NYC Journal

Went to ”Magazine” a museum set in Cold Spring that is kinda like a mini-Dia. Formally the site was a computer factory, and now it is a modern museum set in a valley off of Route 9 that is about 20 minutes away.

Had an early dinner there in the Cafe. Pretty much when pop-art, Minimalism, and Conceptual Art was happening here in the U.S. other things were happening in Italy. The focus of this museum is Italian art BTW.

Set in wonderfull landscaped gardens, they have a small herd of donkeys, and even chickens.

Anyways a kinda world class place that made me feel transported and left me feeling otherworldly.

Next at the Capa Space is a film. Today is a kinda art day.

Cal
 
My friend Billy who lives just outside Tampa and his family are alright. They live about 5 miles inland, but Billy reports that the coast kinda got wiped out. They were without electricity for 2 days.

Just got back from the Capa Space. Saw a film about Ferguson MO. And the aftermath of the killing of Michael Brown. Kinda brutal.

This morning I got to play with my amps more. The Vintage 47 VA-20 I tried with other guitars. On my 50’s style Tele with UBER low output pickups I “dimed” the tone knob and was able to crank the volume to 3:00. I had to dial in the pickups though and lowered them slightly to tone down excessive treble. This guitar loves this amp.

The hollow carved top I have to play around some more. I’m thinking since it has a shorter mahogany Gibson scale neck that I might take this a step further and change out the pickups to something that is more like a P-90 for even more Gibson flavor.

So things are evolving and are moving forward.

Tomorrow is a busy day for “Maggie” she has a busy day, and tomorrow is a gym day.

I’ll try and pull that AC unit out of the bedroom, and cut some wood to move the molding for the dining room along. Might mow the lawn perhaps for the last time this year.

Autumn leaves…

Cal
 
This week’s weigh in is 158.0 pounds.

“Maggie” suggests going to the gym more than twice a week, and perhaps working up to three days. Good for me. Of course I do other things…

I was able to increase the resistance on the elliptical again this week. Also am burning 700 calories an hour, meaning my intensity is also increasing. Let’s see if next week if I can do another increase.

I’m starting to move stuff into my music studio. I kinda got the go ahead to kinda do what I want. Been tweaking guitars and amps a lot lately.

Still doing a lot of testing and experimenting. There is also a lot of progress with learning and moving my sound forward.

Saratoga book fest is coming up.

In the bigger picture I wonder if I will eventually go back into the visual arts and do my constructions. Pretty much finish the house, and to do visual art would require some serious workspace. Pretty much it would be going back decades and living the dream I did not live. Anyways I figure I have about 3 years to think about it, but it is a consideration.

The cooler weather is effecting my tomato harvesting. Pretty much I can’t vine ripen as much as I use to. I harvest when the tomato’s are orange instead of beat red. Then I have to let them ripen on my kitchen counter. Thing is I have mucho green tomato’s on the vine.

Cal
 
Europe reports an inflation rate of only 1.8%, below their target rate. This is a surprise.

Hope this does not tip into deflation, meaning overcapacity.

I kinda frame Europe as the world’s second largest economy because collectively they are about the same size as the U.S. economy or even might be larger collectively

Anyways this is a big surprise. How will this play out when her in the U.S. we are adding stimulas and China is already suffering deflation and is trying to do extra-ordinary amounts of stimulus (many say too late).

This is a bit of a dilemma… Three big economies doing three different things. Something has to give.

“Maggie” wants to do a river walk today. I kinda feel tight, not sore from yesterday. I’m cool with a moderate day. The fluctuation down to 158.0 pounds means I just need to do more aerobic exercise to burn more calories.

Last night I set up and optimized a 50’s style Tele for use with the Victoria Regal. With only one 6V6 power tube it is a true class “A” amp and only 5-6 watts. Pretty much I’m able to hit the sweet spot of the amp’s voice, by pumping the volume enough. I had to dial down the bass a tad. The 15 inch speaker pushes a lot of air and the bass was too woozy.

Because this Tele has a neck pickup it has a wonderful Jazz tone, and pretty much I had to tame the bridge pickup a bit to balance everything. I kinda love this guitar and amp for smooth Jazz tone. Pretty much clean, a bit Smokey, and also sweet.

