Food for thought - even at Starbucks!!

I found this opinion on the net - and note - it IS an opinion!  though containing a few factual matters. It got me thinking . . . 

I am a late boomer (born 1961)! I never ever heard my parents or the many uncles/aunties in my wider Whanau, blaming their parents generation for their life - situations! Further, the one remaining Oma I had the pleasure of knowing, never did the same - and she and her family were a 1000km trek (walked all the way) refugee from her home in Romania post WWII!

Every Generation has its own worries. If we go back in history (yeah - those modern liberals do not like history - or only like it IF its convenient for their thinking) then we find every Generation had some issues to deal with! Dan Gainor lists the boomers worries  -but go further back and you find . . . . 

WWI!! The Plague!! A season of failing crop in Ireland and starvation that followed! Half of your children dying before they hit 20 years of age! The Mongols / Huns / Turks / The Moor's invading - raping and pillaging into Europe! Napoleon doing his thing . . . . No Hospitals - so  if you got sick - even just minor so - or broke something - it became a death sentence . . .  

Tourism - travel - prior to WWI existed only for the uber wealthy or some privileged Artists/Business people - and even then you needed the PERMISSION from your local overlord/king to leave your hometown....

Just to name a few . . . 

On one of our trips we met a lady in Amsterdam who pointed at a lot of houses and said: Hitler did this - they were all rubble!! And we had to rebuild them - in the same style as before (so if you were ignorant of history you would never guess that they are not 100's of years old houses) - The attitude was - well, we just have to rebuild!!

NEWSFLASH - There will always be some crap happening! Our boy aged 25 has gone through Leukemia with two bone-marrow transplantation! 

Shit happens!! Get used to it!! 

Which is really the crux of my thoughts - namely that every generation has its own fears or issues to deal with it! It ought not to be a bun fight who had it worse o r who is to blame! RATHER it ought to be - how can we make this better for the next generation!

Given that today's younger generation is - "all about me and my feelings"  and if things go sideways - I need to find someone - anyone or anything to blame for my misery - I fear that unless there is an major attitude change to this - then it will not get anytime better soon! 

The moment you stop whining and blaming about whatever causes your angst and get on with it - the sooner you have a better life! 

I find the book of Job  - to be found in the Old Testament (yes THAT book) - inspirational for that!! Look it up!! 

Snip ------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Opinion:

DAN GAINOR: Gen Z is right to be angry, but Boomers are not the real enemy
Kevin O'Leary's spending comments ignited a generational firestorm, but both sides have valid points about today's economy


I’m a Boomer – a few months older than former President Barack Obama. But say that online today and it’s like admitting to a war crime.

The news is full of socialists calling for more taxes, wealth taxes, etc., that would let big government keep taking from successful people for being… successful. The New York Times just ran "The Case for California’s Billionaire Wealth Tax," which officials are learning is also the case for millionaires to move to saner states. Going Galt apparently is a real thing.

For months, social media has witnessed a generation gap the size of the Grand Canyon. Many in Gen Z are venomously angry at the Boomer generation over financial issues. But nothing set them off more than "Shark Tank" star Kevin O’Leary, who blamed young people for foolish spending. "I can't stand it when I see kids that are making 70 grand a year spending $28 for lunch. I mean, that's just stupid," he said. It was the comment that launched a billion replies. And counting.

It landed after criticism of excess Starbucks and DoorDash spending among young people. This was the last straw. Gen Z responded that Boomers had it easy in post-WWII America: low housing costs, cheap college, infinite jobs. Boomers knew that was wrong. Because we lived it.

But the thing is, the young people aren’t entirely wrong about their own situation either. Because they are living it. Both sides need to listen to one another.

So let’s start with a history lesson, in slightly more orderly fashion than a Billy Joel song, for my fellow Boomers.

Boomers grew up after World War II, but we were the first to live under the constant threat of nuclear war. My generation dove under desks to practice hiding from nuclear attack. (Good luck with that. But we did it.) We lived through the constant riots and unrest of the 1960s – Vietnam War protests, assassinations of leaders from John F. Kennedy to Martin Luther King Jr.

We sat in gas lines during the Arab Oil Embargo or watched others do it, when you had to buy gas on alternate days. We lived through Watergate and endured the Jimmy Carter presidency of sweaters and malaise. We had 10% unemployment and 18% mortgage rates. Throw in the Cold War, the dot-com crash, 9/11, the Great Recession, COVID-19 and who knows what else.

We lived through Watergate and endured the Jimmy Carter presidency of sweaters and malaise.

Most of us don’t have pensions. We got 401(k)s in 1981. Pensions stopped working because workers either switched jobs and lost their retirements or the companies went under. 401(k)s were designed to be portable so you could have a retirement even after you left. Except the responsibility got dumped on us to fund them.

We didn’t have air conditioning; we had fans. We had a couple of TV channels, not hundreds. Hand-me-down clothes were a fact of life. There were few meals out, day trips, no long vacations, store brands, black-and-white TV and more. We didn’t grow up with cellphones, streaming services, the internet and home computers. All that hit during our careers, and we had to adapt.

Doesn’t sound easy, does it?

But it was easier than our parents had it. Our parents were from the Great Depression. They knew true hardship. They lived through 25% unemployment, and a stock market crash so enormous it scarred people for generations. There was no safety net. They endured because they had no other choice. When things got better, they saved.

Boomer adults tried to do better for themselves and their kids. But now, Gen Z blames them for the ills of the world – especially the prices of housing, healthcare and inflation.


They are right that all of those things are insane right now. Let’s point a few fingers, though.

● Housing gets a lot worse when you let in 20 million illegal immigrants. They might not be buying those houses, but they are living somewhere, and that creates pressure on prices. Thank Team Biden for much of that.

● Healthcare is an epic problem, but Obamacare made it massively worse. Even if we liked our doctor, we didn’t get to keep him. And the price of a basic policy now costs the arm and the leg you want the doctor to treat.

● Education has snowballed in cost. Government loans made it easy for leftist-run schools to keep raising the cost of education because it seemed like young people would keep paying. And they did.

Big government, socialist policies hurt in the long run, and the long run takes us to current events. Instead of fighting, we should all want to make things easier on Gen Z, just as our parents wanted things to be better for us.

First, everyone should stop wasteful spending. Not just Gen Z. We did. I packed a lunch most days for my entire career. Most people I know did. Being frugal is smart.

But no amount of saving is going to fix this.

