I am, as you might have guessed, not your typical “cranky old man in the woods.” Most old men in the woods don’t have a bunny for a honey, go shooting on their range regularly, surround themselves with wireless PTZ solar webcams, play at high speed Morse on the ham radio, or cobble up new and interesting 3D CNC and printer projects. Or run hydroponics for dinner salads or…well, if you’ve been around a while, you know our “range of thinking and doing” is reasonably expansive.
The root of all this is a lifetime of learning coupled with serious ADHD. All further enabled by having the good sense to pay off all debt more than 20-years ago. Because when you “downscale” you wake up one morning and discover you can really go smashing about, trying to find your True Purpose in life. I’m still looking…
One of the stops along the way was to write a series on UrbanSurvival called (this here) ShopTalk Sunday series. But, realizing most people were not into fin-geeking, I also gave it a home at Ultra-Make.com.
This week, I killed that site. Part of my borrowing son G2’s coping skills with ADHD: Focus on just a few things. And proceed for maximum effect at minimal energy expended. Which – as Ultra-Make goes away, I have given my latest (hare-brained, wild-ass) Project (https://geneticcuisine.com) to one of our Peoplenomics subscribers.
Yes, it’s true, brothers and sisters: You can do anything you set your mind to in Life. But the clock runs. Meaning you can’t get around to doing everything in life.
On the speed-learning, high-speed writing front, it’s been good. Downscaling – which is being serialized as it happens – will continue on Peoplenomics and it will become the 14th book. After that, a novel, or two, and (except for Peoplenomics) I expect to be mostly written-out.
If there was one article on the ShopTalk series that really stood out to me as the guy putting it down on pixels, it was this one that follows. An oldie but goodie I hope you re-enjoy. Because this is the time of the year when, sun hanging lower in the southern sky on days full of snow and rain glare, you may want to play with better sun glasses designs.
I have had more eye surgeries than I care to remember. So many, in fact, that it drove us to sell our beloved Beechcraft in 2017. As luck would have it, not a huge loss, since being in our 70s at that point, mixing up with lots of people from coast-to-coast – while remaining vax-free – didn’t seem like the smartest thing to do.
So, this whole free invention, which I’m going to show you how to make was really the result of me a) having cataracts, b) having IOL lens implants, and c) having one of the little buggers displace when I jumped down from the tractor. Three or four surgeries later, I’m 20:30 under ideal conditions, but that’s where our story begins.
A Sight-Saving Eye Fix
After multiple eye surgeries, there were two major “hangovers” from all the eye work. The first was that the operative eye (left one) needs about a half-hour to start working correctly when I get out of bed in the morning. The cornea accumulates fluid overnight. Edema. The world is “foggy” on rising. The solution is a 5% hypertonic saline (such as Muro 128 (or similar generic) and a half-hour, or so, while the visual fog clears. Not much can be done about that.
The other thing – and it’s a genuine pisser when driving, is that because of the implants the iris does not close down like a normal eye. Mind you, I can see well, but where things get “dis-comfortable” is when there is a very bright light outside the car (bright, sunny, glare-heavy day) and it seems very dark through the sunglasses on the inside of the car.
Which doesn’t matter, except, seriously, it’s hard to see the speedometer readout on a bright day.
This is not a “George-only ” problem – happens to all of us to one extent, or another, especially as we age. The eyes get less responsive to shadows. Contrast really begins to matter. Hugely.
How the Invention Hit Me
Last week, I was tooling up the county road toward our place in the woods (“No more than 5-over, officer, honest!”) and I happened to “flip up” my flip-up polarized clip-ons that go over the prescription lenses.
I noticed there was a spot – about where the bottom of the flip-ups was even with the dash on the old farm truck where vision was great. Shaded outside, bright inside. I could read my speed!
The effect isn’t as dramatic in these pictures, as it is with the real lenses, which I will show you how to make in a second, but it will give you a feel for what’s going on and how this makes light-sensitive driving damn near pleasurable again.
First, the normal bright light. This is sitting in the cab of the truck, sitting in the shade of the carport, but since it was a sunny day, you can still get an idea how the dash and speedo wash out into the shadows:
Now, here’s where we look at what the upper half of the flip-ups makes it look in the same conditions:
You can see – just above the lip of the dash above the bright spot – that the rest of the scene through sun filtering, but the bottom is clear and easy to see – even for old-man eyes.
Now, you will want to apply some care and caution in how you make your version of these “special glasses” up, because if you look down by moving your head, you will suddenly see why I cut up a pair of flip-ups to get the improvement!
(Look at the speedo, right?)
