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Yesteryear

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

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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.

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

November 19, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 19, 2023, caregiver things.
Five years ago today: November 19, 2019, people without $500.
Nine years ago today: November 19, 2015, daffi's Libya.
Random years ago today: November 19, 2013, Beale Street, Memphis.

           A drizzly day, not bad. I had the dog out for a long stroll. The high point of the day was a shop that took me nearly twenty miles to get all I needed. What is America coming to? This also means the news feed was on while I used the time to write letters. Last evening I stopped in late at Shooters and wrote even more letters. We already know this behavior is very conspicuous to women, it's too bad none are my type. That reminds me, you know that school zone up near Fire Station 32? The granny working the traffic pedal is husband-hunting. She's weird, often motioning men to roll down their window to wish them a nice day. I fell for it the first time. There's no way but I must give her credit for a novel approach.
           Yes, we have deer footage. This is at the far end of the cul-de-sac. It's a still of a young stag. In 24 hours at least ten deer crossed the camera field. Next time I will clear branches out of the way, I'm learning. The deer are likely over-populated, all the trees are stripped of lower leaves and they are experts at finding acorns. The camera works best on the five-second video mode and I have a good half hour of footage if I ever find time to make the movie. I've rejects ClipChamp as millennialware, not fit for my computers. Like I'm going to trust MicroSoft ever.

           Hoping it is a quiet day, let's surf a little, seeking anything unusual. What's this, DNA testing proves King Tut's grandmother was blonde. That's not going to please the liberals. Raw milk is returning to some areas, watch for the comeback of tuberculosis. The Democrats tried a blatant fake ballot count in Pennsylvania and got caught. The Bidenistas, woke military, and State media know they have less than 70 days left and are desperate. They supplied Ukraine with long-distance missiles to goad Russia. Putin need only wait a couple months knowing Trump will end the war. He has also confirmed he will use the military to enforce the deportations. I say place a bounty on any who evade the law. Let America play Cowboys & Aliens. One illegal in this country is one too many. And jail time for anyone who harbors illegals. This issue is not political, it is criminal.
           We are getting closer to the release of the Epstein files, which should be very good reading. Trump seems to have found the strongman to head the deportations. Named Homan, he has already issued warnings to governors and mayors who have been harboring. That includes the nine governors who have openly declared they will not cooperate, calling themselves "the Resistance". I am truly beginning to identify with Elon Musk as he gains traction at the expense of the Establishment. In a sense, he's doing what I would have had the cards been in my favor. There's talk he'll buy Infowars and put old Alex back in charge. The Democrats claiming Trump is a fascist if he makes any recess appointments have themselves made over 650 since the days of Reagan.

Picture of the day.
Texas, I think.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           The Reb got home too late for lunch, so we opted that I cook up a big dinner. She needs to take a break but I can't stick around forever. In the quiet moments I've been applying stain to some small wooden projects which has taught me I have a lot to learn. No matter how careful I try, I can see brush strokes while the guys on youTube get flawless shiny results. So you don't think I'm slacking, I aso repaired by sandals and now I'm literally walking on carpet everywhere. Ah, but will they survive the first Florida dunking? The Reb fell asleep so I kept everything quiet until she got up after dark. Studio hours are disjointed and you never get a full sleep during these sessions.
           Ah, but my specialty. Lightly curried white rice topped with a medley of sliced onion, tomato, and celery. Sauted with ground turkey in sesame oil and cashews. My specialty, home-made sweet & sour, and it has a bite. It isn't diet food, having twice as much sweet ingredients than most. The trick to uniqueness is choosing your sweet component. In the past I've had success with everything from coconut sugar to strawberry jam. The closest sandwich shop open after dark is Phats. I'm not feeling 100% today and voted against going out. This gave me time to prepare the feast and let her get some real shut-eye. It worked out damn well if you has me.

           JeePee also hit the bonus. Not sure which reptile lamp to buy, I got both. One is labeled a basking light, didn't I tell you about this? The turtle loves it. Where you move it, he finds it, and his favorite is on his flat rock, being the closest he can get. It must increase his metabolish or something because his activity level is ramped up like never before. Not an exaggeration, there is no hint of sluggishness after he's had his bask.
           I watched a video on the Royal Gorge Bridge, it's near Canyon City in Colorado. I missed it by a few miles when last there and opted to see Pikes Peak. I don't have or really need a bucket list. That's unless I win the lotto, as the sole limitation in my life for doing things as always and only been lack of money. Overall, I lost all the money invested before I was 29, though it was not apparent until later. Reason for my biggest losses? Tax. Let me do a calculation. This is not a truly accurate figure, but based on if I had paid all the income tax in my life all during 1996, the year I retired from working for others. It's $1,030,000. Yep, one million and thirty thousand dollars. And you wonder why I don't like people who collect welfare.
           Later, dinner was a feast and a half. It gets special mention today as it was the only event of note. The cashews brought the most compliments. The meat was ordinary lean ground turkey that you get at most stores, but I mean 95% lean. Don't skimp. The turkey was cooked y'day for the doggie, who got a helping. But all pet food prepared by me is to human standards. Even JeePee's veggies are fit for a king. Next rave was the sweet and sour sauce. It's a bother to get right, but I'll provide the details. The store-bought brands, besides becoming ridiculously expensive, are watered down. The sauce is actually an American invention, what we call "San Francisco Chinese". It should have a bite, as 1/4 of recipe is vinegar. If there is a secred ingredient, it is the coconut sugar I got special for this time. But I had to buy a two pound bag, so help yourself.

Last Laugh

Monday, November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 18, 2023, a cast this big.
Five years ago today: November 18, 2019, I built that.
Nine years ago today: November 18, 2015, AT&T "authorized".
Random years ago today: November 18, 2003, Windows on Floppy.

           Nope, this is still not a political blog. We don't delve into issues, but we do report on misconduct and we have plenty of source material in the way the Democrats are opposing Trump to the max. This misbehavior is on a national scale and we would like to know what they are really up to. Nobody said Trump was perfect but listen to the Establishment amp up any possible negative they can find or create. It just makes us all the more suspicious. And that is why I let the dog out early this morning and made extra coffee. I know what wakes people up before dawn and the aroma of coffee easily fills this place within seconds. What am I so ruffled about? Just because all those people are avowed woketards? I don't discuss stuff with them.
           I dunno, maybe I just hate to see people lolling around until noon while there is so much work to be done. If I can make breakfast with one pan, one dish, one fork, one cup, and wash them after, I don't see why others can't do the same. If I was mean, I'd post a picture of how high the sink gets piled when she's away. Or maybe it's from replacing toilet lids with no help on what should have been my birthday Sunday off. That would rile me. Other men get keg parties and you-knows, I get my face in the super bowl but Chooks could not operate the camera. Yes, I thought of a photo from the bottom up. As for the company, they've had almost a year to get that one together. There, I feel much better now.

