Alt: Workflow, Gear, and Staying Sane in the Heat
If you’re like me, the shop ain’t just a place to fix stuff—it’s where you spend hours tinkering, swearing under your breath, and occasionally getting something right on the first try. But comfort matters more than folks admit.
A sore back from hunching over one overcrowded bench, sweaty shirts sticking to you, or grit in your eyes can turn a good day sour fast. This week’s ramble is all about dialing in that “old man shop comfort”—smart workflow, the right gear to stay protected without feeling like a hazmat suit, and little hygiene tricks that keep you going longer.
Workflow Analysis: Ditching the One-Bench Myth
Look, I tried the “one big bench does it all” approach for years. Sounds efficient—everything in arm’s reach, right?
Wrong. It turns into a war zone. Greasy mechanic parts mix with delicate electronics, solder flux gets on gun parts, and suddenly you’re chasing contamination or knocking tools off the edge.
Really need 2-3 dedicated zones: How can I build a proper cabinet in the middle of that?
Mechanical assemblies bench — Heavy-duty surface (maybe butcher block or steel top), vise mounted, room for hammers, files, and oil. Keep the mess here—engines, linkages, big fasteners. No delicate stuff allowed. You can have a vise here.
Wood Bench: The mechanic’s dream bench just won’t work with wood. You need (thinking back to some cabinetry) real clear, level (no damn vice in the way) elbow room. And you need to make it big enough so glue, clamps, a nail gun (and whatever) can be right on the work. Not some stretch and grab over yonder. Wood vise only – this is where cabinets form up.
Electronics bench — ESD mat, antistatic setup, plenty of outlets, and organized drawers for caps, resistors, and tiny screws. Bright, even lighting—no shadows hiding bad joints. You want magnifiers if you’re over 50, too. The vice here? A zillion small LCR meters and lots of 7″ scope display with a 24″ USB scope on the electronics computer.
Outside Assembly table — Larger, open flat space for final put-togethers, painting, or layout. Rolling carts nearby for parts staging. Height-adjustable if your knees complain. Cabinets made inside (if you’re so blessed) need to park somewhere for sanding and paint. Wind blow, sprayed (shit) dissipates. And an ongoing debate about a small 5 1/2 inch vise. Welding magnets and clamps work for now.
Investing in a Cart Fleet
Throw in mobile tool carts to shuttle between zones. Workflow flows smoother, cleanup’s faster, and you avoid that “everything’s contaminated” headache. If space is tight, at least partition one bench with a divider or use rolling stands. One bench? Only if you’re doing one thing with your life—and – seriously – who does that?
My latest edition is the “goo and glop” cart (the paint cart). 50 cans of everything. Paint. tap and die goo, Plasti-Dip on one side, paint on the other. There’s a fastener cart, an electrical (and solar) roll-around, plus a “special tools” rolling drawers. Each pre-filled for the flavors for the “work of the day.”
If you have shied away from carts due to an uneven floor? Amazon has a wide selection of large (5″ and up) casters that roll through a HummVee obstacle course. Even do OK outside, if the weather is dry. Drought year, you say? Roll ’em!
Shop Gear: PPE Center
Don’t Skimp on your Life! Eyes, fingers, lungs – they don’t sell ’em at Lowe’s. They come in sets
Set up a dedicated PPE station close to the work but out of the sawdust. Grab-and-go, no hunting. Shop with me:
- Gloves (the base trinity):
Disposable nitrile 6 mil — Tough enough for solvents, thin for feel.
Cotton with grip dots — For dry handling, no sweat buildup. Usable in summer heat.
Stainless steel (yeah, medieval) sheet metal gloves. A “cut” above,, so to speak.
- Towels & Wipes:
C-fold paper towels in a wall dispenser. Nothing beats ’em for quick wipes without lint. Buy big boxes of microfiber towels on sale. Keep a big jug of kitty litter for spills.
- Breathing Protection:
N95 or better (P100 if dust or fumes are heavy). An old CPAP machine makes a dandy low-pressure air source around potential irritants. On your 3D printer (and TinkerCad) whip up a coupling and get 2-3 six-foot hose extensions. Now you can work in the sulfurous fumes of Hell itself, but at least the air will be safe.
Low-pressure exhaust fans help, but don’t rely on ’em alone. I thought about a hanging airbox, but it’s additional weight on overheads and could block the light… And a cheap N95 is how much? And you don’t need to run power to ’em.
- Eye Protection:
Skip the cheap fog-up safety glasses if you can—go for low-pressure exhaust style or anti-fog treated.
Full-face shield or goggles for grinding/sanding. Try one of these. Which will also keep a “snoot load of sawdust” out of your face.
For close work: Lighted magnifiers (desk lamp style) for general stuff. Rechargeable “Sherlock’s” are good, too. Be guided by reviews vs. price.
