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DOES NOT represent any average American life-style.
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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.

Amazing action scenes: Infinite (2021).

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A moment of your time.

Can you spare $1 ?

           The price of quality doggie chow has gone out of my range. I try to donate 50 pounds per month of the best, but this time I had to limit July to 36 pounds. Please join me in providing what may be the best meal many of these doggies will ever have.

You may view more at this GoFundMe link:

Each as if my own.

           My suggested donation is $1. A 1/4 cup of coffee in Florida. If each reader today gave $1, I'd reach my goal. In one day. Send me a dollar. You are in very good company here.

September 13, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: September 13, 2025, it’s my presentation.
Five years ago today: September 13, 2021, tummy aches . . .
Nine years ago today: September 13, 2017, watch-out list, guys.
Random years ago today: September 13,2008, I like chewy.
>
           Scrambled eggs and Arduino, the Florida treat for good behavior. I had it on the brain, so I had to crank out the code. It worked first time, if anyone thinks it is easy, try it. The video shows the pin test, but no the “Morse” blink that identifies the program. Why? Because it worked too well. The commands will obey in the setup section, the real test here But, they happen at their own speed, which is too fast for the camera. I suspect the delay command, which stops the processor, has no effect in this part of the code.

           But there you have it, GenX, code that needs no debugging. I really does exist. What the working model would do is turn on and flash the Morse signal one time, then switch to the blue LEDs shown here stepping through six of pins. There are workarounds, for example I pause the Morse by letting the processor count to 5,000 just to slow it down. How was your Sunday morning?

           Then I felt like following up on this code. So I sat here with coffee for the next six hours. Nothing worked. I think that is because the setup mode is rigged to execute as rapidly as possible and ignores all pause commands. I did get it to count to 32,768, but nothing. By mid-afternoon I’m tired so I stopped.            Except, I could not stop. I tried every possible combination in the setup, then pasted the code into the loop to proof it. Funny, it works, but the LED is very dim. I rechecked the code in case I was on a PWM pin, I corrected two non-critical logic errors (one of which should have stopped the compiler but did not), and even rewired the LED to the power ground. So we know it is not the code, rather some idiosyncrasy in the hardware.
           Tampa radio has plenty to say about Trump’s meetings these days. It’s zany-funny because their old antics are not working but it’s all they’ve got. Publishing fake headlines about Trump’s popularity when he’s a rock star everywhere he shows up. Even their specialty, fake polls, is failing them. The Democrats are entering the mid-terms with no agenda or platform except “get Trump”, vote against everything and the impeachment threats have started up again. They better pull something together fast.
           Things could not be worse for them if Trump had planned this all himself. The fakest poll is where they claim immigration is good because the White birth rate is rising again. That’s what happens when you reclassify all immigrants as White. And California is pushing on-line censorship and tracking under the guise of child safety. Crap like a message warning if you’ve been on-line longer than three hours, but they are okay with TV. They want “addictive” sites to require parental consent.
I read the first twenty proposals which have one theme in common. Tight government control of the media. Media’s what is costing the Party the most and what is losing them elections. They still control the mainstream, but there are too many other sources nowadays.

Picture of the day.
Starc machine.
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           Later, I went over the code in such detail that I could have written it again. So, in frustration, I did. I keyed in the entire 3,200 bytes (exactly). Now it works. Ever time the reset button is pushed, the red LED flashes Dash-Dot-Dot-Dot, then the blue LEDs test the pins. Success? Not quite. I had to relocate the red LED because pin 13 twinkles by itself when code is uploading, so I switched to pin 12 and the LED remains very time, for which I have no explanation. But this tells you why I don’t code for a living. Doing it right takes so much brain-thrust you are physically tired at the end.

           And, that 3,200 bytes is a bottleneck. At this moment, every flash is hard-coded and should be placed in a for-loop. That will have to wait until I find out why the LED isn’t full bright. I tend to fall into programming mode and that brings back the A.I. concept. It can be made to work using an array. The sprite (small moving screen icon) has to be a single red LED. The first thing you learn owning an Arduino is flashing an LED is about the only damn thing it can do without a separate power supply for your apparatus. There is no warning sticker.

           Falling asleep in the chair again, I got up too late, another rare day I did not go outside. I read some history, in this case the American army fighting Cornwallis during the revolution. It’s such a Roman classic I’m surprised Cornwallis fell for it. A weak first line than kills a few enemy, then falls back. This encourages the enemy to pursue into broken ground against a stronger second line with skirmishers along the flanks.
           I also did more thinking about the artificial intelligent array. Have I been too focused on the lighting, when the real event is that array. And I don’t have a lot of experience with this type of code. Worse, it is not 3D (at this time), but two arrays that would have to interact for what I want. This is associated with getting commands to work in a novel fashion, and that is the picture shown. This is part of over 1,000 individual photos that had to be edited and cropped to make a 261 frame GIF video that lasts but seconds.

           Next we hear of a Russian lady who “stripped naked” on American Airlines. Videos showed her stripped only to the waist. Hey, it beats any recent Disney movies. Texas has block the muzzie super city, declared some groups as terrorists, and forbids them buying land. All they had to do was run some pigs across it. Trivia: Elon Musk once offered the World Finance Bank $6 billion in food aid on the one condition they make the accounting public. They refused the money.

ADDENDUM
                      Tell you what, you’ve been good so I’ll make a video of the code in operation. There is more to this than the “blinky” demo that I just know somebody will say I copied. Wrong, they have not a single line of code in common, plus keep in mind the rarity of readable blogs about people doing this thing. Nor is it a matter of punching in the code like a computer app. The lights do not just blink, they blink in a precise order and a precise location. For a precise time. (Turns out time is the easiest variable.)

           The goal is to have the device activate, flash a code once (red LED), then begin an infinite loop of six blue LEDs, which is the “working” part of any Arduino program. This loop has to be avoided and the code flash occur only one and only after the reset button is pushed. IRL the button would be triggered by some external event, probably a sensor. And the loop would perform something hopefully more useful.

