Not only did the scooter make me stay at home, it made me broke for other things as well. I had to cancel band rehearsal with Billie-Bill and Jag. No, they won’t bill me later. Credit is something else we don’t have around here. When we are broke, we go without, the way things are supposed to be.
And while on about how things are supposed to be, I am a fan of those turkey pot pies. Not the chicken or other types, just the turkey from either Banquet or Swanson. These are one of the few poulty products that actually have cubes of meat large enough to see. But I have a question. The package always says that before you heat the pie, you are supposed to put a slit in the crust. If that is the case, this is 2014 and I’d like to know why they can’t do something simple like put the slice there for you? Instead, you have to go looking for a sharp knife, you know what I mean. It is telling questions like this that make this blog such a popular read. Now you really know what I mean.
Now something for the more socially-oriented reader. I answer all emails from bona fide writers. Among those are any, repeat any, ladies who contact me from my on-line dating club. That’s the club I just plain don’t like any more because, in spite of their efforts to be exclusive, the clientele are the usual mob of wishful thinkers. If they are not my type, I let them know, but often they still opt to get on my “mailing list”. You never see this list. This means they receive roughly a weekly email that is in the same caliber as these blog posts, but definitely personalized. A year later, a pattern has emerged.
For accuracy, that year-end will be this upcoming May, but close enough. Every one of the women so far has turned out different than the person they purport to be in their profiles. Most are dreadful bores who are consumed by their own petty problems. Despite being single, they have trouble “finding time” to write. One supposes they must have other, far more important things to do in life. Which explains a lot.
The few that are consistent (in about a four-to-one ratio, that is, they answer every fourth contact) have between them not offered or introduced one tiny new aspect or idea or suggestion in that year. Not one has taken a vacation or a new project and spoken of it. None have said a peep about all the wonderful things they say they speak of in their profiles. Obvious liars. Put another way, I have only been contacted by the type of women that my profile is designed to discourage. (I actually state that one of my incompatibilities is “the housewife type”.)
By the way, that is Miguel in the photo y’day. He reports having seen the exact make and model of this red scooter on sale for $2,438.00. That’s crazy. I got this one for $650.00. But the history is these scooters are a copy of the Vespa, and I can sort of see it. The factory runs are graded A, B, and C. I must have gotten a grade Z. All these imports have doubled in price, reflecting an international brand of inflation that I feel will become far more important than the internal or national inflation focused on by the CPI. I mean, in the global economy, what isn’t imported these days?
ADDENDUM
The topic of DNA testing has proven a hot one in this blog. This is a wonder, because it has never been discussed here as an isolated topic. Until now. My exploration of the topic involves the fallibility of lab procedures, particularly lab personnel, as an unmasking of the veil of perfection and certainty these companies like to portray. Lab people are very mortal humans and this should not be neglected because they have this or that degree, work for this or that outfit, or have any amount of experience. I have plain seen too many old fools who have done things the wrong way for their entire lives.
So how is DNA processed into evidence? Here is the layman’s version. FYI, blood is not used. Blood cells lack DNA. But just about any other cell will do, it does not have to be any particular body fluid. The cell walls are ruptured and the DNA collected in long strands. In fact, very long strands, and most of these are common to every human, in that they control the number of eyes and toes, etc. Only a small portion are a definitive combination from each of the individual’s parents.
These are the segments the identification squad is after. They must be chemically “sliced” out of the long strands. This is but one of the many “manual” steps that introduce error into the system. I work the side that says every, repeat every, human step introduces some error and that includes a machine operated by or programmed by a human. It is the humans that I find cannot be relied upon, not the process.
These slices are then placed in a type of gel and an electrical current is passed through. This causes the separation of the shorter and longer strands, and also makes them line up. After this stage, radioactivity is applied causing light and dark bands to appear, similar to an X-ray. These bands are then matched against a sample taken from the suspect. It is only the astronomical odds, about the same as the Florida lotto, that give these tests any validity—although I could not find any hard facts on how those odds are calculated, nor on how “hard” those facts really were. There are too many ways things could go wrong at every stage.
Is DNA used for identity? Yes, but that isn’t enough. The primary use in court of DNA is to prove the accused was at the scene when he denied being there. Both elements must be present: the matching DNA and the denial. There is a reason the police generally want your “statement” before deciding to charge you. They know the first thing most people try is saying they were not at the crime scene, it is human nature. A denial is then parlayed into the premise that the accused is therefore lying about everything in general, including his plea of not guilty.
Conclusion? Same as before. Never speak to the police about a crime. Here's a thought. Why would not a clever criminal “salt” the crime scene with other human DNA? this would take advantage of the fact all others would deny being there and when can be shown they were not, then the bad guy’s denial ceases to be unique. But this is a tactic I noticed the military uses to spoof the enemy. Whether it would be useful at a trial, I don’t know. I’m just pointing out in the realm of the measure and countermeasure struggle that no lab test is absolutely flawless.
