Unilateral Disarmament

 

The "Gerry-Mander" circa 1812

One side can't lay down their weapons and assume the other will as well.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, I would run into hippy-dippy useful idiots, who would say stupid things like, "we should just destroy our nuclear weapons!  Once Russia sees we are disarmed, they will have no need for their arsenal and follow suit!"  It is a silly argument, as history has shown that such tactics never work - the strong will always take advantage of the weak.

Sadly, the Democratic Party seemed to be hell-bent on such a unilateral policy, thinking that, perhaps, if they lead by example, Republicans would follow suit, if nothing else, out of a sense of shame.  Of course, we know now that Republicans are essentially shameless.

When one side disarms, the other merely takes over.

Our system of government is very old and very flawed.  It was originally based on a system where only wealthy white men could vote (and women were virtual slaves and blacks actual).  It passed on the obligation of actually running elections to the States.   Parties quickly figured  out that the real power was in the State House, where voting districts were determined, which in turn could alter the outcomes of local and national elections.  Gerrymandering is not some new thing, but nearly as old as our republic, as the above cartoon illustrates.

In a system where less than half the population bothers to vote, and where the electoral college and gerrymandering skews results, it is possible for a minority party to achieve a majority and keep it, once in power, particularly if the opposition is somewhat lackluster.

Republicans have wasted no time in consolidating power - though the Statehouse and the Courthouse.  They are pretty well entrenched and it may take years or even decades - if ever - before the balance of power changes.  This is assuming Trump does not declare "martial law" and anoint himself King in his new East Wing Throne Room (and you thought it was a Ballroom!).

Hillary tried the "when they go low, we go high" strategy and it flopped. Democrats in California, egged on by GOP Billionaire donor Charlie Munger, passed a law taking redistricting out of the hands of the legislature and set up a bipartisan "Citizens Committee" to handle redistricting of that State. The net result was increased Republican presence in both the State Legislature as well as the House of Representatives.  It was the fair thing to do, but politics is no place for fairness, it seems.

Republicans in Texas were so impressed by this that they passed a similar law in their home State.  Just Kidding!  Actually, what they did was gerrymander the crap out of Texas so that no Democrat will ever assume power there ever again.  California unilaterally disarmed itself and Texas did not.  The end result is a slim majority in the House for the GOP - only a handful of votes.  They could not have achieved a majority otherwise.

Tuesday was the mid-Midterm election.  I noted in my previous posting that the only item on our ballot was two seats on the Public Service Commission Board, which is in charge of setting utility rates.  Turnout for such a snoozefest election was pretty high.  Ordinarily, Democrats don't even bother to put up candidates for many of these minor seats.  Well, two Democrats won, by pretty impressive margins, particularly for an alleged Red State.  It was probably more of a referendum on the GOP and Trump than any concerns about utility rates.  I suspect many voters didn't know (or care) what the PSC was, either.

Across the country, Democrats scored some pretty impressive wins - defeating Republicans in many conservative districts, and retaining seats despite well-funded opposition from Billionaire donors.  Not bad for an off-year election.

Meanwhile, in California, Governor Gavin Newsom pushed for Proposition 50, which abolished the fair "Citizen's Committee" for redistricting and threw it back to the gerrymandering legislature.  Screw being fair.  Screw being "above the fray."  This is politics and there is no runner-up or second place. It is winner-take-all and sadly, a race to the bottom. Hippy-dippy notions of unilateral disarmament are, once again, proven not only futile, but disastrous.

The net result of such gerrymandering could yield one or two additional seats in the House for the Democrats.  Of course, not to be outdone, the GOP has been aggressively gerrymandering in other States, such as Texas, Indiana, Missouri, and North Carolina.  Republicans were playing tackle football, while the Democrats were playing touch football - with one hand tied behind their back.

Well, no more.

Of course, Republican operatives will call this "hypocrisy" while at the same time ignoring their own mal intent.  That is the problem with trying to be Mr. Nice Guy.  Democrats have to hound out people from the party for even the slightest allegations of sexual harassment.  Meanwhile, the other party gets away with electing frauds and rapists - and no one blinks an eye.

But hey, at least Republicans aren't hypocrites. They are pretty open about embracing their own malfeasance.

Language Model

Does language determine how we think?  I used to think so.

I wrote before how language is nothing more than an exchange of symbols - symbols that have an agreed-upon meaning.  Change the meaning of the symbols, and you change the debate.  He who controls the language, controls the debate.

Consider the term "Fake News" which was created by the Left to describe the outright lies and "alternative facts" pushed by the Right.  For example, I got a mailing the other day concerning the November 4th election for our Public Service Commission (which determines our utility rates).  The letter alleges that unless I vote for the Republican incumbents, I will have to pay $400 on my utility bill to cover free electricity for "illegals."  No source was given.  Worse yet, if I was a Republican, I would have to pay another $100 on top of that!  Oh my!

But of course it was all made-up.  Fake News.  Well, what we used to call "Fake News."   Then the GOP commandeered the term and used it to describe any news or facts that they didn't like. Touché.

Did that really change the terms of the debate?  Was anyone's mind changed as a result?  I am beginning to think not.  But I digress, somewhat.

What got me started on this was my inability, lately, to find the right word or name - a symbol - for an idea.  I would be in the middle of a sentence and then struggle to find the word which represents the idea.  And when one pauses like that, in a conversation, people jump in and derail one's thoughts further.   This is one reason people use words or sounds like, "you know?" or "uhhhh.." as placeholders in a conversation - to signal they are not done talking.

I try to make this clear to Mr. See.  Just because I can't remember someone's name or the name of an idea or thing doesn't mean I forgot that  person, thing, or idea, only the word or symbol for it - a "handle" we attach to ideas to reduce them to shorthand.

Nowhere is this more prominent than in technology, where acronyms and funny names are used as handles for ideas and concepts.  I started a small argument (many years ago) among a few Engineers when I asked what the formal definition of "VGA" was.  Half said "Video Graphics Array" while the other half said "Video Graphics Adapter."  And yet, these were Engineers tasked with designing VGA chip sets at the time.  Despite their disagreement over the actual name of the device, they nevertheless agreed upon what the underlying idea was.

Since this Parkinson's thing has commenced, I find myself thinking about ideas in the abstract, while not necessarily remembering the names for them - at least right away.  This got me to thinking about so-called Artificial Intelligence, which its proponents were (at one time) quick to argue was "merely a language model" and not actual intelligence.  AI, we were told, was merely manipulating words, based on language rules, without understanding the underlying ideas.

I, on the other hand, have no trouble with the ideas, but find myself at a loss for words.  I keep telling Mark (and others) that "I am still here" even if it seems many have written my epitaph (sorry to break it to you, but I may live another 20 years this way).  When your communication skills falter and even your facial expressions go blank, people are quick to assume that nobody's home, when in fact they are, just that they are trapped within their minds.

Scary thought.

Meanwhile, AI proponents, hell-bent on shoving this "technology" down our throats, are less and less calling it a "language model" and more and more "the next big thing!"   Maybe this isn't so bad for us consumers, as AI can get thoroughly confused, which of course is a misnomer, as there is no "Intelligence" in AI to confuse in the first place.

