Attribute to L. Neil Smith’s The Libertarian Enterprise

Dateline 3 Nov 2020

I came, I saw, I voted.

For Donald John Trump again and against the scourge of democratic socialism and the wretched GND they are looking to ram down our throats in 2021. And for another 4 years to at least hold the left wing tyrants at bay and enjoy life a little longer. And even the remote hope that the nation might take a more prosperous turn and the radical left is exposed for what it is and the majority of Americans come to realize that individual freedom is the solution to the human condition and we go on to usher in a new age of expansion out into space and secure a future of abundant energy and other resources and put asunder forever the possibility of one of those dark dystopian futures hallmark of science fiction. That’s what the left is out to give us. And why I will do everything I can to keep them away from the reigns of power and undermine and derail their agenda whenever they get into power.

Where do I begin?

Obviously with the 150 gallon former marine tank from Brian and Anna Marie.

It’s here!

They came in right at dusk as I was tinkering with the Microgramma lycopodiodies I had just gotten situated on the piece of driftwood I carved a planting pocket into. Had to do something to kill time while I waited. Water your garden to make it rain.

About an hour prior I tinkered with some 2x12 turtle pen center braces on hand to use as skids to slide the tank down the steps if it proved too difficult to carry it through the doorway. That proved unnecessary. The crew was able to carry both stand and tank in very easily and set it into place. It also levels almost perfectly despite my worst fears.

I did a pretty good job on the slab after all. And the brace clamp that compensates for the cracked plastic frame near the center brace is not that much of an eyesore as it was in the office because I am able to have the trigger end on the back side which was not an option for the former owners because the tank stood against a wall. And for my situation it’s toward the staircase and it does not jut that far back. I might even be able to cut off a little bit of the metal rod too so it will totally clear the edge of the steps.

Another bonus—an LED light underneath for the refugium that can be used to illuminate the live food cultures or better yet repurposed to another tank.

It’s finally in place yet still far from fish ready or even a water test. There is one additional hurdle. They had to saw off the bulkheads to get the plumbing loose and remove the tank from the stand. So I’m going to have to replace those and figure out how to get the portions of the threads out of the holes. I’m thinking a drain wrench which I have. If I can do that I’ll be able to get it up and running again.

Got to show Brian and his crew the FL Room and the turts and what I did with his stands. They did not stay long because they were in a hurry to get back home and watch the election returns. I may not find out until tomorrow morning—if it’s settled by then. I might give Bruce a text or call this evening after I get dinner.

My briquettes ought to be ready by now. This might be my last chance to get away with enjoying a Sea Quest burger! Got to celebrate Freedom as much as we can while we can and twice on Sundays!

Update:

Saturday Evening a week later since the failed attempt to submit this article. I sent it off and then went to enjoy a late dinner and work on modifying the Epiweb drip wall in the FL Room. Then came back and discovered my article was stuck in the outbox and it was well past the deadline. To make a long story short I tried again anyway in hope that it might still make the Sunday edition. If not then next week. Still could not get it to go out so I tried backing it up in the drafts folder and doing a shut down and reboot. When I brought the phone back to life I discovered it had totally vanished from existence. So no article that week.

But no journal either as I found out late that night that “Ye Olde Editor” was sick. So I pick up with a revised edition this weekend.

And what a manic weeks it’s been. Going on two since the election that did not go so well for us deplorable freedom lovers. Revenge of the Rust Belt 2.0 was a bust. Maybe. The results are being contested but I have a feeling the fix is in and it’s over.

I sort of saw this coming in the months leading up to the election. The Coronavirus was that sort of a game changer though I believe the Trump Campaign fumbled public relations a good bit. Mr Trump put off a lot of people with his bull in a china shop personality that the progressive media was sure to spin to the advantage of the Biden Campaign. It is also quite likely that his own advisors we’re giving him bad advice. That would not surprise me because the democrats were not the only ones who were sore about the outcome of the 2016 election. Many of them were probably RINOS who would want to sabotage and stab him in the back.

I saw his announcement of the pending delivery of a vaccine on my dinner break Friday and it was a sad irony. Had the vaccine come sooner or even if Mr Trump would have spoke like he did that day sooner—he might have won. But the buck stops there when you are the President and history is full of sad ironies. I made up my mind early on that I was not going to get too bent out of shape if the guy I voted for looses. Damned if I’m going to be like those sad puppies that Bruce the Historian was gloating over when Hillary lost in 2016. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness and Excellence must go on.

The show must go on.

Joseph Biden the career politician now owns the responsibility for getting the virus under control as he proclaimed will be his number one priority. Good luck with that one. Because it’s a force of Nature that is going to run its course regardless who sits in the Oval Office. Neither Covid or the democrats are going to be the end of the road. We’ve learned a lot in the heathy care field in the past year since this mess has begun and while it seems to be getting bad—we are managing it and so far where I am working it’s looking more like a nasty flu season than an apocalyptic plague. I’ve seen the ER filled with patients in hospital beds in years past and no one in politics gave a rat’s ass about it.

