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.

Animals for the Ethical Treatment of People

Not a great acronym in that, AETP.  I guess you pronounce it, "eat pea".  Or not.

If this caught on, it could be a good thing.  Here on Ballistic mountain, coyotes have already been organizing, and policing some offenders.

They have been talking to rabbits and deer, who have survived egregious violations of right of way with automobiles.  You can't just slam into someone out of nowhere, then claim they didn't yield to a pedestrian.

So, the coyotes have taken several violators--those who don't respect property--to task.  And then they ate them.

Good Job, AETP

photo credit http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaredhughey/5547007456/

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If power is the ultimate aphrodisiac, then I'd like to get some in case I find use for it.   What they really mean is, if you have power, and you are a man, then women will come out of the woodwork to distract you.  Probably the same if you're a woman, but not quite.

At any rate, I think the general's mistress is probably quite hot in person, but not one who cares if you destroy yourself stroking her ego.  And yours.   It is not so shocking.  I thought it was required for old school officers who've seen combat to sport around.   Well, I guess maybe not.

I figure a lot of this goes on in power circles.  More than in real life.  Not sure I care.  But it may not be good for the guy to be discussing business with a mistress.  It would be really cool if she were part of a spy ring.

What would make it extra confusing would be if she was working for a country like Canada or Australia.  Imagine all the spin and theory that would generate.  No one would be able to make sense of it.  If I ran those countries, I'd do that just to mess with people.

You don't want to get nabbed doing any real bigtime spying because they might do you in or lock you up forever.

OK.  People in power usually have extremely hungry egos.   It is so easy for a man to sucker for the other woman when ego, place, stress, etc all line up, which they do frequently.  After a few drinks, one may be convinced all those things have lined up whether or not they have.  In your confusion, you let the femme fatale lead you astray.  You turn to her for guidance and she compromises your virtue.

That's how it works.  Those who've lost all shred of direction do things like send emails which are self damning if read by anyone but the party who should be off limits anyway.  And, it seems bizarre, but all of a sudden, the whole world is talking about your dumb affair.

I still say she's hot just to look at without prior knowledge of her lust for power without risk.  All it can do is elevate her celebrity and possibly sell books.   Don't know if it will improve or damage her love life.

What if someone paid her to seduce him?  Someone tried to do that to me one time, believe it or don't.  I almost did.  The same people made sure I had plenty to drink.  The whole thing was actually planned by a psychopath coworker who saw me as a threat.

It is, and has been, a strange life.

But that is the way of nature.  The deer who bump into cars, then go limping off, get eaten up because they are dumb, inconsiderate and easier to catch than the smart deer who don't run into cars, end up out of the gene pool, and off the highway.  Thus, justice is served, yet the aggrieved are in no way reimbursed for their trouble and property damage.  This is nature.


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Meatless Mondays; next, Fools Fridays

This is enough to make me want to turn carnivore and devour city councils near and far.  The idiocy that is government baffles the mind.  The willingness of the public to continually elect and pay these people is totally incomprehensible, except that people tend to vote the way they think the resources of others will somehow be bent to their benefit.

Here it is from L.A.: “Be it resolved, that the Council of the City of Los Angeles hereby declares all Mondays as ‘Meatless Mondays’ in support of comprehensive sustainability efforts as well as to further encourage residents to eat a more varied plant-based diet to protect their health and protect animals.”

Buzz words spinning like a circular saw.  Sustainable.  Insanity and misuse of government in clear, eco-friendly, feel good color.  It's for us, and the animals.  They didn't mention the holy grail of excuses for overreaching governmental nonsense--THE CHILDREN.

Comprehensive sustainability is much like incomprehensible stupidity, I see.  Let's protect the animals, who would not be here and not be living if someone wasn't planning on eating them.  Set the cows free and you will have a mess.  Cows know almost nothing whatsoever.  But that wouldn't stop them from wandering into trouble as if they knew what they were doing.

No, best thing is to keep cows contained, fatten them up, then kill them, eat them, and make a pair of new shoes.

Oh, and we are protecting the health of the residents too, since they are too dumb to do it for themselves.  LA.  City of Angels who have one wing flapping in the sand.

It costs money every time some public committee or council does anything.  Those people get all kinds of perks and I guess, in CA, pensions or medicinal marijuana for life.  I can't even imagine the mind and philosophy of a person who would waste tax money and time on such a proposal.  They have similar proclamations in DC and San Francisco.  Fuquits.

