May 8, 2023

Yesteryear
One year ago today: May 8, 2022, unspoken $40 limit.
Five years ago today: May 8, 2018, let’s make a bet.
Nine years ago today: May 8, 2014, now, I always fast . . . .
Random years ago today: May 8, 2007, I discover DVD backing tracks.

           Canada awakens to the shock of seeing the King’s mug on their currency. Video of the Michael Jackson impersonator alive and breathing after the “lynching” goes viral. Bud Light is over as a product. Only fools are running against Trump. And I find it amazing how out-ward looking this blog has become since 2015. That is, considering it was supposed to focalize on events mostly personal and local. Let’s go do that shopping we missed y’day. Howie says he found electric fuel pumps at NAPA. We went over the John Deere and that gas tank is a good three feet away from that chintzy bladder pump.

           A swarm of people are using A.I. to pick stocks. However, since all patterns can sooner or later be discerned, they are heading for a big bust. It’s not lost to me how many are making good money initially, but is that because others are following, Ponzi-like, into the fray? Also, any plan is better than no plan and this could be a reflection of that. A growing number of Americans think the best way to combat disinformation is to make the sources liable for damages, that is, make it punishable.

           Hardee-har-har, I just found $43 in a pocket that went through the wash. Talk to you later, it’s baked chicken for supper tonight. Slate the morning up for some extra shopping, I’d like a bag of key limes, some caffeine-free soda, some French roast coffee, and a few other goodies not on the list this week. Before I tell you the exciting news about the muffin tray, here’s an old trick from my scout days. How to fake gourmet cooking. Most everything was a mix back then, maybe it still is. You go to the library, in this case, the Internet.

           Look up the fanciest recipe you can for what you are making and note which ingredients are not in the mix. That’s where I learned mostly it was fake, by which I mean a sprinkling of something on top. You want something inside the mix and I developed a family of additives from what was available. If you can use evaporated milk instead of milk or water and always add an egg. Then any two of raisins, oats, chocolate chips, instant coffee, but all sparingly. These are breakfast muffins only. I used to bother with dinner muffins, with applesauce, but now I’m more likely to bake that as a small cake or loaf.
           For the Reb, no oats. I did not know oats contained gluten. She gets pecans, macadamia, and you bet it quickly gets expensive. But she’s worth it. I plan to find a “vegetarian” recipe. I know she likes sweet potato, that’s a start. Myself, I find veggie muffins always taste like pumpkin, a food I do not normally include. How odd, my red cardinals have added a new segment to their feeding schedule. I see them at mid-morning and mid-afternoon sometimes.

           Reviewing the receipts, which is always good practice, we notice the lumber place is slipping in a category number 1102358. It’s called a “rebuilding together donation”. Nope. Not as long as I have to pay one single penny in taxes for single black women on welfare. No way. At the other extreme, I have nothing but respect for women who pull their own weight. Toward that end, I have acquired a mini-muffin tray. The Reb is the only person I know who will eat 1/4 of a muffin due to the calorie and fat contendt. Thusforth, over the next few weeks, I will perfect making mini-muffins. I found a source of the small baking cups and the rest is up to me.
           I found fuel pumps, but they are way heavy duty for my needs. The smallest was 32 gallons per hour and an $85 price tag. I’ve got enough 2x3”s now to put a tarp over the north fence work area. I think there will be sufficient concrete blocks from the old incinerator to make a small deck to keep moisture away from the tons of things soon to be stored there. It will also be wired for FM radio, but my plan is to run an extension cord over there when I need any power. Catch up with me later, it was 85°F in the shade before noon, I’m not setting foot out there until we get some shade around 3:00PM. There, Junior Red was just at the birdfeeder. Is it baby-feeding time? I’m setting them up an extra feeding station with black oil only.

Picture of the day.
Palouse area, Washington.
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           The heat kept me indoors long enough to watch some video on Artemis, the return to the Moon. It’s a huge pile of crap for the most part. Instead of wanting to send highly trained astronauts who can actually fly the spacecraft, the emphasis is on diversity, or put another way, sending the most unskilled, inept, minimally-competent bozos they can find. So the equipment has to do all the work and that gets damn costly.

           It’s over 90°F out there, but I’m getting something done today, so I can not feel lazy if I decide to go downtown tonight. Stay with my logic here and what is with the silence from Miami. Usually not a good sign and after my own episodes I should have a better contact system. I run with a crowd that would not tell you if they had cancer. My most reliable sign of a diminished circle is likely to be they don’t answer the phone for a month. I’m going to compromise. Outside as long as I can take it, then inside to cool down. I have 23 bottles of soda ice cold and another 4 in reserve. While inside, I’ll write the report letter to JZ. He’s in on the real data from Caltier.
           Here is the canopy along the fence with the rafters up and a tarp thrown over to keep the ground dry. This stretch of dry weather is so rare I’m going full speed to get these projects done. Rain around Florida seems to work on the quota system so I say we are in for it soon. The canopy is designed to be invisible from the street but still high enough to walk under. It is secured to the old fence with new lumber, maybe you can see it here. I’ve learned and the fence is old but now rock solid. The hillbilly did not show up and he lost my best mini-pry bar in the leaves behind that fence somewhere.

           The neighbor came by and we have a plan to get that fuel pump. See photo, this unit is $15, not $89 like at the auto store. For reasons unknown, these pumps say they are not for E85, the gasohol mixture sold in Florida. It must be because it rots the seals, but at that price, who cares. Who would build a gas pump these days that can use modern fuels? A millennial, that’s who.
           The web page specifically says it is delivered for pickup in Orlando, but we’ve seen people picking stuff up locally. American corporations pay only idiots to create their web pages. Tomorrow is “Gunsmoke” night. I’ve taken to spiking the peach tea with lime to keep going. I glued up the inside of a box for small parts and used the drying time to bring the old “ball feeder” out. I hung it behind the window feeder so it’s partially hidden. Another birdie banged into the window but I can tell by the sound if they’re okay. Mrs. Red appeared almost instantly once the new feeder was up, I’m thinking it must be family time.

           Who remembers Rum-Butter Lifesavers? There is an interesting article about them at Mental Floss. It is not true they are called lifesavers because if you choke on one, the hole lets you breath. Sadly, when Wrigley’s bought the company twenty years ago, they discontinued most flavors. The biggest flop of a flavor was blackberry.

           Here is part of the tubing assembly I’m practicing on for the air compressor lines. Two of th fittings are brass and I’ve just discovered the soldering characteristics are different. Funny, how not one of the so-called experts on-line has mentioned any of this. To be exact, the brass fitting does not wick up the solder as evenly as copper. Hence, I’ve learned to solder the brass pieces first in an upright position so the solder runs down by gravity. It also means I’m going to rip out the pipes in the bathroom and see if I can fix the leaks this way. I know they can be soldered as half of them worked perfectly.
           I sent a copy of this work to JZ, who has not called in nearly two weeks despite promising to let me know how his expensive lawyer is managing. I’m not due another trip there until August. I may have to, you see, that big box of DVD he gave me? All the cases are empty except for a couple of the crappier movies. It was a seven-hour day, I’m quite happy even if the heaviest thing I lifted was a 2x3”. There was even time for a siesta and yes, I did get the French roast coffee. That is what I’m enjoying right now. If I was you, I’d do the same.

           Later, I’m taking another look at the Arduino sensor interfaces. Up to now, if I’ve used any at all, it was one at a time. And I’m unclear about serial and parallel sensors, I seem to have misplaced my best Arduino book. I’ve memorized most every chapter except that one and it is not the sort of book I’d lose.

Last Laugh