New And Old

 

Everyone says "Everything is changing all the time!" Yes, things are changing all the time, hopefully for the better. As in the picture for example, we have advanced to cell phones from dial phones over a half century ago. However, some things are changing and, regrettably not for the better. Instead of telling you where I am going with this, let me play a song for you and you can follow along with the lyrics:

Click HERE

Eve of Destruction

The Eastern world, it is exploding
Violence flaring, bullets loading
You're old enough to kill but not for voting
You don't believe in war, but what's that gun you're toting?
And even the Jordan river has bodies floating

But you tell me over and over and over again my friend
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction

Don't you understand what I'm trying to say?
Can't you feel the fear that I'm feeling today?
If the button is pushed, there's no running away
There'll be no one to save with the world in a grave
Take a look around you boy, it's bound to scare you, boy

But you tell me over and over and over again, my friend
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction

Yeah, my blood's so mad, feels like coagulating
I'm sitting' here just contemplating
I can't twist the truth, it knows no regulation
Handful of Senators don't pass legislation

And marches alone can't bring integration
When human respect is disintegrating'
This whole crazy world is just too frustrating

And you tell me over and over and over again my friend
Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction

Think of all the hate there is in Red China
Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama
Ah, you may leave here for four days in space
But when you return, it's the same old place
The pounding of the drums, the pride and disgrace
You can bury your dead but don't leave a trace
Hate your next door neighbor but don't forget to say grace
And you tell me over and over and over and over again my friend
You don't believe we're on the eve of destruction
You don't believe we're on the eve of destruction

The song came out in 1965. The events are not too different from today, and it shares the same sentiment of panic and fear. It is difficult to drive this point home without getting political. The best I can do is point out how often history repeats itself. That we don't learn from the errors of others, present and past, weather it be the running of countries or the care of our earth. My heart cries, seeing the present state of Mankind. In the Book of Genesis, God saw the wickedness of the world and caused a great flood to destroy every living thing. If He is feeling the same way about the world again, He doesn't have to destroy us, we are doing a pretty good job of that on our own.

I am in the autumn of my life and probably won't see much change in Humanity's path. In some ways, it is a comfort to know that I will be spared that. However, I feel sorrow for generations to follow, if our worldwide behaviors don't improve.

My Journal Excerpts - Part 1

There was a time when I kept a journal for awhile, or diary, if you will.  I thought I would include some excerpts here.

1952-

My earliest recollections were when my family was at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.  I would guess that I was three or four years old.  I remember, I used to enjoy undermining our front walk with a tablespoon.  We were in base-housing, which I recall, even as a child, nothing to brag about.  All the buildings were the same ranch-style type housing with asbestos shingles.  Walking into the front door brought you into an entry-way type of room with a big (at least big to a three year old!) silver furnace off to one side.  I don't remember a thing about the interior of the house.  There was, I remember, a friend of the family, her name was Gerry.  She had two very pretty Afghan dogs.

It was about this time period that I came down with double pneumonia.  I don't know how long I was in the hospital, but it seemed like an awful long time.  While there, I was paranoid that I might get a shot in the behind while sleeping, so I tried very hard to always sleep on my back and not my stomach.  The day finally came to return home.  Mom and Dad picked me up in the car.  My sister, Kathy, was not with them, she was about eight.  Standing on the back seat and leaning on the front seat, I said to my parents, "When I get home, I'm gonna give Kathy a big kiss!"  They laughed and said I wouldn't do that because she had chicken pox!

1954-

When it came to start school, we lived in Kittery, Maine.  I started kindergarten at the Frisbee school.  I remember some experiences in that class.

There was a freckled-faced girl, named Patty, who had taken a fancy to me and was always trying to get my attention.  Of course a young man at the age of five was aloof to such things!  One day Patty was flirting with me and I spun on my heel and walked away.  At the time I was holding my snow suit as we had just come in from outside.  Well, the buckle on the strap snapped around when I turned and it hit her on the cheek.  She cried.  I must have felt pretty bad about it to still remember it today!

Another time, in that class, I came in from recess one winter day, thoroughly soaked from snow.  My teacher (I believe her name was Mrs. Philbrick) had me remove my wet pants and I sat in the chair with a blanket over my lap.  The humiliating part was that everyone could see my underpants through the open back of the chair!

We were living in what was called the Admiralty Village.  It was housing provided for Navy families.  It was there I met my first Negro family who moved into the neighborhood.  I was glad to have new friends to play with, but I didn't understand why their skin was dark.  In my young mind I concluded that they had been caught in a fire and I didn't dwell on it anymore.