           I love memes and I see there is a surge of nostaligic posts about the imagined way it used to be. A lot of it is true, however. Before the Immigration Act, you could leave your bike on the lawn and few people locked their cars or doors. But one fallacy that persists is the Hippie and his van. It may have been my pre-blog days, but I once did a budget study for what it cost to be a Hippie. Summers at a surf cabin, winters on campus, the decorated van, gas/insurance/plates, weed, tape deck, guitar, and fashions. At least ten times the money I ever had without having to work for it. Because getting a job was, like, selling out to the Man, like. You would need at least $95,000 per year cash flow to be a hippie today.
           How is life in the worker's paradise of North Korea that Democrats admire so much? Well, you know the troops North Korea sent to aid Russia. The Russians promptly used them as human shields and potential desertions number 10,000. That is despite reprisals against the soldier's families back in Korea. What's with this 13 views on my band profile ad? Did something burn down back in Florida? I glanced through all the replies and conclude it is a combination of curiosity and people who seek to avoid the band formation proces. Any guitarist looking for his next backup band to take over is an auto-reject. What have we got this time. First we eliminate those who are too far away or in places I've never heard of such as Winter Garden, Hudson, and Chuluota. Chuluota is a wilderness area 50 miles the other side of Orlando, a swamp. I shy away from anybody to freaky-looking and confess an aversion to millennial-sounding names like Gerad & Tanner, but keep their contact info.

           Are you a new country fan? Front row tickets to Strait's Las Vegas concert are going for $16,000. And people wonder why I got the hell out of the recording racket before I got into it. A biological White female of normal weight has won the Miss Universe pageant and Democrats are wailing. Reports of the arrest of election crimes continue to trickle in, but only on a small scale to what most expect it could be. No massive fines or jail sentences yet, but there is an air of hope because it only takes one to set the example.

Picture of the day.
Wetumpka impact crater.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Another sunny afternoon got the Chooks and I out for an extended walk. And a shop, Lillie took out the 60W desk bulb. If you don't pat her on the floor, well, that the cat I once saw leap from the kitchen table across an 28 foot room to an arm on the sofa. She has dearly earned the nickname "Impoid" and has the broken dishes and ornaments to prove it. My leather sandals need a repair. The soles are foam rubber, but the uppers are way to nice (and comfortable) to ditch. We shall hark back to my days as a cobbler and get these things retreaded. Guess what I use? You know those rubber-backed segments of carpet at the dollar store? Idea. I also stained and am now putting acrylic on the little boxes. In Tennessee, these coating take forever to dry. So we took Andrew Jackson up to the Dollar Tree and went for another walk.
           It is now that the vacancy of Sammy is hitting Chooks. He looks for the little guy and sleeps on his blanket. Outwardly it looks like he needs reassurance he won't be gone the same. You know he's lonesome for something when he follows you room to room rather than plunking down on his favorite cushions. I've got him up on the love seat right beside me for now, I'll be on the computer at least another hour. We also checked the mailbox, walked the creekbank, then checked the deer camera. He has no appetite, a sure sign he's off balance. He will eat if you hand feed him, which is how it's been for a couple days now.

           Trump has confirmed he will use the military to throw out the illegals. Makes sense, they are an invasion force and I'll bet the majority of the military does not like what the Democrats have done. Vaccines, feminization, sex operations, and third-world recruits who have zero empathy or loyalty to the US as we know it. I'll also bet they will welcome deportation as a way to expose weakness in their ranks, get rid of political lackeys in their system, and root out the traitors who sold out to the system. Trump has successfully implemented a program where the more the Democrats bellow, the stronger his position becomes.
           The coverage of the SpaceX launch has become docutainment. Have you heard the new announcers? I know the old style "Cronkite" format was a bit bossy, but those guys never pretended to be rocket scientists. This new bunch, I dunno. It's mostly two millennials using every bit of Internet jargon they can muster to answer fake call-in questions from equally fake sources. "First of all, Josh & Tyler, thank you for having me on your show. Can the rocket fly at night?"

           It's a struggle for me to even listen to people who are unaware that the goal is Mars. Until somebody succeeds if tanking up a complete rocket in outer space nobody is going anywhere. As long as flypasts are used to speed the spacecraft, transit times will remain impossibly slow. We need a rocket that can blast to Mars and use retro-rockets to slow down again. The technology is there, but instead the US is putting record numbers of people on welfare. If all goes well, SpaceX 6 should launch tomorrow. I don't think I can stand those lisping nincompoops. Typical question, will the heat tiles work on Mars. typical answer yeah, there's a math formula that say the ratio is inversely cubular.

Last Laugh

Sunday, November 17, 2024

November 17, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 17, 2023, Toohoolhoolzote.
Five years ago today: November 17, 2019, Kaiser anniversay coincidence.
Nine years ago today: November 17, 2015, without credit cards.
Random years ago today: November 17, 2008, the bass neck is fake.

           Noon. I'm not moving until then. The Kaiser is driving a pick up truck and that makes it easier to get things moved. The new fridge is a piece of junk and the door has to be slammed, but it was the only one left that fit the kitchen spot and delivered. My only plan for today is a McDonalds shake (they can't call them milk shakes) and maybe a Sunday drive with the dog. I make pancakes out of all the boxes and bags of gluten-free flour, some of it since I was here last May. Where are all my batteries around here? I buy them, it seems, by the caselot but never find any. The deer camera requires eight, and they last around 24 hours a set. My flash drive, the one the Reb picked up from the library, was lost in the KIA fire.

           Lacking anything new happening today, here's my activities wo you can rate the day for me. It warmed up considerably, I found a tray of batteries and set up the deer cam at the end of the cul-de-sac. In fact, it was so pleasantly warm. my back was fine enough that Chooks and I went out the Percy Pierce Dam for two hours. Although he's immensely calmed down than when we got him, he's still too skittish to be around other doggies. It's a pity to hear him whine when he wants to play but it isn't worth the risk. I got some classic photos but this new computer is millennialized. It will do most things with the camera except open it and let me load the files. Same with the old Win 11 but with that one you could keep plugging and unplugging the USB until the menu appeared. This one, you see the camera but cannot access it no how. I swear, there is a school out there for millennial retards where Panasonic and Sony do all their hiring.
           Later, by repeatedly turning the phone off and on, I got the correct menu to display. Here is Chooks posed at the dam.

