There are a number of difficult decisions approaching. My heart failure continues to slowly but surely progress, and I become less able to do things. My general mobility is decreasing, as creeping arthritis inflames and gives major hurties to my hands, shoulders, knees and hips. For whatever reason, my elbows do not seem as affected, but whatever.
Through the years, one of the things that has held me together has been riding my motorcycles. For the past nearly 15 years, I have been limited to scooters, because I cannot operate a shifter or a brake pedal with my fake feet, and I need the controls on the handlebars. This has worked well, as scooters have become progressively better and more sophisticated. My "big scooter", a Honda Silver Wing, is, for all purposes, a touring bike - sophisticated, fuel injected, and easily cruises at freeway speeds. However, I am presently unable to ride it. It lives, for now, in my brother Conrad's garage, and he exercises it occasionally to keep it prime. The "trike scooter" is 150cc, and while a three-wheeler, is a reverse trike (two wheels in the front) and is also a leaner, meaning that it leans in the turns, so is not a stay-upright trike. It is also larger and heavier than a typical 150, and more difficult to handle, but I will try to stay with it. If I plan to remain a rider, as I do, major things must happen.
One: the garage must be shovelled out, to allow the Silver Wing to return home, and room made for proper parking for the trike scooter,as well as working space for me to revamp the 1985 Honda Elite 250. This will cost money, as in extensive help from 1-800-JUNK or somebody, and money is a rare component right now.
Two: I must find the resources to acquire and install a Tow-Pac kit for the Silver Wing. My brothers call these "training wheels", and I suppose they are, but it must happen.
Three: Both the Silver Wing and the trike scooter must be engineered to carry perhaps a lightweight Rollator or other walker device, to allow me to walk when I get off the scooters, which is becoming a factor. I am already scheming and plotting to arrange these things.
It will be an interesting winter.
OTOH, as it slowly but surely becomes more difficult for me to get out and travel around, I am getting more ruined by online shopping. I ordered several things from Harbor Freight, and the shipping & handling is $6.99 flat rate - I am 18 miles from the store, and at 20 mpg in my truck, I would spend about as much driving to the store to pick up the stuff. I will stay here and drink coffee, thanks... :D
Monday, September 2, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Moldy, but still relevant techno
Americans remain a stunningly isolated and sheltered bunch of folk.
I was recently actually laughed at by a 24-year-old upper-middle-class suburbanite because after 36 years, I remain a "ham" radio operator and shortwave listener. He, of course, with his iPhone, XM satellite receiver, and DirectTV, considers my old-tech radio stuff obsolete and useless.
He also has limited knowledge or understanding of the ball of rock on which he lives. One quarter of the world population has no access to electricity. 40 percent of earthlings have no indoor plumbing. About one sixth of earthlings have never seen a television. Only 34% of the world population have internet access at all. In several countries, including North Korea, Myanmar (Burma), Yemen, and most recently Zimbabwe, shortwave receivers, satellite dishes, and walkie-talkies are illegal, and will get you fined and imprisoned. China still severely restricts the above goodies, and though the government makes big puffery about 40% of the population having internet access, that access is strictly filtered by the government.
"Nobody does shortwave radio anymore" - really? This is a link for a web document that will show you what is on the shortwave bands right now.
shortwaveschedule.com
The creaky old Voice of America, from the post-WWII era, is still there, broadcasting thousands of programs from dozens of high-power transmitters, in more than 100 languages, including Special English, read slowly with a vocabulary of about 1500 words, for those with rudimentary English skills.
Do a little research, folks. You may be surprised.
I was recently actually laughed at by a 24-year-old upper-middle-class suburbanite because after 36 years, I remain a "ham" radio operator and shortwave listener. He, of course, with his iPhone, XM satellite receiver, and DirectTV, considers my old-tech radio stuff obsolete and useless.
He also has limited knowledge or understanding of the ball of rock on which he lives. One quarter of the world population has no access to electricity. 40 percent of earthlings have no indoor plumbing. About one sixth of earthlings have never seen a television. Only 34% of the world population have internet access at all. In several countries, including North Korea, Myanmar (Burma), Yemen, and most recently Zimbabwe, shortwave receivers, satellite dishes, and walkie-talkies are illegal, and will get you fined and imprisoned. China still severely restricts the above goodies, and though the government makes big puffery about 40% of the population having internet access, that access is strictly filtered by the government.
"Nobody does shortwave radio anymore" - really? This is a link for a web document that will show you what is on the shortwave bands right now.
shortwaveschedule.com
The creaky old Voice of America, from the post-WWII era, is still there, broadcasting thousands of programs from dozens of high-power transmitters, in more than 100 languages, including Special English, read slowly with a vocabulary of about 1500 words, for those with rudimentary English skills.
Do a little research, folks. You may be surprised.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
Texting!
I have upgraded my battered and tired cellphone, and under subtle influence from my daughter and others, have agreed to take up "texting". As a result, I selected an LG Xpression phone, with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard for typing. I prefer mechanical keyboards, as I find on-screen keyboards ungainly. The keyboard is small for my clumsy paws, but workable, if not at high speed. For those who know me, same number. I do not know all of the funky shorthand etc, so bear with me. Don't get crazy with it, but I am textable now...
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
New Foots! And yes, New Flames!
I received today the new fake foots, after wearing and approving the test sockets for about three weeks, and they seem to work very well. These are a new design of socket, done by computer, and not by the old-school plaster casting. I put a sock of a particular kind on each socket, and each was scanned by who knows what technology, with lasers and computers and stuff, and they were apparently kinda sorta 3D printed, but in epoxy and carbon fibre. These sockets are probably half the weight of the previous sockets,and combined with the new foot design, the shoes that I wear on the prostheses are probably heavier than the prostheses themselves!
This important to me because a) the progressive arthritis in my hips and knees make lightweight hardware less painful to lift and move, and b) my battered heart, which works at an "Ejection Fraction" [function] of less than 30%, with a leaky mitral valve to boot, gives me about 20% of my optimum blood supply, so walking at all is a strenuous activity, and the less weight I am required to move with activity, the better. These new sockets also seem to fit very well and comfortably, which cuts down possibility for pressure sores, etc.
One thing that did remain the same from the last set was the ability for the finisher to cover the sockets with a cotton material to provide whatever pattern I would like, and could find. I have connections for this [a daughter who works for Hobby Lobby] so I was easily able to obtain a flame design fabic, and the finisher glued in onto the outside of sockets, and finished them with clear gel instead of the usual white. I am proud of the finished product:
Hey, somebody has to have a sense of humor about this, and it may as well be me!
This important to me because a) the progressive arthritis in my hips and knees make lightweight hardware less painful to lift and move, and b) my battered heart, which works at an "Ejection Fraction" [function] of less than 30%, with a leaky mitral valve to boot, gives me about 20% of my optimum blood supply, so walking at all is a strenuous activity, and the less weight I am required to move with activity, the better. These new sockets also seem to fit very well and comfortably, which cuts down possibility for pressure sores, etc.
One thing that did remain the same from the last set was the ability for the finisher to cover the sockets with a cotton material to provide whatever pattern I would like, and could find. I have connections for this [a daughter who works for Hobby Lobby] so I was easily able to obtain a flame design fabic, and the finisher glued in onto the outside of sockets, and finished them with clear gel instead of the usual white. I am proud of the finished product:
Saturday, March 2, 2013
A bit of "excitement"...