I recollect having air-raid drills while in Kindergarten.  I didn't really understand what it was all about, but I remember it was both fun and scary!  When the alarm sounded, we all filed out into the hallway, got down on our knees, put our heads down against the wall and covered our head with our hands.  I imagined monsters going down the hall while we were doing this!

Yes, My Radios And I Are Still Here.....

 Again, my apologies for another long lapse since my last entry. I can't say it is because I am too busy. On the contrary, being retired and keeping to myself at home during a pandemic, I have way too much time on my hands, but my hands don't seem to find their way to the keyboard. I have become physically and mentally lethargic. Nevertheless, here I am and my subject choice probably won't move you, but more likely put you to sleep.

 My primary distraction is my hobby of collecting and refurbishing vintage radios, both tube and transistor. The years range from 1936 to 2004, presently. Time passes very swiftly while tinkering in my workshop! In this entry, I am going to show you some of the process of resurrecting a radio. "Oh joy!" you are probably thinking. Not to worry, the pain will pass.

This particular set (Emerson 710B) has serious case problems, as you can see. Repairing this case would be a whole story on its own so I will save that for another day. There are cracks on the front and bottom.

 So today I shall focus on repairing the innards.

The first thing to do is give it a test. Not knowing the history of an old radio, it is best to use an isolation transformer and variac. Because many old sets have the metal chassis connected to one side of the two conductor power cord, it can be a shock hazard so the isolation transformer comes into play. And because the components are old and possibly unstable or shorted, a variac is used to gradually bring up the voltage while monitoring the current being drawn. If it hums loudly, the filter caps are bad, if nothing happens, maybe a tube but more likely something else. I rarely find bad tubes. Sometimes other capacitors are bad but they all get replaced anyway. Sometimes a bad resistor, sometimes a bad coil. Here is mine, built on a cake pan:

 Back view, before and after:

Front view:

Top view:

Bottom view:

Various stages:

A 'whoopie pie' nearby is a very important factor:

 

 

That's about it, of course it needs testing when it is done. Sometimes they come up nicely, sometimes not. Further troubleshooting is necessary. Could be a resistor or coil problem. More often than not, it is a wiring error, hmmm, who did that?

Hope you find this meandering interesting!

• The mystery of life is certainly the most persistent problem ever placed before the thought of man. . . . . . The inability of science to solve it is absolute. This would be truly frightening were it not for faith.                    - Guglielmo Marconi

Looking Inward

 While listening to Alexa the other day, this Bob Seger tune came on. He defines some personalities that you or I might identify with or know persons that fit it. Interesting. Click here to listen.

Beautiful Loser

Bob Seger

He wants to dream like a young man
With the wisdom of an old man
He wants his home and security
He wants to live like a sailor at sea
Beautiful loser, where you gonna fall?
You realize you just can't have it all

He's your oldest and your best friend
If you need him, he'll be there again
He's always willing to be second best
A perfect lodger, a perfect guest
Beautiful loser, read it on the wall
And realize, you just can't have it all
You can't have it all, you can't have it all
Oh, oh, can't have it all

He'll never make any enemies
He won't complain if he's caught in a freeze
He'll always ask, he'll always say please

Beautiful loser, never take it all
'Cause it's easier, faster when you fall
You just don't need it all
Oh, oh, you just don't need it all

'To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man'  William Shakespeare

Stay At Home History Class of Not-So-Great Leaders

Okay, Class, today the subject is  Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus or Nero for short.

  He was the last Roman emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (15 December 37 – 9 June 68 AD). During the early years of his reign, Nero was content to be guided by his mother, his tutor Lucius Annaeus Seneca, and his Praetorian prefect Sextus Afranius Burrus. Nero focused much of his attention on diplomacy, trade and the cultural life of the empire, ordering theatres built and promoting athletic games. He made public appearances as an actor, poet, musician and charioteer. In the eyes of traditionalists, this undermined the dignity and authority of his person, status, and office. His extravagant, empire-wide program of public and private works was funded by a rise in taxes that was much resented by the upper classes. Various plots against his life were revealed; the ringleaders, most of them Nero's own courtiers, were executed (at least until his final demise). 
  In AD 68 Vindex, governor of the Gaulish territory Gallia Lugdunensis, rebelled. He was supported by Galba, the governor of Hispania Tarraconensis. Vindex's revolt failed in its immediate aim, but Nero fled Rome when Rome's discontented civil and military authorities chose Galba as emperor. He committed suicide on June 9 in AD 68, when he learned that he had been tried in absentia and condemned to death as a public enemy, making him the first Roman Emperor to commit suicide. His death ended the Julio-Claudian dynasty,
  Nero's rule is usually associated with tyranny and extravagance. Most Roman sources, such as Suetonius and Cassius Dio, offer overwhelmingly negative assessments of his personality and reign; Tacitus claims that the Roman people thought him compulsive and corrupt. Suetonius tells that many Romans believed that the Great Fire of Rome was instigated by Nero to clear the way for his planned palatial complex, the Domus Aurea. According to Tacitus he was said to have seized Christians as scapegoats for the fire and burned them alive, seemingly motivated not by public justice but by personal cruelty.

