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A reminder to the reader this is not a political blog, but commentary on human behavior. 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.

April 9, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: April 9, 2025, “could explain . . .”
Five years ago today: April 9, 2021, Prince Who?
Nine years ago today: April 9, 2017, learning about gold.
Random years ago today: April 9, 2008, Marion moves to Denver.

           Off to Miami, an e-mail y’day after I fell asleep, so we are up at 5:30AM. Reminding the world I fast by default on all medical meetings, I have the new Chick-fil-a $7.99 special on the brain. Most of my life I’ve had an aversion to rough towels and cold water [on my legs, which shocks my system]. Keeping all my attached apparatus dry is a challenge and an hour ago I ran out of hot. Not a great start and a mere shadow of my earlier times. If I did not say, today is 11 weeks since the bypass. Be patient, everybody is saying, the signs are good.

           I took old Hwy 27 and arrived two hours early, meaning the Robot Club swung into action. It may still lack the adventures of long ago, but the pace ramps up. It rained all the way from Okeechobee, so it was wiper blade time. The unit was $36, they sell the whole assembly, not just the blade. Five minutes with the club and we had things working for $7. I still don’t have proper nicknames for the boys, but the guitar student has been practicing with focus.
           At this pace, he will be in a band in a couple years. I’ve long lamented there was nobody to coach me at 8 years old, yet there is no reason I could not have learned it at that age. Instead, it took me twenty years on my own, let me double check. No, i was twenty-five years before I developed my bass style. Before then, I played ordinary bass.

           This was a planned one day trip and I got flak already for no visiting time. The next chance is the week of the 20th. As I left for Miami, I got this shot of that house next door. Here is a delivery truck with enough drywall to refinish the entire place. In a sense, with the house market what it is, even a fixer-upper to this degree makes sense.
           For clarity, today means no more wires or tubes during the day, though the life vest is night wear. This is an awaited event, as the tube made it trick to sleep on my side, which is how I read an hour a day or more. Another plus is the soap and water wash they had me use did not clear away all the detritus which accompanies such deep incisions. But the doc got it all with one swipe, quite painless and amazing. The scar will still be ugly.

Picture of the day.
The Oscar Committee, I think.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           This is the Nerf Pro Gel Fire, and it is full automatic. It this the answer to my squirrel infestation? The background tale on this puppy is the instructions are bad, so they keep showing up as Thrift donations. So Agt. M got this unit for $4. The snag is the company does not make it clear the pellets, seen in that round hopper at the top, must be soaked in water.

           They become beads that splatter on impact. This is where you make the squirrel association. On full automatic it spews 400+ rpm and at 200 FPS, the pellets are nearly hilinvisible. Mr. Squirrel, you have met your match.

           Next, to the clinic and I can report I am now free. Of tubes and wires, that is. I still have the nighttime monitor but during the day I’m back to full movement and loving it. Yep, I’m ahead of schedule and the removal of the chest tube caused a slight easing of general nerve “fuzziness”. The appointment time is also doubled and we know from history my recovery always accelerates if I’m getting daily chores done. I have not yet followed up with my other doctors but it is common knowledge pills with 00 refills means they are not over-worried.

           Since I did not spend my money on wiper blades so much, I picked up this windshield repair kit. Fifteen bucks, so we finally get to see if this junk really works. That hairline crack on my screen could have gone anywhere, but this is Florida. It has now worked its way to exactly across the spot on the window in front of my eyes. If this doesn’t do the trick, it is a $400 repair.
           Plan on a real visit next trip, I am committed to stay with “the family” at least two days. Hey, the kids holler for all the attention and the club is on the verge of re-activation. During the past week, not on person came to my door, much less anyone to help me life that pressure washer.

           Plus, we have overdue planning and I am keen on getting investment accounts for the boys. This time, I will center them in Tennessee, from which you can infer the local account was not protected well enough—this was expected and predicted but it is also a lesson every non-rich person can only learn the hard way.

           The clinic I visit for now is nearby the big West Maine shop in Ft. Lauderdale. I intend to drag Agt. M in there for minimum two hours. I’m shopping for a metal sextant but that is price-driven at the moment. We are again looking a something the club can sell. Where I dislike checking for orders every day, he is put off by packaging and shipping. Last time we kicked this idea around, I did not have a cabinet full of shipping materials.
           Remember Secret Woods? Or was it Snyder Park? They are close, and a check with my own blog shows it was Snyder, the last great free concert with the Hippie. Nobody showed up. I wouldn’t have either if I’d known there was no advertising and the Hippie thought word of mouth was enough. So much for his management skills.
           The rain would not quit, so Agt. M used the passkey for us to pull under the church balcony to change that windshield wiper. I decided to get out of there to be home while it was light, forgetting how touchy the gas pedal on the KIA can be and all I did was chirp the tires. No big deal as I high-tailed it out of there amid a hail of plastic beads.

ADDENDUM
           We have a typical Democrat-generated problem with Pam Bondi, the one who screwed up the Epstein job. Some say she does not have to testify because she was subpoenaed as AG and she is no longer AG, others say she must testify because she was AG at the time of the subpoena. It’s the type of issue that deliberately ties up the courts, a libtard specialty. It was wasted time of this nature caused me to stop following election debates in the 90s. People were unemployed and the politicians were blabbing about climate change.

Last Laugh

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April 8, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: April 8, 2025, my first amp fail.
Five years ago today: April 8, 2021, VPN early warning.
Nine years ago today: April 8, 2017, the long way home.
Random years ago today: April 8, 2005, DVD lobotomy.

           Beware of grouch, I seem to have a bad batch of grits. You bet quality varies but I’ve got some that never quite firm up enough for my liking. That would be slightly less mushy than mashed spuds. Sabotage? There’s also the fact that I’ve learned to mention food often and early, it keeps readership high. I should have monetized this ages ago, but that is how much I disapprove of intrusive advertising. I’m saying real grits can be eaten with a fork. What’s with 1-1/2 toasters? Logic.

