One year ago today: October 19, 2013, I look at phlebotomy.
Five years ago today: October 19, 2009, not another "recovery" . . .
Six years ago today: October 19, 2008, the dismal Judge Baker.
MORNING
Nine miles. That’s how far I got on my big holiday. North of Stirling, I felt a slight grumble in one of the pistons. Gas? Timing? Either way, a motorcycle rider is a lot more attached to the condition of his vehicle and I’m not taking that unit on the road with a potential motor problem. This frees up some capital for other projects and brings the MIG welder back into focus.
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Seeing is not believing, however. That is a fat tire stretched over the two inner tires. The cavity is also pressurized, so a blowout would require three punctures. This is for safety. I doubt it would be economical in a production model.
As shown, the bike has only a 36 volt power supply. Top speed is around 5 mph until we can afford the required 72 volts. We do not yet know where this battery will be mounted. The brakes and handlebar assembly is from a 50cc scooter. Since I was in town, we held the club meeting at Senor Café and wound up eating $27 worth of food. Mostly roasted chicken, rice, and waffles. Keep ‘em coming.
The topic was a new cPod wagon. With the MIG welder, we can modify an existing kit. In a departure from what you might have guessed, Agt. M wants blueprints and specs while I’m the one that says just start in, measuring and planning as we go. We envisage a small wagon, 37” long, that telescopes out to 72” and a shorter trailer tongue. The long tongue is designed for a car and does little more than make the motorcycle hard to park.
We are in agreement on all major parts of the job, so we’ll get that underway shortly. JZ called to say if my October holiday is a no-go, we should go on a November scrunt-hunt (chasing women). See, he knows around my birthday time, money starts easing up. His truck is unreliable and he will not ride a motorcycle. As far as I’m willing to compromise, this means a train trip is the best alternative I would consider. Like myself until not that long ago, JZ has not ridden the Amtrak in 30 years.
Significantly, this substitute trip is JZ’s idea. I brought up Savannah, how great that was. Whoops, I’m getting ahead of the point here. This is blogworthy because this reflects how much better JZ has become in two years concerning planning ahead and handling money. I dare say he has become far better at it than some people thought possible. For him to suggest a 500 mile trip over the state line is extraordinary, nearly astonishing. Yep, I may have to advise him not to advertise that he is operating at a surplus at a time when most people are not. I have considerable experience dealing with people who think if you can save a dollar it must be because you didn't need it badly enough. Right, mom?
NOON
Now I really have nothing to do. You can tell by the total irrelevant picture included here, again for balance. But that might be my brother in the blue jacket. Ha, ha, that’s a metaphor, me do “nothing”. I can think of a few people who could gain immensely doing nothing by my standards. That’s the same bunch who find learning to be a chore rather than pure delight. You know who you are, Hector.
Remember, most motorcycle cargo trailers are rated for 200 lbs, while my unit will tow 1,440 lbs. The units I looked at, in the $400 range, are built by the same company as the one I’ve already got. They would still require another $300 to $400 in modification to be a suitable campers. And I now have definite requirements about that.
While this is going on, I’m listening to documentaries. The first thing I notice is the number of people who use the term ISIS but don’t know what it means. It stands for “Islamic State of Iraq and Syria”. It’s no big deal, I mean I know dunces who talk about NATO and have no idea what it stands for. But they know it is full of diplomats who don’t pay parking tickets. But I’m saying it is embarrassing to listen to them opine about something they can’t even define.
Come to think of it, the media don’t know what it means, because ISIS calls themselves ISIL, for “Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant”. This is the same media who now daily tell us that the ebola virus is not a threat. Repeat, ebola is not a threat, there is no cause for alarm. Go on about your business and remain calm.
Myself, I’m going to see “Fury”, the next fake WWII movie which I’m already picking apart from watching the trailer. And screw the person who calls them trailers, they are previews. I see the yanks driving a Sherman Firefly, a British modification with a “17-pounder”, but maybe the movie explains this discrepancy. It shows infantry walking across open fields behind slow moving tanks, a First World War fantasy that never worked. And those long lines of incredibly well-dressed refugees with no mud on their clothes, that’s a nice touch.
NIGHT
I’m looking at this pink ribbon thingee for some kind of cancer and asking myself where I’ve seen it before. Then it hit me. Now is that creepy or what? I played bass for an hour, man, am I ever good. But then, I've been at it forever. And it's all downhill from here.
Are you full? I’m full. I stopped at the Publix deli for a quart of take-out turkey soup. I thought it felt a little heavy. At home I opened the container to discover for $3.99 I’ve got the entire turkey pot roast. That’s the ticket. I was just out of the movies and I hate to tell you Brad Pitt is now dead inside a tank somewhere on this really bad map all covered with grease pencil markings. He would have wanted to go that way. Now, my movie review, making sure I don’t follow the rules for reviews.
The equipment is surprisingly accurate except for the Tiger tank, which has treads off a Soviet T-34. Other imprecisions are minor, so except for the liquor bottle at the end that stays full as they pass it around, the continuity is outstanding. Beyond the unusual amount of gore, it is your standard American view of things, like all Germans are Nazis. Most considerately, the director spared us the traditional voice-over as the private, third class, writes a letter home.
About the portrayal of the Germans as incompetent, I would point out toward the end of the war there were few tanks and many experienced crews from the Russian front. The officers were hand-picked and had the right to personally choose their drivers and gunners. Although the movie never actually shows a German tank crew, you can bet they were no slouches. Nor did the Germans engage in tank-to-tank battles. They were more likely to lure Allied vehicles into prepared gun positions.
Last, let me say that I found the way to stop youTube videos from automatically playing. Since there are so many versions of Opera, a sure sign it is on the decline, I won’t give instructions. Like MicroSoft, you are somehow supposed to know that playing the video is something called a plug-in and you are also mysteriously supposed to know what it is called. Then you “disable” it, you are expecting it not to play. Instead you now get an extra step to perform. Opera has passed its prime.
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