If you don't go for this, then I gotta wonder what happened to your taste in music. Seriously:

...generated by the old urge + tiredness from staying up too long. Nocturnal habits (along with other ones) will probably kill me...

If the impressionistic hair-shapes bother you, I also posted a quick sketch without one here.

...the song, that is.

Looters - Buddy Brown

I sanded down & refinished my beater cane earlier this week. Had plans to do the same to the 5th one but as of now & probably for the next several days, the whole refinishing/reshaping project for my canes is at a dead halt. Because the only place I can do this kinda work is outside on the patio, half of which is not under the roof. And it's been raining.

It rained all afternoon the day before yesterday & off & on today, & is predicted to tomorrow of course. You can check out the refinishing job here:

Welcome to Florida, where the rule is "when in doubt, assume it will rain."

...but. My brain never turns off, & I'm an opinionated man. So:

You don't have to be a Trump cultist to see the problem with their statements. It's nothing new, though... So often, behind an influential or high-ranking man is a woman with the real power.

Also, another article mentioned insurance companies in a few places. I replied:

Was flipping through my files a few nights ago. Inevitably I opened up the one with two pieces in it...yes, just two. A couple sketches from when I used to go to the clubs, done a few years apart. I haven't posted 'em here. (Also don't go too often anymore. Am past the customer demographic, I dislike loud noise & the scene got old a while back) Both are gesture studies of dancers...what else would they be, in such an environment.

I kept them because in both instances, the sketch turned out perfectly. Everything I did just flowed, & went...right. The only exception is in the 2nd one I tried to add the dancer's hair--that was a bad decision. But the rest looks great. I wasn't going for likenesses; the point was to capture their movement in the few seconds my marker was on the paper. I did it, twice.

I do not mention the above to brag, because in both times it was as much a matter of luck as of whatever skill I have. If you're an artist--amateur, pro, whatever--& if you ever have that flash-of-lightning moment while you're working on something, consider yourself lucky. Not every artist experiences such bliss. If you experience it twice...you might be Irish. But seriously, if you do it twice then you're luckier than most & all your work just paid off.

I know not to hope for it a third time. If you manage it 3+ times, either you're a Jedi master or--this is much more likely--you're cheating somehow, & your work ain't as great as you believe.

...as of this morning:

The highest I've seen per ounce yet.

Consider that in the first two months of 2020, the price was hovering around $1,500 per. If you didn't buy any then or by early 2022 at the very latest then buddy, you missed the move.

The smart play now is to wait for the price to drop, as it probably will this week...especially if the Fed decides to cut the interest rate.

In other news, snapshots of the refinishing project I started yesterday are in my chicken scratch/DIY thread. Check it out.

I need more sleep...

Yesterday evening I was quite tired, after a demanding day. I've done some of my best work when in such a state, so I decided to try it...

Didn't pull it off.

The fact that the model has bolt-ons & filled duck lips did not help my disposition.

Could've edited it to make it look better, but the piece ain't worth it.

Was out this afternoon, & lucky enough to be waited on by a woman who is impressive...unusually so.

She looked to be about 5'10", & is attending a major university in the next state over with a double major in psychology & marine biology (with a mammalian focus). She has a pretty good idea of what to do with her degree once she gets it in '26 (research). A bright girl. Judging from a comment on my future plans, she has some environmental consciousness but isn't doctrinaire about it. Today is her last day at the slop hou--er, restaurant.

We had a good conversation. I wished her well in her endeavors. I do hope she achieves her dreams, whatever else they are besides her chosen career... What I did not say was this:

Most likely, her life will be lonely at certain times. Not all the time--she's obviously a sociable person--but there will be times like that for her.

Wouldn't be surprised if she already went through such discomfort when she was in high school.

The reason why I'm sure of my prediction is because it has been borne out in my experience, more than once. Have also heard similar stuff from a couple others; one of them was my father...just for perspective, the only reason he didn't get his Ph.D. in economics is because he never finished his master's thesis. I'll tell you that about my old man, but of my capabilities I will say nothing because I'm not here to brag. My exact IQ doesn't matter; just know that high intelligence tends to run in my father's family (along with high achievement--sometimes). Which sounds great, but the flip side is that it can be, & sometimes is, isolating.

It's not limited to smart people alone but if you are, then you completely understand the phrase "alone in a crowd". Your fate is sealed for the day/evening if you try to share a concept or information or something with someone else, & that someone just doesn't get it.

I've had all those moments. Once that waitress graduates with her degree, works her way up the nonprofit ladder & starts researching whales, the day will come when she is in the same situation... However, I suspect she will handle it better than I have.

Mandatory YT clip with relevant trope here: