Saturday morning, January 1, Andrea and I had a light breakfast while we watched the Rose Parade on channel four.
We went to bed relatively early after watching Thin Man movies on TCM the night before, but the fireworks at midnight awakened us.
We went to visit Mom in the care home at 9:30 AM.
It rained hard off and on New Year's Day. Photo by Andrea.
Andrea put the 76 thrusters on the hexagonal modules. Photo by Andrea.
The year of the tiger lunar new year will begin February 1. Getting ready early.
In the afternoon we went down to Mary's house to photograph the stream by the Kalanianaole Highway bridge. Photo by Andrea.
Click the image to see the full resolution version.
Monday morning we went back to Ben Franklin for more black cardboard for the spaceship radiator panels. In the afternoon Andrea did macrame.
Andrea with the completed macrame.
Model Spaceship
I had been working, for the last week or so, on a scale model spaceship to help work out some ideas for my fourth book, a science fiction
novel set 150 years in the future, titled Brent and Edward Go to Mars. Scale: 1/16 inch = 1 meter.
The passenger module at the top is 20 meters in diameter. Capacity: 500 passengers plus human and robot crew. There are six arrays of six
superconducting rings, each 20 meters in diameter, to deflect cosmic rays, which are relativistic charged particles. The magnetic fields
cancel out so that the passenger module is in near zero magnetic field. Click the image to see the full resolution version.
There are four electric ion thruster modules, each with 19 thrusters in a hexagonal configuration. They are on booms so that control authority
about the system center of gravity may be obtained. The reaction mass is water and the spherical tank holds 270 thousand tons. Click the image
to see the full resolution version.
Four nuclear fusion tokamaks are in the black housing at the bottom. The four black radiator panels create a thermal differential for a high
efficiency heat engine using water as the working fluid for the steam turbines to generate electric power for the thrusters. Click the image
to see the full resolution version.
The main boom, made of carbon fiber and painted white, is 400 meters long and six meters in diameter. The passenger module has a glass dome over
the forward end, covering a dining area for the passengers and crew, providing a starlight view at all times. Click the image to see the full
resolution version.
My video showing the scale model of the spaceliner.
Tuesday afternoon I photographed the model against the black lauhala background.
Front view, thrusting toward the camera.
View of underside.
Rear view. Thrusting away.
Rear view, thrusting away.
Looking down on the model.
Another view of the thrusters. Each hexagonal module of 19 thrusters is steerable in two directions for control authority about three axes.
Andrea came home from having her nails done and photographed me photographing the space liner.
Metaphotography is photography about photography.
Holiday Dedecorating
Thursday morning, January 6, Andrea and I went to visit Mom and then went to Fisher Hawaii to get office supplies for the coming year.
Then we spent the day dedecorating from the holidays. I cut up the Christmas tree and put it in the green bin. Andrea did a macrame
to send to Malia.
On her morning walk Andrea got a nice photo of this rainbow. A rainbow is not a single thing, but appears slightly different to an infinite
number of viewpoints. Mathematically, a rainbow can be considered a "triple:" (sun, set of water drops, viewpoint) as function(s) of time.
The sun is a triple (3D location in space), each of a very large number of drops is a quadruple (3D location and diameter), and, of course,
a viewpoint is a triple too.
The finished product with an Andrea-made pot to go with it.
Visit with Paul and Faye in Waimanalo
Paul and Faye flew in on New Year's Eve and got a rental place near the beach in Waimanalo. Andrea and I went to visit on Friday afternoon,
January 7.
We walked wbout a hundred yards straight down to the beach for a swim.
Rabit Island, the Makapuu lighthouse, and Molokai were all visible from our beach location.
I swam a way out and then got out of the water first.
I took a walk on the beach and on the way back got this photo of Andrea, Faye, and Paul looking at the rainbow.
Andrea and I took a little walk together. Wailupe Valley is over the Koolau ridge.
Back at the house we took a walk in the garden. We then had a wonderful dinner on their lanai.
The lanai. Photo by Andrea.
Returned from our quest for propane to Hawaii Hardware in Kailua. Paul drove. Photo by Andrea.
Ready to eat.
Lots of good food and wine. Photo by Andrea.
