September 13, 2018

Yesteryear
One year ago today: September 13, 2017, dangerously insane.
Five years ago today: September 13, 2013, no solitary pursuits . . .
Nine years ago today: September 13, , the same ruthless efficiency.
Random years ago today: September 13, 2014, Ray-B moves out west.

           I addressed as many of the problems as time permitted, including testing the battery under load. That was the mystery, since it is new, sealed, and the wiring was done right. This might be another case of Florida putting things on sale that have a known but non-obvious defect. The way Walgreen’s used to discount those single use cameras just before the internal battery went dead. This is all heading toward our opening tomorrow evening and it is that usual balance between being meticulous and just doing it. Happens with all business startups I’ve ever seen.

           If I were asked for advice, mind you, I’d say with a hotdog stand, the ordinary Joe is better off taking it one step at a time. I don’t doubt there have been people who just bought a cart and went to work, but my guess is that is appearances. There must have been other factors, for instance, maybe the person was naturally very organized. And that is rare enough in Florida to be considered a luxury. We have both drawn the conclusion that most carts you see very likely worked right only long enough to pass the inspection.

           Here’s another shot of the test run last evening. The best emerging scenario is that the cart can be run with only the burners actually working. It’s not a great idea, but we would have found that out sooner or later. At this point everybody has doubts, it’s not just me. There are those three ways to lose and I’ve done what I can to narrow it down to one. What, you don’t remember them? Okay, one, you can lose by not making as much as you expected. Two, lose by breaking even. Three, lose by losing your investment. I won’t lose the investment, since I could sell the cart and even then, I’ve learned one hell of a lot. And no way we will just break even because we already know we are going to sell some quantity.

           Logistics, well, that is the secondary consideration here. Take the lantern. The mantle was broken. Now, you’d think in this age were everybody else has gone camping and has used these lights, everyone would be adept at changing the mantles. Ha, the mob is equally incompetent at that. Shown here, I finally took it home and did it myself. Pictured here, they are installed, trimmed, and already burned in. How disturbing that changing a mantle is a challenge to most Americans.

           Which reminds me I got a dispatch from Elliott, his sales are steady but he had a complaint related to these times. The first batch of millennials, he says, now occupy most of the entry level jobs of his suppliers. And they can’t do the job. He reports massive delays and errors. What gets him most is he says he’s dealt with total incompetence before, but it never had such a smug attitude. I hear ya, buddy. Those dead-brains think making you stand there while they take forever to look something up is the same as knowing it in the first place. It’s the education system, it has to be. How else can you account for the collective moronization of an entire generation.
           Still, don’t let me present that as a convenient excuse for them to use. We had the same indoctrination that passed for education in my day. I knew what I was supposed to say to pass the exam, but there were more people around then who knew it was a game. More were aware there were alternative explanations and ways to think. Today it is not just a behavioral thing any more. Every generation probably thinks the next one is the worst, but that’s looking at it as a social trend and I’m not talking about that.
I’ve been pointing out the lack of inventions and innovations with the latest generations since 1991. Not one new anything. Even the heralded electric cars have been around over a hundred years. I’m talking totally new, world-changing ideas. Ideas like the telephone or the airplane or the computer, that change everything.

           [Author’s note: in a tale from the trailer court concerning the way Florida will put defective items on sale, I met a gal who spent $35 on plastic kitchen containers. Not Tupperware™ but really good quality and it all seemed fine. Until you went to open any of the pieces that had a screw on lid. When you gripped the base tightly enough to unscrew the lid, it distorted the shape and the lids would not turn. If you squeezed harder, they stuck even more. Even picking the container up was enough to jam the lids in place.]

Picture of the day.
Hey big guy.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           My second Fubar gig was a dud. Not a failure, but without much audience response and competition with the juke box. I dusted off my old 2009 backing tracks, so it was kind of Kamikaze playing some tunes I haven’t touched in most of that time. Here’s the best picture you will get of my stunt double playing “Spiders & Snakes” to an audience of maybe five local drunks. It’s my old show, where I just sing and play bass to cover tunes. There was a birthday party, but they kept to themselves. At the end, the regulars thanked me for the show. Tips were minimal. Now on to accentuating the positive.

           I used my own equipment and found out it is adequate for a large room, with a great bass sound. I think a computer will be necessary if I continue, as the el cheapo MP3 player cranks them out alphabetically only. I see I’ve gotten much better at patching audio tracks than before. I can see this act as suitable for a small VFW or place that normally has no entertainment or only Karaoke. The topic of bar bingo came up, and what a pity in this day and age there is no single source you can go to and get a straight answer. I know that other bars have bingo, so it is plainly possible. Going on-line only gets you dozens of sources who claim to tell you the answers, but every one of them is either click-bait or does not quite address the core question.

           And that question is, how does one legally host a bingo game in a license bar? A few of the places actually quoted the state law verbatim, if anybody likes reading the incomprehensible jargon. Wait a sec, my weather alert alarm just triggered. But they do that even if the hurricane slows down. Okay, this time it was a flood warning. I know, I know, since when did flooding rivers become weather? But where else they gonna put it? I found out a few things, such as bingo and pull tabs are not considered gambling in Florida. Yeah, so how come you need a permit? Veteran’s halls don’t need a permit. There is no explanation why that organization is exempt.
           Trailer parks and community halls can hold members only bingo, but get this. According to the law, every one of those members is supposed to have registered by name, address, and social security number. Ha, I don’t know of one place that complies, and I know that law not enforced. At the end of an hour, I have no definite answer. The logical place to ask is a shop that sells bingo supplies. I’ll be near one early next week.
           I intend to keep on playing on Thursdays until I meet a guitarist, or my solo act gets better, or they ask me to leave. Since Charl owns the place, that last one is not likely, unless she gets a boyfriend or something. So the shows are not that great for me. But I say that from the stage and that is infinitely better than from the audience. You know, in case Taylor walks in.

Last Laugh

++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Return Home
++++++++++++++++++++++++++