           There will be no somersaults this morning. How to get that pressure washer into the van. How about a fresh toaster hypothesis? This blog is okay with wild guesses that many folks miss. Okay, we all know the displeasure of a two-slice toaster when one of the elements burns out. They are unrepairable, so I began marking the slots and I have a possibility. Probably not, but have you ever noted which element tends to burn out? (Sorry for the bad grammar, but without grits things can get disjointed around here.)

           Here is what I’ve uncovered: the broken element tends to be next to the interior divider of the toaster. My theory is that the burned out face will be on the side that is empty when you make only one slice. That is the element that gets exposed to the full radiant heat that would otherwise be absorbed by a slice of bread. Once again, your favorite blog easily finds a topic that millions on the Internet never imagined, so there. Some toasters indicate which side to use for one slice. As for the countless repair instructions on-line, none address the cause of the breakage. Duh.
           At the Thrift, I saw this box of brass stencils, so I spent my dollar to investigate. I’ve never seen these before and wondered why such fancy metal. That part, I don’t know yet, but these are for some embossing process. Only one of each character means they are not for ordinary use. I have a full set of 1” size which sells for over $100. For now, I’ll write them as just a more durable type of ordinary stencils. My research on-line today is the increasing number of videos showing ways to recycle expensive 3D plastics.

           Still pondering the pressure washer, I watched two documentaries on Chinese city life. Pretty dreary at best, the one showed a single lady who openly tells that it is dreary. How entire days can pass without ever saying a word to another human being. On the other hand, I often pay extra for such a privilege. They have a lot of automated food service, but then again, it is copied from America with an eye to avoiding hiring low-caliber people. I admit I used to hang out a malls. I had no money to shop there, but the you could not beat the pretty women.
           Some critter, maybe not a squirrel, has emptied my birdfeeder. I’ll set up camera. I also tipped the bird bath in January to curtail mosquitoes and now cannot lift it back into place. This I compared to the Chinese lady and point out a major contrast. She is all about how there is nothing to do all the time, I’m wishing I had the time to do everything. And the energy, later I may drive to town for some gourmet coffee. And pay ahead on the electric and phone because Florida is full of “them”. And what if the doc wants me to stay around Miami again.
           Later, it is a squirrel, an energetic one who can leap an impressive distance. Not having time to plan, I moved the feeder back 18”. To buy some time to think.

Picture of the day.
Texas cargo theft ring.
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           Cancel the afternoon. I made it to the dog pound, leaving here at 2:00PM and not getting back until 4:30PM. Somehow, I hit rush hour. Or some accident on the Tampa-Disney run has all the crazies diverted through town. I don’t like the new guy at the office, he’s snarky and ferret-like. I had time for the latest audiobook, it’s three teen girls who shot their father. He was disciplining one for sleeping with a married man. I can say already the plot is written by a Canadian due to the strange set of values that keep showing through, especially that quirky concept that if they are right and you are wrong, it somehow changes things.

           The tip-off is what I mean by Canadian. They think if they do not personally rob you of the camera, it is not stealing, say for instance they make a law. There is also the idiotic attitude that if they do something a certain way, others should be compelled to do the same, like pay high taxes.

           Back in the day, I had an analogy that would not be relevant now. It’s when cameras were expensive and Kodak owned the film process. Capitalism has a nasty side in that the moment you gain any wealth, you must begin to protect it. My example compared the camera to wealth, but the film was the income. While film was available everywhere, owning and operating the camera was for those who could afford it. If you do not protect the camera, it will get stolen or expropriated.
           I had time to plan a small motorized device. The photo is a comparison of the popular motor sizes, the 775 is on the right. I want a tiny vertical drum sander I can use on my desk. The 775 may wind up getting a transformer made from an outdated charging station.

           Home to exhaustion and no word from Miami clinic. It’s expected, but no how-to videos could be located to show use of brass stencils. So, I figure they line up just like I did and the concept of brass is to make them last longer and stay easy to clean. But what if you need a double letter? I admit to zonking for six hours, giving me just enough time for a big snack before midnight. I want to be fasting if I get a morning appointment. Overall, I’m doing well, it’s a cool spell so I’m able to wear long-sleeves. It better hides the tubes and bandages.

ADDENDUM
           In the news, a 40-ish pinhead becomes the first conviction under Melania’s A.I. law—you can’t deep fake non-consensual sex. The freak who killed Iryna has been declared unfit for trial. Minnesota is a leading proponent of a wealth tax—a concept I have pondered since my first paycheck. The concept is fine, to slow the accumulation of wealth into the hands of a few who have the clout to manipulate the system in their favor.
           I draw four distinctions on the topic. Is the wealth earned in the owners lifetime or inherited? Is the wealth invested in tangibles or sitting in the bank? Few people will think this through. Everything I own of value, I paid taxes on the money earned for it. Therefore, I should not be taxed on it again. However, all of my income producing assets are financial, that is, I own no plant and equipment. This is consistent with my philosophy that if you invest after-tax dollars, it means you have sacrificed and risked money and thus are entitled to the returns because of what you own, not what you earn. (This formula means after you are 40, before that, it falters.)
           It follows that on inherited money, there was no sacrifice, that is, that money invested was not earned and taxed like income. On the other hand, it is not the poor or working class who create the factories and railroads that in turn create jobs for the masses. It’s too broad a subject, but I am following the lunatics of Minnesota to watch how badly they screw this up.
           Watched video on the so-called race riots in London. Looked more like a ballet dance.

Last Laugh

April 7, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: April 7, 2025, a good old wristwatch.
Five years ago today: April 7, 2021, the phosphate museum.
Nine years ago today: April 7, 2017, passing on the cost.
Random years ago today: April 7, 2008, it isn’t really digital.

           French toast and look at today’s crop of celebrity offspring, the children of famous Boomer personalities. Pretty sad, and talk about mousy women. It’s a soggy day, I’m low on coffee, and my phone bill is overdue. Perfect for a small project, I think. Incoming calls work and I just used 13% of my battery on the phone to Tennessee. To discover anew how slow things move in the music industry before you get a hit recording. I’m cheered up, today’s “medical” is confined to the addendum below.