We are living in a cartoonish, sci-fi story of a totalitarian state in which total nonsense is pandered as righteous thought, and soon the people voluntarily embrace the insanity and help it grow.

But it's for the CHILDREN, and the PLANET, and SUSTAINABILITY, and ANIMAL RIGHTS, and the CLIMATE

yeehah!!!!

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So Many Years in Solitary

Have you ever messed with the voicemail lady?  Even though you know she isn't real and isn't listening.

What is real big fun is to wait a little longer than suits her.  Push her patience.  Pretty soon she asks, "Are you still there?".  Ha, I'm not telling her yes or no.  She then starts into the options again.

I've yet to have her answer the question I ask her the most; What are you wearing?  Sooner or later she says, Good bye!, with a sing song finality that even a human couldn't equal.

Somehow this gives me a false kind of nostalgia for the days when I was being dumped left and right.   Good bye!, Mr Ballistic.  It is false because I never went through a run of that.  Once ever many years doesn't make a trend.  But if you think your rejectors did the smart thing, you definitely have the same opinion of yourself as you would have if it were a weekly thing.

So, I take it out on the voice mail lady when opportunity arises.  "Yea, so NOW you wonder if I'm still here.  Unless you tell me what you're wearing, you'll never know if I'm still here, or not."

"Am I still here?  Where are you when I need you?  Miss On-To-Greener-Pastures!"  I would say "on to bigger and better things", but I don't like the sound of that!

As reluctant as she is to actually engage, have to admit the voice mail lady has a nice voice.  Like she's probably highly attractive and intelligent.  Anyone got her number? She sounds single, but you never know. Is she?

Probably cycling, but coming out of the funk, and regaining confidence in the music scene.  Maybe it will last awhile and result in plenty of action on my part.  Wimmin being nice to me so I don't want to cloud myself away from that.

Wait, the arrangement of sentences, and maybe words, gives a wrong idea.  I mean action as in constructive enterprise, make my dwelling a welcome and materially minimalistic space, do a bunch of stuff I think of often but forgot at this moment.

So far, in about a month's time, I've been quizzed by border patrol twice and CA H.P. (spit) once at a couple of different overlook getaways I like.  CA Highway patrol, in this area, to me, is thought of the way the first off the boat Cubans felt about Castro, but it always sounded like they were saying, "Casssero! (spit spit)".  Not sure if they are stepping up their activities or just harassing people who obviously pose no threat, and who have no witnesses in the car.

Border Patrol gets in so much trouble for doing their job, I give them a pass.  But the whole federal cop thing, and stopping everyone on the highway at their check points is another story.  There's a permanent check point on I-8 about ten miles from here.

My theory is that a cop is more likely to stop a solo driver in a medium class car because they can pay a ticket but maybe not a lawyer, and they pick people who don't look dangerous.  Easier than busting Mercedes and other high end car owners.  They may have power.  And safer than confronting real criminals who might start shooting.

In The 40s!!!

It not only rained some, but here in SoCal, the temperatures have dropped all the way down to the 40's.   This may be a crisis.  I remember when I first moved here, and in the coastal area near Ocean Beach they had safe places for people to get out of the heat because it was in the 80's for a day or two.

Soon, I realized that being spoiled doesn't account for the panic whenever the weather stays from sunny and 70 degrees.  There is something about the place that quickly removes all immunity to even the slightest variation in temperature and/or humidity.  The closer to the coast you get, the more acute the condition.

It is probably an undetected chemical in the air.  Maybe brain wave frequencies emanating from the many big rocks.  Whatever the source of influence, something is certainly up.  I think that is why this state is known for being nuts.  I suspect San Francisco has whatever it is that influences us, plus extra doses of something.

LA, I have no explanation for them.

Considering the conditions in much of the northeast, no wonder they seem edgy and California is reputed to be laid back.

I guess they are.  I'm not sure that aspect of the culture isn't changing.

The more east you go, the more things vary, so we're used to extreme cold, like this, and legitimately hot, like 90 to 100 deg. temps.  It's a fairly dry heat.  Still hot, though.

There are other things going on, I just felt like saying nothing and alerting whoever to our extreme weather issues.

Protest Tip

If an election didn't go your way, and there is no present evidence that all the necessary votes were illegitimate,  grin and bear it.  Protesting makes zero sense.  Your vote contrary to the majority is your protest.  What, you think you have a right to make the rest of the world conform to your choices?  That's my objection to the current power structure.  It would be hypocritical of me to protest.

