Disperser Tracks

I’m back to a just-in-time Project 313 post supply chain mode. For them not familiar with the terminology, it means I’m out of prepared posts and writing this some hours before it’s due.

There are advantages and disadvantages to a just-in-time supply system. On the one hand, any current topics I might touch on are fresh. Also, I don’t risk writing about something that will change or be significantly impacted between the time I write it and when this is published. There’s also the added advantage that I can react to current events in real time. 

I mean, wouldn’t I have eggs on my face if I wrote about what great breakfast I had but three days later — when the post is published — it’s lunch that was actually memorable . . . and it wasn’t even eggs. 

The disadvantage of just-in-time Project 313 post writing is that if something comes along that requires my attention, I might not be able to prepare a post for its scheduled publishing and hence why I tend to have a few ready to go ahead of time.

I’m mentioning this because a few days ago I was discussing something with a friend. Don’t worry, it wasn’t in person, so no actual social contact occurred. Anyway, the discussion was regarding “preppers”. You might have read something derisive about people preparing for this or that apocalyptic event by storing food, water, and — of course — guns and ammunition.

They seem crazy, right? Well, let me remind you how a just-in-time supply chain works. First, it came about as a way of reducing local storage costs. So, for instance, rather than keeping a week’s supply of eggs, a store might keep a few day’s supply of eggs, the exact amount based on their average demand for fresh eggs by their customers. 

The same thing for bread, and other perishable. But, it also extends to non-perishable. It’s cheaper to just carry what you can fit on a shelf for any one product and restock it — via a just-in-time scheduled delivery — when the shelf gets about half empty.

When the system works, it’s a fairly efficient way to minimize costs, maximize your facilities, and meet the demands of often fickle consumers while reducing the risk of getting stuck with something consumers no longer want.

When it works . . . but it doesn’t always work. The flaws are a bit more evident here, in Hawaiʻi. That’s because weather and other factors might disrupt the chain of supply. 

Consumers know this, so they are more apt to buy more than they need. I’m not talking about storing food. I’m just saying that when a given item is in, you might be inclined to buy two so that you have one in reserve for those times when the store runs out and because you don’t know when they might carry it again.

As a side note, this can mess with the idea of just-in-time delivery because it skews the data for the demand for a given item. I think stores know this and adjust accordingly. The end result is that it’s not uncommon for a store to run out of certain items and tell shoppers it will be in with the delivery later that week. This even happens at Costco. 

So, back to preppers . . . it’s one thing being aware that you might have to wait a few days for your favorite brand of jam. It’s another when you see what a natural disaster can do to an area and realize the supply chain might be disrupted for more than a few days. There are areas that are still trying to recover from disasters most of us have forgotten about. 

Some may think this is just a problem for less-than-developed countries. I will remind you that a significant snowstorm can paralyze even big cities like New York and Washington  D. C. and Chicago. 

Especially big cities, but also dispersed suburban areas can quickly run out of stuff. In Monument (where we lived) we had a few storms that made the streets impassable. Once, for three days. But, a few years before we had moved there, it was for one week. One week before large enough machinery came through to clean the streets and allow traffic to come and go from the subdivision. 

We lived in Michigan when we suffered the blackout of August 2003 . . . along with 45 million other Americans (and some Canadians). For us, it lasted a number of days and we didn’t know when we’d have power again.

After that, we made sure we always had sufficient food and water to last a while (a while fluctuated between a few weeks and a number of months). The next house we have will have an emergency generator. 

The point is that even a disruption of just a few days can quickly empty store shelves and gasoline reserves at the local station. Imagine if the 2003 blackout occurred in the middle of Winter. Some places were without power for more than a week. 

Just how well-equipped are you to weather not so much the collapse of civilization, but the disruption of food, power, and water delivery for even a week?

We may laugh at preppers but perhaps we should do a little prepping ourselves. While we’re at it, think about looters, as well. Or not. I mean, what can go wrong? We live in a share and share alike world, don’t we?