A bit of... er... excitement here, coming up, of course on Sunday night, the worst possible time for this sort of thing. Sandy was taking a shower, and the daughter went downstairs to find soapy water coming up out of the washing machine drain line, onto the floor. The line from the house to the septic tank, or possibly the tank itself, was not flowing. Not what one wants to see. The tank itself is pumped out every few years, and as far as I know is working properly, so this must be a thing with the piping. I muscled out the big drain auger, pulled the plug on the cleanout in the "go out" line, and began to auger away. About 15 feet in, the auger just stopped, apparently having run into some immovable something, and no more progress could be made, and no drainage was taking place. This was not a good thing, as we were out of business until at least the next morning. The only option was to add a bit of leftover RV Holding Tank stuff to each toilet in case of emergency, and hang on.
We have an outfit that does the occasional septic tank pump-out, so we called them early the next morning, and they were able to make it out later in the day. They were brave and dedicated etc, and worked in the on-and-off rain, digging up septic tank line from the house to the tank, which is not far, but it still involves digging.
Here is some apparent wisdom, but more likely using whatever there was on hand by a sub-development builder - the drain doings in the house are rather well-done. Outside the house, however, the PVC line from the house to the septic tank changed to about 15 feet of clay pipe, which conducted everything to the tank. Why this was done, I have no clue, but it was part of the problem. Nearby, there used to be a massive hackberry tree, and tree roots had, over the years, displaced the clay pipe sections, causing leakage between the sections. In addition, there was a large watermelon-sized rock on top of the clay pipe, apparently pushed in when the pipe was being buried when it was installed. Over the years, the combination of roots and the rock had damaged the clay pipe, and the pipe apparently just broke up and collapsed, making for the Unclearable Clog.
The plumbing guys worked hard correcting all of this. The roots are no longer a factor, as the tree was taken down some years ago. The watermelon-sized rock now resides in the ravine behind the backyard and good riddance. When the line left the house, it needed to drop about 18" to put it in the right position to do the proper draining into the tank, and was originally done with two 90-degree fittings. Just on the principle of easing the flow, the plumbing guys replaced this little arrangement with two 45-degree fittings to provide less of a sudden direction change, and the house-to-tank line is now a continuous run of schedule 40 PVC, buried without large rocks or other destructive debris. The guys assured me that this part of the system should outlast the house. I'll go with that.
So now, eighteen hours and some several hundred dollars later, everything is in prime flow again. The expenditure puts a strain on the limited reserves, but life is good when toilets flush well, and one can take a shower...
We have an outfit that does the occasional septic tank pump-out, so we called them early the next morning, and they were able to make it out later in the day. They were brave and dedicated etc, and worked in the on-and-off rain, digging up septic tank line from the house to the tank, which is not far, but it still involves digging.
Here is some apparent wisdom, but more likely using whatever there was on hand by a sub-development builder - the drain doings in the house are rather well-done. Outside the house, however, the PVC line from the house to the septic tank changed to about 15 feet of clay pipe, which conducted everything to the tank. Why this was done, I have no clue, but it was part of the problem. Nearby, there used to be a massive hackberry tree, and tree roots had, over the years, displaced the clay pipe sections, causing leakage between the sections. In addition, there was a large watermelon-sized rock on top of the clay pipe, apparently pushed in when the pipe was being buried when it was installed. Over the years, the combination of roots and the rock had damaged the clay pipe, and the pipe apparently just broke up and collapsed, making for the Unclearable Clog.
The plumbing guys worked hard correcting all of this. The roots are no longer a factor, as the tree was taken down some years ago. The watermelon-sized rock now resides in the ravine behind the backyard and good riddance. When the line left the house, it needed to drop about 18" to put it in the right position to do the proper draining into the tank, and was originally done with two 90-degree fittings. Just on the principle of easing the flow, the plumbing guys replaced this little arrangement with two 45-degree fittings to provide less of a sudden direction change, and the house-to-tank line is now a continuous run of schedule 40 PVC, buried without large rocks or other destructive debris. The guys assured me that this part of the system should outlast the house. I'll go with that.
So now, eighteen hours and some several hundred dollars later, everything is in prime flow again. The expenditure puts a strain on the limited reserves, but life is good when toilets flush well, and one can take a shower...
Friday, February 22, 2013
Cheap Scooter!
I have, many are surprised to learn, a cheap Chinese motor scooter, purchased online. Mine is apparently one of the brands that is considered among the worst, quality and support-wise. Discussions have been conducted in online forums and live conversations about this thing, and I thought that lessons learned would be valuable here, since I know some scooter riders read this thing. The scoot is a "different" design, a three-wheel model in a "reverse trike" design, with two wheels in front, and one in the rear, and is a "leaner"; it leans into turns much as a regular two-wheeler. More about that later.
The scoot I have is sold by an importer under a trade name, but is manufactured by a mainland Chinese manufacturer, the Ningbo Dongfang Lingyun Vehicle Made Co., Ltd. It was ordered online and shipped to me, partially assembled, in a crate. Unfortunately, there was minimal assembly instruction included, and what was there appeared to be in "Engrish", IOW a poor translation, though I gathered that the assembly was to be taken quite seriously, as i was warned in the instructions that "Amusing and horse play are forbidden!". Fortunately, on YouTube was a three-part instruction video, produced by one of the importers, demonstrating the assembly of this very model! The documentation also included an "owner's manual" which was to the depth of what would be called, in the computer software biz, a "quick start guide".
With notes made from the YouTube video, the assembly went very well. The frame seems solid, well made, and the A-arms for the front end etc fit very well. The engine and CVT driveline are apparently from Lifan, which is a fairly respected name. The body panels, while thin and apparently low-cost, were well molded and painted, and fit well. Those things being said, there are downsides.
Before I even rode this thing, there was substantial money and time to be spent. The fluids supplied with the scoot, engine oil, brake fluid, etc did not even look or smell like normal fluids do, so they were all replaced before it was even started. The "outside supplier" parts on the scoot are mostly rubbish. The tires were pretty much unusable; the rear was badly out-of round, and one of the fronts was separating on one side of the tread, nearly all the way around the tire, so tires were up for immediate replacement; I prefer Continental, but your mileage may vary. Two of the light bulbs were dead out of the box, with more to follow. The whole thing had to be "wrenched", as there were poorly tightened fasteners everywhere, and lay in a supply of Loc-Tite. The brake pads, while still there, are also rubbish.
I repacked the front wheel bearings before assembly, but the hubs almost immediately started to loosen, and the bearings began to sound like rolling buckets of rocks, so replacement was up for them as well.
The front end, having two wheels, requires aligning to track properly, and out of the box, mine was badly maladjusted. There was no documentation for this either, but I have done shadetree car work through the years, so it was fairly easy to figure out. There is no adjustment for caster or camber, but simply for toe-in, and it has adjustable tie-rods, so no sweat. The geometry is unusual, and the toe-in can actually vary with flexing of the suspension, so adjust the pre-load on the front shocks to max to minimize the flexing, and use someone of about your own weight to sit on the scooter while you are adjusting. This will make the ride a bit abrupt, but will minimize the change in tow-in while riding. Speaking of the shock/spring units, they squeak like crazy while flexing, so be prepared to use a small spring compressor to get access to the ends of the springs, and lube them up with lithium grease to minimize that, front and rear.
Now, rideability. Once properly aligned, the handling is very good. The thing leans more than a two-wheeler for a given turn, and that takes some getting used to, but once you have a feel for it, the unit handles well. To be overweight (nearly 400 pounds) and underpowered (8 hp) it does well on level ground, but has some difficulty with hills. It is an efficient around-town scoot, and averages about 70 mpg.
It is not an entry-level scooter.
