O Holy Smoke

Dear God inem,

Why is it that if we have to have a world with countries that are theocracies, they can't be Quakers,  or some happy fertility rite focussed cloister?  Or both, like one owns Iraq and one owns Iran.

Look, many of us get the joke.  We got it a long time ago.  So, how bout changing the skit to something a little less hardcore slapstick?    One big massive global brainwave treatment to reset minds might help.  Then again, maybe not.

Thank you.

I prefer to remain anonymous if you don't mind, so I won't tell you who I am.

Buy or Die

Buy or die, you lowly mofo.

I'm with/usurping your federal government, and I'm here to help you!

Of course, if you would just fill out the proper forms, and forever remain under our scrutiny, proving your state of income, etc., we might just give you free care, access to which would also be subject to approval and our assessment of your needs weighed against society's priorities, as we decree them, on a case by case basis.  See?  You can't lose, my filthy little peon of a citizen child.

Now, join the other 50% and thank me.

Better yet join the 30% who pray to me at night and know that I am holy.




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Guns and Lunatics

As usual,  another allegedly famous person, of whom I had no knowledge, is involved in a gun debacle, and our oh so wise, learned TV celebrities decry our freedom to own firearms.   If only whatsisname had not had access to firearms he and his victim would be alive and happy today.

The thought is that more regulation would make it all better.  If we restrict gun usage to only government agents and military, then we'll be OK.  We've done what we can to disarm the military on their own bases, and that worked out very well in helping the guy who ignored the rules to slaughter people on a military base.

The arguments tend to ignore the reasons that people like me would consider having some firepower handy.  When a thug is threatening, admonitions of "don't take the law into your own hands" offer little in the way of immediate conflict resolution.  Wait a minute, my good man, let's call 911 and see if we can settle this matter.

It is a shame that anyone needs or uses firearms to influence or stop the actions of people.  They are an effective tool in the process of self defense when one is outnumbered or out muscled, or when an intruder or assailant is armed.  The fact that there are so many people who believe in taking what is not theirs -property or life-by force will not change by disarming the harmless.

Although it is like having a pea shooter against a tank, I like knowing people can be armed simply because I think the biggest threat to property and life is the institution which has the most firepower--government.  Tyranny functions best when the people are rendered impotent.

It has nothing to do with hunting, or any of that.  It has to do with last line of defense in trying to maintain control of one's own life and destiny.  It is hard to enslave an armed group of people.

Thugs and cops present the biggest danger to one's freedom, if they are not somehow contained.  Usually one needn't be prepared to resist cops, but sometimes things get out of hand.  A government which fears the people because they have means to revolt, should they see the need, is better than a government which has no such fears.  It is one weak link in the system of checks to the power of the state.

That is why the foolish sheep, and the savvy purveyors of the religion of governmental solutions to problems both real and imagined, are all for disarming those who abide by the law.  The more we can't protect ourselves from the cultural results of decades of failed policies which helped facilitate the network of sociopathic criminal gangs and other aberrant forms of life, the worse off we are.

The cases in which senseless violence is in play are often the results of cultural decay, and The Big Pretense.  To think certain kinds of movies and video games have no influence on behavior is a bit naive.  That is not to say those things are totally to blame.  They are more a symptom.

We glorify mass murder in games and movies and even in the news, then wonder why depressed, confused kids who lack social skills and popularity decide to make a name for themselves in some tragic manner.   Lunatic shooters, even if thwarted get more press than people who make breakthroughs in research and invention.  It is sad.

But then, if you see a wonderful, work of art, movie, the fame and credit goes to the major actors, and rarely do you have a clue who actually created and wrote the piece.  That is kind of an interesting thing. It is remarkable how good actors and directors can bring a story to life, but the one who created the story and laid out the blueprint for the film is not of interest.

It takes little thought, and seems to be a case of jumping on the band wagon, when pundits reflexively assail gun ownership and the right to carry as if that is the root of the problem.   They sound like a broken record.  I accused the main news media of being the government's sales force many decades ago, and it has only become moreso over time.   They always seem to think that authoritarian rule is the answer.

