Nelson's World
August 7, 2005
Here is what I've been working on recently. It's the U.S.S. Delilah as she appears in books 2-9 (she was much more battered looking in Book 1 and I'm working on the original model of this ship to represent that!)
The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Well, maybe not so much. I just don't spend the amount of time directly online that I used to. Part of it has been, as I've said before, sitting in front of the computer (or a piece of paper for that matter) and blathering on about myself just isn't my cup of tea.
First off tonight, I have to rant. Right now I'm deathfully low on groceries. I made a trip to the "Bloom" store (a new concept from local giant Food Lion.) After dodging other shoppers and store employees (another rant of mine) we finally headed for the checkouts. Now, this isn't like the old days when a store would have 10 or so checkout lanes with one at the end serving as the "Express Lane." No, a Bloom has a service counter, a kiosk with "Scan it yourself" wands, four manned checkout lanes and perhaps 8 self-service checkouts. Now I'm used to the store nearest my house, but I went to this one since the close one is being remodeled (why they're doing this to a 9 month old store I have no clue.) All 4 of the manned lanes were marked "10 Items of Less" as was the single checkout at the service counter. Customers with "Buggy Busters" apparently had to check themselves out. Okay, now, I used to manage a A&P grocery store, and drug stores before that. I know how to check out and bag groceries. In fact, my wife and I tend to shove the baggers out of the way and do it ourselves. Apparently computers don't like the way I do it. The thing kept berating me saying "Do not remove bag until all items have settled." Huh? Seems there is a scale and the computer knows about how much a certain item weighs. Well, it took about 10 minutes of stop and start and balancing bags on the too-small scale to finally get to the total. Then it tells me there is a weight error and I need to wait for the cashier. The same person had pestered us three times during the process and had passed us on my wife's beer (I don't touch that horse pee) but was suddenly absent when it was time to pay. The computer basically locked itself up and would not let me pay and leave. After waiting for some minutes, trying to get somebody's attention (most of the other employees either shrugged or ignored us) I gave up. I left the whole damned shopping cart sitting right there, with all the stuff bagged up. They can't be bothered to have a real human being do the time-honored job of cashier, then they can be bothered to put all that perishable and frozen stuff back and undo the transaction I rang up. On the way out I made it clear to the attendant at the service counter that I would not be back into any of their stores until they rip out these monstrosities and have real human beings there to take our money and bag our groceries.
So, we sit here in the house, unwinding from a short vacation ( click here for pix! ) with nothing easy to eat and not really feeling like cooking much.
One thing I really lament - diving boards. I fully appreciate why they disappeared, but I used to enjoy them so when I was at some hotel or motel. I was never very good at them, mostly jumping off and making a big splash (cannonball!) but now they don't even want you to jump into the pool from the deck. What, with not allowing floats in the pool, no running, no diving, no jumping, no food near the pool (nobody got after the guy with the Bud-Light!) about all a small motel pool is good for anymore is cooling off. Even that gets boring since my wife does not swim a stroke and is deathly afraid of being in water more than 3 feet deep. I swim like a fish (more like a whale considering my size) so we don't stay together much at pools.
June 13, 2005
Work has begun on my new "America Class" battleship. I've decided she'll be the U.S.S. New York, Commander Adams' flagship and well featured in the main story line. Credit to Doug Curley for naming this ship, as well as the one that follows, the U.S.S. California. In keeping with the current tradition, the "America" class (planned as a class of 50 ships, not counting the U.S.S. America herself) would carry the names of the 50 states of the 20th century. The NY was part of the first production batch of 10 ships. She is unique of her kin having just 3 main turrets instead of 4 (the America had 5 - the only one of her class to have the extra ventral turret.) I plan to paint her red and gray, like many other ships in that particular battle group. The America has two-tone gray WW2 style battleship camouflage. This one will be a bit more plain on top, but the red 'below the waterline' will hearken back to the earlier "North Carolina" class ships.
I've put an order in for a new kind of ship, sort of related to the old "Star Blazers" line. It's technically a Yamato 2540 but with some remodeling it will become an "Infinity" class battleship named U.S.S. Argus. The ship was planned to be named the U.S.S. America following the retirement of the old ship bearing the name but it was decided to maintain her commission even in the museum so another name was chosen for the new ship. Since no Superbattlecruisers (U.S.S. Intergalax, U.S.S. Orion) were planned, it was decided to apply that honor to a new battleship.
On to the real world. They are dismantling the "Fridays" restaurant across the street. Big cranes are pulling the air conditioning and satellite dishes. They painted the formerly blue building brown so there would be no doubt the restaurant is gone. I'm interested to know whether they will raze the building now or just rent it out. I believe TGIFridays owned the building, but I could be wrong. It's been there since the chain opened here in Charlotte, back in the late 70s/early 80s.