The Snakehead with the Vintage 47 VA-20 is more of the old Chess Records sound of the past. Kinda raw and feral in comparison.

More playing and fine tuning expected today. Lately I’m more focused on amps that can be played at low volume. My other amps are sized for gigging.

A UFC build is what I resemble. At the gym I see the muscle-heads that are all bulked out. They don’t look so fit to me.

Cal
 
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I still have an agent, and gears are shifting. It is understood that “Maggie” is stepping aside. Now the focus is on me.

I basically told Vanessa that I’m not really a model, but I could see me doing sportswear and casual wear. Pretty much dress me down rather than dress me up. I outlined that I don’t want to be someone I am not.

The industry has evolved to a point where they want either very young, or 50 plus.

Beside the luxury Italian brand also a luxury car maker was interested in us as a couple, and that pretty much was what and where we had agreed upon when we signed years ago. Pretty much the travel and separation was not agreeable. Now if any travel is involved it is agreed that Maggie would also get accommodated.

It was flattering that there were times when only one of us were drawing interest. Vanessa spoke of possible brands that likely would be interested in me. I kinda look different, and that I guess that is a draw. I kinda stand out in a crowd, and I am a person you would remember.

So let’s see where this goes and how crazy will it get. I’m retired, but maybe I have a side hustle. Call me a Ho, but I have a 1966 C-10 longbed to restore, a studio to build out, and a possible vacation home.

Pretty much this is mucho motivation to stay and get fit. Pretty much I want to be a fitness model, not a fashion model.

I am kinda selling my image, but I’m not really being someone else.

Cal
 
Calzone said:
Alert and warning: JJ and Snoopy are keen on moving to Austin. Perhaps they will stalk Joe Rogen.
Click to expand...
Perhaps they waited a bit too long. The place is no longer the town it once was. It is starting to resemble parts of California. Minus the weather.
thehill.com

New book details how Austin, Texas, lost its ‘magic’ — and the larger threat its trajectory may represent

Austin’s “magic” has slipped away thanks to poorly planned development run amok, a new book argues. In “Lost in Austin,” out Tuesday, journalist Alex Hannaford details how s…
thehill.com
 
We have family down in Austin. A few years ago we went to a wedding down there.

Things surely changed, and now the population is declining. Affordable housing was a draw, but that no longer is the case. Then as the population grew things like traffic and congestion grew.

Our family now expects a child. They bought their house at a great time, and now it is worth crazy money.

I’ll read Austin’s link for an update.

Cal
 
I find it amusing that the author of the book left Austin and now resides in the Hudson Valley.

The reported drying up of the water supply in Austin I was not aware of.

Hmmm.

“Maggie” is 71, and pretty much I use the heavy hands to make our river walk a workout. On Maggie’s Applewatch our walk is only 4.2 miles. Today for increased effort I held my hands further out from my sides to increase the load via leverage.

I feel the strain from the workout in my arms. Not a struggle, but a gentle increase in resistance. At my age, and because of my experience training, I know it is best to do slow progress, and to keep at it.

Pretty much I include Maggie into my exercise routine as a form of maintenance, but understand she was no former athlete or an endurance athlete. Anyways I can do other things to supplement.

Our mortgage payment went down because we no longer need Private Mortgage Insurance.

Cal
 
Asheville N.C. was considered a “Climate Haven” biut recently went underwater. We were looking at real estate down there with the kids recent moving and relocation plans. Thankfully things did not work out, and they returned to the Hudson Valley.

Jerome Powell suggests the housing affordability problem is mostly due to limited land and not really housing. Pretty much location-location-location is what he is stressing, not the underbuilding that has gone on for almost 15 years. Anyways a different spin on the supply/demand imbalance. Both are true.

On HDTV was a show that had a title “Small Town” and it was a remodeling show that concentrated on Hudson Valley homes. The Hudson Valley kinda has been “discovered” and I think it will be a hot market and remain hot.

Some of the things that are suggested about that book mentioned in Austin’s link above is also true for NYC. Austin use to be the capitol of live music with music festival SBSW, but now the vibrant live music scene has become much diluted. Then there was a vibrant art scene, but artists can’t now afford to live there. Then there is the congestion, traffic, and in adiquit infrastructure.