           Watch closely with the following in mind. The Arduino will flash some lights of it’s own on startup. Also, digital cameras are over-sensitive to LED color wavelengths and you will get some glare. Then the reset is pressed, you can see a red LED flash the code LONG-SHORT-SHORT-SHORT, which is either the ASCII code for “8” or the Morse code for “B”. This is why you may hear me shorthand the code as “Morse” even though there are only 11 letters possible with four blips. There is a separate lookup chart to list which sketch this represents.
           It is tricky to see, but the six blue LEDs blink a sequence and a cycle that repeats twice in this video. It will do so as long as there is power, just take my word because videos like this are difficult to make. The LEDs are very close together to match the pin sizes, to make any changes means moving all the wiring, or re-writing all the code.
           The significance of this [successful] sketch is the Arduino design is similar to COBOL in having a “declaration” section (called SETUP) which is intended to set pin modes and other parameters. I have never seen this used for code operations of this style, but don’t worry, Elliott and Billy-Bill, I don’t think I am the first. But I did it before anybody you know, ha-ha. (In fact, I think almost the opposite, that everybody ahead of me had plenty of opportunities to do all this stuff, but are a disspointment to the world because they didn't.)

Last Laugh

September 12, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: September 12, 2025, a trip to Miami.
Five years ago today: September 12, 2021, a generic day.
Nine years ago today: September 12, 2017, utter.
Random years ago today: September 12, 201x, early Arduino.

           It should not take 3-1/2 hours to hit the bank and pick up some groceries, unless in the Florida furnace, you maximum speed is DMV. The trip did include a stop for the doggie chow and some used paint. Today you get pictures of almost everyting. And we have another varmint raiding the kitchen and he’s smart enough to avoid the live traps. That seals his fate. I stocked up on coffee and veggies, we have $25 left until Monday. But the nice thing about home ownership is you don’t bleed as much money standing still.

>           I follow military developments without much regard to who is right or wrong. The destruction of the Hezbollah underground tunnel complex registered 4.1 on the Richter scale. This destroys twenty years of digging and stockpiling weapons, evidence to me a big attack was planned. The tunnels were said to be almost 1-1/2 miles and cut into a bomb-proof ridge. That must have cost a pretty penny. The IDF reports finding stockpiles of drones and rockets.
           That’s pictures I would like to see, as the IDF can hardly be trusted by anyone. Instead, here’s a picture of a $15 bottle of vanilla flavoring. What? How do you make something like that cost so much? Simple, look closely, it is “Harry Potter” brand.

           Later, it was rainy so I found and posted several old blogs from 1984. The way computers are designed, and few of us could have known this 40 years ago, the files are very difficult to enter. I will require two computers in tandem. Oddly, older computers were better at this, but I understand the current MicroSoft mentality. They don’t build computers for people who need to know where their files are. Only fapper computers. If you really need a file, MicroSoft will find it for you. Type of thing.
           I also dug out my oldest Arduino, an UNO with the oldest timing crystal I’ve ever used (see arrow). And it was still wired up. But we know long since there is no way to tell what is on the chip. It was wired to the 7-segments seen here, I just ripped them out. Does this old unit still even work. We shall see, but I doubt I even still have whatever sketches were uploaded since something like 2014.

           Later, the card activates, but will not recognize any of the COM ports. Damn you, MicroSoft. I’m checking for virtual ports now. Moments later, got it. Port 14. It is working at a basic level, flashing an LED. The board has a built-in LED on pin 13, but I see I rigged up a brighter blue LED, something I general use to mean a pilot light. My programming since so long ago is long past the blinky stage. For now, I’m designing a quick sketch for something I meant to test back then. See, it’s coming back to me.
           A survey of books and on-line travel tips reveals that 92% of the advice is about avoiding certain colors of people.

Picture of the day.
Swiss highway system.
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           We are broke. Tennessee made a withdrawal on the 28th, probably legal fees, and I didn’t get the memo. No problem, I’ve got fifty things to keep me busy that cost zero. One of them is a reawakened interest in that 3D printer sitting in the shed. I will make room, for now I know of many projects I will never complete now. Out they go, something I’ve best get moving on, as I got the news that Bonnie Tyler died today. I only recall her one song, “It’s a Heartache” because, though I’ve never had it on my list, I’ve played it some fifty years and it’s a reminder of my own age. And reminds me of Bill Tronnes, who thought it the best song ever.

           I got to the recycle a bit late and scored barely enough stain for a few projects, but one is this tin of “weathered oak”. I’ve used enough product now to learn what I don’t like, so let’s hope this is a good one. I don’t care for any maple colors. I also found enough parts from the Kobalt compressor, the one that didn’t last worth a shit, that maybe I can rig up something 50 PSI to a basic sprayer. You see, I also checked the prices on the canned poly. Ouch, and it isn’t even brand Harry Potter.

           No work on the doorbell, but a problem appears. I measured the transformer with the el-cheapo multimeter and got 15 VDC. Meh, that’s a bad 12VDC reading, I figured. But turns out it is 24VDC. Twice the power of the coil. I will install a 3300Ω 2Watt, if that heats up, I have some 5Watt in the shed. To get the doorbell mounted, I had to bring out the long drill. That’s pronounced “the lo-o-o-ong drill”, shown here. This is private stock, for company officers only. No touch. What’s it for? To get a pilot hole through two back-to-back 4” fence posts. And stubborn bedroom walls.
           Before continuing, let me get the bass and play that Tyler tune. And I’ll describe the Arduino sketch I plan to test. The bulk of the code is normally in a loop that continues as long as there is power. But there’s a small setup section that runs once, I’d like to devise some way to signal what is on the chip, even if I resort to Morse code. At this time, I do not know if loop commands will even execute in the setup mode.

