October 3, 2020

Yesteryear
One year ago today: October 3, 2019, (shhh, I ate pizza.)
Five years ago today: October 3, 2015, she doesn’t know I’m alive.
Nine years ago today: October 3, 2011, drum machine annual coincidence.
Random years ago today: October 3, 2008, 5,600 bricks.

           I do believe I’ve been experiencing therapy hangovers. Checking my calendar confirms there is some connection. It’s irrational, you go there, they bend your arm fifteen ways, you go home. You figure it out, I’m going to force myself into work mode since I want to get to that kitchen floor in the near run. That funny sounding bird way up the trees has been identified as a toad. Nobody knows what the name is but it appears nobody likes them. No wonder I could not see any feathers.

           But you may see feathers and some tar as well. The turban lady has been caught red-handed with vote harvesting. If something isn’t done there could be an outcry. Once again the Democrat left has not said a word. TMOR this case is an example of the American system at work. You are absolutely free to come over here, live twenty years, and wear a turban. But it is a signal you have not become American and should not be telling us how to run our country. There is nothing stopping you from being stupid—but don’t expect any sympathy. Vote harvesting carries a 5-year sentence and don’t be surprised to hear the cheering if she gets it. She’s been a slow learner all along.

           This shows some bracing done on the far back fence. The reason for it is several layers of carpet, quite heavy. are slated for hanging on the cross members. This is the backdrop for my shooting gallery, air-powered only. At exactly 25 feet back, under cover, is the covered scooter shed. The job is only half done, as I used old lumber and ran out. I don’t know the official name for what goes behind your targets. There will be a sheet of plywood, then three layers of carpet, around a half inch apart. In front of that are the targets. The design will allow me to add more carpet if needed. There is nothing behind the fence except 300 feet of empty lot. Gosh, that fence looks like my shed doors.

           Tomorrow we go shopping. I’ll pass on the air fryer, I just don’t see the advantages. I may opt for a separate new toaster, every toaster I’ve every owned burned out one element in no time at all. Tell you what, maybe I’ll wait until Monday, as I have business in Winter Haven. I said maybe. At that time I will look for one hour max, and may be swayed by things that are on sale. I vastly under-use my stove oven, I bake maybe twice per week. The A/C I installed keeps the climate pretty nice. I should make better use of what I have.

           Glancing through the offerings at Wal*Mart, I see they’ve hired a batch of millennial AOLs to work on their web page. When you use the back arrow, it tries to sucker you into signing up for a newsletter. The one that gets me is rollovers that “time in”. If you don’t move your cursor for a few seconds, it acts like you clicked. And there is no place on the screen to park our cursor. It is faster to log off and back on.
           Another annoyance on some sites is the whole screen is a hotspot. If you accidentally click on something and want to un-click, good luck. How about the haircut on the peach tree? It is now cropped at six feet. The tree was misshapen to start with, which may explain why it was on sale. I read up on several ways to groom the branches. There are three lower limbs (you can only see two) that I hope to train into a flat-topped tree around as high as the fence shown here

Picture of the day.
The last British Pullman.
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           The new workshed is only wired for light. Everything else has extension cords and power bars. Here is the first box getting wired, it has one GFCI and two duplex receptacles. I don’t have a matching set of anything left so we shall work with what we got. This segment of the electric is more important that it looks. You see, the shed has only radio and the left has again gone off the deep end about Trump getting the flu. Ironic, Trump has tested positive but Pelosi and Schumer get the sweats, fever, and diarrhea.

           Say, didn’t those two swear they were going to block the Supreme Court nomination? Then again, both are insiders, the all talk no action bunch. The media swings into action, saying Trump can’t run the country when he has COVID, blaming his masklessness, and chanting how the infection has now “shredded all credibility of his administration”. Hardly top news, in fact the most important even around here this afternoon was an e-mail from Ray-B. He’s met a German lady who has “a nice shape for her age”, okay guys, we know what that means.

