February 6, 2023

Yesteryear
One year ago today: February 6, 2022, recording is labor-intensive.
Five years ago today: February 6, 2018, the Ultimatum game.
Nine years ago today: February 6, 2014,the BeatBuddy sucks.
Random years ago today: February 6, 1982, calendar notes again.

           Why does a vacuum cleaner make the blog? Because I’ve never bought a new one like this before. In the two hours it took to run downtown and back I bought a handheld. All the canister vacuums were heavy and had cumbersome attachments. So, for the first time in my retirement, I bought something on the basis of ease of use rather than efficiency. The now-proven theory that I’m more likely to use something I can pick up handily has now been applied to a Hart 20V vacuum. The battery and charger are compatible with my drill and so far, the vacuum really honks. First thing I did was add a magnet to the nozzle and I’m already 76¢ richer.

           While there, I took a look at a small iPad. I don’t understand the terminology, indicating it is designed to be obscure. Noticing that the latest round of product specifically avoid mentioning what the unit can do, such as does it word process and if so what format are the files. Folks, the fact that a newcomer has to research what all these things mean is not progress. It is a step backwards and the assholes who pull this sort of stunt know it. Same with the ads, you click on the product that says $299 and the page that appears is $499 and up.
           All have the “up to” battery life. Strikes me odd, if they are going to lie and say up to 12 hours, why not go all out and say up to 24, or 48? Most frustrating are the Samsung ads that will not say yes or no, just that the system has “connectivity” and similar crap. It’s also unclear what distinction they are making between WiFi and data. I traditionally thought WiFi was your free “coffee shop” access, while data used your cell phone as a modem (pardon my dated jargon). Yet many of these ads indicate there is more (actually less for your money) than meets the eye.
           My goal is the most economical tablet that I can write this blog, check my email, and check my news feeds. From what I gather, this usage pattern is rather rare, which once more tells you how little real work these people are doing on computers these days. And explains why I don’t listen when they gripe about how poorly they get paid. My plan is to go to Target and have somebody show me how the unit performs or find somebody who can.

           Check the news. The Orlando Philharmonic just lost its liquor license for exposing children to a drag show. Another real woman has refused to participate in male genderized female sports. An immigrant has claimed witchcraft was used to connect him to his rape conviction. Princeton’s ban on exam cheating has come under fire for being unfair to minorities. Full color paintings of ancient Egyptians show they were blonde and blue-eyed, hell, they don’t even look Egyptian.
           Dang, fatigue can surprise attack me, let me check the brand name on those statin pills. Simvastatin, same as before and the only one covered by my policy. By 2013 I’d learned to plan for a siesta four hours after taking one even if not tired. My backup plan is to watch a documentary on the Boyd Massacre. That’s the idiot Captain who flogged the Maori chief’s sone and wound up, along with his crew, in a big cooking pot. The chief, however, turned out to be even more of an idiot. If there’s a surprise ending, I’ll report back.
           Meanwhile, I’m finishing the book the “Lock Artist”. It’s not getting a recommendation because it credits the teen hero with far too much common sense. The descriptions of the crimes is great, along with how lock-picking and safe-cracking work. And the scenes with the rich man’s daughter are realistic although most men who never scored in their early teens will tend to disbelieve items I know to be true. Strange how many such men buy the stories they were told about the motives of teenage gals. I have no such illusions because I never needed them.

Picture of the day.
Ryde Harbor, Isle of Wight
“She’s Got A Ticket To Ryde.”
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           That spare tire kit. I need something and a quick measure of a full size spare inside the van isn’t an option if I expect to use the space for cargo. This photo is the demo model, it seems the metal hub is unique to this model. It is drawn up under the rear passenger floorboards by a small winch bolt. The part is rare but I may check the two local big wrecking yards. Doesn’t $355 sound expensive for a spare?

           The return to a statin in pill form has me listless again, all I got done today is fix this chair. That, and the shopping and baking muffins. It’s the chair that we examine. It’s a nice model but so old the dowels holding the back to the arms had become loose. This is a simple repair, just reglue and clamp the pins. To prevent a repeat, I drilled a pilot hole through the back of the chair frame thought and into the center of each arm, between the pair of pins. Then follow with a good #6 2-1/2” framing screw. What could go wrong?

           Plenty. First, the drill it would not go through the frame, but not the arm. It was like hitting a metal plate. Close examination shows no metal. From the shed a brought my titanium bits and drilled a pilot hole for the pilot hole. With me so far? Ten progressively larger holes until a snug fit for the screw. Next problem. The screws would jam part way. Make a larger pilot hole, by now this is becoming a big project. It seems the most popular style of Phillips bit, I think they are called a 25, must not fit your standard deck screw. It easily strips the slots.
           After more than a half-hour of back and forth, I got the screw buried almost to the hild. This places the required minimum of a half-inch buried into the back piece of lumber. There was a pause because all this activity drained the 12 Volt drill. By 8:00PM the chair is fixed, after negating any other possible chores I could have managed this evening. I got a coffee and composed a long e-mail to the Reb with a dozen gifs you’ve seen but she hasn’t. She’s familiar with my circumstances after the time I forgot my statin injections and skipped a week.

           Normally, I would monitor Caltier. We’ve decided she gets the in depth tutorial, right down to calendarizing their performance by the day. There are 81 months left on the clock and Caltier may quickly become a major factor for us, the “middle” rental market is predicted to gain by billions. You know the philosophy, if the trend becomes fact, we need a foot on the other side of the fence. I may not last that long and my standard operating procedures do not place a lot of trust on any outside parties.

ADDENDUM
           No, the Caltier management team is not diversified. If it becomes so, I will limit its importance around here. Severely. We don’t go woke go broke around here.
The latest dodge for these millennials is the reason they can’t read or write cursive is the ballpoint pen. It strains their tender hand muscles. Well, why not? They invented carpal tunnel syndrome when you gave then a cushy typing job, and with that bunch, it never ends. You see, they explain, using a ballpoint requires you hold the pen at a more “right angle” to the paper. And if you don’t write cursive any more, why bother learning to read it, ad nauseum.

Last Laugh