Volkswagen TDI’s “Mickey Mouse Clip” for an automotive #TBT

Posted By on August 1, 2024

Mickey Mouse ClipAs is often the case, I’m often thinking about something that will work for ThrowBack Thursdays #TBT. Here are a couple of photos from 15 or so years ago, one of the “Mickey Mouse Clip” hanging with a couple old license plates that was used in the stock A4 Volkswagen TDI diesel fuel filter. I shared it with a couple of my non-TDI automotive friends and they were stumped. 

I also am including the TDIClub modification that included a 2-micron Caterpillar Diesel filter that fit in the same under the hood location, but offered improved diesel fuel filtration …  and I suspected far more volume of fuel between changes The filters were more reasonably priced than VW filters, so changing at the same VW filter intervals made perfect sense to me. 

Cat2 Diesel Filter

Archive: KDAE vacationing in Minnesota with the Howards

Posted By on July 31, 2024

Kids up in Minnesota Kids on Dock by Sailboat

The Oostras are vacationing back in Minnesota and enjoying time “stomping” around the areas near Minneapolis (and in Wayzata) where they spent a few years early of marriage. They initially spent some time with friends “in the city” then up with cousin Justin and Katie Howard and their family of five now at at their summer lake house. I’m sure the couple of photos were to make me a little jealous (sailboat) and it of course is working. 😊

Katelyn and Drew - Minneapolis MN

EDIT add 7/31/2024: And to make me even more jealous, my nephew Justin sent me a photo of the family sitting by a fire overlooking their lake. Beautiful and relaxing. Does it get any nicer???

Family by the fire with the Howards in MN

EDIT Add: One more photo of the gang together …

Selfie Oostra-Howard photo - Summer 2024

 

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Planning to treat a local Red Fox for Mange with ivermectin

Posted By on July 30, 2024

For a while now I’ve posted WyzeCam videos regarding the wildlife in our area … including coyotes and more recently a relatively bold Red Fox. Oh, he is still skittish and will run away as soon as I open the door or he sees me, but lately I notice he has lost his tail and most of his fur.

Fox in June 2024 Mange Red Fox
    The Red Fox on June 6, 2024 and now the Red Fox without his tail July 24, 2024

The fox definitely does not look the same as he did just two months ago in photos or in this video and likely needs to be treated for Mange

So after some Internet sleuthing, I contacted the Mange by Mail program after emailing back and for with a very friendly and responsive Angel Wintrode, Director & President of Bi-State Wildlife Hotline, Inc. — Home of the Mange by Mail Program.

Thanks for reaching out to us. We received your email and we’re so glad that you’re willing to help. I’m happy that you found us! This is definitely a red fox and mange took his tail.  It’s a common occurrence. But we’d be happy to help you treat him and get him back to his old self! 

The medicine (ivermectin) is in the mail and on its way. I am planning to update as the treatment progresses. For now, I need to figure out how to get this fox to get the meatballs that I’m planning to put out for him. 

Music Monday: Testing something new with SiriusXM app

Posted By on July 29, 2024

cassette deck

Although today’s Music Monday post may seem just a little techie or odd, I’m cassette tapetrying something new using the borrowed iPhone XS and SiriusXM app. It does bring me back to the days of my cassette deck (photo above) and making tapes off the radio (I wish I still had it). I do suspect that a few reading this may be too young to remember “cassette tapes” let alone the stack of stereo HiFi gear to go with a tape deck? Hm, come to think about it, receivers/amps and cars with AM/FM radios may be the next thing to disappear?

Anyway, here’s a short 1 minute snippet of Dobie Gray from the “excellent” summertime listening Yacht Rock Radio channel.

 

BTWDobie Gray’s 1973 “Drift Away” was a Music Monday song back in 2017

A great 100-years-ago story to start the 2024 Olympic games

Posted By on July 28, 2024

Eric Liddell - WikipediaWith the Summer Olympic games starting in Paris, France this July 2024, people around the world are glued to their televisions for 19 days as the top athletes from each country compete for Gold, Silver and Bronze medals … and as a chance to become Olympic champions.

Gold Silver Bronze Medals

Katelyn shared a story written by Pastor Mark Collins for The Gospel Coalition that highlighted Eric Liddell (some remember from the movie “Chariots Of Fire“) who competed in the Summer Olympics in 1924in Paris, France, 100 years ago.  

There are a host of reasons to remember Liddell. As this summer marks the 100-year anniversary of the 1924 Paris Olympics, we look back on his triumphant victory there in the 400 meters.

