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New Collection
Oct. 21st, 2026 09:49 amAleph Two has published the second collection of my Masks stories: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0HN1PYCF9
Aleph Two has published the second collection of my Masks stories: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0HN1PYCF9
I had a bunch of stuff planned for today, but once I give Patches her medicine I'm going down for a nap.
I have a vet's appointment for Nuisance tomorrow (just a checkup and vaccinations) so I need to do stuff today or Wednesday, but am just too sleepy right now. I "napped" for over two hours Saturday, and more than an hour yesterday, in addition to long, good sleeps the past few nights. Maybe it's the weather.
I have a vet's appointment for Nuisance tomorrow (just a checkup and vaccinations) so I need to do stuff today or Wednesday, but am just too sleepy right now. I "napped" for over two hours Saturday, and more than an hour yesterday, in addition to long, good sleeps the past few nights. Maybe it's the weather.
Common Misbeliefs
Sep. 3rd, 2026 10:43 amI am so tired of hearing people blithely parrot "wisdom" which is blatantly incorrect. For example "there are no straight lines in nature."
Even a passing acquaintance with nature would reveal this to be untrue. There are, indeed, straight lines in nature. From too small to be seen (microscopic crystals) to huge (the hexagon around Saturn's north pole). There is actually a feature on the Moon named The Straight Wall, visible from Earth through even a moderately large telescope.
The Devil's Postpile in Yellowstone and the Giant's Causeway in Ireland are both due to masses of basalt which cooled slowly underground and were subsequently exposed by erosion. Both are composed of long columns with straight edges.
This "rule" is the reason so many amateurs have declared that large rock formations which have fractured along natural planes "must" be worked stone and therefore signs of ancient civilizations.
Joys of Home Ownership
Aug. 20th, 2026 12:25 pmPlanned to trim and mow at least some this morning, but it was still raining. Waited 'till after 11 and did most of the trimming. Took an unplanned break when I ran out of trimmer string on the new trimmer and had trouble finding the manual. Turns out that reloading is pretty easy. (I'm starting to love Ego products.) Soaked with sweat; cooler but still very humid. Will resume after 3 this afternoon.
Fanfic Idea
Aug. 14th, 2026 10:49 amHow about a fanfic with Columbo meeting Kolchak?
It's surprisingly easy to bring those two together. Columbo is in Chicago, briefing the local police on a murderous cult which started in California, and trying to find them himself. However, the only person who seems to be taking these cannibals seriously is an eccentric reporter for a small newspaper. He also, oddly, it the only one with any hard information, though it doesn't seem real at first.
Lost Sleep
Aug. 13th, 2026 10:25 am Power was off here for just under an hour last night, after a huge lightning bolt in the distance which woke me. From about 1:10 to about 2:05. Not only did my UPSes start beeping, but at that time but the cordless phone in the charger lit up the whole room!
Then I woke early! I fed the cats, opened the cat door and went back to bed. Managed to sleep some, but the phone rang at about 8:50, with a call from Kroger pharmacy telling me my prescription is ready. They called me about that yesterday!
Anyone Else Remember This?
Aug. 4th, 2026 04:09 pm"The thing is, we know who shot him and have him in custody."
"Yeah. All I'm supposed to do is determine if this was a hate crime. However, that means I need to check things for myself, including the scene of the crime."
"He was shot in the rotunda," said the cop.
"I beg your pardon?" said Vic, startled.
"The Ford Rotunda. The big Ford building, in Dearborn, with the Buckminster Fuller roof. The one that almost burned down in Sixty-two or Sixty-three.
Another Masks Novel!
Jul. 24th, 2026 05:45 pmMasks 27 is out:
https://www.amazon.com/Target-Hero-Masks-Book-27-ebook/dp/B0H5FS66ZW?ref_=ast_author_mpb
A Bit of Debunking
Jul. 15th, 2026 11:21 amNASA did not invent the space pen. They didn't spend a fortune on it, while the Soviet space program used mechanical pencils.
First off, you don't use pencils of any kind in space. Writing with them generates small graphite particles. Graphite is a semiconductor, you don't want it to get in your switches. You also don't want to breath them.
Early on, NASA and the Soviets both used felt-tipped pens, and these continued with later missions. "Buzz" Aldrin even repurposed one to repair the circuit breaker he damaged during his last boarding of the Eagle lunar lander. (From Wikipedia: While moving inside the cabin, Aldrin accidentally damaged the circuit breaker that would arm the [ascent] engine for liftoff from the Moon. There was a concern this would prevent firing the engine, stranding them on the Moon. The nonconductive tip of a Duro felt-tip pen was sufficient to activate the switch.)
Paul Fisher invented the pressurized ink cartridge and the special ink for it on his own for other purposes, then offered samples to NASA. After some examination, they adopted it.
Cat Update
May. 8th, 2026 05:24 pmPatches the cat is fine. She fussed a lot, but her heart murmur is gone, and her pulse and blood pressure are fine. She got a dose of Revolution while she was at the vet's, and isn't due her vaccinations until October. I am unscratched! Despite her fighting going into the pet carrier.
No WMD in Iraq?
Mar. 14th, 2026 12:35 pmWhy do people keep saying there were no weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? We know they had nerve agents. By international agreement those count as WMD.
Last year NPR had a whole series on the difficulties faced by soldiers exposed to nerve agents during the occupation of Iraq getting important follow-up treatments from the VA. Their exposures were documented by the US military.
Had a rough night, and didn't actually wake up and get out of bed until 11:11. I was rather surprised to see the time.
I took two Imodium at about 5:30, woke and fed the cats a bit after 8 then went back to bed and back to sleep.
So, overslept, and not going to make Frisch's for lunch, today. Don't know, yet, if I'll make the gun show in Lexington this weekend. Probably not.
Much to do this afternoon and tomorrow. Among other problems, landline phone is out again. Again due to copper theft. AT&T won't let me change to Wireless without a lot of baggage I don't want, so they have to pay for new copper wire and its installation, which they haven't done yet! Still have my cell phone, though.
I took two Imodium at about 5:30, woke and fed the cats a bit after 8 then went back to bed and back to sleep.
So, overslept, and not going to make Frisch's for lunch, today. Don't know, yet, if I'll make the gun show in Lexington this weekend. Probably not.
Much to do this afternoon and tomorrow. Among other problems, landline phone is out again. Again due to copper theft. AT&T won't let me change to Wireless without a lot of baggage I don't want, so they have to pay for new copper wire and its installation, which they haven't done yet! Still have my cell phone, though.
What I Hear
Nov. 11th, 2025 11:37 amPolitician: "Friends, let me tell you about MAHA..."
Curly: "Aha! Razbanyai siati benefuchi timinharongi. Paradeecke mahiha."
Bathroom Work
Sep. 23rd, 2025 06:35 pmI spent much of the past week doing long-planned work in the upstairs bathroom. I installed a second, higher shelf (after having to buy more support brackets when I couldn't find those I bought a few months ago) and put some items on it, freeing room on the lower, earlier shelf. I had to change my design a couple of times, mainly due to not being able to locate a stud despite careful measuring! (There are now lots of small holes in the wall.)
The past couple of days I've devoted to scraping and painting the wooden surround of the upstairs bathroom window, which is now in the new shower. After putting on the first coat I resolved to find a better brush for the second. I found a better brush. I also found the missing shelf brackets! The second coat looks much smoother than the first, partly due to the better brush. After checking for coverage I tossed the brush and what was left of the can of paint.
I'm using the downstairs bathroom for my showers just now anyway, so there will be plenty of time for the paint to dry. I still need to remove the masking tape, sweep out the shower pan and reinstall the shade.
