The system will tell you that you cannot do this. You may be told that you cannot, or should not. If you do it, and others find out; they will try to take it from you. But it isn't gold. It's better than gold. It's freedom.
Saturday, February 21, 2026
What the hay?
Here's a repost from the main blog.
I'd forgotten about it until I watched several videos today.
Here's that video that reminded me of a series of posts written over a decade ago.
The point is that people took what was a nuisance and turned it into a resource.
Perhaps a lesson can be learned from it, eh?
The original post follows:
This truck, which was hauling hay, gave me an idea for a post. It made me wonder if raising hay for biochar and methanol would be worth it.
The process would be as follows: after collecting the hay, pyrolyze it into syngas and biochar. Using the syngas, synthesize methanol. Ship the methanol to the final end purchasing site where it is reformed into hydrogen for fuel cells.
The biochar would be used for improving soils and could also serve as a carbon sink. Since the entire process doesn't use fossil fuels, it is actually carbon negative. Some of the carbon goes into the soil, the rest is recycled back into the atmosphere where it can be harvested again some day.
You would obtain the necessary platinum from mining asteroids. If the price of platinum can be brought down low enough, the final end result could be a cleaner source of energy at a reduced cost. How could you lose?
 |
| How much fuel could you get out of this much hay? |
Update:
Only three posts in this series, but I wrote extensively on the subject of using seaweed in the Dead Zone of Gulf of Mexico to clean it up and make biofuel out of it.
Part 2
Part 3
Many of the posts for this could be found in the category labels that are at the end of this post or others in the first two parts may give leads to finding more reading.
Friday, February 20, 2026
What can you get from watching this video?
Do you get a headache? Do you get bored? Or do you become fascinated???
To me, this is fascinating.
In what way?
Something that he said reminded me of a concept in physics called "interference"... In physics, waves can interfere with each other, thus canceling each other out. Now if I am right, his demonstration of his toothless gears is also demonstrating that basic concept in physics.
Wave interference is the physics concept that was used in a theory about why cold fusion works. Hence, in a Bose-Einstein condensate, the wave interference results not in gamma rays, but in infra-red waves. In other words, heat.
The next problem with that theory is with temperature. A Bose-Einstein condensate occurs a near absolute zero. How could that be possible at temperatures near room temperature?
There was an explanation for that too. Don't recall it right now, though. It would take some further research.
All of this is fascinating because of what is possible, but it gets overlooked because it doesn't fit preconceived attitudes. In other words, "there is no one more blind, than one who refuses to see".
Fascinating, yes? No?
What do you think? Or would you rather not think, and just check your brain in at the door?
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Thorium molten salt reactor
Real product, real solution, right now.
The inventors of this do not want to sell the reactors. They want to see the heat energy they get from it.
The vision there is to make chemicals with it. Like ammonia.
The way ammonia is made now requires so-called fossil fuels.
Didn't I once write about nuclear ammonia?
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Making activated carbon
2/18/26:
This is a great blog. It really is. It is very un-appreciated, I can tell you that.
If I put all these ideas, and condensed them into a a single plan, then that would really be something.
But would people actually do any of that?
It doesn't matter. I could make money, but it wouldn't work because people wouldn't do any of it.
People want their free lunches.
That's the problem.
Life has gotten so easy that these people think that that's the only way for everything to be, and when it isn't, they get upset.
If it's worthwhile, it probably isn't going to be easy.
People need to be motivated.
They're not. But evil never needs motivation. That's another problem.
3/27/19:
From charcoal.
This could be useful in water purification.
This is a great blog. It really is. It is very un-appreciated, I can tell you that.
If I put all these ideas, and condensed them into a a single plan, then that would really be something.
But would people actually do any of that?
It doesn't matter. I could make money, but it wouldn't work because people wouldn't do any of it.
People want their free lunches.
That's the problem.
Life has gotten so easy that these people think that that's the only way for everything to be, and when it isn't, they get upset.
If it's worthwhile, it probably isn't going to be easy.
People need to be motivated.
They're not. But evil never needs motivation. That's another problem.
3/27/19:
From charcoal.
This could be useful in water purification.
Tuesday, February 17, 2026
What about it-- How SpaceX will build their moonbase
Moon base Alpha, eh? Did SpaceX rip off this name, or is it an original name?
Small trencher for geothermal concept?
2/17/26:
To build a trench now would be well beyond me. Back in 2019, maybe I could've done it.
I'm afraid that ship has sailed. But I still like the idea.
8/13/19:
Comment:
This might be somewhat useful, but I am not so sure. It only goes down to 18".
To build a trench now would be well beyond me. Back in 2019, maybe I could've done it.
I'm afraid that ship has sailed. But I still like the idea.
8/13/19:
Comment:
This might be somewhat useful, but I am not so sure. It only goes down to 18".
Monday, February 16, 2026
Off-grid post, 4-9-22
2/16/26:
Things have changed. Not much work on this lately, nor is there likely to be. It's the new normal.
4/9/22:
There are a lot of orders that are coming in for this latest step in the solar panel project. While I am waiting on those, the part that holds it up to the sun has got to be built. So that is what I am doing now.
Evidently, the carpentry skills still have a lot to be desired. I think I know what it takes to get a structure to stand up in the wind around here. Let us hope so, anyway. The structure in place has stood up for several years. There have been cases when I built something that did not hold up for long.
