I used to think Leo Laporte was a smart man. His Twit TV network seemed to be doing well. But lately, my viewing has tapered off a bit and now, with his latest decision, I probably won't watch at all.
What decision is that? You ask, well I'm talking about the failure to renew Tom Merritt's contract in favor of Mike Elgan, (Mr. Personality as I call him). Tom may have moved to LA, but I thought his TNT show didn't miss a beat when he started doing the hosting remotely.
As with all such decisions, I'm sure there is more to the story than is being told. At one point, Leo had mentioned handing over more of his duties to Tom, but the handwriting had been on the wall for some time now.
First thing I noticed was Tom's absence on Leo's Triangulation program. I believe Leo passed that off as Tom not wanting to do the show any longer, who knows for sure what happened there. I realize in the business of show, personalities sometimes clash and no doubt Leo would get his way in any such debacle.
And just to be clear, what Leo and his gang do is considered show business. It may all be about tech related stuff, but when it comes to getting in front of a camera, the only thing that matters is how well you pull it off. And Tom Merritt did a great job, he was witty, personable and seemed to be at ease in front of the camera.
Mike Elgan, while I'm sure he is a good tech news journalist, has none of the qualities it takes to be an on-air personality. Maybe Leo thinks he can bring him around and loosen him up a bit, who knows. I have to admit that Fr. Robert Ballecer is doing a much better job than I thought he would do. So maybe Leo can work his magic with Mike as well.
It will be an interesting experiment to be sure, but one I probably won't catch. I feel sorry for Leo, his decision will affect Twit TV much more than it will Tom Merritt. Tom will land on his feet and I believe come out of this even stronger. Best wishes to Tom and his wife Eileen Rivera as they continue their new Twit-less life in LA.
And to Leo, I was with you from the start, watched all of the shows you were involved in, good and bad. But I've grown tired of your ways of late and will probably not watch Twit so much anymore. Good luck to you with the new setup, may you be happy and secure in the knowledge that you have managed to alienate yet another viewer. Maybe that is your goal in life, who knows...
Friday, December 6, 2013
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Google doesn't get it
There is a sizable number of YouTube users who are fed up with Google's recent push to have all YouTube accounts added to Google Plus. It's funny, the largest of any of the so-called social media sites must resort to trickery and deceit to recruit new members.
If Google Plus is so great, how come Google has to resort to using it's clout to force the YouTubers into it's fold? Facebook and Twitter never did that and they seem to be just fine. I guess Google wasn't secure enough in it's product to do it the old fashioned way.
I like (and use) a lot of Google products (including this blog), but I want to pick and choose which ones I use, not have it dictated to me by Google! Maybe Google is copying Apple as they have forced their desires onto their users since the beginning of time. Apple knows best, now Google too?
Most YouTubers will go along with the changes, but I can totally guarantee that most a) will not like it and b) will not ever use Google Plus. You can't force people to do something they don't want to do Google, get that through your thick corporate head!
And while I'm on the subject of Google bashing, this push to get everyone using their real name for all Google accounts is bullshit. Pardon my language, but it upsets me to no end for companies like Google to allow people to use their internet handle or nom de plume as the French might say, to set up their accounts and then have the gall to come along and want you to change it to your real name.
I set up my internet moniker a long, long time ago and I am known by that name (mosslack), in all of the sites I visit and use regularly. Now I'm just suppose to change all of a sudden b/c Google has some vision of world peace through people worldwide using their real name? Get real Google, this is real people you are dealing with. We like our anonymity on the internet. We don't care to have our real identities known by every internet scam artist who comes along. Stop living in a dream world!
If Google Plus is so great, how come Google has to resort to using it's clout to force the YouTubers into it's fold? Facebook and Twitter never did that and they seem to be just fine. I guess Google wasn't secure enough in it's product to do it the old fashioned way.
I like (and use) a lot of Google products (including this blog), but I want to pick and choose which ones I use, not have it dictated to me by Google! Maybe Google is copying Apple as they have forced their desires onto their users since the beginning of time. Apple knows best, now Google too?
Most YouTubers will go along with the changes, but I can totally guarantee that most a) will not like it and b) will not ever use Google Plus. You can't force people to do something they don't want to do Google, get that through your thick corporate head!
And while I'm on the subject of Google bashing, this push to get everyone using their real name for all Google accounts is bullshit. Pardon my language, but it upsets me to no end for companies like Google to allow people to use their internet handle or nom de plume as the French might say, to set up their accounts and then have the gall to come along and want you to change it to your real name.
I set up my internet moniker a long, long time ago and I am known by that name (mosslack), in all of the sites I visit and use regularly. Now I'm just suppose to change all of a sudden b/c Google has some vision of world peace through people worldwide using their real name? Get real Google, this is real people you are dealing with. We like our anonymity on the internet. We don't care to have our real identities known by every internet scam artist who comes along. Stop living in a dream world!
Friday, November 29, 2013
Those bad boys in the media are at it again!
If you have read almost any newspaper, news website or listened to any news media outlet recently, you have no doubt heard about a little thing called Black Friday. Everyone in this country knows what it is, so I won't bore you with those details. But I thought it would be interesting to see how the news boys reported the success or failure of this year's big event. Keep in mind that all these photo/headlines, were gathered within a minute or two of each other.
First up, CNN. Looks like things couldn't be better. No need to panic here, What could possibly be bad about this news. Well, it really all depends on how you look at it. If that is all you read then perhaps you might think everything is fine.
Hmmm, Fox News has a different slant on it. Can you imagine them actually relating violence to this peaceful event. There must be something wrong with their brains! How could two major media sites see it so differently?
Okay, we don't want everyone to panic, so lets go back to the good news again. This time we look at the New York Times. These guys would not lie, so this must be the way things really are, right? Well, we could go across town a few blocks to see what the other side makes of it.
Oops, back to more violence, how is this possible in the same city, only a few blocks apart? Someone surely is not getting their facts straight. Either that or they don't want you to know there are problems associated with a democrat sitting in the white house.
And finally, USA Today is clueless, as seen by their headline. They don't know, or don't want to say, as they are obviously asking for your opinion.