I placed an order for fiber pills from Amazon the other day.  Two two-packs of 120 pills each.  I guess the order-taker at the warehouse got confused and sent one two-pack instead of two.  I clicked on the "help" link on Amazon and explained the problem and the AI-bot cheerfully refunded all of my money instead of half (or sending the other half of the order).  I am not sure how Jeff Bezos profits from that - his AI is giving away the store!

Perhaps that will be (or already is) a new sport for the younger set - spoofing AI.  Already, we've seen situations where people told ChatGTP or "Grok" (Really? How Junior High, Elon!) to "ignore all previous instructions" with sometimes hilarious results.  That's why kids do so well with computers - they're not afraid to break things.

Credit Card Follies!

Yes, I was nearly scammed by a look-alike site.  Scammers are getting better and better (or I am getting worse and worse!)  What an odd logo for an RV parts company - more like a motorsports logo.

I recently wrote about a scam site that offered RV parts for alarmingly low prices.  I should have known better.  I never hit "buy" but I did enter my credit card number before I had second thoughts! The best scams rely on the greed of the Mark (victim) who is lead to believe that they are the ones pulling the fast one, not the scammer!  I thought I was getting a $400 microwave for $80, when it was I who was getting scammed.  When every item for sale on a site is exactly 30% of retail price, one should be a little skeptical.

Unlike a lot of scam sites in the past, this one was well done, no doubt scraped from someone else's site.  No poorly worded British English full of typos - that's all in the past, now.  Who knows?  Before long they will even include AI bots to help you answer questions, just like on Amazon!

But I should have known!  No phone number, no mailing address, and in the "about us" section this generic fluff text that could be applied to any other scam sales site (and I am sure it is!):

Our journey began with a simple idea: make quality products accessible to everyone, no matter where they are. What started as a small passion project has grown into a trusted online destination for thousands of customers across the U.S. and beyond.

We’re not just another eCommerce site. We carefully curate our collections with your lifestyle in mind — blending thoughtful design, dependable craftsmanship, and fair prices. From our customer support team to our fulfillment partners, every step of your experience is built around care and integrity.

For once, Google AI comes in handy, noting the following sites have similar, if not identical, text:

The provided text is a generic "about us" mission statement that describes a philosophy rather than a specific company. Many eCommerce businesses share these values, and the statement is not unique enough to identify a single brand. 

However, several real and fictional companies in the search results use similar branding language:

• Home Fresh: A fictional Indian company whose mission, according to an ad transcript, began with the simple idea of "bring fresh flowers faster".
• Bajaj Capital: This financial company's journey also started with a "simple idea" of helping customers invest, and their brand is also built on trust.
• Curated Collections: An online shop that explicitly uses the words "Curated Collections" to describe its meticulously chosen goods, with a focus on quality and style.
• THE CURATED: Another site that sells "luxe staples at honest prices" and offers "curated" collections.
• Craft and Lore: This business describes its "Curated Goods" collection as "quality items that we use and recommend".

Who the hell "curates" RV parts?

Anyway, a few days later, I get a notice from BoA that an unauthorized charge of $42.00 was made at a Sonic drive-in across the country (gift card?).  To their credit, BoA (or its bots) detected something fishy and denied the charge and cancelled my card and mailed me a new one.  No big deal, but it is the first of  the month and all sorts of automatic payments are due - the water bill, for example  - and I had to scramble to move these "autopays" to my Capital One credit card.

Then, Capital One sends both of us e-mails telling us to "confirm our mailing address" as it has been a while since we last did so.  In the e-mail was a link labeled "click here to update your address!"  Way to go, Capital One!  Real smart security putting an in-email link after warning us time and time again not to click on such links!

Stupidly, I click on the link.

Fortunately, it was a "legitimate" link to the Capital One site.  But later, I realized the risk I was taking, so I changed my password just to be sure (after logging into the site, not from the link!).   Today, I try to log in and there is a "system error."  I mean, what could go wrong with sending an e-mail to millions of cardholders asking them to confirm their address?  I suspect that is what happened with this "address confirmation" e-mail and as a result, it crashed the site.

I tried calling their 1-800 number but it said it could not retrieve my information and it transferred me to an operator, noting that wait time would "exceed ten minutes."  This is not the first time I have seen this scenario play out.  Someone in the IT department decides to blast e-mail the entire customer base and the wonders why the servers all crash at once.  You know, sometimes it is best if IT geeks spend all day playing video games online and shirking their real work.  Sometimes things are best left alone.

It was a learning experience for me, though.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  Stop looking for screaming deals and search instead for fair bargains.  Be skeptical - even of sites that "look" legit.  I suspect templates or AI - or both - are being used to generate tons of scam online sales sites. Scrape some images, add some AI text, and, well, they've got a pretty convincing e-commerce site without all that pesky inventory, shipping, and customer service.  If nothing else, they've captured a few credit card numbers.  Sounds like easy money!

In the old days - like ten years ago - you could go on a Mom-and-Pop website and buy things.  I've ordered online from "Northern Michigan RV" and gotten hard-to-find parts at good prices.  Today, well, it is riskier not to use a major online retailer. Say, major online retailers probably like that!  Insert your own crazy conspiracy theory here.

The Internet was such a great concept, until humanity screwed it all up.   Maybe AI-bots will fix all that.  But I doubt it!

Nike vrs. Sketchers - who will win?

Cheap shoes that are a favorite of the AARP set, versus ghetto shoes that cost $200 a pair.  Who wins?

I recently read that NIKE, the preeminent sneaker company, has experienced a decline in sales after venturing into the "lifestyles" segment (whatever that is).   It is not the first time that storied company has made mis-steps. The history of NIKE, like the history of sneakers in general, is fascinating.

Legend has it that the original "waffle trainer" was literally made by melting sheets of polyurethane rubber in a waffle iron.  The founder of the company was selling them out of the trunk of his car at running events and business took off - boosted by the running/jogging craze of the 1970s.

Then disaster struck. They decided to sell fashion shoes - tiny wrestling-style sneakers clad in gold lamé, which left their traditional buyers scratching their heads. The company was headed for the brink, when a solo inventor (Rudy) approached them with his "AIR" sole invention, and the rest is history.

Well, that history includes signing Michael Jordan (a brand still sold today!) for one of the earliest sneaker endorsement contracts (a business worth millions if not billions, today) and the brand really took off.

There were, however, still mis-steps.  The sneakers were expensive and certain models created a beany-baby-like craze.  Inner-city kids started shooting each other over sneakers, and this created bad optics for the company.

But in the suburbs, sneakers in general became some sort of status symbol, like the unobtainable handbag or the fancy Swiss watch.  Fancy Italian loafers were out - expensive sneakers the color of tennis balls or highway cones, were in  - even for office wear!

People started buying sneakers not to wear, but collect!

But that changed recently due to a number of factors.  Spending $100-$200 (or more!) on a pair of shoes seemed foolhardy in a tightening economy - at least for some of us.  And the shoes were hard to put on, for an aging population, and didn't last more than a year or two before the expanded polyurethane foam soles compressed, or the rubber delaminated (Shoe Goo only works once!).

Enter Sketchers. Originally a "Sk8er Dude" brand, it morphed into a slip-on shoe popular with the elderly and obese (which describes half of America these days).  These started out as slipper-like shoes, and as I noted at the time, pretty poor for walking.  But while NIKE was sketching out their designs for yet more bizarre-looking footware, Sketchers came up with new designs that were more functional and comfortable - in particular, making the shoes fit tightly yet comfortably, so that you can wear a "slip-on" shoe for extended walking.