Re the scooters: I have been rideless since just before Christmas, a combo of cold weather intolerance and fake foot issues. [I have prosthetic lower legs] Sandy describes me as having PMS - Parked Motorscooter Syndrome.
The scooters are on IV with the battery maintainers, and calling my name pitifully. I am being fitted for a new pair of leggies now, and they should be ready and tuned up in about three-four weeks, so I look forward to being back on fewer than four wheels soon.
OTOH, I am driving my truck more often, so its battery is staying better charged...
The scoot I have is sold by an importer under a trade name, but is manufactured by a mainland Chinese manufacturer, the Ningbo Dongfang Lingyun Vehicle Made Co., Ltd. It was ordered online and shipped to me, partially assembled, in a crate. Unfortunately, there was minimal assembly instruction included, and what was there appeared to be in "Engrish", IOW a poor translation, though I gathered that the assembly was to be taken quite seriously, as i was warned in the instructions that "Amusing and horse play are forbidden!". Fortunately, on YouTube was a three-part instruction video, produced by one of the importers, demonstrating the assembly of this very model! The documentation also included an "owner's manual" which was to the depth of what would be called, in the computer software biz, a "quick start guide".
With notes made from the YouTube video, the assembly went very well. The frame seems solid, well made, and the A-arms for the front end etc fit very well. The engine and CVT driveline are apparently from Lifan, which is a fairly respected name. The body panels, while thin and apparently low-cost, were well molded and painted, and fit well. Those things being said, there are downsides.
Before I even rode this thing, there was substantial money and time to be spent. The fluids supplied with the scoot, engine oil, brake fluid, etc did not even look or smell like normal fluids do, so they were all replaced before it was even started. The "outside supplier" parts on the scoot are mostly rubbish. The tires were pretty much unusable; the rear was badly out-of round, and one of the fronts was separating on one side of the tread, nearly all the way around the tire, so tires were up for immediate replacement; I prefer Continental, but your mileage may vary. Two of the light bulbs were dead out of the box, with more to follow. The whole thing had to be "wrenched", as there were poorly tightened fasteners everywhere, and lay in a supply of Loc-Tite. The brake pads, while still there, are also rubbish.
I repacked the front wheel bearings before assembly, but the hubs almost immediately started to loosen, and the bearings began to sound like rolling buckets of rocks, so replacement was up for them as well.
The front end, having two wheels, requires aligning to track properly, and out of the box, mine was badly maladjusted. There was no documentation for this either, but I have done shadetree car work through the years, so it was fairly easy to figure out. There is no adjustment for caster or camber, but simply for toe-in, and it has adjustable tie-rods, so no sweat. The geometry is unusual, and the toe-in can actually vary with flexing of the suspension, so adjust the pre-load on the front shocks to max to minimize the flexing, and use someone of about your own weight to sit on the scooter while you are adjusting. This will make the ride a bit abrupt, but will minimize the change in tow-in while riding. Speaking of the shock/spring units, they squeak like crazy while flexing, so be prepared to use a small spring compressor to get access to the ends of the springs, and lube them up with lithium grease to minimize that, front and rear.
Now, rideability. Once properly aligned, the handling is very good. The thing leans more than a two-wheeler for a given turn, and that takes some getting used to, but once you have a feel for it, the unit handles well. To be overweight (nearly 400 pounds) and underpowered (8 hp) it does well on level ground, but has some difficulty with hills. It is an efficient around-town scoot, and averages about 70 mpg.
It is not an entry-level scooter.
Re the scooters: I have been rideless since just before Christmas, a combo of cold weather intolerance and fake foot issues. [I have prosthetic lower legs] Sandy describes me as having PMS - Parked Motorscooter Syndrome.
The scooters are on IV with the battery maintainers, and calling my name pitifully. I am being fitted for a new pair of leggies now, and they should be ready and tuned up in about three-four weeks, so I look forward to being back on fewer than four wheels soon.
OTOH, I am driving my truck more often, so its battery is staying better charged...
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Mystified again...
I am confused again. That happens a lot, perhaps just because I am a simple boy and don't understand things well, but this is causing me to wonder.
Years ago, downtown Birmingham was Shopping Central. All the big stores were there, from the discount stores (S.S. Kresge) to the the high-line fashion centers (Parisian, Blach's, etc) with a huge Sears & Roebuck prominent in the mix. As urban sprawl took over, shopping downtown became inconvenient - it was a long distance downtown from the 'burbs, if one rode the streetcars [later busses] it was difficult to bring one's shopping home, if one drove to downtown, parking was insufficient and expensive, etc, etc.
Retailers responded with the Shopping Center out toward the 'burbs - strip centers offering free parking, stores in one area, and much convenience for suburban shoppers. The strip centers were not perfect of course, one disadvantage being exposure to weather while moving from store to store.
The next development solved many problems - the Mall. Malls had the free parking, large numbers of diverse stores in one place, including the big names from downtown, and offered a weather-protected, comfortable environment for shopping. Most offered a food court with passable food items, and it was possible to transfer purchases to the car during the shopping runs. Nice.
Change happens, of course, and these huge shopping venues must eventually relocate due to changing demographics. Two of the "new" venues in my area are the Pinnacle and the Summit. Disturbing to me, though, is that these flashy new structures are - strip centers. The free parking is still there, but we are back to an open environment, with sidewalk access between the stores, unprotected from weather. The food courts are now stand-alone restaurants scattered about the edges of the parking areas, requiring long walks in the heat, rain, etc to reach them. Is this not taking a step backward?
Back in 1960, the first mall in Alabama, and the second enclosed shopping mall in the southeast, was Eastwood Mall in Birmingham, a revolutionary idea at the time, and a destination for shoppers from all over the state, and as far away as Atlanta and Chattanooga. Changing demographics and mismanagement led to the closing of the mall in the late 1990s, and it was razed, and replaced with a Wal-Mart supercenter, with a large surrounding - strip center. [sigh]
Years ago, downtown Birmingham was Shopping Central. All the big stores were there, from the discount stores (S.S. Kresge) to the the high-line fashion centers (Parisian, Blach's, etc) with a huge Sears & Roebuck prominent in the mix. As urban sprawl took over, shopping downtown became inconvenient - it was a long distance downtown from the 'burbs, if one rode the streetcars [later busses] it was difficult to bring one's shopping home, if one drove to downtown, parking was insufficient and expensive, etc, etc.
Retailers responded with the Shopping Center out toward the 'burbs - strip centers offering free parking, stores in one area, and much convenience for suburban shoppers. The strip centers were not perfect of course, one disadvantage being exposure to weather while moving from store to store.
The next development solved many problems - the Mall. Malls had the free parking, large numbers of diverse stores in one place, including the big names from downtown, and offered a weather-protected, comfortable environment for shopping. Most offered a food court with passable food items, and it was possible to transfer purchases to the car during the shopping runs. Nice.
Change happens, of course, and these huge shopping venues must eventually relocate due to changing demographics. Two of the "new" venues in my area are the Pinnacle and the Summit. Disturbing to me, though, is that these flashy new structures are - strip centers. The free parking is still there, but we are back to an open environment, with sidewalk access between the stores, unprotected from weather. The food courts are now stand-alone restaurants scattered about the edges of the parking areas, requiring long walks in the heat, rain, etc to reach them. Is this not taking a step backward?
