One year ago today: November 3, 2024, 15 hours.
Five years ago today: November 3, 2020, perfect dog weather.
Nine years ago today: November 3, 2016, my first tree event.
Random years ago today: November 3, 2009, sausage tubes, right?
Dang, too cold at sun-up, but stick around. I watched a clip on tracer ammo and did not know that firing ranges don’t allow it. As a lad, I thought the bullets had a coating that made them glow with air friction. They actually have a compound in the base that burns and the ranges don’t like their buildings burning down. I’d wanted to see if the new infrared rounds were really visible with night goggles. Yes, but not that great and my dopiness on the topic is because other than someday owning a machine gun, I have no use for tracers.
So far not a single report of food riots but many are saying they are not hungry yet. However, the radio callers are a hoot. You bet this morning I’m sore all over but it is another cold day—the only kind left where I can get construction work done and I’m not wasting it. Yes, that is spuds with sausage and onions on the griddle, and here’s a sample of the complains called in by Tampa’s finest, redacted a bit for presentation, yet capturing the full spirit.
“Could not go out this weekend because I had to pay for food.”If you wonder why there is so little sympathy for these “poor” people, there you go. Millions just now discovering what adulting is all about. I’m less disgusted than most, because I once tried to help a guy who had been on welfare for life to start a business. It was impossible, he actually thought his welfare money came “from the government” and learned that is exactly what the government wants people on welfare to think.
“Had to use my own cash now to buy food.”
“Had to cut coupons.”
“Had to look at prices before putting food in my cart.”
“Didn’t know things cost so much.”
See addendum for hilarious retorts.
Next in line, I haul out my dandy laser measuring device to check the interior dimensions for the sub-floor I’m about to cut. So each section of the floor can be, if necessary, lifted without much ado. But what’s this? To assure accuracy, I set the beam on a level—and dammit, there is a hump at the center of the floor. Yes, this is a problem. I will need time to deal with this.
In gruesome news out of Laos, a father and son riding down a zip line were attacked and killed by giant Asian hornets. The connection here is that these hornets have become established in British Columbia and are migrating south into Washington State.
Mitch sends e-mail about his latest arm treatment, if I didn’t say, he gets steroid injections. But the guy is super athletic and did not reveal the extent of his injuries. I was shocked to hear he actually has a long history of physical injuries from his hobby of Tryke riding. He went on to say that this time the treatment was different and that he suffered many of the identical after effects I’ve mentioned here. Conclusion, the treatments are less effective over time had have a measurably shorter half-life after 65.
North Dakota, I think.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.
I did not get to the floor but I know from the back room [experience] what causes that hump. I was not about to lift the floor until I decide the solution. There are two, one is to raise the far end of joist, the other to just trim the extra, which works but is changing 70 year old architecture. Rarely a good idea. So I drove to Winter Haven and got the banking done, including the property tax. Which, upon discussion with JZ, I have potential solution to how my taxes went over the allowable increase of not more than 10% in 10 years.
What happened is when I moved in, the taxes had been pre-paid up to October 1, and the escrow pro-rated everything, so the first year I occupied the place, the taxes had been paid by the previous owner. And he was using the homestead exemption, which City Hall just carried forward. When my first full year’s bill arrived, they finally tacked on the difference, which in 2017 was around $122. I didn’t spot it, as it was near enough to the pro-rated offset. But when my my second year arrived, the full $288 was tacked on. Trump’s talk of eliminating senior’s property tax won’t help me as this place is a holding company. For that extra $288, I have privacy.
The bottom line is my taxes went up $111.66 since last year. It still beats paying a thousand a month for the cheapest place (pad rental) in Miami. Another change is the form letters from the city, now with almost every sentence peppered with words like “official”, “approved”, and “authorized”. This last increase was “authorized”.
ADDENDUM
Taxpayers do not like EBT (food stamps) and there is no sugar-coating. Here are my favorite comebacks from various social media.
Carnival cruise lines is gonna go broke.I’m also seeing reports of a trend called “absolute inequality”. It seems an A.I. generated term meaning how every conceivable trait or difference between people is considered an inequality. This includes the tiniest heath differences and even the sound of sneezing. It does not stop there, but continues that each difference must be recognized, ranked, and compensated for. Sometimes called “talmudized intolerance”, it states that society and its workings must be compelled to “reflect” these differences.
Oh no! Personal responsibility!
But they told me America was the land of the free.
Watch for upcoming crazy sales on flavored water and frozen waffles.
Stop the lifelong gravy train.
One of my someday-to-be-famous quotations addresses this nonsense, saying “The only people who demand equality are those who stand to gain by it.” My opposition is based on two factors. Who gets to do the ranking and the fact that to make the comparisons, the data must be kept on file. An additional scary aspect is that the algorithm also monitors an unspecified total number of “intolerances” each individual is to be allowed with “mathematical precision”.
And two GenX scientist declare the decrease in human fertility means we all go extinct in 314 years. Start packing. Some 40% of Oregon has voted to secede to form Greater Idaho. The map shows only a strip of coastal mountains left, with a coastline of tourist traps left to form the tax base of what’s left. What’s ominous is that breakaway counties contain the bulk of the State’s White population. You can be others will be watching. Next likely spot—New York. If upstate separates, the city cannot sustain itself.
The BBC has been caught doctoring a Trump 6 video and 700,000 illegals have so far been kicked off EBT. The Democrats get another oopsie for trying to generate sympathy by featuring a commercial of a lady in New Mexico who has been on SNAP (food stamps) for 30 years. It was never meant to be a permanent program.
