March 13, 2022

Yesteryear
One year ago today: March 13, 2021, the wrong kind of people.
Five years ago today: March 13, 2017, Nell’s is now take-out only.
Nine years ago today: March 13, 2013, it is written . . .
Random years ago today: March 13, 2001, on the Orinoco.

           Ha, didn’t I warn you about the code in the self-driving and electric cars. The latest omni-bill pushed through by the Bidenistas paves the way for a kill switch. I could not have predicted that or the timing, but the code is there, ready to be activated. (I know because I almost applied for the job thirteen years ago.) Also, I suspect there is code that will lock you inside the car and code that can be used to determine if the vehicle is insured. Not far behind is the alcohol detection app.

           My gosh and apologies, it seems I never showed you a picture of the lumber I coated with linseed oil. Golly, what was I thinking, here it is. Boiled linseed oil, and you know why they boil it? It is cold-pressed flaxseed oil and will not dry completely unless you boil out the compounds that make it so. I wonder who and how that was discovered, but I remember when it was sold raw and you boiled it yourself. But, for some people that’s like letting them boil gasoline.
           Trivia. In the USA, 80% of all products sold are packaged in cardboard boxes. And 97% of that is recovered for recycling. When I was in fourth grade I saw a documentary about cardboard during “audio-visual” period. The tech term for cardboard is corrugated fiberboard. And if you are the least bit curious, I advise you to look into how this material, which goes back as far as the 1800s, is the product that dominates packaging today. It was no easy trip.

           Has Ford company been reading this blog? Long before the fake chip shortage took root, I mentioned that cars should be made driveable without the chips. That is, they should be mechanically complete, and it seems Ford is going to be selling such cars. Trust me, folks. I’ve driven most of my life without HD radio and fuel management modules. And those battery recharger cells that can be bought at Wal*Mart are far easier to use.
           Here is a definition of a misunderstood term. Have you ever heard of “jury nullification”? Learn it because I say it will soon become an issue in Canada. It is one reason I’ve often said there is no such thing as a fair trial in that country. Jury nullification is when a jury returns a “not guilty” verdict even thought they know the defendant did the deed. This can happen when the jury believes the law should not have been applied in the case at hand.
           It happens usually when a law is corrupt or a judge has ordered the jury to return a verdict of guilty, which is surprisingly often. The crucial point is that if a jury says not guilty, that verdict cannot be overturned and the jury cannot be punished. The term means the jury has, in this case, “nullified” the law. This is what you can expect the Trudeau jungle-law regime to go after. He will order judges to overrule jury verdicts and punish jurors with disobeying a court order. It is not too far a step away from the way Ottawa has treated judges in their kangaroo courts.

Picture of the day.
Snow in Istanbul, today.
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           All the plumbing books I read advised set of cutoff valves for each sink, even if the sinks were beside each other and fed with the same lines. I did and now I’m glad. I have the parts ready to assemble some rather unique faucets. These days I seem to be doing these small projects, but at least it’s work. You know what happens when you don’t work every day. I also began fixing the siding where I took out the window back whenever. It faces north, into the laundry deck so was not a priority. It was down in the mid-thirties overnight and did not get decent until late afternoon, so Cash and I were outside the whole time.

           No sign of the hillbilly, but he gets his walking papers when he shows up. The dog has been here since Saturday and I can’t handle or afford this. My average utility bill has skyrocketed from $141 to $206 and I have begun to conserve. The paint for this house has gone from $36 per gallon to $109. I raked small area where the birdbath is now situated and that took two hours, yet it isn’t bagged yet.

           There is my redneck hummingbird bath. Is that recycled enough for you? Best use I ever got out a television antenna. Note the custom stem for the mister. That’s the double window created from the other I just mentioned. The terrible paint scheme is me trying various options for either painting or replacing the siding. So far, I’ve been able to fix or replace the few really bad sections. I should have bought that chop saw years ago This experimental work is facing the back yard nobody can see without a reason for being back there. I also got up the ladder and replaced all dead light bulbs. I was busy enough.
           Now it is dark, daylight savings already. Many people dislike the change but I find it is because just as many don’t understand it. I found a documentary on the US Army trials to replace the Bradley. I always thought that machine was a loser. It costs 2/3 as much as a tank and most generals would rather have another two tanks than three of those monstrosities. They are an expensive copy of German armored troop carriers whose job it was to keep up with the tanks, but for the most part, they fought on foot.
           The Russians were first, but it wasn’t a big leap to attach an armored car turret to these troop transports to give them a little firepower. Still, that’s a job a tank should be doing, with the two different vehicles calling on the other as needed. So, while I don’t care for the concept, the German contender, the Lynx, caught my eye. It is really a mini-tank with an electric transmission that sends up drones to guide tank-killing missiles. Thus, it only needs a pop-gun 35mm cannon. It has a crew of three but one look tells you this thing is soon to be a robot.

ADDENDUM
           I also manage to fit together the basic pieces for my faucets. I need something to hold them steady as they poke through the countertop, I believe the piece is called a flange. Searching on that word, I found quite a variety of models, yet I have not seen these for sale in any of the local stores I frequent for copper tubing. If I’m not too fussy about a color match, there’s some that look heavy duty. I should be okay, but why are all that I looked at have the smallest dimension as 3/4 inch? My sinks only require 1/2 inch and I’d rather solder the joints that use screw fittings.

           Where did I put that DVD with Jackie Chan as the celebrity chef? That’s the kind of movie I want to see right now. Let Jackie strike a blow for good guys everywhere. That’s it, I remember now, Mr. Nice Guy. I’ll check the shed, hang on. Here it is. And I found one packet of Chai tea before Wal*Mart quit selling it. Maybe we’ll have that and ginger snaps. I worked hard enough to deserve a treat, don’t you think?

           How about those Democrat swine in Michigan, claiming a burglar broke into offices where they used to work and did nothing but break the seal on a canister containing 2020 election ballots. This happened shortly after the opposing candidate, who lost by only a few dozen votes, demanded a recount. Under Michigan law, ballots in an unsealed container cannot be recounted. How a burglar would know this was not explained in the news release, nor how the burglar knew which of the canisters contained the questionable ballots. The two women involved will plead not guilty. That means if they are black, treason is a two week suspended sentence and a $50 fine.

Last Laugh