When I saw that Costas had to do a little editorial during a football game, and heard the content of his message, I couldn't help but believe he was idiotically parroting the talking points of the usual neo-bolsheviks in order to gain cool guy points with the other useful idiots in the entertainment world.  Surely he didn't really try to think this out.

It amazes me how easily people will jump on peer pressure causes if they think it will cast their image as cool and intellectual.  Especially without the effort of really considering all the factors involved.  This is why people can be led into some form of slave state cheering and with their consent.

Oh well.  This is why decent and smart people should be breeding as fast as they can--the problem is cultural and the more good people that are put into the mix, the more likely it is that the culture will veer away from the Big Pretense and stepping on the sanctity and rights of the individual.

I suppose seeing the story of how Worcester, Mass. has been buying guns from people by offering a free flu shot and a grocery store gift card put me over the top on this.  Turn in your weapons and we'll toss you a little treat!  If I wanted my money to go toward buying guns, I'd buy them myself, not vote my tax money go toward that. Or your money.  Maybe all the peace officers in that town are saints, and the thugs all lined up to trade weapons for vaccinations and food.  Somehow I doubt it.

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Metaphors and things.

For some reason I was thinking about football just before the game, and the coaches inspirational words.
I guess it would be more high school or college.  I'm not sure if they give the same classic form of inspiration to a room full of millionaires with unions and contracts.

Whatever the venue, good words would be, "Save your hardest hit for first!"  I wonder if anyone ever said that.  Maybe Yogi Berra.

It is good advice because if you hit them harder and faster than they expect they'll be flinching a little the rest of the game.  I know this to be true.  They may come at you harder but then they are easier to go around.

The other thing was I keep thinking of how my brother is like the North Star in our family; steady, and he has always been able to hold pretty much to a path while being flexible enough to change course when necessary.  It isn't something that just happens by luck.

He consciously sticks to a chosen path and doesn't apologize to those who would have him do things differently.  That isn't always easy, but he's doing it right.  We aren't close and may never be, but there is a very powerful bond between us.  It could be that the strength of the deep bond makes it scary to be too close.  We both probably feel like we let the other down.  He may not.  I do.  With good enough experience to back both cases.

Life is like a bowl of cherries---chocolate is usually not in that bowl.   Maybe they said that no one said life IS a bowl of cherries.  Or did they say Life is a bowl of cherries?  They say some odd things.  But, say it enough and people take it for true.

Let Me Sleep On it

What prompted it, I do not know.   Mysteriously inspired, I wrote young k a lengthy letter; documenary treatise, autobiography, nonsense.  I'm afraid if I send it I may wish I hadn't.  I have not proofread it.  I'm afraid that if I do, I'll trash it, then wish I hadn't.

I'll save it to a folder and check it out another time.

Why is it that people's wives, and women that don't really seem like a good mix go out of their way to flatter you?  If what they say is true then life ought to be different.   It should roll off but it tends to depress me.  In many contexts it would be considered complimentary.  But, I have found that if you look beyond the surface, and you really search, you'll find the depressing side of a thing.  Usually I don't look at much. This one was just there.  Depression said, I'm gonna hit a home run!  But I know what is what, so it doesn't matter.

Ha.  I have the last laugh.  Years of experience have numbed me to the point of only being mildly depressed by depression, so Depression has to settle for almost nothing.  Depression will soon get depressed and go away.

It is a - I don't know--life

There may be a better or cheaper way, but I like the idea of home geothermal heating and cooling systems.   Mostly they just drill down a fairly long way.  The hole is not very big.  Then they stick in a U shaped tube so that fluid can go down, either lose or gain heat, then go back up and exchange heat to cool or heat the home.  They do a lot of in-floor radiant heating.  Just a bunch of back and forth coils built into the floor.

That is not the only way to do it.  They also do horizontal trenches of unknown-to-me depth. Probably about 6 feet.  So, if you are burying people in the yard, you can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

The pics are from Home Geothermal Systems, LLC.   North Dakota, I think.   They apparently do this vertical thing about 180 feet straight down.  Yikes.  That works some places.