So, let’s start with the No. 1 problem young people have – student debt.

We should let every American with a college loan refinance it at 0.0% interest as long as they keep paying reliably. You agreed to the cost, so you have to pay it. (That should satisfy Boomers.) But we don’t want to cripple you. Pay for the refinancing by taxing college and university endowments over $100 million at 50%. Harvard University’s endowment was $56.9 billion at the end of 2025. It isn’t a university; it’s a stock portfolio with students. They’ll survive with $28.4 billion.

While we are at it, we should get government out of student loans entirely. Make colleges responsible for future loans. And make them eligible for discharge in bankruptcy.

That’s a start, but it barely scratches the surface. That’s because young people are worried in ways that you might have seen before a huge war. They are operating under a dark cloud and fear not just for their jobs, but their survival. Will AI make every career choice a bad one? Will anyone hire them? Or will they get stuck begging Uncle Sam for a handout?

They are right to be worried about an AI future. I lived through the collapse of journalism and watched several places I had worked go out of business and friends lose their jobs. That was just one sector of the economy. AI could reset every sector, and young people don’t know what that will mean. No one does.

That’s why we need to address all these things… together. Generational warfare doesn’t help anyone.



Dan Gainor is a freelance opinion editor for Fox News Digital. He is also a science fiction/fantasy author. His latest work is in a collection called, "Cannon Fodder 2025: Tales from the Gun Crew." 

Have fun!

 

Place holder for records - numbered ex Ehapha verlag - German books

Not sure if I can post a thumbnail of each book

anyhow

some 87 books - worthwhile reading - including the original 15 re-released in later numbers (in bold)

Book 100 = the very first two --> Arizona 1880 \ Goldmine Dick Digger 

Oh and then there are the online clips

Lucky Luke videos


15    Lucky Luke    Die Postkutsche
16    Lucky Luke    Das Greenhorn
17    Lucky Luke    Die Dalton brechen aus
18    Lucky Luke    Der Singende Draht
19    Lucky Luke    Reited fur die 20er Kavallerie
20    Lucky Luke    Am Mississippi
21    Lucky Luke    Vettern Wirtschaft
22    Lucky Luke    Calamity Jane
23    Lucky Luke    Den Daltons auf der Spur
24    Lucky Luke    Gegen Joss Jamon
25    Lucky Luke    Die Daltons im Blizzard
26    Lucky Luke    Familienkrieg in Painful Gulch
27    Lucky Luke    Die Daltons auf Schatzsuche
28    Lucky Luke    Tortillas fur die Daltons
29    Lucky Luke    Auf nach Oklahoma
30    Lucky Luke    Die Daltons bewahren sich
31    Lucky Luke    Der Richter
32    Lucky Luke    Im schatten der Bohrturme
33    Lucky Luke    Der Einarmige Bandit
34    Lucky Luke    Stacheldraht auf der Prarie
35    Lucky Luke    Sarah Bernhardt
36    Lucky Luke    Dalton City
37    Lucky Luke    Billy the Kid
38    Lucky Luke    Jesse James
39    Lucky Luke    Kalifornien oder Tod
40    Lucky Luke    Daisy Town
41    Lucky Luke    Fingers
42    Lucky Luke    Der Galgenstrick und andere Geschichten
43    Lucky Luke    Der Kopfgeldjager
44    Lucky Luke    Die Eskorte
45    Lucky Luke    Der Daily Star
46    Lucky Luke    Der Grossfurst
47    Lucky Luke    Ma Dalton
48    Lucky Luke    Die verlobte von Lucky Luke
49    Lucky Luke    Die Dalton Ballade und andere geschichten
50    Lucky Luke    Der Weisse Kavalier
51    Lucky Luke    Der Falsche Mexikaner
52    Lucky Luke    Nitroglyzerin
53    Lucky Luke    Die Erbschaft von Rantanplan
54    Lucky Luke    Die Daltons und Psycho-Doc
55    Lucky Luke    Das Alibi und andere geschichten
56    Lucky Luke    Der Pony Express
57    Lucky Luke    Der Kaiser von America
58    Lucky Luke    Die Geister Ranch und andere geschichten
59    Lucky Luke    Die Schwarzen Berge
60    Lucky Luke    Die Dalton auf dem Kriegspfad
61    Lucky Luke    Der Apachen-Canyon
62    Lucky Luke    Western Circus
63    Lucky Luke    Dedachtnis-schwund
64    Lucky Luke    Goldrausch
65    Lucky Luke    Die Jagd nach dem Phantom
66    Lucky Luke    Eine Woche Wilder Western
67    Lucky Luke    High Noon in Hadley City
68    Lucky Luke    Die Brucke am Ol’man river
69    Lucky Luke    Belle Starr
70    Lucky Luke    Am Klondike
71    Lucky Luke    O.K. Corral
72    Lucky Luke    Marcel Dalton
73    Lucky Luke    Oklahoma Jim 
74    Lucky Luke    Der Prophet
75    Lucky Luke    Der Kunstmaler
76    Lucky Luke    Eine Wildwest Legende
77    Lucky Luke    Schikane in Quebec
78    Lucky Luke    Die Reisschlacht
79    Lucky Luke    Die Eisenbahn durch die Prarie
80    Lucky Luke    Die Daltons in der Schlinge
81    Lucky Luke    Die Gesetzlosen
82    Lucky Luke    Lucky Kid – Am Fluss der Rosa Biber
83    Lucky Luke    Gegen Phil Steel
84    Lucky Luke    Der Mann aus Washington
85    Lucky Luke    Westwarts
86    Lucky Luke    Das Elixier von Doc Doxey
87    Lucky Luke    Gegen Pat Poker
88    Lucky Luke    Gegen Pinkerton
89    Lucky Kid       Lucky Kid
90    Lucky Luke    Auf eigene Faust
91    Lucky Kid       Lucky Kid – Ein Starker wurf
92    Lucky Luke    Ein menu mit Blauen Bohnen
93    Lucky Luke    Meine Onkel, die Daltons
94    Lucky Kid       Lucky Kid – Martha Pfahl
95    Lucky Luke    Das gelobte Land
96    Lucky Kid    Lucky Kid – Mitten ins schwarze
97    Lucky Luke    Ein Cowboy in Paris
98    Lucky Kid    Lucky Kid – Volle Fahrt voraus
99    Lucky Luke    Fackeln im Baumwollfeld
100  Lucky Luke    Die Ursprunge von western gestern
101  Lucky Luke    Rantanplans Arche
102  Lucky Luke    Letzte Runde fur die Daltons
103  Lucky Luke    ??

