Dio's WorkshopWelcome to my brain. It’s messy. It’s interesting. And it’s all connected if you stick around long enough. "Believe Nothing: no matter who said it, even if I have said it, except it agree with your own reason and common sense. Siddhartha Guatamo, the Buddha.
Just wasn’t sure what day, and then I woke this morning and found out I had lost an hour of day,,,, MuddaF*@k!
sigh,,,,
ANYwhoooozits,,,,,
I did get a nice kick in the hind end.
That was at one of my put-ins for the river. If that doesn’t scream “SPRING IS SPRINGIN’!”,,, I dunno what does.
And its warm enough to be out of doors and doing the stuff I need to do to my porch. So I is,,,,,
But I wanted to get my little rant out of my system. I do remember how badly this ‘time change’ thing messed us up when I was working the bar/nightclub scene, and the one time I was playing 3rd shift short-order cook at the haus der waffle,,,,(loooonnnnnnnggggg time ago and a completely different universe IMO)
And I ain’t gonna lie: Last weekend campin’,
NOT ENOUGH
My urge to go out and set up a camp is strong right now.
and here in the next couple of weeks is the BEST time to do so. Buggies are still at bay, the krazees tend to shy from the still chilled nights, so you don’t have to deal with those that can’t handle their own thinks and need to cover up the quiet of nature with NOIZE. (don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my music and love it LOUD. Just not ‘out there’. A little background music when y’all are hanging out and talkin’: no problem, but I don’t want to hear it from hundreds of yards away. ” Be respectful of others”, is what I am sayin’. )
Alas, not this weekend. This weekend is in wrap-up mode and its back to the digs of “makin’ ends meet”. Maybe next weekend I can pull an overnight on the lake.(watch it rain me out again LOL)
(strange thought that has been passing my brainium: may even get a fishing license this year and try my hand at ‘self supported’ kayak kamping. I’m not much on fishing, but I do like to eat them.)
damn the DST’s My internal schedule is all outta whack right now. Feels earlier than that clock on the wall says. I did live in Arizona at one point and they don’t force their pop to suffer this time change thing, and I recall it was pretty damned nice: the exception being trying to figure out what time it was ELSEWHERE so you didn’t screw up a long distance phone call and miss their business hours.
And my cats don’t follow what that clock says anyway. I am going to have some disgruntled babbies this week because MY SCHEDULE doesn’t mesh with thiers,,,,
ok,,,, rant over, back to cutting wood and fixing my porch. Y’all take care
Saw post on Utoobies that “Trump declares war” well, he can’t,,, He CAN direct the JCOS to action, but he has 30 days to convince CONgress to declare war,,,, Its not his job to do that shitte. Of course there are some ‘workarounds’ to that 30 day thing, (coff coff police action, coff!) but we have seen how those turned out before.
Alberta Canada wants to become the 51st state of The United States. I say “why the F! not?’* I am sure there are all sorts of sore spots that would need massaged out, and of course Turd-boy Castro will throw hissy fits about it,,,, (* my opinion, Why not go the whole shebang, we are tied tighter than siamese twins as it is now,,,,)
Now this one is FACT:
I have too much shit!!! Time to empty my cup again. I was going through the camp gear and my closet clearing cloths out, and NEVER made it to the porch issue.
I may need to take a weekend and do a road side sale (they are common enough around these parts,) and see what I can unload and make back some money on, not just donate to Goodwill. Camp gear, good stuff: I just don’t see needing 3 tents 4 sleeping bags and lord knows how many campstoves I now have (found three and I am still digging)
BUT, Its satyrday eve, the sun is set, and my world is a might quiet right now,,,,,
LOL,,, sorta,,, not goin’ off on adventures; takin’ care of homestead stuff this weekend. Its not supposed to be cold (though the water is still frigid as F!, so kayakin’ is a “maybe, let me think ’bout it”)
I have wood to replace some of the rotted sections of my porch. That rough cut stuff is great, but it doesn’t hold up for years and years: one or two and needs replaced. Only real advantage to it being “Cheap”, as in free for the taking from the scrap piles at the lumber mill. Now I have several treated 2×8’s 18′ in length that I can use instead, and these should hold up a few more years…
Cleanin’ house too. Been the bachelor for to many years and my house gets a little cluttered with projects this, geegaws that,
and you would think I am a cloths whore looking in my closet. Going to go through there and find stuff that I haven’t worn in years and take it to goodwill or something.