These systems can also be placed in an existing well or pond, depending upon what those venues have to offer in the way of desired heat or cooling.

Supposedly there is a three to five year payback.  That may take into account government subsidies and other garbage.  Sick.  But not everyone sees the damage that subsidies can do to innovation, and how it opens wide the door to cronyism and corruption.  Solyndra is the poster child for that.

What interests me is that a system I conceived on paper, years ago, would work well with this.  My loop was intended to be a part of another device, but also had stand alone uses.  My ex roommate, and alleged friend, Bill, saw this design, and I explained it to him.  After I was out of town, he filed for and received a patent on it, and formed a company which supported him and his family for a long time.

I discovered his theft of the idea some time later, but did not bother to take action.  I may even have the original drawings and probably could have proved my claim.  At any rate, I have no qualms about using my idea if opportunity arises.

My system was called a Heat Pipe by Bill's company.  It is a closed system with freon-like refrigerant, but uses check valves and restrictors to control the flow which is induced by the temperature differential between the extreme ends of the coil.  In the geothermal case, between the above ground temp and the below ground temp.

No motors, electricity, pulleys, or animals required.  It is a passive system which takes advantage of the low boiling point of freon, and uses it to transfer or absorb heat.  I give Bill credit for knowing a good design, and for proving the aspect of the bigger picture of which I was only 90% sure.  I thought it would work, but I always felt better when I discovered it had been proven.

The advantage of geothermal is that the temp of the earth, six feet down or so, is relatively constant year round; 68-72 deg F.  So you aren't hoping the sunshines or the wind blows.  It is low maintenance and long lasting.

My thought is that there is probably a way to do it which might require less depth than the vertical method, and less mess and excavation than some of the other installations I've seen pictured on various sites.  It is definitely something to consider when embarking on new construction.  In most places I've lived, it would make a lot of sense to install the system under the foundation.

I'm always into retro-fit.  I think finding ways to work with existing structures to fit a geothermal heating/cooling source is worth doing.  There are always what-ifs, and abundant fuel for the devil's advocate, associated with such ideas.  That is what engineering is for--knock down the obstacles.  Find a way to solve each discrepancy.   I know some people who love the role of devil's advocate.  I'm not one who does very well in that job.

Usually, there is a basic premise to such an idea--like, there is a constant heat source which can be tapped.  In this case, cooling is involved too, but it is all heat, either being transfered to the dwelling or from it.  Then the judgement is made that this would be useful if harnessed.  Then there is the how-to question, and that is where one can go to town citing potential problems.  Doesn't mean it can't be done.

Obviously, this one is being done.  There are companies with trucks and big earth drills which do nothing but geothermal work.  They do not appear to be on to my design for the coil system which is the heat transfer mechanism.  Food for thought.

I sometimes want to get involved in this just to see how sticky it would get in dealing with Bill's patent which was directly stolen from me.  I give Bill credit for making it happen, but have no respect for people who take credit for the ideas of others.  I feel certain he'd acquiesce if I had to get anything cleared through him.

It wasn't that big a surprise.  Bill was that way.  A go getter, and what Bill wanted, Bill went after, no matter the consequences to anyone else.  It is a funny brand of greed that infects certain people, and results in them wanting something so badly that they just can't let it go, even when it means crossing boundaries of decency and honor to soothe the desire.

The cool thing was that my theorized system proved to work.  I thought it would but had no tangible proof.  Thanks Bill, you crazed lunatic.

Apparently North Dakota has it going on.  Employment is up, oil is there, and they aren't as hog tied with insane nanny state PC activities as California and other places.  Then again, they don't have the disadvantage of being spoiled by good weather and nice geography the way we are in San Diego.


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Diatonic Harmonica Tips;what I know, part 11272012

Given that the world of freedom philosophy is uninteresting to most Americans and almost all the rest of the world, I'm trying to confine myself to what I know of more tangible skills and facts.  That is not a promise, as I tend to compulsively come back to "What in the world are you neo-bolsheviks thinking?", and that inevitably leads to a tirade against grouping ideas and opportunities according to ethnic and genetic characteristics.

