Sure perhaps a childish display of intolerance through name calling but what the heck – it is the truth and they’ve earned every letter of the designation and meaning of “RATS”. There is too much at stake this election and DEMS deserve every bit of what they are going to receive! This group has clearly become ANTI-AMERICAN and a danger to our country’s continued existence. Not just about politics but rather, the survival of our country.
VOTE TRUMP & PENCE for COMMON SENSE and support our US CONSTITUTION and Rule of Law – not further deception, anarchy and destruction by the Left!
(Relax, Lew has stepped off the soapbox …. for now. lol)
I keep thinking about it…..what if I lost everything to a fire? Or tornado. Hurricane. Flood. Leftist Democrat rioting looter. Whatever. I can only imagine the personal pain and distress. The loss of mementos, souvenirs, records, photos…. everything. (Especially those of little monetary value but constructed of wonderful memories and much better times.) What to do? Live the best one could under the circumstances I guess. Perhaps thankful for still having life with at least the possibility of recalling the pleasant memories of loved ones and those better times? After all, those treasures dwell within a still beating heart and a thinking mind in defiance of the other worldly losses. Difficult to imagine surviving such a horrific experience without some sort of steadfast faith for comfort and healing. Fortunately for those in need such is available 24/7 for only the cost of an open heart. God Bless and successfully guide them all though a journey of pain difficult to imagine.
Don’t know if I should have written the above or not (I am just now truly understanding how I have also been a victim and “conditioned” by a “political correctness” of the Left (through hideously surreptitious ways we don’t even notice day to day) to ignore and suppress any personal inclination to publicly acknowledge and/or praise anything associated with Christian faith, belief, much less red, white and blue patriotism for our wonderful country – despite serious issues which still require attention and correction. Quiet warm tears convinced me otherwise. There is only one perfection of which I am aware.
OK. With that said, (radically switching gears from spiritual sensitivity and compassion to a blah, blah, blah, blah presentation of yet another COVID-19 “lock down stay busy project”) – remember the two digital recorders whose usefulness I destroyed because of TWO SEPARATE ACCIDENTS where the earphone plug (while plugged into the unit) broke the head phone module from the circuit board inside the unit? Well, the time has finally come for an attempted repair, but first I need to explain another “wrinkle” to this Do It Yourself repair plan.
NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE
Have you ever performed a particular activity for many years without any difficulty what-so-ever then one day for some inexplicable reason the same maneuver results in a surprise and painful injury? Certainly nothing to actively and publicly complain about – especially when considering the tens of thousands of Californians dealing with fire and associated loss, this is just another blah, blah, blah about a stupid little accident. Just another reminder that as I (we) get older a little extra caution is appropriate (required) with everyday activities normally taken for granted.
Rather surprising that those lengthy fine print safety instructions that come with new appliances, tools, etc., which previously produced a typical laugh or two as to the ridiculousness of the noticed potential injury warning –
(while smugly thinking to ourselves as we read the pages of often obvious DOS and DON’TS …..“who could be that stupid or ignorant to get hurt or killed like that?”),
-now make more sense as I continue my slow slide into a new and expanding world of surprise geriatric injuries.
Made up example: “HAND GRIP ON LOOPED DOOR HANDLE MUST BE RELEASED PRIOR TO WALKING AWAY FROM DOOR TO AVOID POTENTIAL INJURY”
LOL –
what sort of idiot would….
Yup, for approximately twelve (12) years now I have opened and closed that great room 8’ glass slider without any difficulty but last week when going outside to check on the hens during this excessive heat wave I slid the door open with my right hand (using the looped metal handle as usual) but this time while exiting through the doorway and simultaneously turning and pulling that somewhat heavy door back to its closed position, something different happened.
Apparently my “exit timing” was off a little bit and while turning and beginning my walk away from the door my index finger somehow became twisted and stuck in the handle. Since that heavy door was already in motion from my pulling it closed, when my finger met the maximum normal extension the weight and continuing closing motion of that sliding door caused my finger to bend backward and outward sideways far beyond normal movement.