Have fun! 

Tener Alegria!!

 

Al Gore still wrong ?! Hell Yeah

This is a tenuous link - still it feels good to rub it in!

One of NZ's power companies released a half yearly financial result - all about how much power was needed / generated and of course as always the bottom line in profits  / losses etc etc etc

It included the following graph in the report - and will you look at the right hand side . . . . 

HELL YEAH - no human induced temperature rise - not even a tiny point-something . . . . 

Go and smoke that!!! 

 

Have fun!

Al Gore promisies - fails yet again

woohoooo

Al Gore - you did say this would be impossible now?!!!!

Guess you were wrong . . . wrong . . . a g a i n ! ! ! ! 

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/360926244/small-part-sunshine-state-becomes-snowy-state-florida

A small part of Florida is the Snowy State for the second year in a row.

Snow briefly covered the grass and rooftops in parts of the western Florida Panhandle on Sunday morning (local time) as just enough frigid air rushed in behind a cold front to turn the last rain showers into snowflakes in the Sunshine State.

Elsewhere, the winter weather promised to interfere with playoff football in places — Boston and Chicago — more accustomed to it, although the visiting teams come from warmer climes.

The southern snow wasn't a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Less than a year ago, on January 21, 2025, some of the same areas of Florida that briefly saw frosty lawns received up to 20 centimeters of snow in what was the most significant snowfall in many places since the late 1800s.

 

Have fun!

Al Gore being the very definition of what a snake-oil salseman looks like!!

https://www.outkick.com/analysis/two-decades-gores-climate-documentary-key-environmental-predictions-prove-inaccurate

From the AI:

AI Overview 

 

The term "snake oil salesman" is a derogatory phrase used to describe

a person who sells or promotes valueless, fraudulent, or exaggerated cures, remedies, or solutions. The term originated in the 19th century in the United States, referring to individuals who peddled fake "cure-all" elixirs at medicine shows. 

 

Origin of the Term

• Original Use: Authentic snake oil, derived from the Chinese water snake and rich in omega-3 fatty acids, was historically used in Chinese medicine as an effective anti-inflammatory agent for joint pain. Chinese workers brought this remedy to the U.S. during railroad construction in the 1800s.
• Fraudulent Imitation: American entrepreneurs saw an opportunity for profit but, lacking the genuine Chinese water snakes, created their own concoctions, typically using mineral oil mixed with various household herbs, spices, or even addictive drugs like alcohol, cocaine, or opium. These products contained no actual snake oil and were ineffective.
• The Prototypical Salesman: Clark Stanley, known as the "Rattlesnake King," was a prominent figure who sold "Stanley's Snake Oil Liniment," marketing it as a panacea for many ailments. In 1916, his product was examined under the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act and found to be made of mineral oil, a fatty oil, and a small amount of turpentine and camphor, containing no snake product whatsoever. This exposure popularized the pejorative term. 

Modern Usage

Today, the term is an umbrella descriptor for charlatans, quacks, and hucksters who manipulate trust and use inflated promises to sell a variety of questionable products or services. Examples can be found in various fields: 

• "Fake Experts": Modern snake oil salesmen often appear online as "gurus" in business, marketing, or personal development who lack real experience but build large social media followings.
• Cryptocurrency and AI: The term has been used in technology to describe bogus cryptographic methods or products, and recently in literature to distinguish genuine Artificial Intelligence applications from exaggerated or deceptive claims.
• Politics: It has also been used in political commentary to describe politicians making false or exaggerated claims and promises. 

How to Spot a Modern "Snake Oil Salesman"

According to experts, here are some key ways to identify a potential charlatan:

• Popularity Over Credibility: Don't assume a large social media following equates to expertise. Look for authentic content and real-world results over flashy presentations.
• Over-reliance on Manipulative Tactics: Be wary of promises that sound "too good to be true" (e.g., "six-figure earnings in 30 days") or tactics like false scarcity and "click bait".
• Questionable Motives: The primary driver is often quick profit rather than a genuine desire to help.

Consumers can consult resources like the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for information on regulated products and to avoid falling victim to fraudulent health claims. 

 

Al Gore fits the modern version perfectly!! 

First he makes you afraid of it, then claims only he knows the right cure - at your expense and then leaves you - often in a worse state then before!!!  I wish someone with clout could/would sue his arse of (for all his profits he made from "an inconvenient truth" ) . . . . 

In Britain, if schools want to show his film as part of the lessons.  they have to do a big disclaimer saying that since the films making many of his claims have been dis-proven!!!  

 

 

 Full text of the article below - just in case  it 'disappears' from the internet!

 Twenty Years Later, 'An Inconvenient Truth' Has Been Thoroughly Debunked

Ian Miller

Published January 15, 2026 10:45 AM GMT-5•UpdatedJanuary 15, 2026 11:23 AM GMT-5

    It's no understatement to say that the 2006 documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" changed the direction of public policy. And in fact, that's exactly what failed presidential candidate Al Gore intended the film to do. Fortunately for him, he found a willing audience of Hollywood celebrities and left-wing media outlets to uncritically promote his ideology and activism. 

    Unfortunately for him, 2006 is now far enough in the past that we can test some of the predictions, claims, and statements of fact he makes in that film. So that's exactly what we did.

    At the start of 2026, nearly 20 years after the film hit theaters and helped pave the way for Europe's delusional "net zero" policies, electric car mandates, and low-flow shower-heads, OutKick re-watched "An Inconvenient Truth" to see how well it held up over time. Spoiler alert: not particularly well!

    The film starts off as a glowing tribute to Al Gore himself, an unsurprising beginning given his obvious ego and hubris. Almost immediately  afterward, it jumps straight into the propaganda. He references Hurricane Katrina as an example of more extreme weather events in the modern world. There's a "Simpsons" video with propaganda of "global warming," remember, this is pre-rebrand to "climate change," with a young girl seeing her ice cream cone melt. Gore talks about what got him into this field which is one professor who took some measurements of CO2, then made vague predictions of what would happen if we didn't make changes. 

    He says we started measuring CO2 in 1958, which, of course, thoroughly discredits his activism. Assuming the latest estimate is accurate, the earth is billions of years old. It keeps growing by the year, but as of January 2026, it's 4.54 billion years. Sure, you can estimate CO2 concentrations for part of that past, but not all of it. Or even a sizable percentage of it. And making predictions and assumptions on such limited data is awful science.

