11/13/2022 - BLOG COMMENTS are again allowed and are moderated to exclude only the bots, advertisements, racial / ethnic pejoratives, and embedded links. I'll attempt to honor Chicago's historical "Bughouse Square" concept of free-speech and open debate --- spanning the curve from the far-left to the far-right. /JZ
Blogging to you from the Northeastern Badlands of The County of Lake, in the state currently known as Fatmanistan, DEEP DEEP DEEP DEEP DEEP inside the heartland of the Banana Republic formerly known as the USA, WELCOME TO THE NEXT CHAPTER! WARNING! ALL FORMS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ARE ADDICTIVE; EXCESSIVE USE MAY LEAD TO MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS, REDUCED JOB PRODUCTIVITY, INSOMNIA, SOCIAL ALIENATION, GENITAL ULCERS, BLINDNESS, POLITICAL EROTICISM, AND / OR DEVIANT FUNAMBULISM. NOTICE: NO GUNS OR AMMUNITION ARE FOR SALE VIA THIS BLOG. (No, I will not trade my Colt Python for some lubricious adventures with your trophy wife and a future first-round draft pick.) CAVEAT: This blog is not suitable for viewing while at work, while inside a public library, while inside any public or private school, or while inside any public or private restroom. Do not view this blog while driving a motor vehicle or while piloting an aircraft. Viewing this blog may be illegal inside the EU, NYC, Chicago, Seattle, and other parts of the Third World. THIS BLOG CONTAINS (albeit often very childish) ADULT-CONTENT. DISCLAIMER: This blog is a hobby, it is not a livelihood. Even though much of what I blog about relates to firearms collecting and recreational shooting, I am not an expert (by any measure) on any facet of guns, shooting, hunting, or personal defense. Entries at this blog are akin to good old-fashioned campfire chats or post hunt bourbon-fueled barroom-bluster; I offer no opinion on what you should or should not purchase, or what you should be using or doing. What does or does not work for me could be rugged-country-miles away from your tastes and your needs. All products, places, and miscellany that I review for this blog are purchased / rented / leased at retail price by me. I do not accept payment, gifts, discounts, freebies, products on loan, distilled spirits, recreational pharmaceuticals, plea-bargains, probation, parole, Papal Blessings, Presidential Pardons, or sexual favors for doing any review or blog post. TRACKING COOKIES: Google et al stick tracking cookies on everybody. If you are online, you are being spied on via one method or another, for one reason or another; 'nuff said. You may be able to minimize your online DNA residue by using Tor and Duck Duck Go. Vive la liberté! Vive all y'all! Ante omnia armari. To each of you, thanks for stopping by!

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Entry for May 31, 2008

Storms came through here Friday morning; multi-directional winds hit speeds of 60 MPH according to the weather service. Quite a number of trees and branches twisted to the ground. Electric power dropped off at 11:30 AM over many broad areas.

Initially the power-outage was not a problem at the house; the amount of rain we received was not enough to tax the sump pit, and the fridge was able to keep the goodies cold a long time without power. However, the weather forecast called for more storms overnight with periods of heavy rain and the electric company refused to give an estimate for when their repairs would be complete. At 7:30 PM, 8-hours into this power-outage, I decided I better plan for the worst and rig the portable generator to power the fridge, the sump pump, the coffeepot, and some lights. This particular generator will run for about 8 hours on a tank of gas, but I figured I would only need to run it for about 90-minutes every few hours in order to re-cool the fridge. If there would be a sustained downpour the generator would need to run for as long as the sump pump needed the juice.

After running the generator from 8:00 – 9:30 PM, the utility company was kind enough to restore normal power. This was only a 10-hour power-outage during warm weather, but it was still a good dress rehearsal. Any area of this great country can suffer outages that can last for days, even weeks. Overall, I was satisfied with my preparedness but I did add a few items and ideas to the contingency list. More fuel for the generator would be a good idea, but storing it in the garage is a bad idea; I will probably be building a small storage shed soon. The generator is very noisy so I will be toying with some sound deadening to keep the neighbors from anguish. Running a group of extension cords from the generator to the pumps and appliances inside of the house is problematic; leaving a window or door ajar would not be a good idea during the winter so I may be contacting an electrician to install a junction and a transfer-switch outside of the house.

Along with the battery-powered lanterns, TV, police radio, weather radio, AM-radio, and spare batteries, I always keep a good supply of is
cyalume glow-sticks. The ones I use will glow for 12-hours, and although the light they emit is not very bright, they are great for lighting small bathrooms, stairwells, and hallways. They are infinitely safer than candles.

Thanks for helping me weather this,


James A. Zachary Jr.

Monday, May 26, 2008

Entry for May 26, 2008


My mind is set on which of the tepid candidates gets my vote for POTUS this November.

Thursday, May 15, 2008

Entry for May 15, 2008

The following is just random, mundane rambling.