Good Heavens that hurt! Naturally there was rapid swelling accompanied with redness and some later light bruising. I don’t recall any “snap” or “pop”, or any noise at the time of injury, just the sensation of something inside reaching its limits and being stressed, perhaps torn, beyond typical movement.
After a few choice words regarding my absolute failure for safely navigating through a sliding glass doorway I immediately started one of the best home first aid remedies available – an ice pack. Icing for days now (alternating with warmth) and beginning to see improvement. “Fantastic! The old age wrinkles are returning to my swollen hand around the index knuckle!” Before last week never imagined I’d be thinking something like that – happy that hand wrinkles have returned? lol What the heck, I earned them so I’ll proudly wear them – just like silver thinning hair, skin tags, old age spots, ….. wait, this is getting depressing besides digressing from the topic. (Yet another aspect to this getting older.) lol
Anyway, recall that I’ve been waiting (since April 2nd) for a new soldering iron so I could attempt circuit board repair of the earphone jack on the TWO DIGITAL RECORDERS I DAMAGED? [April 1st was the fitting day for the LAME COVID-19 REV blah, blah, blah that explained these recorder mishaps.]
Guess what I just recently received? Yes indeed, a new soldering iron with the appropriately sized tip for the circuit board work BUT now I have a sore right hand (with returning wrinkles) making it rather difficult to hold the soldering iron properly. Always one thing or another yeah? Lol
Ohhhh Ohhhh Ohhhh…. Just realized, I have a reasonable excuse if the repair job turns out unsatisfactory!
Yup, ordered the soldering iron last April 2nd but had to reorder (lost in shipment) but a few days ago received it so here we go!
PRACTICE ON THE MAKESHIFT DIGITAL SURGERY TABLEMy old butane gas soldering iron (top) would likely be too hot between the two circuit boards because of an exhaust port near the tip. Heck, I’ve burned myself a number of times while trying to get the iron into the best position for a tricky soldering job. The new electric HAKKO FX-600 below should remedy at least that problem. Patient positioning with alligator “helping hand clips”…. (photo looking through a magnifying glass) the case was “hinged” by other components inside on he other side of the unit. I was afraid to open it any further to reach the 4 or 5 screws which had to be removed to separate the two circuit boards so the plan was to try and work between them —- crap! Forgot an important aspect to this. How do you solder the back right contact point with the module in position between two boards? Couldn’t do it from under the circuit board either. Oh well, I’ve gone this far might as well try anyway.
BELOW: FORGOT TO MENTION:
(See above photo for contact location numbers) Contacts 1 and 3 were not easy either, but contact 2 was a nightmare. I was worried about damaging the circuit board (and/or attached components) above with too much heat while trying to position and “tack” the module into place. Very tight working area.
BELOW: OOPS! Almost forgot my other excuse for such a poor job …… my right hand was swollen and painful….lol
Actually, I believe it is called Solder Wick. Really cool stuff. Hold it next to the solder you want to remove and when heated sufficiently the solder is sucked up into the wick for removal!
<ABOVE> Notice the difference after the “solder wick” procedure? Only two “globs” of old solder left to remove. Really neat stuff that copper braid. (Previously just heated up the solder and attempted to move it with the iron which often resulted in dropped hot solder in places you didn’t want it!) Watching videos on the internet taught me much in preparation for this DIY repair.
OK, so let’s try to relocate the new module OUTSIDE THE CASE. An old telephone line provided the smallest wire I could find. Just solder one end of a wire to the circuit board and the other to the appropriate contact on the module. Did that five times and I was done!Sure, it might look a little goofy – BUT IT IS SOLID AND WORKS JUST FINE! Function over form I figure.Module is in the same general area of where it should be inside the case too! The first attempted repair was a bummer because everything fit back together great….the module was positioned in the case hole opening perfectly …..only problem was the left channel didn’t work at all and the right was scratchy on playback. (The successfully repaired unit compared with the next “damaged patient” (top) awaiting the fate of my pathetic soldering skills….. unless I get the courage to separate the case and the two circuit boards for easier access and soldering…….but then again, what if I break something else in the process of that separation? Would it not be better to just have another functioning “Frankenstein unit” rather than a $150 electronic paper weight? )The other part of this story is it took a while to locate my screw taped paper! lolYup, I can live with it and consider the project a “qualified success”. (Yes, I left enough room for the tripod attachment before the module epoxy attachment.)