Back in 1960, the first mall in Alabama, and the second enclosed shopping mall in the southeast, was Eastwood Mall in Birmingham, a revolutionary idea at the time, and a destination for shoppers from all over the state, and as far away as Atlanta and Chattanooga. Changing demographics and mismanagement led to the closing of the mall in the late 1990s, and it was razed, and replaced with a Wal-Mart supercenter, with a large surrounding - strip center. [sigh]
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
I am such a fossil... [sigh]
I was having a bout of what I call "terminal insomnia" last night (one of the ironies of congestive heart failure is that we are tired all the time, but have problems sleeping), and I was reflecting on what a Luddite I am these days.
My "cage" (motorscooter rider term) is a 1993 S-10 pickup with nearly 200k miles, but it is maintained, reliable, and suits my purposes just fine. I do need to drive it a bit more often, though, to keep it exercised (another motorscooter rider thing).
My watch is a water-resistant Timex that gives me the time on a clear dial.
My cellphone is a phone. It makes and receives calls very well. I don't text, I don't do Facebook checkins from wherever I am, I don't check my email while I am out and about. I actually had an otherwise-intelligent lady ask me "You don't text? How can I let you know when we decide on a time for the meeting?". She was truly mystified, and when I told her "You dial the number, and when I answer, tell me the time for the meeting", she looked confused.
I still carry a Palm PDA, the old type with the little black-and-white screen, and the flip cover. Keeps me on time. The strange-looking ball point pen thing is a retractable stylus to carry in my shirt pocket, because my creaky hands, these days, have a rough time handling the tiny little stylus that came with the Palm. I also have the Palm folding portable keyboard for text entry.
I have always had fine motor control issues with my hands, made worse in recent years by my joint issues, and my handwriting has always sucked, so I am big on keyboards. I developed my typing skills using two fingers, the index finger on my left hand and middle finger on the right , and still use that method. I stick with it because it works, and through the years, from the point at which I adopted the typewriter as a mere kidlet, I have typed probably more than a million words in this manner.
In the truck, just in case I get in a true bind for hard copy, I still carry a portable manual typewriter.
My daughter has a small tablet computer, and I have not yet gotten into that mode. I do, however, have a tiny Dell netbook with a broken screen, and am thinking of possibly repairing that, and carrying it to give me wifi access when I go places. It is compact enough (9" screen) that it is easily carry-able, even on the scooters, and has about a 5-hour battery life on a charge. We will see.
My "cage" (motorscooter rider term) is a 1993 S-10 pickup with nearly 200k miles, but it is maintained, reliable, and suits my purposes just fine. I do need to drive it a bit more often, though, to keep it exercised (another motorscooter rider thing).
My watch is a water-resistant Timex that gives me the time on a clear dial.
My cellphone is a phone. It makes and receives calls very well. I don't text, I don't do Facebook checkins from wherever I am, I don't check my email while I am out and about. I actually had an otherwise-intelligent lady ask me "You don't text? How can I let you know when we decide on a time for the meeting?". She was truly mystified, and when I told her "You dial the number, and when I answer, tell me the time for the meeting", she looked confused.
I still carry a Palm PDA, the old type with the little black-and-white screen, and the flip cover. Keeps me on time. The strange-looking ball point pen thing is a retractable stylus to carry in my shirt pocket, because my creaky hands, these days, have a rough time handling the tiny little stylus that came with the Palm. I also have the Palm folding portable keyboard for text entry.
I have always had fine motor control issues with my hands, made worse in recent years by my joint issues, and my handwriting has always sucked, so I am big on keyboards. I developed my typing skills using two fingers, the index finger on my left hand and middle finger on the right , and still use that method. I stick with it because it works, and through the years, from the point at which I adopted the typewriter as a mere kidlet, I have typed probably more than a million words in this manner.
In the truck, just in case I get in a true bind for hard copy, I still carry a portable manual typewriter.
My daughter has a small tablet computer, and I have not yet gotten into that mode. I do, however, have a tiny Dell netbook with a broken screen, and am thinking of possibly repairing that, and carrying it to give me wifi access when I go places. It is compact enough (9" screen) that it is easily carry-able, even on the scooters, and has about a 5-hour battery life on a charge. We will see.
Monday, January 21, 2013
An update...
I have committed to a couple of people to update this thing more frequently, so a general update for now, and soon a return to general discussion and my usual token bitching.
On the upside, our daughter has finally grown weary of a useless boyfriend and northern winters, and has moved back from Illinois. She is staying with us for a while to finish her MEd degree online, and do some student teaching with the target of doing science teaching in high-school, to the pierced and tattooed mall-rats and slackers who infest public schools these days. Brave lady. She did a practicum day Friday at her old alma-mater, and had mixed impressions. She will have one more day there, teaching a class as opposed to observing, and is arranging another similar journey with a Title 1 high school elsewhere in the county.
As to myself, on a less optimistic note, my health seems to be continuing its slow decline, but I am fighting it at every flank. The weather has been harder on me both physically and psychically than last year, but I am adapting. The battery powering my pacemaker/defibrillator is weakening, and will probably need replacement in a couple months, but I am told that the more current model will be better, so we will see.
Due to stump issues, the scooters remain at rest for now on the battery maintainers, but continue to call to me. The Elite has cooling issues, but those will be addressed in time for warm-weather riding. The Silver Wing continues to become more difficult for me to handle, and I realize that I must must seriously seek a way to finance a training-wheel kit for it. I am leaning toward the Go-Pac kit. This is a major step for me, and in many ways another depressing nod to my deteriorating condition, but I had rather be on the road. We will see.
On the upside, our daughter has finally grown weary of a useless boyfriend and northern winters, and has moved back from Illinois. She is staying with us for a while to finish her MEd degree online, and do some student teaching with the target of doing science teaching in high-school, to the pierced and tattooed mall-rats and slackers who infest public schools these days. Brave lady. She did a practicum day Friday at her old alma-mater, and had mixed impressions. She will have one more day there, teaching a class as opposed to observing, and is arranging another similar journey with a Title 1 high school elsewhere in the county.
As to myself, on a less optimistic note, my health seems to be continuing its slow decline, but I am fighting it at every flank. The weather has been harder on me both physically and psychically than last year, but I am adapting. The battery powering my pacemaker/defibrillator is weakening, and will probably need replacement in a couple months, but I am told that the more current model will be better, so we will see.
Due to stump issues, the scooters remain at rest for now on the battery maintainers, but continue to call to me. The Elite has cooling issues, but those will be addressed in time for warm-weather riding. The Silver Wing continues to become more difficult for me to handle, and I realize that I must must seriously seek a way to finance a training-wheel kit for it. I am leaning toward the Go-Pac kit. This is a major step for me, and in many ways another depressing nod to my deteriorating condition, but I had rather be on the road. We will see.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Recommended Reading
I am a long-time (40+ years) motorcycle rider, and have been subtly shaped by that activity/hobby/lifestyle over the years, including my reading habits. I must recommend two riders/authors that I have read, and find their work quite satisfying to my tastes.
The first is Daniel Meyer, author of several notable works. I have met Daniel on several occasions at motorcycle-related events, and had the privilege of talking with him. Daniel is a man's man, and a straight-up, totally direct individual.
Daniel has five published works, one fiction and four non-fiction, all wonderfully enjoyable. His books are available from anywhere you buy books, but I recommend that you purchase directly from him, as that will contribute a few more cents to the author himself. The website is lifeisaroad.com , and I recommend his work enthusiastically.
The next is Jack Riepe, the character responsible for the Twisted Roads blog. I have just finished reading his latest, "Conversations With a Motorcycle". It is a totally honest part autobiography, part humor work, much of the humor at the expense of Jack himself, as he describes his motorcycle beginnings on a Japanese street bike in blue-collar New Jersey. Totally honest, totally fun, and a read that many riders and non-riders alike can understand and find their own youth reflected therein. Highly recommended. Contact Jack at jack.riepe@gmail.com , and order up.