For example, why is it code for racism if you think someone has lied or is a nincompoop?  No racial group, or gender faction is immune from being idiots.  Oh well, people sucker for the largeness of the mob and the omnipotence of governments.

Here are some things about diatonic harmonica which many people do not know--even those who play a lot of music.  I've found that most of the people who sing, play guitar, and have that harmonica holder around their neck for hands-free play, tend to play straight harp and do not know much about cross harp and other positions.

It helps a lot if one knows the notes on a keyboard because it is easier to figure out what harp to use with what key when you can picture a keyboard.

Cross harp, or second position, is good for most tunes, especially blues, rock, most country, and the like.  You get more power notes because you are inhaling on the dominate chord, and draw notes have more oompf than blow notes.  Except the highest three or four, then blowing is the bees knees.

How do you know what harp is the cross harp?
If the tune is in the key of X, you count up five notes, including sharps and flats, and that is the key of harp to use.
Example.  Song is in G.  So five up is Ab, A, Bb, B, C.   Use C for crossharp on G tunes.
The lower case b means flat--half step down.

I discovered that many players do not know the keyboard notes so they aren't readily conversant with where the black keys (sharps and flats) reside.

Notice how C is the one before the group which has only two black keys.  C and F have no flat--a black key just left of it.  E and B have no sharp--black key just to the right.

It is odd, but how it works that C is generally the anchor point.  The key of C contains no sharps or flats to get the scale. do ray mi fa so la ti do, or whatever.  Start with other notes and there will be a black key or two which is used to make the scale work right.


If they learn by memory, Ab, A, Bb, B, C, Db, D, Eb, E, F, Gb, G,(and series repeats) then they can count up and down to know the harp to use.   Often, you may hear mention of C sharp or F sharp.  For harp figuring purposes, just know that a half step up from C--C sharp--is the same as a half step down from D--D flat; Db.

Third position is often used for minor keys, and is figured by counting two down from the tune's key.
Example; song in A minor can be accompanied on a G harp.  Two down from A would be Ab, G.  Use G.

In third position you may lack some notes, need to bend to hit others, and work around the melody rather than duplicate it.  I've often had to use C for D minor because I couldn't find my D minor harp.  They make harmonicas in both natural and harmonic minor keys.  I use natural minor tuning a lot.  Those harps are labeled in cross harp, meaning that one which is E minor in straight harp--the natural key if dominate notes are ones you blow to achieve--is labeled A minor since that is the cross harp, 2nd position Key.

I know a guy who is very fast and good on straight harp but finds controlling and using bends on cross harp quite difficult.

Bends(lowering pitch) and overblows (raising the pitch) on harmonica are actually achieved by changing how the air flows in the reed chamber, not by playing harder.

For some reason, they still sell harps which are virtually useless.  About the lowest end I'd go is Hohner Big River.  Sometimes Susuki Easy Rider is playable.  A very cheap harp in C.  Forget other cheap ones. Not worth the trouble, especially for someone trying to learn.  The person could think the problem is lack of skill when they have a crummy harmonica that no one could play well.

I like Lee Oskar harps, Bushman, Special 20, Marine Band, and whatever they have that costs more.  I haven't owned those.  The cost of harmonicas has gone up dramatically in the last few years.  I was stunned by msrp of $30 and more.  Now they list for $50 or more.  Lee Oskars and Marine Bands do.  Crazy.  Unless you want to rework the thing to optimize for overblow, you are better off with Lee Oskar instruments.  They last longer and are a little more mellow and warm.

I guess the thing is that not all players have a picture of a keyboard in their minds.   My piano training must not be completely forgotten.  In a pamphlet by Charlie Musselwhite I learned the easy thing of counting up five, including the black keys, to find the crossharp.  Other people talk of choosing a harp that is a fourth above.  They have a more tedious way of getting there, but one used by music nerds--circle of fourths and lots of wild diagrams. Whatever works.

5 up, 2 down.  That's it.  Also, experiment.  Sometimes using the same key harp as the song works.  Sometimes using the third position, two down works, and most of the time 5 up, crossharp is the ticket.
Crossharp can also work on minors, so try both 2nd and 3rd position to see what is best.

