September 24, 2022

Yesteryear
One year ago today: September 24, 2021, “Memphis” now a standard.
Five years ago today: September 24, 2017, good old Edna.
Nine years ago today: September 24, 2013, 54 mph.
Random years ago today: September 24, 2005, a typical “calendar” entry.

           Dead calm, no birds, temperature exactly 79ºF all morning, it means nothing. Except we are in hurricane season. I’ve got zero plans for the day, so follow along and see what I get up to. Shown here, a decent set of spurs these days sets you back $44. That’s chrome plated Sunday-go-to-meeting spurs. At least they can’t millennialize that – or can they? To help you decide, there’s also a picture of some spur straps. Which means you will need a spur strap holder, and a spur strap pouch. Add a spur strap pouch protector and you are on your way. For now.

           The San Francisco “Bicycle Coalition” has asked its members not call police when their bike is stolen. It harms black and brown people, they say. It is now racist to report black criminals. Okay, so if they get shot, I won’t report that either. The whole neighborhood is busy getting ready but this area has stood the test of time. Charlie went right through here around here some twenty years back and Howie says that is what took down all the trees, including the one that smacked down the roof of his shed.
           Ha, speaking of work sheds, yes, mine is a mess. So it surprises me how many people say it is so organized. I would need a month to build shelves for everything I’d like to stow out of the way. The yard kept me busy an hour before I got started. I cleared up brush behind the back fence, repaired electric cables (Howie has a generator), and put some extra hooks in the silo for tools I’d rather keep inside when it storms. Wooden handles have a short life in this vicinity.

           Stealing and hacking video game software is big business. I was surprised to see the arrest of a teen in England by a squad of gun-pointing no-nonsense agents acting like a SWAT team. That means big money is involved. But I had a laugh at the rest of the report, which took up that theme that hackers are so much more special if they are teens. Folks, it is no big deal when you are raised around computers to figure out how to use them for crime. It does lend a Robin Hood Jesse James aura to what is usually a no-brainer inside job.
           We have a new visitor, a tiny light green birdie. Frequents the birdbath and tentatively identified as a yellow-tree vireo. Either nervy, quite tame, or with terrible eyesight. I’ll try for some photos but this bird is nearly invisible unless seen out in the open. Have you got the latest updates on your computer? I don’t, in fact, my secure XP computer is 20 years without such nonsense. The latest round of MicroSoft virus updates is apparently causing computer worldwide to slow down. Serves them right.
           Trivia. I’m informed that many students these days cannot read Roman numerals. I learned them myself at around age seven and we were taught them in third and fourth grades. It seems odd the Romans, who could build magnificent structures, would use such a cumbersome system. That is, until you know today’s trivia. Why did they use Roman numerals? Answer: the numbers could be notched on a stick with a sharp knife. Makes more sense that what we were taught about the numbers could be shown by fingers. Try making a nine.

           Kerfuffle in the media, as Trump’s gorgeous ex-press secretary has a talk show “Outnumbered” that is trouncing the competition. If I’m slow to learn about this you know the reason. I pulled up a youTube session and it breaks no new ground. Cheap sets, older women in pantsuits and sporting asymmetrical hairdos, men in slightly too small blazers. The commentary is more amusing from my perspective since they name names and the D-party has become like some cartoon version of itself and keeping them supplied.

Picture of the day.
Abandoned vitamin factory (Russia).
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Shown here is $104 worth of hardware I bought when it was around $28. The small clips are now $1.97 each, this shows 31 of them. I’m around half done, but it is the easy half. The sheds in the back are all reinforced. Every post, every stud, every corner is strapped and the decks are anchored to every wall, including partitions. I’m more concerned about the roofing materials, which have gotten away on me once before. Each panel is held by the regulation number of fasteners which are rated to 110 mph winds. The radio stations need something to panic about but if TS (tropical storm) 9 follows the law of averages, it will become a Category 3 hurricane and go right through Polk County. That would be next Wednesday. The stores are sold out of sandbags and generators. It is illegal to speculate on hurricane supplies but clearly does not extend to stores, who run out every time without fail. And fans. Try to buy a fan around here in the summertime.

           To keep things moving faster than they actually did, here are some random photos. That’s my powerball lotto ticket and me pointing at some of the yellow peach leaves. There’s the hand-held bolt cutters, but I already made a funny about bicycle thieves. And a pair of horseshoes, around $6. What can we get out of this? Well, check back later on the ticket and I’m reading that overwatering can cause the leaves to die. If that is the trouble, not much can be done about it in Florida. So there’s your busy picture. When you win the lottery and can’t find the ticket, look on the flatbed of your scanner.
           Then I watched an inspirational video of Italians tearing the EU flag off the Rome office and replacing it with an Italian flag. Even better was the crowd striking a thin line of police trying to move forward. There was a definite method to the resistance and they were using a matching set of sticks, possibly broomhandles. No, I do not advocate violence, but if the protest is legal and the police get involved, that’s different. It got dark before I finished, I still have 8 metal brackets to go. Due to logistics I doubt a put in an effective half hour today and the new mini-fridge in the shed is acting up. It’s actually not bad to reach the stage in life where this stuff is the big problem of the day.

           Did Trump have another rally? All I heard was shouting from NPR today that his crowds are so immense they constitute a threat to democracy. The total people arrested for J6 protesting has reached 919, including a 72-year-old man jailed for 3.5 years. The charge? Assault. Did his walker accidentally hit some cop’s boot? Forbes reports the rally fizzled with only a few dozen “right-wingers” showing up, supported by a photo taken six hours before the event began. They also mentioned the pillow guy, who is under investigation. He has not been arrested or charged or convicted or even questions, but he is "under investigation".

ADDENDUM
           Examining video of my Karaoke last night shows that was one of my worst shows ever. Slight mistakes get buried in the general commotion and people who know me are aware 100% of my show is dance music, which packs the floor. But I could hear the mistakes and sour notes. I’m not off the hook just because I sang two tunes that were at the bottom and top of my range. Nor am I a vocalist and I will forget lyrics if not in eyeshot of the screen, which in this case was over by the washrooms. It was disappointing. I ran into Bradford again, who mentions he’s got practice space in his new house.
           I asked him to remind me why we were not in a duo by now. The reason on the surface is that he cannot play and sing at the same time. That means I have to learn only what he can play and he does not like playing my song list. It also means when he plays his material you get a lot of complicated technical material instead of steady strumming. There is nothing insurmountable in all this but the willpower to do it is rare. He is also rooted in the big band era, if there is a barrier, bring in another band member. I know that doesn’t work, What I’m amenable to is we learn one set and hit the jam sessions.

Last Laugh