NYC Journal

[Calzone]

SLV is the ticker for Ishares Silver Trust. This ETF buys and holds physical silver, and is a way to own silver that is liquid.

GLD is the gold version ETF.

My friend Andrez had a suitcase full of physical silver. Also I had the experience of holding a one kilo bar of gold (2.2 pounds). A pretty powerful feeling. The size was of a large chocolate bar. Impressive.

Physical gold and silver present liabilities.

I also have seen $20K cash being counted as a pile of $20.00 bills.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

As predicted a prostrate biopsy is required to figure out what is going on, and to know if their is a real Cancer risk. My PSA levels are not only elevated, but also are increasing, then there is this lesion on my MRI.

The biopsy actually is not that big a deal I am told. Outpatient and done right in the office. I don’t get knocked out, and I can drive myself home after a 45 minute procedure. My urologist is older and certainly has mucho experience. So in about two weeks I get the procedure.

I was told I will get a 12 slice biopsy and not a 24 slice.

My friend Dave had a biopsy done 15 years ago. He warned me that there could be blood in your urine. In his case he said he pissed ketchup. Lucky Dave…

I’m digging into Frank Zappa, a free spirit, and a guy who was honest with himself, and also didn’t care about what other people thought. To me a true artist.

Unfortunately Frank had prostrate Cancer and it took him out. Because of my remarkable life, my belief in divine intervention, and my feeling that I somehow have a destiny to fulfill, I wonder if there is a deeper meaning going on here.

I wonder…

BTW I have always liked Frank Zappa, but I never dug into his music and life. A very prolific artist who was a great improviser. Not only a great composer, a great spontaneous man. Technically great, but also he had this feel in his playing that I would call tasteful.

Today I feel his loss.

Monday some work will get performed on the house. An attic floor will get put in, 5/8 plywood; our gutters will get cleaned; and our chimney will get repointed.

The attic floor will enable me to proceed with insulating the roof with rock wool. Did you know that 25% of heat loss is through the roof? Devil Christian gave me a consult that was very helpful in giving me insights to what is practical. Pretty much I not only did not know better, but I was a bit delusional.

Don’t tell “Maggie” but I talked with another neighbor who is an architect about transforming our garage into a carriage house with a second floor studio. A new idea is having a 4 foot deck cantilevering off the garage and also an exterior stairway to the second floor.

A gable roof to match a roof on the Baby-Victorian, and of course a vaulted ceiling. Ed recommended a laminated wood beam to span the garage door side, and pretty much the garage floor likely will need to built up and leveled to have a 4 inch slab as a foundation to build upon.

Understand that my mind wanders a lot, and I live in a realm of possibilities. I constantly try to move forward, and pretty much this is innate creativity. Anyways I have a daydream…

Devil Dan is partially responsible. It is his idea to build a separate studio, since I have a second building lot. I would like to keep a small footprint and not loose any yard, thus the idea to go vertical. I think the view will be more grand. Also I think the detached work space has much value added.

Politically it could easily be converted into an ADU, and in Peekskill there is a lot of support for ADU development. The bad of course is the re-assessment, meaning higher taxes. Remember I already have an underground, up to code, 100 amp service to my garage.

Today I will explore a custom guitar that needs to be revisited. Pretty much a prototype guitar that is kinda orphaned. I will evaluate to see if it is any good as is, or try to move forward. Maybe a pickup change? Maybe not. Pretty much I have so many guitars that I forgot about this one.

I will bring the De’Marino out of the basement where it has languished.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

The DeMarino has 95106 as a serial number. Now I remember that it dates back to 1995 when it was made. I know because I helped build out a line of guitars being produced at that time in this small guitar shop. This guitar is 29 years old, not many were made.

Oddly this one being the prototype has a rather dumb mistake: it has a rear routed control cavity that is not needed because it utilizes a Tele front mounted control plate. Oh-well… I figure the one piece swamp ash body got lightened as an accidental benefit. Anyways this is the only one that has the “mistake.”

This mistake was not made by me. It was done by Steve who did the pin routing.

This also dates back to my association with Cris who has become a renowned archtop guitar builder. I have made a significant contribution to advancing his reputation and career.

Back to the serial number, if you believe in numerology, the serial number resolves to a “three,” which is a number that signifies “creativity.” I plugged the guitar in, but played at a low volume. The guitar has a really great articulation and is bright. It has only a bridge pickup, so it really is an Esquire and not a Tele. I hear a lot of warmth, but the treble has to be controlled.