June 8, 2005
Morning. Ah, Summer. Early summer, that is. Hot, humid days, afternoon "thunderboomers." I don't mind the rain part so much, it's the lightning. I used to love thunderstorms but I've come to experience first-hand what they can do. Back in the Winter a freak thunderstorm (we normally don't have them in the cold months) resulted in a lightning strike on or near my house. I heard the storm start and got my computer disconnected from the phone lines just as POW it hit. The computer itself is connected through two surge protectors and a UPS with it's on protector but do you really think those little things are going to stop that much power traveling that fast? Well, there seem to be no ill effects on the computer itself. I had the phone lines disconnected because I didn't want to lose another phone line protector (I've had 3 burned out now.) I learned of another result of lightning strikes - electromagnetic pulse. My monitor went all pink haze and out of focus. Scared me to death (there was also a strong ozone smell but that was traced to my air conditioner, which was running on fan.) Fortunately, a quick degauss cured the problem.
My little $90 TV on my desk did not fare so well at first. The screen had turned all funny colors. Even the setup screen, which is supposed to be royal blue, was mostly bright red. With real pictures, everything had taken on a green cast. I looked through the controls but nothing seemed to help. Worried, I went into the other room and checked my big TV. Oh NO! Half the screen was the same here! Worse, I was expecting my copy of the Extended Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King the next day! Even though it was more sophisticated, the big TV also had no degaussing control. Then, lo and behold, the big Magnavox quivered slightly and everything cleared up. It was built to automatically degauss itself! Still, my little 13 inch office TV had no such goodies (that's the difference between a $450 TV and a $90 unit.)
So, not owning a hand-held degaussing device or wanting to spend any money on so cheap a TV I hung my head and decided to accept my bad fortune. Then a though occurred to me. Back when I had kept a clock radio on top of my bedroom TV, the magnet in the speaker had caused a slight color shift on the screen. Hopeful, I dug a small but powerful cyclocomputer magnet out of my drawer. Eureka! As I waved it across the screen I was able to "push" the shifted colors up, restoring the proper (if not really great) picture.
Anyway, that was then, this is now. We do have the benefit of having crystal clear blue skies this morning and the air is fresh smelling, though still quite humid. We're setting up the same thing today - temperatures around 90, humidity around 100% and a stagnant air mass. Ingredients for afternoon storms. We're stuck in this pattern now according to the weathermen (who are often wrong but who else can you listen to?) for at least another week.
I've already had a couple people in the store. I wouldn't call them customers. They are "Just Looking." Now, I'm sure you say that yourself when you go into a lot of stores, but consider my circumstances. Often I say that when I'm wandering in and out of stores in a Mall. They have big open fronts and are made to browse. I actually get a little put-off by clerks who absolutely must speak to you, even if you've never touched a display, forcing the 'just looking' phrase out of my mouth. Here in my store, it's a little different. We're on a busy (that means fast and heavily traveled) highway. We are in a building by ourselves, not attached to a strip mall or anything else. That means, for the most part, when people come in our door they are actually looking for something. Not just browsing, but interested in something specific. Of course, we do get people wandering over and killing time while their cars are worked on at the Firestone store next door, but that means no car in our parking lot and we can most often let those people go about their business. No, folks come here for a reason if they park in our lot, and we are behooved to try and get that business from them. That makes the less common browser more uncomfortable and makes us more so as well. I try all my tricks. I approach them, back off when told - offer to have them come back to the open air workshop if they have any questions, then start working on a bike back there (I'll grab one of mine and tinker if I have nothing else) then I'll go back to the sales floor and ask them again if they've seen anything they're interested in. All this on the notion they're actually here for a reason. Well, this one guy this morning may have been like me - I intentionally seek out bike shops when I'm in a new place, just to see what they're about and I'll usually imply that I just want to be left alone to check out their wares. Based on the few questions this guy asked, I wonder if he's a bike shop guy too.
Complaint of the morning: I'm sick of McDonald's ads about their fruit cup. Fruit itself is okay, but I don't like walnuts and the thought of yogurt sauce on top of all that is rather gross. Add the fact the "Fruit Buzz" commercials are silly (and a little sexist - do only women eat fruit?) and I paint myself annoyed. I mention this as there is an ad on my Coke cup about this goo.