Both of these guys are competent, heartfelt writers, and care about their readers, and both offer hand-autographed and personalized copies. Get 'em.
The first is Daniel Meyer, author of several notable works. I have met Daniel on several occasions at motorcycle-related events, and had the privilege of talking with him. Daniel is a man's man, and a straight-up, totally direct individual.
Daniel has five published works, one fiction and four non-fiction, all wonderfully enjoyable. His books are available from anywhere you buy books, but I recommend that you purchase directly from him, as that will contribute a few more cents to the author himself. The website is lifeisaroad.com , and I recommend his work enthusiastically.
The next is Jack Riepe, the character responsible for the Twisted Roads blog. I have just finished reading his latest, "Conversations With a Motorcycle". It is a totally honest part autobiography, part humor work, much of the humor at the expense of Jack himself, as he describes his motorcycle beginnings on a Japanese street bike in blue-collar New Jersey. Totally honest, totally fun, and a read that many riders and non-riders alike can understand and find their own youth reflected therein. Highly recommended. Contact Jack at jack.riepe@gmail.com , and order up.
Both of these guys are competent, heartfelt writers, and care about their readers, and both offer hand-autographed and personalized copies. Get 'em.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Culture On The Skids, and why FaceBook is History...
I saw a post the other night promoting an appearance by the music group "Southern Culture On The Skids".
I like the group, and enjoy their music, but their group name stirred up a thought. One of my FaceBook friends posted "Why do so many young women these days talk in a "croaky" voice, as if imitating a frog? I know I'm an old fossil, but (to me) frog-voice isn't very compelling. If you wanna hear a sexy voice, check out one of this lady's movies..", followed by a black-and-white peak-of-her-career photo of Lauren Bacall. I, being also a fossil, remember her movies, and yes, she had the voice.
I commented "And who is telling them that piercings are attractive?", which prompted a comment from a young lady, whom I do not know, "Also, Clifton, my piercing a are cute as FUCK. :-P" (sic).
There was, of course, a profile pic, and no, young woman, you are not, though you may be absent the overstated make-up, and the lip, nose, and eyebrow hardware. Her reply however, with her vocabulary and poor sentence structure, are indicative of those who think that the piercings ARE attractive.
Our culture, indeed, is on the skids. I have noticed, as you may have also, that in the recent presidential campaign, Mitt Romney was concentrating his campaign on idealogical grounds, but the Barack Obama campaign was continuously attacking Romney, not as a conservative, nor on idealogical grounds, but portraying him as an evil capitalist.
The same seems common in many aspects these days - have you noticed how many movie villains these days are portrayed as rich capitalists, or officers of some evil huge corporation? This is a reflection of our public education system in recent decades, which we have handed off to fools and charlatans. Those who have money are evil, unless, of course, they are good caring liberals. In the original James Bond movies, the ones based on the novels of Ian Fleming, the villains were, in some way or other, an aspect of the Soviet Union. I notice that in the recent productions, the bad guys are some sort of capitalist or corporate entity. I grow weary.
At any rate, Facebook, which started out as mostly students at what once were institutions of higher learning, have taken the path of cellphones when they began to offer texting and ringtones; it has filtered down to the bottom layer, and is not long for my menu of computer uses. 'Bye guys; it's been real...
I like the group, and enjoy their music, but their group name stirred up a thought. One of my FaceBook friends posted "Why do so many young women these days talk in a "croaky" voice, as if imitating a frog? I know I'm an old fossil, but (to me) frog-voice isn't very compelling. If you wanna hear a sexy voice, check out one of this lady's movies..", followed by a black-and-white peak-of-her-career photo of Lauren Bacall. I, being also a fossil, remember her movies, and yes, she had the voice.
I commented "And who is telling them that piercings are attractive?", which prompted a comment from a young lady, whom I do not know, "Also, Clifton, my piercing a are cute as FUCK. :-P" (sic).
There was, of course, a profile pic, and no, young woman, you are not, though you may be absent the overstated make-up, and the lip, nose, and eyebrow hardware. Her reply however, with her vocabulary and poor sentence structure, are indicative of those who think that the piercings ARE attractive.
Our culture, indeed, is on the skids. I have noticed, as you may have also, that in the recent presidential campaign, Mitt Romney was concentrating his campaign on idealogical grounds, but the Barack Obama campaign was continuously attacking Romney, not as a conservative, nor on idealogical grounds, but portraying him as an evil capitalist.
The same seems common in many aspects these days - have you noticed how many movie villains these days are portrayed as rich capitalists, or officers of some evil huge corporation? This is a reflection of our public education system in recent decades, which we have handed off to fools and charlatans. Those who have money are evil, unless, of course, they are good caring liberals. In the original James Bond movies, the ones based on the novels of Ian Fleming, the villains were, in some way or other, an aspect of the Soviet Union. I notice that in the recent productions, the bad guys are some sort of capitalist or corporate entity. I grow weary.
At any rate, Facebook, which started out as mostly students at what once were institutions of higher learning, have taken the path of cellphones when they began to offer texting and ringtones; it has filtered down to the bottom layer, and is not long for my menu of computer uses. 'Bye guys; it's been real...
Friday, September 14, 2012
A 50-year comparison
An old friend of mine has bought a piece of property, including a couple of storage buildings, one containing a 1963 Ford Falcon 4-door sedan. It has 1971 plates on it, so it has been sitting that long, and shows just under 33000 miles. He has no idea why it was parked here, nor does the former owner, who inherited the property from his parents, and does not remember the Falcon. Tom has done some basic examination of the thing, and considers it fixable with much elbow grease and minimum money, so he is going to take it on as a project next spring. It is, of course, his now, as before 1974 Alabama had no title law.
This being the 2013 model year, I thought I would generate a comparison to today's vehicular standards.
First, the Falcon. The original window sticker (what is left of it), was in an envelope in the glove box, and is mostly readable. It is a local car, purchased from Adamson Ford in Birmingham. The options listed on the sticker are heater/defroster (optional), AM radio (optional), front lap seat belts (optional), and outside rearview mirrors (optional). In those days, A/C, power steering, and power brakes were not available on the base model Falcon. The optional AM radio in Tom's car is tube-type, and still actually works, though poorly, through a single speaker in the top of the dash. The optional outside mirrors are not remote-controlled, and are adjusted by grabbing them and moving them to where needed. The floor is rubber mats, and the seats are vinyl - anyone old enough to have lived through a winter or summer with vinyl seats is cringing right now. The transmission is a 3-on-the-tree manual, the engine a 144 ci inline six with a one-barrel carb. The dashboard is all metal, and full of sharp pointy knobs and things. The windows are not tinted, so it is hell in hot weather. This car required a "tune-up" about every 10,000 miles, with replacement of points, condenser, distributor cap, and rotor, and adjusting of ignition timing and carb. Aligning the front end was recommended at the same time. Polishing and waxing were required to keep the paint shiny and protected from the sun. There was no warranty for rust-through.
The sticker price for this high-maintenance roller was $2228, which is, in today's battered dollarettes, $16774.
So, in these modern times, what will this price buy?
Oddly enough, it will still buy you a small base-model 4-door Ford sedan, The Focus S. So how does today's little roller compare to the Falcon, 50 years later?