  Thanks, Wikipedia!

Reoccurring Armageddon

  While sleeping, have you ever experienced something between a dream and a nightmare and has the same repetitive theme throughout? That is what life seems to be right now being confined to the same place and same routine and nothing but COVID-19 news on the tube. Don't get me wrong, I am grateful I still have my health and my heart goes out to those affected by illness or loss of life.
 When I was seven years old, the country was hit with the Asian Flu. Being a kid, I was totally oblivious to it. I have no idea if it affected anyone around me. I was lucky, I guess, since it killed about 70,000 in the U.S.

  In 1968, the world was hit with the Hong Kong Flu. I was stationed in England at the time, and again, I have no recollection of it at the time, even though it killed a million people globally. I missed the bullet, again.

  By 1981, I was aware of the HIV/AIDS pandemic and, sadly, watched it spread throughout the world.
  Nature has a way of thinning out overgrown forests with spontaneous forest fires. Could it be that Nature has a way of thinning out the world's population?
  It is hard to imagine an upside to all this, but the human spirit is strong and you can see it in the media with people cheering hospital staffs. When people share what they have, whether it be food or rest or themselves. The worst events can bring out the best in people. To those that take advantage of tragedy for their own gain, I curse you!
  The following is, I hope, an accurate list of pandemics. They seem to happen with greater frequency as time goes by.

• Antonine Plague (Smallpox) 165-180 AD

  Named for Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, who ruled during the outbreak along with co-regent Lucius Verus, the outbreak began in 165 and lasted until 180. An estimated five million people died from what is now thought to have been smallpox. It’s believed to have begun in the Mesopotamian city of Seleucia (in modern-day Iraq) and spread to Rome by soldiers returning from the city’s siege. At one point during the extended pandemic an estimated 2,000 Romans died each day. This isn’t a plague that discriminated—both emperors mentioned above are believed to be among its victims.

• Plague of Justinian 541-542 AD, with recurrences until 750

  In the year 541, rats on Egyptian grain boats brought a pestilence to the Eastern Roman Empire that would ultimately leave approximately 25 million people dead. The Plague of Justinian quickly tore through the empire. Even the emperor himself—Justinian I, for whom the plague was named—contracted the disease. While he lived, many didn’t, with modern scholars estimating that at one point as many as 5,000 people died per day in Constantinople, the empire’s capital. By its end, about 40 percent of the city’s population was dead—so many and so quickly that bodies were left in piles—joined by about one-fourth of the eastern Mediterranean.
• 
  

  Black Death 1347-1351

  The Black Death remade the landscape of Europe and the world. In a time when the global population was an estimated 450 million, at least 75 million are believed to have perished throughout the pandemic, with some estimates as high as 200 million. As much as half of Europe may have died in a span of only four years. The plague’s name comes from the black skin spots on the sailors who traveled the Silk Road and docked in a Sicilian port, bringing with them from their Asian voyage the devastating disease, now known to be Bubonic plague.

• Smallpox 1633-1721

  Smallpox came to North America in the 1600's. People had symptoms of high fever, chills, severe back pain, and rashes. Starting from the Northeast, smallpox wiped out entire Native American tribes. Over 70 percent of the Native American population dropped. In 1721, 844 of the 5,889 Bostonian's who had smallpox died from it. By the mid-18th century, smallpox was a major endemic disease everywhere in the world except in Australia and in small islands untouched by outside exploration. In 18th century Europe, smallpox was a leading cause of death, killing an estimated 400,000 Europeans each year.^[83] Up to 10 percent of Swedish infants died of smallpox each year, and the death rate of infants in Russia might have been even higher.
  

  End: In 1770, Edward Jenner developed a vaccine from cow pox. It helps the body become immune to smallpox without causing the disease.