The effect – in real life – is even more pronounced because these shots were taken with me holding up the half-glasses. When you cut down the clip-ons, the line of demarcation is across the top of the whole lower field of vision.
You’ll want to cut your flip-ups so that when on, and you’re sitting in the normal driving position, the bottom line will be visually lost in the horizontal top of dash clutter.
Making Your Own
To make these all you need is a cheap five-pack of various color flip-ups you can buy on Amazon for $14.00. Like these.
Next, the sharp scissors and a steady hand. (I put a grease pencil mark on the first pair, but if you just take off 1/4-an inch until it’s close…no worries!)
I also got a little “arty” by making the outside droop a bit lower – the idea being this would reduce side-light coming in. But in the end? They work fantastic.
Honestly, I don’t know why these haven’t always been on the market. If you use them, you will notice an immediate improvement in the form of better cockpit awareness (if flying, it will make watching airspeed and the runway in the bright approach onto a south aligned runway a piece of cake. The brightness will be close to identical.
And if you need to screw with the GPS or phone (bad dog! no texting and driving! bad dog!) it’s all kinds of easier, faster and safer.
This is also about the best example of how TRIZ thinking works I have stumbled into in a while.
Those “half glasses” that people wear, for readers, are just the opposite (positioning-wise) from what the Sun demands. Here’s all it takes:
No idea why noone has patented this, but here it is – in the public domain for you – and all because you’re now going to tell 10-million of your closest friends about what a bitchin-cool site Ultra-Make is (You saw that pitch coming, right?) Or, send me a penny a pair? (Update: No money, so I killed the whole siite…)
Advanced readings: 40 Principles: TRIZ Keys to Technical Innovation and the classic The Innovation Algorithm:TRIZ, systematic innovation and technical creativity.
Now, go out and bang something…
Effective next week (it will be part of my phasing into retirement), one of the weekly UrbanSurvival columns will disappear. But it won’t be a “regular thing.” Because sometimes, I do shop projects that are way cool. Other times, the news (or markets, or politics, or wars, or [etc.]) demands attention.
Sure, it’s a bit like going to a casino – which is also on our To-Do list around here, if G2 can ever move back and settle into a more rural (and stable) life.
I’ve had some insights lately into how Luck runs. Came from following the Global Consciousness Project and how the red dots happen before major global events. Augmented by something called the “magic figure-eight” of casino gambling. This last is where the research is screaming to be done. But, it also applies to PowerBalls and whatnot, too.
The idea is that LUCK has a TIME-OFFSET.
When we go to a casino, for example, the ringing of bells, buzzers going off, and the flashing lights, will tend (over an evening of play) to be “going around the room in a big figure eight pattern.
But, Ure’s key insight is that luck is going around long before the payoff lines are revealed.
Luck in these kinds of games runs 5-15 seconds ahead. Because the outcome is cast when the “wheel is pulled” and the RNG ([pseudo] random number generator) locks. But there is a time delay.
This led me to the idea that all varieties of “luck” have a baked-in time element to them. A PowerBall winner’s fate is not sealed at the drawing; rather it’s going to happen from the minute they buy that Big Winner.
Some people have a gift for this off-set. My (could be late, by now) friiend, Todd out in Las Vegas, had an uncanny way of being able to “see the future” of horses before the starting bell. Made him a well-respected, nationally ranked nag-picker. But there’s always LUCK.
And LUCK seems to have a temporal offset to it.
Which is why I love to spend time in the shop, cutting on wood, varnishing, drilling, sanding, and all that. Because each and every one of us is a walking pile of offsets.” Luck, love, fortune, or misfortune. Offsets from the Mercury Retrograde – a whole field of “offset humans” who haven’t figured out their place in the Great Architect of the Universe’s scheme to deal with things.
But even now, there’s a slow developing appreciation that it’s a lot less obvious, irf you were going to run a Universe, that doing so with offsets along the temporal axis would keep most people off the scent of unbounded ownelrship of their own lives.
And spending time on that problem seems like a more immediate payoff goal than crafting another post for Ultra-Make.
Write when you get rich, (Which should come immediately upon figuring out your personal offsets…)
George@Ure.net
George,
You’re ahead of the curve this morning. Sunrise isn’t until 0720 and the GCP dot is green.
The Man with the X-Ray Eyes
Directed by Roger Corman 1963
Dr. James Xavier is a world renowned scientist experimenting with human eyesight. He devises a drug, that when applied to the eyes, enables the user to see beyond the normal realm of our sight (ultraviolet rays etc.) it also gives the user the power to see through objects. Xavier tests this drug on himself, when his funding is cut off. As he continues to test the drug on himself, Xavier begins to see, not only through walls and clothes, but through the very fabric of reality!
