October 20, 2021

Yesteryear
One year ago today: October 20, 2020, on millennital “technology”.
Five years ago today: October 20, 2016, DOS was more interesting.
Nine years ago today: October 20, 2012, unpredictable inflation.
Random years ago today: October 20, 2004, when idiots were less magnificent.

           Some good news. The shimmy problem in the van was not that expensive to repair. I’m over budget on my vehicle account, but now suspect I’ve not updated it for inflation. Considering I thought the repair might be $800 or more, I’m happy enough. It came in qt $242 but as I’ve been saying, these days I’m paying for repairs a lot without knowing what’s causing things to fail. I left the van at the shop and went to McDonalds. A coffee and pancakes cost me $5.12 which means things are getting rough for a lot of people. I could not find that ad I wanted you to see with McDonald’s advertising $21 per hour and can’t find help.

           Look at the bright side. This inflation will push up numbers, so if you have a job, it will be easier to pay off debts. That’s wishful thinking, mind you, as people who go into debt usually don’t have a bright side to begin with. I took along my book, “Stigma”. I was way in one corner reading when some yappy broad and her mother took the table next to me. What a piercing, non-stop voice on the younger one. I did glance up once, she knew she was bothering me. But I kept thinking they’d leave. Later the staff told me I had sat next to the spot she comes in every day and they can’t stand her either.

           Here’s the best photo I have of the two doggies. That’s Cash in the background and Hot Girl up front. Not well-disciplined, and both will snap if you spook them. Pancakes or not, when I went back to get the van this afternoon, I stopped again for coffee and tried a new treat. Pepper chicken nuggets. Hey, they say it is really chicken and once in a while won’t hurt. I liked them, but never really again since the regular are better. The van price was low enough that I’ll get the brakes looked at and possibly try that air conditioner. I repeat, I really like the comfort of this van. So what’s a few hundred bucks? I worked for what I have.
           I saw a pet food store, so I walked in to check prices. The bleedin’ staff would not leave me alone. Every two minutes the old are you finding what you’re looking for interruption. If there is a hallmark for millennials, it is how they attach no shame to ignoring when they are not wanted. After around five minutes of this nonsense, I walked out. Their prices were too high anyway. I was tempted to take the van for a longer highway trip, but instead opted for siesta. Hey, I put in this big days but sometimes there’s some recuperation.

           I began to sort out the mess of the CD problems from Parson. These guys are a generation ahead of me and are really not in touch with computers. Do I care? No, but it’s annoying how they do things the wrong way and expect credit because it is hard work. You should see these guys trying to make up a single page song list on a word processor. Five pages later, they are tired and just print anything that fits. I believe they were stunned when I mentioned you could get the computer to sort things. Once or twice I’ve offered to show them the easy way, but for some, any learning at all is not a step in that direction.
           In my possession is the Halloween list. We don’t play half those tunes yet, they were holdovers from Dom’s day. Nor have they grasped the concept of putting a print date somewhere on the page. My pages are titled sets 1,2,4, &5, no set 3. My theory on how people get into traps like that reveals a lot about their mentalities. Okay, le’ts say the guys were born in 1940. That means they were near middle aged when the computers took over the workplace, say 1980-ish. By that time, many had not read a book in 20 years and I worked with entire departments of people who shunned the contraption. It was something that required effort to master, meaning they learned the barest minimums of how-to. Then along came the Internet.
           Computers took a wrong turn by becoming easier for idiots to use. Now add another 20 years and here we are. They know what computers can do, but the mechanics are a mystery. They lack even the basics, so they become like my brothers. Learning anything worthwhile would now entail them having to repeat grade school and that puts the tiniest tasks out of their reach. Well into this century, I’ve had people who I could show how to sort a list in moments, but who were never able to grasp the concept of either sorting a list or why.

Picture of the day.
1970, when every girl was beautiful.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Another hour on trying to network the front computer. I want it backwards to how it was, so the router is in the back room. It’s frustrating work. Recall how I went through expert after expert in the 2000s and found not one could give me a definitive list of how to install wireless networking. Books were just as bad. Each one omitted some step, or another MicroSoft special, made references to screens, icons, or buttons that were not present. I never did get a straight answer out of any one of them bastards, er, I mean, experts.
           I could not stand what was on NPR, saying that people on welfare needed much more free money before they could achieve financial independence. Yep, and alcoholics need free booze to get sober. Instead I clicked on a video that said something about the backgrounds of today’s older stars. While it was interesting to see pictures of Danny Divito in 1962, the reality is I only knew or even heard of maybe half the people in the video. I admit I often watch movies without caring about the names of the actors, but here are people whose names and faces I don’t recognize. The possible explanation is I don’t watch TV.

           That’s only a partial guess, since if people really are famous, I’ve at least heard of them. The turning point seems to be around 1980. People who were my own age at the time, I could pick out. After that time, I did notice co-workers increasingly talked about actors and singers where I drew a blank. I’ve already said I never found Marilyn Monroe or Donna Douglas all that pretty. But what followed them seem to me a gaggle of droopy-boobed housewives. To me, who the hell is Shakira? Who is Fran Drescher? I sort of recognize Elizabeth Hurley. These women are strangers I would not hit on in a bar and if it is because I missed some television coverage, I’m glad I don’t move in those circle.
           There was another batch I semi-recognized from the movies. Overall, what stood out for me was the immense head start so many of them got in life. It’s the American way, the rich kids attend private music schools, the talented kids go to work, and guess who gets first prize? Two of these “stars” stood out to me because I do not think the made they warranted anything. Jimmy Hendrix puts me to sleep and Jennifer Aniston should get out of the way.

           Dang this Win10. I made complete backup copies and double-checked, but now the damn system won’t find them. I know where both copies are, but the Win 10 search function won’t display them and clicking on the “computer” icon shows no drives, even the C: Fuck you, Microsoft. I’ll get it, but I have to stop what I’m doing, which, as far as I’m concerned, is more important than anybody over there. And I see they still have not fired that corksoaker who makes the file list skirt to the right when you reach the bottom.

Last Laugh