For exercise today, I was walking on the government pier between the north and south harbors in Waukegan when I ran across Ed Wong, a former coworker who retired in 1997. He says life is good and that he has never had a second thought about retiring. During the summer, he spends a great deal of time fishing the harbor area as he was doing today. I complimented him by saying that he looked like he had not aged, and that he looked fit and trim. He did not return the compliment, so I began hoping that he would catch a treble-hook in the groin. Hard to believe that it was 11 years ago when he retired. Time does fly. Here’s wishing continued good health and good fishing to you Ed!

I guess I should start thinking about buying a new digital TV, or consider ordering a converter. Not high priorities, I rarely watch TV and I am too cheap to pay for cable. I believe February is when analog TV broadcasting stops. Nah, this will go on the procrastination list.

I went shopping for a new bicycle and the prices floored me. Being an old softie, I try to avoid big-box stores and take my business to small local businesses when possible. It is hard for me to be enthusiastic about handing over no less than $300 for a Chinese-made bike. The local shops swear that they stand by their customers and make repairs when needed, something the “Mart” stores cannot do. From what I have seen so far, the small shops come and go so often there is no guarantee they will be here when needed. Should my $100 “Mart” Chinese-made bike break, I can junk it, buy another, and still be money ahead.

My local vacuum cleaner sales and repair store is either going out of business or has lost the concept of serving loyal customers. I bought my last two vacuums from this place rather than getting them for less money at a “Mart” store, even being loyal enough to buy replacement vacuum bags from them at twice the cost as elsewhere. The last vacuum I bought is less that a year old, and an integrated hose collapsed and needed replacement. The storeowner growled that it could not be fixed or replaced, and then he disappeared into the back room in order to end the conversation. His showroom was empty of both customers and new vacuum cleaners, and the racks did not have any replacement parts or bags, so it is a safe assumption that he is closing shop. If he does stay in business, he just lost another loyal customer to the “Mart” stores.

At the house, all of the exterior window glass is now clean, and I managed to finish the job without falling off the ladder. A long pole with a sponge and squeegee proved well worth the purchase price. I still need to finish the inside, but no windows are left that will require me to dance from a ladder.

Sometimes an unexciting life is a good life.


James A. Zachary Jr.


Monday, May 12, 2008

Entry for May 12, 2008

I have been trying to make do with an 8-foot stepladder for household chores. It works fine for some tasks but is far too short for others. I have a 20-foot extension ladder that also sees limited service, mostly outside. The cheap swinging chandelier in the foyer is too high for me to safely service with the 8-foot stepladder, and it is too far from the walls for me to get to with the extension ladder. After many months of casual deliberation and serious procrastination, I fired up the gas guzzling GMC van and traveled to Home Depot on a quest to find the tallest stepladder that I could. A couple of hundred dollars later, I strapped a new 12-foot stepladder on the carrier rack of the GMC and returned home to what I thought would be the quick, simple task of changing a few dollars worth of bulbs on the cheap swinging chandelier.

Wrestling the ladder onto and off the roof rack of the GMC was challenging enough for my short, aging, out of shape body, but then came the problem of negotiating it into the foyer. After that exciting activity, I ascended and descended the ladder enough times to get cramps in both legs. The cheap swinging chandelier not only needed new bulbs, it desperately needed cleaning, and that proved most difficult since the ladder was just tall enough for the job. Spinning the chandelier one full turn would probably twist the wires off, so one hand needs to hold it still while the other does the work, leaving me to balance near the top of the ladder. Did I mention my fear of heights?

After I was done with the chandelier, I decided to clean the inside glass of three very high windows that had never known a drop of Windex. Again, if I went to the highest safe step of the ladder and stood on my toes, the ladder was just tall enough for the job.

After the windows, I decided to rig up some long tubes and hoses from the vacuum cleaner so I could snort dust and cobwebs from the high window sills, ceiling, and the highest areas of the walls; the same dust and cobwebs my Daughter is so very kind enough to stare at whenever she visits.

It is now late evening, and instead of enjoying the fruits of my labor, I see smudges on the glass of the chandelier and streaks on the window glass. Methinks there will be several more trips up and down the ladder for me again tomorrow. So far, I cannot see any dust or cobwebs that I missed. If they are there, I’m sure my dearly loved Daughter will be delighted to find them for me.

Domestically exhausted,

James A. Zachary Jr.



Friday, May 9, 2008

Entry for May 09, 2008

Well, that sucks maybe just a little bit.

Dr. Deepthroat himself just called to give me the “good news and bad news.” The good news is that the tests on the tissue samples looked good, i.e. no cancer or bacteria. The bad news is that he says he saw the start of two small ulcers, a somewhat different account than what the staff at the hospital gave me.

He said no
NSAIDs for six months, and said he would call in a prescription for Nexium for me to take for six months. I am not one who can drive and talk on the cell phone at the same time, so I didn’t get a chance to ask it this means I need to get another tube job in six months.

Overall, life could be much worse. He didn’t SAY anything about drinking and smoking, so maybe I can assume those vices are ok for me to resume. No? Ah …, poop.

I hear another bowl of oatmeal calling my name, that contemptible, anodyne, sugar-free sludge.

Nevertheless, tomorrow is Mexican food day. Wahoo! Thunderbelly says to bring on the pain!