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057693/
Trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-38qQBofak
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10948424/
consider that.. do the chance drugs and the specific drum beats etc.. alter the human mind so that it can see different frequency states?
the thought of The string multi universe theory…
https://medium.com/the-parallax-view/string-theory-reveals-the-multiverse-272fe41bd560
does the past and future of events in front of me appear while in an altered mental state?
re: the 9th dimension
feat: on the road to Yarikh
Loob,
I have an anecdotal story to pair with your latticed universe scenario for consideration. During covid my eyesight began failing due to cataracts, first one eye then the other. With the lockdowns and subsequent waitlists, I ended up waiting more than a year and a half to see a surgeon.
In the months leading up to my surgery appointment, I was legally blind, < 20/500. After taking a couple of unplanned "scenic" rides, I got in the habit of asking drivers where the bus was going.
A strange thing started happening at nighttime. My place could be lights-out pitch black and I could close my eyelids and "see" furniture and room outlines in dark shades. I wondered if it was perhaps some kind of residual open-eye lighted image burn-in that was carrying over. However the images I saw eyes-closed would move as I moved. Once my artificial lenses were in place that pre-surgery blind vision went away.
Wow… when I went blind it was in stages..then I started getting tunnel vision in the other eye..they did an MRI a few months later thinking what was causing that..by the time I got from radiology to the front entrance both eyes were infected.. I woke up in the middle of the night with eyes both crusted shut.. wiped the scrap out of them and started antibiotics and the tunnel vision was gone in the eye with tunnel vision.. I asked the ophthalmologist if I had some sort of infection or something dealing with that optic nerve.. but they couldn’t see anything..strangest thing ever.. they thought several different things..one is lupus.. what ever is going on attacks an organ then it doesnt..in 97 I was being prepped they thought systemic lupus..in the eighties because of the chemicals etc.. I was sent to the mayo clinic for Pemphigus everyone I worked with had it from chemical exposure..
in the late eighties they said lymes disease and was hospitalized for it..
years ago day labor a bunch of us were hired to scoop hot dirt from a spill.. we didn’t find out till after the job was done and I asked why they had safety gear on and we weren’t even offered any..
just before Christmas I was visiting with an old childhood friend..his wife was telling me that the sisters husband and kids died from cancer that they didn’t have a clue about..their house is spitting distance from where we scooped that hot dirt..
one of these days I will take a Geiger counter out just to see..that whole area became exclusive housing..with a private pond.. being paranoid they didn’t tell us did they just build there with there still being some residual elements of that mess we scooped up..
The human body is amazing ..three times they thought I was a gonner.. medicine is the best guess scenario..
“All over Palastine, Texas…were on Safari to stay..https://youtu.be/Bn81wIeKfHY?si=BpJowKTQ2HgdsgfR
“all over LaJolla (birdshitrock) and Wiamea Bay..” Come on G – its “bushybushy blonde hairdoos..” time. I can you hear now – what the F__ is this crazy bastard talkin about now?
I gots you, Dog, I gotz you. Try to follow along..
1) Fish Pond -supplemental protien/retention pond/fresh water supply.
2) Kayak, Row Boat, *E-Foil Electric Surfboard-https://www.amazon.com/Waydoo-Flyer-ONE-Plus-eFoil/dp/B0B726H5SH
3) Water feature for the Outback Golf CC.
Its all here Prepper G – fresh water, protien on the fin, water aerobics, value add to Outback CC..
Less writing means – youse will have more time for terra forming Uretopia.
? Where are you figuring on setting prices at for round of “outback” Golf, and Memberships? Obvious Cash Only transactions..due gov-cartel “protection/insurance’ payments..
Lets Go!
https://youtu.be/IMChBJZUDK8?si=E_yCYM1tcUX9MxWx
Typing to buy a one acres gulley from a neighbor – already platted. May cost me $3,000-$4,000… we will see.
That will be the water feature, talpia pond and low head hydro and watering for the lawns… new home for snakes…er….
I raised tilapia.. it was fun entertaining and I learned a lot..the kids were just teasing me about my fish farm that I refused to harvest any of the.. if you decide to make sure you put a small nursery on the bottom..that way new horns have a hiding spot..
you live real close to the fish hatchery.. red claw..
https://www.miami-aquaculture.com/red-claw-crayfish
I raised them and prawns tilapia and Freshwater clams and a few others ..I did it on a closed system … my problem was I couldn’t harvest them..flipper was 2 ft long and almost ten pounds.. I ended up giving them away.. you’ll enjoy it..