Or go buy some minor keys.  I like Lee Oskar or Bushman Soul's Voice for that.  You get Bushman at harpdepot.com.  Other harps can be found at musician's friend online, or coast2coastmusic.com.   Coast2coast has all kinds of things.  I bought two or three microphones over the years there.

Wait a minute.  If I count the Shaker Mics, I've probably bought five mics from them.

Anyway, for anyone who wants to learn blues harp or any other style of harmonica, I suggest learning guitar or keyboard instead.  If you still want to play the stupid harmonica, then get a good C, D, or A harp, more if you got bucks, and learn to pick out tunes. Work to make a decent tone.  Learn to play single notes, then learn to bend the draw notes at the lower end. You bend down in pitch.  And then learn to bend the last three or so high notes blowing out.

Much good instruction on youtube, but I can never follow the people who get too technicified.  Even this bit I wrote sounds tedious or complicated.  It is one instrument you learn by feel.  Or I did.

It is very easy to play, almost impossible to play like I'd like.  Lots of great players.  Only some play what I care to hear.  I only sometimes play what I care to hear.

bluesband is not a great harp

We'll probably see you on the lamb in a few years as all the healthcare fugitives become vagabond hoboes, running from the law, playing out our woes on the mouth harp over a can of stew on a makeshift fireplace by the railroad tracks.

All because we couldn't quite meet the law and afford rent and food, too.


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Turkeys, Kings, and Poor Single Guy Thanksgiving

There are theatrical events staged by government people which constitute grievous, yet unnoticed insult to the populace. Pardoning of turkeys is one such nauseating event.  And I'll tell you why.

Besides the fact that it is meaningless, and let's leave PETA out of it--their reasons are vastly different than mine--it is nothing but a subtle, or not so subtle, mind conditioning.  Here's the top exec demonstrating his power over life and death in a meaningless display.  It is supposed to be a warm, fuzzy moment, and, if you are a news person, an excuse for good natured banter with the hot weather chick and even a chance for a doggonnit, lol, moment.

The end impression is that the beloved leader is our master and he's benevolent, so we are in good hands.  The public is largely conditioned to think we actually are, and should be, in the hands of our lofty governmental officials.  But look!! The all powerful One has allowed a turkey to keep its life in a comical stroke of the pen, in keeping with dubious tradition!  Yay!  Our master is a swell guy and probably won't have us killed.

not a turkey, but it makes my statement.   vulture. (from national geographic)

So, because I see this bit of theater as totalitarian propaganda, I would do away with it.  Besides, you can probably walk from the White House a short enough distance and find someone who could really use a turkey, so it is not really a benevolent act at all.

You'd think a guy who is not a carnivore, therefore no threat to turkeys, would be avoided on Thanksgiving.  But you'd be wrong.

People tend to feel sorry for single hermits, assuming they care about these holidays, so they all invite them to Thanksgiving.  I have more options than I even remember.  It is required that I go to K and M's. I'm the only one who'll be there outside immediate family this year.  If I did have some woman held captive in my life, I think we'd still go there. They'd make me.  Throw me in the briar patch.

I'm amazed and a little touched by the invitations I've had this year.  SoCal is a crazy place, but a lot of people here certainly tend to treat me well.

Practice resumed with the 12 string and friends.  The bass that was added suits what we're doing well.  He just added a drummer, and if the one time we practiced is any indication, then this guy needs to go. Not a good fit and not a good drummer.  I hope I am proven wrong and can take that back.  But it would be kinder to can him now than later.  Not my group so I'll just handle my part and ignore the off rhythm heartbeat.

I may have Tom Sawyered the cowgirl into helping clean my place.  This project could be more fun than anticipated.  It's only a possibility though. Hard to coordinate times, and she can always dodge it.

Systematizing for Dummies

Another case of false advertising.  I cannot tell dummies how to get it right because I, myself, am a dummy who has great difficulty in organizing the most mundane and basic aspects of my life.

Fortunately, past experience has proven that, in certain business or product development contexts, I am capable of effective organization.  That goes only so far, though.  Modern times have seen my personal life become so disorganized that I hardly know where to start.

