October 8, 2016

Yesteryear
One year ago today: October 8, 2015, a generic day.
Five years ago today: October 8, 2011, here, have some chayote.
Nine years ago today: October 8, 2007, identical to ordinary stupidity.
Random years ago today: October 8, 2010, NeverWet? It’s junk

           Here’s your riding lawn mower, the only known way to drive to McDonalds on an expired license. At least he didn’t use the drive thru. Sad as it is, McD’s remains the coffee shop in south Miami with the most atmosphere. That includes the first place I ever played in Florida, the Starbucks across from UM. Somehow, off-campus coffee shops attract the opposite crowd they did in my day.

           I’m running a little short and shy on everything since this is now day six. I had little choice but to take the day off and head to the library. That’s the one in Aventura, twenty miles from here. Because anybody who thinks that there is anything public about the Miami public libraries has obviously never gone in there and tried to use a computer. As far as they are concerned, a guest pass is the equivalent of making you a criminal on the run.

           It does not help that with the single exception of the DMV, Miami libraries have the most uneducated and inconsiderate staffing imaginable. They are hired to be stupid. “Ma’am, if I had a library card, I would not have waited in this line to ask for a guest pass.” She refused because I “was not listed in the Miami-Dade rolls as a taxpayer”. I explained to her that’s because I didn’t live there, and that is what made me a guest. She could not follow that.
           Thanks to Matthew, this was a nothing day. Many places remain closed but all they did was lose business. Don’t worry, Florida is third-world and designed to sort of operate under this type of inefficiency. It’s that relentless TV that causes the hype, so just like tornadoes in Texas and quakes in California, when the real thing ever hits, the difference isn’t so stark. As long as people insist on living on flood planes, fault lines, and below sea level, there will always be casualties.

           This was not a big day for anyone in the crowd. JZ snoozed all day which is what I should have done if I was smart. I drove back to the condo early, parked the batbike, and walked over to the coffee shop, buying a $14 National Geographic special on the way. That’s the issue with a hundred new pictures. Some of the topics are over-familiar, but the pictures are all new. JZ, like many, finds these new magazine prices to be outrageous. They have doubled since 2010 with little improvement in the content.

           One thing JZ and I noticed is that college and university women are not as pretty as in our day. And that includes returning to campus once in a while to attend lectures. They were all pretty up to around the turn of the century. I say it is the diet. What else has changed? The majority of women didn’t suddenly get short and dumpy or grow old that fast. So many have what I call the “Aztec” look. Short, square torso with legs that splay outward at the knees. And black hair. Could it be women are now attending post-secondary schools to get an education instead of a husband? Naw, I’m not buying that.
           Here’s a photo of the batbike taking a rest outside the UM student parking lot. Note the bike is up on the curb, so I could get under the machine to check the radiator and for any problems I may not have noticed. The white car and a host of other late model vehicles pulled past us in the next 15 minutes. That part of university has not changed—it is a rich kid’s playground. And the schools cater to that bunch to the detriment of education and society. Welfare is free, but education isn’t. Way to go, America.

Picture of the day.
Scotland.
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           Not today, but at times during this week, here are some activities that I realized now should have made mention. Barnes & Noble has changed. There is no section for electronics or robots, you just get the odd few books on a shelf labeled “Science”. They have an expanding merchandise department, prone to gadgets, kid’s toys, and $20 jigsaw puzzles. I saw one box that said the pieces were cut with a patented German process that left the finished puzzle with a smooth surface. I’d like to see that, but not for twenty smackeroos.
           And a message for the ladies at the bookstore. Sitting nearby a man who is actually writing doesn’t make you any smarter. Nor does getting out your cell phone and talking very intensely. It is not the same as writing and I’m not impressed. So please leave the chairs near that man for women who actually like getting something done with their time.
           I’ll say it again, there is no excuse these days for being uneducated. And I’m a harsh judge on that count. I consider it preferable to be somewhat over-educated and never use it. That is the result of my long-standing attitude that education is a type of resource or reserve, a position that has plenty of empirical merit. It’s there if you need it. It is mainly one’s character that determines if you ever need it. I said harsh, and I mean it. To me those who don’t use it are identical to those who can’t.

           Next, I have some advice for people when somebody asks you for a pen. Nope, it does not mean the same to me as others. It means four things, two are positive, the other two not so much. Here is the list. When somebody asks for a pen, it means:

                 √ Do you have a new, working ballpoint with blue ink and a medium (1.0mm) tip.
                 √ Do you have a decent sized lined sheet of paper to write on.
                 √ Don't start fishing around a desk cup and scribbling to get an old pen started.
                 √ If you don’t have the above, it means you could be one of those dumbfecks who does not write often enough to make a difference. You know who you are.

           Is there enough criticism in the world about Miami drivers? Probably not. But until you’ve driven a sidecar in Little Havana, you don’t really experience Cuban culture. Careful here, I’m not saying only Cubans drive this way, I’m only saying I’ve never personally seen anyone do it except Cubans. They pull right up behind your motorcycle on an otherwise empty road and tailgate you for a few blocks. They won’t pass until you slow up, in which case they will pull across and speed up to just ahead of you in the right lane.
           Then they will drive there a while, matching speed to keep you in their blind spot. Now watch out, they are soon going to cut a half car length in front of you and slam on the brakes. They will keep doing this for a few blocks until they run a yellow light. It’s probably true that not just Cubans do this, but ask yourself, how many times does it have to happen before you notice?


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