           Knowing I’d tucker out early, I still got to the lumberyard for pickets, only to discover (same as months ago), everybody is out of 1-1/4” crown stables. So over to Harbor Freight where I found a box of 2,500 half price. This saved me enough for some goodies, then over to the Thrift before closing. I scored a brand new toaster for five bucks. Meh, they are all cheap these days and take far too long to pop the first slices.

           Here it is, from the blog that dares. Our feature this morning is the box of staples. Vigilance is more important now than ever, for nobody can foretell which such event will be the winner. It depends, how many people today bought staples and a bundle of test leads? These are the second-worst brand out there. I cut most in half for power supplies. The worst brand are the type with alligator clips are so bad it hurts your fingers to open them—but then slip off by themselves when used.

           At the tool store, I saw this item on sale. What used to be a fairly expensive gadget now sells for less than a bottle of beer. It’s an A/C voltage detector. Cheap enough to leave in the tool box. But here’s something, I set it on the tray next to my bass and it sounded. Huh? There are no live electric circuits on a bass and if there was, it must be a tiny inductance. Nosiree, shown here I ran the length of the strings and cables. In theory, unless a string is vibrating, there should be no signal at all.

           For the moment, I have no way to test if this is possibly something dangerous on my instrument. It poses some interesting theories—unless there is movement, there should be no inductance. It’s a crummy video, but that AC flasher follows the strings, pickups, and photo cable into the amp jack. I did not know that. My presumption was the system was idle until the string generated a tiny signal across the pickup magnets. Wrong, it is a strong signal present when the cable is plugged into the amp when the power is on.

Picture of the day.
Only in New Zealand.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.


           I’ve begun a new audiobook, details to follow. So far, it is about four girls who killed somebody in Canada. It’s laughable to hear them go on about suffering when such deprivations were everyday for some of us. It’s relative, but I don’t consider hardships to mean not enough .22 bullets for target practice. I read some critiques on Nashville bar bands, a bit of humor, since the reviewers are rarely impartial. Telling a country band their setlist is the “wrong generation” while extolling the virtues of a Grateful Dead tribute.

           The evening began with a Festus movie. This one had Kitty doing some real acting, Matt managing a couple cameos. Kitty shoots a bad guy whose brother comes after her. It was a rainy day kept me inside, so after I tinkered with some electronics, wondering where my fancy Radio Shack breadboard has disappeared. Tennessee? I’m sketching out a battery supply I can switch up to 12VDC in increments of 3VDC. It’s the same old, most of my test circuits are 5VDC and they don’t make such a battery.

           What do I do to run low on coffee? I stay put and go on-line. This activity will always assure you there are people far worse off. Here is Paris Hilton proving she got a Thigh Master for Kwanza or something. She’s 42 now. Dang, the link got lost, so see the substitute pic below.

ADDENDUM
           Politics. Georgia’s Democrat candidate says, if elected, those who voted for Trump will lose Internet access for four years. NASA cannot even video their own launches without glitches. And pooh-pooh to people who did not listen to warnings that having a 401K these days brings in the government as an unwelcome partner. Seems there is trouble in New York, but those people get what they vote for.

           The Kimberly-Clark warehouse has been hit by arson, threatening half of America’s supply of toilet paper. I watched a video of a modified paper shredder turning old plastic into pellets, which were then fed into a heated hopper. The resultant thread went to a 3D nozzle which printed out building blocks. Then another video of 3D “trimmings” chopped up in a blender and remelted. Maybe time to look at my printer again?

           Medical stuff still takes a chunk out of each day. Reb’s best friend is not faring well out in California. Remember the metal rods placed in the Reb’s arm? One has to be moved but that presents a big money problem—exactly as I warned if you don’t have a big cash reserve. I sent money for Chooks to get blood tests, but there is not enough for any vet bills that would ensue from that. I’m planning on a one year recovery after April 26, so I’ll be little help. If I’m here in April 2027, I may eat a steak. You know, to test my system.
           We further talked about how dependent I am on music and even good advice does not help because there has to be a spark before any new hobby starts. She understands that even the best hobbies quickly become solitary as you get older and the ranks thin out. I have a sad tale on that one, her mom collected stamps, a pastime that has fallen off. There were great volumes, leather bound, but none of the stamps had any real collector’s value. Kind of like vacuum tubes.
           When in Los Angeles, she had the books appraised and, well, they replied the best thing would be for her to donate the set to a younger enthusiast. I have about the same odds of meeting anybody into electronics or navigation, so music it stays. And even with entertainers, few are on the same wavelength.

Last Laugh

April 6, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: April 6, 2025, $17 per hour!
Five years ago today: April 6, 2021, some e-car pricing.
Nine years ago today: April 6, 2017, thoughts on this cabin.
Random years ago today: April 6, 2010, no “yobs” here.

           In the door of my fridge, do not confuse my Eqyptian raspberry jam with the chili peppers in oil. It’s an easy early morning mistake most people make only the once. It’s a cheery morning and I’m wanting some small boxes, the kind for components. I’ve got some energy, but we’ve had false alarms before. It says here Trump has a new destination for illegals who do not want to go home. You know, the bunch fleeing not persecution, but prosecution. The Congo awaits.

           What a great strategy. It’s win-win for the African nation. Millions of inventive hard workers who built the USA (we are told) arriving with tons of American savvy and job skills. Kinshasa may well become the next economic powerhouse. What’s more, the new people will bring along their contemporary values of property ownership to a nation “deeply affected by humanitarian realities”.

           By noon, I got underway. Some light work on wood scraps and the discover I have no 775s, a generic type of small DC electric motor, very easy to work with. I think I have one in an old electric drill, can I salvage it at today’s energy level? Why not check back later and keep blog readership high at the same time? Panasonic, the swell bunch who makes their own camera models 100% incompatible, has actually built something I like. Shockproof, waterproof, 30fps, with a second forward-facing “selfie” screen. Tiny, and only $30.

           As usual, because I like it, Wal*Mart does not stock it and all the positive reviews are part of a promotion. Also, I do not know anyone who can order it for me, even if I give them the cash, all their accounts are already overdrawn. Don’t nobody say I’m a hypocrite for “hanging around” with losers, there are, present company excepted, no winners in this vicinity.