My observations of people who have made money and thrive in general, whether earning a living through their own business or by climbing the ladder at work, reveal that these people get there by not adopting an attitude that casts them in the role of victim.  They may have obstacles, but they adapt and overcome, or circumvent such road blocks.  The ones that thrive most, as far as I can tell, seem to have built a family or good relationship.  Everyone has their ups and downs, but some manage more ups.

It is easy to look at the political world and the massive universe of governments and see the idiocy, dishonesty and dangers.  However, I realize that, although I may be right in my assessments, I should prove that I can manage the small dictatorship of John0land rather than focus on that which is beyond my control.

Knowing that the universe or God or luck of the draw has favored me in many ways, and allowed me to be unusually lucky many times, when it mattered most, I can muster no good excuse for not thriving. I've thought of blaming my parents or George Bush, or even Obama and Harry Reid.   My parents are long gone and weren't really so bad.  In adulthood, it is best to realize that they did what they knew and I know at least one of them had her heart in the right place.

It won't do any good to blame Bush or Obama, although this healthcare mandate may create hardship and some dealing with government enterprise which I find quite abhorrent.  Cross that bridge when I get there.

First order of business; tackle the shovel ready jobs here in my world to organize my personal nation's infra structure.  Then we work on our version of sustainable revenue sources.  See?  I even include trendy buzz words.

It is important that I don't criticize myself for being lazy, negligent, and incompetent as I've recently learned those are code words for racist bigotry.  Wouldn't want to be making racist slurs against myself. Neither would I want to criticize myself for just being another white guy.  I see nothing wrong with that.

What is wrong is that I have mismanaged the revenue and resources at my disposal.  I'm pretty sure that being a white male has absolutely nothing to do with my choices which resulted in the present state of affairs.

The other reason for ignoring what They do is that I believe the era of runaway governmental insanity is upon us and what can I do about it if I can't run my own affairs any better than this?

So, here are some of the premises under which I hope to act.
1. It is possible to attain reasonable goals.
2. It does not matter if other things pose stumbling blocks.  Others have overcome greater obstacles.
3. It is possible to thrive.
4. My degree of contentment and happiness is pretty much up to me.

Lots of people look at me and think they would do better in my circumstances.  I think they may be right, but I am here, and they aren't.  I often think they could do things differently, too, but I am not so sure, in many cases, that I would manage better in their shoes.  I just know it can be done, and I assume they are better at doing that stuff than I am.

I do realize how fortunate I am.  I just don't want to let it all erode away before I take control and ensure sustainability.  There's that word again.  When government people use it, it is code for "rob Peter to pay Paul", and for corrupt cronyism.  My personal world has little room for that.


****all photos lifted from others.  I didn't keep track.  Both are from storm Sandy aftermath.  The kid is in NY somewhere directing traffic as measures are taken to get 'er done.  Pretty cool for a 12 year old.

What Was I Thinking?

There is this beautiful, insightful thought that is too good not to write down, which is what I sometimes do here--write thoughts, but I can't quite remember the thought, just the burning desire to jabber about it in print.  Yay.  That was a long and possibly coherent sentence.  Let me see what it says.  I understand it, so it may or may not be coherent.  Good enough for gummit work.

I should take a picture of pine valley.  They have trees with changing leaves.  I'm not sure what kind.  Not pine, that's for sure.

This is not a fall colors kind of place.  San Diego and west of here isn't. Out here things are different. But still incredibly hospitable climate.

I'll add getting a picture before it is too late to my list.  Maybe I'll actually do it.

What a bargain!  $3.73 for regularo petrol.  How sick is that?  This is way down from the 4.70 price of recent weeks.  4.70 plus or minus.  I couldn't make myself look at it and remember.

The good stuff about this state is mostly not due to the bulk of the way they spend their money.  The good is in spite of the nanny state of corruption.

Are food prices going up everywhere?  They are here.  It has been a steady increase for awhile now.  Good thing I'm one of the one percent who doesn't eat that much and can avoid the expense of meat without missing it.

Always something to salvaged out of things.