June 12, 2025

Yesteryear
One year ago today: June 12, 2024, Chateau JeePee, sigh.
Five years ago today: June 12, 2020, still in Miami.
Nine years ago today: June 12, 2016, finally moving in.
Random years ago today: June 12, 2023, 30 tons, you say.

           The Caltier web page is back, but is rejecting my password. Sadly, this account is associated with a gmail address which locks me out every other time. I have to get the Reb on the phone to enter a code, there is no way to opt out of this inane Google “service”. I still prefer my now-expensive mobile hotspot, and they have come back on the market. I’m watching the RitchieRich movie in the background. It’s a hoot but I grew up with a lot of kids who hated the character. Myself, I half-identified with the little brat.

           This is interesting. There is a group pushing for changes to dating apps that prevents White people from only looking at White profiles. Cornell University is behind it, a law that would force users to view Jewish, Queer, and non-Whites with every search. This is how websites die. It’s a gloomy day, the result of a storm in the Gulf of America that has swelled into an all day downpour. It’s windy with sheets of water pouring off every roof. Check with me later, I’m using the downtime to go tend to minor business in Winter Haven. I can hear it developing into a major thunderstorm over on the Tampa horizon.
           Rumor has it China is behind on paying its bills. They chose to absorb Trump’s tariffs rather than raise prices, indicating they planned to play the waiting game. It did not work, nor did they learn, the Europeans say the Chinese are dumping product for cash to pay their suppliers. At street level here in the USA, the tariffs don’t seem to have had any effect.

           It’s disappointing but my back pain has returned to former levels, same as before. Sitting and standing okay, but walking brings it on. I also wasted time in Winter Haven as the cellular store will not part with the hot-spots unless you buy a $135 plan. Stopping at the Treasure Barn, we’ve dropped the z-box price to $10.99 which is a definite bargain compared to Wal*Mart—but there is little else to compare, including location. She has seven boxes on display.
           YouTube is taking this round of anti-ad blockers very seriously. It’s still easy to defeat, but not to set on automatic. The audiobook I’m listening to is “Justice Denied”, the one where Lars is fending off the old ladies. The plot has bloated to some dozen characters which is an ordeal for me to remember by name. Silver inched up over $37, highest in 15 or so years. We see a vast increase in complaints about “smart” appliances that will not reboot. That, I think, is a problem that is just getting started.
           Explosions in Tehran. Yep, there’s the potential for big war if people start taking sides. Like many, I don’t understand Iran’s beef. They are hundreds of miles and two countries away from Israel, yet persist with this nuclear bomb program which they declare is for nuking the Jews. Democrats, who normally oppose any investigation into voter fraud, are now clamoring for it after an NY election where Kamela Harris got zero votes. Some smart aleck posted that NY should not be surprised to find she really did get zero votes.

Picture of the day.
Chain drive go-kart.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           I dislike nothingness and this afternoon was that. Something has changed beyond the list of symptoms I’m instructed to keep a log. This is different, not like any healing process I’ve had before. I’ve been sick and had broken bones, and there is a sensation of return to health. Instead, I’m off-balance and blog rules say document it. There isn’t much, so stay with me a couple paragraphs. Lethargy and listlessness, but not extreme, just constant, and that is rare, even if I didn’t fine doing nothing to be boring. A couple times, I walked half across the kitchen and stopped. And just stood there a couple minutes until I sort of realized I was standing there.

           No imaginary hurts of visions, just coming to a standstill. My pain on walking even slightly uphill has returned, I was warned on that. I estimate I was motionless for several hours this afternoon. I did pick up a couple of pickets to work on the Yeti z-box and managed some small chores I stopped at the the computer store and picked up their last USB to SATA adapter. There was a waiting line, so I got a front-row seat as to why people were bringing in their computers for repair these days.

           Kid after kid with his mother, having troubles running the latest game apps. No problems that required repair or tech work. Just $800 computers with flashing neon lights and configured for graphics and sound. It’s been forty years since I’ve drawn a broad line between people who use computers and those who play the games. While I now include most clerical users in the latter category, my disappointment level is the same. These people are experiencing that age-old phenomenon where they cannot understand their own hand tools.
           Which is why this SATA adapter gets prime time mention today. I would think, if folks were really getting productive things done with a computer, this would be a very popular item. In fact, it is almost unknown. Some will say this is no big deal, but hear me out. Yes, I know about connecting hard drives to a new computer. And with IDE gear, it is always a hassle. You need a correct ribbon of sufficient length and a power cable, plus removing the can. Ever since the days of my computer shop, I remove all hard drives from junked or resold units, you’ve seen I have box of around a dozen. (A z-box, of course.)
           Yes, I’m aware of external USB hard drives, I own many. This is for connecting an internal drive temporarily, which I use mainly for backups. If you don’t seen the wisdom of this, then you probably are not big on making backups. And you should be. The harness supplies its own power and separate hard drives stored in a secure location remain the best computer security plan ever invented. Note, never more than two of said hard drives are ever allowed out of the storage locker at any time. That’s why I wanted two cables.
           So there, even though it was a nothing day, we got something covered. Yes, I am also on to how memes are gradually taking over from pictures in my Last Laugh feature.

Last Laugh