One year ago today: June 11, 2023, “today was a nothing.”
Five years ago today: June 11, 2019, Bender’s Ferry.
Nine years ago today: June 11, 2015, looking at servos.
Random years ago today: June 11, 2004, what’s not to hate?
Here comes the first real summer rainstorms, so I was out measuring the shed and some dimensions if I ever get around to felling that tree stump. Remember the 65-foot dead tree when I moved here? I never paid to get rid of that stump, which has been a sanctuary for man birds. But now it has to come down, it is right where the corner of the shed should be. I was out there at 6:30AM and so were a few hordes of mosquitoes. They like the cool morning damp. It’s ready to proceed if we get any dry spells long enough today. Chain saw time.
This photo shows Garfield, this morning, lying almost exact center in the driveway. This camera is terrible for color, but he has got the one spot where the morning sunshine first comes through. If you look close, he’s in the middle of a small bright circle.
Since it is not a big adventure day, I’ll walk you through one way of working the database. We arbitrarily choose the RCA tubes that do not start with a 6 (which I’ve learned indicates the heater element requires 6.3 volts). Note, these tubes do NOT match the database columns shown in the nearby example chart. First look at the total entered so far and flag them as “Batch A”. We have 118 of them, they did not sort themselves into that box in the shed. They are arranged alphanumerically, which we know is a screwed up system, but we also know better than to change it. Next, we renumber each line. Why? So even if the item name changes, we can put that list back into original order. Aha,Aha, what a concept. Back inside, I’ve lined up a day of work finding the more expensive tubes. To the database, it is just another sort. The rainy day chore is entering the lists, which are then compared with wholesale prices. To date, the wholesale list has proven a surefire way to pick the tubes—but it also has gaps and misses some of the goodies, so keep your eyes peeled. Here is a record as displayed on screen, the work becomes more relevant as you move toward columns on the right side of the display, but here’s a lesson on how that gets so.
ID: this is the only column in which raw tube data is entered. Notice it is all case (small) letters, for speed entry
Brand: this is replicated down the page, in this instance saying it is an Amperex, but it’s a key to tell us where in the shed to find this brand. Batch keeps the data entry in order because often new boxes are found with matching tube names and you’ll need to know which have already been counted, also in case (as has already happened), there is a spill.
Upper: a formula that changes the ID column to uppercase. This column is usually collapsed.
P: this column is mislabeled L here, it shows which tubes have already been listed on eBay.
List: A duplicate of Upper, but in a more readable form, because from here to the end of the chart is what gets printed out to check inventory
WHLS: as descrived, the wholesale price of the item.
eBay: this is the maximum price found on the first couple pages of an eBay search if it is significantly more than usual, or if no wholesale data is available.
LOC: the all important location of the tube for picking.
Asking: self-explanatory eBay data
Sold: the column that really matters.
What I’m doing this morning is sorting the list in order of the WHSL prices, you be careful not to just sort the one column. Excel is nasty for doing that without adequate warming. I will then take a printout and immediately restore the database back in original order. Why? One I have the most expensive tubes listed first, I will use the remaining information to pick them from the shed, take photos, and list them for sale. Then I will call it a morning.
Later, we discover RCA tubes are not usually real prizes. The list narrowed to 13 tubes with a total asking price of only $323. I make money only of all sell rapidly for the asking price. But, I’m still learning. If I can sell tubes, you know how the saying goes. Maybe I should start a charity. The fat lady lawyer from Georgia who stole $15 million that they know of only got 7 years in minimum.
Berlin grafitti.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.
Finally, it’s water on Mars. I knew it would be an accidental find and there it is, an ice cap on a mountaintop. No specs yet, but the water is identified by spectral analysis and it is unmistakable. It’s a thin layer of frost forming near the Martian equator and confirmed by two different satellites. This is not evidence of life, but it is one step closer. I wish they had used false colors on this photo for once.
Boeing, that tax-funded sinkhole since 1982, has finally launched a Starliner. And it leaks everything. Didn’t Boeing just get something like $5 million from NASA to put a plastic coating around the rocket batteries? We don’t want to know how much they got to make the toilet seats more comfy for the women.
Another order, I had more trouble than I should have navigating the eBay system. The problem is tradition. I have a lifetime history of thinking in long, straight lines toward accomplishing goals. The eBay people have only short-range capability. You mist visit four or five different pages to get what you need to once an offer is accepted. People who grew up with it, duh okay. People who think logically are wtf? May is also when I update files that contain projections into the future and one is about selling this house. I get lots of those offers in the mail. Sure, I tell them, pay me what I would need to have this same situation in Tennessee, and it is yours; See addendum for what I would need.
I have this card from the library, summer bingo it says. Do the activities on the card and your personal, private data goes into a prize basket draw, and every mailing list in the land. But, let’s see how far I would get with this bingo.
Read a western – if that includes history, got it.Things I did not do, sometimes because I don’t know what they are talking about:
Try a new trail mix recipe – do it all the time
Read a fantasy book – if the at includes audiobooks, I got that.
Take a picture in a city park – that’s where I walk the dogs.
Watch a movie with a treasure hunt – not yet, May is also comedy month
Read a book with “Journey” in the title – give me time on that one.
Watch a fantasy TV show – nope, besides, they are al fantasy.
Watch a movie with a friend – soon as I get there, okay.
Read a non-fiction book about an explorer – Rommel explores North Africa
Tell a staff member a joke – did that last year & they’re still thinking.
Read a new book must coming out – not until Danielle Steele dies
Listen to an action movie soundtrack – huh? Watch the movie already.
Watch a supernatural documentary – they call it climate change
Attend a summer music series performance – does being on stage count?
Watch a movie with KanopyDang, the rain has so far missed this corridor. I may have to brave the heat a bit. It’s now the hottest hour, how about a siesta and then decide. The feeds are dominated by the Trump rallies, face it, the blue strategy to weaponize the government to demonize Trump has blown up in their faces. Trump is openly declaring how they cannot win without cheating and the roaring throngs of followers need little convincing. The inquiring might ask how people can support the police yet not like state abuse of power. Simple, people support the police to stop black crime, but not when pulled over at a traffic stop. Under Trump the police knew where to draw the line.
Go to novels night.
Read a book with a friend.
Attend game night.
Read a book with a blue cover.
Trump’s appeal is also very broad, where Biden’s is a narrow group of Trump-haters who, when questioned only know the CNN version of everything. Trump gains a million votes simply by saying he wilt not tax tips—do you have any idea how many people work for tips? I do. The whole “get Trump” concept has become a liability, they are now piling lies upon lies like they used to, seemingly unaware news now happens in real time. When Biden smirked and walked away from a Trump question, the Internet knew it within sixty seconds.
ADDENDUM
The value of this house. It far exceeds what I paid for it in sheer convenience, location, low operating costs, and safe neighborhood. It’s hard to place a dollar sign on living 10 blocks from downtown, 20 blocks from the library, and 30 blocks to where I hang out. I want privacy, quiet, lots of work space, lots of shed space, good neighbors, four parking spaces, trees, good fencing, and warm winters.
Other than that, two bedrooms laundry, and no salesmen, junk mail, train or traffic noises, and the birdie focal center of the entire community. I would have to spend $170,000 I estimate to get all those things, even if they could be found. But I’ll take $155,000, or about 7-1/2 times what I paid for this place. Don’t waste my time for less. Sure, it needs new siding and shingles, but so does half of Florida. They never tell you for every three people who move to Florida (about 750,000 per year currently), two people leave, mostly in disgust. The net gain brings in so much retirement money that houses are unaffordable for locals.