           Later, I found a 775 and it is drying on the bench. Hunt around here for a picture. Some of you may recognize this very common motor now that it’s been pointed out. Here’s an item, the English say killer seals are eating all the dolphins. Fact is, no animal can cause the extinction of another unless humans cause it. And it looks like Argentina may start up the Falklands war again.

Picture of the day.
Australian pony club.
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           By 2:00PM, I failed at today. A couple tiny tasks around noon landed me flat with fatigue. Check later, I’m recording this in real time. Of course I hate this routine, I truly dislike idleness and foolishly tried to fight. Wound up faint and scraped my shin. Nap time. Wait, all is not lost. By 5:00PM I got up, went out into the back yard and fixed the privacy fence.

           It is the fence set 30 feet back in this photo. Most of those pickets were lying on the ground. You can see the dirt. The old staples had to be pulled, it was not until after I found this spot was a wind channel. A quick heft said each [picket]was within my weight limitation. By drilling pilot holes and starting every screw, I was able to re-affix all nine panels in not much more than an hour. So there, world, you did not stop me today.
           Fun enough it was dismantling that old Ryobi drill. The plastic housing resisted whacks from the sledge hammer a while back, but it was no match for a carbide saw. There was even time and inclination for a little shed maintenance, a plan assisted by a late afternoon drizzle. The sad news is my bench power supply, intended for tiny components, will not start this for a test., but I got this far. If I went 1% too much lifting anything, I will feel it by morning, so keep ready for a big day off.

           Another run at “For What It’s Worth” on the bass did not produce good results. It is a guitar riff which can place physically impossible finger spreads. Another discovery is none of the tabs or tutorials are accurate. There are nuances on the recording that are subject to interpretation and some are taken too far.

           There are passages that show this was a very early attempt at bass fills, resulting in several spots where the 1966 sound is “wrong” for today’s ear. I’m kind of committed now, or as the saying goes, I don’t do this because it is easy, but because I thought it would be easy, I’m betting more people know the drum beat than that bass line.
           If I can’t get the original bass line to sound better, I’ll emulate drums, but that negates my darling bass scales and makes me find “drum” notes. This is a great way to make mistakes on stage. The left hand, after thousands of hours, does not like “wrong” patterns and this song is full of them. Ha, sleepless at midnight, I located two bass tutorials attempting what I just described as mistakes. At least they tried. There is a trick to making descending scales sound smooth on bass, but they must not teach it right a guitar school.

ADDENDUM
           A healing feeling. I awoke (finally) at my standard 5:30AM. I have a tightness across my chest that feels like bones knitting back together. No pain, but a numbness under the surface and an uncomfortable sensitivity to any pressure on the incision. It is a sensation of bones finally settling back into place. I could feel the area adapting and this time it is staying. Couple that with a better sense of taste (I crave cereal more than ever before). What’s this?
           JZ likes jasmine rice, I don’t care for the taste of perfume. Did I mention he is an inattentive food shopper? Good, because he winds up handing me things he doesn’t care for, which is often something I like. And I got a family size box of grape-nuts flakes. Did you know the product contains no grapes or nuts. And that is today’s trivia. I wound up eating a third of it. That was the high point of the morning, folks.

           I learned which hospital tests hurt, and have been calling the worst a “mid-line”. To me, t made sense, since the jab was near the middle of the arm and gave access between external and internal. That, and the staff clearly pronounced it that way. Turns out the correct term in “med-line”, right, medicine line?
           My old back injury as returned, which could be part of the recover process. This was the steroid shots that barely worked, mind you that is all they had to do. The pain is somewhat different after walking for five minutes. JZ has said some of the blood medications could be the source here. Blog rules I must record anything that goes wrong and this means overall.
           At midnight, I sat and listened to the rain. This recovery is taking far longer than anything I experienced in life. Much slower than my original heart troubles of 2003-2010; but those did not involve incisions. It is another difference because without said weakness, I would have a hard time sitting motionless for so many hours/. The healing becomes very perceptible, dozens of small pains that shift around, all seeking an equilibrium that has been drastically upset.

Last Laugh

April 5, 2025

Yesteryear
One year ago today: April 5, 2025, jailed for winning.
Five years ago today: April 5, 2021, “journaling”.
Nine years ago today: April 5, 2017, it’s a cannonball.
Random years ago today: April 5, 2013, silver glare.

           Are you as bored with this medical episode as I am? Today I squash the situation report into the addendum. Thanks for putting up with my constant attention to health, worse, it won’t change until I have a return to some level of activity. I see now that building boxes was a sign of a longer and more gradual decline. As always, it is comparative. Some people naturally do nothing. A.I. will be most helpful to such types.

           The project being considered for now is a mini-table saw. It’s past my endurance, so all I’m after for now is gathering the materials. Other than box lumber, I have placed an embargo on most purchases. I think by the upcoming weekend, I’ll be able to gig. Looking over Steve’s list for anything I missed, there it was. The correct name is “For What It’s Worth”, from 1966. One of those tunes nobody listened much to the bass line. I could not play blues-jazz fusion back then, but I’m about to give it a whirl.
           Mind you, this morning was better, the more after a fortifying breakfast. Hotcakes and fried sausage, coffee, and seven meds next to the mouse. Face it, except by luck, I cannot make proper hotcakes. This has never stopped me from trying. Let’s get something done today and I don’t care what—it is almost dawn already. I am committed to accomplishing something, even if it is invisible knowledge.

           Today’s off to a good start, I heard tractor noises. Howie has the old John Deere apart, and confirms the two-piston design explored here recently. The explanation was and is: pure simplicity. Here you see the two piston shafts and the radiator that works on convection only. No pump. Howie has seen a 1 cylinder, a Porche model A111. Runs smooth, he adds, due to near-perfect counterbalancing.
           Um, when he checked on me last day, he rang the doorbell. I did not hear it, only aware when the phone rang. He knew I was in and he could hear the bell. Since my hearing is fine, I’m planning a possible flasher in the back room. My explanation has to be those new pills, though none of them are mood-altering. Anti-inflammatory and blood thinners, mostly.