I’m also testing some of my camp gear. With the recent failure of my sleeping pad,(I have three) I am testing the remaining units with function testing. The one failed will be cut up for patches and replacement valves: the problem was the fabric, not the seams. Slow leaks right through the fabric itself. I had similar issues with a cheap camp pillow. The Manufacturer chose shoddy materials. Gonna have to eat this one because the return date was over a year back, and the company either folded or was absorbed back into the CCP ‘for reasons’. eyah, Chinee schlock: lesson learned.
And an update on fourfeets,,,
Thats Lucky Bastich his-self,,,, Little ain’t an operative term for him any longer. Not even a year old and almost as big as Zoomy. And other than some coloration differences, hard to tell the two apart from a distance these days. I think Zooms is ElBees Daddy meself,,, Where he came from is well within triapsing distance for a horny tomcat. And I HAVE seen Zooms down that way a time or two. (funny as heck to see him fade into the woods, but poke his head up when I call.)
As for the Voo,,,, the poor sod is gettin’ VERY long in tooth,,, His hip displasia is getting really bad. Moves fine after a few minutes going walkies, but that getting off the ground thing pains the hell out of him and it shows. I have a decision to make here soon and I don’t like it. I don’t think that needs expanded on, do it? I don’t like the idea of needing to make that call when UNIVERSE sent him to me like it did. Seems like I am trying to play god or something with a gift from above. But it hurts me to see him suffer like he does, and its pretty obvious, he isn’t ‘happy’, unless we are out walking.
Fact is, he is around 13 years old: thats PAST the life expectancy of his breed.
n’ermind,,,, I know, I know. “don’t farm it out” advice from Heinlein,,,, Always at the back of my mind.
I’ll have more up later; something I saw this morning needs checked into and opinion made before I go postin’bout it. No need to speak out of turn thing, and I don’t have enough information yet.
Life goes on, and I need to get to livin’ mine here.
I don’t know when it started, though I feel it was in my lifetime. When did our health take second fiddle to our living?
This thought line started in the wee hours. It may be something subliminal since Sarah posts something similar and answered in part, something of which I claim ignorance in the first paragraph.
Facts: Farming in America is MOSTLY huge corporate farms, measuring thousands if not millions of hectares of land. Farming in the plow, seed, grow, harvest sense. Not including livestock type farming, (that line is a different ball of cod scrapings.) Many of the Big Farms are also contracted with groups like Monsanto, that has intellectual property rights to the genetic modifications of the seed they provide. Smaller farms were often, and may be still, swallowed up if it were found that some of that trace genetic material had crossed over into their feilds. The little guys couldn’t afford the legal side of things and would go bankrupt trying to defend against laws of nature and wind drifting spores of ‘intellectual property’.
I’m not arguing against Intellectual Property laws, but I would say that, in the cases I mentioned, there was some lawfare involved and the defense of location and weather should have been observed, not ignored by the judicial. You can not stop the propagation of plant breeding ‘by decree’. You can’t tell the bees, ‘these plants are mine, those are his: don’t mix the genes up, please’.
But that matter forces me to illustrate why I made it. Sarah mentions that case in her post; heres that quote.
Around the eighties, the authorities, influenced in no small amount by “Diet for a Small Planet” which combined ignorance about agriculture (lands that are good for growing cows in, don’t necessarily work for wheat, corn or even potatoes) decided that meat was evil, and fat was responsible for every health problem.
Because fat is what makes food delicious, they instead started loading things with carbs and more carbs. And because our food regulations are susceptible to lobbyists, the corn lobby insisted that all sweet should be provided by high fructose corn syrup.