           The deer cam reveals something sad, but it's over so I'll give you the facts. Sammy was mostly healthy, but shakey the past while. We knew he had dementia that caused him to howl at night, we thought it was nightmares. We knew Sammy was going blind and deaf, but he was very much with us, and that was what the camera revealed. I've not shown it to the Reb, but at night little Sammy could not see at all. He would stop yelping when you picked him up but what was really happening is knew you were there. When he woke in his sleep, you could see the little tyke thought he was abandoned. He's in a better place now.
           Mitch sends birthday greetings and I did not get the email until today. This is his broken tryke. I told ya, the guy likes to go cross-country on those things and if you look close, he has busted clean through an aluminum truss or something. This guy takes his sports seriously and has a back-up tryke just for these situations. He is going out to the west coast again for the winter. But to help a friend build a house. He's aware of how rainy and dull the coast winters are from November to May. He's the same age as I am and he's breaking reinforced metal. Life ain't fair.
           The new computer will not accept my flash version of Word or open the files saved in Pages. So I'm composing them directly into the blog, meaning you'll have to return often the next day to see the finished product. It's a hallmard of these late-learning computer people at the big software companies that they cannot leave well enough alone. Not one entirely new or ground-shaking concept in 30 years, but they call themselves genius. How, renameing a file gone from a 3-step to a 4-step process and the latest version of Paint is a bitch to use until you figure out where they've moved all the same old commands.

Picture of the day.
The bridge to Pag.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Two long hours at the dam gave me time to reflect on life. I'm not crochety yet but I have to consider shutting down, I figure, about half the things I am into and plan for the time shortly when all I can do is the easy ones. If you've read some of the early entries here, you'll know that although things could always have been worse, they should also have been a lot better. That begins with how I should have at least been paid for the work I did, but in fact, never received a penny from the years wasted on that farm. It was beyond my capacity to believe anyone could lie or cheat their own that way. There are too many morons out there who think the day you turn 18, you are responsible for your own destiny. I guess they think Barron Trump make it on his own. I did begin to invest when I was 26 but several times lost everything. That does not have to happen often before you accept you will be poor in the short run unless a bolt of pure luck strikes you.
           Which brings me to the realization as always, that much as I should have been in the ranks of the rich and powerful by now, there is no guaranty that socially, I would not have wound up right where I am. Living in a cabin, driving an old car, one important woman who has a life of her own to live, and wondering what might have done in this life had I had a head start or a bit of luck. Take for instance this afternoon. What do other guys do to kick of a new year after their birthdays. They get present, prized, parties, and poontang. I get to replace a toilet seat. Now wipe that smirk of your faces, at least I'm not bored to death.
           Now if you think I got troubles, what about old Kamela? She blew a billion and a half bucks on the last few months of her campaign. I've warned and complained a long time that sooner or later the whole charade of getting elected was a matter of how much money you spent was ending. And now she's stuck, apparently cannot even pay her staff wages. Turns out she spent $2.5 millioin for Oprah's endorsement and equal amounts hiring celebrities. By comparison, Trump spent pennies and he's cut off the use of public funds that the Democrats were illegally using to campaign. So Harris can't begin to pay back her donors, much less all the favors still owed from as far back as 2016.

ADDENDUM
           Here's a video of a mosquito genetically altered so its proboscis cannot penetrate human skin. This is your prime example of science stupidity. It is the wrong way to mess with Nature. Sooner or later a mutant mosquito will evolve that can penetrate the skin with super-efficiency. It will be the one that survives and passes the gene on. Wanting the day off, I have a small list of topics to look up ranging from wood working to how to number theory to half force me to take the day off. Rumor has it Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the New York Times and their ilk for defamation. That could, since they have the assets, put them out of business. It would be a tough fight since he's a celebrity, but he did promise to reform the way existing law makes it so tough for individuals to sue big offenders.
           What's this hype over the social platform Bluesky? We get barraged by report of millions switching from X, but no real explanation exists that would convince me. I glanced at it and think it is another of the same but with a set of advanced filters and controls you can use to cut off pests. This is supposed to make users happier, in the sense that one time, long ago, social media really was fun.


           Here's a video of a drone swarm. These are a commercial display, they are not weaponized. But the techology exists to make each of these drones a killer, hunting individual soldiers and using instant coordinated countermoves to anything the victim tried to do, the drones can even dodge bullets.
Last Laugh

Saturday, November 16, 2024

November 16, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 16, 2023, a special brand.
Five years ago today: November 16, 2019, old then, ancient now.
Nine years ago today: November 16, 2015, Trump is in.
Random years ago today: November 16, 2006, Hewlitt-Packard sucks.

           Good news, but I can't really share details. All the recent paperwork has produced results. It was concerning getting a mortgage at my age (past legal retirement) with no job, no credit history, no credit score. I know that banks often have programs for first time buyers, and pointed out that although the Reb & I are not in our twenties, she would qualify. They supplied a list of what they would accept as evidence of responsibility and my eyes watered when I saw how shallow their criteria was. Utility bills back one year, auto insurance, and rent paid. I have dated and recorded receipts dating back ten times that far, plus systematic savings, investments, and how most of my bills are paid cash in advance. They have tentatively pre-approved enough to buy a place if the market takes a dump. All indications are that it will not, but that's what they said in 2006.
           Doggie sneakers, ever bought any? Me neither,so read on. The Reb has a major recording session again this weekend, so I'm here in the cold at least that bit. (It's actually not that bad, I've just been spoiled by Florida.) With Sammy no longer with us, the decision is that Chooks should go to the studio with her. He is just not getting the needed attention from the company. If they walk him at all, it is ten minutes. With me it is minimum a half-hour. The studio rule is doggies are okay, but the clicking of their nails must be abated by paw coverings, in the form of sneakers.

