December 18, 2024

Yesteryear
One year ago today: December 18, 2023, data poisoning.
Five years ago today: December 18, 2019, wasn’t my day, I guess.
Nine years ago today: December 18, 2015, a generic day.
Random years ago today: December 18, 2006, on left-brain theory.

           A European man jailed for 13 years in error just got a bill for his room & board. A hundred thousand Euros, but look at the bright side. Where else in Europe can you live and eat for less than $8,000 per year? Valid question: when it is discovered Biden didn’t win the 2020 election, what happens to all his pardons? Today is the 20th anniversary of Newsom’s 10-year plan to end homelessness in California. State media people remain in shock that they can talk to President Trump by calling his home phone number.

           Finally, a new stage one-liner. They were easier to get when the social media platforms were mostly anonymous. Anyway, it goes like this. “I finally dropped my invisible girlfriend. People never knew what I saw in her.” I don’t think this day will bring much more, but if you see pictures of boxes, then you know I’m at least dealing with my recent loss. I’ve slated this afternoon for some documentaries advertised at the library. The piston engines on airplanes were not instantly replaced by jets, so I’m seeking how the latest airplane types ultimately evolved. Car engines don’t appeal to me.

           I’ve learned something already just glancing at the maps. It seems crossing the Atlantic was the impetus for long distance piston aircraft. The shortest route between airports at Shannon (west coast of Ireland) and New York City was on a Great Circle, which we know of from navigations. So what was it I learned? Well, this circle passed through a tip of land that was nowhere. It was built only as a refueling stop and reverted to nothingness when airplanes gained the range to fly non-stop. That, folks, is why it was ever even on the maps, literally because that’s where it was on the maps. Smack on a Great Circle. Gander, in Newfoundland, Canada, as you guessed by now. I also learned the reason for the three tail fins on a Constellation instead of a tall single rudder was so it would fit into existing hangars.

           But what is that second arrow pointing at Cornerbrook? That was the home town of the first “older woman” I ever dated. Beverly Gillingham was 19. She liked the slacks I was wearing at this high-school gig. Yep, what we did would be illegal today, since the Internet has obsessed losers into sticking their noses into other people’s business. Dating an older woman was a mistake I was only to repeat once more in my life, and that was around 40 years ago now.
           That comment about the Internet is not random. I totally blame the Internet for idiocy when it comes to sex laws. You cannot prohibit human nature, you can only criminalize it. And that’s how it happened. You see, before the ‘net, people like my brothers were aware that there were others having a great time with the local girls, but it was a secret, kind of. (I mean, by the time they finally got any, they would have noticed I was there first, hey, it was a small town.) Well, multiply their situation a few million times, and there you have it—the Internet mentality. Obsession with what others are doing. And in no time you got your police stings, age of consent statutes, and pornography bans. What do all these sex laws have in common? Ask my brothers.

           There’s a sort of box, a little birdhouse. This was slapped together out of scraps and I drilled a 1-inch hole. This is too small for most birds in this area except wrens. I don’t even know if we have any, but if so, this will tive them a fighting chance. The box is fastened completely with brads from my new pneumatic nailer, which I already like. It is great for holding pieces in place while you fasten them more permanently—and it’s way faster than using clamps. Here’s something you have not seen before, a strong box. No, not a strongbox. I wound up staying in the shed all day to get my mind off things, and this was one of the results.
           It’s another tool box and the array of screws visible is not overkill. This is designed to store and transport my 30-ton house jack. The jack that made my floors level, except for the kitchen but I’ll get to that. The kitchen as always been in full use so I’ll have to plan a few days ahead before commencing that project. I wonder if the hillbilly is still in jail? I could use some help around here. This box is designed to be carried by two people using rope handles, but I’ve moved it around a lot by myself. I’m contemplating putting it on wheels, but this item is used outdoors often over soft ground. I don’t have any wheels suitable even for wet ground. Hold it, what’s that sound. I’ll be right back.
           Yep, we have another rat to catch. He knocked over my dustpan just now. Vermin are a never-ending fight in older Florida buildings, like this one. The rat trap is out in the silo, as we have a smart one in there, so whatever got behind my fridge is going to have to wait his turn. Meanwhile, is this a job for my deer camera?

Picture of the day.
Genghis Kahn statue.
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           his is yet another box, you’ve seen this stain before. This is the summer oak color, no with a one of two layers of poly drying. It makes for some elaborate boxes, but this is part of my learning. There is no trade school in the area that will teach me just this part, so I’m struggling along on my own. A lot of the work has been learning which parts of the process to do “backwards”. I’ll explain. If you are like me, you cut the pieces, fasten the box together, then apply the finish. But as shown here, that’s not what’s going on. Doing things in the logical order does not produce the best results.