I know I have been down this road once before: LOTS MORE than just corn syrup is made from that corn. From that syrup is also made Alcohol, Vinegar, Acetates, starches, etc etc etc, And the real fact is “We don’t know what long term GMO exposure does”
Look around you. Go to Walmart one evening, especially around the first of the month when the government checks hit the banks. The amount of human lard is incredible. Being near 60, I recall a time when that scene would have caused us alarm: yet this decade and the last one, THIS IS NORMAL. Normal enough that seeing Large Models glamorizing clothing lines is a regular. (alternative argument: Have you EVER seen a fat Amish person?)
(BTW, its not JUST corn products. That whole soy business is booming too, and we don’t know how all of that effects the body. I’ve read how it increases estrogen levels in men, decreasing Testosterone (Femme boiz), starts puberty earlier and faster in young girls (ever seen that 14 something girl that looks old enough with a rack large enough to convince ANY bouncer she is old enough to be in the bar?)
And that doesn’t even start to touch on the other health aspects we are under. Diabetes is starting to climb the ladder as public killer #1 over heart disease or cancers. We have this outbreak of turbo-cancers that are supposedly due to the Vaxxnottavaxx, but can we say that its NOT a combination factor between the Vaxx and diet?
Childhood obesity! That was a very narrow window issue when I was growing up. I can think of only a couple kids with wieght issues throughout my school days.
I only know this: there was a picture posted recently. A beach scene from the mid70’s, and there was not one fat person on that beach or in the water: NOT ONE. Now? even those of us with naturally slim proportions are struggling with keeping the flab off. Yes, it does happen with age, but I don’t recall any of my Grands having the problems I am experiancing.
By my own experiments, (and YMMV, everyone has different metabolisms) Going back to the diet my grands lived with: butter, not margarine. Cream/milk, not soy or nut based milk like substitutes. EGGS, Bacon, sausage, steaks, porkchops, potatoes, some green stuff in the mix,,,,,, Few breads or starches like pasta rice or beans. (though beans are higher in protein than the others and were a staple in many cultures including ours.)
BUT NOT PROCESSED heat and ready to eat JUNK,,,, my wieght started to fall off. My middle got a little saggier, not flabbier (but I’m older, and the skin doesn’t pull back so quick these days) and I felt like I had more energy. Yes, it takes more work, not convenient for the on the go lifestyle, and hard to find sometimes. (do you really know what ingredients went into that sausage? for example)
I also noted that free range eggs are far better than the mass produced store bought by several measures. Consistency, stronger yolks, darker yolks and FLAVOR where the mass produced eggs seem bland in comparison. I MUST use salt on the store bought ones: the hand gathered sold from the front porch ones don’t need it. I’ve also noted a difference between grass fed beef and the corn fed beef. MamaKat won’t touch the cornfed beef anylonger, so I know its not ‘just my tastebuds’,,,, So what if the beef is somewhat leaner (its not lean to the point of ‘no fat’): You get more for your dollar if the fat is minimal. (and the local cattle farmer doesn’t inject his beef with water and CO2 to dress it up, like the stores do.)(Da noted on a turkey in the store this past year “20% water added”. water adds wieght, and bulks up the deadbird making it look like you are getting more,,,, Y’ain’t!)
And what else is getting added into our food? I read some ‘conspiracy theory’ that they are starting to add the Vaxxnottavaxx to meat for sale. Can’t make us take it voluntarily, so they force it on us (it was when I read that, that I stopped buying meat at the stores and started using the local cattle peeps. You may not have that option. I have no desire to ingest a genetic modifier designed by Mengele wannabes.)
And then we have that chemical Glysophate. You have heard it called Round up, and other names: it was designed by (for??) Monsanto to treat crops and kill off any weed or NON-GMO CROPS that might encroach on their intellectual property. Some have even said it was designed by the same people that gave us Agent Orange back in the Vietnam era, and that it is actually the same shit, toned down a bit so it kills weeds slower. (which could be argued ‘kills us slower’ as well.) The mass use of glysophate correlates to the ‘glutten intolerance’ issue that popped up in the late 90’s/early aughts. Which is it? Something that has been with us for 10000+ years and makes bread taste glorious, or the chemical that is suddenly showing up in cows milk due to watershed poisoning, and is in most all commercially processed food to some extent?
