TechFriday: Twitter updates 140 character count rules

| March 31, 2017

Last year, the social networking company Twitter announced it would begin changing the requirement that all tweets could only contain 140 characters. They started with not counting characters of the media attachments or @ replies. Some users are concerned that Twitter will stray too far from its roots as a public text messaging service tool. […]

Distracted by our granddaughter and the kitchen project

| March 30, 2017

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It would be hard to throw this water heater robot away …

| March 29, 2017

Passwords and protecting your digital data

| March 29, 2017

We all struggle with ease of use and security when using a computer and online services … what’s the best way? That’s likely a debatable question since we want easy access, but don’t want our data compromised – "how easy is too easy?" What we do know is that a simple or "no" password is […]

Recalculations, cabinet modification and flaws

| March 28, 2017

The kitchen remodeling hit a snag today as the custom cabinet that was suppose to fit the new Bosch double-oven was way off. I’m not sure why it was off because the specifications sheet for the oven was sent to the manufacture, but it wasn’t even close. The "fix" is that the installer will butcher […]

Mood enhancing photos – Sunsets and Annalyn

| March 27, 2017

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Music Monday: Rocket Man recorded in the bluegrass sound

| March 27, 2017

What do you get when you mix 1960s space history, some classic 1972 Elton John music and a twist of Bluegrass flair? Rocket Man with banjos and country harmony! Good stuff.

So much for economical tax preparation software this year

| March 26, 2017

Two years ago, Intuit’s Turbo Tax software tried their "money grab" in attempted to strong-arming their long-time and new customers into paying substantial more to use their software to file their 2014 taxes. The CEO took to the Internet and made an apology and stepped up to Intuit’s greedy "mistake." One would think that competitors […]

Every Vloging sailor needs a friend and a schtick

| March 25, 2017

Just when you think you’ve heard and read it all when it comes to sailing and telling the story … Guirec Soudée and his chicken Monique goes one step further. Crazy. The adventure of Monique & Guirec Our adventure is going global! Thank you all for your support! Notre aventure se mondialise! Merci à tous […]

Archive: Photos after kitchen project week ONE

| March 25, 2017

Just a few photos from Thursday and Friday after the first week of kitchen demolition and construction. A few more prior to the cabinets below to archive the project.   Dent in our new refrigerator    

TechFriday: Lots of hype, lots of early backers for MAGFAST

| March 24, 2017

A couple years ago I backed Seymour Segnit’s ThingCharger project and was very pleased with the “plug-charger” gizmos. After learning from his previous launch, the sharp marketer is giving a new “system project” a try. Take two, if you will. This time he has added and improved the earlier design and added a “kit” worth […]

Sleepy Beauty and PROGRESS on the 2017 Kitchen Project

| March 23, 2017

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Robocalls are on the rise, even on the Do Not Call Registry

| March 22, 2017

Well the FTC has some simple advice for those "still" receiving robocalls even when on the Do Not Call List or Registry. Most of us continue to receive unwanted calls on landlines and cellphones, even we are on the registry (and have renewed). It is illegal unless you have giving the caller written permission. Many […]

Let the kitchen remodeling and upgrades begin … finally!

| March 21, 2017

Finally, our long awaited kitchen project begins in earnest. Monday was what Fixer Upper’s Chip and Joanna Gaines call "Demo Day." Our long and drawn out updates and upgrades are finally starting and have grown in both design changes and cost as the weeks have grown into months … if not years! We really started […]

A beautiful sunrise, then storms – and retweeted tweets

| March 20, 2017

It was dark for a panoramic iPhone5 photo, but while doing my "last bag" garbage run this morning, I couldn’t resist a photo of the sunrise while the lightning was cracking to the west. Within an hour it was pouring rain and became a dreary, damp day. On a social networking technology note, it is […]

A Music Monday Two-fer – but still out of the 1970s

| March 20, 2017

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Simple hack for cleaning the gutters

| March 19, 2017

Although using a leaf blower may be more fun in cleaning the gutters, it can make a mess of everything below. I generally use rubber gloves, but in the end always slice them up and end up with a bare hand anyway. Here’s a great idea: Cut an anti-freeze or similar shaped plastic gallon jug […]

