One year ago today: October 17, 2024, downright creepy.
Five years ago today: October 17, 2020, her choice—her consequences.
Nine years ago today: October 17, 2016, learning about trusts.
Random years ago today: October 17, 2012, an anonymous complaint.
What’s happening in the world as I make my grits this AM? Before that, take a peek at this device. It’s my birthday present, more in a moment. Yep, now that Dominion voting machines are under control of a Republican, the Democrats are screaming for their removal. What’s that smell? Democrats in Texas are demanding houses be painted rainbow colors. The Pentagon has kicked out all the mainstream media for refusing to obey rules concerning security. I think the star Markab is more interesting, so let’s find its geographic position and learn something. It is 12:04:53 GMT and Aries is at 207°0.754’W, so Markab’s sideral position is 220.5537°W by 15.2768°N.
Y’know, I’ve not been in a Northern Tools for years, there’s one in Lakeland. I’m driving up there this morning for a look, maybe a coffee at the bakery, Check later to see how it goes. From Tennessee, I just paid another $300 vet bill. A dew claw infection. I don’t really need to go shopping, but I have a half-tank of gas and a need to do some power-thinking. I do have some pissed off squirrels on my hands and the birdies taunting them does not help. I’m back and I got a new toy. I’ve always wanted one of those laser distance gadgets, but not for $80.
This one was on sale for $30 and I like it already. As I got out of the store, the first car I stopped at a red light was 12’-11&13/16” in front. If it proves that accurate, watch for an improvement in my box construction. This is a journal, so here is a log of my morning. I stopped at the banks, which confirmed I am operating below [my own] safety margins. In this life, I doubt you ever get away, at this late stage I don't have enough ready cash for a real emergency. But at least I never rely on a credit card. First stop was the bakery for an excellent café con leche, but the fancy lady was not there. Then to Northern Tools, where same as everywhere, prices have skyrocketed. Remind me to find my pruning saw and build a box for it. They now cost $70 for ones with plastic handles.
Later, the cardinals were perched 16’ 5-3/16” from my desk. The laser works right through window glass even though you can see the reflection of the laser dot. The precision is set to 1/16th of an inch, it has interesting features such as calculating volume.
Bat flower.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.
On the return trip, I got road raged. An SUV pulled in front of me at 50mph, I automatically switch on my brights. She pulled ahead but at the next stop light, Boy Scout Road, she comes stomping out toward me, whence I automatically held up my camera. I mouthed the word “ICE” and she backed off fast, taking the next turn off the highway. Here she is, making a run for it. Wow, was she fast. My shop today was hunting for a quality multimeter, but Northern only has the super-models. Too much quality I’m a 5VDC kind of guy.
On the way home I stopped for some gigabytes on this blog and found the parking lot full. I got a reminded that while my mobility has pretty much returned, my agility as not. Fortunately, unless I’m around the pooch, walking isn’t my sport, but I’m getting warnings about playing bass standing up. That has always been a norm for me. Rehearsal is fine, but playing bass sitting on stage has always been a horror to me. Now, the writing is on the wall. I crossed that parking lot, but it took five minutes.
That’s enough, I got home and opted for another documentary, this one on Monsanto, the fat people seed oil company. It moved slow so I put on some semaphore to keep it moving. I did run out of the practice material, but found that I could cut and paste old blog sentences into the text box, giving me essentially an unlimited amount of material. I noticed they had disabled a feature to send messages by e-mail, but left the text box able to paste in entire pages.
A few points not covered in the lessons. One is that there are different “call signs”, but they are pretty obvious. Other conventions are do not send until the receiver signs “K”. Spell out numbers if you can. Paddles are sometimes used in windy conditions, lights are used at night. I’m learning a lot of lore. Semaphore requires two people at each end, as a team. The sender needs someone to call out the letter, the receiver needs a scribe so as to never take his eyes off the sender. I just use a voice recorder. Even with binoculars, semaphore is limited to two miles.
The Espionage Act provides for the death penalty. We have a curious situation with this Bolton character. He pushed for the execution of Wikileak’s Snowden and Assange. If confined to the definition of treason he used himself, he’s guilty. So what makes this interesting is what defense he will use. America knows he will follow party guidelines. Will he do a Biden and claim he’s an able politician but too mentally feeble to be prosecuted? Will he try the usual, that people should stop picking on an old man?