And now, the photo:

Project 313 061

Yes, more Florida photos. As an aside, the beach (any beach) is a great place to observe critters. 

We don’t go to the beach here all that often and if we do, it’s usually so that I can observe waves. There aren’t that many seagulls here on the Big Island. In fact, I’ve never seen any. 

Perhaps they prefer the other islands. 

Today’s cartoon is funny . . . or, at least I think so.

As a general rule, I help out around the house. I do dishes, vacuum, take out the garbage, and help with the laundry. Melisa is the one who cooks unless I’m making my eggs, French Toast, or cream-of-wheat specialty dishes. I can be trusted to cook pasta and rice and even occasionally barbeque. 

We shop together and visit most places together, regardless whether the place is of interest to just me or just Melisa. I think I’m OK enough as a husband and might even be classified as “great” if I weren’t so dang annoying. But, we’re going on 45 years together so something is working.

Today’s doodle is a representation of . . . The Wheel Of Orderly Chaos.

The Wheel Of Orderly Chaos

And . . . that’s it

Some of these posts will likely be longer as the mood hits me, but most will be thus; short, uninteresting, bland, and relentless.

You can read about Project 313 HERE.

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

<><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><>

Note: if you are not reading this blog post at DisperserTracks.com, know that it has been copied without permission, and likely is being used by someone with nefarious intention, like attracting you to a malware-infested website.  Could be they also torture small mammals.

<><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><>

Please, if you are considering bestowing me recognition beyond commenting below, refrain from doing so.  I will decline blogger-to-blogger awards.   I appreciate the intent behind it, but I prefer a comment thanking me for turning you away from a life of crime, religion, or making you a better person in some other way.  That would mean something to me.

If you wish to know more, please read below.

About awards: Blogger Awards
About “likes”:   Of “Likes”, Subscriptions, and Stuff

Note: to those who may click on “like”, or rate the post; if you do not hear from me, know that I am sincerely appreciative, and I thank you for noticing what I do.

. . .  my FP ward  . . . chieken shit.

Finally, if you interpret anything on this blog as me asking or wanting pity, sympathy, or complaining about my life, or asking for help and advice, know you’re likely missing my subtle mix of irony, sarcasm, and humor.

Yesterday I mentioned unwanted updates . . . not only unwanted but updates that make things worse. 

For instance, Google “improved” GMail. Let me describe one “improvement” . . . GMail uses Labels to help you sort and file your e-mails. 

The way it used to be:
Pick an e-mail, choose a label, click apply. Right after you hit apply, there was a menu that popped up confirming the label you just applied. That menu was positioned right below the icons where you made your choice and it also gave you the option to “undo” the action. Same for “delete” and a few other options. Your mouse pointer was practically on top of the menu and the menu was right where your eyes are looking.

The way it is now:
Pick an e-mail, choose a label, click apply. Right after you hit apply, there’s a confirmation box that pos up confirming the label you just applied. That box is now position at the bottom and at the left edge of the window. Away from where your mouse pointer is, and nowhere near where your eyes are looking. 

So, you now have to move the mouse a long way and that’s after you locate the box. The first few times, I didn’t even see the new location of the box (I have a big screen).

Why do this? Why make it more difficult for the user? As far as I can tell, there is zero advantage to the change and it’s actually a detriment to my experience and the navigation of the page. 

In other words, it looks like change for change sake. They also made the font fatter and bold, thus making it more difficult to read. Also, because it’s a bigger font, what used to be a useful preview of the e-mail now cuts off before you can read much of the preview . . . unless you make the window you’re using very wide. Even then, it looks like crap and it’s difficult to read. That means you have to open the e-mail to see if you’re even interested in what it contains.

Again, it’s a change in format that adds nothing to the usability of the product and — if anything — makes it annoying and user-unfriendly. 