Picture of the day.
Ford factory, S. Africa.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           I got all the way downtown, which cost me $90 plus another $60 for 3/4 of a tank of gas. The haul includes 46 pounds of doggie food, which the passersby who helped me load it said was “not that heavy”. By noon, it was sweltering. I have allocated $400 for gasoline this month, almost 7 times my usual budget. Checking the news, I see MicroSoft has issued the same warning I did years ago: don’t trust Copilot. Oregon reports a “dangerous” 25% increase in measles death this month. From 3 cases to 4. One of my search criteria is for authentic equipment and I found an old movie called “Sea of Sand”, dated 1958.

           Cranking the volume so I could work and watch, there was a scene where the navigator takes a sextant sighting. Dang if it didn’t click. We don’t know what star he shot, but the reading was 36°41’18”. We know the latitude is the Sahara and they are, dead reckoning, east of Greenwich. No luck, even assuming the star was overhead, this plots them off the coast of Somalia. But I had to know.
           The blog that dares now brings you the potato video, as usual safe-for-work no sound. I may not eat much, but it is the best. Here is supper and breakfast. Not shown are the carrots and lots of gravy. Thick biscuit gravy. It’s not just for breakfast any more. Just think, a once-proud cross-county motorcyclist, reduced to peeling spuds—but hey, I made the effort to record it. Hungry? Help yourself, there is lots.

           Later. I rekindled the bass line to “For What It’s Worth” and I can play it. It’s a guitar riff but I’ll fix that. This time I have the Songsterr notes and I see why that was so tough to learn when I was barely a teen. It has octave double-stops on the lower strings, a very sparse technique. As usual, playing it live is a real treat to an audience who never quite listened before.
           The heat crept to the low 90s, so I settled in and parsed this old song, now 60 years old. I really don’t like those guitar-like bass fills. In tunes of this sort, I usually amalgamate the best parts of each verse or chorus. This time, I think I may play the drum part, that is, follow the drum pattern but with bass notes, my specialty. Later, I got it, but not the passing notes and that is a tremendous amount of work in that particular song.
           This was a nothing afternoon though I may have broken the hospital three-hour sleep routine. I stayed up 17-1/2 hours without dozing. How about unexplained events in my work shed? It was not that windy, yet I found a dozen pint paint cans on the floor. Pieces of wood seemingly flung around. And some of my best tools lying in the dirt. No animal tracks and if it was wind, nothing lighter was disturbed.

ADDENDUM

           This is now the 9th week of recovery, I had planned for a total of 12 weeks. But I will not meet that deadline. I’ve had memory lapses after the anesthetic. The gasoline to Miami is a frightful expense. Food remains bland but I get a distinct and encouraging “knotting” feeling as my chest bones repair. I can play bass and I have been, up to an hour per day. I’ve never spent so much time sitting at home; it is a behavior I associate with study and driving. My inability to see close-range objects on end is now become a significant problem.
           Here is a typical medicine bottle, I noticed that this amber liquid had condensed inside the sealed glass. Shown here, the metal flange is removed to remove the top. It emitted a horrid smell, which I instantly plugged and took this photo. To think just days ago the contents were injected into my bloodstream.

           I’ve picked April 26 for a big review. It would seem I’ve beat the odds. But no dancing yet. When I say memory problems, I mean like taking five minutes to recall my own e-mail passwords. I feel fully mobile but with the restriction of fatigue. Notably I can now raise my arms past shoulder-height. My leg has nerve damage but does not interfere and both my hands still feel numb. Full recover, they said, will take a year. Are you prepared to wait that long before I can report any adventures?

Last Laugh

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April 4, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: April 4, 2025, the finish line.
Five years ago today: April 4, 2021, no rifles.
Nine years ago today: April 4, 2017, who remembers $45,000.
Random years ago today: April 4, 2007, I took this pic.

           Well! All may not be lost. I awoke with unaccustomed energy and threw on some raspberry muffins before reaching for the bass. I have Steve’s old song list, which is a year old on my files. He has not gotten back to me, so I chose the easiest tunes, such as “Runaround Sue”. Of course I dislike songs chosen without regard to what the rest of the band plays, but that is a parameter unlikely to change in my lifetime, which was recently nearly foreshortened. How slow is it around here? The top story is a muffin and songs from 1960.

           Droners, mostly. Who really wants to hear Kid Rock crooning that he can’t find love? Then again, Petty’s “Breakdown” is on the list. And it has all those wee empty spaces in the bass line, a half-measure long. Spaces that I know if he is strumming, he cannot play the fills. Interesting. Ah, the sun is up and I set some baking dishes out. Don’t like scrubbing baked on crusties? Just set the pan in my special rack in the back yard. Trust me, in the morning it will be spotlessly clean.
           My after-hospital diet includes a lot of soup. Is it therapeutic? I need to get back to solid grub, which is my excuse to start with pizza. The point is, I cannot find my cooking with soup book. There was some real gems in there. Aha, the book title just hit me and I found the website. See, blogging is useful.

           Disappointment in my home. Here is one of the muffins and boo-hoo, I cannot taste anything. Such a great aroma I had planned a breakfast muffin-fest. How cruel, me, reduced from national-scale adventure to muffin-crying. I finally finished “Death of a Kingfisher”, the audiobook. In the end, it is quite the adventure and yes, I recommend it. Full of quaint British quirks and superstitions, the culprit is totally a surprise.
           The book is also an unmeant exposé on police tactics that I have always been against. It is this business of “interviewing” people who are neither suspects nor witnesses under threat of being charged with obstruction. Then permanently keeping the files even after the case is closed. As usual, the police questioning is not confined to the crime, rather personal information, especially who is sleeping with who. Including the totally innocent people on the tour bus miles away, the police created such files on 68 people.
           Amusingly, the book has numerous references to the Internet, to let you know small town constables are no slouches when it comes to technology. Did you know in Scotland, it is the police and not you who decide if you can speak to a lawyer?