  Now: After a large vaccination initiative in 1972, smallpox is gone from the United States. In fact, vaccines are no longer necessary.
• Cholera 1832-1866                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      The United States had three serious waves of cholera, an infection of the intestine, between 1832 and 1866. The pandemic began in India, and swiftly spread across the globe through trade routes. New York City was usually the first city to feel the impact. An estimated two to six Americans died per day during the outbreak.
  End: It’s unclear what ended the pandemics, but it may have been the change in climate or quarantines. The last documented outbreak in the United States was in 1911. Immediate cholera treatment is crucial, as it can cause death. Treatment includes antibiotics, zinc supplementation, and re-hydration.
  Now: Cholera still causes nearly 130,000 deaths a year worldwide, according to the CDCTrusted Source. Modern sewage and water treatment have helped eradicated cholera in some countries, but the virus is still present elsewhere.
• 
  

  Spanish Flu 1918-1919

  
  
  
  

  Kansas was the site of the first U.S. case, in March 1918. Appearing in multiple countries around the world, the disease spread quickly, ushered along even faster due to the close living quarters of troops fighting in World War I. This first instance of the pandemic would be dubbed The Spanish Flu (despite the fact that it didn’t actually come from Spain). It burned out quickly and suddenly, by 1919, with the explanation still unknown today. But it left the global population decimated—with a mortality rate as high as one in five and an estimated one-third of the world population afflicted, as many as 50 million people are believed to have died. Approximately 25 million of those deaths came in the first 25 weeks of the outbreak.

• Asian Flu 1956-1958                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           The "Asian Flu" was a category 2 flu pandemic outbreak of influenza virus A that originated in China in early 1956 lasting until 1958. Some authors believe it originated from mutation in wild ducks combining with a pre-existing human strain. Other authors are less certain. The virus was first identified in Guizhou. It spread to Singapore in February 1957, reached Hong Kong by April, and US by June. Death toll in the US was approximately 69,800.Estimates of worldwide deaths caused by this pandemic varies widely depending on source; ranging from 1 million to 4 million, with World Health Organization (WHO) settling on "about 2 million".

• Hong Kong Flu 1968-1969                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Hong Kong Flu (also known as 1968 flu pandemic) was a category 2 flu pandemic whose outbreak in 1968 and 1969 killed an estimated one million people all over the world. It was caused by an H3N2 strain of the influenza A virus, descended from H2N2 through antigenic shift, a genetic process in which genes from multiple subtypes reassorted to form a new virus.

• HIV/AIDS 1981-Present

  The HIV/AIDS pandemic is one we’re still battling. And while medicine has made great strides, making HIV in many ways a chronic condition that can be managed in many countries, the end of the pandemic still seems to be a long way away. Originating in Cameroon and first recognized as a disease in 1981, the earliest documented case is believed to be in 1959 in the Congo. As of 2011 at least 60 million people had been infected by AIDS and 25 million had died. Today its impact varies widely across the world—while in 2008 an estimated 1.2 million Americans had HIV, Sub-Saharan Africa alone was home to 22.9 million cases, with one in five adults infected. About 38 million people were believed to have HIV in 2018.

• Coronavirus 2019-Present                                                                                                                                                             The Coronavirus is an ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The outbreak was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China, in December 2019. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak to be a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on 30 January 2020 and recognized it as a pandemic on 11 March 2020. As of 31 March 2020, more than 854,000 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in over 200 countries and territories, resulting in approximately 42,000 deaths. More than 176,500 people have recovered.

"And In Summary........"

  Here it is November and I am doing my SECOND post of the year! I profusely apologise all over the place!  I will try and do better (fingers crossed behind my back).

  While visiting my cousin, Phil, in Las Vegas, we got on the subject of my blog. He said it was very good, but suggested that I talk more about myself so my kids and grand kids could know more about me.  I thought I was doing okay in that department but thinking about it, maybe I have a tendency to talk about everyone around me and not so much about me, but I don't think so. 

  That being said, I will try and focus this posting on moi. I am thinking I will categorize this way:

1. My likes and dislikes

2. My thoughts on my immediate and extended family.

3. My views on politics.

4. My views on Idaho.

5. My views on America.

6. My views on the world.

7. My thoughts on the galaxy and beyond.

8. My favourite things.

  If that doesn't put you to sleep then you better see the doctor!