Is there anywhere to give feedback? Supposedly, but my experience is that no one ever reads it.
Were users asking for the change? Not that I’m aware of.
Is my experience dealing with my e-mails any better? No; the opposite. 

So, why do it? Why does Google (and other platforms) mess with things that are working? Because they can and they don’t give a flying crap about their users. 

They do offer the option to revert to what they call “Classic GMail” (done) but they’ll eventually make the switch for good. They always do. I think all they’re doing with this “optional” update is checking to see how many people they piss off. Once they piss off a majority of the users, they’ll call it a success and make the change permanent. 

I’m getting tired of it. Tired enough that at some point, I will change my e-mail. After 14 years of using GMail, I’m looking around for alternatives. I’m looking at alternatives for many of Google’s offerings. Will I miss them? I don’t know, but at some point, I’ll be willing to find out. 

And now, the photo:

Project 313 060

That is a pencil drawing treatment of a photo from one of my Florida trips. I hope to one day have the skill to draw that well.

It’s just a hope and so far I’m not applying myself to that goal so when I say I “hope” I actually mean “gee; wouldn’t it be nice if I’d already invested two or three hundred hours in learning how to draw?”

Suicides have been in the news lately. I’ve had a few experiences with suicides and I read here in the US they are on the rise. Honest, without knowing the person and circumstances, I’m willing to at first brush cut the person some slack. If it’s peace they sought, peace they now have.

They obviously had enough problems without me posthumously pouring more guilt on their memory. Without knowing the circumstances, I can’t even muster up being sad for them. I can maybe muster a bit of sadness for the life they were living that made that choice seem as the better way. The act of checking out? Well . . . like I said; circumstances matter. 

Also, because we can’t read people’s minds, it’s useless listening to friends and family with the hope of getting an explanation. Honest, unless you’re suicidal or have contemplated suicide at one time or other, you’ve no hope of coming to terms with someone deciding to end it all. Even then, it’s unlikely as no one can read minds. Even if the person left a suicide note, it seldom satisfies because we — the survivors — can easily dismiss whatever excuse is given as not sufficient to justify the act.

There is an argument to be made that life, in general, is really not all that pleasant. We live for the moments when we can enjoy ourselves but for most of us, life is one long tedious slog though worries, aggravations, disappointments, failed hopes and dreams; a slog that’s occasionally punctuated with moments of bliss and genuine happiness. Do those moments balance the scales? It’s difficult to say.

Don’t get me wrong; I love life and I try to make the most of it. But, like most people I know — all the people I know — it’s not a carefree life. Even so, I think I give it a pretty good go at maintaining a positive and often bemused approach to whatever comes my way. 

Bad luck aside (and bad luck happens) we are the architects of our lives and we have to find a way forward even when it appears The Way Is Shut. 

The Way Is Shut

And . . . that’s it

Some of these posts will likely be longer as the mood hits me, but most will be thus; short, uninteresting, bland, and relentless.

You can read about Project 313 HERE.

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

<><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><>

Note: if you are not reading this blog post at DisperserTracks.com, know that it has been copied without permission, and likely is being used by someone with nefarious intention, like attracting you to a malware-infested website.  Could be they also torture small mammals.

<><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><>

Please, if you are considering bestowing me recognition beyond commenting below, refrain from doing so.  I will decline blogger-to-blogger awards.   I appreciate the intent behind it, but I prefer a comment thanking me for turning you away from a life of crime, religion, or making you a better person in some other way.  That would mean something to me.

If you wish to know more, please read below.

About awards: Blogger Awards
About “likes”:   Of “Likes”, Subscriptions, and Stuff

Note: to those who may click on “like”, or rate the post; if you do not hear from me, know that I am sincerely appreciative, and I thank you for noticing what I do.

. . .  my FP ward  . . . chieken shit.

Finally, if you interpret anything on this blog as me asking or wanting pity, sympathy, or complaining about my life, or asking for help and advice, know you’re likely missing my subtle mix of irony, sarcasm, and humor.