Forgotten and leftover from Christmas 2016

| March 19, 2017

My son Taylor is geography and map kind of guy so I gave him a mag-lift spinning globe for his desk for Christmas 2016. His interests and innate sense of direction is probably why he pursued “Urban Planning and now coordinates development for Clermont County Ohio as a county planner. Anyway, I had forgotten that […]

Annalyn makes iPad and iPhone Wallpaper updates everyday

| March 18, 2017

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Our 2010 BMW X5 35d is now officially a great road trip vehicle

| March 18, 2017

We’ve taken a enough longer road trips in the 2010 BMW X5 35d now to officially declare it an outstanding road car … no surprise really. The driving characteristics of this 5000+ pound SUV are enjoyable since the handling is tight, interior space excellent, ride comfort “so-so” and highway power substantial. I don’t really want to […]

Hammock time on a sailboat from Sailing Britaly

| March 17, 2017

TechFriday: Use an iPhone as a magnifying glass

| March 17, 2017

The Magnifier is a simple but overlooked feature on an iPhone. The setting is found in Settings > General > Accessibility. Turn “Magnifier” on. Then simply press the home button three times anywhere on the iPhone — either on the lock screen, the home screen, or in an app.

Cute video of Annalyn with a little bit of snow

| March 16, 2017

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It is never too early for Annalyn to start reading a GOOD book

| March 15, 2017

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US Customs Border Protection airport search powers

| March 14, 2017

This story has been updated to add that Customs and Border Protection agents must have probable cause of wrongdoing to make stops outside the 100-mile border zone within which they have broad search powers. A NASA scientist heading home to the U.S. said he was detained in January at a Houston airport, where Customs and […]

A timeline of US immigration from theSkimm

| March 13, 2017

The US has been going through immigration policy mood swings since the American Revolution. At first, only “free white persons” can become citizens. And over the next several decades, immigration (mostly from Europe) is fairly free flowing, because Thomas Jefferson and friends want more people to come party in the USA. In 1868, an NBD […]

We are so blessed to have such a beautiful granddaughter

| March 12, 2017

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It does not get much better than being a grandparent

| March 11, 2017

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One of the more hilarious BBC interview interuptions

| March 10, 2017

Pondering the last few items we still need for the kitchen project

| March 8, 2017

While waiting for the new kitchen cabinets to be built and delivered, the final decisions need to be made on the under counter lighting, faucets and backsplash tiles. The latter has become quite the struggle. The kitchen designer who is helping has picked a glass tile with a tint of green, but the opinions from […]

How many germs are passed around on airplanes?

| March 7, 2017

Interesting tidbits posted to Marketwatch … I’m thinking a "bottle of water" might be my request the next time I travel? Don’t get ice in your drink on an airplane From a flight attendant here: “Don’t get ice in your drink, don’t drink coffee, tea, or hot water on the plane and don’t touch anything […]

Music Monday: Escaping from my 1970s rut with Yo La Tengo

| March 6, 2017

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Our first granddaughter was born on March 4 2017

| March 5, 2017

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Cut the cord — and then added a few channels back

| March 4, 2017

Well … so much for cutting the cord as I mentioned in February and contemplating using the Sony Playstation Vue streaming service for the few channels ($30/mo) we wanted to receive that are unavailable over-the-air. We never really got to that point since the local antenna channels seemed way too slow in changing and somewhat […]

B-E-A-U– tiful boat!

| March 3, 2017

Just a filler post from a photo from Spirit Yachts Ltd., Ipswich 50 “Roving Spirit”

FoxBusiness is growing because of talent like Maria Bartiromo

| March 2, 2017

This kind of interview and polite exchange with Jason Furman is what make Maria Bartiromo one of the best in the business … and why FoxBusiness is beating CNBC. They are now the business news powerhouse … not to mention their sister channel FoxNews had more viewers than any other network during President Trump’s speech […]

Update on BMW X5 35d problems: Battery and tires

| March 1, 2017

Neither of the problems I’m having has anything to do with BMW X5 35d diesel brand since the battery and run-flat tires are both aftermarket items. The AGM replacement battery I installed last year is still hanging in there so long as the weather remains warm (cold cranking amps are sufficient), but it will not hold a […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog