NYC Journal

Tomorrow is one month post surgery. I pretty much get my life back.

I can say that if I drank soda, consumed sugar, ate cake, and perhaps was heavier, that my aggressive Cancer might have advanced to a point where it likely would of taken me out.

Understand that sugar is the food that promotes Cancer growth, and I have an aggressive Cancer,

Also being active and exercise starves the Cancer because glucose is used to fuel muscles rather than fuel Cancer growth.

So I’m not taking anything for granted I got lucky. Tomorrow I will start exercising again.

Cal
 
I am getting my head around the different thresholds of my amps. Seems like the brown 1960 Fender Super has more headroom than 1950 tweeds, and the Victoria Regal kinda honors the tweed sound with less headroom and more fuzzing up.

The Victoria though with it’s overbuild though has the power to push and open things up. Lots of tweaking to find out what is good for me and my style.

Between the Vintage 47 that uses all old octal tubes and retro circuits, the Fender brown Super that is a bridge between Fender Tweed and later 60’s Black Face amps, and the beefed up Fender Tweed sounds of a Victoria. I likely have a stable of ultimate plug and play amps.

Then I have a Matchless Spitfire and a Matchless Lightning for that British sound of Vox using EL 84 tubes.

Seems like the Fender brown Super though has the right balance that is magic to go from a pristine clean, edge of breakup, to some raw push with just the volume knob. Of course big strings and a heavy attack adds to the dynamics. The thing with brown amps is that they are midrange heavy and the sound is warm and thick.

The Vintage 47 with the octal tubes has a husky thickness also.

The Victoria has a chimney 15 inch speaker, but I’m getting some fart-E-nes in the low end. I need to tweak this amp, and since it can use all kinds of output tubes it gets complicated fast. I currently am running just a single 6V6, and I think I need to run a pair to get the DC response to smooth out the bass and to add mids. I’m asking the amp to push a lot of air with very low power, perhaps only 5 watts.

Tomorrow I’ll add a second 6V6 to have 10 watts class A. Kinda like a Fender Champ on steroids. The Derick and the Domino’s album Layla and Other Love Songs was made using this single 6V6 Fender tweed “Champ” that basically is a 5 watt amp through an 8 inch speaker.

This little amp only has a volume knob, and be assured it was “dimed,” meaning turn fully up. A poor slammed little amp, pushed.

Pretty sure I’ll find a sweet spot.

The brown Super I have the two channels jumpered together to add thickness, and I run the volume on each channel about half way up, but know that the speakers are the lower powered P12R’s that have a nice early breakup. This works out to be great in the small bedroom that is my music studio.

My guitars have vintage style pickups that kinda have low outputs. Even though the amps are kinda turned up, I’m not killing my ears because my hands are pretty good.

It ends up that the sonic Blue Tele Thinline cameo out as a great guitar. The sound is warm and smooth. Really great for Jazz.

Cal
 
Disappointed that my threaded collars for my tuners have not arrived yet for my Strat build. Monday is a FED holiday so hopefully today.

I weighed my guitars last night using the cheap luggage scale I bought from CVS for something like $8.00 using a coupon.

That Strat is a porker at 7.75 pounds, and I have a few guitars that right around a featherweight of 6 pounds even. Strats tend to be heavier than Tele’s, so no surprise here, but then again Strat “Hardtails” that don’t have vibrato’s/tremalo’s can be as light in weight as Tele’s.

So last night I was keen onto the pattern that I favor the more open and less processed sounds of retro tube amps that have big plug and play capabilities. Pretty much I want the volume control on the guitar to be in the realm of controlling my clean, my threshold of breakup, and a mild over driven sound.

Not needing any pedals is a great thing that opens up dynamics. I pretty much want to get the sound from my hands, big strings (12’s) for a piano like tone/sound,

I also recognize that only so far my Victoria is the only amp with reverb.

Some people say that Matchless amps are so lively that no reverb is needed. The black faced Fender Pro amp I found being thrown out on the lower east 90’s in Madhattan has reverb, but I have not found the speakers buried in my basement yet to be able to build out that amp.