           It’s early, I’ll tell you what I have planned on that. The Arduino memory is limited, so I diagrammed a way four bits can flash 14 unique codes of long or short flashes. Why not 16? Because I don’t want any sequence of all the same length, each must be a combination of each flash. And, 14 codes is determined to exceed anything I have planned. The trick is getting this to occupy as few memory locations as possible. Of course, it is zeroes and ones, I used L and S just to plan the sequences.
           When the Arduino powers up, a few lights flash. I would add a pattern according to which sketch (program or code) was uploaded. This would require a separate listing, a lookup table, but it is better than nothing. And who do we know that already looks things up in tables. Anyway, here is the matrix of the 14 possible sequences. This could be expanded to five easily, and I’ve entity.

           At 9:00PM I zipped over to the old club in Bartow. It was busy, but a crowd where I recognized no one. That’s not 100% true, I did hear the screech owl ladies. Who didn’t hear them? There was Karaoke, but why bother with that bunch. Josh was on duty, so we know some facts. As predicted, the veternaran who is making a killing at Kooters is the only sincere offer. And he will need somebody to manage the place Good luck, the last manager ran off their local folloing and it will take five years of doing it right to get them back.

           The usual arrangement is a flat monthly lease and a cut of the profits. Then I find out something. The place has two liquor licenses. Beer and wine. And hard liquor. Don’t quote me, but it seems the liquor license is not directly sellable. Each change of management or ownership is independently reviewed. At this time, the answer is apparently “no”, without which the place won’t fly. I knew the “lease” was $1400 per month, I think, That’s selling a lot of beer and wine to break even.
           My advice is stand back and watch. Let somebody else take the dive and fail. My guess is some city outfit will again try to make it into a club. If they raise the prices even 25 ȼ they risk losing the three customers they have left.

ADDENDUM
           Some health issues, I promised to keep records on the inevitable decline, and once again it is items triggered by the hospital. This is day 226, meaning to get back to par by now, I’ll need miraculous mending. That is not going to happen. The last 48 hours brought both gout and arthritis pains. How do I know it’s from the anesthetic? By the location and intensity. I was in intensive care a long time and there is no mistaking the timing.
           My diet remains sparse, but I did change a few things to items easier to prepare. Generally I feel lighter on my feet, but that is offset by the energy drain required to stand up any more. I used to regard home as a comfort zone convenience. Now, sometimes out there I just wish I could quit what I’m doing and head home for the day. This is very new for me. I’m again tracking gas mileage and I ran over by 53 miles last month.
           One of my staples in onions and the nice ones are now $2 a pound. I got fooled by tomato prices, a low-level millennial scam. Two identical bins, identical packaging. One bag was $2.27, the other one was $2.27 per pound. At least they were organic. And not Harry Potter. Don’t hit me!

Last Laugh

September 11, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: September 11, 2025, get out of Miami.
Five years ago today: September 11, 2021, the guitarist.
Nine years ago today: September 11, 2017, actually, I do play it.
Random years ago today: September 11, 2009, the shoemaker.

           This is the Day of the Doorbell. Not many blogs pay tribute to this wonderful invention, so unappreciated. Now, just because a doorbell works on the shop bench, doesn’t mean it passes muster. With robot club thoroughness, the unit must pass a series of field tests. Shown here is the temporary wiring to the existing circuit. You see exposed wiring because the system uses a AC to DC transformer positioned behind the wall that derives power from the same box as the kitchen light switches. This test worked perfectly.

           While this is going on, I make extra pancakes for the cardinals, it’s a rainy day. I was on-line scrapping with some dude who maintains he was born poor and “worked” his way out of it. Of course that’s bull-donkey, it simply means he was not poor. He takes exception and says it means I did not work hard. Gosh, what if he is right and I should take measures to apply myself. No, folks, if you are really poor, there is no working your way out.
Once you hit half-way, 35 years old, and you are still poor despite every effort, there is no room left for theory. If I had stayed at the phone company, I would not be making $180.000 per year, assuming I kept my old            position. But that would have meant an empty and meaningless life. I hate to say it, but the trick is knowing when to quit. Put another way, to learn to think like them without becoming one of them.

           On the same site, I was amused by the crowd that claims Taylor is a tranny who cannot sing. On they go how she has an Adam’s apple and “knocked up” her high school girlfriend. Now they are on about how the dissenting juror in the Clancy case was a black man, but I don’t see how they got that information.

Picture of the day.
Near Quitaque, TX
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           By late evening last, my spreadsheet tests steered to some grim conclusions. See addendum. The Internet is saturated, it exists as a mercantile entity in the narrow sense that every gain is now associated with somebody else’s loss. Matters like innovation, hard work, and quality have become secondary to carving up the pie. Everybody I deal with in business these days has this attitude, constantly trying to make sure if they screw up, you got to pay for it. One of the worst is the music recording industry. The industry is probably fine, but it has been taken over by spineless bad operators. In other words, business is no longer done “The American Way”, but has degenerated to Third World gouging.

           Next, the Reb called and we have decided to give the studio one more go. After that, they are jerking us around and you will get the report. They have tacked on a host of sub-conditions that were not part of the original negotiations. Now they want money for something I know we could do ourselves for far cheaper. There is also the aspect that meeting these surprise conditions has caused us a lot of expense on their say-so and it simply has to end somewhere.

           Let’s get back to today’s main event. The doorbell is receiving its hard wiring in this photo. I’ve decided to run the wiring through the attic. This ambitious plan has me climbing into the attic sometime this weekend, if not sooner. For unknown reasons, all the attic light bulbs are burned out, so add that chore. See that yellow bell? The date on it is 2014. I knew I kept it all these years for a good reason.
           The final wiring will be exposed along the upper bedroom wall, so I thought why not drill the needed hole while I have the 18V drill in the house from the fence repair. I like the shed, but it is 60 feet away. I have a nice stepping stool, then uh-oh. Gang, I did not have arthritis before that hospital stay. Well, that’s not strictly true, I was told I had touch years ago. But in the absence of pain, it was not an issue. Then I tried to step up onto the stool.