Part of that is that I go pretty cheap. Only what gets me by. To do this in a better way would take more materials, more machinery, and so forth. All of that costs money. Another reason is that I am not that careful. It usually looks like a "Mr. Haney" job ( Green Acres character on sixties sitcom).
At least I am not selling my services to anybody. I don't think they'd be happy. Somebody might not be happy, anyway. Number One would say that it looks "low rent". Okay. I can accept that. I'm not building it to sell it. Everything he makes is made for profit. Not me.
One of these days, he may tell me to take it down because it is so ugly. So far he has put up with it. He is very patient in that way. lol.
One thing that would not be good is if this thing fell down in the wind. So I need to get at least that much right.
I'm hoping to get this much done before the panels arrive. But if not, it is no big deal. It was a long time before I got this one up. Two more is going to give three times the number of watt hours per day potential. Plenty enough to run my swamper. There may be enough to try cooking with my egg cooker. It only takes 300 watts to operate. Given my way, I might be able to cook a lot of things with this little gizmo.
I really do "small-ball" everything. It is like the 1979-80 Houston Astros Baseball team. They won with "small ball". That team probably holds the record for the fewest home runs for a team in Major League history. Small ball is okay, you can win with that. I hope to. I like winning. I hate losing. It may seem otherwise, but I don't like to lose.
Things have changed. Not much work on this lately, nor is there likely to be. It's the new normal.
4/9/22:
There are a lot of orders that are coming in for this latest step in the solar panel project. While I am waiting on those, the part that holds it up to the sun has got to be built. So that is what I am doing now.
Evidently, the carpentry skills still have a lot to be desired. I think I know what it takes to get a structure to stand up in the wind around here. Let us hope so, anyway. The structure in place has stood up for several years. There have been cases when I built something that did not hold up for long.
Part of that is that I go pretty cheap. Only what gets me by. To do this in a better way would take more materials, more machinery, and so forth. All of that costs money. Another reason is that I am not that careful. It usually looks like a "Mr. Haney" job ( Green Acres character on sixties sitcom).
At least I am not selling my services to anybody. I don't think they'd be happy. Somebody might not be happy, anyway. Number One would say that it looks "low rent". Okay. I can accept that. I'm not building it to sell it. Everything he makes is made for profit. Not me.
One of these days, he may tell me to take it down because it is so ugly. So far he has put up with it. He is very patient in that way. lol.
One thing that would not be good is if this thing fell down in the wind. So I need to get at least that much right.
I'm hoping to get this much done before the panels arrive. But if not, it is no big deal. It was a long time before I got this one up. Two more is going to give three times the number of watt hours per day potential. Plenty enough to run my swamper. There may be enough to try cooking with my egg cooker. It only takes 300 watts to operate. Given my way, I might be able to cook a lot of things with this little gizmo.
I really do "small-ball" everything. It is like the 1979-80 Houston Astros Baseball team. They won with "small ball". That team probably holds the record for the fewest home runs for a team in Major League history. Small ball is okay, you can win with that. I hope to. I like winning. I hate losing. It may seem otherwise, but I don't like to lose.
Brother can you spare a "dime"?
2/16/26:
Looks like this was a bit of a waste of time. It can make still shots, and silent videos. That's it. It wasn't that I did anything wrong. It was that I let myself be misled into believing that it could do what was said that it could do. Not that talking videos cannot be made, but they won't do it for FREE. That was how I let myself be misled. Note how I wrote that: I ALLOWED myself to be deceived. It turns out that a liar needs help when he/she is lying. The liar has to be BELIEVED in order for the lie to work.
Accountability is taking charge or responsibility for your own mistakes. This appears to have been a mistake. My bad. I can use this up to a point. But they aren't gonna trick me into spending money on them. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on ME.
People who complain about lack of accountability should first start with THEMSELVES. I didn't invent that. But I'll try to live up to it.
2/8/26:
EaseMate wants money for their services. So don't we all. Anyway, I'm not asking for money, but if you get hooked, you may spend some with them. I may end up buying a few credits eventually, but I thought I'd try this. What the heck? Can't get if you don't ask.
Looks like this was a bit of a waste of time. It can make still shots, and silent videos. That's it. It wasn't that I did anything wrong. It was that I let myself be misled into believing that it could do what was said that it could do. Not that talking videos cannot be made, but they won't do it for FREE. That was how I let myself be misled. Note how I wrote that: I ALLOWED myself to be deceived. It turns out that a liar needs help when he/she is lying. The liar has to be BELIEVED in order for the lie to work.
Accountability is taking charge or responsibility for your own mistakes. This appears to have been a mistake. My bad. I can use this up to a point. But they aren't gonna trick me into spending money on them. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on ME.
People who complain about lack of accountability should first start with THEMSELVES. I didn't invent that. But I'll try to live up to it.
2/8/26:
Hi everyone! I've just discovered EaseMate AI, an all-in-one AI assistant that's a game changer with its ability to generate videos and images from text prompts. It's incredibly cost-effective and offers top-notch quality and creativity at a fraction of the price! Sign up using my referral link below and get 10 free credits to start your creative journey!
Help me save a buck or two. Go here and sign up for 10 free credits. (I get 10 too if you do).