An older friend had a pond in her yard. It had snakes but she regularly bathed in the pond, with soap, during warm weather and never got bit. It seemed a brave and sort of romantic thing to do. A small sailboat or rowboat sounds quite fun as well.
When you say small, we talking feet or meters? Did the wagon train ever come back to find her?
” I have given my latest (hare-brained, wild-ass) Project (https://geneticcuisine.com) to one of our Peoplenomics subscribers.”
This simple statement above brings us to the Word of the Day, Generosity, which I believe is a Good Thing. Here is the reason Generosity is a good thing. https://www.theepochtimes.com/health/generosity-losing-a-little-means-gaining-a-lot-5773375?utm_source=Healthtop5&src_src=Healthtop5&utm_campaign=htop5-2024-12-29&src_cmp=htop5-2024-12-29&utm_medium=email&est=AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYvAveh0NxcXHzLsbrW1UCr12hUABKnfDwt2owMZ2HXNeYr01%2FP0%3D
So, all the fine people on this site go out and give to someone. Then feel the warm fuzzy feeling inside of yourself. Absolutely wonderful!
Cheers.
(“Then feel the warm fuzzy feeling inside of yourself. Absolutely wonderful!”)
that’s the truth.. a few months ago I seen all the classic signs..young mother checking her purse counting on her fingers and putting crap back and going cheaper..she got in line behind me so I paid for her groceries.. when the teller told her..she started to cry .. it was something you Knew that it was the right thing at the right time..
most of the time I try my best to not let them know who it is.. it is so easy to get dragged into their dra.ma..and the good lord knows I have enough dramma of my own..
https://www.youtube.com/live/2iV8BKHgSb4?si=PR1WogUdkDjW4Q3H
now that’s an interesting take on the social security fairness act…what has me curious is.. doing something for the general taxpaying citizen..NOW… is it to little to late.. I got my ss increase in the same mailbox I got the increase of Medicare and the increases for all our utilities..the last increase was just enough to buy a twelve pack of store brand soda..without the increases in utilities..
today that same increase would have amounted to one can of Starbucks cold coffee..
with this years increase subtracting the proposed increases all around we only lose two hundred a month of spend able capital. in two weeks they have to print another 3 trillion at eight percent interest.. our deficit will be so astronomical its unfathomable..
what options are left with a country that cannot pay the interest.. passing that bill will give those that truly are not paying attention to what is happening the what I call Hee Haw moment.. your excited at the security it appears to be..then the oh shit what now.. giving the democrats the final Appearance that the wage earning taxpayers do matter to them…
that way with what we suspect is headed our way.. well.. no more wars the worlds fiat currencies Will all tank that are betting on the us federal reserve and the democrats leave looking like heros.. on the other side of the coin.. if they don’t make the drastic changes needed…then we become Zimbabwe in a year or two and the incoming administration appeared to be unable to manage .. the wars continue and stupidity survives..
I see only two ways out of unsustainable debt.
1. Renounce it. Very bad optics.
2. Inflate it away. Just as dishonest but sorts of excuses will be offered and the fingers will be pointed in many directions and the obvious cause (Congress) will be seen as only one of many. Although the proximate cause is, of course, Congress we should remember that we elected it, i.e. it’s our own damn fault.
There are a few countries e.g. Denmark, Norway, Singapore, Taiwan, and (shockingly) now Argentina that manage to live within their means. It can be done. However total tax contributions for the Nordics and Asian countries are much higher (for middle income earners, often double) to what we pay in the USA. On the other hand, at least in the Nordics one doesn’t worry about old-age starvation, medical costs, or college expenses for the kids.
Or am I mistaken and we will somehow muddle through?
By the way, I’m off to Sweden on New Year’s eve to see my son and his family. It would take a small nuclear device to dislodge him from that so-called “socialist hell” that is incidentally rated higher for innovation (per Visual Capitalist) than the USA. Forbes ranks Sweden #2 as “best for business”; the USA is #17. By the way, Sweden’s current account deficit is 0.9% as opposed to the USA’s 7.1% (per The Economist.)
“I see only two ways out of unsustainable debt.
1. Renounce it.
2. Inflate it away.”
As I have mentioned here (twice), Donald Trump mentioned exactly this, exactly once, when he was on the campaign trail in 2016. His advisors cautioned him to never mention it again. The fact the incoming Administration doesn’t mention it, doesn’t mean they aren’t aware.