Real microscope (even a basic USB one) for inspecting small gun parts, solder joints, or tiny bores. Kid’s toy magnifiers are fine for quick checks, but invest in a decent scope when details matter. Screen size matters. Yes, we keep a couple of USB scopes around the (electronics) bench, mostly.
Overhead Lighting/Electrical:
Aim for serious lumens—workshops need 200-300 lumens per square foot for task areas (that’s roughly 50-100 watts per sq ft with old incandescents, but LEDs are way more efficient now). Bright, even, no glare. You’ll see flaws you missed before.
Voice Control on Central Shop Vac: Game-changer. “Hey Google/Siri/Alexa, turn on the vac” while your hands are full of grease. Worth the setup.
Light color matters. I run away from 6200 nm “daylight” LEDs. Instead I go with 5,000 (*like these) or even “warmer.” Why is this an “old man” light?
Here’s the science: As we age, our perfectly clear corneas tend to “defect out.” I have done cataract IOLs on both eyes, and the left eye – which needs replacement seven or eight years back – still has a fair coastal fog before I’ve been up a couple of hours. Drowning the eye in Mura 128 saline. The “pumps” are weak from surgery and salt draws out overnight lense liquids…
Which gets me to the lighting part. The more white and going up toward UV a light is (6,200 nm or “daylight”) the more haze/glare. Back off the color (5,000 nm all the way down to 2800 nm) and you still have good light – just less glare, following?
This is also why any computer I use had the “night colors” (going off more to red – knocking down the hard whites and blues), too. If you’re not old, you can ignore, but why built yourself a retrofit for your Golden Years?
Tool Carts & Organization:
Rolling carts for drills/screws, fasteners bins, paint supplies. Label everything—your future self thanks you. Didn’t we cover this?
Dedicated paint cart: Brushes, thinners, masks—keeps fumes away from other zones.
Personal Clothing: Beat the Texas Heat
White shirts are king in hot shops—reflects heat, shows dirt so you change ’em. Breathable cotton or moisture-wicking blends. May current fave is the Columbia Tamiami II fishing shirt. (Which went on 10% off right after I bought this season’s worth.) YES they are normally fiddy-some bucks. But they have pockets big enough to put a table saw in.
Since I haven’t been able to find a (white, 8 pockets, short sleeve) shirt, a fly fisherman’s vest is OK as a kind of “extra pockets to go…”
Pants: Light khakis or cargo style—loose, quick-dry. Also going on sale (right after I bought) are the Haggar Work-to-Weekend pants.
See the pattern? Summer biz-casual for six months (or a year, if you do less business) and then they go into the shop rotation. And after the fronts are eaten through working on solar batteries, you’ve gotten a couple of years worth of wear out of them.
Shoes:
Same migration path. Buy a pair you can go to church, doctor visits (hell, court appearances, who knows, right?) in. Wear for 3-18 months (depending on number of trials or sins, right?) and then into the shop rotation. Recycle after holes appear in a year to three.
Down-cycle (everyday wear): Good walking shoes with cushion—your feet take a beating standing on concrete. I don’t have plantar fasciitis, but these are dandy and in that fiddy range. Slip-ons beat laces when you’re in/out constantly.
Serious construction days: 25kV insulated steel-toed boots if electrical hazards or heavy drops are in play. When you get old, you will begin to eye shoelacing as a total waste of breathing.
Diabetic socks (low-to-no compression, cushioned, moisture wicking) — Prevents hot spots and keeps circulation happy. You can wear a pair for years….(kidding).
Personal Hygiene: The Unsung Heroes
Shop work is dirty—sweat, oils, dust. Stay ahead of it.
Personal Pressure Washer (PPW) – “The Weanie Washer” — My nickname for a decent quality shower wand. Elaine sets it to the girl-girly-girl setting. Me? 2,500 PSI. This was a life-changer at 45 when I change from fixed (fire hydrant) shower heads.
No-scent bar soap — Harsh stuff dries skin; go mild. Doesn’t compete with a short of Old Spice or Elaine’s collection of “sniffs.”
Occu-scrub (or similar eye wash) for grit in eyes.
5% saline drops as noted above — Morning haze from overnight dust? A couple drops clear it fast.
Hibiclens — Antimicrobial wash for hands/arms after nasty jobs. Kills germs without wrecking skin. Good enough for pre-op is good enough for post-shop.
Flossers & alcohol-free mouth rinse — Dust gets everywhere, including your mouth. Keeps breath fresh and mouth healthy after a long day.
Headgear: Glare & Bugs
Indoors: Ball caps or shop hats to keep sweat out of eyes. My pride and joy has a 5 1/2 inch bill on it – really great for driving in glare conditions, too. When you get old, glare will matter a lot.
Outdoors: Half sunglasses (clip-ons or transition lenses) for moving in/out. (The pictures are missing but the concept in an older ShopTalk here.)
Mosquito season: Wide-brim hats or netted ones. Nothing ruins focus like a bug buzzing your ear. We buy plain mosquito nets six or eight at a time. Elaine can wear a net over “big hair” and I can get them over most of my hats for mowing.