Picture of the day.
Toledo, Spain.
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           This is a DIY rheostat I built in 2 hours. It isn’t done, I have to install a solid base and attach a knob. The bird is a ceramic parrot who already asked the question, why build this device if I don’t need it? Easy, there is more to it and most people did not build anything new today just to see how it works.

           The rheostat is the round disk, some call it a trimming capacitor, in this case 5K. The blue connector is for house wiring, but make this easy to connect and, equally important, disconnect. Okay, now explain the resistor and LED.
           That’s easier still to tell, it is a safety resistor, just 100 ohms. Follow the logic. The rheostat has some iffy characteristics. One is that the wiper arm can be turned full off. That means if this unit is attached to any assembly which may not have its own resistor, you’ll burn something out. What’s more, I’ve attached an LED to the circuit. I’ve learned to add pilot lights to my home-made gear. If I have the energy later, you’ll find a demo. With just the light, this circuit behaves exactly like a dimmer.

           Monitoring my healing, those leg incisions are taking their time. There is progress, but they wounds need to be covered, which cause delay, and I don’t know if it requires draining or drying. So circumstances made the decision for me. I leaned back from my soldering and noticed the wound patch was missing. A search found it in the shed, that was more than three hours ago and it looks okay. Aha, no immediate danger. Is this important? I switched to a lighter and more breathable paper bandage.
           I was busy all day, no nap because although I’ve got the fatigue attacks, they are less intense and the transition is smoother. Take it slow, I’ve had several relapses. Ideally, this means I can take on more exciting projects, any one of which could break this medical spell. I did not know this was a holiday weekend, there are no religious items on my calendar, though I’m okay with most traditions. By request, none of my prescriptions are taken after 6:00PM so my sleep pattern should return. We are going to do this, folks.

           Later, let the record show that I stayed home. The neighbors checked on me, I was invited to Karaoke, but I chose to write letters and watch a movie. Without a band to play in, I’m not much good for socializing.

ADDENDUM
           In news I will remember from today, top story is what happened after US cut of aid when the African governments refused to reform and allowed 750,000 people to starve. All White males in German between 17 and 45 now require permission to leave the country. Amazon has lowered membership fees for anyone on welfare. Rumor has it the Epstein files are so bad they have to fake another Moon shot.
           It is hilarious how the Democrats got themselves maneuvered into defending rapists, terrorists, and serial killers. This will not end well for them. The toilet vent on the Artemis froze over, NASA is tilting the craft toward the Sun to thaw it. They are millennials, why don’t they just vote that the toilet fix itself?

Last Laugh

April 3, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: April 3, 2025, 15 songs.
Five years ago today: April 3, 2021, a biscuit joiner.
Nine years ago today: April 3, 2017, I have a yard, finally.
Random years ago today: April 3, 2005, web “age shrinkage”.

           Things are not back to routine, but this time we are ready. Nothing planned except the option to take a nap on demand. Who’s with me? Funny, no word on the DEI launch since the liftoff, at least not to we non-TV types. I want some Italian wedding soup and five days off. Let’s check the news feeds. Trump will fire Bondi, for underperformance in going after his enemies. And she’s too old to start on OnlyFans. Some yahoo won $27 million right after his wife divorced him. CNN says since robots are slaves they should be black, not white.

           Such topics say I’m really cooped up all day and staying still. I got lots of practice at it recently. My routine is slowly returning, but expect generic posts for a while yet. My leg wounds are not doing the right thing, or else taking their time about it. I now wish I’d stayed on a few more days at JZ’s, I told you the guy is a restaurant cook. We have a working formula, I buy the food, he cooks it. How sad it is these days so many men have trouble forming adult friendships and think it is others who are queer. Both JZ and I like women only, but in Florida, we know we are the minority.
           The picture of the Shahed suicide drone is unique. This one was listed on Ali Baba for $35,000 bucks. Listed for “aerial map” and “pesticide” spray, included is an A.I. target system that can lock onto buildings. The sad news to those who bought before it was banned—it is a cheap Chinese knock-off.

           Upon return, my appetite, or more accurately my gustatory sense, abruptly fell. The periods of no flavor are getting shorter, but do not coincide with hunger pangs. It's fun being famished but nothing appeals. Actually, I have dealt with this before and my solution is package food, like today’s scalloped potatoes. If the taste is gone, why not chow down on something with all the same taste. Impeccable logic, folks.
           There is a new virus spreading, called HMPV, has symptoms identical to the common cold. According to official authorized government-approved sources (no less), the infection rate is “lower than influenza” but “higher than COVID”, the same people want you to know this is “notable”.

I’ve been out of commission, or partially out, now four months. Long enough for me to forget where I put things and now I’ve lost my great Radio Shack powered breadboard. I’ll find everything, it just takes time and I’ve never been great at organizing small tools.

Picture of the day.
Hoover Dam, by drone.
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           What’s this then? Rather than work, where I might instinctively lift stuff, I gathered some scraps together to make toy boats. We never know which of these projects could become my destiny. These are a mix of Jenga blocks, some kid’s toy blocks, and the fence dog-ear ends I used to throw out. There are infinite shapes but I stuck to those I read in that otherwise boring “oil tanker” book from just a while back. The airboat shape is easy, in fact, all these were easy.

           The neighbor was around, he was also in the hospital again this week. What can I say, I’m recovering, he is maintaining. The desperate CNN of MSM infamy has now enabled on-screen gambling. For example, people who participate can bet on whether a newscaster will utter a certain word, or what price celebrity junk will bring at auction. I predict so much cheating that the authorities will step in.
           China has begun testing an amphibious drone carrier. Like an aircraft carrier, it is designed for long-range operations. The Chinese have said they successfulyl tested swarms of 200 drones operated by a single soldier. The US has finally developed a drone that uses no Chinese components. It can be repaired in the battle area using 3D printed parts. It turns out Chinese cars can be remotely disabled after all. And some judge named Ahmet has again declared Trump responsible for J6, and just in time for the midterms.

           I’ve been after building a small table saw for years. Dumb me, I could now really use one for the condition I’m in. I need a project and so do you, reading all this boring stuff.

