must drop into Winter Haven to settle affairs before I head out, could be as soon as Tuesday, election day. So, I figured why not drop off my pet food donation on the way? Drive over, pull up, park, walk to the door and there is the tiny sign Saturdays now open at 10:00AM. That’s too long to wait, but if I go to the bank first, I will have to double back, making this a two-hour 78 mile round trip. And that is what happened. Here is this month’s donation to the doggie shelter. Yes, this is the one where they put the animals down if not adopted. The one most people ignore because there is an SPCA nearby. The 44 lb bag is on its side because I can't lift it, okay? A pity for me, especially when the shelter sends a 25 year old gal to carry it for me.

           While in that vicinity, I scored a good one. Normally the used paint is picked over for stains and finishing coats long before I get there. Not today, I got around 14 cans of stains I have not used before. These are the tiny cans, around ¼ pint or so. Still, with those running at $10 each, this is a lot of variations I would not get around to trying out. Time permitting, I’ll list them for you in the addendum.

           In one of those quirks that outsiders may not understand, a squirrel may have done more to cost the Democrats the election than all the other troubles. You see, Americans have pets and you do not mess with pets. Some guy adopted an orphan baby squirrel and the Feds sent in the Dept. of Wildlife to grab and kill it. That got people’s dander up. Of course the squeals from the left say that’s because White people care more about squirrels than the lives of Black men Maybe nobody explained to them that the squirrel was not responsible for the situation. And Americans have had it up to here with the sob stories.

           I’m beginning the now-known shutdown procedures for leaving the cabin unattended. This includes emptying all garbage, checking locks, and making sure all boxed or carton food is high up on shelves. Remember to close and spring all traps, at any given time we have four in operation. Pack up any warm clothes that made it here last trip. This happens and I wind up with sweaters and long-sleep shirts that are useless in Florida. Pay all bills in advance and remember to sent the emergency cell phone payment to Miami.
           I’ll finish most of it today but honestly, this back problem has become service affecting and I don’t know what to do about it. Either spring for a place to stay in Miami or have the procedure done locally by people I do not know. At least in Maimi, the staff at Memorial know me. My insurance has bought them all new sports cars by now. I am not able to work even a fraction of the way I was able even six months ago.

Picture of the day.
Beautiful British Columbia.
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           Wow, my sleep quota is up. Every nap now turns into a couple of hours. Hey, it had to happen, but I’m out there this afternoon getting that van ready. Listening very closely to that manifold rattle, I have not been able to locate a place that will stick weld it. The upcoming trip will thus be taking another chance. I know, if I had taken the $10,000+ I’ve spent on vehicles since the Town & Country, I’d have something nice by now. All I can say is I would have had to come up with the $10,000 at once and I likely could not have done so at any point during said time period.

           Nearby is a dramatic photo of the cans of stain. Now you have the blog that dares giving you pics of recycled paint cans. To date my favorite has been the slightly reddish-brown cherry stain and one of the bigger pint cans in there somewhere is almost full. And a look into the van now spread out for camping, this is the sleeping accommodations. The rear seat has to fold down, and it does not go all the way, which is uncomfy for people like me who sleep on their sides.
           Other items include that $4 CD player that never quite played tapes right. Here it is, the CD player checks out on the shop bench. We shall see if it makes the trip as I have no intention of speeding. She still has company up there and I don’t mind if the situation reminds her that the pets can tell those people are not family. This will be the budget trip of the decade so expect a lot of time in the library.

           Because of the time put in applying finishes to my boxes now, that has become the primary edge of my curiosity and learning for a while. I’m doing some extensive reading on how to do the calculations for biasing transistors and understand what I’ve been looking at is a small category of not amplifier circuits, but what are called pre-amp circuits. How nice of the people who wrote the text to give us the opportunity to find that out for ourselves the hard way. It seems very weak signals, such as those from a microphone or guitar pickup need a boost up to line level where a proper amp circuit can use them. Nonetheless, I’m committed to learning what I’ve got.
           More fun is the way I’ve found to scent the boxes. Sometimes pallet wood can have a stale odor, so long ago I learned to sprinkle some powdered spice on the interior. Various ways will work, one of the best is a quick shot of adhesive, then quickly dust the wood. It is effective years later and a big container of ground cloves that I mistook for cinnamon is really effective. These seem to work even after stain and poly finish is applied, leaving a faint aroma (though it is fest when the box is freshly opened and fades rapidly if left open).

           I hope to find a way to scent the wood with other popular products. I tend to have two or three unassembled boxes at any given time and can determine the best stage to apply this treatment. It is already known sprays do not work and the best technique is to use the actual powdered spice which tends to be wood-colored. Foreseeing I will run out of that expensive commodity, I have another product, but it is grainy and does not match in color. On the positive side, it is virtually free and I love the fragrance --coffee grounds. So far, I have failed because the grains cannot be directly applied like the spices. I’ve tried powdering the grains in a blender but they change the color of the stain.
           So there is another technology we can investigate. I recall reading that perfume and flavor manufacturers use alcohols to extract desired effects. And have I not read that artsy-craftsy people make various tinctures and even home remedies this way? Well, why not coffee? Right now, I have two small boxes packed with grounds to see if that will impart a nose to the wood. I’ve done it before a few days, this time will be weeks. Anyway, something to think about for when this election is over and some form of normalcy returns. Instead of being clobbered 24/7 with politics, I mean.