Personally, I’m afraid this will cause the rift which drives Musk out of Trump’s camp. The “money people” in Trump’s inner circle can all see it. Trump has figured out he’s got to find a 3rd way (and that if a third way is even possible, it will require being less than “straightforward & transparent” with da peeps, at least ’till it happens.) I question whether Musk can “maintain a strategic silence” long enough for the brain trust to find that third pathway (assuming it exists) and put us on it…
(“There are a few countries e.g. Denmark, Norway, Singapore, Taiwan, and (shockingly) now Argentina that manage to live within their means. It can be done. “)
What’s funny is the actual cost of operating the usa is sustainable..what isn’t is our drive for endless war..
Depending on how you look at it, America has been at war for at least 156 years of its 248 years of existence. Some estimates have this figure as high as 230+ years so far.
we spend trillions on wars..allowed well over ten million illegals even offered to give each 450 thousand dollars California wanted to build them a house..
In the art of war there’s a pretty good quote..
“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win”
we outsourced industry dumbed down our youth..the supply chain is dependent on the very people we are slapping..
“If we don’t stop extending our troops all around the world in nation-building missions, we’re going to have a serious problem coming down the road.”
— George W. Bush
“There is no instance of a nation benefitting from prolonged warfare.”
? Sun Tzu, The Art of War
there are times that a country needs to defend itself..we have become the global police force to gain wealth for a few .. my fear is the country has no desire to be zimbabwe.. borrowing cash on an unsustainable loan the wealthy would be hurt the worst in time with prices soaring out of reach..it wouldn’t happen instantly the economic death spiral comes slow then speeds up..been there..
but to go bankrupt on the debt.. the wealthy go to bed wealthy then wake up to realize its all gone just like the great depression..but worse than the weimar..
if you looked at the soup lines of the thirties and the lines of those receiving government program assistance today the line is huge..
I for one am really glad I am not the one facing this delima.. I am just guessing is that’s why our Congress is shoving their heads in the sand.. I for one am a nobody some ignorant azz in the middle of the wastelands..if I can see how daunting an issue this is..just imagine what someone with some brains is thinking..both ways are a rough road. both ways will affect the entire global financial world.. both ways the vast majority of the taxpayers will sjffer..both ways from my viewpoint and opinion the USA has to step down.. then back ourselves out of the global affairs.. both ways everyone is affected..they can borrow the money knowing that there’s no way to pay it back. inflation will continue to skyrocket..with the social security act hr82 the democrats will look like heros.. but its only putting a bandaid on a waterpipe.. things will seem to level off..That could get us through a couple of years..the other way is dump it all..everyone loses then rebuild it from scratch..pull out of every country we are in then rebuild industry and the infrastructure..
https://www.heritage.org/border-security/commentary/cash-illegal-immigrants-the-new-low-bidens-open-borders-push
yet we leave the infrastructure in bad shape..
I agree with you though..there’s really two options..renounce it.. create our own currency and toss the federal reserve and all fiat currencies to the curb…borrow that three trillion in two weeks and watch our interest on the deficit speed up making the USA the next Zimbabwe ( I actually believe Zimbabwean rulers were more responsible than us legislators)
raising taxes is an option but seriously the wage earners are Not able to keep up with the rising costs now..
either way we lose..
the biden infrastructure bill is delivering trillions in spending to fix that infrastructure and tens of thousands of jobs. biggest infrastucture bill in generations. trump failed.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrastructure_Investment_and_Jobs_Act
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1393868/funding-bipartisan-infrastructure-law-spending-state-us/
You fell for it again! (I give up, I swear!)
You call it “the biden infrastructure” yet there in bleeding black and white Statista calls it Funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in the United States in the fiscal year of 2023, by state
Biden diodn’t (hasn’t and likely won’t) do shit. He is down to blithering. No prompter, no handlers, foreign influence and there goes Joe.
GAFG
While I’m at it, the dems put all of theirs into a siongle bill because its easier to hide waste in a big mashuyp bill.
the R’s did the same basic stuff in S.2302 – America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019 https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/2302
And in https://cfma.org/articles/the-largest-infrastructure-bill-in-american-history you will find more context
Sweeping generaliZations (like “biden’s”) don’t play well with the aware peanut gallery.
gu – with trump it was endless infrastructure weeks. nothing ever got done. no bill signed into law, no money going to fix infrastructure. trump and republicans failed.
sure gu, bipartisian – 2 r’s voted yea, 201 voted no. https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/2021208
but the r’s are happy to take credit for the dollars flowing back home to fix bridges, roads and water despite voting against the bill. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/house-republicans-tout-infrastructure-funding-voted/story?id=82429064
you keep yelling “your” reality as loud as you can about biden not doing “shit”. you still haven’t convinced me. i remember being locked down four years ago, trump missing his vaccine target by 90%. yes, four years ago there was a raging pandemic – on line classes. biden got hundreds of millions of americans vaccinated, schools, higher ed and the economy reopened and two huge bills passed – CHIPs and infrastructure. both bills are delivering real jobs to people who eat at their kitchen tables.
if you were on fire and biden put you out, you would still complain. heck, you’re probably saving money on your insulin and statins because of biden negotiating drug pricing. of course reoublicans also oppose .gov negotiating lower drug costs for people. denying reality (truth) is not a good survival strategy.