DIGITAL RECORDER LINEUP
ABOVE (L to R): Repaired Frankenstein original, current functioning unit, and #3 the next “digital victim patient”
ACTUALLY RATHER FUN
Discovered another aspect to this soldering work that is rather fun – project kits made up of a bunch of electronic components you solder on a circuit board for practice. The final product can be a toy or functioning clock, etc. I believe the one I ordered just has a bunch of LEDS flashing in a preset synchronized pattern, but I really won’t know until it is completed as the included instructions are sketchy. (Maybe it is a hypnotizing light show unit that programs participating customers into purchasing the more challenging and difficult kits like the DIY thermonuclear home security system? lol)
Below are some photos of this hobby project that will undoubtedly improve my soldering skills. (Once all my hand wrinkles return) Can’t expect to get better without practice, right? If someone told me I’d be doing this sort of stuff for fun a couple of months ago I would have suggested they stop using hallucinogens. Resistors, capacitors, LEDs, Triodes, Diodes, blah, blah, blah……
I have already learned one extremely important aspect regarding such work…… you can lose small components very easily….already lost two small resistors when they “popped” from the tweezers while I was positioning them for soldering. They are so small and light weight even a small house fan some distance away can blow them into another area of the room. bye bye little resistor! (Imagine a good sneeze on an inventory of small components laid out but not yet soldered?)
BELOW: Laying out some of the component packaging on the practice circuit board.
For a better appreciation of how small some of the pieces are check out the following photo:
This is one of the larger resistors too! (Haven’t removed a smaller one from the packaging yet!)
Yup, already have two “3R92s” skidding around the floor somewhere in the great room.
BELOW: Though similar in appearance to the old “cap rolls” we used in toy pistols of the past, each of the strips contain components covered with a plastic film to hold them in place. You must inventory all these first to determine what is what (Resistor vs capacitor) and where it will eventually be placed on the board. The strips are identified by number of components on the strip, ie, 14+1 resistors, 15 +2 capacitors, 4 Triodes, etc.
BELOW: LED mini lights
BELOW: Care to guess how many soldering contacts are on a J3Y Triode???
(tick, tick, tick….time is up…….your answer please:)
YES! THERE ARE THREE SOLDERING CONTACTS ON A TRIode. lol
BELOW: My first three attempts at the larger resistor practice …. a bit sloppy but technique will undoubtedly improve with practice. NOTE: “Tinning” is the practice of placing a bit of solder on both contacts (component and board) prior to joining them permanently with solder.
Oh yeah, forgot to mention, yes I did order a pair of magnifying glasses last night for this project, as it is just too darn small and intricate with reading glasses. Yes Mr. Solder-McGOO-Lew will be in the house momentarily! lol
While attempting to clean up and organize some computer files I ran across this untitled impromptu audio recording (yeah, on the old broken digital recorder….more on that later) and thought it perfect timing considering the recent DNC Convention and the garbage spewed.
Please also recall Nancy Pelosi did the same darn thing in San Francisco’s China Town – major gatherings with complete disregard for COVID-19 warnings, yet they now all blame OUR PRESIDENT TRUMP for their own intentionally misleading and negligent conduct. How many gullible citizens followed such arrogant and consistently wrong DEMO RAT leadership and paid the ultimate price for their misplaced trust?