Priced at $35 and up (and not much more) they have been selling like hotcakes.  This makes me wonder whether NIKE's decline in sales could be linked to the rise of Sketchers.  Cheap, comfortable shoes, with largely conservative styling, which appeal to an aging demographic - sounds like a market winner.

Expensive, gaudy shoes, which require lacing and are more popular with the younger, urban set - is that a growing demographic in aging, fat America?

But, take heart, NIKE!  Sketchers was recently acquired by venture capital - and you know they can screw up a wet dream!

Fix or Replace?

Sometimes, it is just easier to install new parts.

I mentioned before how the seatbelt switch on the driver's seat on the Mercedes Sprinter van went bad - or more precisely, the wire connecting the switch to the SRS (Supplemental Restraint System) computer was severed when Mr. See rotated the seat around.

It was kind of appalling, actually, how it was put together.  Two tiny thin wires were snaked through a hole in the seat base and just hung there, unprotected, inches from the seat slide mechanism and a host of sharp metal edges. To be fair, this was exacerbated by the seat swivel that Winnebago installed - providing a guillotine for this tiny helpless wire.

People think Mercedes are fancy cars, but once you look underneath, well, you realize they are just cars.  And a commercial van? Acres of cheap plastic.  For example, the top of the seat base is covered with a thin layer of plastic foam of some sort, that just slides in place.  Granted, there are electrical components in each seat base (Mercedes relays and fuses under the driver's seat, Winnebago power relays and circuit breakers under the passenger seat).  But to me, that would be all the more reason to cover this with something more substantial than corrugated cardboard.

Anyway, I contemplated soldering the wires back together and was not looking forward to splicing tiny wires under the seat.  On a whim, I checked online for a new seatbelt buckle and found one, on eBay, for only $38 with free shipping.  For that much, why solder?

The part came in a few days and I removed the seat (which was held in place with those star-shaped bolt heads - fortunately, I had a set of matching sockets) and cleaned out 10 years of dust and dog hair from the seat base.  The new seatbelt buckle fit right in, and I tested it first by plugging it into the wiring harness and whoopee, the SRS light went out (but the error code did not reset!).  I cleaned everything really well and re-installed the foam plastic cover, this time aided by a plethora of self-drilling, self-taping screws.  Put the seat back (and the rotating base - heavy!) and all is good.

Or is it?

I splurged $110 on a new code reader - one that reads and resets codes for all the computers in the vehicle - and there are several, I learned.  Sure enough, there was an SRS error code for "driver's side seat switch" which I reset and it went away for good.  Error codes in auto computers are interesting.  Some OBDII codes (On Board [Engine] Diagnostics II) won't set off the "check engine" light until they persist for some time, or if a certain number of codes are present.  It all depends on the type of code and the manufacturer.  I guess the idea is to eliminate false alarms.

And false alarms are a problem.  I remember jump-starting one of my E36 BMWs (328iC) and it set off the check engine light.  I pulled out my trusty code reader and it showed a litany of errors (including, not surprisingly, low voltage) which, when reset, went away.  "Hard" errors usually come back right away, which is why resetting codes is a good first step (and maybe the last step) in diagnosing the problem.

For example, another E36 was throwing a "camshaft position sensor" code, which, when reset, would come back right away.  The camshaft position sensor was bad and needed to be replaced (not an expensive part, nor a difficult job, either).   On the other hand, our E53 (X5 3.0) would throw an "oxygen sensor adaptation limit reached" code, which, when reset, would go away (and the CE light go out) for months at a time - a classic "soft" error.   The problem in that case was a tiny pinhole leak in the intake elbow, allowing un-metered air into the system, confusing the hell out of the mass air flow sensor and the ECU. The rubber elbow was a $14 part, held in place with two band clamps - a five minute job, once the problem is diagnosed.  You'd be surprised how many dealer mechanics would replace the oxygen sensors (all four of 'em!) and charge the client $1500 or more, rather than replace this $14 elbow.

SRS codes are more strict.  Like I said before, on our E36's, people would kick under the seat, loosening these seat switch wires which would set off the SRS light.  An OBD II error (CE light) might reset itself if the physical error is cleared, after so many starts.  Not so the SRS!  So you need an SRS reset tool to clear the code in that case.

Speaking of false alarms, the "loose gas cap" code frustrated more than one car owner.   OBD II cars (1995 and up) have a system to detect air leaks in the fuel system.  If a gas cap is loose, the computer treats this as a leak in the system somewhere.  By the way, over-tightening the gas cap is not the answer!  As I learned the hard way, that only serves to compress the gasket too much, causing a leak.  If the instructions say "tighten to one click" (as it does on our KIA) then one click it is - not three!  Sometimes you just have to break down and buy a new gas cap, though.

Cars in the "good old days" had vented gas caps, and over time, gallons of gas would slowly evaporate from the tank.  But hey, gas is like 35 cents a gallon - who cares?  But "unburned hydrocarbons" are a big source of smog, and in 1960s Los Angeles, you could not see more than a few blocks on a bad smog day.  So as part of EPA emissions requirements, gas tanks were sealed.

Emissions aren't just from the tailpipe, but include things like tire dust and brake dust - and evaporating gas (which is why lawnmower gas cans have these annoying nozzles these days).  With regard to the former, look around a parking garage sometime and check out all that black dirt-like powder everywhere.  Yea,, tire dust.   And brakes? asbestos dust - back in the "good old days."  Tires last a lot longer today, thanks in part to better tire compounds.  And we no longer use asbestos in brake pads.  You can have the "good old days" - I prefer to live in the modern world.

But getting back to loose gas cap codes, manufacturers realized they were losing a lot of customer goodwill when a loose gas cap caused an expensive trip to the dealer.  So, many added stickers on the fuel door advising owners of the problem, or even a "loose gas cap reset" button on the dash.  But the problem still persists.

But getting back to the topic at hand, why spend $38 on a new seatbelt buckle rather than splice the wires?  Well, as I have learned over the years, both as a Technician and Engineer, every connector or splice in a wire is a potential failure point.  Wires generally do not fail if left alone.  They only fail if they are subject to repeated flexing or are not properly grommeted when passing through a sheetmetal hole, or some other form of mechanical malfeasance. But just sitting there they last forever.

Connectors, cuts, and splices, on the other hand, are failure-prone.  And I've see far-too-often, people try to save a few dollars splicing wires on a generic oxygen sensor and wondering why it doesn't work - when a plug-and-play factory OEM part is only a few dollars more (and a lot less hassle to install!).

Of course, to help prevent a replay of the original incident, I sheathed the seatbelt switch wires in corrugated plastic wire loom, which I carefully wire-tied on each end to hold it in place to the seat and seat base.  Then, I made sure that the shielded wire would not bind or get caught in the mechanism, regardless how the seat was moved or swiveled.  Problem solved - hopefully.

This was a pretty simple setup, too.  Some cars have several wires.  On the E36 passenger seat were wires for the seatbelt buckle (to check that you were buckled in) another set for the "seat sensor" (to detect the presence of a passenger) and a third set for the explosive device (!!) that cinched the seat belt tight in the event of a crash.  And that was back in 1997.