How to untie this knot of profit and corporations? I dunno, but it needs done IMO, and we need to get back to having more actual farms and not mega hectare production firms. Chemical additives (not just the preservatives) like appetite enhancers (found in EVERY Lays product among others) are having effects too. All in the name of profits. I am not saying capitalism is a bad thing; we all like making profits. But I don’t think most of us would sleep well, knowing that our profit came at the expense of someones life potential because our product was slowly killing them.
Learn to eat better, stop buying the junk, find local farmers to deal with if you can. (most every town has a farmers market. Not convenient but BETTER, for you and the local scene.) Unfortunately, we can’t educate every Swingin’ Joe-blow on the dole, that his cartload of pop and moonpies is why he needs a powered chair to go shopping and has 15 doc appointments this month,,,,
but we can start on US, work slowly and feel better, and others will ask us ‘HOW?’ and THEN, we can teach them too.
,,,, Not a lot mind you, but it was enough, and KOLD as a witches teat,,,,
That meant short day, no fault sort of day. Burnout went to take his drivers test, I went to diag a powered gate that won’t act up for me, and called it a day. Son of Bossman, Hooolus, and I went out for breakfast after the gate fun, and that was that.
Chased down my propane refill before my 30# dried up on me, so HAS HEAT and the kittehs are happy for it. (and thats why I didn’t note the snow until I was headed out,,,, knew it was kold and stayed the F indoors so didn’t see that dreaded white fluff till I was in it.)
This isn’t winter, this is harrasment!!!!
LOL
No, I ain’t mad. To be honest, wasn’t feelin’ all that motivated to work anyways. Hibernation mode in three, two,,,
Kiddin’
But not kiddin’ about the lack of motivation. I’m ready for warm, sun, and longer days (we’re gettin’ there,,,,)
AND NOW, that dreaded white fluff has been converted to liquid form and making everything damp, until the sun falls over the edge and things cool off again and that damp turns into slick ass black ice. I nearly had a tumble earlier on such; no wants more of that. Gettin’ older, watches steps more closely: its a long way to the ground and the sudden stop at the end, HURTS. Hurts way more now than I recall from younger days. We were designed to bend and bounce in our younger years: the older models are a bit more obstinate and unyielding.(in more ways than just the physical. ;-D )
I suggest the Donald apply number Two to his demoncrap detractors. Its obvious they can’t see that carrot,,,
Is what it is,,,, I thought I was all out of those, but seems the coming spring time hatched a new batch for me. (maybe that camping trip with Brudda B hatched a few too.)
I only know, (and as I mentioned to Ox in comments) “Change is never permanent, but change is,,,,,” (yes, a quote from the Professor, Neil Peart.) So we sit and watch, guard, and prepare. All will be revealed (we hope).
Yup,,, I’ve applied a lot of ZEN to my world lately. NEEDED IT.
I did NOT watch Trumps roasting of the demon-crap-tastic tantrumsmostly non-verbal protestations.
Lots goin’ on in the ‘real world’ and I’m purt’much at the stage of “Observe and plan accordingly”.
I seriously think the demon-craps have the levers lined up to crush the economy and that is their ONLY power now. Every time they pull crap like they pull last night, more ‘former’ democrats fall off that fence. I hear frequently “they don’t seem like Daddies Democrats,,,,” Heard that EXACT statement from RFKjr his-self,,,,,
So what have I been doing (besides making noise) ?
workin’
playin’
LIVING!!!
And tonight, I am watching Starshipp 8 launch (T-00:05;00 right now)
May never leave this rock, but the fact that we are getting closer and closer to that point, THRILLS me beyond words.