           In one of those quirks that outsiders may not understand, a squirrel may have done more to cost the Democrats the election than all the other troubles. You see, Americans have pets and you do not mess with pets. Some guy adopted an orphan baby squirrel and the Feds sent in the Dept. of Wildlife to grab and kill it. That got people’s dander up. Of course the squeals from the left say that’s because White people care more about squirrels than the lives of Black men Maybe nobody explained to them that the squirrel was not responsible for the situation. And Americans have had it up to here with the sob stories.

ADDENDUM

           Getting the van ready took four hours and now I’m waiting on the clothes dryer. This is good, it signals a return to classic blot themes like this list of the stain colors. I should be happy to slow down and write such topics but honestly, life shows no signs of settling down. I’ll be lucky if I find time to test all these colors by December. I also got three cans of rustproofing enamel. They look white, but one has a green dot on the lid, so I’m hoping. I prefer green wheelbarrows to white.
           One of the cans with a white cap turned out to be not paint. It’s description, the Holy Grail of this blog. Clippercide, and it says it’s bactericidal, fungicidal, virucidal and tuberculodial. A spray that disinfects barber tools. I read the ingredients and it is two types of ordinary alcohol in a mild oil, so it also claims to make your clippers last longer. It’s a stronger than usual so I sprayed it on my hands and yep, it is great paint remover.
           Ah, but you want the headliner, the stain colors. I know by now some of you out there in the blog-o-verse have become itinerant box makers by now, living the dream vicariously through my sawdust adventures. Here goes, and how is this for color names geared to appeal to the ancient craftsmen who have all but disappeared.

Cherry
Early American
Provincial
Jacobean
Sedona Red
Special Walnut
Golden Pecan
Ebony
Gunstock
Summer Oak
Colonial Maple
Red Mahogany
Barn Red

           There was a second big can of the Red Mahogany, so we got us fourteen cans of stain and one each of anti-rust enamel, wood conditioner and one more I forget but the shed is already locked up and the power turned off. Oh, I just remembered. It is a spray can of “metallic copper”. So I tried it on this empty audiobook case. I keep them as handy storage of related computer disks and archives. Here it is with a single coat in the fading daylight. It looks pretty darn realistic. Let’s take a closer look at that when we get back.

Last Laugh

November 1, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 1, 2023, mostly band talk.
Five years ago today: November 1, 2019, walkies!
Nine years ago today: November 1, 2015, rare motorcycle camper.
Random years ago today: November 1, 2017, not rich, not famous.

           It’s not looking good. Joe, who people forget is still the President, has disappeared from public live, the Ho has gone to ground, the usual Democrat last minute scandals have fizzled, together causing an eerie silence out there. They are planning something massive and have pretty much missed the deadline for direct attack. I surmise they will combine their 2016 MSM smear tactics with their 2020 attacks on the infrastructure. Their problem is that Trump has learned how to govern, so sparks will fly.

           Two orders appeared on eBay this morning, both past the expiry date. I warned of this. Both were placed in the second last week of October and did not appear in my e-mail at 9:04AM this morning—and never did appear in the eBay message folder. Either of these can generate a complaint of late shipping. The cause is eBay has no one single location you can click on to find all your order information. (These orders appear as completed and awaiting shipment, which bypasses notification that an order was placed.)

           Here is a picture that the Establishment does not like. A convoy of 56 Amish show up in North Carolina and begin building shelters for people who lost their homes in the hurricane. This location is Black Mountain, it says. FEMA said it would take months to get any relief into the area. The Left is saying Trump said Cheney should be executed, but what he said was she should have to fight in the wars she so ardently supports. Something like “Let’s put her with gun barrels pointing at her face and see how she likes it.” Along those lines.
           Later in the day on NBC, Democrat apologists are saying Biden’s “garbage” remark was due to his lifelong struggle with stuttering. Harris has authorized IRS agents to use deadly force, that is, to shoot people who don’t obey orders.