           You are correct if you guessed not just any sneakers will do for His Highness. Shown are a set from Wal*Mart but that don't make the grade. Hence, the doggie's with me this weekend while a special set arrives from Amazon next Monday. Argh! Is this my destiny? If so, things could have been a lot worse, so cheer up. I ran the spreadsheets on buying a house and we could do it if there is a plunge, and we could pay it off in ten years maximum. With me charge, that would probably be six years since I can kick in an annual lump sum. But that's all speculation at this point, she was home long enough this morning to wake the pooch, which means I plunked down, fell asleep, and next thing it was noon. This is the blog that dares to feature a morning nap. I must have done something redeeming. Ah, yes, before dawn I made everyone grilled cheese sandwiches. The real kind with sharp cheddar, which is also a favorite of Chooksie.

Picture of the day.
Slums of Panama City.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           The afternoon record of today was separately written, so expect repeat info. My actual birthday is a week ago and it is no coincidence that October is the end of my fiscal year. This makes it impossible to keep finances and such out of the way, not when I spend two or three hours a day mapping out the upcoming year. Also, the company downstairs has the anti-Trump channel blasting away. One of them claims it is because he's hard of hearing, but he likely thinks loud propaganda works better. Instead, it causes me to look up the other side whenever I hear something outlandish. Today it is mostly how Trump appointed some twenty-year Marine veteran (?) as Defense Secretary and how "unqualified" that makes him. They prefer, it seems, some man in a dress.
           With the Reb away 90% of the time, we finally did not celebrate my birthday until today. The way we had to blast through the moment was like some ancient married couple. She was on her way back to the studio and the Kaiser and I plan a one-hour stand-in at Rosies. You don't know this place, but it is in Woodbine, the part of Nashville I've known the longest. Rosie's is a dive bar but the brewskis are $4 bucks and they don't bother you. Don't underestimate the Kaiser because he plays guitar. The conversation tonight was about contacts downtown and who to approach, but also touched on topics like Jason Derek Brown, Egyptian grammar, pet histories, Grady Judd, the lack of good women, and the Moon waxing gibbous. Not many guitarists I've ever met can address half that spectrum in a year.

           Rosie's. It's a couple blocks from the donut shop the Reb & I met up back in 2017. It's not the local dive I remember and I did not recognize the stage, so call it a first. But there's already a standing joke, when the Kaiser sent he directions he typoed "Twin Kegs" ans "Twin Legs", so guess the club's new name? We were there a couple hours going over the downtown contact list, only to conclude the two or three successful operators now own three quarters of the downtown might spots.
           He confirms the barrier of playing downtown unless you show up with a full band ready to hit the ground running. This has, in my experience, become progressively harder as the Boomer musicians move into their seventies and eighties. It took me years to get a duo off the ground, which I attribute to older players being less willing to join start-ups, but results in most playing the same material.

           I got home hungry and the more so after walking the dog. I tend to let him walk wherever his schnozzle leads him, and blame any lack of discipline on others. I mean, who am I to tell the doggie what to sniff? It gave me extra time to think, including the ramifications of this recent mortgage qualification. I got back in to find the company still ragging over all the evil Trump is supposed to be up to. I fed the dog an exta helping and made sandwiches for all. I figure all that anti-Trump bellowing must work up an appetite. I would add there was no mustard in this place. It's primitive. Who recalls the time I moved out of the apartment above Olivers? We found, what was it, 50 or a 100 different brands of mustard in my place, and I don't particularly like the condiment.

Last Laugh

Friday, November 15, 2024

November 15, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 15, 2023, mining lithium . . .
Five years ago today: November 15, 2019, 57% of people.
Nine years ago today: November 15, 2015, a dozen unfinished.
Random years ago today: November 15, 2012, imagine, calling me weird.

           Another long day, and the chill is not making me happy. See if you can tell. I once again am the only person around here who makes hearty breakfasts. The company are like everywhere, they don't get up early enough but if you cook enough for everybody, they crowd around the table. Which brings us full cycle to may short stint some sixty years ago as the cook at scout camp. I've got this crew eating grits, pancakes, and scrambled eggs, the cheapest way to feed group. I'm not that compassionate, they have to mostly buy the food. It's no chore in the sense that items like grits and pancakes are better the larger batch you make up at once. Strange, all these people are from the south and did not eat grits as a staple until I came along.
           The Reb is tied down at that studio every weekend now, they are finalizing some tracks that sound awfully good, the more so because none of the material is synthesized. All live musicians and you can tell. However, the schedule minimizes the time we have to visit. It's mostly me and the pets this time around. This is a critical point in time, a huge career move for her. I'm running the house as best I can and fact is, I can't keep up. The consolation is that it would be worse if I wasn't here. Nobody else has the hours a day to walk the dogs.

           So, since they are all downstairs, I get to wake them up early every day to let the dog out in the yard for his morning constitutional. That's the twenty-minute stretch where I put on the coffee, crank up the stove, and the cats begin singing because it's feeding time. Back in Florida, I may not insist on Friday's off. Here, I'm more stern about it and that is why I took time to apply a double coat of oak stain to the little box from the dollar store. Oops, I guess I didn't show you pics of these boxes. They are die-cut out of a type of balsa plywood. It takes well to stains and I was hoping to see how they look with a shell of acrylic. When I got out to the shed, several cans of my best coatings had dried up. Probably because it freezes here and the lids get loosened. This is the box I use for spare change in the van.

Picture of the day.
French beer.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Trump's appointments continue to dominate the airwaves, it's clear to me he's learned that years of creeping Democrat control can be toppled in a wink. My theory is that since Democrats don't dare operate in the open, they can never make a move fast enough for people to call them out. Who recalls the 2008 campaigning when no politicians of either side would address the issues that concerned most voters. It was insane how every candidate went on about abortion and gay rights while there was a war going on. They refused to discuss high taxes, unemployment, and loss of infrastructure. In some cases they refused to answer when pressed and insulted those who asked. This makes for a fragile platform and depends on keeping the opposition off-balance. And it worked until Trump arrived. Fauci has gone into hiding and it's amazing to watch how fast so many school boards have started wiping their asses.
           Here's one for you. FEMA is demanding proof of American citizenship for aid, but only from White people and FEMA won't accept driver's licenses or birth certificates. They must really have a death wish, no way is Trump going to condone that. As Tucker says, when the left screams Trump is out of control, they mean out of their control.
           Oh look, it's a toy sailboat built from a kit. Or it could be a study of how practical it is to utilize small and leftover wooden pieces. Remember those sailing lessons with Liz, the one where we led the mutiny? You don't know I was a mutineer? Read today's addendum. This sailboat kit is actually a gem of balanced accuracy. It was designed by somebody who knew what they were doing, that's for sure. Yes, my adventures in box building do produce the type of scraps that could be used for these kits. But once again, this is America, you can invent or build anything you want, you can cut albums and patent time machines. But unless you kiss the arses of the single group who control the entire distribution system, you are wasting your time.