That story begins in his rivalry with fellow British sprinter Harold Abrahams, the two entering the Olympics as favorites in both the 100 meters and 200 meters. However, Liddell dropped out of a heat for the 100 meters because it was run on Sunday (a race Abrahams later won).

Perhaps an even greater reason to remember Liddell is his decision to lay aside his athletic career for a higher calling. After returning from Olympic triumph in Paris to overwhelming popular Eric Liddelladulation, he shocked everyone by announcing his intention to return to China as a missionary.

Undoubtedly the greatest reason to remember Liddell is the way his life ended. With the Japanese invasion pressing further into China in 1944, his wife and their two daughters (and another on the way) were sent overseas to avoid danger. In hindsight, the London Missionary Society probably should have sent all the missionaries, but Liddell was convinced he should stay.

Liddell was able to minister for many months until finally he was rounded up with more than 2,000 others and taken to an internment camp in Weixian (the modern city of Weifang). Even there, his ministry flourished. Despite appalling conditions and death all around him, he poured himself into ministry with the young people of the camp.

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Archive: Today is for highlighting my granddaughter Ellerie

Posted By on July 27, 2024

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Tech Friday:Rumors of foldable Apple iPhone inch closer

Posted By on July 26, 2024

Motorola Razr+Galaxy Z Flip 6Although waiting until 2026 is a long time down the road, I’m still interested in a foldable iPhone. Every few month another rumor hints that Apple is working on an iPhone that will fold.

Personally I’m hopefully that it will be a “flip” model as in recent articles, perhaps similar to Motorola’s Razr+ (left) or Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip (right). Who knows what Apple is working on … I assume one iPhone that flips and maybe one that folds along the vertical side for more screen real estate?  I do miss my old favorite, the PalmOS Samsung SPH-i500

illustration of a foldable iPhone - Verge

Anyway, I’m hopeful even though I need to replace the borrowed iPhoneXS that I’m currently using. I’ve already struggled with a discounted iPhone 15 Pro and regretting the lost hours in switching back and forth … but thankfully received a full refund from the vendor who stood behind the sale. Hm … how long can I keep Jeff’s 2018 backup iPhone before he demands it back? 😉 

Apple is working on a “clamshell” design iPhone, similar to the Galaxy Z Flip series, according to a report Tuesday from The Information. The new design, which could be ready as early as 2026, will coincide with Apple’s plans to also release newly improved camera technologies, including a variable aperture, the report added. This feature would allow iPhone camera users to change the amount of light and potential detail the lens captures. The result would create different effects, such as a natural “bokeh” blurred background.

Apple didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

CNET

Investors have have enjoyed markets risings so far in 2024, but tech leaders hit the brakes yesterday – 7/24/2024

Posted By on July 25, 2024

The indices took a dive on Wall Street on Wednesday as the Magnificent Seven tech stocks that have lead the stock market recently, sold off after Alphabet $GOOGL(parent of Google) and Tesla $TSLA disappointed Wednesdaywith earnings. 

As a WSJ live post put it, “the thrashing wiped out hundreds of billions of dollars in market value from the Magnificent Seven stocks.”

Barron’s Advisor commented, “Investors are also likely double-guessing their take on artificial intelligence and whether the massive investments will see the payoff they’ve imagined.”

For those smaller companies (and home shoppers) who have been waiting and wanting to borrow, there is hope on the horizon. An economic slump along with easing inflation may cause the Fed to begin their easing.  Most watchers believe that the Fed will begin lowering rates with a quarter point in September and perhaps go another quarter point by the end of the year.

Who knows, since the economy and relatively stable jobs situation (unemployment rate)  has tolerated the Fed’s attempt to slow the economy.  We’ve been in a much higher inflationary environment than in years past so seeing people continue to spend and travel has been surprising Thinking emojito me (considering goods and services have risen much higher and faster than wages)

Sell off July 24, 2024

My brother and neighbor enjoying their retirement perch fishing

Posted By on July 24, 2024

Ron fishing with Jim RaabSince the earlier post this morning was “private” … for friends and family … it seemed like a good idea to archive another “texted to me” photo from last week.

My brother Ron has been enjoyed trips up to “his” new property (our old property) and reconnecting with neighbors. He sent a photo out perch fishing with Jim Raab on Lake Erie just like the old days and let me know he was enjoying retirement (wow, shocking since 2018). Super nice! 

Archive: A couple summer family photos from last weekend

Posted By on July 24, 2024

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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