They also slow down most of the small stuff that mowing can kick up.
Plan Now Before Summer Beat-Down
Bottom line: Comfort ain’t luxury—it’s what lets you stay in the shop longer without hating it. Dial in the zones, gear up smart, and treat your body right. You’ll get more done and feel less beat at day’s end.
If you wake up with leg cramps (from working too hard) a slug (which is 2 tablespoons) of dill pickle juice and a glass of water may tame them. Make sure the added sodium is OK with your cardiologist, but cramps are a real-life cost of hard work, aging, and failure to hydrate during the job.
What’s your go-to comfort hack? Drop it in the comments.
Ham Radio Note: One of my buddies on 40 meters tells me the River Spirit Casino up in Oklahoma is giving away power tools to its regular customers the next few weeks… Chips and Chainsaws? Gotta get our house sitter rescued from YankeeLand indentures. Tulsa casinos? There’s shop talk enlightenment for you.
Until next—keep the rust off and the coffee on – and above all, stay comfortable says The Old Man. (And stay off ladders until you’re pretty sure your son is watching on the security cams.)
Write when a new tool comes out that we all just gotta have…
George@Ure.net
https://absorbine.com/products/absorbine-veterinary-gel-2-pack
https://www.uline.com/Product/Detail/S-19706-L/Cut-Resistant-Gloves/Ansell-Heavy-Duty-11-501-Coated-Kevlar-Cut-Resistant-Gloves-Large?model=S-19706-L&RootChecked=yes
i substituted the rubbermaid for an antique claw tooth…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rucy5ixrtCw
shop safety for welding or cutting torch work,, wear 100% cotton, no polyester or nylon, unless you like to spent time in a burn unit getting skin grafts
labor on to get fruits,,, Sunday, Funday,, no markets to distract from shop time
you and tool time Tim, with a cute assistants, both of ya
https://thedebbedunning.com/products/2-8×10-gloss-photo-signed
Major Radium Dump Found in New York City…
Between 1980 and 1983, the New York State Department of Labor found114 safety violations at the factory. Radium Chemical Comp.
“Inspectors discovered leaking containers, improper monitoring of employee exposure and radiation levels 10 times higher than normal in the sewer outside the plant.”
https://www.laka.org/docu/magazines/waste_paper/1988-10-3.pdf
Workers had no protection.
I have a Westclox alarm clock from the 1960’s, it still glows in the dark. It will be glowing for 1600 years.
You can still find them on ebay.
“From 1921, numerous dialpainters in Orange began to complain of strange illnesses. Their teeth would ache and eventually fall out. The resulting hole where the tooth had been would not heal and abscesses formed. They began to develop severe anaemia. Their bones went brittle. Eventually, jaw necrosis set in; their bone and tissue cells would be starved of blood and die. Unbeknownst to them, they were suffering from the effects of radiation poisoning.”
https://blog.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/the-radium-girls/
years ago..day labor days ..I scooped wet dirt next to a tank..there was a bunch of us.. I couldn’t figure out why all the guys running the show wore protective clothing.. after we finished they took us to hojos for a cool adult beverage or two.. I asked why the protective gear..one of the managers said..oh that was a hit water spill from a cooling tank..well you could have at least gave us some of the protective gear..there’s two of us left ..the uncle of the roto rooter guy and myself..
I suffer from canker sores have for fifty years up until a couple weeks ago my whole jawbone was one massive canker sore.. the doctor finally sent me to a specialist and they have been doing biopsies to see if I have cancer..
reminds me of the teenage kid that tried to build a breeder reactor in his mom’s garden shed from smoke detectors..
the doctors couldn’t ever decide what caused them.. heavy metal exposure, or chemical since I worked making pesticide and herbicide..
When you brought up the ladies it got me thinking about the clock numbers makes me think could that be..
in the past twenty or so years they built million dollar homes and an exclusive neighborhood over in that area not sure if it’s right over that spot…But it’s exclusive and they made a manmade lake or duck pond..( I haven’t seen it . doubt I’d be welcome there..) and a friend of mines sister whose husband was a big business tycoon has a house in that area .talking to my friend recently he mentioned that her husband and two kids all passed away from nasty cancers .. So I told him that this spring I’m planning on going over to her house to take the meter out there and just see.. guess they have like six bathrooms lol lol a little overkill if you ask my opinion.. was it totally cleared and why didn’t they tell anyone about that areas past events. or was it the same reason why they didn’t tell any of us scooping the dirt until we had a few beers in us… It’s a really pretty area for an exclusive housing neighborhood but it’s also one with a secret past that most people don’t know about…
Made me think about how I had thought about showing the kids how to make a forever battery..and my conscience..aka…( my wife ) said are you nuts remember when you showed them how to melt stone.. she’s obviously right lol… and I won’t do it…she’s stopped me from doing a few crazy things..