    But ignoring the past and focusing on the future, one of his most concrete predictions of doom came regarding Mt. Kilimanjaro. In his discussion, he shows pictures of snow on the African mountain from decades ago, then images from the early 2000's with much less snow. He blames this on global warming, then ominously predicts, "Within the decade there will be no more snows on Kilimanjaro." 

How'd that age?

Gore's Predictions Prove Woefully Wrong

    Well, we're now two decades removed from this claim, and there continues to be snow on Kilimanjaro. In fact, one story from The Times of London published a few years ago specifically highlighted how wrong Gore's forecast was. Methley Swai, the owner of a trekking company for Kilimanjaro excursions, told The Times: "Many people have made Kilimanjaro a bucket list priority because of the Al Gore deadline but when they get here they are pleasantly surprised to find lots of snow."
Sure enough, the story also reported, "There were also abnormally high snowfalls in 2018, which led to the highest recorded growth for the total snow depth on Tanzania’s inactive volcano, an aggregated increase of 1.2m."


Whoops! We're not done there!

    His next example of declining snow is Glacier National Park. Gore tells a story about how he personally climbed it with his daughter in 1998, then shows pictures of less glacier activity in the mountains. Then, the kicker. A concrete prediction of what would happen to the park. "Within 15 years this will be the park formerly known as Glacier," he says, to oohs and aah from the crowd.
Here's how poorly this prediction has aged. Even CNN was forced to report in 2020 that "Glacier National Park is replacing signs that predicted its glaciers would be gone by 2020," because unfortunately for Gore and his agenda, there continues to be plenty of glaciers remaining.


Nailed it again, buddy. (sarcasm)

    He mentions Argentina and Peru as countries where glaciers that are in danger of disappearing. Yet, as you'd expect, there are still glaciers in Argentina and Peru in 2026. In fact, one travelog from 2025 posted photos of the El Pertito Moreno glacier in Argentina, with the comment "Just west of El Calafate, this frozen river is one of the few glaciers in the world still growing." 

Nailed it again, buddy. (sarcasm)

    Gore then uses a graph to show how our climate is warming, though, naturally, it's purposefully misleading. The warming period he demonstrates in the modern era barely reaches above 0.0, after decades of well below average weather. Essentially, we experienced decades of cooling, as immortalized in a Time magazine cover from the 1970's warning of global cooling, and the trend reversed. He also claims we can use ice in Antarctica to look back 650,000 years and show CO2 concentration at that point in time That's nice, but again, doesn't come close to covering 4.54 billion years of world history. He talks about Ice Ages, with zero acknowledgment that those Ice Ages ended without human intervention. 

    He uses a prop lift to show that we have the highest CO2 levels yet, and within 50 years, or 2056, he expects the concentration of CO2 will be well over 750ppm, doubling in a matter of decades. It's currently around 420ppm. When the movie was made, two decades ago, it was 380ppm. At that rate of increase, it would take 185 years from when he made his prediction to reach 750ppm.

Nailed it again, buddy. (sarcasm)

    Oddly enough, after years of climate "experts" saying that weather isn't climate, meaning individual weather events or yearly outcomes aren't representative of changes in climate, Gore repeatedly references record warm temperatures in 2005 as "proof" of global warming. He specifically mentions the number of days over 100 degrees in western US cities to back up his fearmongering. Naturally, these trends have not been consistent. For example, in 2006 when this movie was released, Las Vegas had 86 days when temperatures reached 100 degrees. In 2025, there were 77. 


    Later on, Gore references hurricanes in the South Atlantic, once again using those as proof of increasing extreme weather, as if we have measurements of all hurricane activity in that ocean for 4.54 billion years. He claims that Katrina is yet more proof, using a graphic to show that it intensified because it went over warmer waters. These extreme storms will become more frequent, he says, because of warming temperatures. There is, of course, no evidence that this has happened. There were 14 hurricanes that made landfall from 2003-2005 in the United States. There were eight that made landfall from 2022-2024 in the United States. 

Just this past year, the NOAA predicted an above-average hurricane season in 2025, literally a few months in advance. They were completely wrong, as there was average to below-average activity, with no increase in hurricane strength. Every single time. 

Nailed it again, buddy. (sarcasm) 

    Global warming causes more rain, but also more drought, Gore continues. He mentions extreme drought in middle Africa and Lake Chad evaporating to back it up. Here's what a quick search on Lake Chad reveals today: "Despite historic shrinkage, satellite imagery from 2024 and 2025 indicates the lake has not continued to decline and has shown signs of replenishment since the early 2010s."

Nailed it again, buddy. (sarcasm)

 
    He highlights the decline of Arctic sea ice, again saying it's rapidly diminishing. Except, current measurements for 2025-2026 show that sea ice extent is roughly in line with 2012-2013, just barely below the 1980-2010 average. Which is, of course, influenced by the period of colder weather that existed in the 1970's. 

Nailed it again, buddy. (sarcasm)

Ironically, Gore then shows himself going on an airplane, after saying this is all the fault of human beings and their activity. Zero awareness.

    One of his biggest and most terrifying claims is that the ice sheet covering Greenland is in danger of melting. The audience once again reacts in horror as he shows simulations of oceanic sea rise that would cover much of The Netherlands, San Francisco, Florida, Beijing, Calcultta, Manhattan, and Shanghai in such a catastrophic scenario. 

Per the NOAA Arctic report card, here's how the Greenland ice sheet did in 2024: "The Greenland Ice Sheet lost 55 ± 35 Gt of mass in 2024, the lowest annual ice loss since 2013. This occurred due to above-average snowfall and below-average melting." 

Nailed it again, buddy. (sarcasm) 

    Temperatures didn't change either. "We report monthly mean air temperatures measured at weather stations in Greenland. Air temperatures observed over the 2024 mass balance year were close to the 1991-2020 average."
The 2025 report also found that the mass balance in the Greenland Ice Sheet showed "less loss than the 2003-24 annual average. "Above-average snowfall and below-average melt" contributed to "losing less mass this year."