           I am devoting some thought to the day when I might find time and be disabled enough to build these kits, but I wold market them through a swap meet or street fair. Here's an idea I've come up with. Suppose you want a box with some unique decoration. Here's an easy idea. While the web is full of jigsaw boxes and such, there are none where the box itself has, say a lid, with a completed jigsaw puzzle as a cover. I've got a dozen "granny art" puzzles I just throw in a frame and hang on my blank hallway wall, where nobody ever seems them. Why not marry the concepts of box making, jigsaw puzzles, and framing to make something I don't think anybody has seen before. (It would be insanely expensive to complete jigsaw puzzles for this purpose--and if you did somebody would get the idea of using new puzzles before they were broken up.

ADDENDUM
           The Great North Pacific Mutiny. It was in the early 90s, a summer weekend. Scooter, whose real name was Don Kinneberg, knew a guy who had a sailboat. Months earlier, my pal from work and I had taken one of those school board courses, that was the days before the courses became just another sales pitch. We met Scooter in a night club near the rail station and he said he'd also like a day on the water, if we could approach Captain Adam. I think it was Adam this was a while back.
           Anyhoo, those who live near the coast define a sailboat as a hole in the water into which you pour money. It turns out Capt. Andrew was the Chief of a major but dying native Indian tribe who leased some major seafront property to housing and business development. And he had this sailboat.

           Capt. Andrew was born long after any Indian troubles and he had been a sailing fan since day one. Indeed, he had a great little sailboat and was only too glad to have company and show it off and exactly what you'd expect. He was also an exceptional host, and totally liked the way Liz and I could help with all the duties. It was a day to remember, the west coast islands and passages are a fantastic boat outing.
           As we pulled into port, Capt. Andrew invited us to join in a traditional native feast at a restaurant owned by his tribe. He had to pay like any other customer and it was a five star establishment. When the tab arrived, Liz and I confiscated it. Capt. Adam howled as we not only paid our share but also for his dinner, I was the one who said, "Captain, looks like you have a mutiny on your hands."

           You rarely see a man laugh like he did, saying why if we were on the boat, as we usurped his authority on dry land. We found out later this had made a hugely favorable impression on the whole community. Sadly, the Captain passed away before there was ever a repeat. The Great North Pacific Mutiny of 1991. Or so. This may be the only record of that day, as it was during the last spell I never kept a journal.

Last Laugh
When you see it.

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Thursday, November 14, 2024

November 14, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 14, 2023, the shoes are noisy.
Five years ago today: November 14, 2019, join a union.
Nine years ago today: November 14, 2015, womderfully addicting.
Random years ago today: November 14, 1982, not enough time . . .


           Finally, word from the Kaiser. He's in town and off this weekend. I will corner him for brunch and get the low-down who is booking what downtown. Much as Broadway in Nashville no longer represents the heart of country, it's present status as a tourist trap means that's where the work is. Long after your music act is perfected, the challenge becomes getting past the wannabes blocking the way. And I emphasize the word act, music by itself is about half the show. The few working musicians I know have long since abandoned downtown as a money-maker and moved to recording, where at least there is a chance. However, I'm banking they may still have contacts.
           America awakes to the news the new Department of Efficiency has an X account with already a million followers. Trump may form a board of retired senior officers to root out woketards in the military. I've lost track of the Trump appointments after around 40 so far. It's kind of ironic that so many must be needed to downsize, but the left is sweating bullets and shitting bricks. So many of them were protected by layers of bureaucracy that could be disappearing overnight. Here's another item I'm not sure is the real thing yet. It is a satellite made of wood using traditional Japanese wood joinery. The concept is it won't harm the atmosphere when it burns up on re-entry.

           Here's an example of A.I. taking over, these are fork lifts hard at work. The big event this morning was getting up to Wal*Mart and forgetting half the stuff I went there for. Actually, it was my shopping list I forgot, I'm not that bad yet. Interesting, when I tell how I took the doggie to his favorite pooping ground, how most people know I mean the Wal*Mart on Lebanon Pike. In other respects, it's just like any other Wal*Mart, you know, sold out of your size and pick-up parking spots right in front of the main entrances, duh. Here's Chooks, leaning into the crisp morning wind. Back in Montana, there would be a foot of snow by now and the second winter blizzard on the say. And who is the smartass that posted the quip "UnScientific UnAmerican"?

           Trump's surge forward with appointments sends a clear signal. The Democrats bellow his choices will cancel out years of departmental skill and training--without realizing that is the corruption Trump wants to uproot. Their "skill and training" are no longer relevant to public needs and in fact infuriate the public with their nonsense. The civil service has degenerated into a mob that no longer serves the public. Loyal only to paycheck & pension and totally concerned with office politics rather than job performance. Trump is purposely choosing people loyal to his cause, which is precisely what is needed. Bureaucrats think they can block changes by making it impossible to unscramble the egg. But along comes Trump and empties out the kitchen and brings in new chefs who don't give a damn about their careers.
Hence the constant MSM coverage of the dread in DC. While these bureaucrats will use every bit of civil service privileges they's granted themselve over the past 40 years, the President can fire almost any bureaucrat that was not elected. That could slice 97% of the jobs, and the DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) says it is not even going to audit the Education Department. The teachers and their union would, they say, be a waste of money to investigate. That's a low blow, they had best say bye-bye. The best recent news remains Trump's statement that Republicans that oppose his policies will soon be out of a job. This old method may be a Democrat standard, but it's new to the RINO bunch.
Picture of the day.
Poi, worst food ever.
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           I made up a week's supply of dog food during an all-afternoon rain storm. It's more fun than I though listening to the Trump appointments. Libtards screaming his choices have no experience or aptitude. The same people who appointed men in dresses. Nothing to report today, I took the big dog along for some chasing around, then later stopped at Shooters for nightcap. Forgetting I was in Nashville and they have entertainment, I was content to sit at the bar and do some scribbling when I notice this lady in tall white cowboy boots scoping me. I bit heavy duty for me but she seemed nice. Anyhow, twenty minutes later the jockey notices me from the stage and calls me up. Winding my way through the tables, as I get to the stage guess who is just finishing?
           She hears me mention to the jockey Johnny Cash and instantly "Jackson" was on her mind. Would I sing with her? Sure, I never turn down ladies in white cowboy boots, at least not so far. Like many who get to Nashville, she was just shy of being star material, but we certainly have what it takes to crank out a pro show on the east end of town. Fantastic, she quickly spotted I knew the Johnny Cash intonations and did her own superb June Carter rendition. What a show. But I was already zonk tired when I walked in, When she sat down with a table of more people like herself and I had not the energy for more than a quick hello.