Okay, just a little holiday fun for the blog this year. Actually it would be funny if it were not true. Unfortunately, even after being called on it, the liberal press still thinks they can pull the wool over your eyes.
 |
| CNN Headline |
First up, CNN. Looks like things couldn't be better. No need to panic here, What could possibly be bad about this news. Well, it really all depends on how you look at it. If that is all you read then perhaps you might think everything is fine.
 |
| Fox News Headline |
 |
| NY Times Headline |
Okay, we don't want everyone to panic, so lets go back to the good news again. This time we look at the New York Times. These guys would not lie, so this must be the way things really are, right? Well, we could go across town a few blocks to see what the other side makes of it.
 |
| NY Post Headline |
Oops, back to more violence, how is this possible in the same city, only a few blocks apart? Someone surely is not getting their facts straight. Either that or they don't want you to know there are problems associated with a democrat sitting in the white house.
 |
| USA Today Headline |
And finally, USA Today is clueless, as seen by their headline. They don't know, or don't want to say, as they are obviously asking for your opinion.
Okay, just a little holiday fun for the blog this year. Actually it would be funny if it were not true. Unfortunately, even after being called on it, the liberal press still thinks they can pull the wool over your eyes.
Friday, November 15, 2013
How Many Times Has This Happened To You?
One of the all-time best things I used to do when I was working was to come home and relax in my vibrating recliner and listen to my 1968 Magnavox console stereo softly playing music from my MP3 collection. The warm, rich sound from the old console style stereo just can't be beat for it's ability to lull one gently to sleep. BTW, the one in the video linked to above is not mine, but it is exactly like mine, right down to the model number 1P3712. I believe my cabinet is better condition though.
Then one day I came home, had my dinner and decided it was time for a nice little nap. I had iTunes cranking out music on the computer, which was relayed wirelessly to the Magnavox stereo in the living room via an RCA Lyra wireless audio transmitter/receiver set. I turned on the stereo, but no music came out. I cranked up the volume a bit and the stereo went all dark.
Fast forward 3 years, the Magnavox came with me when I moved from Vevay to Seymour, but of course it didn't work. One day, not too long after I moved, I decided it was time to fix it. Heck, I was an electronics tech back in the day, surely I could handle fixing something simple as this. Wrong! Try as I might, I could not get the unit to power up. In fact I broke the tuner dial cord in the process of removing it from the cabinet. I slid the chassis back into the cabinet and forgot about it.
Then a few days ago, a video was posted by one of the people I subscribe to on YouTube. He is an electronics tech guy that features various items he comes across and then shows what it takes to fix them. One of the latest was an Astro-Sonic stereo similar to mine. Hearing it in working order got me to thinking pretty hard about mine again.
Armed with a newfound sense of blind ambition, I once again removed the chassis from the cabinet and brought it into my room where I placed it on a cardboard sheet lying on my bed. During my previous attempt to fix it, I had removed a couple of wires in order to check the power transformer. I decided I should first re-solder those wires to their proper location before proceeding.
Then just for shits and giggles, I decided to check the output voltage of the power transformer to see what it was putting out. Making sure the unit was off and the volume was turned all the way down (there were no speakers attached), I plugged it into the power. When I switched it on, I noticed right away that the dial lights came on. This did not happen the last time I messed with it.
Feeling confident that the power transformer was at least putting out enough voltage for the dial lights, I decided to test the actual output of the secondary. To my great surprise, it measured around 50 volts. Feeling brave, I next took a measurement of the B+ voltage and it was -34 volts, just what it was supposed to be!
Okay, now I'm starting to get excited. "It's alive!", I thought to myself. Rather than risk any damage to the audio output transistors, I decided to hook up a set of speakers for further testing. Found a set from another stereo and I was ready for a sound test. Fired it up once more on AM and heard static coming from one of the speakers. Checked the balance control and sure enough it was turned all the way to one side. Set it to the middle and switched the power on once more. Now I had static in both speakers!
Adjusted the tuner and found WLW out of Cincinnati, not bad at all. Most of the band was very noisy, due to the close proximity of the computer. So I decided to try the FM band. Found a dipole FM antenna and hooked that up, FM came in very clear on several local stations! I could not believe it. The stereo had fixed itself, LOL. Check this video out to see how it sounds.
Of course it didn't. My theory is the power cord has a bad spot in it. I suspected this the last time I worked on it, but never actually hooked it up to the stereo, opting instead to use a multimeter to test the continuity of the cord. So at some point, I fear this will happen again, but for now I have ordered a replacement dial cord string and when that arrives I will fix that. A couple of the controls also need to be cleaned, so a can of DeOxit is in order as well.
Once those minor things are addressed I will clean it up real good and put it back into the cabinet. Then I can enjoy the rich, warm sound once again. I've missed nap time in my recliner. Yay!
Then one day I came home, had my dinner and decided it was time for a nice little nap. I had iTunes cranking out music on the computer, which was relayed wirelessly to the Magnavox stereo in the living room via an RCA Lyra wireless audio transmitter/receiver set. I turned on the stereo, but no music came out. I cranked up the volume a bit and the stereo went all dark.
Fast forward 3 years, the Magnavox came with me when I moved from Vevay to Seymour, but of course it didn't work. One day, not too long after I moved, I decided it was time to fix it. Heck, I was an electronics tech back in the day, surely I could handle fixing something simple as this. Wrong! Try as I might, I could not get the unit to power up. In fact I broke the tuner dial cord in the process of removing it from the cabinet. I slid the chassis back into the cabinet and forgot about it.
Then a few days ago, a video was posted by one of the people I subscribe to on YouTube. He is an electronics tech guy that features various items he comes across and then shows what it takes to fix them. One of the latest was an Astro-Sonic stereo similar to mine. Hearing it in working order got me to thinking pretty hard about mine again.
Armed with a newfound sense of blind ambition, I once again removed the chassis from the cabinet and brought it into my room where I placed it on a cardboard sheet lying on my bed. During my previous attempt to fix it, I had removed a couple of wires in order to check the power transformer. I decided I should first re-solder those wires to their proper location before proceeding.
Then just for shits and giggles, I decided to check the output voltage of the power transformer to see what it was putting out. Making sure the unit was off and the volume was turned all the way down (there were no speakers attached), I plugged it into the power. When I switched it on, I noticed right away that the dial lights came on. This did not happen the last time I messed with it.
Feeling confident that the power transformer was at least putting out enough voltage for the dial lights, I decided to test the actual output of the secondary. To my great surprise, it measured around 50 volts. Feeling brave, I next took a measurement of the B+ voltage and it was -34 volts, just what it was supposed to be!
Okay, now I'm starting to get excited. "It's alive!", I thought to myself. Rather than risk any damage to the audio output transistors, I decided to hook up a set of speakers for further testing. Found a set from another stereo and I was ready for a sound test. Fired it up once more on AM and heard static coming from one of the speakers. Checked the balance control and sure enough it was turned all the way to one side. Set it to the middle and switched the power on once more. Now I had static in both speakers!