I’m convinced the design process and cycle at most companies goes something like this:

Stage 1 – come up with an idea.
Stage 2 – rush it to market.
Stage 3 – fix bugs and sell the fixes as updates.
Stage 4 – arrive at a stable product that customer like.
Stage 5 – continue making improvements no one wants.
Stage 6 – fix bugs that were introduced because of the improvements no one wanted and sell the fixes as updates.
Stage 7 – put Stage 5 and Stage 6 in a continuous loop until everyone hates the product.

Pretty much everyone does it. Google is the worst offender but at least they don’t charge you for the updates (because you’re the product) . . . they just shove them on your face knowing that you’re too integrated into their offerings to jump ship.

I wouldn’t mind it so much but I’m convinced no one designing these products actually uses them to do anything productive because if they did, they would realize every “improvement” is an exercise in frustration and a loss of productivity. WordPress is also famous for this. 

But, make no mistake . . . every company does it. 

And now, the photo:

Project 313 059

I have a slew of photos from a couple of trips to Florida that I’ve neglected to share. I decided to remedy this and the above is the first of a series. 

There are a lot of photos I want to share . . . I should stop taking new photos until I used up all the photos I currently have. Let’s see . . . that should take no more than five or six years. 

I mean, that’s funny . . . but also not . . . but still worth a smile. At least, I think so.

The first name I had for this doodle was “Kablooey” and I then decided to go with . . . That’s Gotta Hurt, Bob.

That’s Gotta Hurt, Bob

And . . . that’s it

Some of these posts will likely be longer as the mood hits me, but most will be thus; short, uninteresting, bland, and relentless.

You can read about Project 313 HERE.

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

<><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><>

Note: if you are not reading this blog post at DisperserTracks.com, know that it has been copied without permission, and likely is being used by someone with nefarious intention, like attracting you to a malware-infested website.  Could be they also torture small mammals.

<><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><>

Please, if you are considering bestowing me recognition beyond commenting below, refrain from doing so.  I will decline blogger-to-blogger awards.   I appreciate the intent behind it, but I prefer a comment thanking me for turning you away from a life of crime, religion, or making you a better person in some other way.  That would mean something to me.

If you wish to know more, please read below.

About awards: Blogger Awards
About “likes”:   Of “Likes”, Subscriptions, and Stuff

Note: to those who may click on “like”, or rate the post; if you do not hear from me, know that I am sincerely appreciative, and I thank you for noticing what I do.

. . .  my FP ward  . . . chieken shit.

Finally, if you interpret anything on this blog as me asking or wanting pity, sympathy, or complaining about my life, or asking for help and advice, know you’re likely missing my subtle mix of irony, sarcasm, and humor.

I’ll be keeping this pretty short . . . you are welcome. 

I was listening to a podcast this morning and I heard the person mention humanity’s march toward an inevitable shared destiny. 

The way it was used, it referred to an eventual time when nationalities and group identities lines will be blurred and humans will consider themselves as a single tribe.

My first — and knee-jerk — response was “Yeah, right!”

But then, I stopped to think about it. If looked through the long lens of human history, it’s indeed been a march to a shared destiny. It started locally as small groups morphed into tribes and tribes merged into larger tribes and eventually became countries. We might rail against globalization, but commerce has always been the engine of this so-called march, and I don’t think it can be stopped. 

Not in my lifetime, obviously, and not likely for many generations, but I think the writing is on the wall. Sure, occasionally commerce and the uneven distribution of resources and goods are the causes of wars. I have no doubt they will again, perhaps soon. 

But the long view is pretty clear . . . we’ll either converge or destroy each other. Politically, socially, and economically, no one can deny the benefit to peaceful cooperation and peaceful resolution of conflict. 

There’s one major obstacle I see ahead of us, and it’s a pretty serious one. Religion. It fuels nationalism, hatred, and the distrust of “the other”. 

