October 2, 2015

Yesteryear
One year ago today: October 2, 2014, in my day, they failed ‘em.
Five years ago today: October 2, 2010, the last pizza binge.
Six years ago today: October 2, 2009, end of the world. Again.

MORNING
           Talk about a semi-rough day, we all have them. But I’ll ask you a question. When things go bad for you, don’t we all love the jerk who steps in and tries to play the cool moderator. The building is on fire, but he wants to discuss why you feel the temperature is getting hotter. That guy, that’s who I mean. I’m pretty sure he put on five disguises and followed me around all day. That’s fine, those bozos never get anywhere.

           Here is more silver, peeking out from under my scribbler. What, I don’t have a laptop? Sure, got lots, but until they build one that can keep up with my scribbler, you keep them. I rate the finest software to be about 1/15th as fast as an educated man with a pencil. I can draw out electronic diagrams at least that much faster than Fritzing, which I consider little better than a beginner’s learning tool.
           It says a lot that I am often three or four diagrams down the line while Fritzing users are still poking, flicking, swiping, pinching—what more proof do you need that a smart phone is not a serious tool. For a laugh, watch this video on the Arduino. The joke is that it makes just as much sense in another language than the lousy tutorial instructions of our hipster generation.
           I reviewed the Fritzing site and I may try SMD (I think they mean SMT for surface mount technology). These are devices which do not poke leads through holes on the mounting board and get soldered from the reverse side. But the process, as far as I know, demands that you have perfectly printed circuit boards, making it not suitable for prototyping.
           Meanwhile I’m trying to iron out technicalities. JZ inadvertently wrote a check for twice the required amount last August. Now he owns 1/42nd of the silver stock, a segregated account. And it happened because he does not keep track of his balances. This, fellow investors, is why you never argue about money until you reconcile with the guy who keeps the records JZ said he put in X and it was 2X.
           It’s a good thing for the dude I’m not the bank. I’m curious if this might spur him to keep better track, which is ever most people’s weak point. I’d completely forgotten because I do not normally deal with checks. Cash on the barrelhead for me. You cannot even tell any spending pattern from looking at my bank statement. It is all equally spaced withdrawals of the identical amount. Other people’s [statements] are a goldmine of information.
           And I see Google is making big issue of “privacy” by pushing that their media is encrypted. Sure, but what good is that if it is also permanently recorded? Oh, they are just keeping it for you as a service, in case one day you ever need all your old e-mails over again. Right. Just try telling Google you don’t want them to keep the copies. See how far you get. Don’t be foolish, gang, you do not know what people’s future intentions are. The only e-mail service that did not record your correspondence was shut down by the feds. Remember Silent Circle and Lavabit?
           Quote, “If the American people knew what our government was doing, they would not be allowed to do it anymore.”

NOON
           Over to the north end to pay bills and on the return leg, I bought some “scrap” lumber. Imagine my surprise when a cedar 2x4” rang up at $28.60. Here’s your link and I only wanted the 4-footer. It makes one wonder what the price will be after Trump brings the jobs back to America. Damn that official 2% inflation is so unevenly applied.

           Now, last time I looked, this cedar lumber was growing all over the states west of the Rockies and on more than half to the east. What gives with $30 for half of a 2x4? Has it become a precious investment. Remind me to pick up a load next time I’m out there.
           Which may not be too far away. If you look closely, you can see the Korea clamp helping out in the interior patch of the Honda spare tire. It is actually triple patched, or more accurately, it is plugged, sealed with leather, and covered by a large patch of old inner tube. As noted, it is intended as a spare. Now that I know how easy it is to remove the wheel.
           I found some Forrest Mimms books on sale half-price, so I picked up the ones that centered on build sensors (as opposed to gadgets and toys). He’s got a real sense of how to employ ordinary nails and tinfoil and pennies to get devices measuring everything from the sun to the underwater speed of sound. Hold on, that last one was my idea. I place a particular frequency transmitter under water, then some distance away, a receptor with a timing device. It picks out an LED and times the lapse until the signal is detected. Note these red LEDs can be seen in bright daylight over amazing distances.

           I declined to grind walnuts today as I still had sniffles by early afternoon. I used to time to plan how to deal with JZ’s portion of the silver. Because it is appealing to look at, I’ve concluded I should keep his supply separate. I was going to say his silver will be local (mine is in another state), and therefore not fudiciary. But a tap on my shoulder says that [fudiciary] is not the correct term. So I looked it up. How about that.
           You see, that question was on one of my final exams. The correct answer was it was an amount put into and co-mingled with other assets of equal value. I even remember the example. A farmer sells a hundred bushels of grain to the feed yard, but wants it back. They don’t have to return his actual grains, only replace it with another hundred bushels. Yet the newest on-line definitions don’t actually say that any more.
           What’s up with that. In fact, I once coined the term “fudiciarily”. Am I remembering the wrong word? Don’t we all use that one twice a week?

NIGHT
           Don’t expect thrills, I was going over the year-end material. That’s in November. The 1% error rate was encouraging, so I went for a drive after rush hour. I also bought a pine board to use for Arduino bases, but got enough to complete a new and waterproof relay box for the new cPod. JZ is gung-ho to finally head for the Smithsonian. That’s what the half-hour phone call just now was all about.

           I’m conservative on that point. I thought of taking the train and walking around. JZ considers the train to be expensive, whereas I find it similar in cost to the gasoline for the same trip—per person. I’ve never been to DC, but every map I’ve examined shows all I’d want to see is walking distance. Would not a vehicle be in the way? And since when did JZ have any interest in museums?
           For that matter, it would also be the longest trip he has ever taken without family, while I’ve been around the planet. I’ve lived in eight different countries and twenty-four different cities. Towns below 50,000 don’t even count.
           As for DC it is slightly over a thousand miles from here. That amazing 4-cylinder on the truck gets 30 mpg, so that’s 33, call it 40 gallons one way, call it $100 each way. The lowest fare is $110 for each person. So, for two of us, it would cost twice as much as driving. But JZ ignores the wear and tear on his vehicle. What’s more, that low fare has to be purchased weeks in advance, another historical iffy situation with my pal. Then again, he’s never late for dinner.
           Reminder: Amtrak fares have tripled since late 2010.

Last Laugh