Adjusted the tuner and found WLW out of Cincinnati, not bad at all. Most of the band was very noisy, due to the close proximity of the computer. So I decided to try the FM band. Found a dipole FM antenna and hooked that up, FM came in very clear on several local stations! I could not believe it. The stereo had fixed itself, LOL. Check this video out to see how it sounds.
Of course it didn't. My theory is the power cord has a bad spot in it. I suspected this the last time I worked on it, but never actually hooked it up to the stereo, opting instead to use a multimeter to test the continuity of the cord. So at some point, I fear this will happen again, but for now I have ordered a replacement dial cord string and when that arrives I will fix that. A couple of the controls also need to be cleaned, so a can of DeOxit is in order as well.
Once those minor things are addressed I will clean it up real good and put it back into the cabinet. Then I can enjoy the rich, warm sound once again. I've missed nap time in my recliner. Yay!
Sunday, October 13, 2013
NFL/October Rant
Hello? NFL? Anyone home? I just want to know who is in charge of dividing the teams up for the AFC. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has noticed this, but how did you guys miss the obvious solution?
Here is the current team division for the AFC:
If we take a look at each division, one by one (starting at the top with the East), we see the New England Patriots. Certainly Foxboro, MA is the most eastern AFC team there is in the U.S. Both of the New York teams, the Jets and the Bills, easily qualify as eastern. But what about Miami? Hmmm, let's hold that one out for now.
Next we look at the AFC North with Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. All of those teams fit in the pattern, but Baltimore seems a bit out of place. Once again, we will hold that one out.
The AFC South, right away we have a problem here. Indianapolis does not fit in a picture of the south, no way, no how! Hold that one out. Tennessee, Houston and Jacksonville certainly fit the bill here.
The AFC West is the only division which is completely in order. Kansas City, Denver, San Diego and Oakland are all west of all of the other teams. Okay, Kansas City and Houston are about equally west, but Houston is way too far south to be lumped in with the other teams in that division. No changes to be made here.
The solution which should be obvious to all of those who have half a brain, move Miami to the South, there is no more southern team in the AFC. Move Baltimore to the AFC East, it is right there is the same area as the other East teams. Finally, move Indianapolis to the AFC North, where it belongs. Problem solved.
The NFC is much easier. Switch Carolina and Dallas and everything lines up. There you go NFL, you are welcome.
Let's see, what else is going on. I have operation clean up my junk and make a little money in full swing. Since I started I have sold 5 items on eBay for a total of $111.87. Right now I have 18 more items listed with a bunch more to go.
I started this project to raise a little money for Buick parts and I have managed to order the window run channel rubber/felt pieces I have been waiting on for so long now. Once these are installed I will be able to roll my front windows up and down and can then drive the car without fear of getting soaked in a rain storm. Yay!
Learned that my son (Chris) and his family will be up from Arkansas hopefully the weekend of the 18th. I really look forward to seeing everyone as I have missed them a lot. I really miss those days gone by when they lived nearby and I used to regularly see them and hang out in the garage while Chris worked on his stuff.
Also got signed up late in September for my social security benefits, which should be starting in January of next year. While it certainly won't make me rich, hopefully it will be enough to pay the bills so that I can continue to live here at my present location as it is pretty much perfect for me. The way I have it figured it will be enough, but my financial advisor (Autumn) is not so sure.
Here is the current team division for the AFC:
Next we look at the AFC North with Cincinnati, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. All of those teams fit in the pattern, but Baltimore seems a bit out of place. Once again, we will hold that one out.
The AFC South, right away we have a problem here. Indianapolis does not fit in a picture of the south, no way, no how! Hold that one out. Tennessee, Houston and Jacksonville certainly fit the bill here.
The AFC West is the only division which is completely in order. Kansas City, Denver, San Diego and Oakland are all west of all of the other teams. Okay, Kansas City and Houston are about equally west, but Houston is way too far south to be lumped in with the other teams in that division. No changes to be made here.
The solution which should be obvious to all of those who have half a brain, move Miami to the South, there is no more southern team in the AFC. Move Baltimore to the AFC East, it is right there is the same area as the other East teams. Finally, move Indianapolis to the AFC North, where it belongs. Problem solved.
The NFC is much easier. Switch Carolina and Dallas and everything lines up. There you go NFL, you are welcome.
Let's see, what else is going on. I have operation clean up my junk and make a little money in full swing. Since I started I have sold 5 items on eBay for a total of $111.87. Right now I have 18 more items listed with a bunch more to go.
I started this project to raise a little money for Buick parts and I have managed to order the window run channel rubber/felt pieces I have been waiting on for so long now. Once these are installed I will be able to roll my front windows up and down and can then drive the car without fear of getting soaked in a rain storm. Yay!
Learned that my son (Chris) and his family will be up from Arkansas hopefully the weekend of the 18th. I really look forward to seeing everyone as I have missed them a lot. I really miss those days gone by when they lived nearby and I used to regularly see them and hang out in the garage while Chris worked on his stuff.
Also got signed up late in September for my social security benefits, which should be starting in January of next year. While it certainly won't make me rich, hopefully it will be enough to pay the bills so that I can continue to live here at my present location as it is pretty much perfect for me. The way I have it figured it will be enough, but my financial advisor (Autumn) is not so sure.
Monday, September 9, 2013
September update
Not a lot been happening here. Went to the doctor, lost 12 pounds, he changed my meds a bit, put me on a water pill that I think is making me dizzy. At least it did yesterday. Hopefully the weight loss will continue, have to go back in 4 months to see how well the new meds are doing.
Worked on the Buick some. Concentrating my efforts to get the front doors finished so I can actually drive the car and have the windows roll up in case of rain. My efforts of late are on the window run channels, which had completely deteriorated to the point where they were mostly gone.
I say mostly b/c the stainless steel channel is there but the rubber/felt part where that the window glides in was gone, making an awful racket when driven with the windows up. So I think I found an excellent replacement for just that part and plan to try it as soon as finances allow.
Speaking of the Buick, I found the perfect example of exactly how my car should look when it's finished. I do random Google searches for 1961 Buick every now and then, and this gem turned up yesterday:
1961 Buick LeSabre for sale
This car is exactly the same body style and exterior and interior color scheme as my car. Hopefully mine will look like this some day.
My grandson (Billy) is firmly ensconced in his new settings at USI. He seems to be adjusting well, if twitter is any indication. He did come home over the Labor day weekend. It was good to see what little I saw of him during his visit.
I made this movie with granddaughter's Lexi and Kylie and posted it on YouTube.
I've been trying to post a lot more videos as it is something I enjoy doing and it keeps me off the streets.