ADDENDUM
           We have a problem, and most people have an even bigger problem. My goal of 7% investing is also a breakeven point in the long run. The formulas I used forty years ago when most folks had never heard of a spreadsheet are just as valid today. At 7% inflation, your income will drop in half over the next ten years. My opinion is one best get something off the ground now, before everybody else comes to the same conclusion. This familiar territory for me, I’ve seen how every time the economy shrinks, the guitar players start appearing.
           Failure is always an option, in fact, let me expand on something most of the world won’t tell you. The reason most rich people look at money differently has a simple reason—they did not earn it. That is why most of them are so leery, cautious, and suspicious when it comes to money. Because they know if they lose any of it, they do not have the wherewithal to get it back. When I met JZ, he would not leave the city limits without $1,000 cash on hand.

           There is a parallel attitude that gets half-explained at best. It is called the “Suvivorship Syndrome”, the attitude of someone who is successful that anybody can do it. This is simply not true. Like the rich kid who did not earn his money, the successful person almost always had more help and luck than they would ever admit. So, what is the other half of the explanation?            I start by pointing out that it is fine and dandy for people like Edison, Ford, and such to ladle out advice about failure. But in reality, most of what they did came after initial good fortune. Most people do not have a fully-equipped laboratory or factory which can absorb the conditions and losses of repeated failures. That is the other side of the coin, the part they are not telling you. Failure has other costs, including social, emotional, and intellectual losses that must be compensated for.
           It is easy for people who can absorb such losses to make broad statements about learning from failure. You know what most people learn? To play it safe and never try again.

Last Laugh

September 10, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: September 10, 2025, $12 a pound.
Five years ago today: September 10, 2021, I liked that tree.
Nine years ago today: September 10, 2017, the dreaded Folger’s
Random years ago today: September 10, 2015, of excellent quality.

           Another slow day pending, I’m not starting up well this morning but I got a reprieve from Mrs. Red. It turns out she also likes cookie and cracker crumbs and I scrounged just enough in the freezer. Yes, keep you open bags in the freezer if there is room. Or Florida will get you. I had scheduled a documentary on the Great Dismal Swamp. It’s peat bog young George Washington once surveyed. I wanted facts on how they have brought it back after draining it so bad it caught fire. What a disappointment half the narrative the same old. VIDEO HAS SOUND!

           It was a droning millennial spiel about slaves, old Indians, and climate change. It irks me further that this crap is churned out with your tax dollars. I’m crawling back in the sack, talk to you later. What? It is later already? And I have news that I can’t say, but I’ll sure describe the scenario. To start, here is a video of my DIY doorbell. I eliminated the trip switch, reasoning that whoever presses the button isn’t going to stand there holding it. The bell only needs to ring once to get my attention. If they hold the button anyway, it will ring as shown in this video, it has sound.
           Yep, that is my salt shaker in the background, and some other junk. This is my work counter and oft-times breakfast table. I am a morning person, though the latest variation is how I crawl back in the sack till past eight. And the coil in that video is from the old electric nailer that went on the blink.

           This is a fine situation, I have news that makes my day, but I can’t share it. So I’ll describe a hypothetical parallel. Whenever you try to get ahead, there will be people who appear out of nowhere to trip you up. For no reason or gain, they hate you. We have one and she is a 4F (fat, female, forty, flatulent) so I don’t like her. But that just means I don’t associate with her. However, the Reb does not recognize as many varieties of losers as I do. Well, I have some news.
           The 4F just went off the deep end. Causing a big scene, turning over tables, and barely avoiding arrest. We just heard about it because, funny thing, our lawyer in California was at the same event. He won’t say anything much except in person, which will be a few days. The more serious this is, the happier I am. I have no qualms gloating when self-appointed enemies get their due. I promise you the details when it is over.

           In celebration, I wired the Reb a handful of cash to go out on the town. Chooks and Lillie get steak or lamb tonight. Myself, I’m going out to the shed just because. First, I’m going to play bass a bit. Up to ten years ago, I grabbed the bass and played, I did not need to limber up. That’s changed. Five years back I did need to warm up or I’d miss notes or not quite get some riffs. Now, I need to prep [a few minutes] and even then, I’m not what I was. Missing notes is worst. It’s sad what the ravages of time have done to this old paper boy.
           Just a few hours later, there is more news. Caution, this is fourth-hand information. The 4F has proven a master at playing the victim. Her angle was “poor innocent me”. This blows her cover. Innocents don’t upset the furniture. What makes me most happy is that the 4F figured she was immune from consequences, but some smart aleck set her up. That is all for now.

Picture of the day.
Simple black leggings.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Buoyed up with the rare good news, I was three great hours in the shed. Nothing outside today but desert bugs. The shed design has two large doors to swing open, one on the northwest the other southeast. This allows the prevailing wind through. The path up to the north is in complete shade from my wind corridor and the church. The air is already cooled by the time it enters and this effect is enough that one fan is all that’s needed to keep each room just cool enough. So I made up some boxes and small shelves.

           The largest size, the K-box, is not a proven design. So I made one up to test what can go wrong and to make sure my existing tools and jigs will suffice. It appears they can, but the longer pieces cannot be cut even a few hours in advance or the shorter pieces will cup. I’ve learned how to clamp them into place but the extra time pares off value. I was what you’d call jubilant over the news but this is psychological. My health is still a balancing act.

           [Author’s note: these are the first two pre-production boxes that have no designated purpose yet. One has thumb holes, neither have any finishing, not even a light sanding. These soak up too much stain even when it is free, up to eight times as much as the now-standard fake box.
           These are the K-box, which are not slapped together. They must still follow the rules to come out looking like this. For example, they are each from a single picket, an important consideration stemming from differences in lumber dimensions.]

           Because talking to Howie earlier, I notice four of my side fence pickets had pulled away from the rails. This is maybe a four minute job, I walked to the shed, grabbed a drill and four screws, and the pickets are back in shape. I’d been standing still for a while, then fixed that fence and the activity was enough to drain me. Yes, my system is that hair-trigger and I had to stop completely except to shuffle back into the cabin for a snooze. Is this my destiny?

           I’m back with zero energy, let’s check the news. A mosque burns down in Texas. After the protest in Dover, the British government banned the balaclava (ski mask). So the protestors switched to the burkha. Maybe the Brits got some balls left, after all? DOGE is still around and has exposed Chelsea Clinton received $82 million in tax-free government grants. A black couple whose son was killed by another black driving a U-Haul at 100 mph has sued U-Haul. They claim U-Haul was responsible for the truck going so fast.