I guess there hasn't been much of it.  A bunch of drunks at U of Mississippi.   Then that spwned a bigger protest which was supposed to be a "let's all get along" demonstration to protest protest #1.  The reportedly drew 700 people and the first one drew 400.

If you are going to protest, protest something that has a chance greater than zero out of infinity of being changed.

It is so rare that I can support a demonstration.  For one thing it is rare that I'm in agreement with the effort, and for another, it is rare that they don't block roads and doorways and generally inconvenience strangers.

Protests of this nature cause people to think the opposite of what you are saying must be right.  And it gives a pass to the myriad of groups and individuals who threatened worse mob action had things gone otherwise.  No one from Ol' Miss will read this so once again, I'm relieving myself in the wind.

Geez, I could protest half the stuff, and almost all the elected officials that Californians voted in.   They suckered for the tax the rich scheme which doesn't require you be all that rich, but it will retard the hiring process with small businesses.  They suckered for all kinds of things.

Here, they always claim it is for the schools, but they spend money on so much fluff and garbage that they'll never be solvent.  They are definitely crazy.  Not everyone, of course, but obviously a majority of the voters, dead and alive, are not thinking of long term good.  Just short term payback in corrupt little schemes.

I may end up having to run from CA before running from the feds.   It's so nice here, though, so as long as I can find a way to keep this deal going, I'm staying put.   At this rate it is possible that they may make it illegal for people of my ilk to be of my ilk, but that hasn't happened yet.  I am getting fed up with harassment from border patrol and highway patrol when I decide to chill out at one or another scenic overlook.  It is happening regularly, lately.

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Fake Oil

OK.  So I'm wondering why different brands of full synthetic oil vary in price so much.  They all say it meets the specs of a bunch of initials that probably stand for something.  And it's synthetic.  It all looks alike, and I bet it tastes alike.

I've gone with the bargain brand a couple of times and it seems OK.  I think fake oil is probably not much different from container to container, no matter what the label says.  I hope so.  If I am wrong on this, I'd rather be told now so I don't feel compelled to do oil fake oil research.

Comrade comrade Comrade

Just practicing.

Yes, I'm one of the wackos who really thinks America has itself almost fully installed in the straightjacket of over-regulation, and creeping totalitarianism.   Even the arguments are mostly about things that ought not even be on the table.

When one group can control another's wealth, no good results.  What does result is bankruptcy,  precedent setting rights erosion, and divisive unreasoned attitudes of class hatred.

To say I'm happy to have a guy who strikes me as very much a top down sort of power monger in for four more years would be a lie.  I don't think the other one would have been as prone to skirt the law with executive order, and to push the collectivist view of life.  But that side does have some stupid causes, most of which have no business being discussed on the federal level, and probably not local by my thinking.  Not on federal because it isn't the job of federal government--ideally, and in non-creative constitutional application.  It has been applied very creatively to justify power creep for quite some time.

Discussions of gay marriage and any number of things which are not the proper functions of government, especially at federal level, dominate these campaigns.  It provides just the cover needed to put you in chains while smiling and claiming to set you free.  Ha. A Biden line, but I'm referring to everyone not one race.  Of course the worst hit think the are reaping the greatest benefit.

When you see how grubby, greedy and moronic that people can be, it is no surprise that things as they are and that we let whoever conducts the best circus to control our military.

But people actually believed the election had to do with birth control products and other things not actually relevant or within the true scope of the job.

This does not bode well for me, as I am not very close to the mainstream.  When I can afford to live and be insured both, I will.  In the mean time I will ignore all directives which claim to have authority to force me.  I see that as one example of the tyranny the American people have welcomed, and for which they seem to thirst.  Well half of them, anyway.

Half of America is philosophically OK with Marxism--ends justifies means. To each according to need, from each according to ability.   Of the other half, probably half of them are just as far from accepting freedom in any real sense.  And 70% of people are simply very dimwitted.  But they often make enough money or have any number of government jobs and/or pensions.

I'm just about done with it.  I don't think anything has changed.  It is just now a confirmed sure shot that I am screwed under the laws of the land.  I already was, but there was a chance things would ease up, or even that laws would get repealed.

Health mandates are just the tip of the iceberg.  I don't think people will be happy until we are truly third world in standard of living and quality of life.  But that has been coming forever.

In the mean time, people will continue to worry about abortion which has nothing to do with them, about getting free contraception--which someone pays for.  I used to just use a garbage bag.  Or I would merely annoy all women until they ran away.  And not once did I experience and unplanned pregnancy.