I get to apply for Social Security benefits later this month. If all goes well those will kick in sometime in January. Oh the joys of getting older.
Worked on the Buick some. Concentrating my efforts to get the front doors finished so I can actually drive the car and have the windows roll up in case of rain. My efforts of late are on the window run channels, which had completely deteriorated to the point where they were mostly gone.
I say mostly b/c the stainless steel channel is there but the rubber/felt part where that the window glides in was gone, making an awful racket when driven with the windows up. So I think I found an excellent replacement for just that part and plan to try it as soon as finances allow.
Speaking of the Buick, I found the perfect example of exactly how my car should look when it's finished. I do random Google searches for 1961 Buick every now and then, and this gem turned up yesterday:
1961 Buick LeSabre for sale
This car is exactly the same body style and exterior and interior color scheme as my car. Hopefully mine will look like this some day.
My grandson (Billy) is firmly ensconced in his new settings at USI. He seems to be adjusting well, if twitter is any indication. He did come home over the Labor day weekend. It was good to see what little I saw of him during his visit.
I made this movie with granddaughter's Lexi and Kylie and posted it on YouTube.
I've been trying to post a lot more videos as it is something I enjoy doing and it keeps me off the streets.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Good times
Spent a few days with family this past week (Monday-Thursday) and had a very good time. Just want to thank Jim and Melody McKinney for their hospitality and kindness in putting up with an old fart like me!
Always a busy schedule there, never a dull moment. Besides the trips to see other members of the family, I went with Jim to take a couple of cars to the scrapyard and also pick up a couple to be scrapped. Jim is a busy man.
Especially enjoyed the trip down to Crab Orchard to see sisters Sharon and Kathy, as well as my brother Rickey. And a bonus as my niece Jamie Ann showed up with her husband (Chuck) and their children. Not to mention a good meal at the Past Time Cafe.
I was unable to stay for the wedding of my niece Amy to husband-to-be Ben, but since the wedding was to take place at 5:30 PM today, they may already be husband and wife by now. So congratulations to Ben and Amy, may your life together be everything you hoped it would be and more.
Got back home Thursday afternoon and took a nice long nap. Went to bed early also as I was very tired from the trip. Didn't do much yesterday either with another midday nap. Ended up going to bed after midnight and didn't get up until 10:30 this morning! I think I was just wore out from all the good food I had to eat down in Kentucky LOL.
At last, today I had a little energy and decided it was time to do a cold start video of my 1961 Buick LeSabre. I had been wanting to do one like this (using 2 cameras) for some time now and finally got the job done. You can see the video on YouTube by clicking the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QqiVYaIYBI
Always a busy schedule there, never a dull moment. Besides the trips to see other members of the family, I went with Jim to take a couple of cars to the scrapyard and also pick up a couple to be scrapped. Jim is a busy man.
Especially enjoyed the trip down to Crab Orchard to see sisters Sharon and Kathy, as well as my brother Rickey. And a bonus as my niece Jamie Ann showed up with her husband (Chuck) and their children. Not to mention a good meal at the Past Time Cafe.
I was unable to stay for the wedding of my niece Amy to husband-to-be Ben, but since the wedding was to take place at 5:30 PM today, they may already be husband and wife by now. So congratulations to Ben and Amy, may your life together be everything you hoped it would be and more.
Got back home Thursday afternoon and took a nice long nap. Went to bed early also as I was very tired from the trip. Didn't do much yesterday either with another midday nap. Ended up going to bed after midnight and didn't get up until 10:30 this morning! I think I was just wore out from all the good food I had to eat down in Kentucky LOL.
At last, today I had a little energy and decided it was time to do a cold start video of my 1961 Buick LeSabre. I had been wanting to do one like this (using 2 cameras) for some time now and finally got the job done. You can see the video on YouTube by clicking the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QqiVYaIYBI
Monday, July 8, 2013
Frustration with the mainstream media
Most people who know me at all know that I don't care for the press at large, but this particular mini-rant has to do with how they refer to people from countries in the far east. The latest example is the tragedy in San Francisco with the crash of Asiana flight 214.
While it is customary for the people who reside in those countries to refer to themselves using the last (or surname) first, when traveling abroad, they usually wish to conform to standards which apply to the rest of the world, which makes perfect sense. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
So what does the media in this country do, you got it, refer to them as if we were living in their country. I'm not sure if they do this out of respect for their ways or more likely because they wish to sound hip. I think think they just come off sounding elitest.
The modern mainstream media feels it is their job to teach we (the simplistic Americans), the ways of the world, instead of just informing us. I guess we are just too dumb to know that other cultures are different from our own.
To further confuse the issue, it depends on who you are as to what you are called. An example would be Jackie Chan. He was born Chan Kong-sang in Hong Kong but he uses the stage name of Jackie. Would it not be proper for the media to refer to his as Chan Jackie? I suppose in this case, it has something to do with asian actors wishing to fit in with american culture, but the wishes of the common people do not matter I suppose. Double standard much.
Perhaps I have the media all wrong, maybe they just want us to know that the person referred to is of asian descent when they use this naming convention. But isn't this kind of like referring to them as asian? Is that proper?
C'mon mainstream media, refer to people from places all over the world the same. I think we are smart enough to figure out why people traveling from China or Korea are not named Smith or Jones!
While it is customary for the people who reside in those countries to refer to themselves using the last (or surname) first, when traveling abroad, they usually wish to conform to standards which apply to the rest of the world, which makes perfect sense. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
So what does the media in this country do, you got it, refer to them as if we were living in their country. I'm not sure if they do this out of respect for their ways or more likely because they wish to sound hip. I think think they just come off sounding elitest.
The modern mainstream media feels it is their job to teach we (the simplistic Americans), the ways of the world, instead of just informing us. I guess we are just too dumb to know that other cultures are different from our own.
To further confuse the issue, it depends on who you are as to what you are called. An example would be Jackie Chan. He was born Chan Kong-sang in Hong Kong but he uses the stage name of Jackie. Would it not be proper for the media to refer to his as Chan Jackie? I suppose in this case, it has something to do with asian actors wishing to fit in with american culture, but the wishes of the common people do not matter I suppose. Double standard much.
Perhaps I have the media all wrong, maybe they just want us to know that the person referred to is of asian descent when they use this naming convention. But isn't this kind of like referring to them as asian? Is that proper?
C'mon mainstream media, refer to people from places all over the world the same. I think we are smart enough to figure out why people traveling from China or Korea are not named Smith or Jones!
Saturday, June 22, 2013
You may find this a bit strange...
Some of you may not think this is a good subject for a blog post, but who really is to say what a person might find interesting. The subject is my keyboard, or more importantly, how comfortable I am with it, and how long it has lasted.