The voicing with the low output Fender Custom Shop 49 No Caster pickup kinda promotes a lead voice. In comparison the Snakehead, which has the same Fender 49 No Caster pickup is a guitar that works great for even Jazz.

It is kinda interesting having two guitars with similar but also opposite voicing. Not a bad thing.

My studio is getting cluttered and is getting full. So far no complaints from “Maggie.” It is starting to look a bit crazy.

It will be interesting playing with the volume up and further dialing of the amp to see what this guitar is really about.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Some research suggests that 65% of people say that happiness is debt free living. I can believe that. Surely debt is a source of unhappiness.

Dave Ramsey, the finance celeb, spins this above idea that is not debt that is the cause of unhappiness, but overconsumption. His argument is that people have a choice. When inflation happens, instead of tightening the belt to compensate, generally here in the U.S. most people choose to borrow money to maintain a lifestyle, and in other words live beyond their means.

To an extent, I can repeat, “Happiness is a matter of choice.”

Meanwhile the FED reported that household debt measured in the second quarter of 2024 was 17.8 trillion dollars.

A lot of people lived above their means, and pretty much made a bad choice.

Peter Schiff in an article presented his prediction of a “Dollar Crisis.” He mentioned a threshold of 90 that will get breached in an index that compares the value of the U.S. dollar to a basket of currencies that includes the Euro, the Japanese Yen, the British Pound, the Canadian Dollar, the Swedish Krona, and the Swiss Frank.

Pretty much he is predicting a depreciation of the dollar, meaning a weak dollar. This has two effects: one is U.S. exports become cheaper; but imports become more expensive.

The ringer here is that imports becoming more expensive translates into inflation and high interest rates.

Peter Schiff criticized the FED’s “Pivot,” meaning lowering interest rates by a half-point. The interest rate hikes that happened before the pivot he calls a “pretend fight” against inflation.

In his scenario gold is the asset he is hoarding and gold miners.

Pretty much the big moves in gold and gold miners, as well as silver, can be explained.

What is confused here is do we call this a “Dollar Crisis” or a “Debt-Crisis,” Perhaps a Dollar-Debt Crisis.

Of course the narrative I outlined here, while a plausible explaination, might not be true, but I’m trying to get my head around what is really happening.

I will coin an expression, “It pays to live below your means.”

Maybe because of the prediction of high interest, (slowing economy as a result understood), perhaps this senario could be framed as a credit crisis because the value of the dollar hits that tipping point where countries, Central Banks, and institutions no longer feel that the U.S. Dollar is a safe store of value.

In fact Central Banks would rather hold gold rather than U.S. Dollars as a store of value, or as reserves. Know that gold earns no interest. Know that the Banksters are considered “Smart Money.”

The problem will be is that no one will buy our debt unless a high interest rate is offered to offset perceived risk of loss or future loss.

My spin is that any slowdown will get compounded because of the high levels of household debt, then add onto this the high levels of government debt. Understand that much of the U.S. public debt (deficits) does not get paid down and it gets “rolled over” into an other loan.

Not so different than using one credit card to pay another credit card, except at one point the interest rates that are the roll-over are at higher and higher rates.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I think anyone who reads this thread realizes that someone so filled with thought must be a loner of sorts. The thinking and wondering in my head is not normal. I realized when I was a little kid that I understood a lot more than others.

I think it is clear that I have Bankster genes and blood in me. My mom was from Hong King, and she must of come from an influential family because she was educated. This is where I suppose where my Bankster blood came from. My mother was a looker, and this also supports the privilege her family enjoyed.

Zaa-Zaa Gabor once said, “No rich man is ugly.” Here in New York I see the correlation between wealth and good looks. The women are stunning here.

Paula Deitz, the Editor of “The Hudson Review,” a highly influential literary journal, gave me a piece of advice, what is the better story and more interesting is not what happened to you as a child, but the more interesting story is the man that grew from that childhood.

This was/is wonderful advice, and I shared this with Moon Unit Zappa who just finished a memoir of her childhood.

I kinda had the honor of having a 2 1/2 hour breakfast with her and the others in a quiet more personal setting. The dinner the night before was loud. A solo guitar player played Jazz, as 100 people chattered. Not the best place or time to have intimate conversation.