.
Wow LOOB, interesting, thanks for sharing.
G.A. STEWART: Forty-years ago at Pratt and Whitney, I was continually told that it was safe, and when I finally understood that I was dealing with idiots, I had the courage to say, “fuck you… I will not dig in your dirt.”
https://theageofdesolation.com/nostradamus/2022/10/18/no-i-will-not-dig-in-your-dirt/
(“Wow LOOB, interesting, thanks for sharing.
G.A. STEWART: Forty-years ago at Pratt and Whitney, I was continually told that it was safe, and when I finally understood that I was dealing with idiots, I had the courage to say, “fuck you… I will not dig in your dirt.”)
The thing is..they didn’t tell us..at the time there was a day labor place..you went in they picked how many they wanted and paid cash..A bunch of govt jobs.. we did a what they called living tent to..three sections for pilots after they landed..sprayed some scrap in thecair.. yellow stung like hell..when your hungry and bills coming at you you’ll do anything.. yes anything.. scraped the fat off of the skins of road kill to.. the skins were sold for whatever..I have a few winter hats that some rabbit died for my comfort….god that stunk..but wasn’t the worst..that was blood tank… I suggested that for the tv show dirtiest jobs..mike Rowe was smart to turn that down.. no protective gear..not even gloves or face mask.. they would return from driving across the country through desserts..etc..there then back..you’d open the pit ice on the bottom and drain the maggots out..then crawl inside with a steam cleaner..first a spray hose then the steam cleaner..nasty job..nasty..hell I can smell it now after fifty years just thinking about it..
my guess and what I was once told..in a catastrophic event no one will tell you..the panic..chaos..where in the other countries they have prepared the citizens and made arrangements to save their population..bunkers and ghost cities and factories set power generation plants all over the country and pushing solar to secure that in an event they can retool instantly and continue as if nothing happened..
.An old Mormon saying.. I believe the reason the LDS church pushes preparation is because of the hardships they endured..
“If Ye Are Prepared Ye Shall Not Fear”
Here’s a link to the quorum of the twelve..president monson..he tried unsuccessfully to get people to open their eyes.. sad day when he passed on..
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1995/10/if-ye-are-prepared-ye-shall-not-fear?lang=eng
( brings up my solar tower and homes..)
Purging tent.. dirty wash, oxygen with UV lighting, clean shower , then out to clean dry..
I heard about this 25 years ago, when I was a more-active FEMA volunteer, and had a number of EM contacts. I blew it off because after a couple months the comments went away, so I assumed the problem had done so, too. What little I remember is (based on 2002 data and regs) it would take 7000 years to make the area surrounding the leak, habitable.
I assume today, this means the regs will change to make the residual radiation, of an acceptable level…
And to think..they built mc – mansions there lol lol.. I have a Geiger counter and if she’ll let me i walk around her yard.. they built a park like ski slope real close to.. I was in having a cup of coffee while a vet was on a skiing activity and looking in the direction where we scooped..
the river was by it.I heard once that there were some sort of discharge pipes in a spot and said there were huge fish in a deep part.. I personally haven’t been back to the spot..they drove us there and back..paid five dollars an hiur..at that time that was serious cash.. and twenty hours..it paid the rent..
thirty four years ago..a local paper ran a story that because of the uranium?? not sure what and arsenic levels in the well water that everyone should filter the drinking water.. we put in a pretty good filtration system for our drinking water..since then they changed the acceptable levels to call it safe.. we still filter..
“Until next—keep the rust off and the coffee on – and above all, stay comfortable says The Old Man. (And stay off ladders until you’re pretty sure your son is watching on the security cams.)”
Yesterday, I did great at the first three suggestions but not so well on that last one. It was a good day to jump back onto pole barn trim replacement that was started last fall. While on the ladder, I wobbled it, and fell from roughly 7 feet up. Didn’t break anything, but my awkward landing on concrete gave me some awful bruising. Stepping with heel down feels like walking on glass. Today is expected to be windy, so I have to get back up there and lock the sheet metal back in. Not going to be fun nor fast work for now. Considering investing into ibuprofen stock, lol.
You need web security cams and a diligent son to call and bitch – and remember to turnw off the cameras… Sorry for your pain. This is one ofx the few times those leftover dentist drugs run in as day “No Dealer needed!!!” Acet/Codeine or oxy…no pain here…BTW what planet did you say this was? BBY Aspirin too – don’t want a clot knocked loose. NOT MED adivce – just been there from lower altitude and still hurt like a sob.
My bestie. Di-methyl Sulfoxide. DMSO, available over counter or vet in gel form. A pitchers arm cure for many years and topically applied on injury gives you garlic taste/breath in seconds with instant relief. Tissue solvent so wearing gloves to smear is must. Read-up about before use.
gloves,,, no way,, I use it for my fingers/knuckles also
it is a solvent, but so is alcohol, but folks aren’t afraid of it
gulp gulp,, hey hey hey barbender, another beer and a shot
https://www.earthclinic.com/supplements/dmso.html
Yeah I would suggest falling the other way today.
Embrace it and go with fall,no time to tuck and roll – so imagine a soft landing while Ure working.
This way your discomfort from all the bruising will be equalized across whole body, Lessing today’s painful side. Just did this with my shoulders, right is arthritic with spur = achybreaky, painful throwing a ball. Been swimming laps everyday past 2.5 months, and the left shoulder is now the achy breaky one. Don’t even notice the right anymore…unless I try and sleep on that side (rare).
Can hardly wait to meet the ortho this month when we return stateside. Usless so far, but will try a sonogram guided injection (s) hyalronic acid-Viscosupplamentation. This will be in conjunction with personally administered Peptide Therapy ( Ipamorline&CJC stack & Glow Stack/3 healing peptides in 1 vial).
Keeping in mind tbs luv,luv,luvs Neural Peptides – Start Dihexa tablets this week…its synaptic, and discovered at Univ Washington.
You are SO LUCKY. I am letting mine blow. It hasn’t blown off (yet) and I don’t believe my winds will top the 87mph they hit a couple days ago, so I’m going to let that job ride until I feel I can do it safely. You only get one life, and you only get “one health” for it. My health is less than optimal, so I HAVE TO consider every job. I still do the job, but have some really creative ways to do some (typically risky) jobs in a less-risky manner…
https://a.co/d/09qcYtgt
I bought every pair of white socks I saw to find the most comfortable ones. Men’s diabetic Medipeds are the perfect socks. They are wide in the toe box, stretch a little, and have no seam to rub or irritate toes. They last forever and the price is reasonable. Mediped had different types of socks and also in black.
Dial orange soap rubbed on a wet washcloth takes care of flaky eye lids better than the expensive eye wipes.
I was told paint goes bad, “sour” if not kept inside at a controlled temperature. Just wondering.
I will have to try dial orange, see if medipeds make’s em in black and my painting is so bad “sour” sounds like marketing bs – but the only way I can get gloss anything is pourable clear resin over…
For a good gloss finish, try Rustoleum Professional High Performance paints. And don’t paint when the humidity is high.
So not dill october then…hmm///lol
Eleanor – interesting re: socks, will go shop. Yes, material should at least never freeze. We have lots on site (a contractor habit). Attached unheated Garage is sorta kinda good enough. Shake it! ~E~
That’s what I wear…
Best sock combo is a wicking liner, with Merino wool outer. Change the liners daily; wool socks every other day. The liners are best procured in the spring, (but you aren’t going to find them on sale):
https://www.wigwam.com/products/gobi-liner-2-pack-s2153?variant=45260965609603
For wool, the Smartwool performance socks are super. They are on holiday sales, or REI coupons:
https://www.smartwool.com/en-us/wool-apparel-and-socks/womens-performance-socks
I’ve tried the mid socks, but I would rather have the full crew.
For backpacking using liners (for moisture wicking) with mid thickness wool socks with very thick sole thickness works for me, yep even when it is in the 90’s with 90% humidity.
For wilderness canoeing I skip the liners and just use wool since your feet are going to be wet (soaked) from about 1 hour into the trip until you finish up two weeks later. That seems to work well even when the your feet are soaked and the temps dip down into the low 20’s (f) (but always put on DRY WOOL socks when you make camp at the end of the day … get out of those wet socks)
For skiing I also do the liners plus HEAVY wool socks. My feet sweat badly so I need the liners so as to keep my feet dry and the wool can do it’s best magic. I have never felt the need to use boot warmers with my using HEAVY wool socks with liners, even when it is -15 to -20 (f) early in the day though all the ski shops and so called “experts” recommend “ski socks” … which are imo crap since they have COTTON in them, or the ones that are wool are THIN for so called “better ski control” (sheesh no wonder people NEED boot warmers!). I am NOT racing anymore and notice no lack of “ski control” with the use of THICK wool socks
I use the liners year round, indoors and out. The feet are better for it.
Stupid dreams that keep me awake.
Angela Lansbury in a court room cross-examining a young guy with thick black hair, long at the sides, probably early twenties, looked like an orthodox Jew, accused of murder. Trying to crack his smug demeanor she starts singing
“God didn’t make little green apples
And it don’t rain in Indianapolis in the summertime
And there’s no such thing as Doctor Suess
And Disneyland and Mother Goose is no nursery rhyme”
Woke up – strong cup of tea, vegemite toast followed by banana and cranberry porridge. But that one line just kept playing over and over in my mind
“And it don’t rain in Indianapolis in the summertime”
I have a fairly good grasp of American geography but the only time I’ve ever come across Indianapolis is in the song lyrics. From Google search “The city’s official slogan, “Crossroads of America”, reflects its historic importance as a transportation hub.”