As a writer of any kind will tell you, unless you feel comfortable with your writing device, very few words will ever be written. The words need to flow and having the right device can make all the difference in the world!
For those interested, the keyboard I use is a Kensington Ci70. At $50, it was by far the most expensive keyboard I've ever purchased, but I've been using it now for over 4 years and it still performs as well as it did the day I got it. Quite a statement from someone who regularly eats at their desk and rarely remembers to push the keyboard drawer in.
And while others might proclaim a similar ability with their keyboards, few can do it without physically taking the keyboard apart to clean the crumbs out now and then. You can, however, do that with this one. A few sharp taps on it's edge will dislodge most any crumb and have the keyboard working properly again. Very important for people like me who are, shall we say, less than tidy when they eat.
So after 4 years of service, I have yet to dismantle this keyboard for any reason, and in fact would not know how to do it if the need ever did arise. So hats off to you Kensington, for designing a piece of equipment for us slobs. Bravo!
As a writer of any kind will tell you, unless you feel comfortable with your writing device, very few words will ever be written. The words need to flow and having the right device can make all the difference in the world!
For those interested, the keyboard I use is a Kensington Ci70. At $50, it was by far the most expensive keyboard I've ever purchased, but I've been using it now for over 4 years and it still performs as well as it did the day I got it. Quite a statement from someone who regularly eats at their desk and rarely remembers to push the keyboard drawer in.
And while others might proclaim a similar ability with their keyboards, few can do it without physically taking the keyboard apart to clean the crumbs out now and then. You can, however, do that with this one. A few sharp taps on it's edge will dislodge most any crumb and have the keyboard working properly again. Very important for people like me who are, shall we say, less than tidy when they eat.
So after 4 years of service, I have yet to dismantle this keyboard for any reason, and in fact would not know how to do it if the need ever did arise. So hats off to you Kensington, for designing a piece of equipment for us slobs. Bravo!
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
OS X 10.9 Mavericks
Just one of the many announcements made on Monday (June 10th) by Apple at it's World Wide Developer's Conference (WWDC), if you were an enterprising soul you had no problem locating a copy of the first developers preview (DP1) just shortly after it was announced.
Being one of those people, I quickly had a copy downloaded courtesy of the friendly buccaneers who reside in a bay on the internet. Having a copy is not the same as having it up and running though, as often these early releases require one to jump through several hoops to get them installed on a Hackintosh.
I tried the easy way first, myHack had been updated to a beta version to deal with Mavericks, but that experiment did not turn out well. Then I found this tutorial and followed it. This one proved successful and I got to take a look at the new OS on my GA-P35-DS3L system.
As usual with a prerelease, several things didn't work right. The Mail app for me proved unwilling to accept my main email account so no way to use that. I did however get the internet working and was able to play around with the new version of Safari.
Having working internet also allowed me to preview the new Maps app. While nice, I still prefer Google for this task. They have been doing it a lot longer and theirs is much more complete and accurate.
I also managed to install it on my newest system, the Foxconn G33M. Video was a bit wonky on this system however so I didn't experiment much with it. Tomorrow is another day and I may explore further then.
Being one of those people, I quickly had a copy downloaded courtesy of the friendly buccaneers who reside in a bay on the internet. Having a copy is not the same as having it up and running though, as often these early releases require one to jump through several hoops to get them installed on a Hackintosh.
I tried the easy way first, myHack had been updated to a beta version to deal with Mavericks, but that experiment did not turn out well. Then I found this tutorial and followed it. This one proved successful and I got to take a look at the new OS on my GA-P35-DS3L system.
As usual with a prerelease, several things didn't work right. The Mail app for me proved unwilling to accept my main email account so no way to use that. I did however get the internet working and was able to play around with the new version of Safari.
Having working internet also allowed me to preview the new Maps app. While nice, I still prefer Google for this task. They have been doing it a lot longer and theirs is much more complete and accurate.
I also managed to install it on my newest system, the Foxconn G33M. Video was a bit wonky on this system however so I didn't experiment much with it. Tomorrow is another day and I may explore further then.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Time for a rant...
A recent commercial I saw for the search engine Bing made me wonder how they can claim they are preferred over Google. A simple search reveals it simply isn't true. Just check this stat: http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/search-engines
How do they get away with it? It's all in the wording. If you watch the commercial you can see what I'm talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf6XhAn6X1g
In addition to the direction by the personality to search only for certain items, the statement at the end is a dead giveaway. Obviously they are referring to their little sample they made while filming these segments, but it's not really stated. I think most people are aware of this, but I thought it worth pointing out.
And while we are talking about Bing, I don't believe for a moment that they are truly ahead of Yahoo as a search engine. Anyone who has visited msn.com will know what I'm talking about. Being another Microsoft site, msn.com uses Bing for any searches their news feed needs to do. A lot of the features they do have to do with celebrities and who is in foreclosure, who is least popular, what a celebs real names, etc. If you click each one, it can easily amount to hundreds of Bing searches in a matter of minutes. Way to inflate the numbers Microsoft!
Switching gears for a moment, I've coined a new phrase, coastal smurfs. As everyone knows, the coastal areas of this country are mostly blue when it comes to voting. New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington DC on the right coast and San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle on the left coast. There are many reasons why this is the case, but the one I want to examine is attitude.
We the people here in middle America know what I'm talking about. The coastal smurfs are better educated, more hip, and just seem to know what's best for the rest, or so they think. You can hear it in their voices when they talk to us in their news broadcasts, documentaries, movies or tech podcasts. They will often claim they have a feel for what the common man needs. BULL$#!+.
I've known this was true of journalists since the time I started paying attention. By that I mean after the kids are grown and you have more time to be aware of things which are happening around you. We all know that when raising children, there just isn't much time for doing anything else, period. But when the little rugrats are out producing rugrats of their own, it frees up your mind to take in and analyze the information you receive from various sources.
A good example was listening to a speech made by the president and then having the friendly members of the fourth estate explain what he said to me. Prior to the time I started paying attention, I would often just let them listen for me. I thought they were my friends. Boy was I ever wrong!
While some in the media obviously have a true agenda, there are others who just can't help themselves. They are coastal smurfs who were just raised believing that they are the chosen ones who are there to lead the rest of us out of the darkness. I have pity on them for they are truly the clueless ones. The ones destined to lead a lonely life in local news or until the time they figure out for themselves that they aren't as important as they thought they were.
Those media people who know what their true purpose in life is are far more dangerous. They know their mission is to indoctrinate the masses with the liberal agenda. It's just been a fact of growing up in this country for a long, long time now. At least until people like Rush Limbaugh and Fox news came along.