           It is time to dig out the drum machine. I’ve decided to give it a serious whirl, plus the act would be unique in this county. There is no intention here to take any of the existing solo acts head-on. These studio guys may all play clone material but they play it to a tee. I’ve noticed several of the acts taper off badly toward last set, sometime really badly. I have most of the drum settings on file and I’ll just have to accept the extra time between songs needed to work the box on stage. I’ve still got my million-dollar idea for the drum box, but not one millennial in the thousands is willing to work for free until things get fired up. I still believe a regular drum box can be modified for ease of use in a live setting.
           Maybe it is time to quit with the White House briefing. It’s become a joke. The room is stacked with left-wing barbarians that have been asking the same questions in the same vein year in and year out. Why are there no moderates or right-leaning people there? It is incredible to watch them take turns asking outdated questions that have been answered countless times. There is no clear bearing on events of the day, which I thought was the basis for the briefings. Every one of them has an agenda, I say time to quit wasting time and money.
           How often can some ignorant “journalist” ask what Trump has done to combat the virus? And they are all playing the same old tune that anything but obsequiousness on the part of white people is racist. They are so full of themselves. Again, I say these journalists should have to identify themselves and who they work for—and questions should be limited to one issue each. Repeat questions should be ignored.

           What’s the big deal if Disney lays off workers? They are nothing special. Why are we bailing out airline workers? It’s supply and demand, some jobs are more vulnerable than others. Get over it. I’ve lost my job three times in my life due to changing requirements and environments. I was replaced once by a machine, once by a computer, and once by a team of Filipinos. When I worked for a living, I spend a minimum of one evening per week at night school. Each time I lost a job, I moved on to a better situation, though I sometimes took a cut in pay. This required effort and I admit when it was over, I had no energy left to feel sorry for people who thought they had hit a comfort zone.
           If you want comfort, get a puppy. In fact, meet Seven when she was a puppy. Today she just passed fifty pounds and her voice went from a yap to a bark. Still a puppy, she is part companion, part guard dog out in the Pacific Northwest. I’ll hunt down a newer pick for you. In a way, I miss going to night school, but you know they’ve changed the system so you can’t easily take the odd course out of pure interest.

ADDENDUM
           Checking the news feeds mainly because I wanted a second cup of coffee, let’s see what the world is up to. Europe is moving toward a digital Euro, which would end all personal freedoms. With Germany as the dominant economy, they may have pulled a Roosevelt. If you can’t win the war with tanks, win it with money and technology. Trump’s mention of Proud Boys has sparked a new media sales drive, er, I mean coverage. Every opposing view is far-right. There is no middle or near right, nor even a neutral stance. Far-right neo-fascist, why they must be because they are not left, it’s an easy matter of definition.

           I’ll stand back and watch. I don’t understand why so many members are not white, which to me would indicate they are more liberal than BLM. As for the riots and destruction, that makes the Proud Boys seem like a focus group. They have participated in anti-left violent activity but the November elections are likely to prove they are part of a majority on that. I acknowledge every group has it’s extreme factions.

           Two items before I wrap up today. One is that Mexican hedge bush by the driveway. It will not grow like I trim it. Here’s a terrible picture, but that O-shaped plant at center is the culprit. So, if it wants to grow in the shape of a wreath, that’s how I will trim it. You can see through the middle, which I will now cultivate as a conversation piece.
           Last, I can’t find my drum box. I have the old unit, the one the mice ate the buttons off, but where is my brand new box? It’s around somewhere, I don’t have that great a filing system but nor do I lose many things outright. I found my missing cell phone, I’ll try to see if they’ll activate that one. What a waste of $85 since Boost will not honor the contract. The fact I lost them for so long is really my fault. Traveling to Tennessee really upset all of last year. I hope that box isn’t stored out in the shed. The new work area is freeing up enough space that I’m beginning to find things I’ve forgotten about for years. I saw that drum box around a year ago, so it’s likely in this room somewhere.

           Ah, it just flashed in my mind. It’s in one of the music suitcases. But which one? I’m not sure even how many suitcases of music gear I have, my guess is at least a dozen. I wonder which forgotten goodies I find as I start opening those. I know there is an 8-channel recorder, some Shure microphones, and a mixer for sure. I found the two swell pedals so the wireless microphones won’t be far away. If I find everything I’m thinking of, it won’t cost me an extra penny to put this act together.

Last Laugh