Another big (half-day) date on the sidecar, a lady who tells me she hasn’t “done anything” for four years. Gals, that does not mean what it did before you were 30. We took the airport road up to Ft. Lauderdale, then past the strangely vacant cruise docks, then in second gear all the way up the beachfront. Plenty of looks. I needed to know if the platform was different with a rider. There’s a slight pull to the right during acceleration.
We must have found the only beachfront BK that doesn’t serve coffee. Yes, BK, because it is safe, clean, good coffee and free parking. But no coffee says we were probably in the wrong neighborhood. It was mid-morning so we had the place to ourselves. This date is another no-go, she got something like eight incoming cell phone calls. I turn my cell phone off when on a date and if you don’t, there is no need to explain why you are divorced. Good habits form quickly, now I take all my “motorcycle” dates to the library. Watch what they read, watch them watch what you read, how they react can be a real eye-opener. This one was inquisitive, reading a book on places to visit. Otherwise, she was annoyingly indecisive, plainly wanting me to decide for her. Don’t do it, guys, your tastes will never be identical. She nicely took to riding the sidecar in no time, which is a big plus. I don’t like the passengers that bounce around too much. The whole jaunt is more fun when you go with the flow. But again, her phone rang so often I’m surprised the library didn’t ask her to leave.
But worst, she had no concept of conversation as an exchange of information, rather only as entertainment. When I don’t speak for ten minutes, it could be that I’m reading an encyclopedia, so there is really no need to conclude that I’m “confused and need time to think”. Think about what? Our relationship? (How silly of me, isn’t that why people go to libraries?) Maybe I could think how many times your phone is going to ring before you turn the damn thing off?
High point of the day, a phone call from Colin, the inventor. We met back when I worked with the company and the fact that he, as an inventor, necessarily had to know and do a lot of running the business, which ensured we had plenty in common. There is a common set of principles shared by all people who, like us, have an aversion to hopeless drudgery as a way of life. You sacrifice things, but you also turn out better than the masses. Not just different, a better person for your understanding of how things really work.
His business has been successful, like mine, with the good times and bad, but at least your life has its own schedule, not the man’s. He stayed single but it’s not all said and done yet. We knew a few people and a lot of situations so we’ll have to catch up. I do believe this blog readership just went up by one.
I’d say the two hours was centered on business and music, two things not that easy to talk to with most people where he is from. Colin is one of the few who did it. Turns out he was unaware of any of the goings on here since around early 2003. The toothpicks, the band, the hospital, the job. All of it since we talked last. Things will move along rapidly now.
Wow, that’s good zucchini cake. I get my bakery survival kit on Sundays to tide me over to Tuesday, when the shop reopens. This week, I’ve got the end slices to have with my late night tea break. I never learned to cook right and I’ve considered one of those courses for singles. In fact, see you later. I’m looking into that right away.
ADDENDUM
Ha, I see the Miami-Dade is rounding up homestead tax cheaters. I’m laughing because it’s the dumb ones with “nothing to hide” who will be caught. In Florida there is favorable tax treatment on value added to a homestead, particularly on resale. My objections to the new law are the erosion of Constitution freedom that is involved to conduct the “investigation”.
While people ought to pay their taxes, but if they do not, I say it isn’t the business of the voter registration or water bill people to stick their noses in. Departments like this should not be keeping any information that could be used against anyone. At that point, the government is not pursuing individual suspects (on reasonable and probable grounds) as is required by the Constitution. Instead it is abusing “public” records—snooping into the affairs of thousands of innocents while claiming to look for a few bad apples. They are examining birth, death, marriage, voter registration, and water bills. The entire process stinks because:
A. Those presumed innocent by law did not consent to any search.
B. The Constitution forbids warrantless searches.
C. Evidence not obtained legally is inadmissible in court.
D. The wrong-doing is not a plain view crime.
E. The information being searched was not given for tax purposes.
F. The Constitution forbids self-incrimination, even if you want to.
So, as usual, the dupes will be caught. The government will not stop at tax searches if they find something else. They will conjure up further searches once they realize nobody is watching, and your information will not be deleted just because you “got away” this time. By keeping your file, they reserve the right to change the law based on perception rather than the required prevention or punishment of wrong-doing.
It is a further point of law that the majority cannot “vote” the minority or even the individual to consent to a search. That requires an amendment, and no such thing will ever happen in a free country. Said consent has to be given individually and even then it is rarely the blanket permission the authorities like to pretend. This is why, even though I do not drive a car, I am against most motor vehicle laws. In general, they are used to search non-driving records once your license has been used to ID you—which in itself was never part of the deal. The most terrifying thing most Americans experience is the roadside pullover, and that should not be.
I doubt any person would give out so much personal information to a water bill outfit if they were adequately warned of the future dangers of doing so. Don’t get me wrong, I fully see both sides of the issue. And I choose the side of greater freedom for the greater number.
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