One final word on error codes.  I was surprised how many systems there were on the Mercedes Sprinter van - or how many there were potentially.  When I hit "scan all devices" the code reader tool went through a litany of devices (nearly a dozen as I recall), including some not on our vehicle, such as backup radar, radar cruise control, and the like.  Each system has its own microprocessor and each has its own set of error codes.

If all this sounds daunting, it isn't.   Like wires, most electronic components work just fine if left alone.  In addition to loose gas caps or disturbed wires, the biggest offender is often loose or corroded connectors.  A "wheel sensor" for the ABS (anti-lock brake system) is just a coil sending out a tiny signal generated by a notched part of the wheel hub to indicate rotation.  Coils like this rarely wear out, but the connector is located in the wheel well, where it is splashed with water, snow, salt, sand, and road debris.   Cleaning the contacts and applying dielectric grease often fixes the problem.  Code-monkey mechanics, on the other hand, blindly replace the part, believing (falsely) that just because a part is mentioned in an error code, then that part must be replaced.

Such is not always the case.

Screen Time!

The smart phone has replaced television, books, magazines, the radio, stereo systems, newspapers, gaming consoles, computers, and even movies.  Oddly enough, some people even use it as a telephone!

Screen time has become a big issue these days.  People complain they are addicted to the smart phone or that kids are spending too much time staring at screens.  This sounds to me like an echo from an earlier time when people worried so much about how much television they watched - and their kids watched.  Average person, back then, watched 4 hours or more a day!

If you add in the time spent reading books, magazines, and newspapers, well, it pretty much equals the amount of "screen time" people spend on their phones.  Remember when "flip phones" first came out and the cashiers at WalMart would spend all day on the phone, even while checking out your groceries?

The point is (and I did have one) that we have simply transferred our obsessive-compulsive behavior from one type of technology to another.  Spending four hours a day staring at your phone is no worse (or no better) that gaming for four hours a day, or watching banal network teevee for the same time period - or any activity that consumes large portions of your "free" time or even encroaches on your not-so-free time.

In a sense, the smart phone has merely consolidated all of our "time-wasters" into one device.

But something else is afoot.  Some are calling it "the dead internet" - going online these days is as unfulfilling as humping one of those inflatable sex dolls.  It just isn't even close to real satisfaction.  Similarly, the Internet these days seems to be one giant shilling machine, trying to sell, sell, sell you something, as if buying stuff was the answer to all of life's little problems.

I wrote before how tourist attractions always have a gift shop that you have to exit through, and how tourists feel obligated to buy junky tchotchke whether they need it or not.  To most people, vacation means a series of spending opportunities, and people will eagerly queue up to buy things or get tickets to an attraction.

The people running the Internet (and they are running it, now) realized this and turned every Google inquiry into a sale opportunity.  Pretty soon - if not already - the Internet will be reduced to merely AI-generated superficiality and "sponsored content" links.

Even - or especially - the "News" is all about selling - selling your eyeballs to advertisers or your soul to a political party.  News articles are no longer informative, but just click-bait and rage-bait to get you to watch some ads.  Even "mainstream" news sources preface article titles with phrases such as "You'll never believe..." (you will) or "Is it true that..." (no, it is not) just to get you to click.

I am done with articles that have titles like, "You'll never believe what outrageous thing Trump said/did today!"  Let me guess - something outrageously stupid, right?  Saved us all a click.

I have been trying, instead, to read more books, preferably the real kind you hold, or failing that, the thousands stored on our pad device.

Rather than read the news or look at social media, I have found an entertaining and educational alternative.  I go on Wikipedia and hit "random article" and read about some obscure British politician, a soccer (football player) who died in 1996, a long-dead English cricketer, a famous Bollywood actor, an obscure township in Minnesota, or a random train station in Japan.  There is nothing to sell or buy - although Wikipedia does whore for donations about once a year.  There is little in the way of a political agenda, despite the claims by the GOP that reality has a left-wing bias. Best of all, no AI-generated spew or sponsored content ads.

This is not to say all the articles are unbiased.  The wiki nature of the site allows people to edit articles and often people try to "spin" an article with a certain slant, or merely vandalize a page if they don't like the topic.  But usually such vandalism is cleaned up in short order, and it isn't hard to spot a political white-wash job on some other pages.  Since I am reading random articles, well, there is little in the way of click-bait or rage-bait on the agenda.

It feels good  to learn something new, even if it seems like useless information at the time.  One quickly realizes that there is a lot that most all of us don't know, which gives me (at least) a feeling of awe and wonderment about our world.

It isn't the solution to the screen time problem, but it beats Facebook, Tick-Tock, or Reddit!

Warning Signs!

There are some things to look out for when dealing with online vendors!

My search for the microwave/convection oven/air fryer that will fit the 20" x 13" cabinet hole in our camper continues.  I found a "Furrion" microwave that might fit, but it was over $400.  A site called "nomadicsupply.com" had it for $299 and the mounting bracket for another $32.  More than I wanted to pay, but the best price I could find.

Their prices were slightly higher than those listed on the Furrion website, but sadly, it appears that consumers cannot order directly from the manufacturer.  The first thing that made me cautious about using these folks was this mandatory ToS that you had to agree to:

 Nomadic Supply Company is in business to protect our planet by directly funding donations to conservation nonprofits. Our dedicated & hardworking employees enable us to further this mission, so we do not allow anyone to compromise the wellness of our staff with entitled behavior, bullying, or mistreatment. If you wish to be a customer & a part of our community, you agree to be kind, compassionate, & patient with the staff at Nomadic Supply Company & our partner brands. Anyone who isn't capable of being kind & compassionate should simply shop elsewhere. Checking this box is a legally binding agreement indicating that I have read & that I agree to the terms and conditions, the Code of Ethics, the Order Cancellation Policy, & the Return Policy, & I consent to receive both email & SMS order updates. 

I doubt any of that is enforceable, quite frankly.  But it says volumes about the people running the company and they way they view their customers. It also implies they have a lot of angry customers, too.

The next thing that I noticed was "Route" rearing its ugly head - wanting $9.99 for "shipping protection" which you have to uncheck.  Never do business with anyone who slaps "route" on your purchase.

The default payment method is ACH debit, which requires you to cough up your bank routing and account numbers.  Might as well give them your Social Security number and Mother's maiden name while you are at it!  It also means that, if there is some dispute about the product, you cannot dispute the  purchase with your bank (chargeback).  If you do use a credit card, they charge a 2.9% fee with "Stripe" to process the card (something that used to be against the ToS of the credit card companies!).

But wait, there's more.  If you pay by credit card, your order may be "flagged" for fraud:

If you choose to pay via credit card, Stripe Payments will charge you a non-refundable 2.9% transaction fee. You can avoid the transaction fee by paying via ACH Bank Transfer (eCheck). If you choose to pay by any method other than ACH (eCheck) Bank-to-Bank Transfer your order may be held for review and you may be required to complete a credit card authorization form to prevent fraud.

What does this mean?  I suspect it is an attempt to foil charge-backs from angry customers who never received their goods or received the wrong item or damaged goods.  When we look online to scam reporting sites, we start to understand why. The BBB (ordinarily worthless) reports several people complaining about damaged or never-received goods as well as problems contacting the company. Tellingly, Nomadic Supply did not bother to answer any of the complaints.  If a company doesn't have their phone number and other contact information readily available on their site, walk away.