Separately in other articles many left…

Pretty much the only major difference is that NYC has a subway system and big mass transit that Austin never really developed.

Hmmm… A lot to really consider. When does a city become less cool, less vibrant, less creative, less livable… Where is the tipping point? Will this ever happen to NYC, or is it already somewhat happening?

All I know is many creatives and young people left NYC for the Hudson Valley. There is a big Brooklyn vibe up here, lots of Covid refugees like us. In the book “Say Goodbye To All That,” the title recycled from a Joan Dideon essay of how she was drawn to NYC, but then left, there is a collection of essays of other writers that did the same.

Joan Dideon did move back to NYC though… eventually…

I/we are embracing “slow-living” and have a very uncomplicated/simple life. My NYC rush is gone, “Maggie” is less anxious, and pretty much I’m relaxed. “Everyday is a Saturday,” we say, although Maggie still is somewhat busy. When will she learn to really relax?

So I wonder how really safe are we from global warming, and how long will the Hudson Valley last as a “Climate-Haven.”

Cal
 
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I read a report that mentioned how the Adirondack State Park, the largest state park in the lower 48 states, will be immune to the temperature rise of global warming.

The takeaway is the respiration of the forest works like a natural cooling system to moderate the increase in temperatures via evaporative cooling.

Right across the Hudson River from Peekskill are two large state parks that are significant. Just 2 blocks away in a 1500 acre preserve from our house that is about the size of 2 Central Parks, along with an abutting 200 acre Depew Park that is part of Peekskill.

I expect the same science to apply to help moderate temperatures, then about an hour’s drive further north is Catskill State Park which is yet another huge forest.

Here in Peekskill the Hudson River is still big enough that we have about a 6 foot tide and the water is brackish, even though we are about 40 miles north of NYC. In fact we are still close enough to the ocean to be in the Gulf Stream to moderate our winters.

In the weather reports the terms north and west of the city for snowfall very often does not include Peekskill.

Also since cool air settles into valleys because cold air is denser, we also kinda have a natural air conditioning system.

According to my GPS on my car my driveway is 75 feet above sea level, but the danger from flooding comes from water that percolates and gets funneled by mountains. Realize that some of my neighbors don’t have dry basements, and their basements can flood 2-3 days later after some of these record deluges.

Our Baby-Victorian is situated on a bluff. In my back-backyard I’m kinda building out a 30-35 foot cliff that has a spectacular private view of a 30 acre marsh, a brook, and a small frog pond. In the distance is a forested hilside. We live right on the edge of the city.

We are safe, but also vulnerable. Two years ago there was a mini tornado that touched down just 2 blocks away, and also two years ago there was a serious forest fire at Blue Mountain Preserve that jumped a road. Nearby a gas pipeline exists.

We have seen heavy rain, like 10 inches in a day, and we remain high and dry. We live in a valley within a valley, so we are somewhat protected, but I realize no place is 100% safe. I can’t really think of a better or safer place to be.

Recently with our vacation at Franconia Notch, N.H., we ran into a couple our age that resides in the Adirondacks. I mentioned how they are immune to temperature change, but they warned that flooding and more severe weather now is the norm. Roads get washed out, and flooding is now a major problem.

Also there is a land grab and development up there. Pretty much he carries bear spray not for use against bears, but against humans. This is from an older couple who grew up there and raised two sons.

Also know that Doug and his wife ended up having their original home torn down, and an Amish crew built them a new home. Pretty much the old house was not worth fixing and lacked efficiency.

Cal
 
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The deer rutting now encroaches into my front-backyard. Been seeing “scuffs” in my lawn by my garage. Lots of them.

Pretty much we have encouraged wild life and the wilderness nearby. Pretty much we are kinda responsible for a rabbit infestation, and now perhaps deer.

Oh-well…

Cal
 
MFM,

We went to visit the grandkids because we miss them. I had to help the 10 year old grand daughter with her homework. I thought of you because she is a worse speller than me. LOL.

She is a really kind kid, and also religious.

