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For your eldritch fix

The steelpan (also known as a pan, steel drum, and sometimes, collectively with other musicians, as a steelband or steel orchestra) is a musical instrument originating from Trinidad and Tobago. Steelpan musicians are called pannists. The modern pan is a chromatically pitched percussion instrument ...(Wikipedia)

"In former president Donald Trump's third criminal indictment - the one recently issued by a District of Columbia grand jury for Trump's attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election - he's charged with a conspiracy to deprive the American voters of their voting rights. Accordingly, the American people are the victims of that particular crime.

The federal law - specifically, the Crime Victims' Rights Act, 18 US Code section 3771 - provides that crime victims have a right "not to be excluded" from the trial. If the trial is not televised, the victims of Trump's crimes WILL BE EXCLUDED FREOM THE TRIAL in violation of federal law."

I think there will be consequences of the trial being televised, or not being televised.

Driving doesn’t come naturally to me: 4.5 months of no-driving made me insecure and cautious, even only at the start. But as soon as my hands felt the paddle, I didn’t have to control my movements. They happened automatically. As if they were waiting all this time just for this moment: to get the grip and start paddling. It felt like liberation. Like the piece, previously missing in my life, at last fell on its place.

Saw a heron. Saw 2 female eiders with 5 or 6 tiny eiderlings and a couple of gees with their newly hatched goslings: so small, it’s difficult to count at the distance and against the sun. Saw a pair of swains mating: there will be small singlets in a couple of weeks.

Paddled and drifted with the elements and then paddled again. Saw no seal.

Overbrimmed with happiness and already longing for the next time

If all the computers in the world failed for 24 hours, I believe the entire world would crash and anarchy take over.

Right now we have vehicle manufacturers about to go bust due to a chip shortage.

It has become almost impossible to buy a PS5 games console. Toyota, Ford and Volvo have had to either slow or temporarily halt production at their factories. Smartphone makers are feeling the pinch too, with Apple warning that the shortage could affect iPhone sales.

Yet financial institutes are reliant on computers and the internet, all banking is done via IT and the internet

Now children are being taught at home using computers when a classroom is a far better learning environment.

This morning I was told in a local store there is a 6 month wait for the brand of washing machine I was going to buy due to the chip shortage.

I think that society as a whole has become way too dependent on IT and the internet.

There is a saying. “ Never put all your eggs in one basket”

Biker Ralph “Sonny” Barger was the founder of the California-born motorcycle club Hells Angels. He passed away at the age of 83 after a battle with Cancer.

A rough life, he had. Dropped out of school in the 10th grade, on a forged birth certificate, he joined the Army at age 16 and was kicked out when they found out!

Inspired by the 1953 movie "The Wild One" he wanted to join a motorcycle club. The idea was to 'ride a motorcycle, party and have a good time'

Hells Angels were founded in the 1940's and Barger formed the Oakland chapter in 1957, becoming the club's most visible figure as their national president.

No stranger to jail, Barger had visited them several times.

Words uttered by Caledon Hockley played By Billy Zane in the classic 1997 version of Titanic. The one James Cameron directed. By the way, James Cameron was very interested in studying Titanic and went down there himself to see where he went wrong in his film. I really respect that. But I digress. That’s a whole other blog. This blog is about my passion to relive the ill-fated ocean liner of years, no decades past. And to fulfill my dream to travel aboard the currently being built tribute, never a replacement, Titanic II.

Nobody claimed to have thought that Titanic was in fact unsinkable...at first. That was embellished by Hollywood. Titanic was indeed sinkable much to everyone’s dismay. In ways unimaginable to both the ship’s captain, engineer, and all the passengers in her wake. So what makes Titanic II virtually unsinkable? I say virtually because Titanic IIs voyages are currently being unrealized because she is currently being built. Which features defy nature? Nature by its very essence is undefiable. You cannot predict happenstance nor can you defy nature as proved by the original ocean liners sinking. It’s only considered unsinkable by our finite imaginations. Posing no contender to nature. Which is very much false. One can argue that nature has no contenders and must be respected.

First off we must thank the Australian billionaire Clive Palmer for putting the funds toward this project one that exceeds the funds of it’s predecessor due to inflation of course, duh. But I digress again. I want to give him credit for making my dream and passion of mine to sail aboard the Titanic, of what we knew her to be aboard the Titanic II. The current cost of the funding project is around 500 million and she is to set sail in 2022. Her first feature that I will mention is that she is true to the original model, just a bit broader to accommodate the physics of staying afloat in a crisis. She has third, second, and first class boarding accommodations, exactly like the original. I probably will stay in third class as the second and first class is way out of my price range rendering me subject to roommates, ugh, but ultimately, I do not care about where I stay in the ship. I can sleep in the cargo hold for all I care. Most of my days will be spent on the leisure decks and up on the main deck enjoying the cool Atlantic breeze and sunshine on my face. Enjoying the heck out of life.

Oops! There I go again...okay where was I...ahem. Oh yes. Another difference is that there will be plenty of lifeboats this time. Enough to accommodate every soul on board. Do I trust humans though?! Oh heck no! I will be bringing my own life jacket aboard. You never know what could or will happen. When a crisis happens and people panic they act irrationally. Someone could grab five life jackets and throw them overboard in an attempt to make a raft, and just like that you are without a life jacket. Anything is possible in a crisis. You have to think like that and always be prepared.