Nailed it again, buddy. (sarcasm)

    Additionally, a study published in January 2026 found that "Prudhoe Dome, a 500-meter-thick ice cap on the northwestern Greenland ice sheet, was completely ice-free around 7,100 years ago with temperatures 3-5°C higher than they are today," per meteorologist Chris Martz. As he explains, it "goes to show that these processes can happen naturally without any anthropogenic influence."
Gore's Hypocrisy Is Evident Throughout

Nailed it again, buddy. (sarcasm)  

    As the documentary continues, he brings up the Aral Sea disappearing as a further example of the dangers of human intervention in our climate. Except the Aral Sea dried up in part because "poorly thought-out irrigation strategies introduced by the Soviet Union in the 1960s-70s." Restoration efforts are underway to undue some of that damage, and as of 2025, "the volume of water in the North Aral has increased by 42%."

Nailed it again, buddy. (sarcasm)

    He appeals to authority, saying that peer-reviewed research unequivocally says global warming is factual and not up for dispute. Of course, this has changed over time, with plentiful new research contradicting his claim of consensus. To the point where Gore and his partners had to change their messaging to "climate change" to avoid dealing with many of their predictions not coming true.

    Without a hint of irony, he puts up a quote saying: "It's difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon him not understanding it." Precisely the critique leveled at "global warming" scientists who rely on government funding. No problem to solve? No funding. Gore himself benefits from this; no demand for his presentation? No gigantic speaking fees.

    He then says it's dishonest to say we need to make a choice between the economy and the planet, an incredibly inaccurate prediction considering the damage countries like Germany and the United Kingdom have done to their economies by producing less energy to satisfy Gore's ravings. Literally just this past week, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright made headlines by explaining that Germany has invested "half a trillion" in clean energy, doubled the capacity of their grid, yet produce 20% less electricity than they did before the half trillion dollar investment, and they sell it at three times the price."
Costs for oil and gas-fired heating systems will rise in 2026 in Germany due to a higher CO2 charge. 

    Coincidentally, Gore says "If we do the right thing, then we're going to create a lot of wealth and a lot of jobs." Not only has the jobs part been proven false, but the "wealth" that's been created has mostly gone to people like Gore. Meanwhile, in the real world, California's "Ivanpah Solar Power Facility," which cost $2.2 billion to construct, is shutting down after it never met its energy production goals, killed birds and harmed the desert landscape.

Hard to be more wrong than that.

    He concludes by putting up a world map showing his travels to show his slideshow, again, completely ignoring the CO2 emitted by his paid travel. There's more charts, demanding higher mileage per gallon standards, saying that it wouldn't hurt car manufacturers. Sure enough, car manufacturers have lost billions upon billions chasing his goals, including by building electric cars that aren't actually less polluting when viewed in totality. Ford has shut down its "Lightning" truck after poor demand, and Porsche sent itself into a tailspin by investing in EV's, to the point where their CEO was forced to resign in 2025 after damaging the company. As just a few examples.

    He then extols the virtues of making choices to individually limit our carbon footprint. Excellent timing, considering his pal Kamala Harris just bought an $8 million mansion in Malibu. Surely a decision made to limit her carbon footprint, and in fear of losing her house to the sea level rise Gore warns about.

    "Are you ready to change the way you live?" the documentary asks over the credits. The answer, as demonstrated by Gore and his celebrity pals, is that absolutely none of them are willing to change anything about their lives in order to "solve" climate change. Because they don't actually believe in it, they just want a cause to signal their virtue. They want something to provide meaning to their lives. Gore gave them that, much in the same way he discusses a single college professor giving him meaning with global warming. The good news is that based on the track record of predictions in the documentary, they have nothing to worry about anyway.

 Nailed it again, buddy. (sarcasm)  Yup - He sure is a Snake-oil sales man

 

There were also the claims of children in 2025 will not see a snow fall in UK and why would you want to invest into the US midwest ski industry if they will see no snow falling for the next few centuries . . . . all dis-proven since!

Nailed it again, buddy. (sarcasm)





Have fun!

Annual Christmas Epistle 2025

hmmmmm

Posted 13 units in Mid October - And delivery times can vary from one week - (to UK) to 4 Months (Austria)!

Same town - and a two week difference for delivery!! 

WTH is going on with Postage!! Ohhhhhhh btw - a postcard posted on 13th Sep from Rarotonga arrived on 7 Nov - along with the Christmas letter and calendar - posted mid Oct!!! Others got their postcard at the end of September . . . 

G O   F I G U R E 

Anywhooooo - below the actual letter - via a Picture image

Have fun!

Postal services going down down and --- out?!?!?!?!

 

 

 

 

As children we always loved getting postcards from as far a flung place as possible! They opened a window into the world and of course - always nice to think that people on trips, are thinking of those 'left' behind!!

 

 

 

So when we had our recent 40th celebrations in the Cook Islands we decided to re-institute the art of writing! It takes time to shop for a suitable card (and finding one)  - then write some clever useful words - like MISSING YOU - never mind finding a post-office that has stamps and drop them ready for posting!! 

Teamwork - I had a list and addressees and Mamabear's handwriting is much neater then mine - soooo here she was hard at work!! 

All 13 Postcards got dropped into the mail on 13 Sep 2025!!! Go us.

13 cards on the 13th  - - hmmmmm was that asking for trouble???? 

MEANWHILE - if only we knew what was in store . . . . 

 

Almost all recipients acknowledged receiving them, when they eventually arrived where they were supposed to be - with thanks!

The interesting, or should that be, frustrating part - was - drummmm roll please:

ratatat ratat

That delivery dates varied - e n o r m o u s l y !!!

The shortest time was (1 postcard) to Australia - 20 days!!

Followed by an astonishing 22 days to the UK!

Two cards to NZ followed with 32 days!

Austria had 51 days and also 87 - yes you read this right - 87!!!! Days.  Nearly 3 Months!!! 

Worse yet - there is a twice daily flight from Rarotonga to Auckland - so the cards would all have left on 14 Sept and arrived in Auckland international mailing distribution center the following day!!

GO FIGURE!!!!!!

Worse yet - a Christmas calendar - posted much much later ex Chch - arrived at the same time as the late card!!

What the hell is going on with the postal services??????  You can no longer use Covid as an excuse - that's been done and dusted!! 

Oddly enough - Mail C O M I N G to NZ is more or less in a timely fashion!! Well - except one parcel posted in January 2025 has yet to be delivered and also a Birthday card posted in May 2025 - never came - yet!! 

We definitely have gone backwards in services!!! Back in 1984 when there was NO internet etc - a letter / card posted in Christchurch NZ to Salzburg Austria would take usually 7-14 days to be delivered! 