All I want is a long dreamless sleep. Just discovered the Cognitive Shuffling Micro-Dreaming Game. Might give it a try tonight – hope it works.
I utilize “the kind”for such things. In Pennsyltucky you need a script from a doc to get medical marijuana.
So far, for Moi, it has been about 90% percent effective in relieving me of reliving/ debriefing my dreams. I don’t wake up banged up sore, with my mind on fire anymore..like 9 outta 10. Am I missing important info from dream world – I don’t think so, as over 90 % of my dream material seems to be bullscheisse.
And No I don’t journal dreams. I have gone to Bed/asleep while still “OPEN “ once, and that was a Humdinger – almost got my hands on that fat plump piece of shit “demon” that native Americans know as a pied piper of children..leads them off into the forest, never to be seen again.
I didn’t recognize him at the time of dream. But when I walked into a Native American art store in downtown Vancouver – there he was staring back at the second I walked into the door. Asked the shop owner the demons name, and told me everything I didn’t want to hear.
Figure someday I will see him again..waiting for now, as Universe always provides, just never in the way,shape or form I thought it would..
re: “The Manchurian Candidate”, 1962
feat: Mrs. Iselin (‘son of ice/iron’)
Winter,
Your dreamy tempest in a teapot turns over interesting diamond in the rough cards.
Swiss patriarch Adrian Georg Iselin immigrated to New York City in 1838. He proceeded to establish a banking enterprise which connected American capital-intensive projects of the Gilded Age with European money. Apparently Iselin, N.J. is named after the family.
Anglo-Irish Angela Lansbury’s childhood began under pleasant, bourgeois London environs as daughter to a member of the British Communist Party. Disruptions during her youth were somewhat reprieved by fortituous connections to persons of wealth and circumstance in England and America.
Later in her career, Angela Lansbury played Mrs. Potts the teapot in Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast”. As chance would have it, her first employment while still a minor in 1942 took place within the Samovar Tea Room situated in Montreal’s Golden Square Mile district. A samovar is the metal container urn used in Russian tea making culture. Besides tea, beer and wine were also served at the Samovar.
According to ChatGPT, the verse of “Little Green Apples” that you quoted offers further food for thought. It “mirrors Biblical poetic parallelism and philosophical proof by contradiction”.
As one leaves smokey joints behind, let’s see what projects DJ George has taking flight over in the shop. Here we go with a ditty from Aerosmith: “Dream On”.
Well the Cognitive Shuffling didn’t work. After recalling my earlier experience where I heard a voice just before falling asleep – “USS Roosevelt……remember this” – I did some more searching.
Came up with this:
“The USS Indianapolis was sunk by Japanese torpedoes on July 30, 1945, leading to the deaths of hundreds of sailors in one of the worst naval disasters in U.S. history.”
Maybe nothing…maybe something…..
Guten Morgen Alles,
Horizontal spaces should have a nightly sweep which dumps the days collection in a tub or sumpin. I recently put in a bunch of hours in 1.5 stall attached garage. Got all the way down to a clean bench top and … saw concrete pad hidden for > a decade. Today? Bench looks just about as bad as it did when I started. Possibly there’s too much stuff?
There are certain tools I’m seeking and my project to tidy up paid a dividend. I found (at back of a bench drawer one of two tap and die sets which I know are here, somewhere. So, now I can chase threads at need for anything 3/4″ or less. The big set was used in an enormous ratchet set to cut pipe thread for pier steel junctions (ex: ends of 2″ pipe which fit verticals to make an “H” standard. Hunting.
The pole barn is slowly turning into a man cave. The end I walk in all the time will, in the end, draw gasps. For me, it’s all about utility but I carved out about 16′ as fam. factory display, featuring my lathe as centerpiece. For about a month I walked the 22,000 SF hunting down stuff NFS (not for sale). While rotating buyers in / out (who bid / bought freight train locomotive size Gridleys / Brown & Sharpe machinery, etc., etc.) I took to tarping my 2-3 piles avoiding discussion. Truly, I feared someone would make offers I couldn’t refuse.
A really kewl set of wooden toolboxes were scattered around. I set aside three though only two seemed worth saving. An old fella who was way plugged in to manufacturing with trusty old analog screw machines (etc.) spent a crazy amount of time trying to keep a crucial 4-head mill in the game. We kept robbing three other single head mills for parts.
My machinery mechanic friend was looking over stuff and spied the boxes. NFS dude. Then, at the end, I recanted and gave him the worst of the three, it missing a single wooden drawer (knowing I’d never get around to saving it). Ran into the guy in a neighboring town and he showed me photos of his completed jewel. I have no idea how he got the thing clean (it was charcoal colored, having lived in Primary where there was a constant cutting oil haze on the air.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/295548794279785249/
That’s ^ presactly what my gem box looks like. It still has gorgeous green felt drawer liners and a tiny mirror in the lid. I have no idea how it remained pristine. Possibly it was Grandpa’s box and set aside (though drawers were in use). I must have, aggregating Dad’s boxes, those I removed from the plant, and my own from town … six old world Craftsman boxes, 2-3 no name boxes and a 2-box roller that’s chin high. Need a label maker!