James A. Zachary Jr.

Thursday, May 8, 2008

Entry for May 08, 2008

Another one from the old BBS days.


Hotline! (4) (c) 1987 James Zachary

On occasion, the telephone will ring in vain at the water and sewer department, because there is no one there to answer it.

The bartender at the local pub wanders over to the slumping figure by the window.

"Looks like you need a beer! Rough day at work?"

Better make it straight bourbon; a rough day at work makes me paranoid about amber liquids that foam.

“Where do ya work?"

At a sewage plant.

"RIGHT! Double bourbon coming up!"

(A comely young woman wearing tight jeans and a 'Save the Armadillo' sweatshirt walks over.)

"May I have a word with you?"

No.

"Awww, come on now, I just want to talk."

Lady, if this is about your plugged sewer, rusty drinking water, or your house flooding last September call our main office tomorrow during working hours.

"Oh no, I don't live around here. I want to ask if you are willing to observe 'Meatless Monday' with us."

Please go away.

"Do you know about 'Meatless Monday' and what it means to the world?"

It must have something to do with either 'Gay Rights' or the 'Celibate Society' movements. I'm the wrong person to talk to... please ... have a nice evening.

"OH NO! 'Meatless Monday' is a worldwide event planned to demonstrate the cruelty of eating the flesh of other living animals. We propose all people become vegetarians."

I really don't want to be a vegetable.

"Vegetarian. Mankind does not have the right, or the real need, to slaughter living creatures for food. Meat protein and fat is slowly killing you. Were you aware of that?"

Sure beats getting knifed in the parking lot.

"The more people we can get to observe 'Meatless Monday', the more animals will be saved from vicious slaughter."

Vicious slaughter?

"YES! Do you realize how cruelly animals are killed before butchering? Most are just bludgeoned into unconsciousness and are then quartered alive!"

I wondered where the 'quarter-pounder' came from.

"This is serious! There are no standards set for the humane killing of animals and we want all people to boycott meat products for one day, as a demonstration of unity."

Sure, lady. I'll try not to eat anything until it has quit wiggling.

"Are you involved in any ecological or conservation programs?"

Oh, yes Ma'am. I too believe all living creatures must be protected. I am a member of the 'Save the Mosquito Committee'. I am the recruitment officer.

"You are not serious! Just what does the recruitment officer do?"

I find people willing to stand naked in the swamp to act as feeding stations. Interested?

"NO! Don't change the subject. Our group wants to convince as many people as possible to be vegetarians, but we realize that many will insist on eating animal flesh. We would settle on a standard that would require a humane method of killing them."

That's easy. You can volunteer to talk to the animals.

"I don't understand what good that would do."

Out of boredom, they would gladly commit suicide.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Entry for May 07, 2008

My esophagogastroduodenoscopy exam was this morning. In brief, they anesthetized me and proceeded to shove a camera down my throat, through my stomach, into the dark beyond. You are not supposed to remember anything that happened during the procedure, but I swear I heard one of the nurses shouting, “Take it ALL you bastard!”

So far, the news is good; I have
gastritis, which is manageable. The acid reflux and the years that I smoked apparently have done no visible damage to my esophagus. They took some tissue samples to check for abnormal cells, and for Helicobacter pylori bacteria that cause stomach problems such as ulcers. The doctor said my insides look good, and even gave me some photos. I decided not to post my insides for public viewing.

Years ago, I had bleeding ulcers that would come and go. Happily, they have not returned. They say I need to live a nice bland life and eat nice bland food in order to keep hellbelly from returning.

Got Milk?

James A. Zachary Jr.

Monday, May 5, 2008

Entry for May 05, 2008


It is confusing to most, including to me, but the correct name for Yahoo! includes that darn exclamation mark. I try to write the name as the corporation intended.

Microsoft does many things right, but their internet business is not one of them. Yahoo! at one time had a clue, but they lost it long ago. Adding those two giants together would still equal ZERO.

Yahoo! is famous for buying companies they think they can make money on, only to ultimately throw those entities into the trash. I just received a long anticipated email from Yahoo! stating that they will no longer be offering to host websites via their
GeoCities or via their Small Business plans. Supposedly my site will still be supported, but we all know what that “promise and kiss” leads too. My guess is they will soon ask for more money, and require that I upgrade to owning my own webhosting business. Not a freaking chance. I have been a loyal customer to Yahoo!. They have not been loyal to me, and I intend on seeing that they see very few of my dollars in the future.

Like I said earlier, I have anticipated Yahoo! doing this for months and have already done some preparation. Since my personal website and this blog now are clearly in jeopardy, I will need to finish the initiative and move things elsewhere.

My first move will be to finish breaking this blog from Yahoo!. I have already ported 60 of the 100 posts from this blog over to
parallel blog on Google Blogger. Once I have moved everything over, I will break the blog totally away from Yahoo!. Once that is complete, I will decide what to do with my personal website and the genealogy pages.

Thanks for hanging in there. I’d hate to lose the few readers that I have.

James A. Zachary Jr,

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