           Hours later, I’m still weary, but not sleepy. A short time ago, I read about the Knights defending Malta, today I learn Mel Gibson is making it a movie. That cannot be done accurately without revealing it is Whites against non-Whites and the Knights are known to each kill as many as twenty Turks.

ADDENDUM

           I’ve never seen the movie “Red Planet” uninterrupted. It’s the worn out theme of humanity fleeing pollution, but again the cast is more about diversity than talent. Like the way the spaceship showers are translucent glass or the commander saying pretend I’m your sister. Lady, I can’t. My sisters were once virgins. But, I like the special effects, so I’m watching it.
           Another lame production are the government videos about research along the Nazca Plate, the seamount off the coast of Chile that got my attention last day. What useless crap, the area is not undiscovered, it is unexplored because like that part of the world, there is so little there to be bothered with. Okay, so they discovered new species. Of slugs, worms, and bottom-feeders. They could metaphorically do the same in Minnesota. All the narrators have stereotypical accents. Very little science is presented in these disgusting propaganda pieces. Full of token Hindus, Asiatics, Semites, Aboriginals, and mixed-breeds gaslighting the entire storyline.

           Later, I have seen the ending of the “Red Planet, so I turned It off. Instead, I finished the DIY doorbell. Here it is without the wiring, but in working condition. With some decoration, laser-provided. The printing is a generic robot club tag and a small plaque informing the reader that this design has won "0" awards to date.

Last Laugh

September 9, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: September 9, 2025, $12 a pound.
Five years ago today: September 9, 2021, Biden’s “six-prong”.
Nine years ago today: September 9, 2017, I finally moved.
Random years ago today: September 9, 2011, early wifi piracy.

           Whoa, Nellie, the real-feel out there is 104° and I was downtown for an hour. Today is one of the Florida scorchers you hear about. Knowing better than to brave it, I’m back home under the A/C and treating myself to Oscar Meyer cheese stuffed hot dogs. Beyond that I have little to report unless I go outside and make a video for you. I do have to fill the birdfeeder or catch it before the sun sets. Any other events? Yes, I mailed a letter to JZ concerning our convo about his balcony as work space and having missed the Reb’s b’day, sent her present by ATM.

           That balcony is on the top floor, corner unit, and he could easily store inventory (his only neighbor is blind). The trees are mature and tower over the space, so it is shady. There is a partial view from across the way, but those overpriced condos have been vacant for 15 years. The area is under the building eaves and is sixteen feet long. Like most Florida balconies, it has never been used as one. To hot, even in the winter.
           Here is today’s batch of iced tea in the making. Everything is melting, the A/C in the van could not keep up unless I was moving. And it’s too damn hot to recharge it, can’t get near the metal on the body without a blanket, which is not an item kept handy in this weather. Why, did you think I operated some kind of fancy tea maker over here. Folks, you are lucky I don’t make it in the bathtub.

           My property taxes, mostly for what passes in our miserable times as education, are up by 11%, something that is supposed to be prohibited in Florida. I checked while downtown and as usual, the increase was slipped right under the noses of the most affected due to their ingrained complacency. They complain, but scoff anybody who tries to organize as a troublemaker. And vote for whoever they voted for last time who increased the taxes.

           News arrives of a massive Canadian government coverup of vaccine deaths in their armed forces. Many soldiers testifying under oath they were discharged for mental health reasons when they developed myocarditis. Turns out Ottawa was also buying Chinese steel and selling it as Canadian to abet China avoiding tariffs.

           Here’s a treat from the blog that dares, the clip of a Mystery Meal. Hey, these nothing videos are just as much effort as the fancy tales—plus with the blog you always get an explanation of what makes such videos into valid history. In this case, it is Mrs. Red. I won’t tame but she has long since associated my presence in the yard as food. She has learned to perch by the side door and she has become as fussy as any hen about meal time.
           One item they love is oatmeal flakes. I had this canister in the cupboard. Look how the Florida varmints stripped away the label trying to get to the grub while I was in the hospital. So today I go to get them their treat and it is breadcrumbs. I am about to get chewed out all morning until I get in the van and make the shopping trip. Until then, I’m in deep doo-doo. The kind that splatters.

Picture of the day.
Iceberg Alley
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           The big news this afternoon is it didn’t rain. Sorry, partners, but I’m way back at maybe 38% and you have my word that is mighty low ebb. I missed feeding time and Mrs. Red let me know. I hauled my arse out there. Once I got moving around, I ran off a couple of boxes, which included the new L-box. Those have potential, but require a full picket each, with just enough left over for a square box, which I have not decided any use for yet.

           By then it was sprinkling and overcast, which makes the shed roof radiate less. But suffer that 73% or 74%% humidity, you cannot escape from that. Still, that’s more boxes than most of Florida managed today, so I am now inside running the laser and thanking myself for making all that extra iced tea last evening.

           This is a test of burning logos with different font sizes. It says “Valdosta Lemons” because that meaningless phrase popped into my head. The differing fonts can be made into a group with the Word tools, but then they cannot be adjusted for slight variations. Example would be a knot in the say. It’s frequent enough that it is better do what I’m doing, which is get good at eye-balling the steps. There is a goal, which is one day learning how to burn in layers. It is probably fairly straightforward, but the instructions are dreadfully awful and for a different model of laser.
           My unit used the CutLabX software, which you have to watch or it will do auto-uploads that mess you up. Some uploads still get through and they have unexplained titles like “Vincent Figures”, which I thought was a video game. I opened it and it is an A.I. image generator asking for a description. So I pug in “blonde man playing electric bass”. It demanded virtual currency so I closed it. Samples should always be free.