But who cares?   Goddam contraception is not my concern, and not my obligation.  The big problem with benevolence when someone else is paying at gunpoint, is that someone else is paying whether they like it or not.   The line between true social need and theft is certainly crossed easily.  We crossed that line long ago.  And at least half the people revere and canonize the creep(s) who pushed us the furthest past that line.

They all have a point and I see it, but they don't quite accept that the social democrats of the world roped in the dopes as they actually padded the pockets of special interests and many of the fat cats they pretended to assail.

Prices for food a gas out here have gone up steadily and rather quickly.  I can't wait until they start in with carbon taxes.  Dumb idiot, obamaphone toting morons will actually believe it somehow puts the filthy rich in their place while enriching the useless little morons who think of themselves as the holy little people.

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So, maybe I'll move to an anyone-can-buy-it marijuana state and numb myself to this beehive, ant farm society that those in power appear to want.

I wasn't going to say anything, but I had to rant.  If only I had a Che shirt to ceremoniously burn in pubic.  If I burned an Obama poster or a hope and change logo, I'd be accused of being racist and maybe a threat.  If wanting to fire the guy and never wanting to hire him in the first place makes me racist, OK.  Of course it doesn't.  I think he coddles and encourages racists himself.

I'm grateful he is president and not his wife, and not Joe Biden.  He chose his VP wisely--gave detractors a motive to keep him healthy.  Oh God, please don't tell me we have four more years of Michele at the breakfast, lunch, and dinner tables.  Maybe she'll come up with a new cause.  Perhaps she can go on a crusade against circumcision or something equally not her business.

I don't find royalty in America appealing.  I think that sums that up.

On the up side, we aren't arguing over hanging chads, and Romney conceded in a classy way.  We don't have to deal with the promised riots by those who think force is good if it deals with the resources of others.

And I know from the obvious trend that I need to adjust things in my life or I'll be crushed by the state in next few years.

I wonder what will be the next riot excuse.  The Great Pretense is alive and well.  Chris Matthews thinks the storm was a godsend, and that it has all been handled admirably.  People are nuts.  I knew that but for some reason this brought me to accept that knowledge.

Obama represents what has been in play for more years than I have.  He isn't the sudden embodiment of some new oppression and scam on the people.

Ever notice he doesn't like to call people "people" or "individuals"?  It's always "folks".  Everyone is a folk.   We've been folked.

People fear freedom and love the edge they perceive is offered by government; from the phone whores to businesses in "partnership" with government.  All the same thing--living large on what comes out of the pockets of others.

Maybe when I get my life running right I'll view all this differently.  Half, or more, of my friends support some or all of the current bolshevik trend.  Maybe they are right and I'm in another dimension--out in left or right field.


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No Riots?

Well, at least I didn't see people come out with Che shirts.  Maybe that is because I didn't watch.  

So far I guess riots have not ensued.  I don't think republicans are prone to it, but you never know.  The way things split it seems that the two big parties got together and divvied up which rights each would abuse.  So, I decide which way I think I can hold on to most freedom.  That is not the thinking of the majority.

It may actually be evolution.  Maybe some deep force has decided that survival of our species requires us to be more like ants, toiling under a ruling hierarchy with all for the good of the queen and the colony as a whole.  It does not sound like fun to me, but it does to some.

In any case,  I still haven't learned or even listened to Orange Blossom Special, but I guess I will.  My ego demands vindication.

How I manage to feel guilty for not playing something that doesn't motivate me, I don't know.  As well as the ego issue, I feel as if I've committed some sort of infraction by not ever learning and loving that tune.

If only I could get the tune labeled an affront to the Prophet, pbuh, then others would riot and no one would play it or expect me to.


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Why not air drops?

It seems impractical to deliver fuel from the air, but other things people need in the Northeast, why not?

Maybe people would know to expect it, and be armed and organized enough to fend off punks as the packages parachute in.  Didn't they do that in Berlin or somewhere like that?  They've done airlifts elsewhere.

They can go back to more organized distribution later.   For now, just get things there that are of use and needed.

Strange how you hear about mayors and governors in this thing.  Guess they figured out that FEMA is not what you call a first responder, or in most cases, a simple, easy uncomplicated responder.

The whole storm issue brings home the fact that we are living in a world which has very few Plan B's in effect.  That is not the best way to do things.  The more situations in which you have a plan B should A go south, the better off you are.  Knowing the priority of those is a function of wisdom or good sense. I have no methodology on that.  Having good sense may be my weak suit much of the time.