I was moved, deeply moved, by the offer of assistance in getting back into writing, but I would later learn that is not my focus or goal. Moon got to know me enough to see that my story was best “performed.”

Hmmm…

So here I am retired, free from work, where every day is a Saturday. Growing up and getting here was a long journey. Mellissa Newman and Moon both came from celeb families, and I started my life in Foster Care and poverty. It was an interesting situation having a noisy dinner and a quiet breakfast sharing backgrounds.

So today I narcissistically am thinking who I might have become if I did not have to fight disadvantages early in life. What if I had privilege and entitlement, or even a middle class head start.

At breakfast I said something rather profound, and it came off as a bit of a performance. I forgot what triggered a powerful strong response, but I think it was RAF (short for Rafael) ask some question that involved having a rough and tough childhood.

I explained that I was a 13 year old kid that came home to live with my father after being a decade away in Foster Care. It was then I was emersed in poverty and totally overwhelmed. I knew depression, and to fight my depression I got angry and aggressive. Later in life I learned to harness my anger as a super power, and then I learned to channel it into the arts.

Then I said, I became superhuman, with more sensitivity, more understanding, more feeling, and having just about more capacity than anyone. I guess I never realized this and it kinda came out at this breakfast as a bit of an epiphany unrehearsed.

So today I think about the gifts I have/posses.

My second oldest brother graduated high school in 1968, and he got a full scholarship to Brooklyn College. After a year he decided to escape poverty and took the test to get into the Nuclear Program in the U.S. Navy, and then got accepted. Pretty much you have to have the aptitude and intelligence to get accepted.

He saved his salary and invested in electronic communication companies before there were cell phones, and it didn’t take long for hime to become very wealthy.

Not everyone in my family was gifted like my second oldest brother, but I am. We are both Capricorns.

I was perhaps 15 or 16 when I got offered a Commission in the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. I took the PSAT and scored in the top 5 percentile in the math, science and mechanical reasoning. Pretty much gifted.

But I knew myself, I was an angry disturbed kid, and a military institution would be a bad fit for me. I was mucho crazy back then. My dad was 67 when I was just 13, so pretty much I grew up on my own and had to fend for myself.

Other people later told me I threw away an Ivy League education. I would of gotten an Engineering Degree and would of start out as an officer upon graduation. Oh-well.

Then in art school I really stood out. Pretty much I had what it took. One mistake I did was get married, and pretty much not moving into NYC to be in the scene. Ivan Karp the owner of OK Harris Gallery on West Broadway wanted to represent me, but I took insult of the criticism that I had too many ideas and needed to commodify my work.

So I wonder about what if I got to attend Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference instead of getting short listed in case someone cancelled and could not attend. What if my story got published in the Hudson Review after getting approved by Paula Deitz the Editor. Understand that my story got rejected by a review board.

I am not bitter, but pretty much I know all about the gate-keeping. I feel like John Goodman who after the Roseanne scandal was asked about loosing the opportunity of ever getting an Academy Award, and his response was, “I’ve been nominated 6 or 7 times, and If I have not won the award by now, it will never happen. I’m cool with that.”

John Goodman showed a lot of dignity. I appreciate his sentiment, I admire his honesty, and I understand how one can get use to getting close again and again, but no cigar.

At this point, what is the point. “Oh-well,” I say, and I can be a better man.

I had asked myself about the deeper meaning of the chance dinner and then the quiet intimate 2 1/2 hour breakfast.

Did you ever hear that Neil Young song “The Loner?” Hard not to feel separate from others growing up the way I did. Anyways I’m kinda proud that I can express myself here.

As a kid, I grew up alone.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Been toying today with the once abandoned DeMarino that is a riff off a Fender Esquire with only a bridge pickup.

First I tried to set it up with 12’s, meaning heavier strings for a bigger sound, but this guitar has a problem with too shallow a string break angle over the nut, so the “D” and “G” strings pop out of the nut slots. I remedied this by replacing the tuners with a spare set of Sperzels that are locking tuners with staggered height. I had a set just laying around to exploit.

Then I changed the bridge from a Wilkinson that has an aluminum base plate to another Wilkinson that has a chromed brass base plate.

When I plugged in, I realized that the light in weight swamp ash body along with a maple neck, makes for a very bright guitar, but now it plays great at least.