You still get a small engine and manual transmission, but these days, you get carpet, fiber upholstery, tinted glass, heater/defroster and outside mirrors as standard equipment. Standard equipment, on the Focus S, also includes: A/C, AM/FM stereo radio with four speakers, three-point seat belts, front and side air bags, crush zones, an engine that does not require tune-ups (although replacement of the timing belt is required at 60,000 miles), more power and much better mileage than the Falcon, speed-sensitive power steering, cruise control, stability and traction control, power brakes with 4-wheel ABS on its fade resistant disc brakes, longer-lasting radial tires, front power windows, rust-through warranty, and clear-coat paint that does not require waxing.
I'll stick with today's offering...
This being the 2013 model year, I thought I would generate a comparison to today's vehicular standards.
First, the Falcon. The original window sticker (what is left of it), was in an envelope in the glove box, and is mostly readable. It is a local car, purchased from Adamson Ford in Birmingham. The options listed on the sticker are heater/defroster (optional), AM radio (optional), front lap seat belts (optional), and outside rearview mirrors (optional). In those days, A/C, power steering, and power brakes were not available on the base model Falcon. The optional AM radio in Tom's car is tube-type, and still actually works, though poorly, through a single speaker in the top of the dash. The optional outside mirrors are not remote-controlled, and are adjusted by grabbing them and moving them to where needed. The floor is rubber mats, and the seats are vinyl - anyone old enough to have lived through a winter or summer with vinyl seats is cringing right now. The transmission is a 3-on-the-tree manual, the engine a 144 ci inline six with a one-barrel carb. The dashboard is all metal, and full of sharp pointy knobs and things. The windows are not tinted, so it is hell in hot weather. This car required a "tune-up" about every 10,000 miles, with replacement of points, condenser, distributor cap, and rotor, and adjusting of ignition timing and carb. Aligning the front end was recommended at the same time. Polishing and waxing were required to keep the paint shiny and protected from the sun. There was no warranty for rust-through.
The sticker price for this high-maintenance roller was $2228, which is, in today's battered dollarettes, $16774.
So, in these modern times, what will this price buy?
Oddly enough, it will still buy you a small base-model 4-door Ford sedan, The Focus S. So how does today's little roller compare to the Falcon, 50 years later?
You still get a small engine and manual transmission, but these days, you get carpet, fiber upholstery, tinted glass, heater/defroster and outside mirrors as standard equipment. Standard equipment, on the Focus S, also includes: A/C, AM/FM stereo radio with four speakers, three-point seat belts, front and side air bags, crush zones, an engine that does not require tune-ups (although replacement of the timing belt is required at 60,000 miles), more power and much better mileage than the Falcon, speed-sensitive power steering, cruise control, stability and traction control, power brakes with 4-wheel ABS on its fade resistant disc brakes, longer-lasting radial tires, front power windows, rust-through warranty, and clear-coat paint that does not require waxing.
I'll stick with today's offering...
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Finally able to post...
As I get older, and my health slowly deteriorates, I find my outlook changing, and many things that I used to consider inconveniences are now starting to royally piss me off.
I am typing this in a text editor on my computer, because my internet service (DSL) has folded up, and I no longer have service. It is not a matter of the system here in the house being overtaxed - we have DSL-only service; no TV, no landline phone, no anything else, just internet service. Not now, however. This pisses me off.
I am pissed off by a growing number of young people, who apparently think that piercings are attractive. They are not, kids. One of these was recently angry that he was unable to find a job. Considering the red and green reptile tatooed around his neck, and the nose ring, who besides him was surprised? Another had a 20-hour-a-week job in a taco joint, and was angry that he did not have health coverage. That is how entry-level jobs work, kids. These kids piss me off.
The Zombie fad pisses me off. If you think that the dead walk among us eating the brains of the living, seek professional help, and stop pissing me off.
If you think that every happening of every day is an evil conspiracy of the government, the Klan, the Masonic order, the Central Bank, the Bilderburgers, or whoever, seek professional help. I have worked for government, been a union member, have long-time friends in banking, organized religion, and the Masonic orders, and I assure you that none of these entities, collectively, are competent enough to pull off a grand secret conspiracy. Stop pissing me off.
No political party is your kindly daddy, and none of them cares about you in any constructive way. If you elect Democrats, the entire nation is not going to become a communist collective. If you elect Republicans, you are not going to become a poverty-level victim of rampant evil plantation owners. If you elect tea-partiers, probably nothing will happen, because the movement is not organized enough to print up decent leaflets. I have best heard Congress described by Lewis Black as a bowl of manure staring at itself in a mirror. So stop trying to tell me that your particular party is the end-all-be-all of political salvation, because you are wrong, and you are pissing me off.
And get off my lawn!
I am typing this in a text editor on my computer, because my internet service (DSL) has folded up, and I no longer have service. It is not a matter of the system here in the house being overtaxed - we have DSL-only service; no TV, no landline phone, no anything else, just internet service. Not now, however. This pisses me off.
I am pissed off by a growing number of young people, who apparently think that piercings are attractive. They are not, kids. One of these was recently angry that he was unable to find a job. Considering the red and green reptile tatooed around his neck, and the nose ring, who besides him was surprised? Another had a 20-hour-a-week job in a taco joint, and was angry that he did not have health coverage. That is how entry-level jobs work, kids. These kids piss me off.
The Zombie fad pisses me off. If you think that the dead walk among us eating the brains of the living, seek professional help, and stop pissing me off.
If you think that every happening of every day is an evil conspiracy of the government, the Klan, the Masonic order, the Central Bank, the Bilderburgers, or whoever, seek professional help. I have worked for government, been a union member, have long-time friends in banking, organized religion, and the Masonic orders, and I assure you that none of these entities, collectively, are competent enough to pull off a grand secret conspiracy. Stop pissing me off.
No political party is your kindly daddy, and none of them cares about you in any constructive way. If you elect Democrats, the entire nation is not going to become a communist collective. If you elect Republicans, you are not going to become a poverty-level victim of rampant evil plantation owners. If you elect tea-partiers, probably nothing will happen, because the movement is not organized enough to print up decent leaflets. I have best heard Congress described by Lewis Black as a bowl of manure staring at itself in a mirror. So stop trying to tell me that your particular party is the end-all-be-all of political salvation, because you are wrong, and you are pissing me off.
And get off my lawn!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Enlightening...
I saw a kinda enlightening thing today at the Publix. I was finished with my shopping, had loaded my goods in the truck cab, stumbled to the rear of the truck, opened the hatch and dropped the tailgate, and sat down to pack up my portable mobility scooter. As I sat down, a car pulled into a handicap space across the aisle, and a young woman got out and trotted into the store. I saw that she had also been observed by a couple coming out of the store, he a double-above-knee amputee in a lightweight manual wheelchair, and she pushing a buggy with groceries. She went to the crew-cab pickup next to me, opened the rear door on the passenger side, and began loading groceries. He went to the SUV driven by the young lady who had parked, crooked in the space, just a few moments before. He was evidently looking for a handicap plate, or placard, or something to indicate handicap access, and did not see any. (neither did I) He rolled over to the woman he was with, spoke to her, and she handed him two soft drinks from the buggy. He rolled back to the SUV, opened the soft drinks, and slung the contents onto the windshield, on the driver's side. In the sun, the sugary soft drink would make an interesting windshield-cleaning exercise when the young woman came back out. He then rolled back to his vehicle, opened the driver's door and the rear door, which was set up as a "suicide door" with the hinges at the rear of the door, threw the empty soft drink bottles into the rear area, grabbed a couple of handles and swung himself into the driver's seat. He then reached out, grabbed the wheelchair, swung it into the rear compartment, closed the rear door with a cord hanging between the door and the facing, closed his own door, the woman with him got in, and they drove away. As they drove away, I saw that the truck had a "Handicapped Veteran" plate, and a banner sticker on the rear window that read "U S Marines". ooo rah!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Just a needed update, after some absence. Things at the estate are proceeding at their own pace, and I seem to be holding on. Sandy is in Illinois visiting the daughter, and I am knocking around here. I have been working on some needed projects here.