But make no mistake, while we now at least have a choice of what agenda mongers we get our news from, the bias is still there. It's just slanted the other way if you choose Fox news. For the record, I believe Fox news is closer to the actual truth than the liberal press, but they still present the facts with a conservative slant if you watch closely.
So what is a person to do? How is one supposed to get the news? The answer is pretty clear. You can choose sides and find a news source that you like and agree with or you can listen to both sides and make up your own mind. For the most part that is what I do. I read news on both the liberal and conservative websites and then decide which one to believe.
It's often not difficult as most of the liberal sites have toned their agenda way down to compete with Fox news. Competition is a great thing and for that reason I am grateful to Rush Limbaugh and Fox news for introducing it into the American news media. We are truly better informed than ever now!
How do they get away with it? It's all in the wording. If you watch the commercial you can see what I'm talking about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf6XhAn6X1g
In addition to the direction by the personality to search only for certain items, the statement at the end is a dead giveaway. Obviously they are referring to their little sample they made while filming these segments, but it's not really stated. I think most people are aware of this, but I thought it worth pointing out.
And while we are talking about Bing, I don't believe for a moment that they are truly ahead of Yahoo as a search engine. Anyone who has visited msn.com will know what I'm talking about. Being another Microsoft site, msn.com uses Bing for any searches their news feed needs to do. A lot of the features they do have to do with celebrities and who is in foreclosure, who is least popular, what a celebs real names, etc. If you click each one, it can easily amount to hundreds of Bing searches in a matter of minutes. Way to inflate the numbers Microsoft!
Switching gears for a moment, I've coined a new phrase, coastal smurfs. As everyone knows, the coastal areas of this country are mostly blue when it comes to voting. New York City, Boston, Philadelphia and Washington DC on the right coast and San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Seattle on the left coast. There are many reasons why this is the case, but the one I want to examine is attitude.
We the people here in middle America know what I'm talking about. The coastal smurfs are better educated, more hip, and just seem to know what's best for the rest, or so they think. You can hear it in their voices when they talk to us in their news broadcasts, documentaries, movies or tech podcasts. They will often claim they have a feel for what the common man needs. BULL$#!+.
I've known this was true of journalists since the time I started paying attention. By that I mean after the kids are grown and you have more time to be aware of things which are happening around you. We all know that when raising children, there just isn't much time for doing anything else, period. But when the little rugrats are out producing rugrats of their own, it frees up your mind to take in and analyze the information you receive from various sources.
A good example was listening to a speech made by the president and then having the friendly members of the fourth estate explain what he said to me. Prior to the time I started paying attention, I would often just let them listen for me. I thought they were my friends. Boy was I ever wrong!
While some in the media obviously have a true agenda, there are others who just can't help themselves. They are coastal smurfs who were just raised believing that they are the chosen ones who are there to lead the rest of us out of the darkness. I have pity on them for they are truly the clueless ones. The ones destined to lead a lonely life in local news or until the time they figure out for themselves that they aren't as important as they thought they were.
Those media people who know what their true purpose in life is are far more dangerous. They know their mission is to indoctrinate the masses with the liberal agenda. It's just been a fact of growing up in this country for a long, long time now. At least until people like Rush Limbaugh and Fox news came along.
But make no mistake, while we now at least have a choice of what agenda mongers we get our news from, the bias is still there. It's just slanted the other way if you choose Fox news. For the record, I believe Fox news is closer to the actual truth than the liberal press, but they still present the facts with a conservative slant if you watch closely.
So what is a person to do? How is one supposed to get the news? The answer is pretty clear. You can choose sides and find a news source that you like and agree with or you can listen to both sides and make up your own mind. For the most part that is what I do. I read news on both the liberal and conservative websites and then decide which one to believe.
It's often not difficult as most of the liberal sites have toned their agenda way down to compete with Fox news. Competition is a great thing and for that reason I am grateful to Rush Limbaugh and Fox news for introducing it into the American news media. We are truly better informed than ever now!
Monday, May 20, 2013
Precious little to do
Although I said long ago when asked how I would fill time after I retire, I answered that I would have no problem at all, what with all my computer activities, and an old car to work on, etc. And for the most part, that has been true, but there are times when it seems like there is nothing to do.
Let me rephrase that just a bit, there is nothing I want to do. I have a Buick out in the garage, just sitting
there waiting to be worked on. In fact I started draining the oil the other day to change it, but I simply left the plug out and it has been draining ever since. I think it is no doubt drained by now.
I need to put the drain plug back in and remove the oil filter to completely finish the process. Then I need a new oil filter to replace the old one, but that means I have to drive all the way (a few blocks) to the O'Reilly auto parts store (they have one in stock), to buy one. But my gas light is on, so that means I have to get gas, and that is a hassle. Nothing is ever simple.
There have also been unplanned activities to occupy my time such as ball games. My grandson (Billy) played high school baseball for the Seymour Owls and has done quite well. I really enjoy attending the games to watch them play, but that will soon end as he heads off to college this fall. No word yet on whether or not he will play ball in college.
And this past weekend, I played host to my granddaughters, Lexi (12) and Kylie (11), as their parents attended Billy's baseball invitational tournament in Carmel, Indiana, which is located just north of Indianapolis. I did enjoy that, even though they can be quite a handful at times. I raised a boy and a girl, but I think it is different when both siblings are the same sex and very close in age.
I usually have things available to fill the gaps left by the lack of other activities such as TV. I record certain shows I like to watch for when I eat meals, or have nothing else to do. As all of that is done here on my computer, it means I usually eat my meals here in front of the monitors. Lucky for me I have a keyboard that is easy to clean!
Plus there are certain times when I don't want to start an activity which I know I cannot finish due to something else. Like now I am waiting to hear back from the body shop to get an estimate for damage done to my car on April 19th. A friend visiting the neighbor across the street didn't see my car parked in front of my place and backed into it.
Damage was minor, but the door would not open, at least until my son-n-law (Randy) did some minor surgery with a hammer. The insurance company had me contact the shop I wanted to do the repairs for an estimate and pictures, but so far they have not gotten back to me. If they don't contact me by tomorrow morning, I will call and find out what the hold up is. I'm not in a big hurry as I can drive the car, but I do want it fixed.
