Blog Archive: Week of 22 September 2024
28 September 2024. I've been working on a list of names for my "new" property...
- Scorched Earth
- Destroy All Living Things
- Eradicate Green
- Front Row at the Apocalypse
- Places To Go That Make You Feel Sad
- Why I Keep All Of My Shades Drawn
- Worms Don't Even Live Here
- I Hated It Before I Moved In
- How To Get More Solar Projects Approved
- Improving Your View of Your Neighbors
- Everything Is Tan Now
- Keeping Your Local Landscapers Employed
- How To Confuse InstaCart
- The "Before" Picture Will Make You Cry
- What Did We Do To Deserve This?
- Blood Pressure Booster
- New Car For My Therapist
- Vitamin D Booster
- Paging Doctor Kevorkian
- And This Is Where Scientists Have Traced The Latest Black Hole
- No, Wait, Didn't I Live Two Doors Down?
- No Rake Required
- I Won't See My Cats For a Week
- NEW LOOK! Same Old Taste
- The Land of Homeless Squirrels
- Yeah, We Don't See Him Anymore
- This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things
- Yet Another Reason I'd Rather Be a Cat
- Yeah, I'm Awake. Wait. What Day Is This?
27 September 2024. And so, for reasons unknown, virtually all of the trees surrounding my trailer are today being ripped out of the ground and destroyed. They may as well rip my organs from my body, for that is how it feels to me. I know better than to inquire about it, for this is the sort of unilateral decision over which I have no influence, especially considering that I rent the property upon which my trailer sits. The chainsaws are being fired up as I write this, and I am sick to my stomach. Had I eaten anything yet today, I would have brought it up. All I can do is cry. I fear I will not be around much longer, for this earth, this earth as shaped by man, is not a place I would ever choose to live.
Mankind is a pestilence. A blight upon this land. And does not deserve air to breathe.
26 September 2024. It's coming. I can tell. The mad mad mad mad med mess-up. Set your chronometers: it should start hitting this evening after the first batch arrives. Then anyone familiar with Max Headroom should start noticing the effect. And here I've just sort of gotten used to my current cocktail. This ought to be like setting the old 45 RPM player at 33 RPM, and make sure the record has plenty of scratches and skips. I do not exaggerate. This modeling photo makes a lot more sense while under the influence.
25 September 2024. For reasons unknown, my blood pressure has skyrocketed. This happened once before many decades ago, and naturally my doctor put me on blood pressure medication. The difference was that, at that time, I was still working, and it caused all manner of grief. This time I don't have a job the drugs might impact, so presumably there won't be any ill effects. That is not to say I won't have a reaction, so make a mental note of the date and see what happens to me this time in a couple of weeks.
24 September 2024. Some days are worse than others. Today is defined by pain. It is good that I am not barred from using opioids, as most people are these days, because they are by far the most effective for my pain. I can't imagine having to endure this kind of pain on Tylenol.
23 September 2024. For all intents and purposes, my little layout is finished—at least in the eyes of the casual observer. It still needs people, and maybe a few more vehicles. But that's it. So for the next few weeks I'll be spending some of my time shopping for tiny plastic persons to populate my model Toms River. It's actually kind of fun, because I enjoy arranging people into mini-scenes that tell little stories, as opposed to just scattering them around like so many sprinkles on cupcakes. Most viewers are likely oblivious to the subtle effect, so ultimately it's just a singular form of amusement for me.
Incidentally, I have a "thing" for lights and night views, so it was well worth investing in the lighting options for the models. I could sit and stare at a scene such as this for hours. To further illustrate my obsession, my Newport & Rock Falls II bristles with well over 200 LEDs. And way back in the early 1990s, my White River & Northern IV had a full automated day/night lighting system to simulate a full day from sunrise back around to sunrise again, the highlight of which being a field of fireflies that viewers unanimously agree is totally convincing. In my fantasy world, I'd have built a layout that featured all of the above plus horizon-to-horizon sky full of stars, a fireworks show, lightning storms, highways full of moving lighted vehicles, and no end of other lighting effects—as an example, I was working on a fully-operational, properly-functioning drive-in theater. Indeed, my Animation Workshop features over two dozen lighting effects... for starters...
22 September 2024. As the walls continue closing in, it's time for a classic rant: The insanity will not stop until Mother Nature finally says "ENOUGH!" by which time it will be much too late, and man will have learned nothing. Man does not deserve this earth, and I regret my contribution to the insanity.