These DEMO RATS have NEVER cared about the average legal American citizen taxpayer, only about the POWER and CONTROL they can exercise over public funds and resources to further their own special interest LEFTIST GOALS. The Lake Don Pedro Community Services District is a perfect example – 40+ years of criminal conspiracy to violate state water law and corrupt every single characteristic of a California Special District for special interest subsidized groundwater substitution for LAFCO ANNEXED properties. Disgustingly obvious but who still pays the bills? What good is institutionalized fraud without a mandatory victim customer pool for perpetuity? Seriously, just a much smaller example of the same type of corruption as in the National DEM Swamp.
Please realize that the traitor above didn’t even have the integrity to lie with his own words to the American public at that pathetic leftist DNC convention. Once again Biden had to steal meaningful words from another person just like he has done in the past. Recall why he abandoned his prior run at the presidency? Plagiarism! The man steals everything – and now has his sights set on our individual freedoms and rights in this country that UP TO NOW, have patiently tolerated the likes of such a negative influence on our REPUBLIC.
Dear Lord, the man can’t even lie for himself so he brought in a ringer like Kamala Harris. Look how many of these “ring leaders” in this assault and destruction of American values are from Califusion – all interrelated by politics and family with the blossoming assistance of the Chinese Communist Party (please do not confuse that treacherous government with the people of China suffering under such a system).
I honestly believe it is time for TRUE AMERICANS to put their compassion and stressed tolerance aside regarding those like Biden, Pelosi, Newsom, Schiff, Schumer, Nadler, crooked FBI, CIA, IRS, DOJ, et al, that clearly want to destroy this FREEDOM LOVING COUNTRY AND SUPPRESS IT’S PATRIOT CITIZENS and reconfigure it into a DemoRAT INFESTED LEFTIST annexation of Communist China!
Phew. You know, I feel better. These DEMORAT SCUMBAGS should be made to pay the price for their dishonor and the nightmare they have intentionally unleashed upon LEGAL AMERICAN CITIZENS. Look at their major cities for only a taste of what they want to bring to our entire country. Their Leftist ideals are complete failures yet the innocent American Citizen ends up paying for this betrayal.
(Local example of Democrat betrayal? The Lake Don Pedro Community Services District and its SURFACE WATER TREATMENT PLANT were both slowly reconfigured into a subsidized special benefit groundwater substitution facility for LAFCO Annexed property owners looking for increased real estate profits in violation of LAFCO established annexation regulations! And who has paid for this for over 40 years? The MR WECS (Merced River Water Entitled Customers) of the subdivision who were the designed and designated mandatory victim customers of a California Special District fraud which continues to violate law with impunity. Hummm, perfect Califusion example.
Quite frustrating trying to decipher this acronym which has been thrown about wildly in so many breaking news stories – but I believe it stands for LAKE-NAPA Unit (Apparently they dropped the Sonoma from the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit traditional designation.) I read many articles and viewed a bunch of videos trying to figure out LNU. SCU was easy, Santa Clara Unit. Regardless, …..
There’s no doubt parts of Califusion look like “hell on Earth” right now and our thoughts and prayers should focus on the multitude of victims and the emergency personnel and others, who are so valiantly attempting to save lives and property.
Just received a call from Leanne in Turlock – it is actually “snowing” ash! (Apparently from that SCU multi-fire “fallout” in the foothills to the west.)
The other night Liz was barking at something so I causally glanced at the area through an infrared camera figuring I’d see a cat, skunk, maybe rabbit but noticed something on the far horizon that I’ve seen before and recognized – the white monitor glow of heat from a fire. It’s strange, because when you look with your eyes – you see nothing, even with binoculars, but through an infrared camera the heat lights up in various shades of white. Below are some very poor quality images to illustrate this observation. (Oh yeah, failing to see anything with my own eyes I checked the CALFIRE INCIDENT log…..yup, the SCU Lightning Complex fire! (below)
BELOW: This is the incorrect map which was submitted to the State Water Board in June 1977 by interests attempting to expand the LDPCSD even further than what it had already been expanded beyond what the CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION would approve when transferring the water plant to the newly formed LDPCSD.
