September 18, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: September 18, 2025, circuits, mushrooms, Raselhague.
Five years ago today: September 18, 2021, 71.
Nine years ago today: September 18, 2017, injectors, $550 each.
Random years ago today: September 18, 2006, school boards suck.

           England has told Apple to hand over their encrypted iCloud data, Apple says it will never allow such a thing. I side with Apple, it may be the only thing they’ve done right in thirty years. It’s 5:30AM and pitch black. I also side with coffee, soon as I clear a spot on my stove. That’s the best flat work area in my 18-month overdue kitchen these days. Before we get started, take a look at these K-box prototypes.

           These are pretty close to a finalized design. One has a thumb-hole, the other is plain. Both are identical otherwise, with the number of staples minimized to 26 per unit. The decoration says “Valdosta Limes” because that is what had last been test printed by the laser.
           The other box picture this morning is the production run so far. It shows the boxes can be turned out consistently and inventory can really “stack up” quickly. I need more supplies, slate that for this afternoon, it’s a mild day for this early in the autumn, plus I found a 0% Heineken in the fridge to remind me really have not gone out much lately. It was ice cold and sure tasted good—even if I’m no fan of beer in green bottles.

           Build time on these is pared to less than ten minutes each, not counting the laser. That step is still considered separate. The boxes are glued with the cheapest possible goop, dollar store white glue. It holds remarkably well but I will switch to Bond-Tite III, because if you price it, the per-ounce is roughly the same.
           The biggest time-saver is the bottom panel. It is one solid piece, cut from the same picket and held in place by 10 of the staples, thus needing no adhesive. Once more, the challenge remains selling this things. I lack the patience, and this is Florida. There is nobody else. The total materials works out to less than $3, but that is still too much unless these sell for at least $10 each. Like the original Z-box, a price of $15 is needed to retail these in the small quantities I can produce, or the game is not worth the candle.

           There are two planned changes, which amount to new prototypes. It’s those routers I dug out of the sawdust last evening. These are a rabbet joint for the end pieces. If that is successful, it could lead to a box made of better quality wood. For the same reason, a second plan is to set another router to make box joints. This is experimental at this time, both routers are technically broken. But, I have salvaged the Tennessee router table.

           Later, the neighbor wants to hold another movie night, so count me in. He prefers murder mysteries, alas I had to ask him to give me a call when they fix a time. I fall asleep easy these days. Long ago he gave me a small compressor to see if I could get it working, but the batteries and contacts had corroded out. I got it working this morning. The innards I mean, it is all torn apart and that was tough plastic that had to be cut away in pieces with a power saw. Hunt around for a picture.
           My real estate filter is again getting hits. I set it for a price drop of $30,000 and now I have to shorten the time frame. It’s picking up $420,000 shacks that dropeed to $390,000 since Oct 31, last year. And that is not what I want. I am seeing price drops of $45,000. But only at the most over inflated properties to begin with.

Picture of the day.
Modern dating.
Remember to use BACK ARROW to return to blog.

           Here is more plastic. This tube has had many plans, ranging from chicken feeder to terrarium, but this time I finally got it apart as a casing for my long awaited seismometer. This thing may be the apparatus that picks up my last thunk. You see, this morning brought on something most unwelcome—spells of lost balance and momentum. Nothing else changed today except I spent the last six hours stumbling and bumping into things. I’m not dizzy, I feel fine. But I’m not.

           It’s fading by early afternoon so I’ll just jot down a quick description. I walked past books and tools on the table and plunk, they are on the floor. Once or twice, so what, but maybe 30 times so far today. I quit before I break something important. Then I remembered Tampa said sunny all day and I had a sheet of panel wood in the yard. I had to saw it in half. Fortunately, nothing went wrong.
           It feels like my system is wearing in to my new heart. It’s my legs and back that get tired. Am I letting my great new pumper overtax the rest of me, parts which have a lot of hard miles on ‘em. If so, don’t complain, it means they lasted well past any warranty period. But it is getting to the stage where I think something else may be wrong. There is an old saying everyone has a million problems until they become ill. Then they only have one.

           How goes my dryer? I was downtown looking for the belt and came back empty-handed after an hour. There are many belts for the smaller 27” drum but mine is the 29”. On line, I found parts diagrams that showed the entire assembly—except the drum belt. It does not get more ass-clown millennial than that. The Wal*Mart site says they have it, but they always say that.

           For the record, the USA doesn’t want Greenland as territory. The issue is to not allow other countries to set up military bases there. Such as China, which is now supporting the Argentine claims to the Falklands. That one isn’t hard to figure out. And Trump has finally banned the worst of the MSN from the White House. Unable to move much, I thought to watch a documentary on the T-34/85.
           This is the Soviet tank with an upgraded turret and the new A.I. schematics that expand these are incredible. Instead, I found a movie titled “T-34”, which except for the “evil nazi” stereotyping, is not a bad production. I learned nothing new from the documentary, but such a video was unheard of until recently.

ADDENDUM
           A judge has allowed a doctor to sue individuals who were hiding behind a “medical board” shield, a perpetual problem in America. They suspended her license for “COVID disinformation” and now she can get them personally. As it should be, none of this “just doing my job” when it is a flagrant abuse of people’s rights.
           Legal wording is unfortunately a matter of interpretation, or so society’s losers would force us to believe. To me, "shall not be infringed" is pretty clear. Here is the disclaimer on my boxes. “Item is ornamental. Suitability for any other purpose is neither expressed nor implied.”

Last Laugh