The optimist might say that we’re making progress on that front. Perhaps. I see the odds as fifty-fifty. If asked, I’ll readily forecast at least a few more major wars in humanity’s future.

Wars are bad, but there’s a particular type of war that worries me; holy war. No one ever surrenders in holy wars. They would rather die. That’s not conducive toward a shared future. More like a dark future. I sure hope humanity grows weary of the hatred fostered by religions. Soon. And lest I get accused of wanting to eliminate religions, no. I just want them to live up to the high ideals they espouse and jettison the odious parts they actually live to.

And now, the photo:

Project 313 058

This is the B&W version of a previous Project 313 offering. I thought it looks as good in B&W as it did in color. Not all will agree, but worry not . . . plenty of color photos ahead. And all of them framed.

This cartoon reminds me of Chater 3 of Genesis. 

You know, the part where the petty, irresponsible, and unforgiving god can’t find the first family because they’re hiding. Not impressed I was. It was one of the first questions I asked in the early days of my attempted indoctrination. To this day, I’ve never gotten a good answer. Not just to that question, but to any of literally hundreds of other questions (the bible is a big book).

Oh, sure, you can find answers all over the place . . . if you like knots, you’ll love the answers you’ll read. I mean, of course god knew where they were; it knows everything that was, is, and will be . . . that’s why it tempted them, right? Perfectly logical. 

I better stop . . . but in case anyone is wondering why I’m touching this particular hot button . . . well, it’s being thrown hither and fro again. Religion, that is. Used to claim victimhood, cast blame, control people, deny them freedom, and even branding them as un-American. I weep for the future that I see. 

. . . I wish I could go . . . Trecking Through Time And Space.

Trecking Through Time And Space

And . . . that’s it

Some of these posts will likely be longer as the mood hits me, but most will be thus; short, uninteresting, bland, and relentless.

You can read about Project 313 HERE.

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

<><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><>

Note: if you are not reading this blog post at DisperserTracks.com, know that it has been copied without permission, and likely is being used by someone with nefarious intention, like attracting you to a malware-infested website.  Could be they also torture small mammals.

<><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><>

Please, if you are considering bestowing me recognition beyond commenting below, refrain from doing so.  I will decline blogger-to-blogger awards.   I appreciate the intent behind it, but I prefer a comment thanking me for turning you away from a life of crime, religion, or making you a better person in some other way.  That would mean something to me.

If you wish to know more, please read below.

About awards: Blogger Awards
About “likes”:   Of “Likes”, Subscriptions, and Stuff

Note: to those who may click on “like”, or rate the post; if you do not hear from me, know that I am sincerely appreciative, and I thank you for noticing what I do.

. . .  my FP ward  . . . chieken shit.

Finally, if you interpret anything on this blog as me asking or wanting pity, sympathy, or complaining about my life, or asking for help and advice, know you’re likely missing my subtle mix of irony, sarcasm, and humor.

A few days ago I wrote about knowledge in relation to wisdom and intelligence.

Learning is somewhat related to knowledge. I say somewhat because occasionally people know something but don’t learn from it. Some — way too many, in my opinion — outright reject knowledge. Some make up their own “knowledge” out of whole cloth and insist others respect it.  

But, back to learning . . . there are people who fault our education system for failing to teach. Rather, to successfully teach. Perhaps there’s some truth to that, but I don’t know. I do know there are lots of different opinions out there. As a simple man, I too have opinions. I don’t have kids and I don’t have a degree in education and I’ve never (formally) taught anyone anything and that means no one should put any stock in what I think. 

But, I was a kid. Not only that, in the last fifty years I’ve lived through an unimaginable amount of change. Socially, politically, technologically, and any other -lly sphere of human existence you care to throw in there. 

Because of it, I think I know something about learning. Specifically, two things . . . learning is difficult and you have to want to learn. 

It’s my opinion that most people are lazy when it comes to learning. In fact, present almost anyone with something new and the first words out of their mouths are something like “it’s too hard” which leads to “I’m not interested” and morphs into “I don’t need to know that”.