I keep joking that they are using a paddle boat to deliver - or a bicycle and the Postie got lost in Uzbekistan!! 

With apologies to Pat and his cat!! 



Have fun!

How relevant ar the Biblical 10 Commandments in todays society???

The Long version ----->

Exodus 20
New International Version
The Ten Commandments

20 And God spoke all these words:

2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before[a] me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7 “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12 “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.

13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

 

The Short Version  ----->  

    I am the Lord thy God. Thou shall not have strange Gods before Me.
    Thou shall not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
    Remember to keep holy the Lord's day.
    Honor thy father and mother.
    Thou shall not kill.
    Thou shall not commit adultery.
    Thou shall not steal.
    Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
    Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's wife.
    Thou shall not covet thy neighbor's goods. 

 

Translation -----> 

1 - I'm the only one for you

2 Do not swear (curse with Gods name)

3 Rest up on Sunday

4 Take care of your parents

5 No murdering rampages

6 Sex with your wife only

7 No filching other people's stuff

8 Tell the truth at all times

9 Avoid being jealous

10 Ditto for being Envious 

 

LOL - I clearly remember a youth group meeting where we were asked to re-arrange them in order we thought to be most relevant, with the most important one at the top . . . fun times

 

Anyhow - did you notice the very bit at the very top - 

 ( snip --> who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery) ? ? ?  

So Abraham's Grandson (David) was sold into slavery into Egypt! He became powerful (still as a slave) and then the rest of his family seeks help, and after some 7 years of Drought (in Israel ) emigrate to Egypt for a survival and better life! 

Fast forward some hundreds of years (or several generations), and the "Israel tribe" becomes too big and dangerous to the ruling Pharaoh and with Moses's help and post 10 plagues etc - eventually they are released and were free to go "back home"!! 

So they wander round the Sinai dessert for 40 years! There is a reason for that!!!! It was during that time that Moses brought down the 10 Commandments!! In shortest simplest form - these were the rules that the Israel Tribe was told to live by - discarding the old known structures / rules and religious practices from Egypt!! And It would take a generational loss of memory to 'forget' the religious practices and the 'comfort" they had in Egypt!! 

 

So lets break them down briefly:

From a multi - deity to a single deity - no cat statues or anything else 

Don't curse using God's name

Rest on Sundays - the original txt is illuminating in this!  

         After this we go into the Social constructs!! Again in its simplest form - they             say - be content with who you are and what you got - and think/ value other             people in a positive manner before yourself! 

Our Western World has most of its laws based on those 10 Commandments!

Certainly the 'Do not Kill / steal' rules featuring large!!!  For very good reason!

Oddly enough - Both Jewish and Christian faiths are rooted in this! The Muslim world has a very similar writing - almost borrowing directly from Exodus!!     

While other religions do not have the same exact txt - they DO have similar constructs baked into their belief sets! 

WHY???? 

Would have thought it is self evident!! Imagine a world were there is no holds barred on killing or stealing or whoring around!!!  The strongest loudest bully will win and pity the rest who are near the bottom of the totem pole! Can you imagine living in a world like that???? 

Unfortunately - (certainly in NZ) as we are becoming less and less of a Christian (let alone religious) Society - eg - a Society where our own behavior is rooted in the 10 commandments - we see more and more examples where folks think of themselves first! You see it in their behavior!! (By their fruits they will be judged) 

I used to say to my Son ten years back that we are rapidly becoming a society where "its all about me"!!! Egotistical / Narcissistic is the word . . . . 

My Freedom

My Rights 

Me First

My Feelings

I'm always right and everyone is always wrong

Killing another human (and celebrating that), just because they have a different social or political outlook on life is becoming rapidly acceptable in some parts of the world . . . . 

 

Sighs 

We could do with a biblical (christian) revival for a better world!!!

Like - ARE YOU - yes YOU - truly happy and contend in this world???? 

 

Have fun!

Hans Gosling and CO2

This is so wild!!

1 - Interesting that they turned comments of!  I wonder what they are afraid of! 

2 - Absolutely wild that anyone could think that an increase of the VERY life blood for EVERY single plant organism on our lovely planet, could be a danger to OUR environment / lives?!?!?! 

I ought to download the video and then upload here - as I am sure the Google/ You tube censors will block this . . . . eventually

Hmmm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLWidki_drI

3 - I note that as our (mostly western) societies have moved away from being God centered (yes that's all Abrahamiac based Faiths ie Jewish/Christian/Muslim) towards a self centered faith, that those very self centered folks increasingly fear for their very own existence / survival - AND need a bogey man to justify their own fears and short comings!  

4 - and lastly - anytime you go to your back yard and take a spade and dig over a patch of grass or soil (get ready for some potato or whatever planting )  Please NOTE - by its very definition, you are changing your own Environment!!!!  Logically by that thinking the so called greenies would like to eradicate all of humanity - just in order to preserve the environment - but why stop there . . . .  Even the wild animals by eating grass etc and then peeing or pooping are also doing environmental damage (not to mentioning farting greenhouse gases) so lets get rid of all birds/fish/mammals etc

Ahhhh the sound of . . . . . nothing,  nothing but the wind rustling the leaves . . . not that you would have many trees without the wildlife helping with the dispersal of seeds and fertilizing/ pollinating the various Flora . . . .  

To everyone who is so into the here and now and self - and does not like reflecting - or being reminded of history -  T H E R E   I S  a reason why the story of Noah and the rainbow is in the Biblical writings!! In God I trust . . . . . . 



Have fun!

Piano - upcycling - or is it (ongoing) sheer butchery????

 

Hmmmmm

        Wed 30 April 2025

I always wanted to do this - buy a piano - remove the crappy strings etc - and make it into a decent wine-bar - that could be a show stopper in someones lounge - or even better - in that MAN-cave!!!!

I keep seeing good samples of them and Ebay/Etsy do list them from $1500 up to $5000 - THUS

Step one

Buy a piano - a worthy candidate!! 

Well - almost easier said then done - Naturally one wants them as cheap as possible in order to max out any possible profit!

Hmmm - Trademe to the rescue!! All of $0.50 - that's right 50 cents!!!  I had - well - I KNOW of a Oak clad upright piano in a place that would be free (and REALLY needs a work-over - birds-nests and all) - BUT its a 1.5 hour drive to it - AND there needs to be a trailer . . . . plus a extra helper to lift and secure then back again . . .  Most other Pianos for sale are still in brilliant condition and going for - well -  more then I can afford! I re-checked Trademe - and out of the 30 going for $1 or less - 3 were in the South Island - the rest all across the Cook straight in the North island! - Hmmm do I live in the wrong place?????