EaseMate wants money for their services. So don't we all. Anyway, I'm not asking for money, but if you get hooked, you may spend some with them. I may end up buying a few credits eventually, but I thought I'd try this. What the heck? Can't get if you don't ask.
Sunday, February 15, 2026
Simple Rocket Stove Concept
2/15/26:
Updated!
4/6/19:
Ed makes stuff
Cool! Hot, or whatever!
Here's another rocket stove concept. An idea flashed into my cranium, with the thought of using insulation. The guy who made a concrete rocket stove used some mixed inside of his concrete. What about using something that would trap more heat inside, so the flame would be hotter?
This one seems to perform well enough to boil water. Perhaps it is better to leave well enough alone. ( I am having brain flatulence these days. Would AOC want to regulate that? )
Updated!
4/6/19:
Ed makes stuff
Cool! Hot, or whatever!
Here's another rocket stove concept. An idea flashed into my cranium, with the thought of using insulation. The guy who made a concrete rocket stove used some mixed inside of his concrete. What about using something that would trap more heat inside, so the flame would be hotter?
This one seems to perform well enough to boil water. Perhaps it is better to leave well enough alone. ( I am having brain flatulence these days. Would AOC want to regulate that? )
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Scientist says we'll never get humans to Mars
It certainly seems to be a challenge. Don't count Elon Musk out, though...
off grid post, 8.9.19
2/12/26:
Ah, caramba! I wiped out me own video. This one probably cannot be recovered, unless I stored it somewhere. I think not, so it's gone. I remember the idea, though.
The trouble is that there's no way to make videos anymore, unless I learn how to use some new software that does such. An old computer that I was using at the time had a means of making videos. Once I replaced it, the capability went with it. The new Windows computer didn't have the program available. Maybe there was another, but it was different software. There's a learning curve with everything new, and I probably didn't want to spend the time learning how to use it.
It doesn't matter anyway. My mobility is too impaired to do very much, so it likely will not get built.
8/9/19:
Here's a video that may be useful in marketing the northern half of the "ranch".
It isn't the greatest quality. Basically, it is a recycling of old videos and splicing them together in order to make something that might be watchable.
If it isn't, it is due to lack of practice at this. As with everything, practice makes perfect. Or less imperfect.
Video removed by author, sorry...
Ah, caramba! I wiped out me own video. This one probably cannot be recovered, unless I stored it somewhere. I think not, so it's gone. I remember the idea, though.
The trouble is that there's no way to make videos anymore, unless I learn how to use some new software that does such. An old computer that I was using at the time had a means of making videos. Once I replaced it, the capability went with it. The new Windows computer didn't have the program available. Maybe there was another, but it was different software. There's a learning curve with everything new, and I probably didn't want to spend the time learning how to use it.
It doesn't matter anyway. My mobility is too impaired to do very much, so it likely will not get built.
8/9/19:
Here's a video that may be useful in marketing the northern half of the "ranch".
It isn't the greatest quality. Basically, it is a recycling of old videos and splicing them together in order to make something that might be watchable.
If it isn't, it is due to lack of practice at this. As with everything, practice makes perfect. Or less imperfect.
Video removed by author, sorry...
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Haber process
2/10/26:
Another 'hole' patched. Thanks for clicking...
4/19/19:
The Haber process is explained. The Haber process makes ammonia.
A question that I have is this: can a mixture of gases from woodgas, which is produced by the dry distillation of wood, be used to make ammonia? If it can, can a device be constructed to make this ammonia, and would it be simple enough for an ordinary person to set it up?
Evidently, an ordinary person can set up a woodgas collector. The second part is whether or not an ordinary person can make an ammonia making device using the Haber process.
The process requires a lot of pressure, so it may not be that simple.
Now, the reason I ask is this: can you use this process to make ammonia for use in a fuel cell device?
Lots of questions there.
Assorted Space Colonization videos
2/10/26:
Had to plug another "hole" in my post. Once again, thanks for clicking on it, so as to draw my attention. (even if that wasn't your intention.)
8/19/11:
Here I have collected some videos obtained partly through my YouTube subscription to "fragomatik". The others came from skimming the extra links provided therefrom.
Island One - Settlements in Space (video) by thregar
Habitat (video)by fragomatik
Habitat Fly-thru by fragomatik
Arthur C. Clarke's Rama (video)by cobrabase
Eric Bruneton
Had to plug another "hole" in my post. Once again, thanks for clicking on it, so as to draw my attention. (even if that wasn't your intention.)
8/19/11:
Here I have collected some videos obtained partly through my YouTube subscription to "fragomatik". The others came from skimming the extra links provided therefrom.
Island One - Settlements in Space (video) by thregar
Habitat (video)by fragomatik
Habitat Fly-thru by fragomatik
Arthur C. Clarke's Rama (video)
Monday, February 9, 2026
Texas Reintroduced 5,000 Bison Into Desert Plain.. What Happened Next Was Insane
The buffalo do the unexpected to the soil. This gives me an idea. Most of the problem on my property out west is the dry conditions. There are two possibilities that I've seen. 1) beavers and 2) buffalo. You might think both ideas are nuts. But it has been tried in some places, and it seems to work. Amazing, eh?
Sounds like Science Fiction?
This post might fit better on the main blog, but there's a lot of uncertainty here.
Another reason to post this on this blog is that it goes well with Anastasia in Tech videos.