Next is change the pickup, and this might likely involve changing the controls. Oh-well. I already have a spare pickup to try.

I kinda realize that my guitar playing is transforming me. I am becoming more spontaneous in my thinking, and somehow also more performative. What happened at that breakfast in Brattleboro and all the epiphanies is getting to be a standard mode of operation. I see it in my writing also…

“Maggie” and I have been talking a lot, and pretty much we agree that retirement is a “second-life.” The space we are both in allows us to recreate ourselves.

Later we will baby-sit the grandson.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Been watching a guitar shop that does consignments on Reverb, an online used music gear reseller.

Lately lots of new listings. I know this is a very small sampling, but I have tracked their Reverb listing for a while. Alone it suggests people are selling their gear in a rather sudden burst. Are people trying to raise money to pay bills or debt?

Anyways I took notice in the big jump in listings by this one shop that does a lot of consignments.

Cal

 

[DownUnder]

Thinkers are usually loners. Unless of course they are insecure thinkers, and need to identify as being part of the masses.

Even as a child I knew that growing up as one meant you spend a lot of time alone. With your solitary activities. And your thoughts.

As well I discovered long ago that loners/thinkers also have a different perspective on the world. It's as if they view it with different eye lenses, or eyes wired up differently to the brain...

They are also a minority. The non-thinkers are a majority. Go to any bar/pub/tavern. Or any political meeting. Where groupthink prevails.

I learned long ago that there are three different human types. 1, Those who don't think at all. 2, Those who can think, but don't want to. 3, those who can't stop thinking.

I've also long wondered if category 1 forms the overwhelming numbers of the world. It surely seems so to me...

 

[Calzone]

DU,

Sadly I too pass judgement on humankind. Most people don’t use their intelligence, just look at all the crazy drivers, and all te non-thinking displayed by drivers.

Back in the 60’s drug use was actually promoted to undermine poor and minority neighborhoods as a form of oppression. At one time I was a big pot smoker, but I gave it up at 22-23. I wonder now with the legalization if this will quell the masses. This medication and sedation this time is not targeting the lower class or certain ethnic groups, it targets the affluent.

Back in art school in the 70’s, one professor labeled us artists as thinkers.

Over my career I worked a lot with PhD’s a lot, and I have worked with really really smart people concentrated at a Fortune 500 Company (Grumman and later Northrop/Grumman), two National Labs, and a world class hospital that is a renowned Cancer Center. Most of these decades involved research…

Point is I worked with some of the most highly educated and specially trained people in the world, but I would not judge even this group as so smart. I have met many a PhD that are idiots, mucho dumb.

BTW “Maggie” has a PhD.

Also know that smart people do dumb things, and I’m speaking about my own personal experience.

I see your point though that thinkers tend to be loners. It is odd though that I constantly end up in the spotlight, and also how widely known I am.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I have a Lollar J-street Tele bridge pickup to try in the DeMarino. Nice thing is I can use the 250K controls and the existing switching. Kinda exciting.

I’m going through sets of strings and will have to order more.

I also am looking forward to December. I have been doing Christmas shopping in a selfish way, pretty much thinking of buying gifts for myself. I see inflation at work, and pretty much this is how I bought and justified buying the $12K Santa Cruz Custom Model “F” before I got priced out.

Buying the custom guitar before I got priced out was mucho smart. The price increases happened sooner than I anticipated and happened within a year where the same guitar if ordered just a year later would cost about $2K more for the same guitar. Part of this is the scarcity of 1930’s harvested old growth wood, as the stockpile assembled is finite.

So part of this was luck and timing, but also being smart. I am mucho pleased with this custom ordered guitar and pretty much it impresses anyone who plays it, including Cris who mentioned it is likely the best sounding flat top he has ever played. This was when the guitar was still fresh and just starting to open up. Now it just kills.

So this year I speculate, and I will order that Vintage 47 VA-185 amp that is an amp that is modeled after the Gibson amp that was used with the pickup that got named “The Charlie Christian pickup.” If you want that old school sound, here is the ticket.

I will also order a solid body that is routed for a Charlie Christian neck pickup only. Kinda novel because most players just use a standard Tele and rout the neck position for the Charlie Christian pickup. This ends up being wonky because the sounds and outputs are kinda ill matched and ill balanced between the neck and bridge pickups.