           Planning well in advance for Tennessee, I began transferring some of the gear from the KIA, which is fully equipped with everything—but most of it will not fit in the Hyundai. I got a bedroll, some supplies, and a load of animosity over what Biden did to the American dollar. This trip will cost me $900 and I’m not planning to buy anything. More than twice the cost of 2019. I stopped for one of my rare treats downtown today, a small vanilla shake at McD’s. It cost more than a Big Mac Combo five years ago. The shake was $4.27. I also bought some small hardware for the box I’m building. Two hinges and a latch. $19.97.
           Some years ago I looked at private rail cars. Expensive as hell to store and move, but with the money it must be an incredible way to travel. I’ve often wondered why somebody has not invented a rail car for transporting special busses that drive off and on rather than get shipped like cargo. That’s when I discovered cabooses for sale. But they are usually parked as novelties. Whenever I visit a railroad museum, the caboose displays are a favorite. Why does not somebody design a caboose camper. Train routes are usually scenic.
           Well, build a small siding near a fishing lake or natural attraction and rent the cabooses as cabins. I’m just speculating, I that railroads consider cabooses to be very dangerous. And renovating these things reportedly costs a fortune. Anyway, just a thought.

Picture of the day.
Rachel, NV
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           You know that corner on Hwy 17 SW of Winter Haven? The location is jinxed. All four corners are a commercial no-man’s-land. I figure whatever they tech business majors these days all determine that to be prime real estate. Wrong, and you can drive past the crumbling hulks of former enterprises that were plainly abandoned. But, that never stops people from trying and there is a spanking new Shell station sitting there. Literally, just sitting there.

           The station looks like it is on a sixteen lane crossroads. The reality is, like so many Florida intersections, the station can only really be conveniently used by traffic already on the inside lane of the curb with a right turn approach. What’s this got to do with me? Aha, it gives me a chance to dispense my sparking wisdom. Ready? Folks, it does not matter that she is 14 or 15. Having a fat, butt ugly girl waving your sign defeats the purpose.

           I examined the wood I stained over the past few days. Somehow, I’m not doing as good a job as I should. For most projects, I use two coats of stain and two of clear finish. I follow the directions but still get a finish that doesn’t hold up to close inspection. Does this mean I finally get to go to finishing school? Sincerely, I would like to do better at this. Once again, the ton of on-line videos do not address the issue. For example, even running over the dry surface with 2000 grit paper still leaves it unsmooth to the touch. Plus, if you reflect light at the right angle, you can see it is not even.
           Nothing to report, it was the quietest day yet. A little too quiet on the election side of things. Where is the usual 11th hour attacks from the Left? Where are the MSM smears? Are they that confident of a steal? Or are they preparing for an aftermath. Don’t know, that’s why I went on-line and watched the best of Bourne Identity. The way he smashes up all the bad guys. One guy against all the evil in America. Trump is up by a 30% lead in many states and as much as 10% in states that were formerly Democrat strongholds—yet the MSM still continues to portray the contest as a “sprint to the finish”.

           The way this works is the corrupt poll workers have traditionally been a job populated by the Democrats most loyal indoctrinees. That is, middle-aged black housewives. But most sources attribute the huge swing in black votes to Trump to the way inflation has hit that very group the hardest. Once again the only station that comes in well enough (until I find a replacement radio antenna) is 540 AM, so all day I get barraged with politics. While I’d rather stick with blogging, there is no doubt the outcome of this election will change America.
           And while I don’t know this Mark Cuban character, I get a laugh that he has been asked to quit doing pro-Harris interviews because of the anti-Harris backlash he creates. It must really suck to get to the point where you know people who need all the help they can get and they still tell you to get lost.

ADDENDUM
           Ha, who recalls over the years that I’ve had a glitch in my DMV records that has two wonderful effects. It means nobody I don’t like can find me that way, and it means I’ve been under the radar for over 40 years. Well, it just came back into play, I received the correct documents with the same error. No matter how many times it gets corrected, the next update restores the error. The authorities have become so confident in their records that I see they have changed the rules. I am now good until 2032 unless they change again and if I live that long I’ll no longer care.
           For clarity, I am not against, for example, jury duty. But I am totally against the abuse of using government files to generate those lists. The only people who should be jurists are those who give the okay, not from a hidden condition attached to some other document, like a driver’s license. Much of my objection is not, say, the actual jury duty, but allowing records for one purpose to be used for another opens a can of worms at the bureaucratic level that never goes away. I don’t believe it is the government’s business who owns a car or bank account, and in fact, there should be laws preventing them from finding out. Those who disagree may enjoy living in a police state, myself, I don’t.

Last Laugh

October 31, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: October 31, 2023, Gunsmoke, inflation, boxes.
Five years ago today: October 31, 2019, you little rascal.
Nine years ago today: October 31, 2015, materialize & fall.
Random years ago today: October 30, 2016, probably figures I’m slow.

           Say hello to Mousie #2 of this batch. A lively one, spending the past six hours trying to know through the cage wiring. I tend to release them before dusk, so they have a fighting chance. The neighbor is back from the hospital and doesn’t look like the stay did him any good. He’s in seriously weakened condition, but says other than being tired, he’s fine. I spent two hours trying to get through to the government office and decided I’ll spend the day in the shed.