           I was so cooped up all day, I spend a half hour reading Table 249. This is the nautical “slang” reference to Sight Reduction Tables. I’ve practiced some with them, but this time I wanted a serious hard look. I spotted several patterns but I’m still not comfortable with the process without a guidebook. Plus, there are different versions and methods. I can only “shoot” the Sun, though I’m somewhat current on the workings of stars. You will not find me outside in Florida at night looking at the sky. It’s mainly mosquitoes and better things to do.
           This next video. You can ignore. It is just my record of the bad hinge cut. It seems the chisel does not like to “cut with the grain”. But even so, I am doing something wrong and this is part of the correction attempt.

ADDENDUM
           Obama has received a court order he has to return the $30 million he made off Obamacare royalties. Plus interest. It would be curious to see if he does, but either way, the people forced to pay it will never see a nickel. I was going to say a cent, but you know.

Last Laugh

September 8, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: September 8, 2025, automatically crooks.
Five years ago today: September 8, 2021, you still owe the taxes.
Nine years ago today: September 8, 2017, into the future.
Random years ago today: September 8, 2008, printer billing software.

           Caltier trounces everything else this morning, but I won’t part with any info gleaned from a 34 minute conversation earlier. Instead, let me recap. I know the real estate rental business, that’s why I know you need three properties to make money. I researched for two years for I was checking two things. One, a fractional real estate investment, and two, how does this on-line investing work? I was done taking anybody else’s word for it.

           Caltier was chosen over a short list of five companies, and the exception was I wanted something already five years in operation. Caltier was just under three years, but I understood the business model. Buy one anchor property outright and run your affairs (and risks) on that income. They bought others since, but the 90% occupancy rate means the rent should handily cover the mortgage and operating costs. It is one of the simplest calculations you do before buying property. And today, Caltier is collecting rents on some 1,400 units.
           Before continuing, the only pics this morning are last week’s. I didn’t hit the doggie pound on the weekend but the chow is in the van. Yikes that is getting expensive. These are some “laser blocks”, some handy spacers to get the beam in focus in a hurry and also to keep the base from wobbling as the relatively heavy cartridge shifts around. Inside, it is totally printer technology.

           I based some assumptions on Caltier’s blog, which gives enough general terms that I can fill in the blanks. They are feeling a big cash pinch due to inflation—but I did not think my redemption was material enough to move the needle. It is. To placate us, the head guy says yes, we get it as a refund, not a redemption. Fine, they don’t want to se a precedent. So, they are strapped for cash. We learned of two refinancing options, but there are two more. One is to dump a property for enough cash to keep sailing. The fourth is a backup-backup dire straits option, selling at a loss.
           There has also been an obvious change of personnel that was never stressed in the company media. The guy left holding the bag is not as seasoned in real estate as I am, but he has to deal with far bigger numbers. To me, that is not important, since that is a jam nobody else can get oneself into. I’ll stop there, as I still believe the company is on to a good thing, but that now is the time to haul in the reins and quit taking any risks at all. Be the one left standing.

           One thing is beyond certain over at Caltier, however. It is that we know as much about running that business as they do. I was a landlord at 23 years old. Now is the time to focus on paying off the mortgages selectively. No more expansion except out of hard money.

           The other picture is something getting common around here. It s an excellent wooden box that got lost in the shuffle. What was this for? Why isn’t it stained? That reminds me, my stain consumption is up 9x. The dunking makes excellent finishes but I need all the stain I can scrounge. Why was this box lost for so long? It was plainly extra-well made for something but was behind the sander since at least last year. I will stain it, since it is way to nice to just put back on the shelf.

Picture of the day.
Latest new species.
(about 900 miles west of Chile.)
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           According to foreigners, including Brits, the hardest words to pronounce with an American accent are “squirrel”, “quarter”, and “particularly”. As my traditional year end, October 31, nears, the “books” let me plan, ponder, and reflect. This is a lost year. For most of it, I couldn’t do a thing and my dog forgot who I was. I once planned to write many more letters once I retired, but I’m pretty much the only one left. I found a good woman but she never found me. If my core energy never returns, and right now that is uncomfortably possible, I might as well build boxes. Maybe even build my own? I have built caskets before, you know.

           There are no investments left that have time to cycle before I’m gone. Since Florida, I have spent more hours looking for a guitar player than on stage. If I won the lottery today, I could not truly enjoy it. Another year on my already restrictive diet has given no weight loss. Did I mention feedback from the hospital is that I was a “superb” patient on the table, so they took extra time to make everything right. Did I talk under anesthetic? Apparently not, so gals, your secret is safe with me.
           My place is a shambles. The kitchen floor is still plywood, I have two broken air conditioners, and the attic fan conked out months ago. I’m certain a lot more will come up short in the next six weeks. I was downtown today, but could not find my my favorite coffees. Stock-outs were once unheard of in America. I got sme red-hot bird fee, the small back is not $15, but feeding these particularly hungry squirrels cost more that a quarter, let me tell you.

           I did find a place that sells shaft couplers, but they are the wrong kind. These turn out to be difficult to source locally, I cannot even find hollow tubing to make my own. The sample show above retails for $15. I prefer the style with a pin, but have never seen any for sale. Last Sunday, the world barely noticed news out of Japan, where they have just invented a potential replacement for “the most important metal in the last 10,000 years”, namely copper. There’s 50 pounds of it in your car and a data center needs 50,000 tons. Not pounds, tons.

           This demand rose out of nowhere three years to with the emergence of A.I. Nobody will be opening new copper mines quickly. Enter the old nanotube from the 1990s along with the problem that it cannot be made into long wires. The answer appears to be somehow fusing the nanotubes with aluminum, which is brittle by itself. But that is all I have for you because the Japanese government has declared the technology locked down. It beats copper for weight, conductivity, strength, and pretty much everything that counts—except how to make it into wire. For now.

           Festus got shot this week. It was a good episode, if lacking the “western” theme so beloved. Some army deserter grabs a hostage while Matt is out of town (again) and Doc winds up shooting the bad guy. Other than Kitty, all the women this time portrayed housewives and mothers, dang. They usually chose them better-looking back in the good old days. And with a far higher proportion of authentic blondes.
           A vacant lot in the Faroe Islands now costs $60,000 USD.

