Don't start none, won't be none.

 A classic example of this is seen all the time on r/publicfreakout on Reddit, where, say, Generic Out-Of-Shape White Guy at, say, a restaurant, goes over to Relatively Fit And Larger Black Guy (and family) and says something, generally including the word "vinegar" without the "vin" and thus, gets his ass handed to him. Things were going along fine, and then someone's going to start shit and then cry about being a victim. 

Firstly, I'm hearing on the radio that Our Most Zionist President has cooked up a plan for us to have Navy warships and who knows what other assets, to escort commercial ships through a 500 to 1000 foot wide "channel" through the 20 miles of the Straits Of Hormuz. So, instead of just the cost of fuel, now these ships, or more like we US goyim, are going to pay for this additional expense, which has to be several times the cost of the merchant ship's fuel. Iran was minding its own business as always, and now we've got this huge problem we, under our Most Zionist Government, have created. As always, victory to Iran! You're fighting for all of us! 

2nd example. I was up most of the night as usual, listing 20 things on Ebay and also during the day had done a bunch of stuff, sorted things, found things to toss out, etc. At 2AM the illegal night club started up, but no problem, it looked like the crowd would be small. The night before, the cops had come around on their own and rousted the pimps, hos, and johns out in the usual hilarious ants-leaving-a-kicked-over-anthill routine. I hadn't called them or made a peep. 

Well, sure enough a pimp comes in with a few ho's and one of them comes up and knocks on my door. I've had these idiots pound on the door, in the past, so hard that the door was actually flexing like in a cartoon. So I had no idea how persistent they were going to be, made sure my big knife and pepper spray were at hand, and called the cops. 

And the idiots got rousted again. Fuck 'em. As I explained to the police operator, I'm not bothering them, not even going out there at night, but they're coming over and bothering me. And in not too much time, the cops came around and rousted them again. 

The thing is, if I'd been following normal hours, I'd be asleep and the knocking on the door would have awakened me, probably thinking it's Ken or Tom or someone, some kind of emergency or at least urgent thing. The result would have been the same, calling the cops, but being rousted out of sleep is even worse. This is one reason I keep staying up all night. And also, the people running the illegal night club not only have made an enemy, they want to make sure I hate them with the maximum amount of vitriol. 

Getting back to the Iran Kicking Our Ass thing, it's hilarious that the expectation is that large commercial ships, larger than US aircraft carriers, will be able to stay in a de-mined 500-1000 foot wide "channel". Ships are just not that precise, and even with a compliment of tugboats it would be tricky. Plus of course the companies that insure ships are going to raise their rates, drastically. Hell I've known at least since I became an adult, that no one will attack Iran because they can shut down something called the "Strait of Hormuz" which would be terrible. Well, no one, at least, until our Zionist Occupation Government finds someone stupid enough to do so. 

 

Depressed

 That's why I haven't been practicing, much less busking; I've been depressed. It's kind of helped that it's been grey and blustery and not all that warm, not great busking weather. 

I've been depressed I think because I'm feeling like I have a bit less control over my life because right now I don't know if I have to be out of here in the planned year and a third, or in 4 months, or in less time than that. 

And because there's stuff I have to do like get my Real ID. My driver's license is ... well .... it expired last year and that's all I'm gonna say. 

So I *finally* had a look at the email the DMV sent me and somehow I'm supposed to send them documents ... like scan them? But bring in the originals too... And there's mention of both making an appointment and simply checking wait times for walk-ins. 

So here's what I'm going to do: I'm going to get together all the papers I can which is basically my passport to prove I'm me, and then a few things with my address on them to show that Yes I live here in California and have been doing so for quite some while. And my $2 thrift store glasses in case I need to take an eye test. That's it. 

But really, I don't give a flip about being licensed to drive a car or ride a motorcycle any more. I've gone since 2012 without having to drive a car even once, and back in Hawaii there are buses, cabs, Ubers etc. I haven't even taken an Uber, ever, and have used cabs a bit, and I'd rather my money go to the old local guy with a big yellow car that says SIDA TAXI as far as that goes. 

Sure, I've thought about how neat it would be to get a cool vintage bike like a Honda C70 "Passport" but in reality anything with a motor can be a real pain in the ass. So just having a state ID card would be fine with me. Those are a bit of an oddity here in California but back in Hawaii they're routine, and all I had for some years. 