My car is now parked in my driveway, but even that is a hassle as my oldest granddaughter (Jordan) lives with me and is always parked behind me. Not a problem when she is at work or school, but she sleeps odd hours due to her work schedule, so I never really know if she is asleep or awake and I hate to wake her to move her car. We need an extra set of keys so I can just move it when she is asleep. Another thing to add to my list of things to do that I don't want to do! LOL
And for those of you wondering, yes I am a very lazy person. I basically worked my whole life, (age 15-60), and I can't recall any job that I liked to do, mainly because I don't like to work. And so now that I don't have to work, at least things I don't want to do, I don't do them. I much prefer sitting here typing on a keyboard than doing any kind of manual labor, period!
And my lack of physical activity shows, in both physique and stamina. One of the jobs I was charged with while the girls stayed with me was grocery shopping (another job I hate). The trip around the floor of Walmart about wore me out! Luckily I had the girls to bring in the sacks of food and put them away while I rested. Ah to be young again...
So yes I have things to do, but when you have a brain like mine that consistently makes a better argument for sitting here in my chair, what is a person to do? The power of persuasion is a beautiful thing. It actually doesn't take much of an argument as I already prefer doing nothing rather than something that involves me getting out of this chair.
My daughter (Autumn), bless her heart, tries to make me stay active, but it's a losing battle. I am the poster child for the lazy american. Having been this way all my life, it is very difficult to make changes now, especially since I don't really have to.
Let me rephrase that just a bit, there is nothing I want to do. I have a Buick out in the garage, just sitting
there waiting to be worked on. In fact I started draining the oil the other day to change it, but I simply left the plug out and it has been draining ever since. I think it is no doubt drained by now.
I need to put the drain plug back in and remove the oil filter to completely finish the process. Then I need a new oil filter to replace the old one, but that means I have to drive all the way (a few blocks) to the O'Reilly auto parts store (they have one in stock), to buy one. But my gas light is on, so that means I have to get gas, and that is a hassle. Nothing is ever simple.
There have also been unplanned activities to occupy my time such as ball games. My grandson (Billy) played high school baseball for the Seymour Owls and has done quite well. I really enjoy attending the games to watch them play, but that will soon end as he heads off to college this fall. No word yet on whether or not he will play ball in college.
 |
| Kylie |
 |
| Lexi |
I usually have things available to fill the gaps left by the lack of other activities such as TV. I record certain shows I like to watch for when I eat meals, or have nothing else to do. As all of that is done here on my computer, it means I usually eat my meals here in front of the monitors. Lucky for me I have a keyboard that is easy to clean!
Plus there are certain times when I don't want to start an activity which I know I cannot finish due to something else. Like now I am waiting to hear back from the body shop to get an estimate for damage done to my car on April 19th. A friend visiting the neighbor across the street didn't see my car parked in front of my place and backed into it.Damage was minor, but the door would not open, at least until my son-n-law (Randy) did some minor surgery with a hammer. The insurance company had me contact the shop I wanted to do the repairs for an estimate and pictures, but so far they have not gotten back to me. If they don't contact me by tomorrow morning, I will call and find out what the hold up is. I'm not in a big hurry as I can drive the car, but I do want it fixed.
My car is now parked in my driveway, but even that is a hassle as my oldest granddaughter (Jordan) lives with me and is always parked behind me. Not a problem when she is at work or school, but she sleeps odd hours due to her work schedule, so I never really know if she is asleep or awake and I hate to wake her to move her car. We need an extra set of keys so I can just move it when she is asleep. Another thing to add to my list of things to do that I don't want to do! LOL
And for those of you wondering, yes I am a very lazy person. I basically worked my whole life, (age 15-60), and I can't recall any job that I liked to do, mainly because I don't like to work. And so now that I don't have to work, at least things I don't want to do, I don't do them. I much prefer sitting here typing on a keyboard than doing any kind of manual labor, period!
 |
| This is what I need! |
And my lack of physical activity shows, in both physique and stamina. One of the jobs I was charged with while the girls stayed with me was grocery shopping (another job I hate). The trip around the floor of Walmart about wore me out! Luckily I had the girls to bring in the sacks of food and put them away while I rested. Ah to be young again...
So yes I have things to do, but when you have a brain like mine that consistently makes a better argument for sitting here in my chair, what is a person to do? The power of persuasion is a beautiful thing. It actually doesn't take much of an argument as I already prefer doing nothing rather than something that involves me getting out of this chair.
My daughter (Autumn), bless her heart, tries to make me stay active, but it's a losing battle. I am the poster child for the lazy american. Having been this way all my life, it is very difficult to make changes now, especially since I don't really have to.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Been Awhile
Felt like posting on my blog today, first time in a long time. What caused this sudden desire to peck on my keyboard? This article I read in USA Today. Having visited 5 cities in the top ten, I felt somewhat qualified to make a comment or two.
#9 - Washington D.C.
It has been a long time since I've been to our nation's capital, but I do remember it well. Having been there several times, my worst recollection of driving here was entering and leaving the city, always a hassle. Traveling around in the city itself was bad, but no worse than any other major city in the country in my opinion.
On some visits,we rode the train in, but most of our traveling then was by foot. As educational as a visit to this city is, I feel whatever travel misery you suffer here it is worth it. And for the record, Washington D.C. is the 74th largest city by population in the world.
#5 - New York City
Having driven a little in this, the 8th most populated city in the world, I can only say that I agree with the article which places NYC 5th on their list. The highways are very crowded, but where I drove (entering via George Washinton bridge and driving north to Yonkers), the people seemed to be courteous and somewhat forgiving of tourists. No doubt driving in downtown Manhattan might not have been the same experience, but that is to be expected, I would think.
We did walk across the Brooklyn bridge and traffic there seemed to be moving at a good pace. No doubt not a rush-hour situation, but during the afternoon on the weekend instead. During our visit, all transportation in and out and around the city was by bus, trains and feet! Another educational experience, I'm glad I went and would like to go back again.
#3 - San Francisco
Number 3 in the top 10 worst, San Francisco isn't all that bad in my opinion. Of course I was only a passenger in the front seat of the car we were in, but I think you get a better perspective on how the traffic is this way. San Francisco-San Jose is listed as the 55th largest city in the world, but this is somewhat deceptive as Oakland is also part of the metropolitan area.
We drove in from the north on highway 101 and crossed into the city via the Golden Gate bridge. One of the best views I can ever remember. Once in the city we traveled by bus around the city and took a boat out to Alcatraz island. We exited the city to the south, again via highway 101, and to my way of thinking, the traffic didn't seem as bad as it did in NYC. Maybe it was different for the driver.
By the way, San Jose is number 7 on the list, but I included my impressions in with San Francisco. If it weren't for the signs, you would never know you left one city and entered another.