Mid-Afternoon - the time when the batteries are running down and I have to "gird my loins" for the drive home. While I was out showing a customer a bike there was an accident right in front of the store. I didn't see it happen, only heard the crunch, but a black BMW is toast. Looks like he rear-ended a small Ford wagon (can't tell really.) Doesn't look like anyone was hurt, as everyone got out of their cars, checked everyone else and hit their cell-phones. I couldn't stay and watch, but at least 20 minutes later there was still no sign of police - and this is a major highway! (Hwy 74, east end of Charlotte - the main route to the beach from this area.)
The numbskull who kept us here until 7 last week was back and bought the bike. Despite research (thanks Kev) into whether a certain kind of bike rack would work, he decides to take his spare off and use the first rack we suggested (the one he passed on and passed on the bike because he didn't know if the other would work.) I've given up trying to get any more of the 6 bikes delivered today put together. I got one, a pink, 7 speed beach crusier, together and started to pull out another (same bike, but the guy's model in blue) but I've had too much "Lookie loo" foot traffic.
June 7, 2005
I am getting utterly sick and tired or other people deciding what security I need. Today I was bidding on a Cyclocomputer (an electronic speedometer for bicycles) and got sniped with 35 seconds to go. I went to place one last bid in an attempt to get the item and instead of my bid hitting (should have been 10 seconds to spare) it took me BACK to the sign-in page. By the time I tabbed in my password, it was WAY too late.
I had already signed in when I started my eBay session.
They do this to prevent other people with access to my computer from using my account. Thing is, there *is* nobody with access to this computer except for my wife and I would have to be standing right behind her talking her through the process for her to do anything with it. She is not trained to use a computer and does not need to do so at work. They have a box to check that says "Keep me signed in on this computer" but it does not work AT ALL. They need to have a setting for people like me to keep me from wasting my time entering my password over and over and over. Yahoo has gotten the same way with my mail and my webhosting control page.
The whole world has gone nuts with Identity Theft Prevention. I have customers *I KNOW* getting after me for not asking for ID with their credit cards. I am sick of having to show my driver's license every time I try to use my bank card. The card >>>IS<<< my ID. It's not up to the twerps at the counter to protect my ID, it is their job to take my money. I keep very close track of my money so I know if something is going wrong. That's the job of every single person, to be responsible for their own, not everyone else. It has gotten so bad some of the gas stations with "Pay-at-the-pump" systems now make you come inside and show your ID - defeating the whole purpose of the card readers. One place fixed by asking for a Zip Code at the pump after they started losing business.
On another note, I signed onto Napster today to download a copy of "Presidents of the United States of America" (The album with "lump" and "Peaches".) As the program loaded it announced a new version was available and would be downloaded and installed.
Say what?
It didn't ask me if I wanted to download it, it just started right up doing it. I tried to stop it but it wouldn't let me. I shut the connection down but it kept trying to restart it. I even disconnected the phone lines into my computer, but even restarting the system would not stop it from reconnecting and finishing the download. I don't know what they did but something was so damned important that it literally took control of my computer and internet connection away from me.
Then MusicMatch did THE SAME THING!!!
I usually take the anti-piracy conspiracy types with a grain of salt, but how long before they use this crap to deactivate my access to content on my machine that is bought and paid for by requiring short-term licenses. I'm now burning CDs like crazy so nothing is lost.
It is so hot and humid I just about cannot go outside without breaking out in an uncomfortable sweat. I used to kid people who lived in desert states that they were experiencing a dry heat, but I'd rather have 100 degrees with low humidity than 90 with nearly 100%. The front yard is extra oppressive with the fresh new blacktop on my street. It hasn't had time to fade to a nice gray that doesn't emit waves of sun-soaked heat.
EZBoard is still reeling from the hacker-attack last week. We now have people griping that we should look for another server to put our board on, but what do they think we'll accomplish. Given a few weeks we'll almost never remember this even happened. Security will be better. It's like 911, that kind of attack can't happen again. Something else eventually will happen and it won't matter where we go, it's going to happen. Eventually this site may get hacked, and I'll have to start over from scratch. Fortunately I've got enough of this backed up and nothing is terribly complicated so I can have something going as soon as Yahoo gets it cleaned up.
And, onto another complaint, this time about something that really doesn't matter much in the grand scheme of things, but affects me none the less. They need to quit putting banana and coconut flavored Freezer Pops in the bag. Bit into one of those expecting lemon and about had to throw up (can you tell I hate artificial banana flavoring?) Tried another one, this time a slightly lighter shade of yellow - expecting pineapple. Nope, that was the coconut (Piņa Colada?) which was worse than the banana. Threw all the yellow colored ones in the sink and hit the hot water. Bleh. Now I'm out of them and I need to get to Food Lion to buy more. This time I won't even waste energy freezing the yellow ones.
I really wish Mountain Dew would bring back the "Live Wire" orange. That was good stuff. Sunkist orange soda is a pale substitute.