           The books are closed, or 98% so. Something always trickles through. Cost-cutting measures have produced pretty good results, so possibly my birthday this year will be a memorable occasion in Nashville. Or even Kentucky somewhere, just so say so. You can have a say in this, just leave a comment. The budget is $170, what kind of time can you have for that? Depends on the right company and if the manifold on my Hyundai lasts another trip to Tennessee. It’s coming back that seems to give me the heebie-jeebies. Good morning, don’t tell the Reb it was pork chop and egg sandwiches long before the sun was up.
           I’m still foggy so let’s check for pre-election antics. Then start loading up the truck. Target time is right on next Tuesday, election day. I plan to be back before the property taxes are due. And Tuesday is either goodbye Trump or goodbye America. If Trump wins it will be by simply swamping the votes so bad they cannot cheat—as they have already started. And he may cancel property taxes. One would still pay, but there is a chance if they charge the fees separately, unpopular items like the green tax could be rejected.

           Here’s the best wildlife from the Florida non-petting zoo. No sign of the raccoons for two or three days means animal control may have been around. Little birdie was such as small part of the picture I amost missed her. I thought leaves were setting off the recorder. I poked around a bit in the yard to discover my shoulders have stayed loose and the tiny muscle complaints have also diminished to almost nothing. So I took the sander to the box shown y’day to carefully look at better ways of adding tops and bottoms. I may have come up with something, but check back when there’s time for a trial run.

           The news. The Democrats are putting about that media figureheads like Rogan are refusing to interview Harris because it would “require a great deal of research and preparation” that they “are not equipped to do”. The WHO says anti-vaxxers used COVID as an opportunity to create havoc. There’s a great meme of Canada as that country where you spend 40% of your income to stay out of prison.            Rumor is the Biden government (remember he is still the President) that withheld FEMA aid in North Carolina and prevented others from helping is now threatening to take children from parents because they are now homeless. This, folks, is how you start a shooting war.

           As my quest for learning cryptocurrency gains momentum, I’ve found a potential explanation of why the system uses so much electricity. Don’t quote me on this, but the blockchain system relies on information being spread over thousands or millions of computers. Each transaction is subject to being verified by every other computer on line at the time. Data mining deals in fractions of the currency, but each tiny transaction requires the same countless computers involved as larger amounts. Each computer in the blockchain requires energy and this taxes the electrical grid. Anyway, that is my understanding of what’s going on.

Picture of the day.
Connor Hotel, Jerome, AZ
(Haunted.)
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           Another nice part of a private back yard is you don’t have to worry about fashion when you walk around. I fully admit I need a whole how round of work clothes. But here I am waltzing through what should have been the raccoon highway. You’ll have to wait for action since I’m taking the deer cam to Tennessee where I hope to get footage of some real deer. The pathway I cleared for them is now the only easy thoroughfare they have between the two large subdivisions on the Nashville side and their daytime haunt, the steep hillsides along I-40.
           Not knowing how long I’ll stay this trip, I have to plan well. Enough is needed to keep busy up there, but not so much if I get a breakdown I’m stuck with a load of gear. The last time that happened set me back $1,520. That would buy a lot of birdseed and good coffee.
The Iranians are preparing a retaliatory strike against the Israelis. I loathe all sides in these Middle East wars. But them Iranians have some kind of death wish. They get their asses kicked up past their shoulders every time and never seem to learn. I read a few articles on their air force budget. If they quit, within two months their peasants would be herding goats on the runways.

           Time in the shed had me test a few new techniques. One that I liked was instead of cutting the rabbets first, build the box and cut a router channel as shown here. It is not a good plan for anything fancy but is it fast and I got it to work first time. I had to piece together the route bit needed and see I need to buy something fancier. The router bit leaves rounded corners so I just used the sander to match them up a little. This is a scrap piece of wood. Turns out most of the thin panel wood I have is scrap and crappy to work with. The piece shown here sets just a hint recessed into the wood, a nice effect. Even nicer if I can talk myself into buying some decent material. How do you like this effect?

           I’m into reading “Cryptonomicon” and already do not recommend it. While very slick and well-written, it transfers back and forth between past a present. Confusing if, like me, you do not read the whole book at once. Plus, I don’t think most readers need to be reminded any details of the whore houses around US military bases or that rich people in Asia are corrupt as hell. The book promises to give insight into code and cipher matters and after three chapters that is the only reason I’m still on it. It’s a 900 page book, but fortunately it follows the Clancy format of intertwining separate plots. So you can gloss past chapters on the parts you don’t care for.

           Other reading today was more information on transistor biasing. I know there is a rule-of-thumb method, but can’t find any tutorials. As with so many tech topics, the people who know the workings are invariably some of the absolute worst teachers. I’ve learned the type of amp I chose to study is called common emitter which makes sense now, and Class A, which sort of makes sense. I seek a seat-of-the-pants approach to determining the value of the voltage divider part of the circuit. Otherwise, the circuits are simple and easy to build.
           An excellent example of bad teaching is the definition of Class A. Every tutorial I’ve seen specifies the output signal is inverted to the input signal. But not one of them explains what this means or what difference it makes. I’m getting closer but the path is indirect. I know that it has something to do with the circuit voltage and a line you can draw across those graphs of on the datasheet. Then you kind of work backwards from the output parameters to the resistor values by re-arranging various formulas to isolate your unknowns. We’re getting there. (Here’s my reminder code which means nothing to you: ghV6hC74.)