A storm that was once an atmospheric river in California will hit us in New York over the next two days.

In the financial news they are saying the supply side is starting to loosen up in the housing market despite the “locked in effect.” Also prices seem to be more negotiable in a downward manner, as interest rates remain high. So the underlying situation is that January pending sales are mucho low, but then again the winter months are a slow period anyways.

My spin is a belt tightening, and perhaps the Dumb Americans are realizing instability, inflation, and maybe a slowdown is underway. BTW we Americans are mighty dumb.

The Philly Flower Show is coming up. Last year we missed it. We will attend part of this week long event for sure this year.

This flower show is mucho big and worth the trip. Actually it is kinda mucho crazy. Worth a long drive and an overnight stay. Also I have a route that is across the Bear Mountain Bridge and is a pretty drive.

Pretty much on March 3rd I have an appointment with my urologist/surgeon. The PSA test should be a zero I’m told. Pretty much careful monitoring going forward to target the aggressive Cancer when it reappears.

Again I am thankful that my diet and exercise kinda saved my life again. The skills I learned from Iron Mike and biking kinda ensured that I starved this aggressive Prostate Cancer.

Sugars, processed foods, weight gain, over eating, and lack of exercise could of enabled the Cancer to grow more rapidly, and pretty much my life has been saved again. I had “9“ readings on the Gleason Scale. This is pretty close to a terminal Cancer. Pretty much was a close call that would of had an “ending.”

I’m a very lucky guy.

Cal
 
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I don’t want to be a “Chicken-Little,” but is the Bird Flu a new Pandemic?

Seems likely since RFK Jr. now holds a public office and supports an anti-vac policy. Things probably will get worse. Highly likely. I’m not the only person who says, “Oh-well.”

Childhood diseases and diseases of old are surely going to take a toll on infant mortality and life expectancy.

Locally there are reports of a surge of Whooping Cough in nearby Putnam Valley.

In a rural part of west Texas there is a big Measles outbreak.

Glad I have a good supply of face masks still. To me this is Third World…

Not sure if radiation therapy will compromise my immune system when required/needed.

Gold falling below $2900.00 is a surprise to me. I was expecting some consolidation and a period of sideways action around the $2950.00 price point before its next leg up. Since inflation expectations are up, I expect the march to $3K to eventually resume.

Could be people locking up profits and hoarding cash waiting for the trap-door and for the expected reality check when dumb Americans realize that a slowdown is underway.

As far as the fireings of probationary workers that are basically new hires goes, it is reported that this amounts to about 20K people so far or about 10% of the expected possible 200K Federal jobs likely to get eliminated.

Since these workers are “fired” they will not be counted as unemployed, meaning eligible for unemployment compensation. Mucho rude and demoralizing.

Don’t forget the 75K Federal employees that are taking the “buy-out.” 275K less Federal workers are expected…

So maybe a stagnant government first, then a stagnant economy. The housing market seems to be in a slowdown, and that is true even in the Hudson Valley, as witnessed by the kid’s recent signing of a contract. Still slim pickings, even though there is more housing stock becoming available, and also prices are somewhat negotiable.

Trader Joe’s is no longer taking or accepting employment applications. The son-in-law tried to apply and was informed.

So is there really a worker shortage? Perhaps in the unskilled labor, construction industries, and agriculture, but seems like either people need a side hustle to pay the bills or pay down debt. Anyways that is my guess…

“Maggie” took note that many who work at Trader Joe’s are of retirement age, and basically could be supplementing their Social Security. This is a reasonable possibility.

I kinda see the early signs of a slow-down, and the future to me looks like a downturn as Orange Policies take root.

I reported that the sightings of day-laborers in the usuals locations no longer exists. I can easily project the loss of exploiting illegal immigrant cheap labor.

Cal
 
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I count 10 electric guitars, 4 bass guitars, 3 acrostic Santa Cruz acoustics, 5 guitar tube amps, a 200 watt tube bass amp, and a handful of other tube amp projects in various stages of completion.