G & Loob, Deportation is expensive, $88 billion per year, estimated cost:
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/10/trumps-mass-deportation-plan-immigrant-workers-and-economy.html
‘The American Immigration Council estimates that in a longer-term mass deportation operation targeting one million people per year — which it said reflects “more conservative proposals” made by mass-deportation proponents — the cost would average out to $88 billion annually, for a total cost of $967.9 billion over the course of more than a decade.’
Of course it would be cheaper to implement E-Verify, but Republicans won’t do that! (Too many Construction Industry donors want to keep their low cost illegal workers lol!!)
https://www.npr.org/2024/10/20/nx-s1-5156058/migrants-fuel-the-texas-construction-boom-even-as-the-state-cracks-down-on-them
‘You saw two attempts to mandate E-Verify, and both of them fail in the Republican-controlled state House. In some instances, Republicans voted against the bills in committee, and when they were taken to the floor, you never saw a vote. And what the reporting there was, was that there weren’t enough Republican votes to pass it.’
Duh Homer get off your xenophobic chest beating! Or take one of those illegal job openings lol!!
If deporting is so expensive, who paid for them to come here in the first place (Soros “charities”?)
He is known for his flamboyant personality, distinctive personal style, and strong media presence. He has been described politically as a right-wing populist and right-wing libertarian who supports laissez-faire economics. He has proposed a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s fiscal and structural policies. On social issues, he opposes abortion and euthanasia and supports civilian ownership of firearms. He also supports freedom of choice on drug policy, sex work, and same-sex marriage. In foreign policy, he advocates closer relations with the United Kingdom and Israel…
Recognize him from this foreign description?
We bought 300 Acres next door to our current ranch back in 98 and leased most of it out to locals for hay and row crops. When the owners of our new home retired and offered it for sale to us the great relocation occurred. Back then I had an idea of getting my pilots license and building a landing strip there but like many of my harebrained schemes it never occurred mainly due to lack of funding.
I too have had eye issues the past few years, mostly bifocal related but the past few years I got to where I was blind as a bat in the dark. Recent cataract surgery helped there but I continue dealing with the same iris issues you describe and glare at dusk and dawn especially. Currently I am having to carry different glasses for each environment. Remembering your post about shop made specs I picked up some cheap ones off Amazon and got to work. Unfortunately, all I have come up with so far that work as designed look something like a cross between alien space men goggles and torture devices.
So for now I have the wrap around Ironman grey polarized sunglasses on a strap for daytime outdoor ops, another pair in the yellow anti glare for low light ops, and a pair of 2.0+ readers in my pocket for CQC reading. Then Diana tells me she thinks the Ironman grey wrap arounds look sexy on me but she laughs at me when I wear them in the house. Especially the other night when I had them on when we went to bed.
The eye wear R&D will continue as time permits. Field work is on tap for next week and I’ll be testing green lenses.
Stay safe. 73
(“So for now I have the wrap around Ironman grey polarized sunglasses on a strap for daytime outdoor ops, “)
when I started to go blind..I had tunnel vision in the other eye..thankfully that got better ..but I got a pair of those..absolutely a life saver in winter time.. I try not to drive at night..with low vision I put in powerful led headlights even on dim they are bright..everyone hates me if I drive on the other side of the road..in a city road rage would have gotten me shot by now.. I still use the your a pumpkin once the sun starts going down..lol
I do love those polarized wrap around though..awesome
(“the idea that all varieties of “luck” have a baked-in time element to them. A PowerBall winner’s fate is not sealed at the drawing; rather it’s going to happen from the minute they buy that Big Winner.”)
That’s one thing ill never have to worry about..
A driver for the cabinet company delivered a kitchen to a construction site.. the owner had won a hundred million dollars.. the driver said they talked about the changes.. the winner said he had people crawling out of the woodwork..the only one that didn’t call was his fiancee…after a week he called to sed what was wrong. where he said she commented with all that you can have anyone you want.. his response was you .. you wanted me before I had the windfall .. they got married..