In theory, all of this could work. What could go wrong? All of those questions are answered in this video.
That makes the next flight of Starship a big deal. Another big explosion could throw it all into doubt.
Sunday, February 8, 2026
Construction ideas
2/8/26:
There seems to be some interest in this post... I watched the video again, and yes, it is indeed interesting.
In particular, the ideas that make the structure weigh a lot less; are of particular interest to me. The reason is that the more stuff you have to haul around, the bigger the machinery that you have to bring along in order to do the construction work. Out there in the desert, where facilities are not yet available; this could be a real help.
That's true especially for me right now. I cannot move around like I used to.
There seems to be some interest in this post... I watched the video again, and yes, it is indeed interesting.
In particular, the ideas that make the structure weigh a lot less; are of particular interest to me. The reason is that the more stuff you have to haul around, the bigger the machinery that you have to bring along in order to do the construction work. Out there in the desert, where facilities are not yet available; this could be a real help.
That's true especially for me right now. I cannot move around like I used to.
5/3/25:
Friday, February 6, 2026
Space Station idea discussed
2/6/26:
Another video no longer operative, so this one is substituted in its stead. A note about this original post: I recall that John Hunter said that a gas gun could put something from the moon into lunar orbit, and the gas could be at room temperature. So, if memory serves, that is definitely something to think about right there.
2/16/13:
Using a Hunter Gas gun to deploy a space station from the moon.
Another crosspost : It is darkest just before getting even darker
Today wasn't supposed to be a blogging day, per se. But it has turned out that way. Reminds me of the Lenny Kravitz song that I remember hearing on the radio on the way back home from "da Ranch". I gotta get away.
Is it about to go pitch black, like Chairman Mao once said?
Or things about to get much better?
We all live on the edge of destruction. All the time. There was no time when this wasn't true. Think about it.
It is a discouraging thought. For one thing, getting a large enough supply of platinum so as to lower prices won't be easy. It won't happen soon, and it may not ever happen at all. In addition, the progress of finding other catalysts to replace costly platinum does not appear to be very fast. Finally, there appears to be significant skepticism in some quarters that this will ever work at all.
That leaves batteries. I haven't heard much news on that subject for the last several years. At one time, I was a bit more optimistic about batteries. Not so much now. It's taking too long.
With electrical cars not in the cards soon, we are left with internal combustion engines. That's unsettling because of the hostility that the environmentalists have for fossil fuels. Biofuels may be possible, but it will need an assist from electricity. It is probably going to be hard to make all of that drop-in capacity from biofuels. Biofuels can only serve to make fossil fuels go further. It can't be a substitute.
It is encouraging that a lot of fossil fuel supplies are said to be coming to market in the next few years, but that is going to meet with some strong political opposition.
Politics is a problem, not a solution. The left's solutions are not going to be pleasant. The left just got mostly a green light to continue its hostility to the one option that will work.
I'm getting a bad feeling about this. The outcome of the election was not encouraging. Innovations are not progressing as fast as needed. Political trends are moving in the wrong direction. Not looking good.
A bright spot? There's still the possibility of getting that platinum from space. But it won't get much help from Uncle Sam.
Houston, we have a problem.
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Cross-posted: "Sun-Free Photovoltaics: Materials Engineered to Give Off Precisely Tuned Wavelengths of Light When Heated"
A short research on the post indicates no new news. Perhaps a more in-depth search could reveal more. As of now, there's nothing new to report.
Thermoelectrics can do this too. Perhaps it could be considered as a type of thermoelectric generator. This is the method by which the Curiosity rover is powered. The difference is the heat source. This device uses hydrocarbon fuel source, but the Curiosity rover uses decaying plutonium--yep radioactivity...
The type of heat is considered "waste heat". It may come in handy for small power jobs. You cannot power something big with waste heat, I would think. But for cars, you might power a radio, or some of the instruments and sensors.
ScienceDaily (July 31, 2011)
- MIT researchers have made a button-sized power generator fueled by butane that can run three times longer than a lithium-ion battery of the same weight; the device can then be recharged instantly, just by snapping in a tiny cartridge of fresh fuel.
- It has long been known that photovoltaic (PV) cells needn't always run on sunlight.
- thermal emitter that radiates only the wavelengths that the PV diode can absorb and convert into electricity, while suppressing other wavelengths
- Celanovic is confident that with further work his team can triple the current energy density. "At that point, our TPV generator could power your smartphone for a whole week without being recharged," he says.
One may wonder if such a system can be scaled up, so that it can be made into a battery which could power an automobile.
LPP Fusion investors' meeting on YouTube
LPP Fusion just concluded a funding drive, which met its goals of $500k. While other companies of this type spend more money,
these guys are making do on a lot less.
Think the Wright Brothers here. They are like the Wright Brothers, who didn't need super quantities of money in order to do science, but they did need some.
But the Focus Fusion boys will need lots of dough to build their machines for commercialization, provided that their experiments succeed in
getting more juice out than what's going in.
LPP Fusion keeps their investors up to date on what's going on. Since I own (1) one share, I get monthly updates. You will see the reports on the coding blog.
No special reason for that. Maybe to get people to go there.
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Cross posted from the main blog: "A million things to worry about"
Update, 2/4/26:
Here's another cross post about the off-grid project on the main blog. It was clicked on, so I will respond to that here on this
blog, because this blog has the off-grid topics now.