Then there are three guitars, two archtops, and a small parlor guitar, at my friend Cris’s shop.

So pretty much enough is enough… I’m kinda satisfied…

Now I kinda need something new to obsess about, because I kinda have an addictive personality along with some OCD impulses.

Bladder capacity, control and leakage steadily improves. I organically exercise my bladder by a bit of over hydration and even coffee abuse as physical therapy. This ends up being real world real deal exercise.

About 3-4 inches of snow expected, then a day of possible heavy rain, then a very windy Monday.

Cal
 
You need a pole barn with a second floor. Give it a lot of Calzone Factor! Your Architect can design it for you. Make a walkway between your buildings. Finish Devil Christian and shoot that 70mm. Work on that can of XX. Dust some off some Leicas and Nikons.
 
I just lubed and cycled the spring wound motor in a couple of my Bell and Howell 70 cameras (DL and DR). I have four more to futz with if I want a fidget toy. One of these days I need to build a film dryer then develop the 1200 feet of film I've shot over the last few years. That's film related! 😉
Phil
 
I have some Kodak 5222 in the freezer, and some odd twenty packs of old Fuji FP 100 to expend.

Hmmm.

Save the date: February 28th. Pretty much no spending or purchases on February 28th, and boycott the economy.

I’m not the one who started this. If you have to buy stuff do it before or after February 28th.

Cal
 
I happen to get the threaded collars today for my custom red tuners.

I put together the Candy Apple Red Strat, strung it up with a floating tremolo, and set the action and the intonation.

Last time I owned a Strat was in the early 1970’s and it was a 1967 with a big headstock a la Hendrix.

Had the opportunity to plug in for 15 minutes to hear how it sounds, and to do a raw pickup height adjustment.

This Strat smokes. A very cool guitar that has mucho warmth with these Tone Specific Jazz pickups. I set the neck pickup low and started raising it to find the sweet spot, then I had to raise the bridge pickup considerably to match the output.

The middle pickup I set at a similar height as the neck pickup which is pretty low with a bit additional height on the bass strings for string to string balance.

Understand that pretty much I used a standard 5-way wiring to have the “quack” settings at positions 2 and 4, but I used a Mega-Switch to have the bridge and neck pickups together so it resembles a Tele in the middle position. Pretty much the middle pickup is used only for positions 2&4, position 3 or the middle position on the 5-way switch is basically like a Telecaster.

So the bridge pickup is kinda bright the way I have it set up. In fact it does not sound like a Strat to me, and is kinda Tele bright.

That middle position is kinda brutal. I love it. Bridge and neck pickup together like a Tele.

And the neck has an archtop like vibe of a Jazz box. Kinda woody.

The Callahan bridge has this quiver to it that resembles a reverb shimmer. Understand that the bridge is not fixed, and in fact is suspended by 5 springs.

The neck plays great right out of the box, just like the other roasted maple necks. This Strat neck I ordered with flamed roasted maple, the oversized headstock, and pearl inlays along with a dark Indian rosewood. Kinda stunning looking, especially on the flashy Candy Apple Red body.

The light mint green pickguard adds a complimentary color to make everything bolder and mucho loud.

All I can say is wow.

BTW a Strat neck pickup has this woof to the tone. Think of the Hendrix song “The Wind Cries Mary.”

Anyways, I’m glad I went all out on this Strat. Pretty much does well as a Jazz guitar. Know there are many-many Jazz players using Teles.

As I learned from “Maggie” if you want to stand out, don’t do what everyone else is doing.

I am mighty pleased…

Forgot to mention that the roller nut works great. I love it.