On the fun front, I found that the website for the biker TV show Sons of Anarchy has a viewer gallery, and one can send in a photo, which they will "anarchise", and place it in the gallery. I could not resist, and sent one of me, taken on a ride with the Valkyrie Riders Cruiser Club.
So now I am famous and immortal and all that, having been placed in the Gallery. Sandy says that the disturbing thing about it is that it looks "too authentic"; she thinks I could be mistaken for a cast member. [chuckle]
More later, I need to get semi-busy around here.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Spring may have actually sprung...
On several fronts:
Survivable scootering weather seems to be upon us after, thanks to global warming, an unusual April cold snap. It appears that spring is finally taking hold.
ABC 33/40 7-Day weather discussion
On the SCA front: Following the untimely passing of our much beloved Royal Majesties, our beloved Royal heirs, Ailgheanan and Amber, have stepped forward to assume the throne, and Their coronation was held the weekend past. Long live King Ailgheanan and Queen Amber!
The Kingdom of Meridies
Here at Castle Clifton, life goes on. I have acquired blades and drive belt for the lawn muncher, and look forward to their installation, probably tomorrow, so that care and grooming of the Estate can take place. I will also build a base for my tire changer, so that needed motor scooter tire replacement can be done, and I must have a battery for the trike, to replace the present one, which is failing.
The long, long list of needed projects around here grows ever longer. We are making preparations for Sandy to leave in a couple of weeks; she is flying north to visit the daughter, and will stay probably 2-3 weeks, and/or until she and Lindsay get tired of each other. Lindsay is about 20 mi north of Chicago, in the town of Crystal Lake, within the Chicago metro Area. This trip will be an eye-opener for Sandy - Birmingham, Alabama is the largest city with which she has experience.(we live in a suburb town adjoining Birmingham)
Birmingham is the 68th largest US city, with an in-city population of about 233,000, with a Metro Area population of about 1.2Million, and the total population of the state of Alabama is 4.2M - Chicago has an in-city population 2.8M, and a Metro Area population of 9.3M, so Sandy is traveling to a place where a four-county area has twice the population of our entire state! Lindsay is planning to take her into Chicago, to eat pizza and hot dogs, and see some sights. Sandy was stunned at the idea of taking a commuter train from Crystal Lake into Chicago, and that these trains run about once an hour. One does not drive, of course, since traffic is horrendous, and there is no parking as a general rule, and Lindsay has had to explain to her that they will train into the city, and buy one-day bus passes to move around in town, ideas totally new to Sandy. It will be quite the experience for her.
There is something I look forward to, in a way – because of my state of health, Sandy is sometimes more protective of me than she needs to be, and with her not here, maybe I can get a couple of needed projects done with out her hovering over me. We will see.
We will have plenty of contact, though – we both have cellphones with nationwide long distance, and cell-to-cell calls between us are unlimited minutes. Sandy is taking her computer, and we will have Skype. It should be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her. I was a bachelor until age 26, and am perfectly capable of feeding myself, doing laundry, etc, so I will be fine.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Back from the War!
We are back from the big medieval war in Missisippi! Yes, we have been out o' touch - we were in the only motel in a 30-mile radius of the war site, originally an early Holiday Inn, about as old as I, and very little improved. No internet, unreliable reception of south Mississippi local TV, and no food, but there is hot water, and working A/C.
Attendance at the war was about 4000, off the peak years, but more than the last two. It was a good time - good people, fighting and other activities well planned and executed. It always amazes me how smoothly and well this thing runs with an entirely volunteer staff and workforce. The "winning side" of the war has yet to be determined, as points and bonus values are still being compiled, but it really doesn't matter; it is promoted as "A War With No Enemies". Sandy earned volunteer points for our Shire by putting in more than 20 hours working Troll [registration]. There was attendance from almost 30 states including Wisconsin and California, and from Ontario, Canada. The merchant Renaissance Clothing Arts was there, so I can say that I went there, did that, and got the t-shirt!
Sandy and I are about at the end of our energy reserves, but content.
Local SCA events happen somewhere in the kingdom almost every weekend, but this is the only large war in the southeast. The dogs of war have been kenneled, at least until next year, when the Oracles have determined that the uneasy peace will collapse, and the Kingdoms of Trimaris [the Florida peninsula] and Ansteorra [Texas and Oklahoma] will again go to war, and will march against each other, again meeting in the Kingdom of Glenn Abhann, in their province of Mississippi, and war will again rage. The Crowns of my Kingdom [Meridies] have pledged to monitor the situation closely, and to keep the populace informed, should we again be called to ally with our neighboring Kingdom, to defend their fair lands. More information to come as our scouts and observers collect knowledge.
www.gulfwars.org
Attendance at the war was about 4000, off the peak years, but more than the last two. It was a good time - good people, fighting and other activities well planned and executed. It always amazes me how smoothly and well this thing runs with an entirely volunteer staff and workforce. The "winning side" of the war has yet to be determined, as points and bonus values are still being compiled, but it really doesn't matter; it is promoted as "A War With No Enemies". Sandy earned volunteer points for our Shire by putting in more than 20 hours working Troll [registration]. There was attendance from almost 30 states including Wisconsin and California, and from Ontario, Canada. The merchant Renaissance Clothing Arts was there, so I can say that I went there, did that, and got the t-shirt!
Sandy and I are about at the end of our energy reserves, but content.
Local SCA events happen somewhere in the kingdom almost every weekend, but this is the only large war in the southeast. The dogs of war have been kenneled, at least until next year, when the Oracles have determined that the uneasy peace will collapse, and the Kingdoms of Trimaris [the Florida peninsula] and Ansteorra [Texas and Oklahoma] will again go to war, and will march against each other, again meeting in the Kingdom of Glenn Abhann, in their province of Mississippi, and war will again rage. The Crowns of my Kingdom [Meridies] have pledged to monitor the situation closely, and to keep the populace informed, should we again be called to ally with our neighboring Kingdom, to defend their fair lands. More information to come as our scouts and observers collect knowledge.
www.gulfwars.org
Monday, February 27, 2012
Really?
Someone said to me recently that he thought my scooter was kinda cool, but that he could never ride one, because he still cares what people think of him. Well, I too care what people think of me! I hope people will think that I am independent minded, one who works with the resources I have (my battered and cut off legs), a person with a sense of humor, and someone who doesn't take himself too seriously.
My Honda Silver Wing will cruise the freeways at extra-legal speeds, my creaky old Honda Elite 250 will go anywhere that I want it to go at 55 mph (made many, many out-of-state trips pre-SilverWing), and my funky Sunny reverse trike is not only a handy and economical around-town bike, but also a conversation-starter almost anywhere it goes. My penis is large enough for my purposes, and I feel no need to make myself think it larger by riding a heavy, loud, overpriced motorcycle. I have as much fun on my scoots as anyone I know does on their Harley. I also prefer quiet bikes, so I can more easily hear the traffic around me - those car drivers are generally not used to recognizing and dealing with right-of-way issues with motorcycles, and I need to keep track of what they are doing!