1. As a child, I liked watching TV. Shows like Mickey Mouse Club, Howdy Doody, Disneyland, Roy Rogers, Annie Oakley, Rough Riders, Sky King, and Sea Hunt were some of them. I didn't care for Andy Devine and Ding Dong School so much.  Food wise, it was cereal, pancakes, french toast, spaghetti, my dad's version of chop suey and his 'tuna pea wiggle' (tuna, peas and white gravy on toast) and desserts! Didn't like liver (yuck!), cheese (except as a grilled cheese sandwich or pizza), fruit jello (plain was okay), nuts (except for peanuts, but that isn't really a nut, it is a legume).  As most people would agree, I don't like bullies. As a kid, I was of small stature and would sometimes get picked on. I spent a lot of time alone and didn't mind it because I enjoyed making things with Tinker Toys, American Bricks, Lincoln Logs, and my favourite, Erector Set. Once I got a crystal radio kit for Christmas. I was too young to read the assembly manual but successfully built it by looking at the pictures. Later on, I had three step brothers so had built in playmates in the house.

  As an adult, I like drama and action TV and movies, though, occasionally I will enjoy something more poignant. My food preferences haven't changed much, maybe expanded a little to include a little of anything smothered in salsa. I do the same thing with ketchup on some things. I love swordfish but don't see it on the menu much, so second choice is halibut when I can get it. I really loved the pepper tuna sandwich at Chili's, but as luck would have it, they found out I liked it and took it off the menu.

Burger and fries are high on my list, but lately I go to Blaze Pizza any chance I get.  I still like building things but now have grown up toys like power tools and really enjoyed my career as a cash register technician (now called a POS technician, short for Point of Sale).

2. Looking back, it amazes me how fast my kids grew up. I wish I took more time to enjoy the experience. Time lost. Makes me think of the song Cat's In The Cradle. It also amazes me how six youngsters grew up under the same roof and all turned out differently, but loved everyone of them and still do when they are adults with children of there own. 

  My four grandparents were the mostest besterest ever. As a child, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without them. They always fostered my interests and most of all put up with my quirkiness. Wish I knew my dad better. I don't have any memories of him until after I turned four when he was done with WW II and the Korean War. Even then the memories are faint. I think part of his distance was he came home with some form of PTSD and there wasn't much interaction between us. Some of my grammar school years and most of my teen years were spent living with grandparents. My mom had her own issues and my step-mom did the best she could. I had aunts and uncles on both sides of the family and my memory is that time spent with them was always a happy time. Unfortunately many relatives are gone now.

3. This one is easy. As stated in my intro on my home blog page, my comments stay apolitical!

4. Living in Idaho for the second time. First time was about 27 years ago when we moved west from Vermont via Utah and stayed for 20 years. Then came back  almost 3 years ago to be closer to kids and grand kids that were still there. A great place to live, weather is moderate, economy is equal to or better then everywhere else. Only problem is, because it is a great place to live, the rest of the world seems to have found it and is moving in!

5. In spite of the political turmoil going on these days, America is still a great place to be. The diversity of opportunities and culture is amazing. I still favour the northeast where I grew up but I have had great times in many other places in the U.S.

6. There are so many fascinating places in the world of which I have only seen a few. I admire the well ordered life in Germany, and the charm and history of England and Ireland. Turkey is steeped in history but while I was a young G.I. stationed there, I pretty much was sequestered to the base by choice, my loss. There is one thing I wish the world could take more seriously and that is the matter of global warming.

7. In some ways, I wish I lived in the far future and maybe see extraterrestrial travel as commonplace.
It is amazing how something as big as the universe and something so small as quantum mechanics can be so closely intertwined. As Spock would say, "Fascinating".

8. On the subject of my favourite things, I am going to take the liberty of repeating an excerpt from a previous post:

- When I first climb into bed and rest my face on the cool softness of my pillow, and if I want to have an encore, I flip my pillow over and do it again
- The refreshment of gulping down ice cold water when I am very hot and thirsty.
- The rejuvenation of a shower when I am tired.
- Finding Crème Brûlée on the menu.
- This one is corny but I like how snow crunches when you walk on it on a very cold and early winter morning.
- Finding a parking space near the shop's door.
- A free upgrade to business class or first class when flying.
- Hearing from an old friend you haven't heard from in years.
- A call from a son or daughter for no reason.
- My favourite dish or dessert made for me.
- Finding something that I have lost and thought I would never see again.
- Waking up and thinking "ugh, it's morning" then realizing it is Saturday and going back to sleep.
- How dogs are always happy to see you, no matter what.
- A five payday month.
- Brown paper packages tied up in string, no, wait, that is someone else's......
- Needing something at the store and finding it is on sale.
- Having someone to talk to about anything.
- Having a favourite book or TV show to look forward to.
- Going to bed one night in the fall, knowing I am going to get an extra hour of sleep because of Daylight Savings Time.
- Pictures of grandchildren and the art they create.  Better still, their company.

Well, there it is, a quick synopsis or cross-section of me. Hope it was worth your time!