Enough of the blog-splaining for this post.
The off-grid project is on hold. Nothing can be done about it because there's no money. I won't borrow the money, which I could do. There needs to be an income in order to fund the project. Plus I don't have the skill-set to do the things I want to do. I did spend a lot of time upgrading my skill-sets so that I could, but there's just not enough time for all that.
The harsh truth here is that I may never get back to that. My health is not good enough to do much labor anymore. About all I could do is to supervise the work that others would do. Or, I could run some mechanical gizmos, like construction equipment. Stuff like bobcats and such.
All of that takes lots of $$$$$$$, which I don't have. No money, no time, no progress. There's a forlorn hope that the coding efforts could eventually bring in some money.
There was a saying in the space business---No bucks, no Buck Rogers. This off-grid project ain't Buck Rogers, but the general idea is similar.
Anyway, it will have to stay on hold indefinitely.
4/5/15:
The original post on the main blog:
But you can't do a damn thing about any of it.
All you can do is just do the best you can. The rest of it's out of your hands. That's how I look at this. I sit here thinking about how many things can go wrong, and there's a guarantee that something will. Maybe a lot of things because a lot of things have already gone wrong.
Well, I've prepped all that I can. Unless I want to stay here all month prepping for a trip I never take, I'd better get going.
Until I come back, the blog will be dark. Perhaps I'll write something out there if things really stink it up.
I will attempt to do some reviews with my Kindle out there, but something tells me I may not have the time.
We'll just have to see how it goes.
Until then, signing off.
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Cross posted from the main blog: Off grid post, 1-3-23
2/3/26:
This one is a off-grid post, so why is it over there?
I can be disorganized at times.
Anyway, off-grid posts should go in this blog, now. Hence, the cross-post.
Now that the "splaining" is done, what the heck did I want to write?
Oh yeah. You know I did melt that expended candle wax, and made new candles. But it really wasn't all that fun, after all. Pretty sure I didn't do that again.
After thinking about it, maybe a better solution would've have been to make long skinny candles instead of the fat ones. The fat ones melt down too fast. The shorter the wick, the shorter the burn time. Or so the theory goes. Never did it again.
You know that burning those candles in tight places might generate enough warmth to feel it in a cold day. But there's not that much energy in just a small thing like a candle. This can be experimented with, for better results. I figure you could put the candle under a pot, and see how long it takes to make the water hot. Then set up a heat exchanger, like I did with ice in a big ice chest one summer. It was in 2017, if memory serves. I didn't like all the work back then, and bought a window unit to keep cool.
The original post :
Today was kinda satisfying because I did something that pleased me to do. It wasn't that long ago that it got really cold. Prior to this, and when it was in the forecast, I noted something I wanted to try. It was candles for heating in an emergency.
Lots of people lost their power during that cold snap a couple years back. If power is lost in cold weather, without anything to back up, that could be a problem. This seemed to be the most elementary of solutions, and not that expensive nor complicated. Too good to be true, though.
The result was pretty disappointing, as I should have expected as much. A candle doesn't produce much heat. It might work okay in small places, but the living area here was too big for something that small to produce enough heat to do the job that might be needed. You can call that a failure, but that's okay.
It does seem like a pretty neat idea though, because it looks like you can recycle the wax and make new candles out of the old. The only new thing you need is a wick. So I got some wicks, and today, I melted down the candles and made some new ones. A little thing, but very satisfying.
Maybe the simple pleasures are the best.
Beats the hell out of a few things that I could mention, but won't.
Monday, February 2, 2026
Learning to code is easier said than done
2/2/26:
An eventful month on the new blog. It is going well now. It's getting more and more capable as I add features to it. Rather than doing that here, go to the blog itself.
So why come back here? To that question, the answer "why not?". There can be a hierarchy of updates for that blog. This could be the one that is most infrequently made. After that, are inline updates on the top entry in the blog ( as of the moment, it is the top entry). I use my scrolling box feature to just update to that box, you see. For more frequent updates still, go to the calendar entry for that day. But a less frequent feature just now added is to use a pdf file for updates. Those pdf files will offer more details than what can be put on a calendar entry. On top of it all, you can see a history of updates. That hasn't been all ironed out yet, as I just thought of another thing I'd like to add. Details at the blogger's blog.
1/4/26:
The database has over 20 entries now. This post is very long. This will be the last update to it, I hope.
12/26/25:
Now I am writing python code to query a database that I am creating. So far, it may have only 4 entries in it. But over time, the database can grow into a long list of entries.
So there's time to get the python code to work properly. As a matter of fact, it is already working. Not completely properly, but it is in a working order of a somewhat acceptable way. It does return a "false" positive sometimes. But that can be fixed.
To include all the videos that have ever been embedded would be a massive undertaking. There must be hundreds of them. It might be best to let the list grow from this date, and maybe throw in a few on other searches, as they are made in the future. Anyway, that is the update for today.
12/24/25:
Instead of php and javascript, I re-wrote it into python. It's done offline, and has to be uploaded to the space, but it appears to work. It's not being shown because the file is for January.
So now, I can truthfully say that the data manipulation is done entirely by my code. Nobody else's editor is involved. But it isn't what I think it should be, all the same.
12/21/25:
Groan! When I went to work on it again this morn, the system seems to have blown up my space. So I saved my files, and reset the space. Nothing is working right now.