I will also have to buy a Lollar pickup, but I have two spare necks to choose from, both maple, choice of bridges.

My thinking is go one-piece swamp ash body, rear route the control cavity for just a volume and tone knob, and to dress up the guitar have the front and back double bound in black binding.

Remember that Cris is going to try and get “Red” back to me around December, so I might have an arched top guitar in my house by Christmas that has been totally revamped and upgraded to a Lollar Charlie Christian pickup.

December looks like an exciting month for me. Sensible use of credit: order in December; and in January pay the credit card in full using my 2025 budget/funds.

I kinda expect inflation to ramp up prices, and pretty much tightening my belt will be no problem. “The money has to come from somewhere,” I say. I can see inflation being a serious problem, but then again pretty much I have enough gear to keep moving forward without spending.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

My 2015 Audi A4 I figure is now a decade old, but it only has 50K miles on the odometer.

I drive mostly highway, and no city driving really. I coast a lot, and it looks like easily 100K miles before I might need any new brakes.

Bought the car 4 years ago, and it only had 16K miles on it, obviously garaged.

When I drove it home, “Maggie” gave me a womanly scowl and said, “You bought a new car.”

Kinda spoiled. I figure at my rate of driving pretty easy to own this car for another decade or more.

Cal

 

[DownUnder]

My 2015 Audi A4 I figure is now a decade old, but it only has 50K miles on the odometer.

I drive mostly highway, and no city driving really. I coast a lot, and it looks like easily 100K miles before I might need any new brakes.

Bought the car 4 years ago, and it only had 16K miles on it, obviously garaged.

When I drove it home, “Maggie” gave me a womanly scowl and said, “You bought a new car.”

Kinda spoiled. I figure at my rate of driving pretty easy to own this car for another decade or more.

Cal

From one Audi (1990 in my case) to another - good boy, you!!

Like a Rolex, a Rolleiflex, a Leica, a Contax, a Mont Blanc fountain pen (many of these items I own), almost everything made in Italy, and all other (mostly) hand made goodies - your Audi will outlast you. And mine also me, I most fervently hope. No great rush by me to prove this, of course...

 

[Calzone]

A surprise is my spontaneous decision to assemble the single pickup Cabronita which is basically a single pickup Tele with a Gretsch style pickup, in this case a TV Jones Duotron.

I had canabilized the short scale neck to use on my carved top Tele for more of a Gibson vibe, which worked out to be great. The 3-on-a-side maple Snakehead neck I removed from the carved top was stored in a case with the Cabronita body.

I decided it would only take a set of strings to assemble to see what if… It ends up turning out to be a crazy great guitar with mucho style. The Snakehead neck with the 3-on-a-side tuners is kinda odd and freaky on a Fender style guitar, in fact it upsets most or many players.

Anyways that’s kinda what I do: annoy people; also I tend to offend people too. LOL.

Anyways that is part of my cool. Pretty much you have to be mucho cool to get away with stuff I do.

So I’m happy-happy… Part of the reason why I did this is because it was EZ-PZ. Glad I did. Fits my profile as a lazy-slacker. Pretty much just playing around like a 5 year old… I kinda love when this happens…

Also know the Lollar J-Street pickup I was looking for I can’t find for the DeMarino, so now I have another option: install P-90 style pickup that has the higher input I require to thicken the sound, but I will experiment with using 250K potentiometers which will bleed some of the highs. Might have to change out the caps and all the caps I use to bleed off treble as presets.

So a later experiment that is kinda out of the box.

Also I still have a loaded two pickup alder Cabronita, a spare roasted maple neck, and all the hardware to assemble yet another guitar. I bought this stuff about a year ago before all these price increases due to all the inflation the FED fails to report. Glad I did, because all the prices increased a lot.

I have to cut a bone nut, and level the frets on this fresh neck before instalation.

Pretty much I see and realize the trend that eventually I’ll kinda have to stop buying because I don’t want to “overconsume” and go into debt, or live beyond my means. Anyways I kinda have a guitar arsenal happening. I have more than I need, but this warehousing is no stress and I easily can afford. Pretty much cheap frills and mucho pleasure for not a lot of money.

So pretty much I’m out of strings and only have one spare set for two more guitars. Oh-well. About $7.00 for a set.

I really love the Cabronita. Mucho personality. Building out a dual pickup version with TV Jones Classic Filtertrons that are lower output should be sweet. These pickups are built to order, and I specified light wax potting for more openness since I don’t do the high gain style of playing.