The excuse that annoys me the most is “I don’t need to know that”.

How the hell do you know what you’ll need to know? Think of life as a quiz game . . . when the question is asked, you don’t have the luxury to research the answer because while you do that, someone else is ringing in the buzzard, scoring points, and will eventually claim whatever prizes are to be won. 

But, even if someone doesn’t want to compete, why aren’t they curious about the world that surrounds them? What’s the downside of learning new things? Are people afraid they might like something new? Something interesting? Something that will expand their horizons?

Yes; it’s fear. Learning is not only hard, but it’s dangerous. It challenges your understanding of the world, of other people, of yourself. Ask any politician (or religious leader) . . . they don’t want smart people challenging what they say. In that regard, many people are like politicians . . . they don’t want to hear anything that challenges their agenda. “What’s their agenda,” you ask? 

It’s been said ignorance is bliss . . . I think way too many people take that to heart. Of course, they get incensed if anyone rephrases the condition as dumb and happy. 

And now, the photo:

Project 313 057

That’s a quilting project Melisa is working on. This was at the “setting up stage” and I pumped up the colors a bit. I like the variation in colors. Also, I thought I might be able to use the photo for when I play with Deep Dream.

I should probably do a post about the various quilts and projects that she’s completed. Soon, maybe. 

Speaking of learning, imagine if your doctor resisted learning “new stuff.”

I could do a whole post on medical quackery (a.k..a. alternative medicine). But, what’s the use? Most people who readily accept alternative medicine are not stupid. Some of them are very smart . . . but not very wise.  

I would say that’s sad, but I’ve grown distant from feeling sorry for anyone other than kids whose parents embrace alternative medicine. The kids have no say in the matter and are the one suffering the consequences of ignorance. The adults? Like I said . . . I have a difficult time mustering sympathy. I might feel a bit . . . no; no I don’t. 

As for today’s doodle, I came across this one buried in a folder from some time ago. 

It had no title, so I chose . . . The Eyes That See.  I hope to eventually be able to draw better faces . . . probably not soon at my current pace of progress.

The Eyes That See

And . . . that’s it

Some of these posts will likely be longer as the mood hits me, but most will be thus; short, uninteresting, bland, and relentless.

You can read about Project 313 HERE.

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

<><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><>

Note: if you are not reading this blog post at DisperserTracks.com, know that it has been copied without permission, and likely is being used by someone with nefarious intention, like attracting you to a malware-infested website.  Could be they also torture small mammals.

<><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><>

Please, if you are considering bestowing me recognition beyond commenting below, refrain from doing so.  I will decline blogger-to-blogger awards.   I appreciate the intent behind it, but I prefer a comment thanking me for turning you away from a life of crime, religion, or making you a better person in some other way.  That would mean something to me.

If you wish to know more, please read below.

About awards: Blogger Awards
About “likes”:   Of “Likes”, Subscriptions, and Stuff

Note: to those who may click on “like”, or rate the post; if you do not hear from me, know that I am sincerely appreciative, and I thank you for noticing what I do.

. . .  my FP ward  . . . chieken shit.

Finally, if you interpret anything on this blog as me asking or wanting pity, sympathy, or complaining about my life, or asking for help and advice, know you’re likely missing my subtle mix of irony, sarcasm, and humor.

In a recent comment, I was asked if I missed the seasons . . . I gave a rambling answer that made me sound as if I were older and Australian. 

The thing is, people have canned responses to these kinds of questions. Often, it’s either an emphatic “no!” or a rueful “yes!” . . . but — for me — it’s neither. 

I could say I miss the changes the seasons bring, but the truth is they’re mostly a bother. I mean, I never minded the preparations for each coming seasons nor the maintenance associated with each season . . . but I also can’t say I enjoyed either task. It was something I did without thinking but — truth be told — I’d rather have been doing something else. 

