One year ago today: January 3, 2025, 1 billion geniuses still missing.
Five years ago today: January 3, 2021, I don’t do calculus.
Nine years ago today: 2017, a billion and one.
Random years ago today: January 3, 2020, doing my darndest.
I shall try to get some time outside today, if not, I’ve pegged time for an old movie I’ve never seen, “Damnation Alley”. Chosen not for it’s tired post-nuclear plot, rather I want to see this quarter-million dollar vehicle they built. Not a prop, it was a real unit used in all the scenes. It is presented as a fleet, but only one was made and it nearly bankrupted the entire production. In the meanwhile, I suspect my concern will be those of any older guy unless my condition improves.
Later, the short is tripping a ground-fault relay. I have completely traced out the wiring and eliminated that as the problem. That brings us back to the control mech which is presently bathing in WD-40 The next step is to remove the whole piece which makes me hesitate. It does not appear to have any damage and all connections are secure. So, what are we dealing with here?
Before that, take a gander at what I am now referring to as spice boxes. Because the ones that did not turn out so well work excellent of dollar store size spices. Add a fancy knob and they look like a matching set, which these are not. That is because this model box is made from any odd size pallet. Standard sized are used for existing designs. You can spot the different coloration of the box on top.
So lack of a good supply limits each run of boxes to the luck of finding a suitable one-off pallet. These are rapidly using up my once large supply of drawer knobs. As I use up the best boards of each pallet, the boxes deteriorate in quality. Nobody else in town is building this type of box, so maybe I’ll contact the Treasure Barn again.
Cactus after Texas forest fire.
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The big project of the day was these Z-boxes. These are also not a matching set, but the standardization production is evident in the uniform appearance. As mentioned, even the color per box is not consistent. It’s not clear as shown, but the bottom box has a logo peeking out just beside my knuckle. This is three of a planned seven boxes, stalled because of compressor malfunctions. The cutting, drilling, and assembly of each box is down to around five minutes, not including moving the lumber around. The space and layout (of my workshed) would allow me to process eight or ten units per hour, not including the final bottom slat or the yakisugi.
Since this is the sole activity of the day, allow me to speculate what I would change if I got a profitable order. First, I would dedicate three saws. I have an unused table saw and a smaller saw not being used. These would be put into use, for example, I’ve learned to cut off the weathered end of the pickets. The fresh lumber on the ends looks better and holds the glue. No need to be using a chop saw for that step.
Venezuela has fallen. The head man was arrested, the rest willingly surrendered by the sounds of it. Of course, the Democrats are screaming the US has no business toppling regimes, quietly forgetting what they did to Khadaffi. I was more interested in details of the US nuclear sub conversions. Those who claim the US if behind n numbers of surface vessels don’t know a lot about submarines. The US is upgrading a proven design, the Virginia class. It runs so quiet the sub cannot be detected from ordinary background noise.
The navy sliced the tail off a Virginia and added an 80 foot section which is mostly new missile silos. The boat looks impossibly long. Virginia’s carry Tomahawks and I’ve long since given up trying to follow the upgrades. Just presume one missile one ship and a 100% kill rate. That means each US sub can now knock out an entire Chinese flotilla from out of nowhere.
While looking at model steam engines, I saw the name Cison. Today I looked into their product line and what a surprise. They use CNC machines to create working scale models of big motors. I located videos showing the parts, all machined, assembled into what look like power plants for RC toys. Here is the video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKwyWgNXZuk) I liked. Sorry, I do not link to sites with advertising except by mistake. Be careful of scams the metal working models are very expensive and there are plenty of plastic non-working kits. I missed a lot in my life never learning how to mechanic.
Except for certain poses like the one shown here, I think she is more attractive as a young-housewife. Sort of how you hoped your wife would still look in a tight dress after your third child. It was, you know, working at the phone place that turned me totally off to most older women. I said most. I lived through the sexual revolution when she was promoted as a sex symbol. By age 12 I already considered her an anachronism, something to distract you from the real thing, the hippie-chicks that prompted me to get into a band. I was already hard-wired against women who had to pretend to be sexy. I will not be taking questions at this time.
ADDENDUM
That version of “Imagine” was musically exhausting, so I turn my attention toward the easy tune next on Steve’s list. I dislike this tune for many reasons other than its overplayment. But I have played it to keep guitar players happy and thinking they are in charge. But since I have to be coerced into playing “Hotel Califormia”, the gloves are off. I can drastically outshine most guitarists, and I’ll go over why this is the case. But make no mistake, this is one tune where I will intentionally out-play and over-play any guitarist who insists on this number. Serves him right because those who insist musically are always asses in the wrong. Got that, Glen?
To begin with, there are two guitar parts. The soloist, often subconsciously, has to choose one. I hear it instantly. Next lucky opening is the original bass part was either recorded by two different players or in two separate sessions. I also hear that instantly. This gives me ample opportunity to select the flashiest parts to the guitarist’s detriment. Hey, he wants this tune to show off, so if you want to be star of the show, you’ll have to outshine me.
Where to begin? That Eagles song is so far from original, if you can play bass to Jimmy Hendrix’s 1967 version of “Hey Joe” from the 1960s, you can already play a show-stealing riff to “Hotel California”. Just not right off, save that blues pattern for when the solo starts and really upstage Mr. Guitar Hero—but do it in my mild-mannered style, hey man, I’m just trying to keep the rhythm going because you stopped strumming. (You can guess what to do if he insists you stop it. Just revert to the cover bass line and watch him die on stage. The solo is too weak to standalone.)
Also, the chord pattern on the bass is rather mathematical, so it can be made flashy by moving up and down the neck instead of changing strings. Of course, quickly switch back if the guitar player turns around to see what the hell is stealing his thunder. Just shrug like you have no clue what’s going on. There is barely a guitarist alive who won’t fall for that act. Belief that other musicians are inferior is in their DNA.
If you occasion to hear me ever pay the solo part and think you’ve heard me play it before, it is the custom bass line I wrote for “Tell Me Momma”. And the part with all the root notes? That’s the bass line from “Mony Mony”, easy as it gets. I’m still adding more, there is a guitar in the background playing a harp-like melody that my ear has trouble isolating. I’ll get it, because it is a piano part, just severely lost in the background. The notes are diminished thirds, sixths, and ninths which I’ll have to translate to bass.
Um, unless I recover 100% from what is ailing me, I may never be able to play any of this material live. Did I just say ‘overplayment’?