A windfall like that changes the worries and concerns.. there’s a whole world of problems that are unseen. when I delivered pizzas to the wealthiest neighborhoods it dawned on me..none of the door bells were hooked up. it was just a button.. when I was trading work for essential in a barter..one of the things I did was hand out fliers to the wealthiest neighborhoods.. the flier had a dollar bill on the front with the words..more money in your pocket..
one place had a huge fence no sidewalk and signs everywhere about the fate that would bestow me by walking up to the house.. the wife was pulling out of the garage and I handed one to her..she got this odd look then said..” what in the hell would I need more money for” I laughed then said MOM I’m your long lost sun spirited away by gypsies… lol she and I both laughed then visited for a couple of hours..lol nice lady..
considering seriously how much would someone need to be happy.. I’m happy and I couldn’t see myself needing a great deal..so the money would be wasted on me..I don’t cherish the numbers more than I cherish what good it could do. you could strike lightning down on a cancer patient that was told divveyough up the coin or no treatments.. feed someone hungry .. make a mobile clinic to visit remote towns regularly so that those that cannot travel or doesn’t have the coin to travel ..
you would have to have someone reliable to keep the wolves away..
My own take on downsizing is that it should result in less hours of labor and/or less physical pain. Reducing commitments that are neither enjoyable or profitable, but are time wasters are at the top of the list.
I would put the Ultra-Make closure as a legitimate downsizing exercise. As I recall, you couldn’t get advertising set up on the site, and having the site active pressured you to publish a project every week ot two, with no realistic expectation of income for the incremental effort. I still like to read about Ure projects, but you don’t need a separate site to maintain to publish when you have something you want to share.
Fish production in a pond is possible, but there is a lot of work involved. Better get quotes on the dirt work before you buy a drainage ditch. If there is run-off coming from a street or a home lot, you will have water quality issues. Sounds like real work, not down sizing.
or…buy a 300.00 pool…
I used totes self contained I did have a netted platform where if I had decided to harvest all I had to do was raise it.. made for easier cleaning to.. I just didn’t have the heart to harvest them…
I had it setup with bottom recirculation double filter. the idea was I could divert the water to garden pipes refill it with rainwater.. I had a five hundred gallon rain water collection tank..
I did it for over a decade.. the only change I would make is at the bottom if the tank I would put in a nursery a place where bewborns can go to be safe tilapia will eat their young the same with shrimp..fresh water prawns are food source…
None of the boxes of pictures open up. Must be my amazon fire?
I can’t see the pix either. Firefox browser. But I remember the article.
I was just thinking about those around us that truly don’t get the recognition they deserve..
Our Angels in uniform like one of our own regular commenter s d’lynn that put so many years in standing strong to protect us all..
On a frosty Christmas Eve, as snowflakes danced and twirled in the crisp night air, a small town nestled in the heart of the countryside was aglow with festive cheer. Twinkling lights adorned every house, and the laughter of children filled the streets. Families gathered around fireplaces, exchanging gifts and sharing stories of joy and hope.
But beyond the warmth and comfort of these homes, a group of men and women stood watch in the cold, their uniforms blending with the snowy landscape. These were the soldiers of Echo Company, stationed at a nearby base, far from their own families and loved ones. Yet, their hearts were not filled with sorrow, but with a steadfast resolve to protect those they held dear.
Captain Sarah Blake, a seasoned officer with a heart of gold, looked at her team with pride. Each of them had their own reasons for being here, but tonight, they shared a common purpose—to ensure the safety and peace of their fellow citizens.
As the clock struck midnight, a call came in from a nearby village. A powerful storm had knocked out the power, and a group of travelers was stranded on a treacherous mountain road. Without hesitation, Captain Blake rallied her team. “Let’s be their Christmas angels tonight,” she said with a determined smile.
Navigating through blinding snow and icy paths, Echo Company reached the stranded travelers. Families huddled in cars, shivering from the cold, their faces lighting up with relief as the soldiers arrived. With practiced efficiency and tender care, the soldiers provided blankets, hot cocoa, and words of comfort.
Sergeant Marcus Hernandez, known for his unyielding spirit and kind heart, carried a young girl on his back through the snow. Her wide eyes sparkled with wonder as he gently whispered, “Don’t worry, little one. We’re here to keep you safe.”
Private Emily Lawson, the youngest in the unit, held an elderly man’s hand as they made their way to safety. His eyes glistened with gratitude, and he squeezed her hand, saying, “You’re our guardian angels.”
By dawn, the storm had passed, and the travelers were safely escorted to the village. Echo Company returned to their base, tired but fulfilled. As the first rays of Christmas morning sun peeked over the horizon, they gathered in their mess hall. Captain Blake raised a mug of hot cocoa and said, “Tonight, we were more than soldiers. We were the Christmas angels our community needed.”