Calm before the storm. Our (12) hour lashing is receding just in time for the next blast of winter. You desert folks talking about drought conditions and preparing for heat need to move north. E2 sent a photo of their deck sporting easily 13″ of fresh fallen which _all_ happened while they slept. Another 5″ predicted their today. We will hopefully top out 3-4″ TBD. Whatever. C’mon Spring!
Patty’s Day approaches. I planned to buy meat while on my appointment / meeting / errand day on Friday 13 but … failed in the end, wanting to get home. Mrs. E ventured out yesterday, for the first time since Tuesday. There’s an enormous Brisket thawing in the frig. Numm ….
Always, Egor
~/)/) ~~~
If I caught the forecast correctly, you’re only looking at about 5″ and 50-60mph gusts. Marquette-to-Munising (one of my more-favorite locales) is looking at over 4ft and nearly 90mph winds Are you getting snow all week?
Ray – probably just snow today, maybe tomorrow – correct, just a trifle ~ E ~
How many inches in a trifle?
@George Ure
How many inches in a trifle?
Depends on whether you’re giving or receiving…
What did Vietnam buy usa? Trained personnel and full logistics line of modern stuff to offset russian tanks in the eastern europe wasaw pack.
What do we face now? 5% nato spending on dod and russian pack east of weak Warsaw pack/nato equipped Poland (of pre german ww2 invasion status) with full logistics lune of modern equipment. Also similar to China spin up as gang-is Kahn.
Iran becomes trial ballon to unseat brics and tip spear for russia and china.
Military-spending brings manufacturing tax base to trumps big beautiful bill payments
Why did trump says war is over six times? Catching a 20 lb fish on a 5 lb line requires you to let it exhaust itself before you-real it in. Six times the fish gets a second wind. Six times you let it run to exhaustion. Normal psychology.
Israeli leader hiding? Same iran’s leader?
For iran leader the last of physical descendant prophet as god. After that civil war if no external issues
New, we all gotta have ..
Water, water exerywhere, ask the flying Hawaiian, he will tell you. Anywho this be more cautionary than gotta have, unless of course you own Dog (s) and swimming pool. In which case you may already be aware of the problem, that of “ wild water”, not to be confused with wild women.
Wild water is water from a Creek, Lagoon, Bay, Lake or Ochin.
Now you be out with Ure fuzzy butts on a walkies and you just happen to toss a downed Coconut into the lagoon..splash.. and off go the fuzzybutts into the lagoon after the Coconut. They are now “infected” with wild water. When the fuzzybutts return home from their morning jaunt, I always drop them in the salt water Pool , cleans all the Sand and Dirt off of em.
Unbeknownst to this victim of circumstances – wild water and salt water pool combine to make Algae..black algae.
This is where I found myself in January when I first jumped in the pool and saw all this black algae/ mold”. The cure is nasty business..quad shocks, stainless steel brushes and hand scrubbing with chlorine tablets, filter media washes and replacement.
Thankfully the Mayans provided the solution not involving all that scrubbing, and it is 100% Earth based Natural.
Let me introduce to you Chukum. See Mexico/pools/ Old is new again.
Between Apr- Dec the Bitcoin Pool Starbright finish(goes on wet/in water)will be stripped and ground off, treated, lights replaced, and recoated in Chukum. Will be first pool in Placencia refinished with this stuff.
Also had pool pump timer breakdown after 8 years, and was running pool pump 24/7 – needless to say I could not figure out why my electric bill from BEL was so dam high, with no one in the house and solar system installed. So new pump is powered by its own set of dedicated solar panels. Also the electronic chlorinator broke, so replaced with new auto dispenser, just unscrew tube, and fill with chlorine tabs as needed.
Chukum boss – me thinks it might have place in Ure pond& covered canal/ cistern system.
Everyone wants to be an author George. You could rent out space on your website and not have to work your fingers to the bone. Not that I don’t appreciate your work. It just seems that everyone wants to be second liar.
Spring cleaning is underway. I have filled three leaf and lawn bags so far above and beyond normal trash. This morning it was all cardboard. Broken down and cut into manageable sizes, it completely filled a leaf and lawn bag tight. My biggest year, when I cleaned out the attic, was more than forty bags. I need to take a couple of bags to Goodwill this season. I will probably stay well below 20 bags this season, unless I just get crazy with it. I have just about got the remnant clutter beat down. I really need to buy some shelves to put storage trunks on, and go vertical.
whats a cryptoczar ? thats pathetic . some bloke saks . does he come from that mega temple of sin , goldman sucks . ? is that why you are all having reduced cognitive function . plus nuke sabre rattling by israel and USA . be careful thats a bad move . samson was a bit of an unhinged desperate old guy on steroids . its 2026 leave it in the old books
Is trump-true ‘Darius’ compared to putin? Well. Russian Georgia Crimea front is now not large ( Russian’s outdo west. Bigger shuttle. Bigger transport. Bigger missile. Bigger fighter. (Gripen mosquito). Bigger nuclear warheads. ). Trump now bigger front. Russia to brics to middle east. A true laugh at iran china railway.
trump needs to surrender or personally remove himself from office on medical grounds for the good of the USA . he tried his best but you all know the rest . for the good of the USA and its future
And lpout JD Van ce it? Can we like have a cold one and think this through?