ADDENDUM
           So Done, it is an interesting A.I. application, at least to me. You see, I have always supported reform of defamation law, making it far easier to sue without having to prove damages. The way it works now is unless you are a media figure or millionaire, it is extremely difficult. How can a ditch-digger prove he lost anything when he is falsely called a nasty name? There is another aspect that needs changing, At this time, the truth is not valid defense. That is, it is illegal to harm anyone by telling the truth—unless you are a newspaper (etc) but that is a different animal.
           I’m an advocate of “prescribed damages”. If someone falsely calls you faggot, you can collect $10,000 without proving any damages. Make the $20,000 if posted on-line. I said “falsely”. Their only defense would be to prove, at their own expense, that the defamation is true. I’ve also proposed another partial defense. If the plaintiff can show where they got the false information, their fine is halved and added on to the source.
           I’m also of the opinion that most vicious rumors stem from the same 1% or 2% of the population, and they need to be severely punished.

Last Laugh

September 7, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: September 7, 2025, bars disguised as restaurants.
Five years ago today: September 7, 2021, Canadian sentiments?
Nine years ago today: September 7, 2017, yep, both doors.
Random years ago today: September 7, 2018, I still have that cart.

           A slow day, in fact, too slow. I’m losing strength, nothing to panic over at the moment, but I am very keen on this factor. This is the first stretch [ten days] were I’ve progressively gone backwards, I was adequately coached on all else, but not what to do about this. By day 221, I should be rapidly gaining. Put another way, 5304 hours of recovery time and I’m not half-way well yet. So, if the blog goes off-air for a month, you’ll know. It’s a habit after 30 years so it is unlikely I’ll leave it that long by intention.

           The brain, however, is functional and I spent this stormy Monday soldering and wiring. I’m dangerously low on coffee. Here is a circuit made from dollar store toys. The batteries are just ganged together to supply 3, 6, or 9 volts. I kick myself for not discovering that laser years ago, but I do have nice printing that is often mistaken for store-bought. It really gets me thinking about that beautiful 3D printer gathering dust in the shed.

           We are at the height of a potential September coffee crisis. This is what I’m down to. One each of Columbian, French Roast, Classic Roast, and Homestead. Yes, it is top story today, no coffee, no blog. In a pinch, I have plenty of tea but anybody who once worked the hours I had to knows it isn’t the same. I had some chores but the sky was moody all day so I didn’t start anything. Then, it didn’t rain until 4:00PM. So, I watched some documentaries on Operation Opera, the bombing of Saddam’s nuclear reactor. This was a horrific and shameful bit of history that is barely mentioned in the [on-line] telling, which focuses mainly on the machinery.
           In fact, the French sold an Arab dictator a breeder reactor, trying to pass it off as research. They also unloaded 7,000 Renault cars that otherwise would have rusted away from lack of demand. It is a sordid tale of French duplicity, but equally of horrid Israeli assassinations. I’m no fan of Israel (due to their underhandedness, not their politics) but I have to admire the precision and thoroughness of that bombing raid.

           Since I first heard of the conflict when I was a kid, the Six Day War, I never had any doubt the Arabs, if they had a nuclear weapon, would use it immediately. Iraq could not hit Israeli cities directly back in the 80s, but they could supply Iran with everything they needed. I recall being fascinated how the IAF grabbed a bunch of fighter jets that had been bought (and paid for) by the Shah, and used them as bombers.
           This is my original study, military hardware. I do not know how the IAF put tons of bombs under the wings (this is not so simple, the airflow is different), nor do I believe their version of how they flew to Baghdad and back. Nor can I agree with Mossad agents killing scientists in hotel rooms and driving over prostitutes. But militarily, the timing was fantastic. Two strokes of pure luck on the mission was the unknown reason the Iraqi radar operators shut down that Sunday morning for no apparent reason.
           And two, the jets were flying 100 feet off the surface and somehow managed to fly right over Saddam’s private yacht. It is rumored the first warning of the attack was when he realized they were Israeli jets and telephoned his brother.

Picture of the day.
Recycled aircraft carrier, A.I.
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           Low on everything, I baked the last of the corn muffins in the cupboard. It’s not my favorite, but we shall quickly learn if the birdies like them. Such a fuss they made over the crumbs had them scolding me outside the picture window. Wary of taming them too much, they have learned to associate me with feeding time. Here is a failed experiment, This one, I’ll explain but I have not yet got it working.

           It’s an easy concept. Batteries connected in series add their voltages, when in parallel they add their amperes. These are in series, you can see three packs of two batteries each. All these circuit does is place a red LED above each pack, so you can see which pack is switched on. In theory, this should give me three 3 volt supplies, which I can switch to 6 volts and 9 volts by using the switches. Except, it does not work. Somehow, the DC voltage at each stage is “pushing back” on the others.

           Mind you, I’m learning something. The lights get dimmer at the same voltage, so something is wired wrong. I stopped work at nightfall, as tired as I’ve every been. Something is out of whack and I am bound by my own commitment to document what’s happening. The slight headaches for no reason have also returned and occasional pain in the lower right abdomen. Turns out to get my new Medicare card, it must be on-line with a account that has a phone number.
           I would not rate this a productive day.

           After y’days rather popular mention of how to check on how many times your data privacy has been breached, I have another treat for you. For those people who have nothing to hide, it must be a comfort that all of it is on file in case they ever need it. How often has your vehicle been flocked? Mine? Never. Of all my vehicles ever, not one has been searched on the Flock database. Some cautions are in order, however.
           First, Flock is a private company with no law says they have to tell you everything. But recent public pressure has caused them to post their files since 2021. Mind you, they are some 200 days late with a promised update, which they announced only to ward off a pending court case. Also, they have conveniently lost their older records where the bulk of identities were logged. Their current tracking is based on vehicles, not identity.
           Go to haveibeenflocked and have a ‘boo at the extensive information being tracked. As with most millennial/XYZ iinvasions of privacy, if you are tracked, it is on file permanently (nothing digital is ever totally deleted). But finding nothing does not mean you have not been traced. If you do search and are asked for a reason, be sure to put “training”. You might get a heads-up looking at the other reasons [given for these searches]. The police fascination with prostitution is absolutely nothing new.