I took this photo with Andrea's phone.
I had hung the spaceship model over my desk in the office so I took this photo Saturday morning. The chess game was a draw by repitition.
Rainbow Bonsai Club Meeting
The bonsai club held its first meeting of the year on Sunday, January 9, at 9:00 AM via Zoom.
The meeting was not well attended. Mel came in later but stayed a short time.
Scott had an image of a Japanese bonsai garden as his background.
I showed my bonsai haggerbush.
In the afternoon Andrea worked on the puzzle I gave her for Christmas.
Aina Haina Prepared Board Meeting
I attended the monthly AHP board meeting on Tuesday, January 11, at 7:00 AM via Zoom.
I won a chess game against my computer in the morning. Can you see why black had to resign? Give up? OK, after the king gets out of check
by moving to d8, white plays Qe8 Rxd8, and Nf7 is a smothered mate.
Screen capture from the AHP Zoom meeting.
Alan Gamble came across this 1988 image of Mits and Mom and sent it to me. I think I may have sent it to him years ago. Click the
image for the full resolution version.
Tuesday we put up Year of the Tiger lunar new year decorations and Wednesday morning I took this photo of the ones in the window.
Junk Removal
I arranged with a junk removal firm to come on Friday, January 14, to come and pick up three items we don't want around anymore.
Thursday: Old wheel chair that needs foot supports and has a brake problem.
An aluminum extension ladder that got damaged by the tree pruning crew. I will never lend a ladder to a work crew again.
The main event: a hide-a-bed couch.
I finished reading Being Ram Dass and Alan Gamble sent me this photo of Ram Dass, Rick Bernstein, and Mits. I assume it's on Oahu sometime
in the 80s or 90s.
After the couch was removed. Photo by Andrea.
After the middle bedroom bed was sent away. Photo by Andrea.
Watching the KITV five o'clock news. Photo by Andrea.
Dinner with Paul and Faye
Paul and Faye came over for a game of bocce and dinner on Saturday, January 14. We played boys against girls. Girls won 10 to 9.
After the game with some Italian prosecco.
A rising moon was spotted. Photo by Andrea.
Wine, water, and pupu. Photo by Andrea.
Baked wild salmon for dinner with garlic bread and salad. Photo by Andrea.
Cheers! Photo by Andrea.
Martin Luther King Day
MLK Day fell on Monday, January 17. Andrea and I dropped off non-perishable foods and feminine hygiene products at Honpa Hongwanji
Hawaii Betsuin Buddhist Temple and Pacific Buddhist Academy Campus, 1754 Lusitana Street, Honolulu, in support of the Hawaii Foodbank
and the Ma'i Movement.
There was a very nice group of volunteers and we received this lovely acknowledgment in return. Photo and text by Andrea.
Erosion and Flooding Prevention Presentation
Andrea and I asked the Executive Director of Malama Maunalua, Doug Harper, to do a Zoom presentation for Aina Haina Prepared on
Tuesday evening, January 18.
Earlier Andrea visited Aloha in Kahala and took this picture off their lanai of a mother fairy tern feeding her baby.
Screen capture of the Zoom session.
Wednesday afternoon Andrea visited Lenore and gave her a gold tiger.
My FIRST background check results came in. Clear as usual.
Bocce with Paul and Faye
Andrea and I had a return match, boys against girls, with Paul and Faye on Saturday afternoon, January 22.
Saturday morning Andrea visited Lenore in the care home in Kaimuki.
I made a spec sheet for my space liner for the science fiction novel, Brent and Edward go to Mars.
Saturday afternoon we had a Democratic Party practice precinct meeting Zoom session.
Walking to pick up the bocce balls.
Picking up the bocce balls. Boys won two games to one.
Paul showed Faye the photo he took of her and Andrea.
I put the six chicken thights on the barbecue at 5:30. Meanwhile, we had wine and pupu.
Region 1 Precinct Meeting
Andrea and I attended the Democratic Party Zoom session for Region 1 on Sunday afternoon, January 23. All the precincts voted for
vacant offices and convention delegates. I ran the pricinct 03 meeting as assigned leader because precinct president Andrea was running
the region level and district 18 meetings.