Maybe I'm back to square one. Seemed to be so close yesterday. But another snag, and then Kaputski. I went on a search for some answers, and I was going to try something new this morning. Fat chance, as mentioned above.
It looks like W3Schools is not an easy enviornment to do some simple real world computer coding. The project I'm working on is not at all hard, in fact, it is trivial. Yet on W3Schools, it is like pulling teeth in order to do the simplest things. It was like that with these other AI assisted learning environments.
So now I've tried 3 of these-- Boot.dev, Scrimba, and now W3Schools. None of them seem to do what I'd like to do. Sure, you can learn a bit with these systems, but it isn't likely to stay with you if you cannot do anything but read tutorials, and try extraodinarily simple exercises. For example, I finished the Python course on Boot.dev, but when I refreshed my knowledge on W3Schools, it was like starting over.
Two hackneyed expressions sum it up: 1) You learn by doing, and 2) Use it or lose it. Consequently, without any way to practice your coding skills on useful projects, this W3Schools spaces environment I'm using, is not likely to be very useful.
Consider this last update a type of review. I'm reviewing these 3 websites for learning how to code, and I have to consider them all a big fat failure. I don't think an employer can expect to hire people on the basis of getting cerficates from these places. They'll get some newbies who may know a little, but they won't know much. I cannot believe a certificate at one of these places will do much good--but I could be wrong.
In sum, about all you can accomplish is getting a certificate that says you know something. It may be true when you finish taking the exams, but the shelf life will render all that work meaningless within a short time.
Oh well. It may be time to move on from this. But I hate to concede defeat. But it's just not working out. Quick update: I took down the link from the main page to the W3Schools page I created. Seems little point now to keep it.
12/20/25:
This was one of those days in which past progress looks like a mirage. You think you see a successful ending, and BOOM! The thing rises up out of nowhere, or so it seems; and knocks you back down.
Now there's doubt again. It's getting frustrating. Maybe I can tee it up again tomorrow, but it is getting rather tiresome.
12/19/25: [updated @ 7:45 PM]
'Twas a productive day. Not too much further to go, and it will be a done deal. Then what? I guess I will worry about that later.
[posted @ 8:19 AM]
If you ever get into the middle of something, and realize the whole thing may need to be re-worked, do you do it? Or keep on the same path, since you've put so much effort into it?
That's the question before me now. There's a fix to the work I've got already, but it may as well be all re-written. Anyway, this has all been a learning experience. A few things could have been explained better, so that I wouldn't under-estimate the task I set myself to. There's a whole lot more to this than meets the eye.
Indeed! Which is one of the dark sides of the world wide web. Too much of it is hidden from view. A lot of bad stuff can go on behind the scenes. Know what I mean, Vern?
12/18/25:
Some minor successes to report. From here on out, it will be a hard slog to get to the finish line. But it looks like I just might make it.
12/16/25:
It may be hard to tell, but there's still progress being made. Once I hit an insurmountable wall, I'll throw in the towel. Not to that point yet. I've throw more shit on the wall than can be imagined, and nothing sticks. But there's some hopeful signs that can keep me going.
There may be a way to crack this code, and if there is, I will find it. Hopefully, that's true.
12/15/25:
Just to confirm that the file is public again. It may remain so, although it cannot be guaranteed to be permanent.
Work has moved to another space within the w3 environment. In that space, it may be possible to finish the program. It should be noted that there's a thing called a "front-end", and a "back-end". When I decided that I wanted to input data to be used to update the website, I unknowingly blundered into the "back-end" side of the game. The front-end and the back-end are two different thangs.
So I cannot work on this thang, so I'll go to work on the other thang. I hope that is clear. Frankly, it gives me a headache.
12/14/25:
Looks like I will have to concede a (hopefully temporary) defeat in my intentions for my personal calendar project. Consequently, the calendar will be public for now, while I continue to puzzle it all out. It may never be achievable for reasons I won't go into for right now, but I definitely have an opinion as to why this isn't possible right now.
12/11/25:
At the end of this project, what once seemed difficult may look trivial in retrospect. But that is all the part of the growth process. In this process, I will become more proficient at the craft.
If there's anybody curious about a Computer Science graduate struggling to write a baby program for the internet, please keep in mind that my education was back in the late 70's and early '80's. Personal computers were just a toy back then. There was no world wide web. There was no JavaScript or HTML. Nor any of the other things that you need to day in order to make web pages. There was no web. But I repeat myself. I've gotten old and decrepit too. Repeating myself may be attributed to a declining noodle, amongst other things. But there will be an endeavor to perservere.
More progress has been made. I will get there one of these days, but the pace seems rather slow... @ 6:44 AM
circa 5:45 PM:
It's getting closer all the time. I may put it back up with the new code, which will integrate the new calendar part. But it's like the "Gulf Freeway", always under construction. Except when it isn't.
So the way I will work it, for awhile at least, the page will become available again when there's no construction. That might be after 10 PM local time each day. This may not always hold, though. It's still too early to put back, I will announce the schedule for viewing the page, if anyone's interested.@ 5:44 PM
12/6/25:
Progress is being made... There are many ways to attack the problem as outlined in the webpage... There's one idea that is coming along, but how to demonstrate it on a web page? I can't really do that unless I want to make the thing available to anybody viewing the page.. Or password protect it. Otherwise, anybody could mess with my page... Anyway, a way to edit the calendar data, and then display it on a page could be sufficient.