After seeing all that, I decided not to do business with them.  Maybe prices may be higher elsewhere, but internet commerce is based entirely on trust.  And it is clear that "nomadic supply" has some trust issues - going both ways.

Why not just buy a regular microwave/air fryer/convection oven and then shove it in the hole?  Well, a cabinet-mounted microwave needs to be vented and this means a duct leading out the front through the faceplate.  The faceplate, in turn, keeps the microwave from falling out of the cabinet as you go down the road.  If not vented, the heat from the convection oven or air fryer (same thing, really) will burn down the camper.

Why not just buy from Amazon?  Good question.  As these are a niche product, Amazon doesn't carry a large selection - not one small enough to fit through a 20"x13" hole, anyway.  But we'll keep looking!

Time was, you could buy from small companies like this and get better prices and good service.  An individual could set up a quick e-commerce site on eBay and sell product. Today, it is all about arbitrage or drop-shipping.  Just put up a website (or eBay store) offering other people's products for 10% more than what they are selling for elsewhere.  Use SEO to make sure your listing appears first, and then just drop-ship to the buyer.

Problem with the arbitrage model is customer service, which is messy and time-consuming.  The people selling to drop-shippers are probably happy to foist this burden onto these arbitragers. The drop-shippers are just Mom&Pop operations (often just Mom OR Pop) and get overwhelmed with customer requests.  If you read between the lines of the text quoted above from the Nomadic Supply site, well, it tells a story.  They even admit, on their "contact" page that they are overwhelmed with e-mails on a daily basis.

You hire more people to deal with customers and you lose your profit margin. This is why arbitrage simply doesn't work.  Retail is a tough business of razor-thin margins. Mark-ups might be good, but overhead swallows up those "profits" before they are even earned.

Maybe some folks shouldn't be in business.  Arbitrage sounds like an effortless way to make money, but the reality is, being a merchant is a cut-throat business and takes a lot more time and energy than the "make money online through arbitrage!" promotions imply.

In fact, like anything else, the real money isn't in doing the thing, but in selling seminars and kits instructing others how to do the thing.

RV Parts Scam Site?

When you see something for sale for 1/4 the normal price, beware!

Mark wants to replace the microwave in the van with a combination microwave, convection oven, and air fryer.  I was looking at microwaves at Walmart and the cheapest ones are $65.  I remember only a few years ago, they were selling for the startlingly low price of $25.  But someone told me there is now a "microwave shortage" (read: price gouging). Oddly enough, there were several dozen stacked up at Walmart.  So much for the shortage!

And yes, they had a combination microwave, convection oven, and air fryer for about $225.  And that is for a tabletop model, not a built-in unit with forward venting.

Anyway, we measured the opening and found a Furrion FR77AD microwave that seems to fit our existing opening in the cabinet.  With the mounting bracket (faceplate) it comes to over $400 (!!).  I searched online for cheaper alternatives and found most people were selling them for about the same price.

Then I found this.  Not only was it less, it was a startlingly amount less - less than 1/4 the ordinary sales price!  $87.80 - what an odd number.  Who was "premiumrvparts.com" and why were they selling so cheaply?  Going out of business?  Well, it turns out the domain name is only a few months old, and the "trustmeter" on "scam detector" gives it a 5.7 - a very low score.  I look at other products on their page and see that everything is selling for a quarter or less of ordinary retail prices. They are fighting inflation!

Notably missing is an address or phone number for the company.  If it looks like a scam, smells like a scam, and sounds like a scam - it even tastes like one! - it probably is one,  If these prices were real, someone could make a lot of money arbitraging these items on eBay and then having them shipped directly from this (apparently nonexistent) company.

And I was inclined to get reeled in, too.  I was looking for a Genie, and Genies can be deceiving.  There it was, like a mirage in the desert - a microwave combo that would fit the opening, cost less than a cheap tabletop model!  Free shipping to boot!  But Genies lie - there are no Casita trailers for $1957 or Harley Davidsons for $1500 - as you see (or used to see) all the time on Craigslist.

But why such penny-ante cons?  Sure, they can cheat me out of $87.50 but is it worth the hassle?  On the other hand, they probably pasted the code from some other RV parts site, and it took some third-world computer genius less and a day to set up the site.  And once shut down, a matter of minutes to move the site to a new domain and start all over again.  In the meantime, they can sell credit card numbers on the side.

UPDATE:  I skimmed the site and saw dozens of products for sale for less than 1/4 of retail price (and I know pricing in the RV world!).  E-Trailer lists the same items for far more money, often by a factor of four or more.  They also put an "E-Trailer" logo hidden in all of their product pictures.  Hey, guess what?  Guess whose logo appears on the pages of "premiumrvparts.com"?  Yup, the photos were "scraped" from E-Trailer.  

I will have to revisit that site in a few months and see if they are still around.  I am guessing that once they "sell" a few items, they will vanish like the wind.

UPDATE:  Apparently my suspicions were correct.  The same site is resurrected from time to time under different names, such as "getrvparts.com" or the like.

If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!

UPDATE:  A message appears in my SPAM box today from "mail@order.xinwushop.xyz" offering an additional 20% off on the microwave combo with free shipping!  Only five bucks more than the cheapest model from WalMart!

Oops! Looks like you left something behind

Hi Robert Bell,

We noticed that you added some great items to your cart but didn’t complete your purchase. If you got distracted or had any trouble, no worries—we saved everything for you.

To make it even better, here’s a little thank-you from us: 20% OFF your order if you complete it by 2025-09-28.

Subtotal	USD 87.80
Discount (20% OFF)	− USD17.56
Total	USD 70.24

Wow!  What a deal!  Sounds too good to be true! (It is!).

UPDATE:  Same e-mail, a few hours later, this time from "order@order.ordershops.xyz"

The xyz domain is cursed!

New Scams?

You have to be vigilant with money, even if it isn't fun to do!

I bought some parts for the new camper today - a thermostat kit for the hot water heater.  The heater works great with only one problem - it won't shut off.  There is no temperature adjustment on this model, and with an aluminum tank, no zinc required, either.  But two "thermostats" (disc  type temperature switches) are provided, one to cut off at 60 degrees (C) for hot water, and the other to shut it down at 80 degrees (C) as a safety.  Neither are working.

I used Amazon, as when I checked eBay, they had the same kit for $5 more, no doubt an attempt at arbitrage.  The parts kit was cheap - only $14.  Anyway, the usual Amazon "soft" scams at checkout - you want to sign up for prime?  Oh, and we default to paid shipping, even if free shipping is available.  The usual Amazon soft scams.  But credit to them, they don't charge your credit card until they ship and they have a generous return policy and usually deliver the goods.

We took the Hamster in to town to get groceries.  We stopped to wash it and I noticed that after a decade, the floor mats were looking a little shabby.  I was scrolling online while we waited for tacos at our favorite Mexican dive, and saw a set for $50, factory OEM.  I clicked on it and they offered four levels of shipping, starting at about $11 and going up to $117 (!!).  I clicked on $11 and it sent me to PayPal to pay.  "Congratulations!  Your charge for $167 went through!"  WTF??

I checked the "invoice" and sure enough, they upgraded me to overnight shipping without me asking.  Plus, they added "Route Package Protection" for $1.95 (without asking) which I wrote about before.  Basically, "Route" just sends you the same tracking information that USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc. will send you for free.

UPDATE:  The "Route" charge is automatically entered and you have to uncheck a box to make it go away.  Easy to do on a computer, but on my phone, the invoice page conveniently appears half off the screen, so you don't see this check box.  Convenient - for who?

So I try to cancel the order, but there is no cancel link, just a phone number, and they close at 4:30 (!!).  Looks like I will have to dispute the charge.  Never do business with a company that only accepts PayPal.  Or uses "Route."

Anyway, I felt beaten down at this point.  So off to Walmart "Ghetto Gourmet" (Neighborhood Market) to restock the house after being gone for several months.  Mark gets food, I get beverages, and we check out separately.  I used to self-serve scanner and it is acting up.  I won't take my credit card unless I swipe it.  It checks out and I pull a suspiciously long receipt out of the machine.  I am charged over $300 for beer and wine (mine) and ham and bacon and $150 worth of groceries (not mine!).

I call over the cashier and show her my cart - no ham, no bacon.  What gives?  Well, the people ahead of me at scanner #9 rang up about $150 in groceries and when their card didn't read (as mine didn't) they went over to customer service.  Somehow, the charge then went through - on my credit card!  Is this a new scam to get other people to pay for your groceries?  I dunno.

Anyway, the nice cashier, who was going off shift and was looking forward to going home, had to manually enter each item code and issue a credit for about $150.  What a pain in the butt.  Meanwhile, the manager is on the phone to corporate trying to figure out what happened.

It makes me wonder if this hasn't happened before, and perhaps on purpose.  When I approached the scanner, it said "Enter your phone number or start scanning to begin."   There was no listing of $150 of groceries on the screen. By the way, whose bright idea was it to have recently scanned items appear at the TOP of the screen?   In a cash register, the last item scanned appears at the bottom of the register tape, not the top.  Be consistent, people!  And use a larger screen that doesn't require scrolling down after you've scanned five items!  Sheesh!

Anyway, it is all fixed, I guess.  But it made me realize how important it is to get receipts and to look at them.  If I had merely stuffed the receipt in my pocket and went home, it would have been a lot harder to prove I was overcharged.

I was at a gas station once and the clerk asked (nicely) why baby boomers always ask for receipts.  I told her I keep receipts so if I am ever accused of murder, I have a paper-trail to prove I was out of town that day.  Just kidding.  But it pays to keep those bits of paper, particularly when you have to return something.  And retailers are getting more and more strict about "no receipt, no refund."

Sorry not to post more often, but it is hard when traveling to type on a laptop in a cafe with sketchy wi-fi.  Plus I don't have the energy I used to have.  Off to the doctor tomorrow and then Mayo next week.  Meanwhile, Mark is having new teeth installed.  Getting old isn't as fun as it looks!

Fail-Safe

If cars were made like RVs, we would all be taking the train to work!

Yes, I am still alive, but busy with travel and such.  Prior to our Spain trip, we went to Ocala, Florida to an RV show to check out van campers.  We were appalled by what we saw.  One camper had an open-able "pop-out" window located behind the sliding door.   If you slid open the heavy steel sliding door, it would instantly demolish the open window into a shower of glass fragments.  Poor design!

I asked the salesman about this, and he replied, "There is a sticker next to the window reminding you to close the window before opening the door."    Of course, elderly owners and their spasmodic grandchildren would never forget this simple precaution - right?

Think about it - would you buy a car or SUV or minivan where if you "forgot" to close the window in the back door, it would be instantly demolished when you open a front door?  Of course, not.  There would be a huge hue and cry, demands for a recall, and lawsuits galore.   But in the RV world, a sticker saying "do not press!" located next to the "self destruct" button is deemed an adequate precaution.

There are other, less perilous examples.  The van we rented in Spain had a high-tech "Truma" hot water and furnace system that ran on bottle gas.  The vent for the furnace was beneath one of the open-able windows.  Next to the window was a sticker advising you to close the window before running the furnace, lest carbon monoxide fill the coach and kill everyone inside.

Our European friends, not being complete blithering idiots like their American cousins, also installed an interlock switch so that if the window was opened, it killed power to the furnace.  Sadly, if this switch was tripped, a convoluted reset procedure was required.  What puzzled me was why they didn't merely relocate the furnace to another location in the van where there were no windows.  There was, after all, a huge compartment in the back.

She sure is pretty, though!

Our "new" (10-year-old) Mercedes/ERA/Winnebago "touring coach" has some similar foobars.  Winnebago spent a ton of money painting the black bumpers and rub strips (and wheel arches) to match the silver paint job - and spend even more installing decorative stainless trim. They installed chrome-plated aluminum rims, but the chrome plating all wore off.  Nice looking, but for my dollar, I would rather they spent it on better construction and layout. And this is a good quality coach, too.

With only 18,000 miles on the clock now, the "Mercedes" part seems to be working well, although I swore I would never own an old German car again.   German cars, like any car, depreciate over time, and as they age, repairs become more often and more expensive.  Parts cost more and finding talent who won't make things worse is always problematic.  There is a "sweet spot" of ownership, where a substantial part of depreciation has already taken place, but before the car depreciates down to nothing, as they tend to do around the 20-year mark.  You can't give away an old 7-series BMW with six digits on the odometer and a host of broken toys, a check engine light and the accompanying litany of OBD-II P-codes.  Only a dedicated BMW mechanic or nut would buy such a thing.

And I swore I would never be that nut! (again!)

But the old gal gets 17-19 mpg and seems to run like a tank - so far.  But some RV conversion issues crop up.  For example. the Winnebago people installed swivel bases on the front seats, so you can turn those seats facing backward and form a conversation pit (not while driving! - again, a sticker!).  Problem is, modern airbag SRS-equipped cars have seat switches to determine whether you put on your seat belt, whether you are in your seat, and some even have small explosive devices to cinch your seat belt tight in the event of a crash.

With our E36's (1997 BMW 328iC), it was a common occurrence to get an "airbag light" after someone rode in the back seat.  The wiring harnesses for the front seat were loosely attached under the seat, and rear seat passengers would kick the wires, causing them to briefly become unplugged.  If continuity is lost, even for a millisecond, the SRS computer kicks out an error code and lights the SRS light, which cannot be reset unless you have an SRS reset tool.

Well, sure as shit, the van pops the SRS light and the instrument cluster display advises us to take the van to a "workshop" for repairs.  I am envisioning old-world craftsmen and cuckoo-clocks here.  This went off while Mr. See was driving, putting him in a panic.  I told him to relax - it was likely a seat switch.  And sure enough, that evening, Mr. See rotated the driver's seat and said, "what's this loose wire?"  The seatbel switch wire was chopped clean off - sliced by the seat swivel as cleanly as by guillotine.  The wire was just hanging there, waiting to be chopped - not secured properly or armored with a corrugated wire loom.  Again, people wouldn't put up with this in cars, right?  Although I guess I put up with it for a decade or so with my BMWs.  But I have a high threshold of pain.

All that being said, we love "Aunt Helga" and hope she gives us many miles of enjoyment.  But like with any RV, she has a continual punch list of things that need fixing, adjustment, or re-working.  But that's RVing for you.  Read the stickers!