The soldiers raised their mugs in silent agreement, their hearts warmed by the knowledge that their courage and compassion had brought hope and light to those in need. They knew that while they wore uniforms, it was their unyielding spirit and love for humanity that truly made them angels on Earth.
And so, the spirit of Christmas lived on in Echo Company, a reminder that even in the darkest of times, there are always angels among us, willing to stand in the front lines to protect and serve…
Thank you young man for your service..just like our local hero’s those in positions where they rush in to protect and save..they never get the true appreciation they deserve..
We were just watching a movie of the men in uniforms and I thought ..why not write a short story of gratitude.. firemen that rush in to a fire to bring someone out..the police that face danger protecting those in the community..the soldier that stands proud protecting all of us..
to the scientist that seen the needs of millions..young kids dying from diseases caused by the water they drink..then stepping forward to solve the problem..sacrificing his time and money because of the love in his heart…
so much and so few that recognise the efforts they have made to humanity..
may everyone here and everywhere have a happy new year.
I wanted to raise my voice in gratitude and appreciation for all everyone has done.
George, The images did not load for you dashboard issue fix. I have similar eye problems and the solution for me was a $35 GPS speedometer velcroed to the top of the steering column. My 2014 Prius display never had enough brightness and contrast to allow reading the speedometer with 80% sunglasses. I had to try a couple of aftermarket GPS speedos before I found one that was bright enough. Unfortunately, the one I have seems no longer to be available.
I ordered this one months ago and it works fine for me. I like the idea of a head’s up display so I don’t need to look down and focus on gauges – especially when driving at speed on back roads or in heavy traffic. It also acts as a scanner for OBD2. Some functions may not be available for cars older than 2008, but the speedometer function certainly is unless the car is older than 1996. There are some cars it won’t work on, so try it and return if necessary.
I’ve had to turn in my car keys for poor vision.
During the long down-slope, I discovered a plain old baseball cap gave me instant power to cope with over-bright oncoming lights.
It was all I needed for a couple of years.
(“Coast Guard Style” tri-fold cowl-bill, if you must know.)
Try night driving glasses:
https://www.voeyedr.com/blog/night-driving-glasses/#:~:text=It's%20important%20to%20note%20that,driving%20in%20low%2Dlight%20conditions.
Harbor freight yellow safety glasses can help sometimes. They’re around $2.00 – not the cheapest ones, but those just one level up. They may not work for everyone, but they do work for me. Try them and keep them if they’re useful. Almost everything can be returned at that store without a hassle – just keep the receipt.
I have been following IOL lenses for fifteen years. Back then only two things were correctable. But I wanted all three. Far away, middle (computer) and close up. So finally last year got the surgery.
I have astigmatism. It is very advisible to avoid halos to not go with the latest tri IOL that get everything. So I went with the Clareon Vivity Toric IOL. works great for far away and computer. I can still read closeup (outside great). but inside the house I can read a book. But half the time I use cheater glasses. Same as reading a tablet for the newspaper. Can read without adjusting the font half the time but use cheater glasses even though I do not need to. Also I carry a credit card size plastic lens for magnifying close up in the wallet. Only used twice in six months.
But the bottom line. My eye doctor misunderstood me and thought I was going out of the country. Which I was for six months. I now know that you can do laser surgery to fix astigmatism and then you will able to get the tri lens. That will get you perfect vision.
Loob, this video shows much;
“Cultivating Gourmet and Medicinal Mushrooms”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=417Qbwn9yso
“Step into the mushroom kingdom and unlock the secrets of fungi. From lions mane and reishi to shiitake and pink oyster, these healthy and delicious mushroom species are worth the effort it takes to grow them. With incredible cognitive and neurological benefits, these mushrooms may hold the key to solutions for many of society’s ailments.”
Saw this few years ago, guy knows his fun guy.
Vic
I will try that…we both live mushrooms around here.. and from what I am seeing growing them would be easy to do..and profitable to..
Schrooms ? You want schrooms – you oughta pay Me a visit, for I live within driving distance of the Mushroom Capital of The World – Kennet Square, PA.
The quality of Kennet Square Mushrooms can be smelt for miles around..and I mean Miles.
For full benefits, dont bother rolling the windows up, as the pungent smell of the Mushrooms soils assault Ure Olfactory senses like an M60 ripping thru Ure head.
* Aint no Mushrooms growing without migrants..none, zero, bubkiss.
Gradient tinted prescription sunglasses:
https://www.zennioptical.com/orderGlasses?productId=78131&skuId=7813117
Go to sunglasses, then gradient; hard to find.