           The fastening often requires pilot holes, so those are drilled before making any joint cuts. This is because if you cut first, any drilling to close to the edge can cause the wood to chip where you don’t want it to. The finish here is the interior of the box. Trying to apply any coating after the box is assembled makes for blotches in some of the corners unless you have care & patience I don’t even care to imagine.
           My windshield is still streaky. I’ve done all I can except go over it with Brilo pads, which I plan for tomorrow morning. Even acetone does not work, the streaks return. It’s some strange coating that is slightly oily to the touch. If the steel soap pads don’t work, I may have to take it to a pro shop or even replace the windshield. Otherwise I can’t drive at night. Others have begun complaining about the super bright headlight problem, it isn’t just me who can’t see the road when they approach even with a spotless windshield.

           As shown here, the less attractive side of the wood is facing inwards. I’ve not yet learned the finer points of matching up wood grain patterns. My tool boxes generally have between 12” and 16” as the largest dimension. That means most assembly is on a small bench and I have just enough clamps most of the time. This tool box is for the pneumatic nailer, a box that I priced out for “mass production”. This is an area of expertise for me. To break even making these boxes six at a time, I would have to sell them for $61.51 each. That’s, too bad, a no-go. That’s for the plain box with butt hinges and no interior partions.

           Last box for today (I have three in progress) is this display of that dark colored stain whose name I don’t know. It’s not the ebony black, but a dark brown that really brings out the patterns in this ordinary pine wood. This approached the smallest boxes I can build with my standard 3’4” lumber of choice. The next commonly available dimension is 1’2” thick and is sold as “hobby” board, expensive as hell. I would like some experience with this size of board. The birdhouse (see above) is mostly fence picket wood that is unplanned. Check in with me later, because what I do have is plenty of sawblades and the patience to cut my own boards to size.

           Another Festus Tuesday, postponed until today. This episode was the later format with three sub-plots. This was innovative in the 1950s, pioneered by Truman Capote in his book, “In Cold Blood”. There’s a panic situation in DC, the Democrat tried to slip through another bulk spending bill which included items like mask mandates, vaccine passports, and the right to declare anything they please as an emergency. As usual they did not release the text of the bill until it was too late for anyone to read it. Then threaten to shut down the government as an all-or-nothing threat. But 2004 tactics aren’t working in 2024. You see, the Internet lets thousands of people read the bill and expose the hidden clauses.
           The popular mood is to let the funding lapse. It is just 32 days until Trump takes over and it appears millions of supporters are willing to let operations suspend that long if only to see the reaction. It works like this, the Democrats want you to believe government operation is all-or-nothing. But in fact, they can’t shut it all down for very long, they would be forced to keep only the essentials going or they are toast. And the voters want to see what they consider essential. As in, disaster relief or their own paychecks. Friday is the deadline. One more thing, the Handsome Her Café that added the 18% “man tax” has gone bankrupt.

ADDENDUM
           Caltier has finally responded with what we needed to know. It is the SEC paperwork causing the mess. Caltier says there is one final hurdle and it is a compliance issue. The fund has performed well enough that there is a backlog of demand, which includes my allocation. Caltier reports that ten of the properties in the portfolio are now up to speed and have been putting cash back into the fund for three consecutive months. If that isn’t clear, let me explain because I chose Caltier for doing what I understand. They find upgradeable properties, or those that can be managed better. They do some professional renovations and bring in quality tenants on long-term leases. According to their algorithm, they then flip this property and the last time they did that, my share of the payout was $340, which I liked very much.
           This month begins my third year with Caltier, I have $19,000 of my own money invested. The company has gone through a buying phase and is now poised to begin selling. You bet I’m keeping my eyes peeled on that. Caltier has almost no debt and has expanded solely out of cash investment and rental income. To date, Caltier has sold two apartment complexes (with a total of 508 units), one commercial building, and one luxury condo. Most of the money was plowed back but the big payout was from that condo.

           There are 14 other properties you can view here, which total 1,707 rental units. What I like is I don’t have to lift a finger to collect that rent. Caltier is also in association with an outfit I do not understand, called Sundance. They seem to own a ton of property using much the same philosophy, though I cannot say for sure. Part of that philosophy is to only acquire property that sustains itself, which I believe is superior to how Blackrock operates. If the economy turns down Caltier will survive, Blackrock probably not so much.
           If you do read the Caltier material, you’ll encounter terms like value-added and core-plus. These are just fancy words for flipping fixer-uppers. One of the best descriptions I’ve seen can be found at Viking Capital. In fact, if you plan to piggyback my investments, I recommend you read that link. Several times. Do not overlook that I had thirty years of background calculations on the market before I chose Caltier.

Last Laugh