ADDENDUM
           I will explain something for the benefit of certain English people I know. They tend to be put off by my tag phrase, “English Syndrome”, or “Elliott Syndrome”, but if it is any consolation, I used to name it after my family before I realized how prevalent it was. This is people who can accept success in strangers, but if they personally know you, they can’t deal with it. Why, you must have cheated or got lucky or took a short cut or inherited the money. You know what I mean. This concept, to me, does not exist in isolation. It is highly related to the process of success. It works like so.
           There is a popular misconception that if you are talented, you get a one step rise to fame and fortune. If it takes you too long, you must not be all that talented. Well, I believe another process is at work here. Listen to songs or books of success and realize, as I did so long ago, that even if you are creative, you have to be creative ten hours a day for most of your life to get anywhere at it. Why? Because a single entity owns the distribution system needed to broadcast your work. There are exceptions, but they are rare and don’t trickle down to our level.

           What is the effect at my level? It’s guessing when to quit. I feel I got it mostly right, but I said it was a guess. Other people will rate me a failure as I never got rich. To which I point out rich in the formal sense was a goal I saw through by age 20, when I was already saddled with $8,100 student loan debt. Even if I graduated that year, I would have been the equivalent of roughly $100,000 in debt and still have to start at the bottom of that said distribution system. I had no connections, no supportive family, and no experience at anything. And I should add, no talent. What I do musically is not the result of talent, but of hard, hard work. I’ve dealt with both issues if you’ve been reading closely.
           This raises the secondary question of whether, should you experience success, is it due to your talent or is it the way that talent gave you something to work at ten hours a day? See, now you are thinking. As a youth, I was surrounded by opportunities to work hard, but same as you, few of them were opportunities to “make something of yourself”, a favorite catchphrase of parents, counselors, and deadbeats who themselves had failed to do so. I was more than willing to work hard—to get ahead, but not just to work hard. My paper route taught me the futility of that. I got to the point where I could do the things I like, mostly costless (like writing and music) without busting my chops, a.k.a. selling out to the Establishment.

           But once again, the conclusion each person reaches will depend more on their character than the facts of my situation. To myself, I am a qualified success. Amongst those qualifications are more than 50 years on stage and millions of posted words. A thousand hand-written letters and twenty serious attempts to start a business. A ton of great travel adventures, 6,000 books or magazines read, and at my age I’m still able to invest more money than anybody in my age group. (Mind you, if you can invest $50 a month, so can you.)
           There is a further measure of success that may not be so wonderful to point out. I have long noticed nobody around me ever mentions old friends that they are still in contact with. It seems to me if one had a friend for over 50 years, say, it would come up at least once in a while. I know my own family would be very lucky to have a friend who lasted even five years. Myself, I have a dozen who surpass 40 years and four who date back more than 50. Some are still on my mailing list. I just mailed letters to Marion and Hersh y’day. Mitch is e-mail only but I’ve known him 56 years. That is the upper limit for a reason.

           Curious about the reason? Because going back past that [56 year time frame] would get into the era of the gossips and backstabbers who also know my family. There, I said it. And while I’m being mean, hey, Elliott, I know you still read this blog, so you recall how you said it was a nothing waste of time? Years later, Dude, every year more than 50,000 people per year overszeas read what I have to say for the past three years. That is more people, more influence, more readership, more fame-if-you-would than you and all your guitar playing pals and their “world class” riffs could ever manage put together.
           Unless, of course, they get arrested or something. Nothing the whole lot of you have ever done comes close or ever could—and you know something else, Elliott. That is JUST ONE of my hobbies. Oh, sure, you will write it off saying it took me twenty years to get there. Gee, that’s half as long as you’ve been working on your product, which I doubt less than a couple thousand people ever heard of, metrics or otherwise. You know something else, people seek my blog by name. With yours, they are searching a generic tool name and land here by accident.
           You might rightfully ask why I’m not rich. Neither are you, to which you retort you were only working at the parking lot until you got ahead. Dude, what do you think I was doing at the phone company? For four times more pay. Maybe I’m not filthy rich, but I did not wake up on my 45th birthday like you and your pals and realize I had to put in another 25 years to collect a sub-standard government pension.
           Okay, that’s enough. It is now 9:00AM (this morning) and I’m going to play some bass. Some world-class bass.

Last Laugh

October 30, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: October 30, 2023, I hit on Vicky Pratt.
Five years ago today: October 30, 2019, great car videos.
Nine years ago today: October 30, 2015, discovering the on-line “store”.
Random years ago today: October 30, 2016, an almost-bought.