So if I run into some hitch at the DMV like they don't like my eyesight (they never did), I can say Look, I just want a state ID card. 

So I think the plan would be to go to the Los Gatos DMV because that's the really nice one. It's somewhere around the south end of Vasona Park and I've been around there before. 

 

Making up my mind

 Last night I made my mind up about the flutes; I'm keeping the Yamaha in its Yamaha case, which fits in my Fjallraven backpack just fine. In the time I've had the backpack sitting upstairs in the loft, it's collected a nice patina of dust, making it look suitably "humble". 

Fjallravens are not waterproof, and one is supposed to apply special Fjallraven wax to it and hit it with a heat gun, but I can just genuine 3M waterproofing stuff at Lowe's, or if needed I can just carry a large plastic bag with me to put over the backpack if I'm caught in rain. This is much more of a concern back in Hawaii where it rains a lot, but unless I end up homeless, I don't plan to carry the thing around. 

Last night I got 20 things camera-ready, because the Ebay business must go on. I also tossed some things out and each day I'm going to de-list and discard one thing that's a real loser. 

Today I went out to dispose of trash and buy things and the usual futzing around. On my way back (I hadn't realized how late it was; it was 8:00 by then) I stopped to check out a new shawarma truck that's set up across the street from here.

I'd checked them out online some days ago, so I had a general idea of the food and the prices. I decided to go with a beef shawarma salad, and the gal said they were out of rice. I said that's OK, just substitute in a pita. OK! I paid, and it was something like $18, so I handed her a $20 and she didn't have change so I said don't worry about it (I was going to say to keep the change anyway). 

While waiting, I ended up talking with a couple of Turkish guys, about various things. One useful thing that came up was, one of the guys, an engineer, wants to try an Apple computer. I said to go to Fix Laptop or just about any computer repair place, and if they get a desktop instead of a laptop, they'll get a lot more capability for a lot less money. 

We also got talking about where we're from, and they're both Turkish, although the darker guy joked about the lighter guy being Bosnian or something and I said Yeah, he could be Bosnian. Then the "Bosnian" joked about the darker guy being Indian and that was a big laugh. But no, they're both Turkish... I said OK what am I? They said I look "Baltic" and I said that's funny because on my mother's side they were all Lithuanian, but actually Lithuanian Tatars. That got me fist bumps because for some reason Tatars are considered "Turkic" as much as Central Asian, maybe more so, although being Turkic has more to do with language groups then genetics. The warm weather has me tanned up a bit early this year. 

So of course some joking Judenhass happened, and that was a good time also. Eventually my order was done, which was odd because the guys were there first. But the gal insisted it was for me, and handed me a heavy bag. OK then, See you guys, have a good weekend! And rode off with the bag hanging off the handlebar and back to here, and I seemed to have gotten a full dinner. A huge portion of beef, on ... rice! And hummus, 2 pitas, parsley salad. 

I ate the good parts and one of the pitas, and now the birds will have rice and pita bread in the morning when they discover the plate left out here. And I have to wonder, did the gal screw up and then have straighten things out when one of the guys got the salad I'd ordered, or did she hear our Judenhass joking and decide this deserves a full meal, and cook one up for me instead of the salad? In any case the food was really good. 

But getting back to the computer advice I gave the engineer guy. I, too, could just get an Apple desktop if I want to go to the Apple ecosystem, or a PC desktop, instead of a laptop because honestly the only reason I use a laptop now is that originally I had to pack up my 'puter and take it to and from Ken's house once a week, and when I list things on Ebay I have to set this laptop aside to clear the desktop to put the things on to photograph them. But once I'm back in Hawaii I either won't be selling on Ebay or if I am, I can arrange some other place to photograph things since I'll be dealing in very small things like seashells, jewelry, trinkets of various types. Nothing big. And that means I can just go to a used computer place and get a desktop. 

 

 

"Oh, shit"

 I woke up around 2 or 2;30. I decided to get out of here quickly and get over to the music store to look for a flute case. 

I have two flutes; a Yamaha that's not great, kind of rattly compared to new, but plays, and also had a ding on the lip plate that doesn't affect playing but would make any flutist cringe. And a Bundy that's got a wonderful glow to it, looks playable (haven't tested it) no dings, but comes with an horrible big clunky case. The Yamaha has a nice sleep Yamaha case. 

