December 15, 2022

Yesteryear
One year ago today: December 15, 2021, a millennial computer.
Five years ago today: December 15, 2017, because corruption isn't illegal.
Nine years ago today: December 15, 2013, DIY power bar.
Random years ago today: December 15, 1981, the only thing I miss.

           Once you get past the useless features, the stopwatch is quite the instrument. It has a handy feature that I don't know the name of yet, but I might call freeze-frame. Taking sextant readings requires accurate measurement of off-set timing. I'm barely proficient, which I attribute to the lack of having an ocean to practice on. So I'll take several measurements and seek an average. The feature is one that stops the display so you can record the time, but then keeps on running and lets you catch up.

           The Civic is not ready. Not from complications but lack of an available hoist. You can tell who is any good in the Nashville auto industry by the number of cars ahead of yours. Hence, most of today was ferrying the Reb about and taking the dogs out while she was at a meeting. This fake “supply chain” crisis is getting annoying. No dental floss might be a first-world problem, but I would point out it is an indicator. America is not out of dental floss, it is out of people who can't leave well enough alone.

           This is one of those highly advertised Surefire flashlights. I automatically reject any device which requires custom batteries, but others don't. Hence, this unit sat on the tray by the door for a year once they went dead. I don't use it but I found a replacement set of batteries a couple weeks ago. Knowing specialty batteries when I see them, I sort of remembered where they were. Then, I discover the primary use of this “tactical” flashlight is to illuminate doggie poop at night. Now, it has significance. I realized the batteries had been misplaced and dug them out.
           Now is works fine. The LEDs do get hot, but I don't know about them lighting tinder. Nor do they light up the horizon. I looked and did not find a recharger. The label specifies lithium. Nor did I find anything on-line. I could sure use my magnifier now, since the fine print on the battery itself is finer than my vision nowadays. It says 3V and if it can be recharged, I'll have the proper gear back on the shelf at the robot club. It would not surprise me in the least to find some millennial thinks you would throw out a $200 flashlight because there is no recharger included in the package.

           Big news item today was this announcement that Trump is selling sports cards without the bubblegum. Myself, I say it is a deep fake but if so, they sure hacked his account, looks like they got right into his home computer. Probably a Twitter inside job. America is taking such glee listening to the squealing of those people as their lives fall apart. Rumor is other than the few positions opening at Google, nobody will hire these douchebags and it serves them right. I drove the Reb way out to Franklin for an event but did not stick around. Nope, I seem to have accumulated not having my siestas and was back here in slumberland.
           Later, wide awake, I went on-line to find the formula and procedure to allow for declination, something most don't bother with because it changes so slowly. What an effort it was to find a source. What's there tells the horror story of what's happened to American education. There is not one site in the first five pages that gives examples. It is all sites to enter you data and do the calculations for you. Zero understanding of the process, and such things always come back to bite the people who buy into them. I checked a few for accuracy and they all have the defect that you get no sense of the Sun moving rapidly away from the position where the reading was taken. This makes it an easy thing to overlook.
           Folks, stick to old school navigation until you know what's happening. Take noon sites for beginners, I had to do around a hundred to get just to where I am now. And on most of those, I made bonehead mistakes. You ain't goin' far with this hobby until you learn that Noon is very rarely 12:00 o'clock. Here's where I advise the reader I only do one part of the calculation as a rule. And I've never taken star readings simply because between cloud cover and light pollution, stars are rarely visible in Florida.

Picture of the day.
Mississippi & tributaries.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Thanks to Elon, I must revamp my news filters. He's causing too much of a ruckus and now, because journalists tracked his private jet, he's banning them for a week. And they are howling mad. It proves to the world the woketards cannot take their own medicine. But, okay, let me read up on what's going on with that. Okay, I'm back but I must admit I have not heard of any of these people:

Aaron Rupar
Kieth Olbermann
Donie O'Sullivan (CNN)
Drew Harwell (Washington Post)
Ryan Mac (NY Times)

           I even pulled up their pictures and the only one I'd sort of recognize is this fat boy Donie because he looks a bit like Jack Black. The really ugly one was Rupar and the Olberman person, I admit, does actually look like a news reporter. These account suspensions are temporary and due to the fake news endangering Musk's family. The irony is the media are screaming foul over something they've done to others for years. Suddenly they are all for free speech and no censorship. What I'd like to see is in seven days, people find other news sources and never return to the mainstream. Why the seven day suspension? Impeccable logic. As Musk continues to release incriminating Twitter files, they can't use their Twitter accounts to create hit pieces and fake narratives
           Another funny outfit is Disney. The backlash to their queerness was gargantuan, yet they seem to be business as usual. You can't have it both ways. Is Disney using up its resources to prop up a false front that all is okay. House sales in Tennessee are down 38% from last year, it is the 2008 scenario all over but this time there is nothing left in the bailout bank.
           Here's a mushroom that got stepped on during today's walk. Nobody around here knows or believes any of these to be edible or poisonous. This one was almost perfectly symmetrical until stepped on.

Last Laugh