ADDENDUM
           I’m still bound to document my condition, this blog has rules. My recovery overall still feels like 40% (of normal). Fatigue attacks are decreasing, now 2 or 3 per day, each requiring hours of rest. The hospital really disrupted my sleep cycles, I’m still waking up every 3 hours. But at times, I now get 7 yours and I rarely have trouble falling asleep.
           The medications must be helping but I have not required any pain-killers since a day or so after surgery. Pains are what I’d expect, the bones and incisions, but there is a balance between intensity and duration I can handle, so no pain-killers, please. The antibiotics keep the incision sites tender to the touch and cause a consistent 23 ml average drainage, meaning the bulb stays. My appetite is lowered, taste is returning enough to get me eating well—but with a preference for soft food. Like porridge and soup. My fluid intake, including coffee, remains high.
           I’m flexible enough again to shower well and can walk continuously without rests if I pace myself. I feel better if I walk with a stoop. My bruised up arms from the IVs and needles are still sore and mending awfully slow. I have eyebrows growing back but coarse and uneven. Gout attacks are milder and confined to big toes. The numbness on my outer left thigh is persistent and has occasional hot flash spells. A momentary searing pain.
           One blessing is that I can sit up for hours. No need to constantly shift between sitting and lying down, and I can walk in a slow shuffle out to the shed. Where I discovered a rat has set up residence. The reason for always sitting or lying for an hour was due to pressure points, which are no longer an issue.

Last Laugh

April 2, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: April 2, 2025, another guitarist.
Five years ago today: April 2, 2021, Applegate was easy.
Nine years ago today: April 2, 2017, remember the blaster?
Random years ago today: April 2, 1976, my earliest letter record.

           Is life getting back to a normal pace? Seems like 90 days since any progress. Look at me, watch one rocket launch on TV and I need nine hours sleep. It’s subliminal. Fortified by a breakfast of pork chops and egg on toast, I set out at 10:00AM for my 1:00PM appointment and barely got there on time. Welcome back to Miami, but there is a spot of good news that will have some communities screaming. There are roadside notices that blocking the left lane is illegal, signs that usually mean a crackdown. The law states you just move out of the way if a faster vehicle wants past. The law is not much enforced and you can figure out why. They are handing out $150 dollar fines, at least on the freeways.

           This purposely blurred photo shows my current meds. It’s not as bad as it seems, as many are similar for specific treatment. For example, two are anit-biotics, three are to prevent ulcers or upset tummy, and so on. It is actually only three new meds: tummy anti-ulcer, two anti-biotics, and a treatment against skin infections. That last one played a role in where I am today. Reading the labels, the docs did not like fluid pressures. Relax, as this photo includes my five existing “lifetime” treatments such as anti-diabetic and I did mention the gout preventative. Gout isn’t funny.

           The importance of today is the first of many checkups, this will be ongoing. For the record, it now costs $110 in gasoline for the round trip. My dislike of the grenade is no secret, see addendum for specs. The purpose is to keep fluids away from surgical wounds and they are more careful than ever with my case. I’ve dutifully kept a log and the volume is consistently 23 ml, meaning the docs want the tube left in place, and a trip to checkup every week. Good-bye for now, Tennessee.
           I know how medical is dominating my days, yet there is progress. The $95 pill has an instant effect, along with its terrible moldy taste. It goes to the incision site and creates a slight numbness and tightness, But these are not listed a side effects, so have some healing happening. I record no pain or side-effects except moments of fatigue. Not sleepiness, though certainly a good snooze helps. That is honestly all I have for you this morning.

           While in the Pinecrest library, I called JZ over to look at the number of attempts to access my account. None were successful and most were Google. A surprising number were LinkedIn, a site that was supposed to keep your data secret—but thinks they have a right to the data. They’ve been called out for spyware, which is delivered by MicroSoft via all those fake updates. I warned against the LinkedIn since 2004. Their app was inventorying our hard drives. Since MicroSoft took over, you can presume they are now looking at everything else on your computer.

Picture of the day.
Albanian women’s prison.
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           JZ is planning a trip to Punta Gorda in a few weeks. Good, mind you I see him as cooped up all day, but I know all kinds of people who hole up with a TV and think they are relaxing. He has a shopping bag full of Alaine’s gear, so I volunteered to deliver it. I’ve not seen Alaine in months. It’s too big to take on the bus, which is what he’s planned. Into my van and I took 27 to Moore Haven, then CR 74 into Punta Gorda, the scenic path. Alaine met me half-way, near the church where I got my best chop saw.

           She had time for a bite, myself, no tastebuds. Did I mention it comes and goes. It was too early to celebrate when I did. We stopped at an Italian spot and got stuck an extra half-hour by a Gulf downpour. For me, I chose to sample the Italian wedding soup. I’ve only seen it canned and now I like it. Think of it as minestrone with added mini-meatballs. How nice, as could taste it all for that moment. Sadly, little Gogo is gone, age 15 years. Little tyke was blind, I don’t resolve these things well.

           You’ll find few pics this trip as a persistent light rain kept my camera in its case, so I don’t have the name of the restaurant. It’s next to the pizza place on Rampart and Rio de Janiero. But I have all the non-mainstream trivia you want (but this isn’t a trivia site, ha-ha). It is called wedding soup due to a mis-translation. Nope,nnothing to do with weddings. It is just another of those south of the Alps they eat almost daily. Made with chicken stock, I may learn to like it, imagine, an Italian food with no tomato.
           I left early over my well-known aversion to night driving and just made it home to find, get this, a fatigue attack coupled with insomnia. I got to stay awake for hours enjoying nothing. I’m beginning to fathom how the imbecile-making movement was founded.

ADDENDUM
           The grenade is a proper device, called a Jackson-Pratt Bulb Evacuator. I verify that is what it does because the surgery wounds remain dry. I took a peek on-line and was happier because I see I have the smallest or most minor version.

           The unit is well-designed but designed to get in the way. Still, it does the job of keeping fluid away from any healing site, and for the files, the swelling around my chest stitches is going way down.

Last Laugh

April 1, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: April 1, 2025, good American crud.
Five years ago today: April 1, 2021, on the verge.
Nine years ago today: April 1, 2017, another deadbeat.
Random years ago today: April 1, 1981, Tsawwassen.