I want to keep one flute and one case. If the Bundy plays OK I frankly prefer it to the Yamaha because it looks so nice, and is perfect to be "my old high school flute". So ideally I want another case, keep the Yamaha with the Yamaha case, the new/used case would be for the Bundy, and the ugly Bundy case would go in the trash. 

The music store closes at 4:30 so I really wanted to get a move on. I left here around 3 I think, got over to the bank and deposited my pay check; the IRS has cashed my check so this, with my pay check deposited, puts me at just about exactly 5 grand. 

Then I rode over to the music store. This all sounds easy but in fact there were tons of detours and road work and stuff, so it was all a bit of an ordeal. 

I got to the music store and the guy has two types of flute cases, a generic case for $50 which he swears is new but the latches are corroded, and a "French style" which is probably about $100 and is sleeker, having no handle. 

My phone rang and it was Ken. Did I deposit my check, he wanted to know. I said sure, just did a half-hour ago. "Oh shit!" said Ken. I said that the words Oh and Shit are not words I like to hear in connection with banking. His work hasn't paid him, and he thinks he can move some money around so my check will clear but also the landlord isn't being paid their $1000.49 which is becoming the hill Ken, or this business anyway, is heading to die on. 

I decided to wait on the case; It'll always be here the music store guy said, and I rode off, back towards downtown. It was about 4:00 now and I thought, I still have time to go over to the bank but is un-depositing a check even a thing? And I should not have to. 

I went over to Whole Foods and got some meatloaf, broccoli, mashed potatoes, and a beer. I hung out and talked with some guys some, and ate my food, and tried to think a bit less. 

Pretty soon I was done, went downstairs and bought more stuff, and as I did with the food, got cash back so that my total withdrawal from my bank was $200. That's my allowance for the week. It's a pretty good idea; spend half and save half. On an income of $20k, it means saving $10k, except for the $3k going to the IRS so call it $7k. Still a pretty good savings rate, about a third of my income. 

But now I don't know. Ken's got all the good intentions in the world. I could sell some stuff around here that's too big or awkward to ship on Craig's List and count that towards my pay and can limp along that way for a while. 

From what Ken told me, he's got too much credit card debt and he's trying to get that consolidated. The guy at my bank told me, again, that they can offer a credit card with somewhere around a year interest free, to Ken or for that matter, to me. It appears everything's not done by mail any more, and payment is done online, somehow. There's even auto-pay. 

But it makes no sense to get a credit card with a bank I won't be with much longer. I like to think I've got a 4 months here left at least because our present lease runs out on August 31, I might not even have that much time. 

 I need to sell off a lot of things. I plan to travel as lightly as possible going back home. There are no winter and summer clothes back home, just ... clothes. I have a Fjallraven backpack that I guess will do for a carry-on bag holding the flute, important papers, phone and charger, a good book for the plane ride, etc., and then I need to get a larger thing for a checked bag that will hold the cornet in its case, the cornet gig bag, clothes, etc. 

I plan Moving Day as, taking everything that's mine that I don't want to leave to Ken to deal with so pretty much everything, put in the parking lot and putting a free ad on Craig's List, Come And Get It. Stick my bags on the bike trailer and ride to the #60 Airport Flyer bus stop, leave the bike trailer etc., there with a big FREE sign on it, hop on the bus, and off to good old Alaska Airlines' terminal. 

 

Genetically delicious

 Ken came by last night and I remembered to clean the office and not just the bathroom. We talked about a bunch of stuff, and I got my check, dated for yesterday but due to his dodgy finances he wants me to deposit it on Friday, tomorrow. Will do. 

After he was gone I dunno, I did stuff, took an ancient and rather huge laptop apart that I'd found, complete with a huge leather bag and a bunch of accessories. It had been in the rain so I just parted it out. It took hours but hey, I got some parts to sell. 

Ken had also brought a lot of vintage-ish computer stuff mainly still in the boxes so I have that stuff to list, plus all the parts from the last big thing I took apart. 

Even though it was Wednesday night, the illegal night club tried making a big night of it. At least that fence being closed does keep most of the noise away from here. 

I went to sleep I dunno when, and woke up around 2 in the afternoon. I found all the things that had to go out except for one little circuit board with gold "fingers" on it ao, since I think the buyer's buying a lot of this stuff for the gold, I put 1 oz. of gold scrap in a little bag and substituted that - plus if the little board shows up I'll toss it in that buyer's next order. 