The situation is the mom , “Maggie’s” daughter, is working as an Assistant Principle in Yonkers. The dad is doing the childcare and doing a great job of it. He is escaping this gang problem and sitting it out, but the family is mucho happy.

The failed move to North Carolina actually became a good thing. They sold their home for top dollar, paid down oppressive school loans, and still have a future down payment in the bank while currently renting.

Everyone is so glad that the relocation did not work out. The grandson is all love. Two years old.

Cal
 
The pair of 3 pound weights known as heavy hands did a lot to tone my torso. Pretty much running with heavy hands does a great job of working the heart harder without pounding out my joints like full blown running.

Looks like the kids are eventually planning to move further north closer to Albany.

Real retirement happens at age 70 for me about three years from now. Right now I am in a mode of some austerity living on savings and only one pension that I am forced to collect.

Modeling money would be helpful and is a possibility. A few gigs would be nice, but would also be timely.

On the guitar I’m playing with my amps as much as my guitars to define a sound. Seems like I turn down the treble control about half way, and I tune the amp for growl and warmth. More of a jazz and old blues sound of the past. The guitar kinda takes on a horn like quality. It is getting to the point where I’m kinda not playing a guitar anymore, and it is other worldly.

“Maggie” and I talked about my full retirement, when I will begin to collect my full amounts of my entitlements. Pretty much a wealthy retirement with more income than I need. Actually an income more than when I was working full-time. How did that happen?

A bit of a surprise, but this involved a lot of planning, and pretty much my 403B savings would of been given to the government as taxes, so pretty much I was compelled to spend my nest egg before age 70, and this meant retiring early at age 63.

WWW.SmartAsset.com has a retirement tax calculator that was very helpful to see the tax consequences, and how to minimize taxes. “No one ever got rich by paying taxes,” rich people say.

So effectively I had a surprise bridge that led to early retirement, and I figured all this out on my own without any financial planner. Very simple math.

Since the hospital was discontinuing further pension contributions, pretty much it did not pay to work, and to compound this they were intending on shutting down my lab and retiring my 20 year old cyclotron anyways. It ended up being perfect timing.

Anyways part of retirement is surprises, but another requires planning to be adaptable. Just giving the heads up.

Cal
 
The markets seem to be going to cash. Even gold is being sold off…

In times of war and conflict a consequence is shortages, supply disruptions, an inevitably economic slowdown.

Add onto this a U.S. election year anf plenty of uncertainty and instability.

Pretty much no safe bets, except the long-long term.

Living on debt means inflation will continue to be a problem, and I even say that the Central Banks will kinda want to engineer a certain amount of prolonged moderate inflation to help modulate the deficits and debt loads. In other words inflation can moderate or help minimize debt over time.

A good example is perhaps the households that now have long term mortgages with interest rates under 3%. Inflation over time erodes the debt.

But also higher interest rates make debt loads harder to manage, reduce, pay off, or roll-over. This is the case with commercial real estate and credit card interest.

Pretty much a bad time to need a loan, live on credit, or just plain borrow money.

Another long term-trend will be the real estate housing shortage. With about 15 years of under-building it likely translates into about 15 years or more to balance supply and demand. I belive in regression to the mean, and statistics and long term averages support my thinking here.

About a decade ago there was a profound Photoville that displayed profoundly how global warming led to famine, then. To civil wars, then to a refugee crisis. They did a really great job of showing the cause and effect and how one event led to and caused another.

Food prices have gone up 25% over the past 4 years. Pretty much hunger will be a continuing problem, and food as a commodity will be scarcer. They already say the U.S. wheat harvest is low this year. Know that the Ukraine is a major bread basket for the world.

In China they can no longer feed themselves. Pretty much they favored urbanization and building cities, and rural areas and food production declined. Pretty much China painted themselves into a corner, and know that hungry children often leads to civil wars and civil unrest.

Anyways the points to think about is how far can things go, because there are some real limits and limitations happening, and that translates into shoes dropping, surprises that should not really be surprising, and some real serious consequences that trigger revolutionary tipping points.

Meanwhile I harvested about a gallon of tomato’s, and a green pepper today. I think our friend Austin has it right: “Growing food is printing money.”

Cal
 
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