The problem with it as it is, is that it is hardwired into the code. I have to change the code, not the data. To edit the data could be a private thing that anybody could do with a text editor, but I wanted an interactive page, not a text editor. Can't be done without introducing the risk mentioned in the above paragraph.
So what good is it? Well, the aforementioned text editor and the file layout is harder to read. This code simplifies the input and output of the webpage. Unfortunately, it cannot be done unless someone has their own private web page. Those can be had for a price. But I'm not selling those.
12/5/25:
I'm collecting practice pages as a hobby. Another one here.
11/9/25:
A glutton for punishment. Back to this again. I found another place that has a few features that will allow me to practice some skills. It doesn't cost anything either. (w3schools) Actually, I've tried this one before, but stopped for some reason. Maybe I didn't like it.
So it's back to where I began a few years ago. At this rate, it will take me 20 years to learn anything if I learn anything at all. Twenty years is never as far as I'm concerned. Good reason for it. I won't last that long.
10/29/25:
Now we're talking. After watching many videos, and experimenting, I finally got a button on the darned thing. It goes to a website of my choice. Also a text box as link that goes to a website. It isn't much, but it is something. I try to do a little something to the new site each day.
An eventful month on the new blog. It is going well now. It's getting more and more capable as I add features to it. Rather than doing that here, go to the blog itself.
So why come back here? To that question, the answer "why not?". There can be a hierarchy of updates for that blog. This could be the one that is most infrequently made. After that, are inline updates on the top entry in the blog ( as of the moment, it is the top entry). I use my scrolling box feature to just update to that box, you see. For more frequent updates still, go to the calendar entry for that day. But a less frequent feature just now added is to use a pdf file for updates. Those pdf files will offer more details than what can be put on a calendar entry. On top of it all, you can see a history of updates. That hasn't been all ironed out yet, as I just thought of another thing I'd like to add. Details at the blogger's blog.
1/4/26:
The database has over 20 entries now. This post is very long. This will be the last update to it, I hope.
12/26/25:
Now I am writing python code to query a database that I am creating. So far, it may have only 4 entries in it. But over time, the database can grow into a long list of entries.
So there's time to get the python code to work properly. As a matter of fact, it is already working. Not completely properly, but it is in a working order of a somewhat acceptable way. It does return a "false" positive sometimes. But that can be fixed.
To include all the videos that have ever been embedded would be a massive undertaking. There must be hundreds of them. It might be best to let the list grow from this date, and maybe throw in a few on other searches, as they are made in the future. Anyway, that is the update for today.
12/24/25:
Instead of php and javascript, I re-wrote it into python. It's done offline, and has to be uploaded to the space, but it appears to work. It's not being shown because the file is for January.
So now, I can truthfully say that the data manipulation is done entirely by my code. Nobody else's editor is involved. But it isn't what I think it should be, all the same.
12/21/25:
Groan! When I went to work on it again this morn, the system seems to have blown up my space. So I saved my files, and reset the space. Nothing is working right now.
Maybe I'm back to square one. Seemed to be so close yesterday. But another snag, and then Kaputski. I went on a search for some answers, and I was going to try something new this morning. Fat chance, as mentioned above.
It looks like W3Schools is not an easy enviornment to do some simple real world computer coding. The project I'm working on is not at all hard, in fact, it is trivial. Yet on W3Schools, it is like pulling teeth in order to do the simplest things. It was like that with these other AI assisted learning environments.
So now I've tried 3 of these-- Boot.dev, Scrimba, and now W3Schools. None of them seem to do what I'd like to do. Sure, you can learn a bit with these systems, but it isn't likely to stay with you if you cannot do anything but read tutorials, and try extraodinarily simple exercises. For example, I finished the Python course on Boot.dev, but when I refreshed my knowledge on W3Schools, it was like starting over.
Two hackneyed expressions sum it up: 1) You learn by doing, and 2) Use it or lose it. Consequently, without any way to practice your coding skills on useful projects, this W3Schools spaces environment I'm using, is not likely to be very useful.
Consider this last update a type of review. I'm reviewing these 3 websites for learning how to code, and I have to consider them all a big fat failure. I don't think an employer can expect to hire people on the basis of getting cerficates from these places. They'll get some newbies who may know a little, but they won't know much. I cannot believe a certificate at one of these places will do much good--but I could be wrong.
In sum, about all you can accomplish is getting a certificate that says you know something. It may be true when you finish taking the exams, but the shelf life will render all that work meaningless within a short time.
Oh well. It may be time to move on from this. But I hate to concede defeat. But it's just not working out. Quick update: I took down the link from the main page to the W3Schools page I created. Seems little point now to keep it.
12/20/25:
This was one of those days in which past progress looks like a mirage. You think you see a successful ending, and BOOM! The thing rises up out of nowhere, or so it seems; and knocks you back down.
Now there's doubt again. It's getting frustrating. Maybe I can tee it up again tomorrow, but it is getting rather tiresome.
12/19/25: [updated @ 7:45 PM]
'Twas a productive day. Not too much further to go, and it will be a done deal. Then what? I guess I will worry about that later.