So I bought one of Trademe!! Wohooo - Go me! Mamabear naturally thinks I am nuts! Ok slightly nuts I admit! She thought it would not fit into the already crowded Garage / workshop!! No car ever made its way into that!!! She I S space-ially  challenged, and I did make some room for it!! So I duly hired a trailer - all of $40 for the afternoon - in TEEMING rain!! My bad luck that the arrangements made some 15 days prior for that day - turned out to be a damn wet weather pick-up day!! I also asked a good friend to come and help with the lifting/shifting etc! That no doubt will be a bottle of red later in lieu of payment!!

Ah well

Sighs

NOW - some design questions need to be made first up!! Where goes the rack? The bottle storage?? Marble or timber servery place-mat??  Hmmmm let me sleep on that!!

        Wed 7 May 2025 

I am no dummy!! Wait - no comment required from the sidelines!!! 

I did Google the "disassembling" of a piano - etc - and - it seems straight forward! Most of it sits on dowel / pins etc!! So easy peasy to get to the hammers etc!! Almost no un-screwing required! The designers figured that an easy access to "re-tune" or "repair bits" would  be needed from time to time - so that made it easy to rip apart the piano's!

 

Yikes the layers of dust!!! Sneezes . . . .

Well - ok - so far so good!! First design decision - is to leave the strings in place - As the metal sounding board does have TWO nice crests / names of the original Piano maker!! This particular model - so the research seem to suggest has been in the Factory fire - either, well see ---->  

1913 In the Birmingham Gazette dated 27th August 1913 -- there is an article about a fire at the Sames’ piano factory. The company states that their factory comprises three separate blocks of buildings and that 200 pianos in the first block only are destroyed. The other two blocks were not affected by the fire and they state that production will not be disrupted.

1923 In the Birmingham Gazette dated the 31st August 1923 there is a large advertisement stating that the fire at the factory will not disrupt manufacture of the pianos. At that time there were 350 pianos in stock, they have large quantities of seasoned wood available and that the high standard of the pianos will be maintained.

https://www.pianoandtheory.co.nz/resources-page/2023/8/12/sames-pianos

Yes there are some very dark sooty parts of timber - mostly out of sight!!  Second decision - well - actually the first really - was - to re-use as much of the original timber where ever possible!! There is some Pine / and Oak and - lovely to see - some Rosewood - maybe some Mahogany!! Yussss

As you can see - there are a number of white pieces missing!! I did get SOME spares - but there are a few that were lost forever! So I was thinking of just biffing them - them re-thought this - they might be after all - REAL Ivory! 

Quick look - no such luck! 

I did however find some lovely ideas on how to re-purpose them!!

OK - first step - to match the loose bits to the keys and then one at a time re-glue them to the hammers!! And seeing I have only so many clamps and things - its 4 pieces at a time! 

 

Then once that has been completed - there has to be a REAL wash/clean up! Some of them are no longer white - rather some dirty grey - almost yellow-ish!! Guess they got a good workout over the years!! Then the original timber used has been coated with Dirt/dust - so that needs a light re-sanding/wash to bring back the original grain - ready for a Linseed-oil bath! 

Sighs - MORE sanding - my least favorite part of woodworking!!

Right - Urm - Ok - must remember to keep a time stamp log!!

So far - not counting the rainy day pick up - it's some 6 hours just to get to this stage . . . . . .

Right - while that process is progressing - time for a proverbial red health drink!!

PS - at this stage - I could re-assemble and on-sell the piano - If I wanted too - no permanent damage has been done - yet!!!!  

        Sun 11 May 2025 - Mothers-day

 The day dawned fine - no clouds in the sky and after the obligatory txt's had been sent - and other Mothers being congratulated - it was time to get back to work!

The crime has been committed - I cut some Rimu to rough size and glued them together while using an old cupboard shelf as a flat reference and then flattening it from the top with another bit of straight Rimu! - 3 hours later . . . . 

Once that was done - the Black and White keys got arranged and glued to the newly made backing board! There is no going back now!!  I am committed!! 

I should have said that yesterday I went to a hardware store and bought some hooks and a couple of hinges/hooks for the back board! I need to keep track of my expenses . . . . . 

After a final washing down of dust - one set is drying out in the sun! Cant have them moving with the moisture they may have absorbed during the bath!!

All the "Ivory" pieces are at random lengths - and on the piano they are covered by some board - so they "appear" to be even - not so once you take the board out! There are up to 10 mm length variances! Hmmmmmm - I was considering routeing a straight edge bit - essentially doing a rabbit run!! Still - I had these ice cream-paddles - that were just the right thickness - so skinny one first then the larger one to cover and make a nice straight edge!  They will need to be trimmed later once the glue has set!!

On that note - the backing timber - which I had deliberately left 5-9 mm wider - needed a trim too - time to get out my new Spiral router trim gadget - it worked a treat - no tear-outs!!!!  Expensive that was - hmm I should get myself a second one - for that - yeah that other job . . . . . . 

I screwed the newly bought hooks in and gave the whole thing a bath in Linseed oil!! The timber is sooooo dry - it soaked it up before I finished with the brush! You literally saw it disappearing into the grains!!! 

So last jobs to be done - trim the paddles and screw into the back the hooks and maybe a second oil bath and then take some real GOOD pictures and send this of to Trade-me for sale!!! 

Hmmmm How much do I ask for ? ? ? 

Only 4 more to make - and yes - they will all be unique and individualized!! 

In fact - You could do a cross-cut where the ice cream paddles are and use the bottom for one item and then the top for yet another one - the little hammers do unscrew and come out - making an actual hook for your keys or caps or . . . . . 

Right - may need to go on a Lettering hunt!! Spotlight ought to have something suitable or yet another hardware store visit coming up?!?!?!?! 

        Thur 15 May 2025

    Hmmmm - My problem is that apart from being the resourceful / creative chap - visualizing the art work and all - I also need to be a roving sales-chap!! 3 units on trademe and no nibbles at all!!! Am I making the wrong product??? Do I need to hire a marketing expert? Serious doubt creeping in here . . . . . .