“Merced Irrigation District Place of Use Map –
(State Water Board Regulated)“
The shaded areas (above) indicate a “RESERVED FUTURE WATER” for numerous LAFCO (Local Agency Formation Commission) Annexations into the LDPCSD. These annexations even violated LAFCO’s own operating regulations such as 76-4 BELOW. How could there be adequate water when the only water source the LDPCSD possessed was the Merced River water stored in Lake McClure that clearly could not be provided outside the subdivision and golf course per water license 11395 legal restrictions?
Notice the name Richardson? NOPE, I have no family relation to that LAFCO “Richardson” but sure do appreciate his work! lol
BELOW is an explanatory map I prepared for the LDPCSD TIME LINE on this website. The quoted text was from the State Water Board Notice of Violation.
SO, AGAIN I ASK….. why is this incorrect map KAMPA USED (above) still on the LDPCSD website when the legitimate June 1978 PLACE OF USE MAP for Merced River water is easily available and recently upheld by the State Water Board? (BELOW)
Is our new GM/Treasurer only carrying on the same disinformation and special interest operations as Peter Kampa and his California Special Districts Association had for almost 5 years? Why? Who stands to make this “INSTITUTIONAL FRAUD” MONEY? What else is being concealed regarding these incorrect maps? Grants, loans, promises, potential prison time? Something else is going on here folks and you can bet money, marbles or chalk it will COST ALL MR WECs even MORE!
ALSO: THE MARIPOSA COUNTY LAFCO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR ADVISED ME DURING MY RESEARCH OF THIS ANNEXATION BUSINESS THAT LAFCO
DID NOT PRODUCE THE BELOW MAP AS THE LDPCSD WEBSITE STILL STATES IT HAD!
THE LDPCSD WEBSITE STATES:
“The map above was produced by the Mariposa County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) and shows the boundaries of the LDPCSD and Sphere of Influence.”
WRONG AGAIN!
WHY ARE CUSTOMERS STILL BEING LIED TO BY THEIR OWN CSD WHILE IT ACTIVELY SPENDS TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN AN ANOTHER ATTEMPT TO ONCE AGAIN SUBSTANTIALLY RAISE OUR RATES? Certainly not for our benefit!
WILL SUCH DECEIT AND FRAUD EVER END IN LAKE DON PEDRO?
Does anyone else object to being repeatedly lied to and deceived by your own local public agency of which you are a mandatory customer?
Well, I’ve got some other things to do….later
My best to you and yours, Lew
PS: And to think, KAMPA and OUR LDPCSD could receive a Government Transparency Award! lol Shows you what those certificates are actually worth! Wonder if one ply or two? lol
Good morning Syndie. I am still interested in reading about the monthly activities of the LDPCSD Board of Directors so when the CD is available please advise and I will make arrangements for pickup and payment.
Yes, I am still interested in the operations of this local SPECIAL DISTRICT public agency despite GM McGowan’s refusal to respond to my multiple requests for that MERCED IRRIGATION DISRICT 1993 shape file map (illustrating the Place of Use for Merced River water per water license 11395 which former LDPCSD GM/Treasurer Peter Kampa used as the basis for his and his BOARD OF DIRECTORS multi-year departure from the legal management of this special district. Kampa repeatedly stated during recorded meetings, this MID shapefile map conclusively proved Merced River water could be served outside the POU boundaries established in June 1978 which were of course, the golf course and the Lake Don Pedro residential subdivision (formerly Sierra Highlands Water Company). Pete Kampa also refused years of requests for this extremely important piece of evidence.
Since this matter has apparently been closed by the State Water Board (after three other separate attempts at closure based on patently FALSE INFORMATION ALSO PROVIDED BY PETER KAMPA) what is the purpose of continuing to withhold this information?
Over ten years of my life have been spent trying to understand this district’s outrageous and contradictory water service activities – four of them while on the board as an oath sworn director during which time I was provided incorrect information upon which I based my decisions.