           The matter here was that I was jotting down some serious numbers, which I have no trouble doing in noisy places. You might find this curious because, if you've been following along for a few years, you'll know my own planning can put me in a pickle. Mind you, it is not the stupid kind of pickle that arises for those who don't plan. I learned in accounting school to plan to live until age 92, even if, like myself, you are not likely to make it. It has to do with factors that come into play after your 72nd birthday and I'm now thinking I might just make it that far. I'll pause for the cheering to die down, but the situation I'm dealing with is that although the goal is 92, the majority of my long-term planning stops at 72. All the retirement references you may have read here were largely based on reaching that age, then winding down,
           That no longer seems reasonable. Nothing spells that out better than how I'm now investing again. And investing in a climate I do not like, where these millennians seem to think they've invented something new by putting the old on a computer. A better idea, if they want my business, is to have somebody in the office that knows the terms for everything before they got smart-ass about it. I'm fed up with reading on-line investment sites that never mention the words capital, equity, expenses, or return on investment.

Last Laugh

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

November 13, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 13, 2023, computer-generated.
Five years ago today: November 13, 2019, allowed to lie.
Nine years ago today: November 13, 2015,set for life.
Random years ago today: November 13, 2008, where 5 ¢ = $1.

           It’s truly a pity how Apple, once a respected and user-friendly computer company, has gone downhill so badly. It turns out it is a hundred dollar trip to the shop to get rid of crap you did not ask for, and another episode with Apple’s built-in obsolescence. There can be little doubt when I got it working last week, I did not instantly disable the update feature. The apps I got working are precisely the same two as were disabled within a day. I thought this through, and decided a better deal was to buy a $90 unit from over on Donelson and bite the fact Win 11 will not run older software no matter how functional or popular it once had been. Here is a photo of the Gigrac under repair. It had to be completely taken apart to this level.
           I call the guy Stan, but I’m so bad with names. He had a unit I liked and mentioned he has a brother in Laverne that does excellent welding work. Let’s see if I get over there before I leave—the long-term forecast for this area is freezing temperatures by this weekend, and almost certainly by the 21st. Stan has a daughter and hubby move back home, as sign of the times. Alas, Stan is not doing that well, he has a number of maladies and is not recovering well. I have the rebuilt computer and expect to take it home with me to replace Wilford’s old gaming unit.

           The Reb had clients so I cleared out, visiting the post office and then to the library. Blogging from there always reminds me of how 2015 changed this journal from what impacted my immediate world to how the larger situation affects my decisions. A lot has to do with having more than myself to consider. If I did’nt say, we went to our favorite spot and the menu prices have doubled. I checked the bill and that single shot of sake was $11. She’s worth it and I can afford it but watching the budget is my department.
           Before dawn I cooked up ten pounds of chicken. Some boiled, some baked, it’s sad knowing Sammy won’t be here to enjoy his favorite. I’m still waiting on paperwork, so managed to write four personal letters and twenty-one e-mails in the process. And time to produce this clip on the kudzoo infestation up the street.


           A Milwaukee senator named Baldwin was elected this morning at 4:00AM by 108,000 absentee ballots, 90% in his favor. Green energy stocks are taking a plunge. Panic is off the scale as it becomes clear the new Attorney General is a fire-breathing anti-lawfare Trump supporter who was recently a target of the Justice Department. Trump is elected and Stephen King has not yet left the country as promised. If Trump removes property taxes for seniors, it will take years for the corrupt city halls to find other tax sources and I will use my $900 to buy a couple tools I always wanted. Like a thickness planer and I would definitely shop for an emergency generator.

Picture of the day.
Gambling for the semi-blind.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Here's a cutie I knew years ago somebody would invent. That means I already have a better version planned. Called the bulldog, this is an A.I. shotgun machine gun. It's utility comes from the fact that drones, at least or now, are very fragile. I'm refering to the quadcopter style that have no inherent aerodynamic stability. Anybody who has wrecked a drone by hitting the tiniest leaf or twig in the air, as I have, knows how little impact is required. This is a regular belt fed weapon chambered for shotgun shells. These differ from ordinary shotguy shells by costing, oh, ten times as much. The latest in laser-enhanced radar makes this unit very accurate, with reports of it bringing down multiple drone targets with a few shells each. The bulldog weighs only around 400 pounds and can do something humans can't, namely accurately catch flanking targets in a crossfire.
           My improved version would take the next logical step of turning this from a reciprocal to a cyclic feed, that is, make it a Gatling gun. That is a calculation I made back in the 1970s after seeing the battle scene from "Zulu". (Hey, isn't that a 1960s movie? Yes, but that means you were not listening when I told you I was raised in poverty.) I had known the Vulcan electric Gatling fired 6,000 rounds per minute. If, instead of bullets, each shell held 100 pellets, that would mean 600,000 red hot pellets spewing toward the target, or 10,000 per second. At that rate, neither drones nor Zulus are going to last long.

           According to people who have seen this autonomous weapon, it "takes the guesswork" of a drone skeet-shooting. The immediate answer is more drones or drone patterns that confuse radar. But for now, this apparatus is far cheaper than using missiles. I don't know that it would be so great against kamakazi UAV attack from the world's top drone power, Iran. Shown here is the latest models which plainly have incorporated stealth technology. They are cheap, being launched from a rack off the deck of a Toyota pickup that needs only a straight patch of highway where they can speed up to 100 mph.
           The beleiver in the passenger seat than pulls down a lever similar to an axe handle, whence the UAV climbs to a around 400 feet altitude and locks on to a target using GPS, although I'm certain there are already models that use more reliable guidance. I hesitate to call these winged craft drones but I also find UAV does not have good slang quality. Soldiers are more likely to call them "Yooves" which rhymes with hooves. This particulat yoove has a story behind it.