           It’s a day off, so I went shopping. I hope you like cheese sauce. Usually, I buy bulk 2 oz packs. Handy and easy. When I opened the pack, instead of 50x 2oz, I have 2x 50oz. It’s cheddar and it will keep a few days in the fridge. But that’s a lot of cheese for me. Next we listen all morning to the mess started by Hillary long ago attacking the other parties voters. The basket of deplorables. This tactic was off limits until then. So I’m listening because it is fun. The Democrats have over used the label “nazi” so much that it how appears the population is more insulted by being called garbage. The star of today’s blog is a box. Not a fancy box, so we’ll talk about what the box is and how it came to be.

           Get an extra tea or coffee and I’ll seek to make this interesting. Other than a $65 shopping trip and mailing some letters, this was a very mild day. Which is why I got to this box. Let’s take a look. This box is cut from a single piece of wood, arranged so the grain pattern matches all around. But the material itself is weathered and I may leave that look. It is designed to hold small tools that would otherwise tend to get thrown in a drawer. A lot of what went into this box, you can’t see.

           For example, not one of the dimensions was measured. Every angle and was marked. Miter joints, shown here, are the weakest type so these corners are strengthened with screws. And Liquid Nails. This is the go-to product if you never want to go back and have to repair loose joints again. The wood is weaker than this product. Just don’t mess up, as it cannot be dismantled and it will dull your saw blades in a fast hurry.

           The end view of the box shows the miters match up exactly even from the rough cut of the big chop saw. If fact, you can see the ragged tear-out if you squint. Even though this box is not meant for show, the edges are exact and the box is absolutely perfectly square. Man, did I have challenges learning this technique. They don’t teach you this good stuff, or they try to sell you some expensive clamp. These pieces are fitted by hand right on the bench as they came off the saw.

           You may be able to see there are two screws holding the joint tight. If not, there will be another picture in a moment. Many sources say not to use drywall screws because it show you are an amateur. BS, use the most economical hardware that will do the job. I’ll explain in a bit why this is actually two boxes. The screws are in proper pilot holes, one of my specialties, but not countersunk. The box is vast overkill for the intended instrument, my Korg current sniffer. One of its most common uses is testing for leaky guitar cables. There is an art to placing these screws where they won’t get in the way later. With this crude box, it won’t really matter.
           Truth in advertising. I found a product that claimed to be American nutmeg. My understanding is nutmeg is the ground up seeds of a tropical tree. I knew the tree has been transplanted to the West Indies. After some Internet sleuthing, I discover that there is a company called “Made In U.S.A.” that is distributing the spice. Trivia, the ground up seed nutmeg, the ground up seed casing is called mace.

Picture of the day.
Barren north Curacao coast.
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           This series shows the state of my box building abilities. I mentioned no measurements and the tightness of the joints, but the real hooray is this box was built in minutes, not hours. The leftmost photo shows the reinforcing screw heads a little better. The top and bottom will be just thin shop material as the sides are much stronger than need be. Also on the left photo, imagine this box cut in half to form two shallower boxes. This is because with this weight of wood, the pieces shown here are the smallest you’d want to handle with my shop equipment.
           The middle view shows the box as it is now, unfinished. I don’t intend to apply fancy coatings but I’ve got a lot of acrylics which I learned are great for protecting raw lumber like this. It’s fairly dry lumber so it is lighter than it probably looks. Once sliced, I likely won’t bother with lids, as these size of box fits easily into most shelf nooks in a shop like mine. The rightmost photo shows the accuracy which is a result I’m proud to say I can produce quite consistently. I may router a recess around the inside lip to make it a bit more cosmetic.

           This box represents a crossroads for me. I know that I’ll not ever become a master boxmaker and I have not really done as much as I want building older, less complicated boxes. With my latest cherry box I spent more time on planning and planing, sanding and staining, and drilling and clamping than I did on the actual box parts. It would be different if these boxes were for sale. Should a focus on my older styles? For example, I still don’t have much experience building matching boxes to size. I just measure the object and add a couple inches plus the lumber thickness. I can do better.
           An afternoons rainshower confirms the new shingles make the lean to snug enough become a dandy work area. Inside the she, the work table is limited by the walls at the long ends, or around twelve feet—if I clear the counter. That indoor counter is too tempting to set up tools where it is cool and dry. My effective work length is eight feet on a good day. The lean to has no sides.

           In other news, the neighbor is back but I don’t check in unless he has just the screen door shut. I did not check the deer camera since I now know it won’t fill up even an 8gig memory card for even a week of activity in these parts. Nope, I still have not found any software that deals with the jpeg incompatibility. People who screw with that format should be held liable. How about the outcry of the Democrats over the comedian slurs? No such rage when the Hawaiians got nuked or the Appalachan’s were flooded. The cheating and fraud has begun wholesale, the same old, but few people are buying the “close race” newscasts.
           Something else I never understood was this business of endorsing a candidate. I hear of panic on the left as unions, newspapers, and celebrities decline to endorse Harris. It must mean something to those who follow these things, but what would I care who somebody else endorses? A group on on-line witches report they are unable to cast evil spells on Trump because he has “some kind of protection around him”, some form of “impenetrable aura’.

