July 28, 2025

Yesteryear
One year ago today: July 28, 2024, melody on bass.
Five years ago today: July 28, 2020, the luxury of welfare.
Nine years ago today: July 28, 2016, probably in east Texas.
Random years ago today: July 28, 2004, only $280 in paint.

           A communiqué for the Prez, out in the boonies. He doesn’t use the term “millennialized” but that’s what happened. He drove 40 minutes to a place advertising a bluegrass jam to find a full band on stage. Today’s booby prize goes to “Brewskis” for this stunt. Again, we know what causes it. They buy a web page that requires a tech to update information, and there ain’t nobody on staff with that kind of education. (It’s actually incredibly simple.) So they just leave the old data in place and to hell with you.

           The strangest part is how XYZers have never known that isn’t the way it must be. I even know people who let the coder put the account in his own name who took the software with him when he left. I closed the books for July already and things are not so bad. That’s partially because everything is paid up until August 16, so I may have a trip in mind. Here’s two things I learned this morning.

           Lesson one today is I can, in a pinch, now build some kind of small box in less than 12 minutes. The recent discovery of the bevel feature makes this possible. Note it is a real box, with mitered corners. However, close inspection shows the joints are not perfect and that has to be set right. The bevel angle is accurate, but the slices are not always parallel. My guess is either lack of experience or it needs to be clamped. The second pic this morning is the evolution of the instant birdhouse. It’s to test joints and brad nails, otherwise a decoration.

           What’s lesson two? I discovered if you forget the shed air conditioner running all night, it can and will keep the whole white shed and the big workshed comfortably cool. And the August electric bill is going to prove this.
           This instant birdie house is not to be actually used. It does not have the features needed, such as a detachable cleaning hinge, drain holes, and a fledgling ladder. (That’s some rough cuts on the interior below the entrance to give the little ones purchase to climb out when the time comes. Smooth interior walls are a hazard.) And the opening must not be drilled to a size that permits entry of unwanted species.

Picture of the day.
Map of Commanche territory.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           It took some experimentation with the new laser, but I was able to etch a logo on to powder-coated metal. Sorry, I have no photography gear for macros. The goal was to mark small tools with something other than paint. Metal is shiny and presents a challenge. The trick is to put a strip of painter’s tape on the target, then focus the laser a business card distance above the surface. When the card is removed, the laser can heat the tape enough to focus the beam. The result is pro-looking and cannot be washed off.

           The laser is working and it isn’t. There was a required upgrade, something I’m always leery of because they lie--usually doing something to your computer you did not ask for. It changed the default color to blue (any color but black takes longer), some of the drop menus no longer work, and it changed COM3, which does not work worth a crap on Win11. As I mentioned, it DOS-like and I’ll get it, but what a hassle. None of this is included in the documentation. But I’ll tell you what is "new" at the laser place—things we already covered over here.

           During the previous weeks, you’ve seen me experiment with cutting boxes and gears, and producing a logo with WordArt. Well, guess what? This “upgrade” included all those features. Not as sophisticated as we have already produced, but it shows they are thinking, if only a bit slower than our people, ha! But, we are out of business until I change that COM port.
           Now be careful. As you try to enable a port, Win will repeatedly try to cram the dreaded BING surveillance and spyware onto your computer. Once infected, Bing cannot be disabled by mere mortals. I’ve seen this problem on other computers, it is a result of that slimy CoPilot app that inventories your hard drive. Later. I got it but had to connect it to port COM5 which is not available on older [more secure] computers. Up yours, Redmond.

           I made the sixty mile trip to seek the slide scanner, it is not a regular stock item. Once again, I was hit with the “we can order it for you” scenario. Sorry America, that is NOT an acceptable substitute for inventory. If it isn’t on the shelf, don’t advertise it at store level. On the return leg, I hit Lakeland rush hour, another confirmation of my 25-mile rule for band members and gigs. But, if there was a decent guitar player any closer, I would have found him by now.
           That construction next to my old coffee shop on the highway is a Tesla charging station. I live in central Florida and I’ve only ever seen three Teslas on the road. I also stopped to see Wilford, who was hosting Internet bingo to five customers. And two were the staff from that place next door that serves terrible coffee, never seen them in here before. But there you have it, the predicted downfall of a neighborhood pub. I have been the only regular in there for months, and my Monday stop-ins for an hour doesn’t cover the bills.

           Sticking around to write a couple letters, I was able to see how their prime time went. Terrible, there used to be eight or ten regulars on a Monday. Tonight was mostly walk-ins and stragglers. The atmosphere is gone, so I called it [an] early [evening], deciding to begin “deep reading” the book “1421”. This is the account of Chinese sailing ships seventy years before Columbus. There is evidence they made four epic voyages around the globe, concluding there was nothing out there worth conquering or exploiting. They may never know how right they were.
           It was not a big day, so let’s glance at the afternoon headlines. Says here half of expectant mothers now question the vaccines. Only half? And here’s picture of the newest tools. Roughly from upper left, there is the centering cone, the air gun with two extension nozzles, the latest in circular marking tools, a new Xacto knife, and a pocket air nozzle. Most of which are soon to have their own nice storage boxes. Not shown, a new bandsaw blade, new gloves, an air hose repair kit, and some plastic stick-on clips. Yes, those useless dollar store clips, but let’s see if you can guess what they are used for around here.

ADDENDUM
           The latest Harbor Freight page won’t let you even look without stating your location, which is none of their business, but if you wait, it will time out. Deserving a treat, I’m buying myself my first ever new jigsaw. That’s correct, I’ve never owned one (new). On the cordless models, the battery is now sold separately, (that is, you can no longer buy a working kit) and it appears they no longer make this tool out of metal. Yes, Tyler & Josh still print the package cover as if there is a battery inside.
           Oh, and in case anyone wonders who is paranoid, it is these people who insist on your personal information or they cannot function. Worked with many of them at the phone company. Outwardly friendly, but every one a pure backstabber who needed something on everybody or they didn’t feel “comfortable”. I worked there 15 years without anyone ever knowing my home address and it drove at least a dozen of them crazy. Nowadays, I despise such people and thanks to social media, know I’m not the only one.

           Examining my needs, I don’t need a cordless and Lowe’s has a 6-amp model for $20 off. If one must buy a plastic tool, only buy what you need. Maybe another day, I was returning from therapy, which has now moved to whole back exercises, which I’ve reported here as being very tiring. No, that’s the wrong word, but get it from context. The spine place knows which spots need the exercise and they have just 4-1/2 more weeks to determine if this was the right decision. The good news is I’m well enough to be shopping for power tools.

Last Laugh