August 16, 2014

Yesteryear
One year ago today: August 16, 2013, somewhat academic.
Five years ago today: August 16, 2009, Google, the new telemarket.
Ten years ago today: August 16, 2004, Tequila!

MORNING
           Talk about a tough [sextant] reading, this morning’s sun fix was half-loony. This should not be, as I am now versed in setting up the gear and working the instruments. There’s a lesson here somewhere. I followed procedure but 12 to 13 minutes later I was struggling with the upper image. Thusforth, I’ve learned to allow extra time. The images would just not move to position and I had a heck of a time working the filters. Anyway, the sun was 16° 30.6’ at 12h 15m 33s GMT this date. The error could be wild. But I also learned the instant that reading is taken, duck back inside where it is warm or cool. She’s another scorcher.

           The import here is that the difficult reading caused me “learner’s panic” (my phrase) that could be described as a “self-doubt-bout” (also my phrase). Only those who continue to learn for life know this feeling, a shock thought that you may have been doing it all wrong up to now. Argh, those wasted hours! This justified an extra trip to the coffee shop to calm down. After all, do not those laggards who waste their lives on averages experience the same fright whenever weaned from their televisions?
           Gee, was y’day the 45th anniversary of Woodstock? I wasn’t there and never really heard about it until after it was over. I was still in high school anyway and could not have made it all the way to New York. The part they don’t tell you is it cost a lot money to go to Woodstock so don’t talk to me about real hippies. It was the end of an era, not the beginning. The era of “I’ve got the money to drive my decked out hippie van to New York and you don’t.”
           This Woodstock photo is rare because although it was not banned outright, there was talk of that happening. Why? Because the photo was considered “too accurate”. There were not enough “minorities” visible in the crowd. You see.

NOON
           What else did I learn? That the only time to take full navigational fixes is the morning and evening twilight, the two times of day when I am notoriously bad for punctuality. Don’t schedule appointments in those time slots, I’ll let you down. I’m going for coffee, but not really morning coffee. The sun has been up for hours.
           There, you see. It’s a good thing I didn’t give up. I took my notebook along and was able to derive a position fix by the method called “concise” site reduction. One of several approaches, it at first seems the more complicated because you have to enter the tables twice. But as long as you keep your head screwed on, it saves a number of steps which are error-prone. On the left side of this diagram, here is the page of calculations. I’m learning to document the process better and to lay it out more logically. For me, I mean.

           Now, which of these two pictures here would you rather look at? Once again, Ken, you and the zillions of jocks like you are right. This is why you can’t have nice things. You never nurtured an ability to differentiate between morning projects and evening projects. The reality is your odds of ever grasping anything in either of these pictures is zero.
           As a reward, this afternoon I will attempt to plot this geographic position. But first, I must balance my right-brain and learn some music. There’s a song on the list I don’t care for, Ronstadt’s “You’re No Good”. Now, the guitar player has spotted the version we play has a weak bass line. In the upcoming hour, I shall customize a new line that captures the core of the music as pulled forward to this century. This has to be done sparingly so as not to step on any toes.
           Listen to the tune. It is recorded a little on the muddy side. But there is a low-tuned guitar lick in several spots. Ah, that’s my strategy on this one. The notes are there, so I can’t be blamed for playing them. Maybe I thought they were part of the bass runs. And it sounds so neat there is no sense changing it back. I will milk this tune any way I possibly can, since the band snubbed Ronstadt when I proposed it, but latched on when the pretty lady did the same. I don’t care for that behavior in adults. So, you play the song the best you possibly can and I will do the same. It isn't my fault I can play bass better than 99% of them can play guitar. Did you get that, Glenn? How 'bout you, Zack?
           Got it. I remembered years ago reading the notes to this particular song. I scrambled around and found the studio copy. It is accurate note-for-note, even the parts that clash and are hard to pick out. Ha, I nailed this one. But it is also “spastic” bass, meaning it is played by a guitarist. They feel a strange compulsion to change the pattern a little on every pass. Thus, the entire song has to be memorized.

AFTERNOON
           Pierogies are interesting. Russian dumplings of potato and such, but can be made with everything from sauerkraut to cherries. The wonder is how they have survived Czars, commies, revolution, invasion, and credit cards (so far). It’s the Byzantine version of manna. I once had the recipe in my twenties though I never did produce a successful batch. That has to change now that they cost 50¢ apiece.

           Agt.M has brought the old 7489N chip back into focus. The home-made ROM device was a cumbersome affair, face it. As a reminder, here is the original model meant as a demo of the chip, not as a kit. However, at this week’s club meeting, M brought out that this puppy has most of the qualities of just such a kit. Last time around I was concerned with contests, originality, and such nonsense as how well the ROM reflected the caliber of our club. Now, two years later, I see far beyond such donkey.
           What qualities, you ask. M points to the lights and switches, saying this has appeal to both kids and to kit-builders in general. “Das blinkenleitz.” That made me look at it differently. I mean, its value as a kit had crossed my mind and I’d even considered a BCD-to-seven segment display. I called another meeting for tomorrow after band practice to go over this. That gives everyone a chance to think over what they will bring to the table. That’s not just a figure of speech, we will probably meet up at a restaurant.
           What’s this? Ubertaxi is outlawed in Germany. The powerful taxi lobby has won an argument that the way the fares are calculated is covered by the definition of “meter”, which is strictly a controlled activity in that country. But make no mistake about it, the true motive is the taxi drivers trying to retain their coveted monopoly status. But that is one “industry” I would love to see fall flat on its face. Or at least become so highly competitive that only the finest barely survive.
           I apologize for nothing when I tell you I like the Uber taxi concept. I disagree it will wipe out the taxicab industry. It will force them inconsiderate bastards to drastically clean up their miserable acts. As for the passengers being uninsured, that is their problem and not the driver’s. To insist everybody insure everything to the government’s content is a ridiculous proposition that is shamelessly aimed at limiting competition. Look at the mess they made of regular auto insurance, it has become the single most corrupt “legal” business in America.

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