Oddly enough, one of the people who preached redundant systems, and had an influence on my in that regard, was a guy who had built ultralights and crashed them.  Not on purpose.  He explained one or two of his crashes pointing out how dumb he was not to have built in redundant systems for holding the thing together.  Something happened to one fitting holding one cable.  Adios.

The broad concept seems wise.  But we just don't tend to build things that way.  Not cities, not cars, not means of support.  Most people.  I try to avoid "we" talk.  I'd rather confine my assumptions to a less cozy arrangement.  Whenever I hear the reply: "Aren't (or don't) we all?"  I can never agree and say "we all sure do/are".

No.  I say, "I don't know what we all."  And that, in itself, should have won me a position as Nobel Laureate, but they didn't even put it to a vote.  If that isn't peace prize stuff, what is?

It will be an interesting month.  It is possible the main elections will be fought for weeks or months.  Fortunately there are time constraints which may even stifle the lawyers who'd love to make the case their life's work, for decades.

Mass Hysteria

When the Beatles first hit the scene I saw the first example of how mass hysteria operates.   It was upbeat and fun.  Girls wetting themselves screaming.  What guy wouldn't want to be the object of that? Well, when you look on the practical side, maybe not.  But the point is it comes on like a tidal wave through a culture and despite mounting signs that the object of adoration is not the Second Coming, many people still hold to their devotion.  Most likely they don't want to feel foolish by acknowledging that the king has no clothes.

[I'll admit, I'm one of the unsophisticated who likes the early Beatles better than the final Beatles.  I'd never heard anything like it.  It was upbeat and innocent I guess. And often it purely kicked ass---in my mind, being the simple sort.]

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All that is fine when it comes to fads and music.  When it comes to people who have armies at their disposal, then that is another matter.  Many dictators have ridden for a time on that wave of hysteria.  Once the image is established and momentum goes in their favor, they can do almost anything, no matter how oppressive to some, and still maintain support.

Is that the case with our president?  I don't really know.  I do know there was a lot of mass hysteria in 2008.  I personally know people who had a religious reverence toward the guy, and still do.   If someone else smokes, they are awful evil people polluting the planet, in the eyes of one dovotee I know.  If Obama smokes she ignores the fact and if confronted, offer excuses about the heavy burden he carries and how it is cute or something. There are those whose adoration knows no bounds.

Many of the ones who had unrealistic expectations, like that he would make gasoline cheap and maybe pick up the tab on the mortgage, are probably less enthused now.

It is illustrative of the dangers to society when people view public figures as if they are somehow more than human beings.  The entertainment industry thrives on that bigger-than-life image.   The danger in real life is that people sit still and allow these super humans to usurp their rights and freedom a bit at a time under the assumption that they know best.  They are smarter and they are fighting for me.  People believe that.  Sad but true.

So, this time around, rather than threats of parties getting out of hand after the election, we have threats of violence if the fallen angel is denied his halo.  I think the fun has largely gone out of believing one person is going to make it all better using other people's money.  They wanted a smiling king who could act cool and talk jive as well as Harvard lingo.  They never learned that we do not do royalty in the USA, and we don't do it because we got very sick of it over 200 years ago.  It violates the precept of the natural rights of man.  We aren't all equal under the law if we elevate some to the level of royalty.

But, I forgot, under different names, that has already been done.  For example, we allow elected officials to create a healthcare scheme which forces people to buy insurance or suffer penalties while exempting themselves.   They are exempt from many other rules as well.

Maybe it is another example of mass hysteria of a different sort that people keep going along with what doesn't work.  If the way things have been approached did work, we would not be fighting forever wars, like Afghanistan, and we wouldn't have areas overrun by gangs, and people would not be graduating high school stupider and stupider each year.  Those things don't just happen by accident.  The direction of the show plays a big part in the end result.

Lately, ours is a play which was written by someone in an opium dream and directed by Jerry Springer.  Not so good.

It's fun to be in accord with all the neighbors and the cool kids on the block, but sometimes people convince themselves to hop on the bus without noticing the destination sign on the front says Idiotville.

This applies to much of life.

What can you do?  Enjoy the ride and run stuff over only when necessary.

Which one of the above will you elect president?

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Official Endorsement

After careful consideration, and much soul and/or sole searching, I have decided to endorse a candidate in this election.  I already voted, and couldn't have voted for him anyway.  His congressional district is in San Francisco.

So, if you live up there and are tired of making Pelosi rich, vote for John Dennis.  I think he's a libertarian.  Or maybe he's doing like Ron Paul and running as a republican but thinking more like an individual freedom-valuing honest person.