I don't say all this to make people mad, to be unnecessarily disrespectful, or to dismiss anyone who rides and enjoys large bikes, but only to explain my position. I have an odd, but highly-developed sense of honor and respect, and while I automatically give a certain respect to everyone, I find that my respect for others varies, much as the "point value" that I maintain in my wife's eyes - I gain points one at a time, but I can lose them in multiples. In much the same way, one who refers to my Sunny as "chink crap", as someone recently did, loses units of respect in multiples in my mind. I use the word "chink" in its original meaning (a flaw or damaged area) in reference to armor (actual armor, as used in my medieval society, where a weak spot in one's armor can get one hurt), a sidewall flaw in a tire, a roof leak, and many other contexts, but never as a reference to Asians, and one who does loses it with me. Nor do I refer to someone else's vehicle as "crap", even if I think it is.
Drive what you like, ride what you like, eat what you like, weigh what you like - if you have respect for yourself, I don't care, and I will talk to you, and may even find you interesting...
My Honda Silver Wing will cruise the freeways at extra-legal speeds, my creaky old Honda Elite 250 will go anywhere that I want it to go at 55 mph (made many, many out-of-state trips pre-SilverWing), and my funky Sunny reverse trike is not only a handy and economical around-town bike, but also a conversation-starter almost anywhere it goes. My penis is large enough for my purposes, and I feel no need to make myself think it larger by riding a heavy, loud, overpriced motorcycle. I have as much fun on my scoots as anyone I know does on their Harley. I also prefer quiet bikes, so I can more easily hear the traffic around me - those car drivers are generally not used to recognizing and dealing with right-of-way issues with motorcycles, and I need to keep track of what they are doing!
I don't say all this to make people mad, to be unnecessarily disrespectful, or to dismiss anyone who rides and enjoys large bikes, but only to explain my position. I have an odd, but highly-developed sense of honor and respect, and while I automatically give a certain respect to everyone, I find that my respect for others varies, much as the "point value" that I maintain in my wife's eyes - I gain points one at a time, but I can lose them in multiples. In much the same way, one who refers to my Sunny as "chink crap", as someone recently did, loses units of respect in multiples in my mind. I use the word "chink" in its original meaning (a flaw or damaged area) in reference to armor (actual armor, as used in my medieval society, where a weak spot in one's armor can get one hurt), a sidewall flaw in a tire, a roof leak, and many other contexts, but never as a reference to Asians, and one who does loses it with me. Nor do I refer to someone else's vehicle as "crap", even if I think it is.
Drive what you like, ride what you like, eat what you like, weigh what you like - if you have respect for yourself, I don't care, and I will talk to you, and may even find you interesting...
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Sidewalk Shortage...
There is a subject that has been very much bugging me lately - sidewalks. Sounds like a simple thing, but these days, sidewalks seem an ignored and neglected thing, due to plentiful private cars and a society that no longer walks. I began my stroll on this mortal coil in the East Lake section of Birmingham. This is part of the "core area" of Birmingham, built from 1871 - the early 1940s. When I was a mere kidlet in East Lake, starting from the intersection of 10th Av south and 81st St, one could actually travel through the East Lake, Woodlawn, Wahouma, and Avondale communities, through downtown Birmingham, through the Elyton and West End areas, to Fair Park, a distance of more than 25 miles, on sidewalks.
In the post WWII era, residential suburbs began to sprout up, and formed different communities, and the sidewalk paradigm came to an end.
My address is in Trussville, Alabama. Trussville began as a depression-era government project in the mid-1930s, in a flat valley encompassing part of the Cahaba River. The land was unsuitable for farming, but was suitable for suburban housing. Fired by the vision of project manager W. H. Kestler, the "Cahaba Project" went up, opening in April 1938. Homes were sturdily built, with indoor plumbing, running water, electricity, septic systems, and amenities rare at that time in much of Alabama. The project included 287 residential units, duplexes and single-family homes, all of which still stand today. The government also built a high school and cooperative store, interspersing the area with malls, paved streets and parks. And sidewalks - sidewalks everywhere. After WWII, development went on, but no longer included the sidewalks, as the postwar booming economy was selling everyone cars! Trussville, named after Warren Truss, who settled in the area in 1820 and built a mill on the Cahaba river, incorporated as a city in 1948.
Today, Trussville has "sprawled" into separated residential communities, major shopping areas, and all the goodies that go with being a modern small city. There is no way to get anywhere on foot (in my case, by mobility scooter). From the original housing area, The sidewalks end at Main St. (which is also US Hiway 11) and in the other direction at Trussville-Clay Road. There is a major supermarket across Main St, but no way to get there on foot. There are traffic lights but no marked pedestrian crossings, and getting across on foot would be an extreme adventure, and of course, if one makes it across the street safely, there are no sidewalks on the other side. In the original core neighborhood, there are no businesses, and only an elementary school, in the original high school building. The community center used to be there, but now has been replaced with a much larger, more modern center near the new middle and high schools, and none of these have foot access. What a shame.
My maternal grandmother lived in the city of Fairfield for 60 years, and did not own a car. Fairfield is an old town in the Alabama sense, originally incorporated under the name Corey in 1911. And yes, there were sidewalks everywhere, built as part of the original city planning. My grandmother did her shopping, churchgoing, bill paying, and whatever business by walking sidewalks, from her home on 41st street to downtown, with her hand-truck-looking shopping basket. My mother and her siblings traveled to school, to the park, and wherever else, on sidewalks.
How we have changed...
In the post WWII era, residential suburbs began to sprout up, and formed different communities, and the sidewalk paradigm came to an end.
My address is in Trussville, Alabama. Trussville began as a depression-era government project in the mid-1930s, in a flat valley encompassing part of the Cahaba River. The land was unsuitable for farming, but was suitable for suburban housing. Fired by the vision of project manager W. H. Kestler, the "Cahaba Project" went up, opening in April 1938. Homes were sturdily built, with indoor plumbing, running water, electricity, septic systems, and amenities rare at that time in much of Alabama. The project included 287 residential units, duplexes and single-family homes, all of which still stand today. The government also built a high school and cooperative store, interspersing the area with malls, paved streets and parks. And sidewalks - sidewalks everywhere. After WWII, development went on, but no longer included the sidewalks, as the postwar booming economy was selling everyone cars! Trussville, named after Warren Truss, who settled in the area in 1820 and built a mill on the Cahaba river, incorporated as a city in 1948.
Today, Trussville has "sprawled" into separated residential communities, major shopping areas, and all the goodies that go with being a modern small city. There is no way to get anywhere on foot (in my case, by mobility scooter). From the original housing area, The sidewalks end at Main St. (which is also US Hiway 11) and in the other direction at Trussville-Clay Road. There is a major supermarket across Main St, but no way to get there on foot. There are traffic lights but no marked pedestrian crossings, and getting across on foot would be an extreme adventure, and of course, if one makes it across the street safely, there are no sidewalks on the other side. In the original core neighborhood, there are no businesses, and only an elementary school, in the original high school building. The community center used to be there, but now has been replaced with a much larger, more modern center near the new middle and high schools, and none of these have foot access. What a shame.
My maternal grandmother lived in the city of Fairfield for 60 years, and did not own a car. Fairfield is an old town in the Alabama sense, originally incorporated under the name Corey in 1911. And yes, there were sidewalks everywhere, built as part of the original city planning. My grandmother did her shopping, churchgoing, bill paying, and whatever business by walking sidewalks, from her home on 41st street to downtown, with her hand-truck-looking shopping basket. My mother and her siblings traveled to school, to the park, and wherever else, on sidewalks.
How we have changed...
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