I took off maybe 15 minutes earlier than usual, dropped the things off at FedEx and the post office, and rode up to Dai Thanh, looked around and didn't buy anything, then got a 6-pack of Lagunitas IPA in bottles from Clyde's Liquors next door. Their prices aren't bad, about on a par with U-Save. 

I got T.P. at 99 Ranch and I don't think I'll be doing that any more because for a while there they had a really good price on it and now it's about the same price as it is in H Mart, which is to say wayy too high. I'll just get it from Walmart from here on out. 

I found some nice packing boxes, and stopped by Tom's to say hi because I saw him outside. I wish I could get him into busking. For one thing he might be a much better trumpet player than I've become at least so far. He was in Wind Band and everything. Secondly he works too hard for his side money, selling lumber and tile that he scrounges up which sounds fine but on a per-hour basis it's lousy and he's always getting scratched up. Tom gave me one of those huge candy bars they sell in places like Whole Foods and Sprouts, I guess in return for all the stuff I'm always giving him. 

I got back in here and put things away and since the welding place put out their trash can and there was plenty of room, put the huge leather laptop case in (the scavengers had taken everything else) and some stuff the neighbors left, and in general did my bit toward neatening things up around here. 

Then I made a dish I'd been thinking of trying, it's making MAMA green curry ramen with a whole bundle of cilantro in it. There's actually a web page called IHateCilantro.com and it turns out that depending which geme you have, cilantro either tastes OK or is awful, like soap. So I can't recommend this dish to just anyone but to me, it was delicious. One of the best bowls of ramen I've ever made. Yum! 

I haven't been practicing because I haven't felt like it. But I'm thinking that when I feel like it again and get back out there, I might try coming up with a list of songs I've never played before. 

 

 

Zingers!

 Last night I took a large thing apart to have more neat parts to sell on Ebay. The thing's big and shipping would be a killer. But now people can just buy the parts they need to fix theirs... 

Naturally while taking the big beastie apart, I listened to podcasts, and I forget the YouTube channel, but one was really good. It made it pretty obvious that "Israel" is betting on the US being stupid enough to put troops on the ground in Lebanon to conquer it for the small hats. That would be insanely stupid, but we as a country voted in Our Most Zionist President(tm) twice, so it's a pretty good bet.  

I woke up around 2:30 and on the radio they were talking about how a British ambassador came over to visit and was talking with some British students, mentioning that the only "special relationship" (that the US claims to have with the UK) is between the US and Israel, and why are the Epstein class not being investigated, prosecuted, lose their jobs, etc. 

It's because we're under a ZOG, or Zionist Occupation Government, and we're just barely starting to develop the concept of an immune response, Mr. British Sir and meanwhile thanks for the zingers! 

 

 

Friendly fire

 This is such a clown show ... it appears that this latest false-flag operation by Mango Mussolini wasn't even pulled off that well, as in, the supposed perp was running in a mad dash, running too fast really to bring any kind of a weapon, if he actually had any, to bear, and the Secret Service agent who was shot, was shot by one of their own. 

The picture the guy's going to be known by, is him shirtless on the floor. But they're saying he was, or the Secret Service guys made him, naked? How do you hide any sort of gun naked?  

People are looking at these things. People are looking for all the details. People are Noticing. 

I woke up around 2:30 or so. There was really only one little thing that had to go out today, so I packed it and cleaned up and fielded a lot of Ebay offers and so on, and got out of here at the usual time. I headed downtown and stopped at Nijiya for a can of coffee and a package of two Hokkaido boiled eggs which I ate at a bench in the shade on the sidewalk there. A guy buzzed up on an electric bike so we talked electric bikes for a bit. 

I dropped the package off at the post office then headed down to the Wal. I got a bunch of things, got bubble mailers from the Amazon place, and even remembered to stop at the O'Reilley's near here for some shop towels which I was just about out of. 

Today's freebee: A Canadian quarter out of the CoinStar, which turned out to be nickel-plated steel, yep, it's magnetic. It'll be a cool thing to show Ken when he's over. 

I'll also have to talk with him about that pesky $1004.95. At this point I'd offer to pay it if he pays me back, but I also don't know if he's capable of paying me back. 

I'd really better be ready to jet out of here at the end of August. Even today I looked at the water filter cartridges at Walmart and thought, "Wait, if I'm leaving in 4 months I don't need another water filter cartridge".