That is my only recommendation.  To try to influence the prime time events would be to drive people away from my choices.

Then again, if you don't vote how I say, I will cause mayhem somewhere nearby, and you'll be sorry.  So just do as I say and we all live happily ever after.

You'll have to guess what I would say if I were to say because I'm not saying at this time or in this venue.  In other words, if you don't know I'm not going to tell you.

Yikes. That brings back memories of the kind of answers my questions brought, within my family.  I learned to learn by listening while not being involved in the discussion.  And I learned not to ask questions.  Or tell, for that matter.  It was Don't ask, Don't Tell!!!  How bizarre.

Songs I've Avoided

My feeling about some instrumentals is that unless you can play it as well as the original, they are to be avoided.  It depends upon the piece, of course.

Two such items on harmonica would be Orang Blossom Special  and Whammer Jammer; both are performances I admire.  OJS never actually appealed to me as a tune, other than Charlie McCoy's deft handling of it.  He played or plays killer harp.  I guess he's still kicking--don't know.

Whammer Jammer belongs to Magic Dick.  Trying to cover such a tune by a guy with such a name, well, I feel one must be prepared, whatever that may mean.  I've yet to hear anyone do that instrumental up to the standard he set.  Even he doesn't play it quite as well any more.  But you've rarely seen a more perpetually happy musician, ever.  I saw him a few years back at the Blues Awards---I was photographer's assistent, on assignment for Rolling Stone--and afterwards, out by the curb, he and his cronies were in a tour bus and asked me how to get to I-40.  That's right, I got a coat hanger from them because I locked my keys in the car.

Anyway, I've been asked and encouraged to do those tunes and managed to escape until now.  It looks like I have to learn OJS.  Les, the guitar/harmonica/etc. old time country and whatnot player, played that tune and pulled me up there.  I was lost because I didn't know how it even worked. I did a little but it was a poor showing.  Les blew it out of the park--or knocked it.  I was impressed.

But it made me determined to learn that song.  I am still just not much on a certain strain of country and bluegrass.  I like some of each, most of which doesn't need me playing.  Unless I played something else or suddenly developed a blue grass singing voice.  They have some great vocals.  I haven't always known that.

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Around Here

It is hard to see her in the top photo, but here's the rock lady with the hooded cloak.  I always see her when I am at that spot.  She looks holy and mystical but shows poorly in photos, like a vampire.  But she is not of that ilk.  So, that's my go-to angel in tangible form.

Here's another spot nearby where I've seen eagles soaring.  Maybe I should say eagle since I normally only see one at a time.  

These are spots I visit to hide from confusion. 

Looks like some people have posted youtube video of some of my adventures in music land.  Mostly they aren't so good because I don't do it right.  But one of them labelled me "one of the best harmonica players in San Diego".    That was cool to see.   Safe bet not to label me the best. 

My Odd Life

It is always a thrill to get a package at the post office.  Just like the tooth fairy or other magic give-away artist, someone leaves a special key in my PO Box.  I then take it to the proper package locker and open it up.  Once you put the key in and use it, it won't come out.  That way they foil would-be cheaters and trouble makers.

Today I received a package from a little known movement which seeks to ensure Obama's election by replacing Joe Biden with Vladimir Putin.  They sent me a fabulous mug, and a very classy bumper sticker.

I'm uncertain as to the connection between me and the message there at Obama-Putin.   I do see the wisdom of their suggestion.  

Anyway, I'll bet few others have these commemorative election items.  It will confuse future generations because it will be all that survived.  They'll conclude Obama Putin must have been a company that made cups and bumper stickers.

So, there you have it

All this is really the result of the ugliest ceramic mushroom ever made, and its journey on the ping pong ball path of being re-gifted each Christmas for a few years, and only between two people.   It may have been cursed, or blessed, I couldn't tell.  It was smiling, I'm pretty sure.  Like Chuckie.

Putin would have destroyed it from the get go.  Then he would have found the person who made the mushroom and made the problem go away.

I wonder what would happen if you had a poster in your yard for Obama-Putin.   People would assume you are interested in Russian politics, and support Putin, and that you support Obama here.

Or they may think, hmmm.  Maybe they'll give me something if I vote for them.  Who's Putin?  I thought it was Obama and Joe Bitin.  Maybe it his name's Joe Putin.

Regardless of all that, Vlad knows how to bring in the vote, so maybe that would have been a good move.  Too late now, I think.

This mug is going to be worth big bucks five or ten years from now.