           This worked out to the first real day off this year. Stress-free is the major component. Here’s what I found worth recording, there is no goal for it to make any sense. JZ has a new coffee maker—but got one of those models that does no turn off after a couple hours. I never did trust those things. He also listens to Channel 7 news, so, he’s no inkling of the changing values of America. He’s no idea about any of the drastic “pro-right” events and moods. But he does remember as a lad how his dad would gather the family to watch space launches. And there is one later today.

           We visited a new museum, or did we? Firstly, I drove us over to the Pinecrest library, whose staff is about as xenophobic as it gets. They must methodically pore over the books and computer logs for any hints of exposure to any agenda but their own. Right away, JZ and I hit the book sale rack. I found no audiobooks, JZ found an expensive photo book of shipwrecks in the Great Lakes. And bought it. Good, I’ve read all the other books in his place many times over.

           Except this 800 page volume of general topics which has an okay atlas. Okay because it is around 25% biographies of people you never heard of. We could not find a decent map of the Gulf, which has a name change after it passes through the Strait of Hormuz. That waterway averages 60 miles wide, but there are only two lanes. Each two miles wide, one inwardbound, the other outwardbound, with a median, also two miles across.
           It makes for somewhat disjointed convo, since I care not about personalities and JZ knows nothing of the military or economics of the program. For example, the US follows conventions in not recognizing any national sovereignty over that international waterway. Between 12 and 14 tankers sail through in an average day. JZ calls it the “Gulf of Vermouth” and thinks the whole region is really one big secret nation. He could have a valid point, there.

           This picture is a lot of seized cookies, they are fake Oreos. The blog mention is because the way the logo was printed on the dough. It was made on a 3D printer. And represents a new high in meaningful millennial brain-ability.
           JZ mentions there is a military museum just opened up. No address, but last time I was at the railroad exhibit, I saw a poster saying the old cadet barracks was to be painted up. It being just noon, I drove all the way out there against protests the building did not exist. But there are mentions of it in this blog, so I knew the structure was there. The accompanying photo is NOT the same as today, this is an old picture of the way I remember it years ago.

           Did we visit a museum? Yes and no, this place was not a display case of weapons, rather a concept called a “community museum”. The focus was on the local people who served and died in the big wars of the previous century.
           I found the room with a wall display of the Miami medical team and was abraded to find no mention of JZ’s father. This could lead to something because JZ’s place has several awards and certificates of his father’s contributions. JZ and I have, over years, talked of what will happened to all those items when we are gone, so this is a new and possibly significant avenue. There is one award that stands out, it is trimmed in gold foil—I’m saying his dad deserves at least the same recognition as what I saw in that room. It is not my decision, but I informed JZ I would mention it to Alaine. And I got the business card of the head of the museum. I will do nothing without permission

Picture of the day.
Merkur Bingo Hall (London).
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           Tradition, we headed for the County Fair, arriving and 2:00PM to find the place vacant and shut down. We learned from a parking attendant the gates do not open until 4:00PM. What the? Imagine, getting GenXed by Broward Country. No sign at the entrance, all the cones and lanes so no nothing until you drive into the complex. No way I could deal with a two-hour wait, so the vote was we drive to Sedano’s and stock up. If you know what to look for there are real bargains to be had. I got the thin-cut sirloin pork chips with no fat, a party tray of shrimp, and headed back to the condo, where JZ always keeps plenty of rice on hand. It was a feast.

           A late dinner I mean, when we arrived, I once more was hit with fatigue and zonked. I left instructions to wake me up before the satellite launch, scheduled for 6:30PM give or take a NASA hour. What follows is not supposed to make sense, you see, while JZ thinks the crew are “astronauts”, I consider them a pack of jokers on a publicity ride. So, picture this, two old guys, both staring a boring commentators and making better comments ourselves. Example, JZ starts watching the weather map animations showing the wind currents.

           I bet him $15 we could go sit on his balcony for an hour and we would not see a single white arrow in the sky. But that idea got the axe since we could not find any beer in the fridge. However, we later concluded the launch might be a cover up. The rocket was really a missile headed for Teheran. A sneak attack of the most sinister stripe. And that whisp of smoke from the turret was the crew, toking a Cuban cigar in celebration of their free ride on the taxpayer dime.
           Don’t pooh-pooh the logic. Look closely at this picture of the countdown. Big rocket, painted orange to get your attention. Moments after ignition, the whole scene is blanketed with smoke so nobody will notice in the lower right is a near-exact replica of the Pahokee water tower. A clever disguise, indeed.

           I was later to learn Alaine, true to the family tradition, had watched the launch from their back yard. Once it go in the air, it arcs over, which her husband was quick to point out that means it is falling back to Earth on a trajectory toward Iran. See, men know about these things. I’m the one who first noticed once the smoke screen wafted away, the water tower had been replaced by a Styrofoam duplicate.

ADDENDUM
           Club 33. It’s off limits, today I’m referring to the location in Orlando. It is a private club where VIPs and celebrity types can dine in peace. Initiation fees are reportedly $25,000 with annual membership dues of $10,000. I wonder if I’d meet Taylor there, since she has shown a distinct aversion to hopping over to my club, just 40 miles away. This is why keeping my appointments in Miami is important. Time is short and the club waiting list is over ten years long. Even the entrances are hidden from the public. I like the way the tables are twenty feet apart. So the Tay and I can have our intimacies, type of thing.
           I wish I had some of my old-style adventures to report. I know, these days it is books, treatments, and curiosities. I need a 300% improvement just to return to base. The slowdown in lifestyle was inevitable, but I can hope. Did I not just read how Tay has stopped seeing what’s-his-name? Don’t try telling me it is all coincidence. Like the Democrats who categorically swore their election computers were unhackable now saying Trump is planning a steal.

Last Laugh

           This is an Oklahoma City manhole cover. It shows a map of the city, along with a white dot showing where you are. This is either great tourist-industry foresight, or an admission of how badly their DEI policies have gone off the rails. It was used for a blog placeholder, but got 1,421 views, so here it stays. Enjoy.