It’s still a serious crisis but we need to be hopeful and the politicians need to focus on their constitutional responsibility to govern the country and not do do any more stupid stuff that will cause panic and disrupt supply chains so we can have the stuff we need to take care of the sick and afflicted until we get herd immunity and delivery of effective vaccines. This may or may not be as bad as 1918 Influenza. It’s hard to tell because of all the wild speculations and fear mongering and it’s not over yet. The 1918 pandemic lasted about 3 years and Covid seems to be following a similar pattern. We will have to see how it plays out. I have a theory that the last great pandemic was bad because we did not have the understanding of viruses and the medical resources we have a hundred years later. Again we will have to see and I’m looking forward to writing about it in the coming months.

It’s not over for us and I’m going on with life. Going to work to take care of patients and look after and love and cherish my fellows as they are like family or fellow soldiers at arms. And I’m going forward with my plans at home and will do everything I can to keep my head above water come what may.

Was a manic week yet a hopeful one.

Got 12 Pteranotropis metallicus as I continue to rebuild my fish collection with old favorites that I look forward to wrapping up these projects and having more time to enjoy Life.

Firewood delivery arrived this week too.

This time I got the big rounds that the supplier burns in his own furnace. In combination with regular sized firewood it will burn well. In addition I have a guy who runs a tree trimming service who can get me some free stuff. That will really help. Next priority is oil. Then another load of wood. Then propane for the greenhouse. That is still at 40 percent so I’ll be good for a while.

Saturday morning 11/21/20

Another week has gone by.

Ran out of steam trying to put this together late last weekend so I’m wrapping it up this morning before heading off to work for another day in Covid Hell.

Had some pretty rough ones this past week and then it died down midweek and was actually slow. Like a war, even a pandemic has its luls. And life goes on.

Been busy on the home front too as I finish up the Florida Room restoration and get ready for Crunch Time. I’m thinking there will be a special edition on that one before the end of the year.

Last Saturday I got a trio of new tanks and a whole bunch of supplies from a nurse who had them in mothballs and decided she wasn’t going to use them again. Those were supposed to be 20 Longs but turned out to be 10s. Kind of disappointed in that regard but it’s free stuff and a lot of the hardware will be useful.

Also the tanks are good enough for conversion into front opening cages!

Another milestone : the custom cover from I Heart Geckos arrived and was installed.

This completes the small metal frame project that began a year ago. All that is needed are critters. I’m thinking Hourglass Tree Frogs—a small species from Central America that I’ve always wanted to try.

Have an order out for more fish. A dozen Flag Fin Shiners—the other Pteranotropis species I had before and a trio of Eastern Starhead Topminnows—both colorful ones from the Florida Panhandle that will restore the fish collection to its original grandeur. A few more mollies and Pygmy sunfishes will round it out in the coming year—unless—I’d rather not go there right now.

Made an attempt to start pond cleaning which has been on hold for want of rain to restore water flow to the brook that I tap to compensate for loss that inevitable during the transfer process between the main pond and retention pond. That has finally happened and I got as far as cleaning out the retention pond before having to put things on hold to deal with another issue.

Had to make a trip to Uniontown to a notary for a quickie registration renewal for the Honda that I let slip. It expired at the end of October—Yikes!—and I caught it the day before while going through papers to figure out bills on payday.

I was in and out under 15 minutes. It sure blows sway the DMV but I spent time shopping for some tools at Lowe’s and made a side trip to the pet shop to load up on frozen bloodworms in the event we have another lockdown. And the daylight was fading by time I was headed home.

This sundown at 5 PM is for the birds!

A busy evening after dinner in the FL Room.

Added two new plants; a Guzmania bromeliad that was on clearance at Lowe’s and a Selaginella martensii. Also got some holiday cactuses—white, pink and red for house plants.

Also I had fish to get situated.

Some young Redbreasted Sunfishes and marbled bullheads I brought in from a tub I drained that day plus a tank swap of the Bantam Sunfishes that were outgrowing a 20H in the Room to the upper tank of the second 40B duo to make room for YOY Dollar Sunfishes that arrived this week.

And now that is done and all current fish tanks except the 150 and the 4 rearing tanks under the steps are occupied.

Would have been a nice week were it not for some potentially bad news. My Uncle Budd who I haven’t seen since the care facility he’s in got locked down in March tested positive for Covid. So far he’s asymptomatic and I hope it stays that way. I’ve taken care of a fair number of elderly people who were positive but being seen for other issues and had only mild or no symptoms. Time will tell.

I’m doing my best to not get infected myself. I’m not afraid of the virus as much as I am of how other people will deal with it. That’s the way it always is in any disaster scenario. The fight will eventually be won over time in the hospitals and care facilities and on the home fronts of households and businesses employing common sense precautions and protective measures. That’s the way pandemics are always dealt with. Sadly the politicians are going to shamelessly try to claim the credit in the end.