Unwaxed pickups can act like microphones and can feedback easily. I want to add some of that liveliness and openness into my playing. These pickups are lower output, so the sound should be a bit less focused mids, but have more treble. Hopefully the bass response is not too loose. Both Cabronita’s are alder bodies which shave the highs a bit.

My Tele’s though are swamp ash for that added brightness that is mucho Tele. This is nice contrast, diversity, and variety.

Cal

 

[Retro-Grouch]

I believe that kids who grow up in trauma and dysfunction ultimately, as they enter adulthood, face a choice. One can embrace the dysfunction and ugliness, and repeat it, or one can face it, identify it, and vow never to repeat it. Most people are afraid to face the truth, avoid it, and wind up repeating the evils that were inflicted upon them. The choice must be made; to avoid making the choice is to default to the darkness. The spiritual growth comes in fighting the darkness. By every indication, you made the right choices.
"The world breaks everyone, and afterward many are strong at the broken places." -- Ernest Hemingway

 

[Calzone]

RG,

I’m a big fan of E.H.

Interesting that although I grew up kinda alone, for me the 17 years I worked at Grumman helped me become a man. The culture at that time in a Fortune 500 Company that was the 4th largest military contractor in the U.S. actually was a family for me. I don’t think without the 17 years of stability that that job provided I would of never grown up or become a man.

Understand that there was a heavy veteran’s preference in the hiring, so many of my co-workers were veterans. They saw the world and its own set of horrors in their own way. For me these men were the role models my father could never be. For me every day is Veteran’s Day. I owe them a lot.

These men saw an angry disturbed kid, but they also saw great potential…

Also know that Grumman had a culture of family. There was an abundance of support and opportunity, especially if you were smart and hard working. Because I was a bit of a street thug, I also kinda found my nitch at Grumman where I kinda was a bit of an operator who because of my trauma history was a workaholic. I kinda buried my past via a ruthless work ethic.

I kinda operated like a Navy SEAL within a 500 acre complex. I did things kinda my way that involved extortion, stealing, and coercion to get the job done. I had friends, allies, and enemies. Kinda crazy the things I did, but pretty much I ended up with a boss who not only protected me and my actions, but also condoned my services. I had a lot of power.

I spoke of the level of rage I had at that breakfast in Brattleboro, how I had to learn to process it to avoid depression, and it ended up being a “Superpower” that I channeled energy, drive, focus, and creativity. I could do what many others could not do.

I knew rage, and my biggest fear was the fear of killing someone growing up. Then I mentioned how I had more understanding, more compassion, more hope, more love, more understanding… as a result of my experience.

I was told that children that experience more than 7 years of Foster Care, which s considered long term, I was in the system for a decade, but the highly probable outcomes are: homelessness, criminality, drug or alcohol addiction, criminality, suicide, and lastly mental illness.

Pretty much I am told that I am the exception, but I am acquainted with all of the above.

Not an easy story to tell, and it is a story that gets oppressed.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I guess there are drought conditions here in New York. There is a Red Advisory by the weather service about dry conditions that could promote wild fires for Long Island, NYC, and the lower Hudson Valley.

Earlier in the week it looked like it rained just enough to wet the road and pavement, but not enough for any puddles. In the forecast that day no rain was predicted, so I suspect the small amount of drizzle was likely a very localized event.

Pretty much besides this likely localized event it has been a dry October, and the future forcast is for continued dryness.

Also looks like our growing season this year is also extended. Generally the first frost is in mid October. Last year we had one of the top 5 longest growing seasons ever recorded. This year the growing season will likely extend to perhaps mid November, when they expect a change in the weather.

Then also know here in Peekskill our climate zone was changed. Here In Peekskill we are in the same mild climate zone as the Chesapeake Bay. We are talking mid-Atlantic climate, but we are the northern fringe.

Anyways a lot of odd things are happening. Bulk leaf collection will begin next Wednesday, but the leaves are only beginning to drop.

I have the mind that was gifted for math and abstract reasoning, and music is kinda math related. I was fond of old school Jazz when in 9th grade. Pretty much I was way ahead of my time. At this time it is unlikely I could even factor an equation, but I wonder how my age will play with my aptitude?