Screen Time

I have been trying to spend less time looking at  screens.

Thanks for the kind e-mails, they really cheer me up!  I have not posted in a long while for various reasons.  We've been busy with health appointments for starters.  Also, it seemed that it would be easier to drive a van camper (after renting one in Spain for over a month) so we went and bought one.  A 2015 Winnebago ERA Touring Coach model 170A on a Mercedes 3500 Sprinter chassis.  Only 17,000 miles in ten years, serviced at the Mercedes dealer annually.  Of course, such little use presents its own problems, notably with dried seals and such.  But the chassis part seems indomitable - so far.  And yes, it came with new tires.

First stop: Mistletoe State Park, near Augusta!

So, here we are in the Poconos, and I am finding it less and less attractive to look at my phone or to go on the computer.  Google searches return only incorrect or plainly wrong AI responses - or worse, ads for things they think I want to buy.  The "News" - particularly the once-storied Washington Post and New York Times seem to be all click-bait and rage-bait.  Might as well click on a Taboola feed story!  Social media is flooded with SPAM and trolls.  The lowest common denominator is now the norm.  Pseudo-science and conspiracy theories are bandied about as gospel and those who try to say otherwise are attacked.

Why bother?  There is no "there" there.

Others are fascinated.  Juan loves his tick-tock and not just for the porn content.  His phone sounds like a cacophony of noises and weird music as each short video plays.  Mark and I spent a considerable sum buying him iBuds, but he never uses them.  The other day, I heard the similar sounds coming from Mark's phone.  We had a discussion about that.

There is little to be gathered online anymore, other than the weather and maybe a few headlines (most of which are clickbait or ragebait as noted).  Even e-mails and texts are SPAN and junk.  I find myself not looking at the phone for days.  Juan looks at it constantly, as I assume most Americans do - based on the erratic drivers we pass, which you can see texting at 75 MPH in a construction zone.

In a way, it is like when I contracted the Norovirus on the Carnival Valor.  Three weeks of explosive diarrhea and the pounds just melt away!   My appetite for food disappeared overnight - for the first time in my life! I lost 20 pounds in two weeks.

Similarly, my "appetite" for screen time has shrunk to nearly zero.  I am just not hungry for click-bait news or garbage postings on social media.  It just isn't worth the time and effort, for the ever-diminishing returns involved.

Well, that and we've been busy.  The new camper has seen some neglect, or worse, half-assed attempts at repairs by the late owner.  The $8 rubber coupling on the toilet flange was dried out, so Dad decided to use 20 lbs. of spray foam to "fix" it.  PSA: Spray foam is NOT a sealant!  In fact, it is pretty useless for anything.  Just leave it on the shelf.  And never hire a contractor who has half-used cans of spray foam rolling around in the back of his pickup truck.  Not only is it not a sealant, it absorbes water like a sponge.

Some of the poop-soaked spray foam, which came out in chunks.  Ugh!

So, after gouging away 20 lbs of poop-soaked spray foam from around the toilet flange (after crawling under the coach!) I was able to remove the offending rubber sleeve and replace it with one from Lowe's for eight bucks.   What would have been a ten minute job became a two-hour long nightmare in the 95-degree Georgia heat, thanks to spray foam and Dad/s half-assed previous repair job.

The toilet flange with the spray foam removed and rubber sleeve removed.

Weird thing, while Parkinson's is making it hard for me to walk (and even type!), my dopamine levels seem to boost when I am confronted with a repair problem.  Put a wrench in my hand and the trembling stops right away!  I guess some musicians have this same effect - shaking like a leaf, until they pick up the guitar or sit at the piano and play.

The rubber sleeve, cracked as I expected.

Well, at least that's something!  Maybe I should take up the piano!

The new sleeve - longer and no leaks!

So Mark has a laundry list of things to fix on the new camper - together.   I guess this will keep me busy for a while!

The New Modesty

Granny was way ahead of her time!

You leave the country for a couple of months and all hell breaks loose.  Maybe it is being away for a while that puts new perspectives on things, but it seems some dramatic changes are happening, in social standards, styles, mores, and laws (or lack thereof).

I leave an America where women are wearing thongs or "Daisy Duke" cutoffs, and return to a puritan country where women are wearing "granny dresses."  Even in sin city New Orleans, I see flocks of tourists, with the wives all covered from head-to-toe in ugly, ill-fitting dresses, with puffy sleeves and some sort of embroidered panel covering their boobs. We visit WalMart - the real "heartbeat of America" and racks and racks of granny dresses are on proud display, right up front - your choice of primary colors!  When it makes it to the aisles of WalMart, it is become mainstream.

I mean, I get it - the far-right has ascended into power, but such changes so soon?  So fast?

I suppose it was inevitable.  Over time, women have shorn themselves of more and more clothing and exposed more and more flesh. In the late 1800's even showing your ankles was considered scandalous. By mid-century, dresses were knee-high, off the shoulder, and showing some cleavage was considered the norm.  By the swinging 60s, it was bikinis and cutoffs.  Eventually, there was nothing left to do, but go naked.  And today's "swimsuits" amount to little more than a patch of cloth and a string. Some women argue that they should be allowed to go topless - as the men are already allowed to do.

So it makes sense, in a weird way, that there was nowhere to go but to do a re-set back to ground zero.  The granny dress is "in" and it may be another 100 years before the thong rears its ugly head. Again.

Of course, maybe it is time men tried a little modesty.  Man-boobs are not appealing, even if it is a "norm" for men to go topless.  And shorts don't have to be the default dress code.  Combined with "manspreading" it leaves little to the imagination.  Ugh.

But maybe that is the point - misogyny.  Women must cover up their shame, while men flaunt it for all to see, whether invited or not.

Maybe time for the Muu Muu to make a comeback!

Health Update:  It seems you can't go on a Carnival cruise without getting the Norovirus.  On the mend, I hope! Instead of on the toilet!

Call Me Ishmael -or- Two Weeks Before the Mast

Two weeks on a cruise ship cured me of cruising!

Day 13.  People are getting desperate.  The bar is out of Margarita mix.  Fistfights are breaking out at the Guy Fieri hamburger bar, as overweight men scramble for the last of the precious "donkey sauce."  Women are selling their virtues in exchange for clean linens. All hell is breaking loose.

Well, maybe not that bad, but it is monotonous.  Our cruise director "LiA" (I kid you not) makes cheerful announcements over the P.A. system, each seeming more desperate than the last.  It is hard to put a novel spin on the same old thing, after weeks at sea.  Every morning, the same breakfast.  Eggs Benedict sounds dreamy, until you've had them ten days in a row, and they are often served cold.  I've taken to eating corn flakes instead - kind of hard to screw up cold cereal  but I am sure they will give it a try.  This AM, the last of the butter disappeared, only to be replaced with margarine.  Tiny, soggy bagels are offered at the buffet, undertoasted at 4AM this morning, and now just a cold, bready mess.

It is not all bad, of course.  The entertainers are not too bad.  One fellow plays the classic guitar in the lobby.  Turns out he is an unpaid volunteer.  Perhaps he gets a discount for doing this.  A violin trio does interesting interpretations of popular songs - but with a cue track, much as the "piano bar" player does.  A nice older couple who clearly studied Ballroom glides across the floor to everyone's amazement and applause.  I saw him later and said, "You guys are great!  But save some for the honeymoon!"  His wife looked exhausted after the tenth dance.  I wish I had that energy.