           It is a nearly identical copy of a US RQ-170 Sentinal, which comes with a $6 million dollar price tag. Except this not for surveillance. It carries two 110 lb warheads. Unlike the US, which likes to obliterate, these are designed only to put assets out of action. So, what is the story? It's how the Iranians obtained an original, fully functional RQ-171. Because the US did not take my blog's advice about hiring real programmers instead of millennial coders. Thanks to coders, who are addicted to ongoing updates, a brand new Sentinal flew directly to an Iranian military airfield, made a perfect three-point landing, and rolled up to the commandant's front door. That was on December 4, 2011 and the US has never admitted the loss was due to stupidity, claiming the yoove was downed using Chinese or Russian technology.

Last Laugh

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

November 12, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 12, 2023, emergency.
Five years ago today: November 12, 2019, snow & bamboo.
Nine years ago today: November 12, 2015, west of Sebring.
Random years ago today: November 12, xxxx, WIP

           Why am I still in Tennessee? Paperwork. In America, if you stand still, you instantly begin losing ground. Nothing is free in the end. For a bit more detail, read today’s addendum. The Apple is proving impossible to configure properly, with updates conflicting with updates. I stopped at the local shop and got the same old story, they want $100 to take a look. That always leads to a $400 instalation of the latest Apple OS, which is how Apple behaves these days. So, most of this morning I had a newsfeed.
           But what an inspiring session that news was. Trump is appointing non-establishment people into key positions. And the career bureaucrats are sniveling and howling. They presumed nobody could ever breach their ranks without becoming as indoctrinated to the woke behavior they've long taken as normal. Trump is appointing people who care less about their internal structure, but business people who know you don't need a million people to run a few government agencies. This could be a festival for the taxpayer. Canning 80% as Musk says is the goal, would save trillions in wages and pensions. Can the economy absorb so many useless, lazy people? Let's sure hope we find out. They had it coming, and in the sense of how they treated the taxpayers, nobody would care if they fell by hard times. Many would not care if they starved.

           Return tomorrow for results of my look into the 2018 incident when an Iranian clone of a US UAV flew right into the central military district of Israel. The Iron Dome and Patriot defense systems either ignored it or refused to fire on it, indicating the Iranians have not just copied the design, but have reverse-engineered the software. The Obama administration has never admitted their role in how the Iranians have become such experts in asymmetrical warfare, a fancy way of saying they don't play by US rules.
           A good example is their latest warship. It's not an aircraft carrier, but a drone carrier. I would not give it any hope for survival, since it lacks any protective screen of support vessels. It is more likely designed to launch an overwhelming flurry of drones before it is taken out. If that sank one US carrier, it would pay for itself twenty times over.

           Later, there are entirely believable rumors of Trump appointments showing no repeat of 2016 is possible, when the corrupt department heads kept their jobs. One rumor says the FBI headquarters and its 7,000+ jobs will be shut down. Trump is not President yet but as the saying goes, America feels more has be done in a week than in the entire Biden administration. And Kamela has essentially gone into hiding, but not out of fear, rather of embarrassment. Before long, these appointments will be too powerful to change no matter what they do to Trump. And that's as if America doesn't know they are planning something.
           Have you heard the latest name for cybertrucks? "Deploreans." And how about the Obama birth certificate released by the Democrats as a PDF where they forgot to remove the layering. I don't much use PDF editors, but I believe they are called boundary boxes. If you don't click some command that removes the layering, the document can be taken apart. By the way, so much for our public watchdogs, the boundary handles were discovered by a Russian. Did you know that between 1958 and 1964 in the State of Hawaii, all you needed to do for birth certificate for a child up to 60 months old was apply for it at the post office with just a signature. As I said back in 2008, there is no way in hell America ever elected that boy or anybody like him.

Picture of the day.
Invasive phragmites.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

ADDENDUM
           For an interesting report on writing, here is a link to my addendum of November 29, 2010. If you don’t write, compared to you I am 25% more resistant to disease, smarter by 6 IQ points, and will live 12 years longer. So improve your odds instantly and grab a pencil or something soon as you can. Let’s talk about money, in particular, why am I investing far past the age where any real payoff won’t likely benefit me directly. I will not live another 12 years. It has to do with legacy, in a way. I accept making mistakes as part of the investment process and part of the game is how to minimize them. The immediate looming danger is digital currency and the controls that will be implemented shortly should that become a reality. More than 3/4 of Americans oppose digital but I doubt more than 5% understand the depth of the threat.
           And the bottom line on that is the amount of liquid cash one should keep. I divide this into two categories. The emergency fund and the opportunity fund. (It was the emergency fund that was wiped out in August, but now being replenished as best I can.) People without cash are like I lived the first years of my life, forced to repeatedly make poor long-tern decisions. I learned years later this is called a “scarcity mindset”. When you start from nothing (or as I did, from less than nothing), you find there is a third largely-unspoken category of cash. This was today’s topic. I don’t really have a name for it, but I can describe it.

           You’ve heard me on the need to protect your investments. Where the pundits say keep three to six months expenses in reserve, in real life you’d best make it a year. It is this extra amount that makes up the third category and protects your investments. I know there is a name for it, but to that name I add the concept of protection. You’ll find no gain in an emergency fund if you have to dip into your long-term investments over some immediate setback.
           And at the moment, I could probably make it until next May if the system collapses. But that’s still better than most. If a collapse continued longer than six months, I doubt I would ever get back on my feet. However, unlike those who seem to refuse to think ahead (it makes them realize how badly they’ve screwed up), nor would I land flat on my ass.
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Monday, November 11, 2024

November 11, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: November 11, 2023, NNE of Madagascar.
Five years ago today: November 11, 2019, a separate music variety.
Nine years ago today: November 11, 2015, copying the worst.
Random years ago today: November 11, 2010, she was painted up.

           Having warned about the decline of Scientific American magazine, now they have gone too far. They published an article that genetics is racist, a contrived concept to place white people at the top. Since going woke is a one-way street, I will hence regard anything by that magazine as science fiction. The Alberta pastor, Pawlowski, had been arrested again for protesting the latest round of Canadian COVID decrees. Ottawa is bent on making him a martyr. The European Space Agency reports finding copious amounts of water (frozen ice) just below the Martian surface. This raises questions.
           If the water is there, it means NASA knew about it as far back as 2006 and said nothing. NASA has behaved like a secret government department since the Shuttle program. This does not stop there, as it is rumoured NASA found evidence of life on Mars way back in 1976, when Scientific American ran an article about the Viking lenders when four separate tests found “evidence of life”. This theory compounded by how NASA has since that time ceased sending life-detection apparatus on any other Mars missions and has successfully blocked others from doing the same. The paradox is that if they had found life, there would have been a massive push to get there. It does not make sense.