There will be never be another leader who can and will bring the people together
For you see the big secret …everyone coming together thinking on a positive outcome/positive future will strengthen THAT particular Timeline, while lesser Timelines will be collapsing due lack of support. A big Manifestation as it were.
Ooops – have I said too much ?
This is soul reason Humanity is kept in a constant state of conflict.
cmon G really . you think about it . you guys make all the mess all the time . its serious sheet . im only throwin in ideas . yous fix it . your getting hammered yous and your mates . find a way out fast . and it aint that samson garbage
Trump as Darius. Why. Iran youth leader is dangerous. Why? Three strikes. Promote self as diety. How? 1) remove mecca as unbelief. 2) Remove and west bank palatines who appreciate him not 3) Remove temper rock as sacrilege against true of him
ohh i forgot its nearly can kickin time !! or maybe get some humanoids for da boyz . they dont need cold ones . and neither do i at 3 am when i post . and i dont need any firejuice courage to deliver my thoughts
or maybe you guys are scared for tammy baker oops i mean erika kirk as first lady . ehh just another one with loose ends . never ends
Lay down the crack.pipe and back away.
amen Wilson, go to sleep len, come back sober? ~E~
re: Joshua 19:45
feat: Tribe of Dan
Telegram channel “Wartime Media” has posted a video clip of recovery efforts in the ultra-orthodox Tel Aviv suburb of Bnei Brak (“Sons of Barak”) following a pinpoint alleged Iranian missile strike. Fortunately an adjacent “In the Neighborhood” convenience store establishment appeared to have remained in remunerative business for its attending Sunday flock.
Bnei Brak was settled by Polish Jews in 1924. Its namesake is one of the three towns assigned by God to the Tribe of Dan in Joshua 19:45 from The Bible. Ruins of the ancient settlement are situated near a northernmost Israeli city, Kiryat Shmona (heb: City of the Eight), previously known as Al-Khalsa (ar: The Pure), until all its Arabs were driven out in the 1940’s. The town’s mosque remains standing and is repurposed as an Israeli museum for tourists seeking leisure activity around the Israeli-Lebanese frontier.
Prior to divine re-assignment, Bnei Brak is said to have been founded around 4500 bc as Laish (“Lion”). During tenure by the Tribe of Dan, the settlement apparently saw installation and worship of one of the two golden calves spoken about in The Bible.
For those interested.., this is an interactive map of the fighting in Iran.., it gets updated regularly.
.
https://iran.liveuamap.com/
Hmm..is it real..or is it fake news….
https://avia-pro.net/news/ukraina-stala-poligonom-dlya-ispytaniy-boevyh-chelovekopodobnyh-robotov-phantom-mk-1
https://youtu.be/nZlTaTg2rQk?si=0RYNZbGn2IQS9KjS
https://youtu.be/oOAdWO79Vyc?si=-y8OsBxyl89bF9aC
scary stuff..
Larijani is threatening to murder Americans on US soil and wants to blame it on “Epstein’s network”. In the latter part he is trying to be cute while recruiting the conspiracy bros.
Quote
Ali Larijani | ??? ????????
I’ve heard that the remaining members of Epstein’s network have devised a conspiracy to create an incident similar to 9/11 and blame Iran for it. Iran fundamentally opposes such terrorist schemes and has no war with the American people.
https://x.com/SGhasseminejad/status/2033196458007220480?s=20
Who is Ali Larijani, the Iranian official promising a ‘lesson’ to the US?
Ali Larijani is secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran.
Larijani is to the IRGC what Erich Mielke was to the Stasi.
I consider this a serious threat.
Epstein had no “network” – merely a bunch of NY, LA, and Hollywood pervs who would wet themselves if they ever even saw a gun, let alone an IED or an ambulance packed full of ANFO or homebrew C-4. If he had been a CIA or Mossad asset, since he is no more, neither will any spook agency do anything for his memory.
Should shit happen, it will be 100% IRGC spawned and launched. They gots ta do something with those 15 thousand Iranian sleeper cells that are in CONUS (and probably Canada…)
Trump directly accuses the Left-wing MSM of “working in close coordination” with Iran, to manipulate the public, and should be charged with TREASON for the dissemination of false information.
The enemy is targeting our minds.
Stay frosty.
https://x.com/WarClandestine/status/2033367508724400422?s=20