ADDENDUM
           Harking back to my warnings about Denny’s changing their directions are now reality. Raise your prices, I said, but don’t change the “diner” aspect and quit trying to become another trendy restaurant. But they took out the stools and counters and changed the booths to dining tables. They changed the waitresses duties to ignore the customer cycles. They unbundled every item on the menu. And now they are closing 10% of their stores.
           Some of it is explained away changes over time. A few of the locations are in declining areas. But the whole chain failed to meet earnings projections. One reason I quit Denny’s is Florida was one of the first to change the way they gave free refills. We’ve been over that. The gal used to bring it when you gave her a sign. Now she comes by when she has time. Denny’s was, in my opinion, doing fine in their market niche, it had a definite “working class” overtone. I would stop at Denny’s for a bite in my work boots, but not at Red Lobster.
           Yet, I feel Denny's began to compare themselves to the rise of these clone franchises and tried to compete. There was nothing wrong with the old Denny's menu. But we've already talked how America is different that England, in that you cannot open a small shop here and provide yourself a long-term living. You must constantly strive to keep expanding or the next big thing will wipe you out. Denny's was an exception and they unwisely upset that equation. I don’t know the answer, but copycatting Olive Garden would not be my choice.

Last Laugh

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October 29, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: October 29, 2023, a generic day.
Five years ago today: October 29, 2019, trip pictures.
Nine years ago today: October 29, 2015, gas cans, coffee, music.
Random years ago today: October 29, 2018, unfamiliar trip planning.

           Down for maintenance today, just a random day off. Let’s see, calendar says mention food and I missed going to the used paint store last week. If I get a layer of cherry stain on the wood before Festus, I’ll be happy today. Blog rules I record the biggest events of the day, even if that is a ten-hour siesta. I know, I’ll walk outside and take you some random photos. And we have a baby mouse in the live trap, who is now pursuing a new career at the Confederate cemetery. Keep alert, there is rarely just one baby mouse. Here’s a stirring picture. My gentle paint mixer. Doesn’t splash. And some of the ancient paint I salvage requires lots of mixing.

           I’m reading “Cryptonomicon”. It’s been on my shelf a while, but it is deep reading and best enjoyed if one if familiar with the art of electronic deception. The plot is set in World War Two in the early days of spoofing, or electronic warfare. Should you read this, you will know as I do two important matters that apply to today’s digital surveillance. A) every form of dirty electronic pool alive today was born in England before 1943. B) there is and cannot be any truth to the widespread stories that German intelligence had no idea the Enigma code machine had been cracked.

           The book is very educational and really goes into detail of how this facet of warfare takes place. If you like to discover the generally unknown methods that are still employed today, this is your book. For example, while many know that each telegraph operator has a “fist”, few people know that people of Asian descent are able to copy the pattern with little training. This is why I would not rely on that method of recognizing the sender. However, wartime England had a shortage of trustworthy Asiatics. Even today, you are not supposed to know that America has a small trained core of these people ready just in case.

           Plus the author is up on the tactics and gives good insight into the layers of deception. He still places faith in deception measures that would not fool me for a wink, and I’m not even in the trade. Example, a sudden flurry of messages is taken to mean something has happened, where I would suspect it is a ploy to swamp my code-breaking system or slip in bogus transmission. It is also idiocy to think the Germans did not salt their transmissions with morsels, as I call them, the most famous being the Midway “AF” ploy. Plus, there are just too many reports of German U-boats in the middle of the ocean suddenly finding airplanes and destroyers bearing down on them and blaming it on “radar”.

           This is one of my prized shop possessions. And old school paint can opener which doubles as a bottle opener. It’s the best ever for stubborn old paint cans, so that is likely why the quit making them. No, you can’t borrow it, even for a second. Get your own.
           Japan has passed a law against break-dancing in their subways. North Carolina rednecks built a road to a stranded community is week that the government said would take six months. Some comedian at a Trump rally went off on Puerto Ricans, saying the island was a floating trash heap. There is outrage, but nobody is saying he’s wrong. Upon checking in for Festus Tuesday, the neighbor is in the hospital. He mentioned a sore stomach last week and that is never a good sign. I’ll keep an eye on things, he has family to feed the cats.

Picture of the day.
Eastern Idaho.
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           Some 50 million people are said to have voted early, with Trump in a commanding lead. However, the corruption has started. As usual, the so-called battleground precincts are demanding three days to count the votes—after they know how many ballots are cast for Trump. Where are all the poll watchers we were told would be present? I follow the antics, not the politics, but are they not required by law to have equal numbers of each party on staff? If so, why are there never any Republicans around when the funny stuff is going on?