           Here's a carbon dioxide recharge cylinder. Something every boy scout wants to invent, to fix his soda when it goes flat. I would have bought one of these cartridges just to see, but they were $23 each at Krogers and $16 on-line plus $7 S&H. It suffers badly from millennial marketing. What does "up to 126" recharges really mean?
           Boost got me again. this is something like the fifth time they’ve got me after closing time on a Friday before a long weekend. It’s half insane because they gain nothing by it. The effect is like working with Canadians. They’ve been wrong so long they come to prefer doing things that way. I got out to Mt. Juliet and that office was also closed without notice. This meant backtracking to Murfreesboro, a total of over two hour and 58 miles on the van to pay a $15 phone bill. Then I discover Boost has been gouging me for 50 months. The clerk did not charge me the $4 “inconvenience fee”. I asked and he said it has always been Boost policy not to charge that fee on bills less than $20. I told you about Boost and how they will nickel & dime you.

           The good news is California wants to secede. Nobody is stopping them, but you should get a load of the talk downstairs. How badly the country would suffer if California split. Don’t Americans realize California would make the 4th richest nation in the world, blah-blah. It’s bull donkey to me. Take away the federal subsidies and adjust for the fact that state has more people than, say Texas at second place, at the shine starts to wear off. The people downstairs must be unaware also that while Texas is a growing economy, California is collapsing. They resorted ti heavily fining businesses for leaving the state.
           Get a load of that WHO honcho, Tedros. He’s the East Indian who claims to be Ethiopian. Within hours of Trump’s victory, he is bellowing the that WHO had nothing to do with the vaccines. No lockdowns, no mandates, he says, the WHO never imposed anything. It’s all your fault, says rat-face.

Picture of the day.
Seattle welfare office.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Another hour of reading and comparison and I’m drawn to the conclusion my band should become a trio. Far easier said than done and it complicates life—but anything is better than sitting down doing nothing which seems to be the rule these days. I’ve already communicated these findings to the Prez, who like the idea but I don’t think he's aware of the changes it would mean. Unless luck intervenes, I doubt we’ll find anybody any time soon.
           Disney is up in arms, along with several dozen other big players. Why? Because of the late-arriving click-to-cancel laws will destroy a core element of their business. Along with scumbag outfits like Planet Fitness, MicroSoft, and Google, this affects any business that makes it difficult for consumers to opt out. Did you know Planet Fitness requires you make an appointment and wait in line in person? This does not affect me, as I pay cash only. It’s just fun to hear people call others “paranoid” while strangers are snagging money directly out of their bank accounts.

           How about another mini-survey of my situation? Always an eye-opener when I get more out of it that the activity suggests. Here’ a booklet around 220 pages that will tell me how dateable I am. Written by a team called Lookadoo and DiMarco, they seem to make a living out of plugging this stuff. The preamble says, and I like this wording, that most revolutions would have happened earlier if people didn’t waste their youth chasing hotties in high school. Good point, I’m still chasing them now. You meet so many intent on getting married that they have no resources devoted to staying married.
           This book is about dating, which they say is the true goal. An hour later, this book is not giving fast results. I’m on page 40 and they have not gotten to the point yet. Most of us do not need a lecture that boys and girls view sex differently. I fly by a couple simple rules before things get far. Top rule is stay clear of women whose only goal in life is to have babies. And next is the topic I see this booklet is already avoiding. Sex. There has to be some attraction and it has to at least have the potential to be enduring. I already meet too many women where, by the time time the second date rolls around, they are picking names for the children.
           After siesta, I read another forty pages and the book is not a survey type work. The title “Dateability” threw me off. It is more a long-winded description of how, if, as a man, you kind of strive to be nice, work hard, make something of yourself, and don’t lie to get what you want, some women will grow in love with you. If you are a woman, you kind of don’t gossip and hold back on the sex, and that is pretty much it. Statistically only 5% of teenage marriages last. And that’s why I won’t deep-read this book. It isn’t about dating, it is about marriage. Here's an updated view of the surgrury on the Gigrac PA system. It is not yet tested but all the power lights come on.

           I’m going to tattle on the company when the Reb returns tomorrow. Yeah, yeah all my life I’ve heard about how busy everybody is, which is maybe why none of them got anywhere. The point is, the dog has to be walked. Letting him out into the backyard for a while is not the same thing and you can’t fool me. Especially the big doggie needs to be heavily walked through changing routes where he can smell new things and check out old markings. If I can deal with the colder Tennessee nights, they should be able to spare at least ten minutes in the afternoons. True, that is just my opinion, but don’t start any contests. Chooks and I were out there a half-hour under a waxing gibbous moon and the chill. Back inside, he was out like a light.

           Not me, I got a lot out of today’s short siesta, so it’s hot chocolate and study time. I’m looking at early Soviet tank production since they began with a fundamentally different philosophy. Most other countries viewed tanks as a form of cavalry and armed them just well enough to overcome enemy pillboxes and machine-gun pits. The German designs show this influence, their prowess came from using the tanks to spearhead breaks in the enemy lines, and after that shoot up railway stations and supply dumps. The concept of using a tank to fight other tanks was embraced only by the Soviets. It is no surprise their tanks were heavier, faster, and had bigger guns.
           My curiosity is the models just before the war, for unlike the Germans, the Soviets did not have an elaborate numbering system for naming the tanks. This is probably because so many designs used existing components that nobody could keep track of. So, I’ll watch what they built instead of how they built them. After twenty minutes, I said okay, enough. They had begun calling totally different designs by the same name and historians know in the end they focused on two designs. The T-34 and the KV-1.

ADDENDUM
           Another “whoops” for the Democrats. Trump’s vow to lift the lid off Democrat cheating methods has whistleblowers scrambling to curry favor. Some of the topics coming to light are incriminating as hell, but just you remember the Democrats still have a hold on the judicial system as many of their appointed judges have always been on the take. Remember all those celebrity endorsements and stuff in the pre-election nose-dive of the Democrats? Turns out Harris was paying them, for example, she offered Oprah one million dollars for favourable mention. While this behaviour is nothing new for that party, the totals paid out far exceed the reported contributions that they themselves insisted on disclosure. Laws they thought were laying a trap for their opponents.
           In a reverse scenario of 2020, we now have Democrats refusing to concede, something they accused Trump of. They are still counting votes, again choosing only sites where the Trump margins are small enough they can truck in enough fake ballots.

Last Laugh