I mean, there’s a sense of satisfaction that comes from having a well-maintained yard and beautiful flowers (usually better maintained and more flowers than others in our subdivision) and there’s a sense of pride (yes; I know it’s one of them major sins) that comes from having the cleanest drive in the neighborhood after a major snowstorm. 

But, missing it? 

Even when it comes to seasonal photos, I have dang near twenty years worth of seasonal photos. Were it not for the dates, it’d be difficult telling them apart. And, aside from photography, no other hobby I have takes advantage of — or has a requirement for — seasonal weather. I had no winter sports I indulged in and wasn’t passionate about summer sports. 

In fact, everything I enjoy is season-independent. It could be doing anything outside, and I wouldn’t care. Photography? Whatever is out there, I’ll photograph; no preference. Excercise? We go to the gym. Hiking or walking? Don’t matter none what weather; we done got the gear for it. 

So, it’s a question for which I have no good answer. We have now lived two years (in a few weeks) on an island with a relatively narrow temperature variation. Twenty-to-thirty degrees swing is the most we can expect. Contrast that with Colorado’s and Michigan’s up to one-hundred-and-twenty degrees swings . . . which is better? Well, while you’re living it, you basically just live in it and at least for me, it’s no use dwelling on it. There’s good and bad with each scenario and all the scenarios in between.

I prefer cooler weather than hotter weather. Ideally, I’d like to live in a constant 65º environment with a 5-10mph breeze and a couple of passing showers every other day just to keep things green. There ain’t no such place.

If we do move from here, we’ll likely move to where we’ll experience seasons again. 

If I stop and think about it, I can’t really work up a “feeling” one way or another. It’ll just be something we deal with. If and when we do move, I’ll be asked if I miss Hawaiʻi.

. . . I’ll miss the Malasadas, I know that much. The rest? I’ll miss some things and be glad to be rid of some others. 

In other words, it’ll be like every other place I lived. I’m a man without roots, I am. It don’t seem to bother me none.  

And now, the photo:

Project 313 056

That tiki is outstanding in its field . . . (press “play”)

I have a lot of unrelated (random?) phots from both the Note 8 and the P900 that I should process and weave into a nonsensical narrative I can then offer up in a post . . . perhaps I’ll do that but right now I need to write three or four of these posts because I done used up the buffer I had . . . this is being composed just a few hours before it goes live. 

I’m practically sweating under the pressure of a deadline . . . not.

This cartoon seems to reflect the attitude of many people. I first came across it in the early 1980s. We helped a friend — who subsequently stiffed us — in financial trouble. As part of helping, I gave a lot of advice regarding gaining some control over costs. 

That was the time I came up with one of my favorite metaphors; when you’ve dug yourself into a hole, focus on getting out so that you’re standing well away from it and on solid ground. Working to get out as you continue digging isn’t going to ever work.

The person didn’t heed the advice. Throughout the years, many failed to heed the advice. 

To this day, I’m reminded of the advice whenever I gain a little weight. Exercising without reducing the amount of food I eat isn’t going to help me get back down where I want to be. Either I decide to be overweight and don’t worry about it or I commit to changing my diet. I could try to exercise more, but that just makes you hungrier.

It also works the other way. If I want to eat a bit more, I need to be more active.

Basically, decide on a goal and what you want to accomplish and then focus on getting there . . . but also make sure you’re not doing anything to undermine the effort. 

The circle function in one of the drawing programs I have produces a weird circle . . . it looks like a disk with a circle cut out (see below). I wasn’t sure what use it served and then . . . Balloon Man.

Balloon Man

And . . . that’s it

Some of these posts will likely be longer as the mood hits me, but most will be thus; short, uninteresting, bland, and relentless.

You can read about Project 313 HERE.

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

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Note: if you are not reading this blog post at DisperserTracks.com, know that it has been copied without permission, and likely is being used by someone with nefarious intention, like attracting you to a malware-infested website.  Could be they also torture small mammals.