My friend Dave, a few years older than me is a great blues player with a great feel and a wonderful set of hands. He admits that his brain is not so large. I can say that my mind and memory are not so fast or quick. Kinda like a computer that looses space in the hard drive. There seems to be more clutter to navigate through to find data.

On one hand a different kind of smart happens, but I run at a slower clock speed. When younger I was “overclocked” and had much faster processing. In the end though I think I can think more complexly and can have much deeper thought.

I would not describe what I’m experiencing as a decline because I am actually gaining capacity. Also my life is not scheduled out and there actually is a vast exploration going on that is stimulating and leading to further growth.

What I’m saying here and experiencing that in my case there is an undertaking underway that is displaying new cognitive abilities developing, continued learning, and I think a richer life. I likely have more drive and ambition than when I had to work and worry.

Not everyone gets to retire, I’m in a great place because I have a great sense of purpose, goals, and even a struggle. I reflect on my past, but I have moved well beyond that struggle…

Cal

 

[Nokton48]

Morning Devil Cal,

Plaubel Makina Focal Plane Shuttter Back Side by Nokton48, on Flickr

Back Side of overhauled Plaubel Makina IIIR Focal Plane Shutter. It has a new curtain installed, very "snappy" now. Thank You WIZCAM. This is the view when using it, the release is on the top right. Serial Number is 566. Speeds up to 1/1000.

Two new Plaubel Makiflex Items by Nokton48, on Flickr

Two new to me items for my Plaubel Makiflexes (See my Avatar). First is a PN1/341 medium length cone lens board, permanently glued in is a Industar-4 21cm F4.5 Tessar type lens. It focuses perfectly to infinity on a Maki, I really wanted this board, I don't have one! The lens has mild fungus between the elements, I have baked the lens out in the sun for several days. Hopefully I will learn how to remove the elements, to clean out the dried fungus. BTW it's not too bad, a small bloom mainly at one edge. Looking forward to cleaning it out, but it's lovely to look through as it is. I'm interested in it also as a Maki historical piece.

The other item that arrived is an Auto Makiflex Shutter, marked F5.6. So what does it fit? In my European Makiflex literature I see the 180mm and 210mm F5.6 Symmar lenses offered in auto shutter by the factory. Very rare and I've only seen them offered in Europe. I have a chrome barrel 180mm f5.6 Symmar, it's a perfect fit and I think that's it exactly. The mechanism needs cleaning and CLA, the blades are greasy. I'll take it to my repair Guy and see what happens. This shutter fits good on a Flat Auto Makiflex Lens Board and also looks great through the viewfinder.

 

[Calzone]

Devil Dan,

Good luck with those new items.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I’m giving up on the DeMarino. I’ll put it in it’s case and back into the basement.

One thing I learned is that pretty much my style involves low output vintage style pickups. I figure I wasted enough time, and I accept the failure. Oh-well. The higher output pickup was a big mistake.

Meanwhile I have 5 Tele style guitars, and another one kitted out that needs to be assembled. I plugged in these 5 to see how they rate, and all are interesting and distinct. No shortage of electric guitars that I love. Kinda impressive to look at in my music room.

The amp I used is the Vintage 47 VA-20, and I “dimed” the tone knob on the amp for thickness, otherwise the brightness gets too much in your face. Know that vintage low output pickups are kinda bright and articulate.

The Fender Custom Shop 49 No Caster pickups sound great in this korina bodied guitar. Korina sounds a lot like mahogany, but with a bit more upper mids. The bridge pickup is particularly great, and it seems that I now have two spare 49 No Caster pickups. Hmmm…

I happen to have a spare korina Tele body laying around and it is almost a “no-brainer” to build either another Tele or an Esquire (single bridge pickup).

Today we did the early voting to get it done.

Yesterday JJ mowed his lawn, even though it didn’t need mowing. Pretty much OCD behavior. More than a little bit crazy.

“Maggie” finds mucho happiness in her cedar She-Shack. She spends a lot of time out there enjoying, nature, peace and the solitude. Generally I make eggs and toast and serve it to her in her shed.

The back yard is very pretty. I say the foliage is right around peak. Lots of orange and yellow.

Cal

 

[MrFujicaman]

Cal. I had a thought about the power cord for Maggie's "She Shed.

It's a long run and every portable heater I see pulls around 13 amps-I think a 12 gauge might have too much voltage drop and overheat.