      Sun 25 May 2025

    Wooohooooo - first sale completed! Actually it sold via Market-place on Facebook!  I know - I know - a bit slow there!!  I am on FB   O N L Y   because I admin a rugby page - and seeing that FB changed the rules a little while back and I needed to be a REAL person (like I am some Fatah Morgana) urm anyhow I needed to have a real current login email and a minimum of three friends!! Sighs! 

Actually I remember why I hated Facebook - in my "friends you may know" appeared a number of scantily clad - oversized busty woman - that FB thinks I should be friends with - Go figure!! Actually I think they are AI generated and scam people . . . 

Still - I listed for the first time some items and had 945 views - or clicks as they say!! Long may it continue - as I need to sell something else, just to break even!!

Ah well - back to the workshop . . . . . .

    Fri 13 June 2025

Turns out - I sold 2 more - so as off right now - I am actually in credit Dollar-wise with this endeavor!  Two more to make and one of them is on FB already. Pretty soon I can start working on the actual Piano bar conversion . . . .  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tue 13 June 2025 

Outch!! Not a lot of progress has been made - as I am battling 2 Kidney-stones!!

Dang - Not wishing this on anyone; Friend or Foe!!!

Sighs 

 

Wed 16 July 2025 

Well - I guess I have been slack! That said - I have two good reasons . . 

1; - Those darn stones are moving from time to time and while I have some very good medication to suppress the pain - it does leave you drowsy and it is not recommended to drive, while ' on the pill' so to speak!  That also means - just like having had a glass of red nectar - NO woodworking - eg operating machinery - big or small!! I prefer to keep my fingers . . . . 

2; - While 'on the pill' - and the weather has been really cold and damp - even in the garage/workshop - I have been doing a bit of reading - working my way through Harry Potter (again) to be precise! 

So - the workshop has been quiet - and gathering dust!

TODAY - a bit of sun and no pills and -- well - I needed to finish this particular key-hanger - meaning a bit of cutting to shape and sanding          - l o t s   of sanding and then as you can see a oil-bath!! Once dry - just need to re-attach the picture/backing-board and screw in the actual hooks and I can take this to the market! Woohoooooo 

Just need to become an expert in marketing /sales!! So far its proving deadly quiet (again) on the sales front! Lots of 'views' but no $$$ in my account! 

https://www.facebook.com/share/19XpJGhAf8/ 

  

That just leaves the left overs to deal with - a whole row of cutouts!  They sit inside the piano - at a strange angle - so no square cut-glue up! Not sure how to tackle this yet - may just leave them to the side and maybe revisit later on! 

Ideas???? 

It was interesting - some 5 year old pulled out all the white plastic coverings - and while a valiant effort has been made in trying to re-attache them - the glue failed - sooooooo may need to strip them back 100% and maybe paint them???  

Anyhow

That's for another day!!! 

 

 

The really good thing - in-between Pills and the occasional refreshing red nectar - I get to contemplate next steps . . . . the rest of the keyboard  holder needs removing and some sort of flat "BAR" surface needs fitting!! Hmmmm Timber or Marble - or a timber/glass combo?? I do like the marble look - it would make it VERY heavy . . . 

Hmmmmmm   - right - one more re-fill me thinks and maybe some research on the i-net re whats what in terms of best fit . . . .   

 

 Thur 7 Aug 2025

It is more or less the middle of winter here! Then we get one of those classic Foehn - type scenarios for Canterbury! - Classic Nor-west flow - bucketing on our West-coast raining cats and dogs - and balmy if a bit windy warm weather in Canterbury plains!! Wohoooooo - all of 17C!!

Thus I open the garage door and and let some warm air flow - and then grab my trusty old screw driver,

(which reminds me of an old joke)

urm - moving along - 'cough' and do a bit of un-screwing!! Various additional bits of piano timber needed to be removed - so that a runner can be fitted and a suitably firm flat nice looking bit of timber can be laid in - which will make the "BAR" bit so serve / mix up whatever alcoholic (or not) liquid drink one may want to concoct!!  Yikes - some came out dead easy - others needed a bit more persuasion!!  Ugggh - still a lot of dust in this - may need to water-blast the whole thing to get it clean!! Reluctant to do this - as the timber is bone dry and may "drink" up the water - and end u warping . . . . Hmmmmm 

But the space is empty - so I can measure up and work out what best to fit in!! That is - AFTER I found some suitable timber!! I also would like to inlay a bit of marble plate thing - for when you make those spills etc . . . Hmmmmm, me thinks a hardware store visit is coming up asap

Of course there is another corpse to be disposed of! These metal pins all had some felt rounds layered on them - where the piano hammers rested (and some had 1 or 3 or so little round paper cut-outs underneath them - going back to when this was built in early 1900's!! To little to read - still interesting to look at!!  - Ok some time later . . . 

I may yet cut this up into individual sections and remove some pins (they just 'sit' in their holes) and try and upscale them as a wall mountable 'Scarf' holder for those folks who walk round with them as a sort of 'cool look at me' uniform thing. . . . 

 

 

 

You can clearly see where the other bits of timber were originally fitted - that clean 'white' look - the rest is dusty - dirty!! A century of grime!!! Hmmmm historic grime and dirt - do I leave it ? ? ? ? ? 

Nah!!  

A lengthy discussion with the designer and piano surgeon as well as the sales team and accountant (all ME!!) was held re taking out the piano strings!! The are jolly heavy (as a total weight) - BUT do add character!! That meeting has concluded with no decisions - thus another future discussion  is being planned, between all parties concerned. No doubt that will involve one glass or two of red nectar - in order to get the creative juices flowing!! What do you think?? In or out???  Meanwhile - as is typical with that particular weather pattern - a cold southerly directly ex Antarctica is coming up - bringing sleety showers and def snow in the foothills and Alps!! Sighs!!

 

Nov 7 Aug 2025
 

Yes - It has been a long time! In my defense - There has been a significant Birthday to celebrate (Mamabear's) and apart from the fact I did not fancy working in a freezing garage - I took 2 weeks out from the cold arctic air and escaped to Rarotonga for some R+R!!! NICE it was!! Then (yes there is more) urm - my focus was re-directed to some medical issues - (darn that Kidney Stone!).

TODAY - I sold another key hanger!! Go me!!!! I am financially in credit!!  Now I feel inspired to go and do some more work!!! 

Whistles a tune and makes a cuppa . . .  hmmmmm WHERE did I leave that tape measure????? 

 

 

 

 

 Nov 7 Aug 2025

 

 

 

 

 

 

 aa

 

Have fun!