[posted @ 8:19 AM]
If you ever get into the middle of something, and realize the whole thing may need to be re-worked, do you do it? Or keep on the same path, since you've put so much effort into it?
That's the question before me now. There's a fix to the work I've got already, but it may as well be all re-written. Anyway, this has all been a learning experience. A few things could have been explained better, so that I wouldn't under-estimate the task I set myself to. There's a whole lot more to this than meets the eye.
Indeed! Which is one of the dark sides of the world wide web. Too much of it is hidden from view. A lot of bad stuff can go on behind the scenes. Know what I mean, Vern?
12/18/25:
Some minor successes to report. From here on out, it will be a hard slog to get to the finish line. But it looks like I just might make it.
12/16/25:
It may be hard to tell, but there's still progress being made. Once I hit an insurmountable wall, I'll throw in the towel. Not to that point yet. I've throw more shit on the wall than can be imagined, and nothing sticks. But there's some hopeful signs that can keep me going.
There may be a way to crack this code, and if there is, I will find it. Hopefully, that's true.
12/15/25:
Just to confirm that the file is public again. It may remain so, although it cannot be guaranteed to be permanent.
Work has moved to another space within the w3 environment. In that space, it may be possible to finish the program. It should be noted that there's a thing called a "front-end", and a "back-end". When I decided that I wanted to input data to be used to update the website, I unknowingly blundered into the "back-end" side of the game. The front-end and the back-end are two different thangs.
So I cannot work on this thang, so I'll go to work on the other thang. I hope that is clear. Frankly, it gives me a headache.
12/14/25:
Looks like I will have to concede a (hopefully temporary) defeat in my intentions for my personal calendar project. Consequently, the calendar will be public for now, while I continue to puzzle it all out. It may never be achievable for reasons I won't go into for right now, but I definitely have an opinion as to why this isn't possible right now.
12/11/25:
At the end of this project, what once seemed difficult may look trivial in retrospect. But that is all the part of the growth process. In this process, I will become more proficient at the craft.
If there's anybody curious about a Computer Science graduate struggling to write a baby program for the internet, please keep in mind that my education was back in the late 70's and early '80's. Personal computers were just a toy back then. There was no world wide web. There was no JavaScript or HTML. Nor any of the other things that you need to day in order to make web pages. There was no web. But I repeat myself. I've gotten old and decrepit too. Repeating myself may be attributed to a declining noodle, amongst other things. But there will be an endeavor to perservere.
More progress has been made. I will get there one of these days, but the pace seems rather slow... @ 6:44 AM
circa 5:45 PM:
It's getting closer all the time. I may put it back up with the new code, which will integrate the new calendar part. But it's like the "Gulf Freeway", always under construction. Except when it isn't.
So the way I will work it, for awhile at least, the page will become available again when there's no construction. That might be after 10 PM local time each day. This may not always hold, though. It's still too early to put back, I will announce the schedule for viewing the page, if anyone's interested.@ 5:44 PM
12/6/25:
Progress is being made... There are many ways to attack the problem as outlined in the webpage... There's one idea that is coming along, but how to demonstrate it on a web page? I can't really do that unless I want to make the thing available to anybody viewing the page.. Or password protect it. Otherwise, anybody could mess with my page... Anyway, a way to edit the calendar data, and then display it on a page could be sufficient.
The problem with it as it is, is that it is hardwired into the code. I have to change the code, not the data. To edit the data could be a private thing that anybody could do with a text editor, but I wanted an interactive page, not a text editor. Can't be done without introducing the risk mentioned in the above paragraph.
So what good is it? Well, the aforementioned text editor and the file layout is harder to read. This code simplifies the input and output of the webpage. Unfortunately, it cannot be done unless someone has their own private web page. Those can be had for a price. But I'm not selling those.
12/5/25:
8:25 PM:
No javascript is necessary. Just a little html.
2:42 PM:
There's this idea that has popped up, and it involves embedding my own videos on my own site. That means, no more YouTube. Or Rumble. Is that possible? Well, before it is over, I will find out. Basically, the javascript just plays the video. You supply the video, and the javascript plays it. It may involve some other things, but that is the basic concept. If so, I just may embed a video into the spot that I've reserved on my page.See what this paragraph does in blogger..., looks like it doesn't do anything at all. hmmm, it works on a standalone page, but that cannot be proven here.
I messed with the font, and that may be getting blocked. The blogger platform has font directives available--shown in this paragraph. Maybe I have to content myself with those, and cannot add my own. Or there could be some other explanation.Update: Now all these a linked together. Starting from the canva page, I can get here, or to the one I designed from scratch and back again. Made a few changes to the canva page too.
11/11/25:
A glutton for punishment. Back to this again. I found another place that has a few features that will allow me to practice some skills. It doesn't cost anything either. (w3schools) Actually, I've tried this one before, but stopped for some reason. Maybe I didn't like it.
So it's back to where I began a few years ago. At this rate, it will take me 20 years to learn anything if I learn anything at all. Twenty years is never as far as I'm concerned. Good reason for it. I won't last that long.
10/29/25:
Now we're talking. After watching many videos, and experimenting, I finally got a button on the darned thing. It goes to a website of my choice. Also a text box as link that goes to a website. It isn't much, but it is something. I try to do a little something to the new site each day.
Trouble is in finding a place and a way to practice some skills. The online teaching may leave something to be desired also.
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