           News later in the day, the neighbor is being kept in the hospital, no visitors. I would rate this an exceedingly serious. I can monitor his doors, the barn, and his driveway from my workshed, there is little else I could do to help out.

           One of the more satisfying steps is applying stain, shown here is the cherry color. All the edges and corners are done, so this is just the smooth easy part that imparts the illusion that I know what I’m doing. The whole procedure never quite becomes routine, there are always mistake to be made. And what you learned five boxes ago is a snap to forget if you have not applied it since. This is the most fussed over box yet, But I’m tired and would rather take my time. Tired equals mistakes equals doing things over again. Like this cut at the wrong angle.

           The saw must have got bumped and these were not 45° cuts. I’ve not really learned to do any other angle. It’s a good thing I’ve determined they can be used as the “roofs” for wall boxes. That’s what you see here, piecing them together for a wall clock. This was supposed to be a long narrow box for my current sensor. Maybe there’s another picture today showing the deer camera being loaded with an SD card. This evening I hope to get some of the marauding raccoons and there is a possibility our possum might show. If this link works, here’s a blurb for China’s space station. It’s a copy of ours with one glaring difference. Their’s is downright luxurious.

           The Brit dude who was creating A.I. kiddie porn got 18 years in prison. Like Shkreli, that will teach him not to pay a cut to the establishment. He was a goof, living in his parents house and charging $80 to take in pictures from pedos who know children in real life and change them into graphic images. While what he did was wrong, I’d stop short of saying it makes him guilty of any actual sex crimes. Plus, jailing him just creates a new underground industry. As far as any direct harm, 18 years is excessive, considering the photos were more like realistic cartoons and it is not illegal to produce them.
           Have you heard of “technological self-determination”? Probably not, it s part of the DRM (Digital Rights Management) law of 1998. The law that makes it illegal to produce anything that bypasses or cracks DMR has the gimps up in arms. DRM works by tacking code extensions and now a very tiny minority of society is about to increase your prices again. This blog distinguishes between disabled people and gimps. Gimps push their “rights” on you, one of the most annoying is the MicroSoft gimp features, where a typo can irreversibly turn your work into crap. That is, you can’t disable the junk that is there for the disabled. If they get their way, they will force the rest of the world to again pay extra so they can get more comfortable—and screw you if you don’t like it.

ADDENDUM
           Let’s talk investment. This is now four months that Caltier has paused without a decent explanation. They continue to operated and offer other investments, but not the two I have my money in. While they continue to pay well enough, that investment was supposed to grow by additional monthly amounts from my budget. It’s fair to say even if they come back, the momentum has been lost. I can’t plan ahead when I can’t put regular funds into the system—which I know is the ONLY system that works all the time. (And the hardest for most people to stick with.)
           Next is Lofty.ai. My conclusion is they consider themselves too “space-aged” to answer mundane questions like what some of their jargon means. I’ve gotten only so far into their log-in process before, then it stops. You go on the chat line and get a robot that talks in circles. I don’t think they are serious enough to warrant my business. I don’t need buzzwords when I’m trying to set up an account.
           Now, thinking it forward, part of my incentive was to learn cyber-currency. I don’t need Lofty to do that. I know BitCoin is the granddaddy of these currencies. That’s a dicey bit to understand in itself, but from the outside it is similar to currency trading, which I know how to do. My understanding is there is a fixed supply of BitCoins, something like 21 million. It’s established enough that if the prices fall, it will get propped up by people buying in. Thus, my changed plans now drop Lofty and look at Bitcoin.

           There is another “reverse” calculation I do for investing in volatile things. Similar to the way I worked backwards from my retirement goals, I learned that one reason rich people make money is they never have to panic-sell. They do not require the funds for day-to-day operations. I regard investment money as just as spent as if you used it to go to the movies. So I look at BitCoin ups and downs and it never stays steady. For someone who can wait out the bad times, that is always an opportunity.
           My worst investment of this type sense is silver. A year after I bought, it dropped to half what I paid and now, 13 years later, is just back to level. But I lost nothing but time because I did not sell. I will therefore do what I always wind up doing—going it alone. Because even when you meet people who supposedly know the ropes, they are rarely capable of logically and systematically describing what they do. “First you set up a wallet.” “What?” “Well, actually, I don’t know, my cousin set it up for me.”
           Nor is it easy to find good tutorials. They all try to sell you something or blast you with jargon. “Send me $19.95 and I’ll teach you how Internet scams work.” My plan is to watch the first five videos that claim to teach the rules and see if something can be amalgamated from all the bull donkey. It’s frustrating because much as these people want to blur the vocabulary, there is really nothing new about investing. Only the lingo changes. One of the sites I chose defined “tokenomics” as “the study and analysis of the economic aspects of a cryptocurrency or blockchain project, with a particular focus on the design and distribution of its native digital tokens.” Did you get any of that? A virtually meaningless definitions, but typical of the era.

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