September 9, 2026

Yesteryear
One year ago today: September 9, 2025, $12 a pound.
Five years ago today: September 9, 2021, Biden’s “six-prong”.
Nine years ago today: September 9, 2017, I finally moved.
Random years ago today: September 9, 2011, early wifi piracy.

           Whoa, Nellie, the real-feel out there is 104° and I was downtown for an hour. Today is one of the Florida scorchers you hear about. Knowing better than to brave it, I’m back home under the A/C and treating myself to Oscar Meyer cheese stuffed hot dogs. Beyond that I have little to report unless I go outside and make a video for you. I do have to fill the birdfeeder or catch it before the sun sets. Any other events? Yes, I mailed a letter to JZ concerning our convo about his balcony as work space and having missed the Reb’s b’day, sent her present by ATM.

           That balcony is on the top floor, corner unit, and he could easily store inventory (his only neighbor is blind). The trees are mature and tower over the space, so it is shady. There is a partial view from across the way, but those overpriced condos have been vacant for 15 years. The area is under the building eaves and is sixteen feet long. Like most Florida balconies, it has never been used as one. To hot, even in the winter.
           Here is today’s batch of iced tea in the making. Everything is melting, the A/C in the van could not keep up unless I was moving. And it’s too damn hot to recharge it, can’t get near the metal on the body without a blanket, which is not an item kept handy in this weather. Why, did you think I operated some kind of fancy tea maker over here. Folks, you are lucky I don’t make it in the bathtub.

           My property taxes, mostly for what passes in our miserable times as education, are up by 11%, something that is supposed to be prohibited in Florida. I checked while downtown and as usual, the increase was slipped right under the noses of the most affected due to their ingrained complacency. They complain, but scoff anybody who tries to organize as a troublemaker. And vote for whoever they voted for last time who increased the taxes.

           News arrives of a massive Canadian government coverup of vaccine deaths in their armed forces. Many soldiers testifying under oath they were discharged for mental health reasons when they developed myocarditis. Turns out Ottawa was also buying Chinese steel and selling it as Canadian to abet China avoiding tariffs.

           Here’s a treat from the blog that dares, the clip of a Mystery Meal. Hey, these nothing videos are just as much effort as the fancy tales—plus with the blog you always get an explanation of what makes such videos into valid history. In this case, it is Mrs. Red. I won’t tame but she has long since associated my presence in the yard as food. She has learned to perch by the side door and she has become as fussy as any hen about meal time.
           One item they love is oatmeal flakes. I had this canister in the cupboard. Look how the Florida varmints stripped away the label trying to get to the grub while I was in the hospital. So today I go to get them their treat and it is breadcrumbs. I am about to get chewed out all morning until I get in the van and make the shopping trip. Until then, I’m in deep doo-doo. The kind that splatters.

Picture of the day.
Iceberg Alley
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           The big news this afternoon is it didn’t rain. Sorry, partners, but I’m way back at maybe 38% and you have my word that is mighty low ebb. I missed feeding time and Mrs. Red let me know. I hauled my arse out there. Once I got moving around, I ran off a couple of boxes, which included the new L-box. Those have potential, but require a full picket each, with just enough left over for a square box, which I have not decided any use for yet.

           By then it was sprinkling and overcast, which makes the shed roof radiate less. But suffer that 73% or 74%% humidity, you cannot escape from that. Still, that’s more boxes than most of Florida managed today, so I am now inside running the laser and thanking myself for making all that extra iced tea last evening.

           This is a test of burning logos with different font sizes. It says “Valdosta Lemons” because that meaningless phrase popped into my head. The differing fonts can be made into a group with the Word tools, but then they cannot be adjusted for slight variations. Example would be a knot in the say. It’s frequent enough that it is better do what I’m doing, which is get good at eye-balling the steps. There is a goal, which is one day learning how to burn in layers. It is probably fairly straightforward, but the instructions are dreadfully awful and for a different model of laser.
           My unit used the CutLabX software, which you have to watch or it will do auto-uploads that mess you up. Some uploads still get through and they have unexplained titles like “Vincent Figures”, which I thought was a video game. I opened it and it is an A.I. image generator asking for a description. So I pug in “blonde man playing electric bass”. It demanded virtual currency so I closed it. Samples should always be free.

           I was so cooped up all day, I spend a half hour reading Table 249. This is the nautical “slang” reference to Sight Reduction Tables. I’ve practiced some with them, but this time I wanted a serious hard look. I spotted several patterns but I’m still not comfortable with the process without a guidebook. Plus, there are different versions and methods. I can only “shoot” the Sun, though I’m somewhat current on the workings of stars. You will not find me outside in Florida at night looking at the sky. It’s mainly mosquitoes and better things to do.
           This next video. You can ignore. It is just my record of the bad hinge cut. It seems the chisel does not like to “cut with the grain”. But even so, I am doing something wrong and this is part of the correction attempt.

ADDENDUM
           Obama has received a court order he has to return the $30 million he made off Obamacare royalties. Plus interest. It would be curious to see if he does, but either way, the people forced to pay it will never see a nickel. I was going to say a cent, but you know.

Last Laugh