District difficulties/dysfunction seem to have been particularly troublesome during Kampa’s two tours of employment: 1994-1997, and 2014-2019 and this shape file map lies at the center of district deceptions and customer betrayals. I will continue my requests to secure this public information that has been used against customers since 1993, then again in 2014 when Kampa was summoned back to the LDPCSD to finish what he started back in the 1990s. Kampa was only returned to develop and provide an alternate source (groundwater developed with government grants intended for drought relief not increased service connections outside the POU) which he and his cohorts required for development of various LAFCO annexed properties into the LDPCSD that were set up 20 years earlier without board direction or approval. Imagine, a proposed 900 acre residential subdivision across the street from the LDPCSD which was concealed from the public for 20 years…..yet only months before Kampa’s unethical return in 2014 Mariposa County LAFCO quietly (semi-closed meeting) changed the water service boundary maps and stated those properties were legally annexed back in 1995 when Kampa began his infamous water career here in California? No municipal service reviews or plans, no open public meetings for discission, just a quick boundary change to include Kampa’s 1994 slumbering subdivision deal on the shores of Lake McClure.
Dear General Manager/Treasurer Patrick McGOWAN, Will the outside MIDPOU report ever be returned to the agenda packet?
Following Peter Kampa’s second return to the LDPCSD in October 2014, this report was removed and replaced periodically many times but ultimately permanently removed from the agenda. This is a peculiar decision for you to maintain if the district is sincere about regaining and building customer trust (presumably for the support required for the successful passage of another PROPOSITION 218 needed to once again substantially raise our WATER RATES AND FEES).
Since this MIDPOU report was the ONLY OFFICIAL DOCUMENT which permitted customers to easily view and understand exactly where and how much Merced River water was being delivered OUTSIDE THE LEGALLY APPROVED PLACE OF USE BOUNDARY (the Lake Don Pedro residential subdivision and golf course HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE LEGAL BOUNDARY) and determined exactly HOW MUCH GROUNDWATER SUBSTITUTION would be required to remain compliant with the water license restrictions (how much of an equal or greater amount of groundwater to replace the Merced River water illegally delivered outside the POU) this report is essential for an accurate accounting and understanding of this SUBSIDIZED SPECIAL BENEFIT WATER SERVICE FOR LAFCO ANNEXATIONS PETE KAMPA setup without board permission back in the mid 1990s for which “normal legal customers” have been paying for since 1993 when the first groundwater well was required and developed as a legal remedy for the initial water service delivery violations outside the subdivision which have only continued through the years. (Kampa actually proposed this ridiculous cycle in a drought prone foothill area …. annex more land into the district, construct another ½ million dollar groundwater well, annex more land – develop more groundwater wells. Absolute insanity driven by decades of greed and deception.)
I do not understand why the MID shape file map and the MIDPOU compliance reporting are still being withheld from the 99% of legal customers (MR WECs – Merced River Water Entitled Customers) who must pay these increasingly expensive bills as mandatory customers of the LDPCSD. Personally I could never support another rate and fee increase until assured these illegal activities have indeed been terminated once and for all and not just more deviously concealed from the bill paying public as has been the case for the last 20 years with great assistance from other cooperating county/state departments and entities such as the Tuolumne and Mariposa County Planning Departments, their Local Agency Formation Commissions, and other Kampa agent operatives implanted within State water agencies such as the State Water Board Division of Water Rights and Department of Water Resources.
How can the District assure customers it is now being honest about where Merced River water will be delivered in the future and thus deserving of another substantial PROPOSITION 218 rate and fee increase? (The money from the first PROP 218 was used by Kampa and his Board of Directors to fund his 2014 LAFCO ANNEXATION expansion plans.)
Quite simple: Honestly respond to legitimate questions and requests for public information while re-establishing the Outside Merced Irrigation District Place of Use report in the agenda so customers can see for themselves where their expensive EMERGENCY DROUGHT GROUNDWATER is actually going and for what other purposes than intended residential domestic use. (ie, And not more commercial cattle ranches OUTSIDE the MIDPOU owned, developed and operated by sitting LDPCSD Board Directors!)