#1 - Los Angeles
Hands down, no doubt about it, the worst city I have ever driven in. I've been to LA twice now, once as the driver and once as the front seat passenger and both times I saw nothing that would cause me to think any differently.
As the 17th most populated city in the world, LA is spread out a lot more than most large cities. Most of the metro area is comprised of many smaller towns and cities, so it almost seems like you are in one huge city instead of many small ones.
Regardless of how it's laid out, it is crowded, have no doubt about that. Freeways going in all directions and mostly bumper to bumper, even if the speed does increase to the posted limit now and then. And driving on the surface streets in and around town is the worse. All you see are vehicles, everywhere you look!
I also found the drivers to be very rude, especially to those who are from places other than LA. It's almost like a competition to find an open spot on the freeway where someone will let you in. I have no desire to return to this city anytime soon.
Another large city you might expect to be on this list is Chicago, considering it is the 28th most populated city in the world, but apparently that is not the case. All of my trips in and around Chicago were most pleasant for such a large city. I guess midwesterners know how to keep things moving along!
#9 - Washington D.C.
It has been a long time since I've been to our nation's capital, but I do remember it well. Having been there several times, my worst recollection of driving here was entering and leaving the city, always a hassle. Traveling around in the city itself was bad, but no worse than any other major city in the country in my opinion.
On some visits,we rode the train in, but most of our traveling then was by foot. As educational as a visit to this city is, I feel whatever travel misery you suffer here it is worth it. And for the record, Washington D.C. is the 74th largest city by population in the world.
Having driven a little in this, the 8th most populated city in the world, I can only say that I agree with the article which places NYC 5th on their list. The highways are very crowded, but where I drove (entering via George Washinton bridge and driving north to Yonkers), the people seemed to be courteous and somewhat forgiving of tourists. No doubt driving in downtown Manhattan might not have been the same experience, but that is to be expected, I would think.
We did walk across the Brooklyn bridge and traffic there seemed to be moving at a good pace. No doubt not a rush-hour situation, but during the afternoon on the weekend instead. During our visit, all transportation in and out and around the city was by bus, trains and feet! Another educational experience, I'm glad I went and would like to go back again.
#3 - San Francisco
Number 3 in the top 10 worst, San Francisco isn't all that bad in my opinion. Of course I was only a passenger in the front seat of the car we were in, but I think you get a better perspective on how the traffic is this way. San Francisco-San Jose is listed as the 55th largest city in the world, but this is somewhat deceptive as Oakland is also part of the metropolitan area.
We drove in from the north on highway 101 and crossed into the city via the Golden Gate bridge. One of the best views I can ever remember. Once in the city we traveled by bus around the city and took a boat out to Alcatraz island. We exited the city to the south, again via highway 101, and to my way of thinking, the traffic didn't seem as bad as it did in NYC. Maybe it was different for the driver.
By the way, San Jose is number 7 on the list, but I included my impressions in with San Francisco. If it weren't for the signs, you would never know you left one city and entered another.
#1 - Los Angeles
Hands down, no doubt about it, the worst city I have ever driven in. I've been to LA twice now, once as the driver and once as the front seat passenger and both times I saw nothing that would cause me to think any differently.
As the 17th most populated city in the world, LA is spread out a lot more than most large cities. Most of the metro area is comprised of many smaller towns and cities, so it almost seems like you are in one huge city instead of many small ones.
Regardless of how it's laid out, it is crowded, have no doubt about that. Freeways going in all directions and mostly bumper to bumper, even if the speed does increase to the posted limit now and then. And driving on the surface streets in and around town is the worse. All you see are vehicles, everywhere you look!
I also found the drivers to be very rude, especially to those who are from places other than LA. It's almost like a competition to find an open spot on the freeway where someone will let you in. I have no desire to return to this city anytime soon.
Monday, January 14, 2013
January Update
Where have I been? Good question. I've been here, but either there wasn't anything to write about or I just didn't feel like writing about it. And no, there is nothing wrong with me, except the usual wintertime blues that happens to so many this time of the year.
I didn't feel like driving my car too far from home until it was fixed, so that meant no road trips to report on. The holidays were busy times and even though it was nice, I just didn't have time or the desire to write about it.
But thanks to Randy and Autumn, the car is once again functioning properly, for the most part, and I've even managed to drive to Vevay within the last week or so. Mom's birthday (86th) was the 8th, so I went down last Friday to take her out for lunch. Of course a trip to Wal-Mart was part of the deal so it ended up taking most of the day.
My sister Judy went along when we went to eat at Jewell's On Main in Warsaw, KY, but she didn't feel like making the trip to Madison for the Wal-Mart run. Can't say I blame her for that, I would have gotten out of it myself if at all possible.
Ordered and received the pair of hubs for the rear wheels on the car, so once the time is right and the weather decides to stay warm, they will be installed. Not a bad deal as I got both for $79.95 shipped and that includes a 2 year warranty.
The place I got them, 1AAuto on the web, even provides videos on how to change them out. It looks to be easy enough to do, so hopefully that can be accomplished before too long. I think if it makes a big difference I may go ahead and order ones for the front as well, but that can wait a bit.
The weather has been a little odd, after a couple of days of 60 degree high's, woke up this morning to 20 degrees showing on the Weatherbug app. Brrrrr, that's quite a change. I wanted to stay curled up in my bed where it was warm, but I got up instead.
I didn't feel like driving my car too far from home until it was fixed, so that meant no road trips to report on. The holidays were busy times and even though it was nice, I just didn't have time or the desire to write about it.
But thanks to Randy and Autumn, the car is once again functioning properly, for the most part, and I've even managed to drive to Vevay within the last week or so. Mom's birthday (86th) was the 8th, so I went down last Friday to take her out for lunch. Of course a trip to Wal-Mart was part of the deal so it ended up taking most of the day.
My sister Judy went along when we went to eat at Jewell's On Main in Warsaw, KY, but she didn't feel like making the trip to Madison for the Wal-Mart run. Can't say I blame her for that, I would have gotten out of it myself if at all possible.
Ordered and received the pair of hubs for the rear wheels on the car, so once the time is right and the weather decides to stay warm, they will be installed. Not a bad deal as I got both for $79.95 shipped and that includes a 2 year warranty.
The place I got them, 1AAuto on the web, even provides videos on how to change them out. It looks to be easy enough to do, so hopefully that can be accomplished before too long. I think if it makes a big difference I may go ahead and order ones for the front as well, but that can wait a bit.
The weather has been a little odd, after a couple of days of 60 degree high's, woke up this morning to 20 degrees showing on the Weatherbug app. Brrrrr, that's quite a change. I wanted to stay curled up in my bed where it was warm, but I got up instead.
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