           As of today, each search costs the police $74.92 and Flock charges them $1.8 billion per year (around $150 million per month) for use of the system. The power-user seems to be the Joliet, IL Police Department, with searches happening 24/7. And the narcotics capital of Florida, for drug inquiries, is Pasco County. That’s the area north of Tampa, where Land-‘O’-Lakes is situated. That’s the outfit that got rid of the Indian, kept the land.

Last Laugh

September 6, 2026

° Yesteryear
One year ago today: September 6, 2025, my last spending spree.
Five years ago today: September 6, 2021, first shelves, then boxes.
Nine years ago today: September 6, 2017, tales of the Argus.
Random years ago today: September 6, 2010, Remember the witch?

           Trivia, did you know a front lawn was originally a status symbol? It’s from England and was a sign you were affluent enough that you did not have to grow your own vegetables in the yard. Who’ll be the first noise-maker this morning? Nothing by mid-morning, so I put another set of hinges on a box made from recycled drawer-panels. Again, I say there is something about that wood that causes problems. I have experience with hinges, but this set was a mess. Here’s some history for you, two of my youthful misperceptions about women. I was never much into the home-spun lifestyle, but I grew up surrounded by it.

           First, the big lie, that girls are sugar and spice. I would have been a much naughtier kid, but I believed the then-popular bullshit that if you “got caught” with a girl, you had to marry her. This caused me to waste much effort over not getting caught. And y’know, I was right. Those girls were a good time but there was not one, even today, that I would do anything else with. Second, wait, I got distracted, now I’m back and I forgot, so there is no second.. Then I found a dried muffin in back of the fridge, so I diced it and spread it under the birdfeeder. Wow, started a riot. I guess they really like their muffins. They were still at it by sunset.

           It figures, I wake up with a big of energy and by noon the town is dead quiet. I used the time to rewire my PNP demo block (small circuit mounted on a block of wood). I often have to reach for this item because my brain does not like PNP transistors. When they are powered up, the transistor is normally off. The base must be grounded to turn the circuit on. This has always got me, how you have to “take electricity away” to make the light come on. I also ran the laser on various types of wood and it does not like sap. It reflects the light away, and if the wood is grainy, makes for a very uneven pattern.
           I’ve had all morning and the picture above is a logic circuit test. The quick explanation of all these “gates” and “flip-flops” is that they are circuits with a memory. You can flick a light off and on with a switch, but logic circuits have a memory. Click it on, and it stays on no matter how many times you hit the switch. You need a different switch to turn it off. Memory. I like to build these simple circuits and the one shown today barely works. It is an upgraded PNP circuit that will not turn off when it should.

           COVID is a killer. As independent labs do more advanced testing, the horror story of the vaccines begins to emerge. The mutant DNA enters the cell nucleus and replicates. So vaxxed women are passing the mutation on to their offspring. Yet, the vaccine companies continue to advertise and people continue to line up. I have an alternative explanation for that behavior. There is a theory that stupid people are too stupid to know they are stupid. I say they do know, but will continue with harmful, hurtful behavior rather than admit they are wrong. It’s comedy central to hear them defend stupidity by saying without the shot, it would have been worse. How? By dying twice?

Picture of the day.
Cooking breakfast.
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           Crackhead Hunter says he “may have to” run for President in ’28. Gawd the left is getting desperate. For the record, it took the US 200 years to plunge into its first trillion-dollars of debt. The last trillion took 95 days. It was too hot until later when enough cloud cover got me into the shed. I complete some WIP, but my goal was to take a much closer look at a fancier box design. I’m curious to see if any of what I’ve learned applies to smaller boxes. I have no tools for the really intricate stuff, so what I mean is can more attention to detail be used to decorate the boxes a bit better.

           This activity had me also look at time & motion. I am spending 18% of my build time using the laser. It’s an unfair comparison, since most of the time I’m also typing or reading. It shows the laser has gone from novelty to necessity. Staining the wood has dropped to minutes so the time spend on decoration has not really changed. But the stain and logo add immensely to the appeal. The printing mode is hard to beat because it is into the wood, not must scorching the surface like a branding iron.
           The photo shows the sanded pieces, something rare over here. The panel groove is visible, What’s most different is the precision of the cuts. These grooves are exactly 1/4” deep. The miter cuts are 44.7°. I was in the shed for hours when I should have been doing important things, I am truly behind on everything. The solution is always more coffee.

           As for the extra time needed to monitor the laser operation, I seem to have adapted, now be careful, that’s all I need is another hobby. I see we have another round of COVID sob stories. People just don’t want to hear it any more. The jabbed were not just getting a vax, they were actively bolstering an agenda being forced upon the unwilling. It’s only right they get what’s coming to them.

ADDENDUM
           Here is something you will probably never see doing a search on your own e-mail. There have been so many data breaches that your private data has been stolen many times over. And the people that have it will sell your information to anyone. Why have they not been arrested? Internet law—they did not personally steal it and would argue the information does not belong to you. It is safe to enter your e-mail into haveibeenpwned. It matches your e-mail only to see if it was part of any data breaches since around 2002 (that I can find).

           This site also has a curious feature where you can check if your password has been compromised. But a hit can simply mean somebody else has used the same password. My system of passwords has never been breached. A representative example would be the 7-Eleven breach of May this year. They got 185,000 files, each containing your name, address, and phone number. Along with your DOB and e-mail (yes, they know your e-mail password).
           Ever bought an Amtrak ticket? Searched Carmax? Used your credit card at Advance Auto Parts? Peeked at Guntrader? Have your real name on Facebook? Well, you are fooked. I have, in my lifetime, had 3 data breaches, all on my original non-protected early e-mail account. I was stung once, by Imgur in 2012 and immediately cancelled that e-mail account. How can I be sure there is no information breach on-line? Because I’ve never put it there. I’ve put lots there, but not that.

Last Laugh