SOMEONE is going to leave this place and go explorin’! SEND IT!!! ( update!!! 😦 flight scrubbed at forty seconds to launch,,,,)
First off, I must admit, I have a very limited amount of recording gear these days. With that in mind, I know you won’t get the full gist of what this system is capable of, and for that, my apologies. As said in an earlier post, your end system is going to be the deciding factor in how that sounds TO YOU,,,,,
Onward. materials and prep
The material I used for this evolutionNotes for location of eyebolts and exciters
Here, you can see the ‘finish’ I put on the area where the Exciters are to be placed. Its a simple ‘shellac’ of superglue spread thin and allowed to cure (you can use a heat gun to accelerate that process, but if so, do it out of doors as the fumes are highly toxic,,,,)
Placement is the 2/5th, 3/5ths rule of thumb, I was going to try something different but decided otherwise at the last minute.
MOUNTING the units to the wall. I have a mess of store hardware that is used to hang blister packs and what not in resell outlets. I made a bracket to hold the steel arms and mounted four of those in place on the target wall. For the speaker itself, an eyebolt for the bungee to slip through.
I was going to use the Luan as I bought it, but my place just doesn’t want to harbor a pair of 2’x4′ sheets, and I was forced to cut down to 24″X42″. That is close to that golden ratio I mentioned in other posts. Works though, and the sheets hang cleanly on the target wall.
The Exciters.
Don’t look like much do they?
Hard wired (soldered) speaker wire to them, in series to make 80watts@2ohms per panel.
Mounted this to a 600watt system: 100w/channel with 400watt subwoofer.
Test music was the same as in earlier post, but the REAL MAGIC happened when I put on THESE,,,,,
10 minutes later, cuz from across hollar is coming over to see whats up,,,, When i listen to THOSE songs, everyone in a half mile does too,,,,
As he had no idea I was up to something ‘completely different’, he was rather taken aback that “ALL THAT SOUND IS COMING OUT OF A SHEET OF LUAN?!?!?!” (he had to yell it, since I hadn’t dialed back the gain any,,,,)
TIME FOR THE AUDITION,,,,
Note, due to copyright issues, I was unable to load up ANYTHING longer than 60 seconds,,,, Is what it is; I FEEL, that the point is made in those quick 50 sum-odd seconds,,,,
Pardon the mess, install dregs,,,
more of that mess LOL
((yes, for those that noted it: thats a 30# cylinder of propane in front of my heater. The big boys outside ran out last night and I have not gone to refill them YET. The 30#’er is my ‘backup’ for such situations.))
Most definitely a sound sound system. Proper placement is critical of course, but the setup I have in my little place is perfect for this deaf ol’ sound dood. Near feild, this thing will rip your head off and drive that kick drum right up your ass. High hats and cymbal rides CUT through the mix and can be heard CLEARLY while all the rest of the music is blasting a line of travel through anything in front of the panel. The transition between sub and full range panel is seamless and can be ‘felt’ in Rush’s Tom Sawyer
Far feild, I have not a clue, but that wasn’t the intention of my build. I would say, with the 165degree spread of the sound, near field is the best bet for this design; but, the fact that my Cousin came over because he could hear it, and he lives several hundred yards away with trees between us,,,(and that could be due to the fact that my porch door was standing wide open and pointing straight at his place,,,,Shotgunning the sound in his direction.)
Guess I should mention what ‘proper placement’ is, eh? I have the speakers hanging by bungee from the wall with the top being 6″ spaced off the wall, the eyebolts give an extra 1″ and that allows the panel to hang at around 5 degrees off horizontal (downward). That puts the sound right about mid-body at 10′ in my house. Room filling is my intention and this setup did just that. The panel must be free floating or you will get buzzes and other strange noises. Matching the wieght of the panel with the power output, FOR ME, was pure guesswork. but I am not getting any strange pops or distortion for lack of weight, and the panels are light enough that the exciter aren’t muffled off.
There it is,,,, Maybe y’all will be building your own soon. If you do, enjoy the sounds.
It was the early part of the Tweens when the political divisions of the United States reached irreconcilable differences. Ted, a burnt out computer programmer, and Jim, a double amputee combat vet, reverse engineer the pentagons drone program and create a rebel air force. While traveling the country helping others defend what is left of the country, they run afoul a most evil woman intent on creating a serfdom within the country.
A beginner’s guide to going off grid. how to evaluate if you even want to make the attempt. written by the curmudgeonly author of this blog and his dog
Dio's Workshop 