The hull in the original model was weak compared to the impact of an iceberg. To ensure it’s sturdiness the hull of the current model will be wielded shut and not riveted. The water pressure forced the rivets off encouraging faster flooding and rendered the water tight compartment worthless. And it was rumored that during her trial tests that there was an explosion in one of the steam rooms weakening the hull. The maiden voyage went on despite all this. I think that may have been true because there are too many things that have to had gone wrong to explain how weak the hull became. There have also been rumors that the ship was bombed and that’s how it split in half. Some of the passengers said that they heard a loud explosion but that also could have been due to the water pressure exploding the ships compartments and also steam pressure. It’s all so interesting but there’s no way I can prove a lot of the information that I read. (To be continued in comments section...)

The word inspiration comes up frequently in my business, usually mentioned by clients and their designers. They email or text to me photos of kitchen or furniture ideas they have seen online.

If you didn't know, I design and sell custom cabinetry.

Today, I received a photo of a long TV wall unit with floating shelves and a fake fireplace in the middle. The customer gave a description of what they liked about the photo and what they want different. Got it. My meeting with the client is tomorrow. I'll be ready.

Yesterday was a similar scenario. I received a few photos on Monday, we met in the showroom on Wednesday. The woman was very impressed with my presentation and the products we manufacture. When asked how long I've been doing designs, I said "I had brown hair when I started in this business!" We laughed, she liked the joke and felt comfortable with my ability to design a great kitchen for her and her husband.

I was at a previous job for 8 years and it's a good feeling being in the groove again.

A little personal life reveal here.
I thought at my age, I would semi-retire, pick a few projects and have more than 50% free time. That hasn't happened. The company I'm working for got stronger after COVID. We opened a showroom last year and the owner wants greater sales this year.
While we were allowed to use the showroom during construction, we couldn't make any financial transactions until the city signed off on the building permit. I had a client meeting the morning the building inspector gave us the 'go-ahead' and I made the first sale in the new building. Milestone.

That means, new logo, shirts, business cards. I'm enjoying the new look!

This week was hectic with lots of appointments and a few new projects to price.
I'm feeling some pressure to have all my commitments on time. If there is a time constraint, I still make my meetings and gather more information for the next meeting. This is okay as every project has multiple sets of revisions. So if my drawings aren't 100% complete for the meeting, my presentation is good knowing client revisions are normal.

I reached out to some older contacts and they have started bring me new business. Passing by a jobsite with a new house going up, I connected with the general contractor and will have the opportunity to bid that project and get added to bid any future projects they have. Win-win.

I think the new car purchase this year is also a boost of positive energy. Nothing wrong with the previous car, as it was only 3 years old. I do a fair amount of highway driving and the new car rides nicer, more comfortable with less interior road noise.

Things are good. Real good. My mood is up, I decided to use a designer who had some free time to help me with drawings. I'm using her as a tool to allow me to be more productive and not use my additional free time for play and not work.

That brings me to a few things. Hopefully we all know the distance of Internet (not seeing, hearing people as in real life) often reflect a view that is different to what the person is like in real life. Because of this, some people could be perceived as arrogant, moody, aggressive, mean spirited or bitter when they are actually not. Like a mirror, I've returned less-than pleasing comments with less-than pleasing comments. That doesn't show me in the light I would like to be seen. Someone said 'don't argue with a fool, they will bring you down to their level' I must remember that.

Member gonelikethewimd who is like her name, comes in only to comment and quickly disappears. She commented on another blog that I appear to be taking all the news surrounding ex-president Trump personally. Could it be? I respect her opinion, but every news channel, Yahoo page, YouTube video is 95% about him. In truth, there is nothing I could that could add or subtract to what is going on with the lying and legal mess he created. We can only wait and see the outcome.

My inspiration blog...

I have seen some impressive ?skills? Of members on CS. Be it the various educational degrees, different languages spoken, personal wealth accumulated etc. etc.
I guess my favorite special skill would be dismantling a Ak47 or a G3, FN or R1 then assembling them again in record time. Blindfolded by the way.

Problem I have with my 'special' skill is that I doubt that I will impress many people with it these days

People in general seem more impressed by someone writing graffiti on a wall promoting some or other happy go lucky guy also known as a gay, fighting for mens rights to wear high heels and panties, even if he was born with a tool.
This world has me confused, does that put me into a certain category?
Are there any other MEN that feel confused or is it just me?

I never thought that my ‘simple’ lifestyle would be taking such a hit from the rising cost of living. I’ve even asked myself, “Am I high maintenance? I think I’m frugal enough; when I used to work, I saved more than I spent on frivolities. But now that I’m retired (and haven’t done any private work for a while), the soaring prices have made me become quite cautious. I wouldn’t want to run out of money before my pension could begin, so I’ve been looking at my food and toiletry purchases and thinking about the alternatives.

Years ago, I resolved to eat and drink better tasting/quality foods, and treat myself whenever I felt like it, because I felt that I was working hard and deserved it. For example, I stopped using margarine spreads and switched to ‘real’ New Zealand butter (and cheese), I avoided the budget ice-creams for the much creamier, tastier/healthier ones and when I wanted cheese cake I’d go hunting for ‘baked’ ones, instead of those made from a box. It was a similar thing with toiletries; I opted for some of the better brands. I could easily have afforded them then, but now…not so much, I think.

Making adjustments is usually how we manoeuvre through life each day, but we’re not always ready to do that. I’ve looked at some of my food alternatives and don’t want to switch. I may really have to, but, like a spoilt child, I don’t want to. Great tasting food is one of the few joys in life that I shouldn’t have to compromise on, especially since I’m not a ‘heavy’ eater.

I’m not giving up yet; I’m going to continue buying and enjoying them for as long as I could, without resorting to shoplifting , and make the adjustments as best as possible. Maybe I’ll have to start requesting those items as birthday and holiday gifts instead of the usual (i.e. clothing, perfume, cash, etc).

And there are also other adjustments to be made (e.g. fuel consumption, utilities, etc), but all in good time I suppose.

Have you had to make any such adjustments lately?