December 31, 2019

Yesteryear
One year ago today: December 31, 2018, a woozy start.
Two yearsago today: December 31, 2017, mostly about guitar practice.
Three years ago today: December 31, 2016, working away.
Four years ago today: December 31, 2015, it teaches nothing.
Five years ago today: December 31, 2014, I insult The Beatles.
Six years ago today: December 31, 2013, the boogie piano pattern.
Seven years ago today: December 31, 2012, 65% out of town.
Eight years ago today: December 31, 2011, that wierdo Pastorius.
Nine years ago today: December 31, 2010, relaxing deep study.
Ten years ago today: December 31, 2009, wine appreciation, my eye.
Eleven years ago today: December 31, 2008, muffins, cookies, & such.
Twelve years ago today: December 31, 2007 I settled for $400.
Thirteen years ago today: December 31, 2006, cash payout, my eye.
Fourteen years ago today: December 31, 2005, not entered yet.
Fifteen years ago today: December 31, 2004, not entered yet.
Sixteen years ago today: December 31, 2003, I was nearly right.
(Facebook wiped out the Internet.)

           New Year’s, which I won’t make a big deal of, is more of an event here than other holidays. I’m getting fan mail from all the outposts (you might say) and the watchworld for 2020 appears to be “Onward!” I appreciate the encouragement, but in context it means more of the group than to me. Celebrate? Nope, not unless I have a gig and it has been far too long. Relying on others is the scourge of the music ifield if only because people rarely say what they mean and there is no shame attached.. I’ve got this wild idea that it was easier back in the big band era because so many entertainers had a common cause. And t’was the recording industry that killed that concept.
           Another quirk about 2020 is that many of my non-financial long-range plans end on Halloween of that year. Or maybe “plans” is the wrong word since I have nothing concrete, it’s a psychological era that ends. A variety of fortune tellers on opposite sides of the world said I would die at age 71 in my sleep, most likely of a nosebleed. Sounds grim, yes, and they were charlatans, but they agreed semi-roughly on that event and date. It must have studk with me under the surface. It’s not like I have no plans, a life like mine builds enough momentum to keep going. It’s like an internal change that says after this, take it one day at a time. There, end of philosophising.

           That dog has defeated every method of sealing the yard gate with the wire mesh that is already there. Time for the next level, which is to build a gate. We want something light and easy and the winner is a PVC model found on-line. The basic structure is a PVC frame, It works similar to this baby gate, shown here with a few modifications. For example, this gate unlatches by lifting it up. Sparkie would be through that faster than a three-year-old. This model rests on the gound which also won’t do.
           The frame is supposed to be of “furniture grade” PVC which is reputed to be UV proof, but it depends on the price. The gate shown here says the cost was $45. It also uses some fittings I’ve not seen before on the latch and hinges, so I might work around that. Maybe some ordinary pipe straps. The plan is one edge against the shed, the other swings to the existing metal “fencepost” and the latch, well, that comes later. And I would paint it. Now, if it would only warm up a bit.

           Do you have any idea how difficult it is to find flip-phones any more? I got lucky, LizJohn kept her old units and will send me the best of the lot. This phone will be treated with the utmost care. Strange how you cannot get more than one phone to ring on a cellular number, but no doubt it has to do with surveillance. She’s just back from Vegas to find a foot of snow in her yard. She reports the three days were spent mostly walking around. The upcoming year must be used to solidify as many things as possible. I can’t say what, but the system is still tightening up and it’s nearing strangulation. It’s a sure sign the nation is approaching bankruptcy when every move and bank account is being watched.

           This term “fake news” is cropping up everywhere. I try to recall where I’ve seen this before but my brain keeps returning to how newspapers used to try to discredit each other with the same trickery. My spider sense tells me there is a pattern to it, so I don’t buy the big media stance that it’s just some thrill-seeking hackers. Mind you, I’m aware of how difficult fact-checking can become when half your staff are sub-educated. I wouldn’t doubt if they quote each other as sources.
           As I’ve said, we’re in an era of truth by majority rule. When a hundred million people say that Internet is spelled internet (with a small ‘I’), then that becomes the fact. When they say curve-fitting is Artificial Intelligence, only dissenters disagree. You get the idea. And besides with the big news agencies all controlled by the same people, it’s all been fake news since Viet Nam.

Picture of the day.
Chinese stealth attack drone.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Okay, here’s some trivia. Nobody has ever swum directly across the English Channel by the shortest route. The reason is the swim takes more than one tide cycle, and the surge always makes for an S-shaped path.

           How about this cry for broadband services to rural areas? Seems the college crowd is up in arms over it. I wonder how far a lame concept like that would have gotten in my day. I say fine, give them fiber optic if the want it, but send them the bill. I’m not part of the gang that considers Internet and cable TV to be utilities, much less necessities. You wan’t ‘em, you pay for ‘em. Shade of Ken Sanchuck who wanted me to pay half the premium cable bill so he could get the sports channel. Fat chance. For the record, I think the cost back then was $71 per month. I haven’t watched $71 worth of TV in my life. Read my lips, cable TV is not a utility.
           What’s more, no way does someone who lives out in the sticks supposed to enjoy services at city levels, and that applies to Internet service. The thinking goes they can afford to pay more because of what they save on property taxes and such. What do I care if little Tyler can’t play Dead by Daylight till midnight. Besides, to be fair, if he gets subsidized cable, he should subsidize city folks who’d like a bucolic view from their balconies.

           My goal for today was to walk the dogs and watch a good video. I don’t have one, but otherwise mission accomplished. See you in 2020.

ADDENDUM
           It seems one Rachel Sklar is miffed that Trump’s daughter was chosen to speak at the next CES, a computer exhibition. Rachel says there are much more qualitied women and that Ms. Trump’s “engagement with technology is limited”. I take that to mean Ivanka uses a smart phone. Other than Ivanka, who could they choose? Becky Stern? I wonder about the real motive behind’s Skar’s objection, especially because her being a non-blonde Jewish-Canadian single mother.who formerly worked for the Huffington Post has absolutely nothing to do with her point of view.
           Politics, first mentioned in any on-going manner in this blog with the rise of Donald Trump, may continue. The focus remains how the bad guys are blocking Trump from keeping campaign promises and enlisting pathetic means to unseat him. The roster against him is equally feeble. And octogenarian, a communist, and a queer. TMOR, my position on homos is “equal but separate”. Homo behavior is identical to a religion. Practice any religion you want, but I don’t want to hear it from you, or see it all over the place, nor give it any special treatment over any other preferences. And calling me a theophobic won’t help, either.

           Newsweek, another liberal rag, has sunk to a new low. Claiming that the border wall will cause the extinction of eight species you’ve never heard of.. As an example of their slanted reporting, they quote a Democrat named Raul saying Trump’s “obsession” with the wall disregards the voices of those “who call the borderlands home”. Raul goes on to say Trump is dividing families (their houses must be in the direct path of the wall) and the wall is destroying “environmental treasures”. Wha? Raul, it seems, does not think there is any issue with illegal immigration.

Last Laugh