<><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><>

Please, if you are considering bestowing me recognition beyond commenting below, refrain from doing so.  I will decline blogger-to-blogger awards.   I appreciate the intent behind it, but I prefer a comment thanking me for turning you away from a life of crime, religion, or making you a better person in some other way.  That would mean something to me.

If you wish to know more, please read below.

About awards: Blogger Awards
About “likes”:   Of “Likes”, Subscriptions, and Stuff

Note: to those who may click on “like”, or rate the post; if you do not hear from me, know that I am sincerely appreciative, and I thank you for noticing what I do.

. . .  my FP ward  . . . chieken shit.

Finally, if you interpret anything on this blog as me asking or wanting pity, sympathy, or complaining about my life, or asking for help and advice, know you’re likely missing my subtle mix of irony, sarcasm, and humor.

Which would you rather: know a whole lot, be very smart, or be very wise?

I had to stop and think about this one for a bit because the three are in a relationship with each other. Mind you, nothing is absolute, but — for instance — without being smart, it’s unlikely you’d either be knowledgeable or wise. 

On the other hand, being smart doesn’t guarantee you will know a lot or be wise. At best, it increases the odds. 

Personally, I value wisdom over knowledge or intelligence. Again, I will stress the three most likely correlate and track pretty closely but, like everything else in life, there is a hierarchy. 

In that hierarchy, I rank wisdom above the other two. I’m speaking for me, of course, and not as an absolute truth. 

I can defend my position thus (and this is anecdotal). I have met smart individuals who don’t have a wide foundation of knowledge and other smart individuals who are not all that wise (based on decisions they make). I have met knowledgeable people who are not that smart or wise. But, I’ve never met anyone I consider wise who is not smart and knowledgeable.

So, for me, the aim is to be wise. Note, I’ve not defined wisdom . . . that’s because I’m neither all that knowledgeable nor all that smart. And, no; I’m not fishing for compliments.

And now, the photo:

Project 313 055

That’s a recent photo from Pine Beach Park. I’d gone there to see if any surfers were putting on a show (they weren’t) but when I walked onto the beach, this is the first thing I noticed. I treated it to a bit of a pencil and oil drawing mix in B&W and framed it. 

Some people (one that I know of) don’t like the frames. Well, stop reading these posts because all of the Project 313 photos will be framed. 

Here’s Mr. Boffo giving us a summary of the majority of people’s lives. 

It’d be sad if it weren’t funny. 

I’m a fan of Escher’s drawings. So much so that I thought I’d do a similar drawing. Guess what? Offering up a visual illusion if more difficult than one might imagine. 

That didn’t keep me from trying — and failing . . . I give you Escher Wannabe. 

Escher Wannabe

And . . . that’s it

Some of these posts will likely be longer as the mood hits me, but most will be thus; short, uninteresting, bland, and relentless.

You can read about Project 313 HERE.

That’s it. This post has ended . . . except for the stuff below.

<><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><>

Note: if you are not reading this blog post at DisperserTracks.com, know that it has been copied without permission, and likely is being used by someone with nefarious intention, like attracting you to a malware-infested website.  Could be they also torture small mammals.

<><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><><><o><><><><><><><>

Please, if you are considering bestowing me recognition beyond commenting below, refrain from doing so.  I will decline blogger-to-blogger awards.   I appreciate the intent behind it, but I prefer a comment thanking me for turning you away from a life of crime, religion, or making you a better person in some other way.  That would mean something to me.

If you wish to know more, please read below.

About awards: Blogger Awards
About “likes”:   Of “Likes”, Subscriptions, and Stuff

Note: to those who may click on “like”, or rate the post; if you do not hear from me, know that I am sincerely appreciative, and I thank you for noticing what I do.

. . .  my FP ward  . . . chieken shit.

Finally, if you interpret anything on this blog as me asking or wanting pity, sympathy, or complaining about my life, or asking for help and advice, know you’re likely missing my subtle mix of irony, sarcasm, and humor.