May 22, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: May 22, 2025, orders, but not sales.
Five years ago today: May 22, 2021, half are bad.
Nine years ago today: May 22, 2017, because nobody knew.
Random years ago today: May 22, 2009, and discovered popcorn.

           Tomorrow is a holiday. It marks the 30th year of my retirement. May 23, 1996 is the date I stopped wasting my life as a wage slave. Yes, I worked since, but like rich kids, only if I felt like it. I do not have anything planned, but if I stay on the health recovery trail, I may one day be able to say I beat the system by not being a wage slave more than half my life. I pause here to shoo away those who mistakenly think I said I was rich. Far from it, I’m just “rich in other ways” than they had intended things to be. I’m up to the doggie pound with this month’s donation soon as it reaches 9:00AM.

           This box has multiple logos The average box would have just one, as the “full size” burns require 7+ minutes each. Credit for this goes to Bryne in Texas, who suggested the concept. Paint turned out to be smelly and slow, and the branding iron too expensive. Enter the laser, which has already been used a hundred times. The other methods were also messy and more dangerous. The laser needs tending while burning, but you can get other things done in the meanwhile.

           Something physiological is happening, and it is positive. Finally, I can sense a noticeable return of strength, which was the most prominent lacking aspect of recuperation. I don’t mean I’m back, just that I’ve returned to a more comfortable level, such as lifting and carrying five pickets at a time y’day without having to map it out. And I now get at least some warning of approaching “devitalization”. Like today, I was able to plan delivering the doggie donation at the pound. Though, I was unable to lift the bag. Soon.

           There’s a news item for you. With equivalent training, says Boston College, older employees not only learn A.I. faster, they are nearly half again as productive with it. Say again what is replacing these flunkies and DEI hires. I shall attempt to build six matching boxes this afternoon, blogworthy because I’m back able to plan ahead that far.
           On the way downtown, I turned toward Parker St. and saw the restoral happening on one place I looked at. Ten years back, they wanted $180,000 for this house. It was pretty run-down so I doubt I mentioned it. It was a contender, look at it now. One disappointment was that gable above the porch. I thought it was a studio, but it is a skylight for the stairwell. I don’t do stairs well in these times, bit of a pun there.

           It’s noon, is there any news worth the listen? Alberta. It seems, has a copy of the Centurion Project, which Democrats say helped Trump “win Michigan”. This is nonsense, relying on general public ignorance of software. It’s nothing but a database loaded with Alberta voters which is public information. But listen to the reports coming out of Ottawa. It is, they say, a list of “every judge, lawyer, politician, journalist, and elections investigator”. Not mentioned are yoga instructiors, custodians, and vacuum repairmen, but that’s another story. And, absolutely of course, the RCMP are treating the database as a “security breach” by “right-wing separatists”. Oh, Canada.
           But the best is how Trump is playing the Democrats like puppets. He’s got them screaming that illegals don’t vote, but are desperately trying to block IDE agents from the polling stations, duh. Such hypocrisy is hurting them badly in the ratings. What’s crazy is the number of people who think if they can get rid of Trump, things will return to the “good old days”. The fact is, right or wrong, good or bad, Trump has so awakened America to the machinations of left-wing politics that there is no going back. Millions who suspected things were wrong now know for sure—and what to watch out for since it is plain the bad guys will try it all again, given the chance.

Picture of the day.
The 500 Club dive bar.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           I was at the doggie pound but could not budge the food bag, again standing there while some lady sheriff picks it up like nothing. Back home I decided a trail production run of small boxes. They will look similar to what you’ve seen, but are carefully scribed to get two units out of each small picket. (7/16 x 4 x 6’). These got the benefit of experience so it went fast for a new design. Here are the six carcasses, which were also a test of making a matching set.

           This was documented. If you are nice, I’ll get you a video of the assembly process. Note the boxes individually have matching shades, that doesn’t happen by itself. The average time on this is close to 18 minutes per unit, so I’m taking too long. There is a final step, placing knobs, for a thumbhole would weaken wood this small.

           This work has replaced all the boring therapy instructions and it’s getting easier. All the work is done standing up which is good. Don’t expect much more any time soon, though I’m pleased to say today’s work did not present any great difficulty. Look for another photograph of these boxes with drawer pulls attached. Classy stuff. Indeed, compared to before. My supply of that hardware is approaching zero.

           Give me a moment to record some logistics. These boxes are very handy for keeping organized, more so if I add a divider like y’day. But the logo presents a challenge. These boxes are slightly smaller and warp easily. This is dealt with by mapping 26 staples per box in a pattern that keeps the edges flat. For how long, I do not know. It’s part of our investigation here.
           The assembly requires extra attention and these boxes are too small to place under the laser after assembly. Printing in advance would entail even more work as the pieces have to match up. I have an idea, you know the biscuits from the jointer? It might prove easy to print those separately and tack them onto the front plate. Let me know, but wait until I get you some pictures first. I mean, do your other blogs give you that kind of respect? Riddle me that.

ADDENDUM
           So much for “uncopyable” formats on-line. Here is a demo, millennials, of how it is done properly. I was shocked to read that 99% of today’s greatest generation of computer-literate users had to be shown by somebody else how to use their apps. That’s horrible, only one in a hundred can figure things out for themselves. This is a GIF made from the latest youTube anti-piracy postings. Not perfect, but more than adequate. Is piracy illegal? Yes, but only if you steal sales away from the creator. That is not happening here. (They’ve already changed the law away from the creator to the owner.)
           My beef is with the faction that would make even viewing it a crime. In this case, they took it upon themselves to place something on-line that could appear on my computer. It is them that should seek permission. I naturally claim fair usage, as I am not selling anything. But they would have it so you pay a fee for each view—and I am totally against any laws that, for their enforcement, require mass surveillance of all users. Their proposed system is so prone to abuse that I would question if their true intentions had anything to do with copyright concerns.
           youTube has been slobbering for years to set up memberships to charge users by the look. They would do it instantly if they were not certain it would create all new competition. I’m old enough to remember when youTube was free posting only to display your wares. That is, cheap advertising and publicity only, as it should be.

Last Laugh