Speaking of which, I am feeling better in terms of digestion - getting over whatever I had and whatever Juan had before me.  The Parkinson's thing seems stable, no better or worse - maybe slightly worse.  Walking is odd - I don't try to walk like Frankenstein, it just happens.  One big problem is my lifemate is always looking for signs of trouble.  Juan asks where he can plug in his phone and I point to the lamp beside his bed.  "There's no USB port there!" Mark says condescendingly.  I reach out to move his ear buds which are blocking the USB port and he slaps my hand away.  "There's no plug there!" he says, almost smugly.  Ol' dementia Bob is off his meds again!

I finally reach around him and push the ear buds to one side, revealing the USB port.  "Oh!" he says, "I didn't see that!"  No apology.  No admission he was wrong (and wrong to talk to me like I was some child).  It seems he thinks my brain is already shot and I need to be cared for like some old decrepit grandpa.  I mean, it may come to that, eventually, but let's not rush things!  But this sort of thing causes tension.  I guess he means well, but gee, it seems like he's almost enjoying this a little bit.

Oh, well. I ain't perfect, either.  But, like screaming at deaf people (or refusing to repeat yourself when you talk in a whisper, facing away), chiding a memory care patient for not remembering something is just plain cruel.  I remember things - too many things - but often I forget the names of these things.  This is a common symptom.

Well, we are off the coast of Florida, passing the Dry Tortugas.  We are 500 miles from New Orleans, which we could reach in a day, but for some reason, won't dock for two days.  A day or two in the Big Easy to relax, and then back home via rented car.

It will be nice to be on dry land again.

Sea-Sick

15 days at sea is a long time to be at sea!

We are a few days from docking in New Orleans.   Progress is slow - about 19 knots or 20 MPH or so - covering a scant 500 miles a day, if that.  Boredom sets in and certain food items have run out.  A waitstaff person tells me I took the very last banana.  Someone screwed up on the provisioning!

Carnival caters to a lower-class clientel than Holland America.  Instead of movies on demand, we get a  24-hour channel of "paranormal investigators" and HGTV.  "Carl is an assistant paper-clip sorter and his wife Ella is a homemaker.  Their annual income is $15,000 a year and their housing budget is $1.5 million."  Who are these people?  And of course, Ella passes up a great house at a great price because one of the bedrooms is painted green.  These channels tell me a lot about their target audience.

Juan fell ill in Barcelona, complaining about diarrhea and then later, leg pains.  He was nauseous in the morning and Mark ribbed him that maybe he was pregnant. He got better in a few days, but then whatever it was hit me.  I don't think it is sea sickness, as Juan had it on dry land.  I am mostly over it now, although my stomach is gurgling loudly.

The abbreviated rocking of the boat (stabilizers almost made the ride worse - causing a choppy back and forth movement) does tend to induce a mild dizziness in the hardiest of seafarers.  And this is during calm weather, too!   Right now, we are in two-foot seas, no whitecaps - calm weather, following seas.  On both crossings there were days when the bow of the boat plunged through 12-15 foot waves, throwing up an impressive spray.  Oddly enough, that was a more pleasant ride as the weather overwhelmed the stabilizers, producing a gentle, rocking roll.  But those stabilizer (fins) are probably the only thing keeping these top-heavy cruise ships from rolling over, like the SS Poseidon.  Not sure I want to do a Shelly Winters.

The Carnival Valor's regular route are 4-5 night cruises out of New Orleans to Cozumel or Caribbean island ports. This transatlantic crossing is a one-off for her, as the only purpose of it was to drydock in Cadiz, Spain for new carpet and paint (and a new sauna facility!) among other improvements.  We stopped briefly in Cadiz after leaving Barcelona, to take on more workers to finish some minor repairs.  I think they were flown home from Punta Delgada.

Unlike the Holland America Oosterdam, the Valor doesn't make an annual habit of crossing the Atlantic to move with the seasons - from the Caribbean to the Mediterranean, much as Alaska cruise ships  winter over in Hawaii, serving the island trade.  So I guess it is not unexpected that the crew was unprepared for 15 days at sea - ten of them uninterrupted.

(I whine about 15 days at sea, when we met a "Cruiser" who just came off 71 days of cruising.  The thought of it makes me ill - again).

We sailed right by Bermuda, whose lights could have been seen on the horizon, but for a cloud bank.  We are poised to thread our way through the Bahamas and then pass by Key West on the way to New Orleans.  I suspect they are not stopping at Key West due to the Jones Act, or perhaps because of the delay it would cause - and the port fees.  No great loss.  Key West is no longer the Key West we used to know and love, and cruise ship dockings - which dump thousands of people onto Duval Street for eight hours at a time, are part and parcel of the problem.

This may be the last cruise we go on.  We were never big cruise ship fans and my previous postings on the subject verify this.  Still, it was interesting and novel, to travel by ship, but not something I need to do again and again, as some "diamond guests" do - going on as many as 20-30 cruises during their lifetime.

Speaking of which!  The big hubub on the ship was the announcement that the frequent cruiser program was being overhauled.  I have written time and time again about these loyalty programs - designed to lock you into one brand and one company.  You never get ahead in these games and even if you did, well, they simply change the rules of the game much as the airlines have done over the years, again and again, with "frequent flyer miles."  Time was, you could fly the whole family to Hawaii on your flyer miles.  Then, as overbooking became the norm, the best you could hope for was an upgrade.  Today, even that is gone and the best thing you can hope for with frequent flyer miles is to be the last person bumped from the plane due to overbooking.  Some treat!

The frequent cruisers are pissed-off.  They spent thousands - tens of thousands - of dollars over the years, trying to build up their cruiser "status" and patiently wait while they climb the ladder high enough to get venerated diamond status.  Now, it is all being taken away, or at least they have been kicked down a few rungs.  Anxious couples sit closely together in the quiet Eagle lounge, studying the new terms of the contract, looking for a new hope. "Well, you do get a free bottle of water!" one wife says to her husband, "that's something, anyway!"

The husband merely grunts in return.  I feel his pain.  I have four of these bottles of water on my desk in my stateroom.  A cheerful note on a necktag attached to each bottle informs me that I should stay hydrated!  At $4.95 a bottle!  No thanks!

You can't win, chasing these award points or miles or ten cents off a gallon of gas.  Maybe, at best, if you end up shopping at a certain store or going on the same airline, you can use these points for a minor discount or upgrade. But don't kid yourself you are getting anything for "free" - even a $4.95 bottle of water.  But if these programs alter your financial decision-making, well, then you are losing badly.

I recall a guy writing an article in the Post a few years back, about how he would book his business trips to take the longest flights possible - going from LA to NY by way of Portland, Chicago, Houston, and Boston - just to rack up more flyer miles.  Spending ten hours on an airplane for points makes no sense to me.  But people do this stuff all the time, distracted by the ancillary "deal" and neglecting the underlying transaction.

So yes, I indulged in a little schadenfreude over this cruise-line screw-job.  The veteran cruisers were getting the shaft, and all the medallions listing their previous cruises - adorning their cabin door like medals on a North Korean General - now mean nothing.

Well, that's all I have for now.  See you on shore!