Andrea is the Region 1 Chair and I was elected District 18 Chair.
Lenore's 97th Birthday Celebration
Andrea's Mom turns 97 on Tuesday, January 25.
On Monday afternoon Andrea brought Lenore a birthday shark balloon.
The Christmas puzzle is complete. Photo taken Tuesday morning, January 25. Click the image for the full resolution version.
Diana and Cupid by Pompeo Batoni, 1761, The Collection at The Met. 124.5 x 172.7 cm Click the image for the full resolution version.
Tuesday morning Andrea and I went to visit Lenore and gave her a birthday cake card with music and a spinning dog.
Andrea called Bill in Colorado and he wished Mom a happy birthday too.
Becky sent this beautiful flower arrangement from Connecticut.
The Pyre by Pete Andresen
My sister Christina recommended a novel by her Salinas High classmate, Pete Andresen, The Pyre, which came out in 2020,
about a catastrophic California earthquake to happen in 2022 and the resulting disintegration of civilization in California. Six
months ago I got two chapters into it and put it down, but Christina urged me to give it another chance, so I did. As an amateur
author myself, I know how easy it is to find fault or tear down a book. I also know writers need constructive criticism, so here's
my review:
A book about the future should be set far enough ahead so people have a chance to read it before that time arrives and
puts the lie to all the fictional events. The Pyre (Timewalker Press) is set in 2022 and the year ain't over yet, so it
still might come true.
The book starts off with an Ayn Rand quote, not an auspicious beginning. I read Ayn Rand when I was young and discovered the flaws
in her "philosophy" while I was still youthful. The elected officials in Salinas (mayor, couunty supervisor) are charicatures of the
worst politicians imaginable, stupid goofballs with ludicrous eruptions. Andresen must think very little of the people of Salinas for
them to have elected such greedy incompetents to lead their government. Perhaps Andresen has forgotten that in a democracy, we are
the government.
Particularly egregious is Andresen's strawman argument against progressivism, claiming that a progressive value is cannibalism, the
literal eating of the rich (page 335). Absolutely beyond the pale is Andresen's directly associating the Democratic Party with
genocide (page 422). The book has many errors such as typos and repeated words and uses non-standard emphasis, ALL-CAPS, instead of
italics. It could benefit from professional editing. There are some fine descriptions of firearms and horsemanship and some
exciting gunfight scenes that are gripping page turners (although the battle scenes are generally muddled): it's not enough to save this
book from my dismissal.
My Fourth Book
I started my fourth book, a novel and sequel to The Zombie Philosopher titled Brent and Edward go to Mars, early last
December, and have been working on it almost daily since.
I downloaded a Web image of a LEO wheel-type space station.
I took a couple more photos of my model spaceliner, the SS Brizo, to better show the superconducting ring cosmic ray deflector configuration.
Second photo of the SS Brizo. Brizo is the ancient Greek goddess protector of sailors.
Red Hill Water Crisis
Ironically it was the Navy housing that got the water contamination from fuel leaks at the Red Hill storage facility. Andrea arranged
for a representative from the Board of Water Supply, Kathleen Pahinui, to talk about the crisis in a Zoom presentation for the Democratic
Party Region One, Wednesday evening, January 26.
Zoom capture after the talk was over. There were 21 attendees earlier.
Andrea took this photo Thursday morning of our blooming ohia ai (mountain apple), a Polynesian introduced Hawaiian tree.
I purchased this lion head logo from Etsy to use in my book for the LEO hotel.
Thursday afternoon, working on the Lego bonsai that Malia sent me for Christmas.
Year of the Tiger New Year Party
The lunar new year of the Tiger begins Monday the 31st and we held a dinner party to celebrate on Saturday the 29th.
Guests brought food to add to the spread Andrea made. Photo by Andrea.
I put on the lights under the trees using the solar battery in the shed. Photo by Andrea.
Andrea made tiger good luck charm party favors and I put one at each place. Photo by Andrea.
We ate dinner under the lychee tree.
We had water and wine to go with the food.
Happy new year!
Alan volunteered to take pictures with my phone.
Paul's daughter Jen, the F16 fighter pilot, was there. Photo by Alan.
Email Richard dot J dot Wagner at gmail dot com