One year ago today: January 15, 2024, a generic day.
Five years ago today: January 15, 2020, remember the chickens.
Nine years ago today: January 15, 2016, don’t buy large.
Random years ago today: January 15, 2004, teens should be happy years.
A couple times recently I’ve said the robin flocks are off schedule. I’m wrong, somehow I keep forgetting fall in Florida December. Keep a journal like this sure helps the old memory at times. An ominous silence has replaced the hoop-lah that usually surrounds January 20. Conspiracy theories abound, including the one about the Israeli PM not showing. History tells us some people just know when not to show up for work that day. It’s interesting to see articles about the perils of real estate appearing twenty years after I published the same. It is not an easy trip, only the top 5% make money and as usual it is those with a huge head start with Daddy’s Money. Everyone else is subject to market whims. I repeat my assertion that most people do not really get ahead using borrowed money.
While I’m in the kitchen, remind me to budget a new coffee maker. I still use the K-cup knock off from Wal*Mart and it is showing signs of daily use all these years. I won’t go back to other coffee methods, although I use the basket and not the K-cups. Reb does not like the plastic leftover cups and so I use those for convenience, like Festus Tuesday. I took the neighbor some samples I have of French roast and Columbian, since before I showed up he was like JZ thinking all coffee was about the same.
I entered two dates, February 5 and 6 of the year 1980. Maybe twenty sentences. This took an hour, probably slower than what I was attempting avoid, namely laborious key-entry. I sought to use voice software to speed up the process. Worst aspect is that the app I am using is designed for this computer, yet it still locks up regularly and gets 20% of the words wrong. I will get better but this shit appears to be the best these millennials have to offer. It’s amusing in another way, I now recognize on-line posted articles that were created with this junkware. Such rot has become mainstream and now they can’t change it later when they clue in. If you can’t proofread when you are twenty, Garrett, trust me, you can’t learn it when you’re forty.
The work is not that challenging, but the lack of goal-oriented software is. One should open a template, speak into the microphone, and post the article. Not so fast. What I’ve resorted to is speaking in a few days at a batch, then going back and correcting, which is what’s taking so much time. Also, I have the tracking spreadsheet done. Once a date is uploaded, it should be a simple matter of check-marking that date on the spreadsheet.
Not so fast, the spreadsheets are designed for Silly Sally and Goof Gavin who have zero comprehension of what they are entering. You have to click three times on a cell to activate it. Once to select the app, it can’t figure that out when you mouse-over the page. Then you must select the cell, then click again to activate it. Try doing that 7,300 times and you’ll get my point. This is why I know these people are not really getting anything much done—there would be an outcry if they knew any better. I finally printed up hardcopy of the dates I’m working on (which means I have to change my plan from efficient to step-by-step) and mark the dates on a clipboard. Way to go, Josh & Tyler.
Castle Del Monte (Italy)
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It stayed cold. I bought a rack of ribs and stopped at the old club on the way back. They’ve roundabout drawn the conclusions listed here some time ago. That they’ve gone and changed the hometown character of the place and lost all their local regulars. Bear in mind the way I look at these things is solidly from the perspective of a musician, not a bar owner. But the causes and results don’t seem to be that much different. They are planning to engage in more local activities, something the previous owners never really paid much nevermind. They are like me in that respect. Before continuing, here is the pan of fried pork. I did not know this morning it would become the high point of the day. Back to the club.
My opinion counts for nothing but this town does not have the brand of customers needed to operate anything but the type of bar that place used to be. Homey, dull, small-town, and nice-band-on-Fridays. Did I mention they have lately switched to recorded music only. And remember how I said (long ago) instead of paying a disk jockey $100, just give the patrons $80 in quarters and let them choose what they want on the jukbox? That’s another idea they came up with on their own.
If I sound critical, it is not any dislike or disrespect for the people, rather the loss of atmosphere of a small club that I used to like. Only so much can be blamed on COVID as the other clubs in the area still have their clientele. I rarely go there any more but when I do, I have an observation. Usually I am the only customer in the place, but when the odd other person drops in, they are like me in what I think is an important distinction. They purchase their drinks one-by-one and pay cash only. It’s the kind of shift I would notice, for sure.
Nothing else of interest except the news on everyone’s mind, namely the Trump takeover. The bad guys are not going to get the leeway like before. The change will be swift. Trump continues with his highly popular tactic of attaching to causes that have wide support. An example is his list of people he will not hire, nor any of the staffers who worked for them. Hang on and I’ll get you a couple. Okay, “Birdbrain” Nikki Haley, “Dumb as a Rock” John Bolton, ex-General Milley, the Cheneys, Mike Pence, and Paul Ryan. Trump merely saying they are not welcome seals their political fates.
Speaking of former anti-Trumpers changing their stripes, what’s this news little Greta has begun making anti-Jew speeches in Italy. Trump has hired over 1,000 people so this time there will be zero foot-dragging by the opposition. There’s an interesting report that Trump’s envoy to Israel was told the Prime Minister could not attend a meeting because it was their holy day. The envoy’s response went unrecorded, but the PM showed. Don’t screw around with Trump, end of lesson.
If you’d like to read an article the type of which I find mildly annoying but don’t know why, here is a link to the history of the Lochaven Farm, now an historical site in Idaho. I suspect my dislike has to do with the tone of the article talking about the hardships endured by millionaires or something. Like the guy, to make his fortune in banking, poor guy had to move to Seattle. Read the whole thing and tell me what sets me off.