Cal
 
I won't be buying anything more than reimbursing a mechanic for the service he'll soon perform on my car. This is a second time I've dropped a car off at a mechanic since 2002. I think it's maybe the fourth or fifth time I've ever dropped a car off for service in my life. So, since 1996, I guess. I've always done my own maintenance and even serious auto repair. I just don't have the space, a few specialized tools to lock the variable cams, and don't have the time to take off work. Next week I'll be using the SEPTA regional rail along with a bicycle to get to and from work an hour away. Not optimal, but it'll get the job done.
Phil
 
Cal, it's the per-diem position I've had since the beginning of December. Not much, but more than nothing. If I were to stay there full time, I would perish secondary to long days and not much rest. If you count my commute, I'm regularly doing 14 hour work days, then not getting enough sleep. It has to be temporary. My replacement has been hired and is beginning orientation next week, then training in our outpatient part of the hospital, then goes on a week vacation, then I'm done. I have three interviews this coming week, two in person, one supposedly virtual, but I haven't received a link yet. All of these jobs are closer. One is about 25 blocks away, the other is just 6 blocks from where my old hospital job was. Thanks for the congrats, but it's still going to be a hard slog moving forward. I'm 48 and I'm back to living paycheck to paycheck, in spite of doing all the things I should have. Back in 2023, we were thinking of buying a house; now it's simply that we're stuck. We got into this rental house in 2021 when prices were much lower and rent hasn't gone up as much as the one and two bedroom apartments has. Our rent is about the same as a one bedroom apartment with a real kitchen, so it no longer makes sense to slim down. We'd probably spend the balance on a storage unit anyway, so that's not an option. I actually figured out that with my VA loan helping on the down payment, the cost to move into another similar cost unit would be about the same as closing fees on purchasing this house we live in now. Don't know if the landlord would sell, and it's not an option until I have full time employment anyway. Lately, we don't even want to stay in the US, so a house may just be an anchor. We don't have anything holding us back either. If the current regime winds up taxing veterans disability benefits (which is currently being considered in Congress) or even getting rid of the VA as a public entity altogether, we're immediately heading to another country. We're both TEER 1 workers in Canada, and the maritimes are looking to slow down their population decline. I like ice hockey more than any other sport in the US, so I can certainly align myself with a local team. My old New Mexico accent would come in handy because it's close to one heard in Canada. I should take some French lessons... Just ranting. I'm reasonably healthy, so I have a lot going for me.
Phil
 
I certainly wouldn't say I have nothing to lose. Back in 2012, maybe but today there is a lot of value in life for me. I would agree that I have little holding back our mobility to move out of the US. It's just a bit of a rough patch right now.
Phil
 
Phil_F_NM said:
I certainly wouldn't say I have nothing to lose. Back in 2012, maybe but today there is a lot of value in life for me. I would agree that I have little holding back our mobility to move out of the US. It's just a bit of a rough patch right now.
Phil
Click to expand...
Have faith in yourselves. I do believe (despite a lot of evidence to the contrary) that good people pull through, although their success might not be obvious by conventional material standards.
 
The making of a man is defined by his struggles.

I am a rich man, not because I am wealthy, but because I knew poverty and somehow escaped.

I have a level of identity and a self esteem that is unrivaled, yet I remain humble and a human.

Not sure there are so many real men in the world by the display of ego, selfishness, and self promotion going on.

Fame and fortune is kinda empty and hollow.

My success in life really only happened very recently, I say in the past 4 years, with the purchase of the Baby-Victorian, and being able to retire for the past 3 years.

Otherwise pretty much a rather marginal existence of a renter and gentrifer who stumbled and moved a round a lot with no end game is sight. At times a very bare existence…

At Grumman for most of my career I was involved in research and that meant I was very vulnerable to getting downsized. I was laid off twice.

The Field assignment at Los Alamos and the job at Brookhaven National Labs were clearly temporary positions where I lasted 1 1/2 years at each position.

The position at a major NYC hospital I held for over 20 years, but second half of those 20 years involved a hostile work environment and having a ruthless bully for a boss. The first decade also involved dealing with a mentally ill Chief who was paranoid and prone to rage attacks.

So I survived all that…

Like I said, “A man is defined by his struggles.”

Pretty much I know the marginal life, but your reward has yet to come…

Cal
 
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