One year ago today: February 26, 2016, pfft!
Five years ago today: February 26, 2012, seedless raspberry jam.
Nine years ago today: February 26, 2008, the cardinal computer sin.
Random years ago today: February 26, 2014, have a Belkin.
Food, always a hit on Sunday morning. I’ve got the quiche in the oven, it will be ready near sun-up. That’s it, you ladies have seen my quiche before. Today I’ve got to get that motorcycle started, or know the reason why. I opted for a four-post solenoid to make double sure the thing is grounded. I worked until too dark last evening, reminding myself I need to make a 500 mile trip in March. Here’s an alley cat looking for his breakfast, but the birdfeeder is two feet higher than cats can jump.
Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal have been noisily feeding all morning, and activity which attracts a ton of other birds. Again, I notice that they never feed at the same time. Is this survival instinct or pecking order? These birds are stuffed to the gills these days? Birds got gills?
Your treat from me this AM is a perspective on gambling movies from a guy who most of you probably know does not gamble. Consider than in contemporary America, you may never meet another person you can get this from. Come to think of it, I’ve never even watched a poker game except in the movies, and that’s what we’re about today. I’m watching this movie “Rounders”, a slang expression I take it, but not really in my vocabulary. How does a non-gambler react to these Hollywood gambling movies. Well, first of all, folks, never play blackjack with somebody who either has perfect teeth or looks like a movie star. Second, I do not buy into the theory that people who have extra money will naturally flock to casinos, strip clubs, or the race track.
I imagine these movies never show anything that even amateur card sharks would not already know. Half the movie time is consistently spent shoveling the message that pro gamblers are just ordinary people with an addiction. I’d say it’s more like lazy people with a small you-know. They unfailingly just get out of prison and find that private game of unsuspecting dupes in the back room of the governor’s mansion. You know the room; it’s the one with that little sliding peep-hole in the door. For reasons, mostly cinematic.
Don’t bother with this movie unless you can pick it up at the thrift. It’s a string of clichés, right down to the guy losing his tuition and promising his girlfriend he won’t play cards again. I think there is one worthwhile scene with that big-haired brunette from Star Trek, the do-able one. The seductress, playing her one role. Other than that, this movie was filmed on the cheap. The thing that gets me is the portrayal of the unsuspecting nature of the other gamblers. They are generally playing a money game with strangers. Time to switch on the radar, goofballs. And when there are a pair of new players at the table, don’t even sit in.
I was amused by how these pairs worked because it involves signaling each other. This is the type of nonsense that an old pattern-matcher like me would detect in moments. The chip placement scam, the old stretch-and-yawn, the card-hold signal. But we can presume the real gamblers have been caught often enough that they are truly inventive about trying this, that there is always something new.
Fire lookout, Poland.
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Having said that (about gambling), there is still a point of contention on the legal matter of casinos. It seems to me the only chance most people have against the house is to cheat them. So why is it illegal? The government should not be involved in making law that harms the consumer. Guarantees to the betting house of a profit margin amount to just that. I’m aware this raises a paradox, such as the question of if the government were to, say, declare a determined profit to Wal*Mart, should they also not revoke any law on shoplifting? (See the connection? Is cheating at the casino like shoplifting or not?) I don’t advocate stealing, but the anti-cheating laws are allowing one side to do it and not the other. And the invisible hand is nowhere to be seen.
I reviewed more of their material and a sizeable ratio of it is adaptable to duo arrangement, my area of expertise. For that matter, some of it is particularly highly adaptable. And if you are alert, you quickly spot the band, musician-wise, is really a duo. Seriously, the drummer and lead player were not holding up their end—but just you keep in mind I don’t know the background on that yet. Maybe they’re somebody’s cousins. (If so, I would like to see them twice removed, bwaaa-ha-ha-ha.)
From the last evening, I talked with these ladies for close to ten minutes. So lots of information traded places. One thing is that a singing bassist is an entirely new phenomenon to them. Does that mean they won’t allow it or that they would find it fascinating? I’m reminding you this is the band that has different members every time I see them. And I know that is not a form of instability most entertainers care for. You can never put on your top show unless you have dedicated personnel. Glen, you tell them what happens when you are constantly trying to prop up your act with walk-ins. You know, when your management method precludes any hope of getting regular, paid, musicians.
Ha! I got one for you. Remember music class or, for those lucky enough to have had them, vocal lessons? You are taught not to sing in a “head voice”. That the vocals must always emanate from deep in your chest? Guys, guys, here we have another instance of I never learned what was impossible. I found, around 2010, that I could intentionally alternate between the head and chest voice. If the experts were right, I would always elect the latter. But then, you hear some Michael Jackson. My god, that’s his chest voice?
So the other day I’m hacking around on that old tune, “Back in Baby’s Arms”. Patsy Cline, hey, will you guys quit saying Patsy Clone! Anyway, the best key to play the tune is not the one I can chest sing it. Thinking, ah, I’m just practicing, I used my head voice. Hmmm, I can easily hit all the notes just fine, but the presentation is a remarkable interlude, if only because that’s one of my specialties—doing the unexpected on stage. Careful here, the term “unexpected” is still subject to the bounds of popular opinion. I don’t sing the mary-jane song at the old lady’s home.
“The dates on your calendar are closer than they appear.”
This may seem a bit odd for an old American like me, but this morning was the first time in my life I turned on a sprinkler to my own yard. I can’t say lawn, see photo, but I repaired the backyard hose and dragged it around to the flower area. The ground cover was looking a little anemic. What did I learn? Well, if you watch the sprinkler, the soil doesn’t puddle where I rake it for the flowers. The sunflowers are starting to show the hairy stalks. The damp soil is a pigeon magnet. Move the red scooter before you turn on the water.
I thought I’d test that. I chose an easy spot in the shade, but what you see here represents 1/55th of the area that needs treatment. It’s dusty and uncomfortable work, but once more, the main ingredient of a good job is infinite patience. What you see here is around 1-1/2 hours of labor. One bit of advice that is constant is how everyone says to prime any bare wood immediately after it is cleaned, so what you see here is already primed by now.
Difficult to see is a tiny wire running through the siding below and between the windows. It’s an electrical ground wire. The grounding rod is missing, but they’ll have them at the lumber yard. This is an agricultural area. To any of the greatest generation who don’t know what a grounding rod is, may you find out the practical way.
On the inside of the building, there are quite a number of two wire outlets. Rather than replace them, I connected the copper wire and ran 18 gauge automotive cable from the metal boxes to a junction box behind this window on the inside. It’s kind of neat because running the ground yourself instills more confidence that it will work if needed. Let the Millennials upvote on whether one of their own kind can get electrocuted from not knowing this. Then watch them try to sue a lightning storm. I have no doubt one of them will try.
Last Laugh
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