The relatively new way to stow bags in airline overhead bins

Posted By on September 25, 2022

JezBagFinding enough overhead bin space for carry-on luggage is a problem for a lot of travelers who dislike checking bags, waiting at the carousel … or even worse, dealing with lost luggage.

More and more airlines have or are updating their overhead bins to accommodate more carry-on luggage, but travelers have been slow to catch on to putting their bags on their sides rather than flat – often because the bag don’t look as if they will fit.

The taco analogy only goes so far, but I personally think the “stow your bags like a book” makes a little more sense … but then again, most books are taller than deep???

Check out the WSJ article on the subject: WSJDropDownBins

Squeezing everything into a carry-on bag is challenging enough. All that work goes out the window if there isn’t enough room for your bag in the overhead bin.

Airlines and airplane manufacturers have invested vast sums designing bins that fit more bags. But they’re running into a problem: Some passengers can’t figure out how to use them. Flight attendants are spending extra time rearranging bags before departure and repeatedly making announcements about how to stow them correctly. 

A growing number of planes have larger, drop-down bins, which fit one to two more bags each and reduce the number of gate-checked bags. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines have them on more than 80% of their planes excluding regional jets and United Airlines says the majority of its fleet will have them by 2025. Southwest Airlines, a major holdout, will join the club next year. American says it has seen a 30% decline in gate-checked bags since introducing the bigger bins.

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Who knew? Prairie dogs used the Bernoulli principle

Posted By on September 24, 2022

Prairie_Dog_WasIn order to ensure sufficient oxygen within their burrow, prairie dogs use the Bernoulli’s principle. One of the entrances is built with a raised mound of dirt, while the other is not. This determines different wind velocities and different pressures. (Massimo – @Rainmaker1973)

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Bernoulli flow and viscous entrainment were identified by the researchers as the processes acting on the crater mound. These create a higher velocity flow at v1, and so negative pressure gradient from one end, which draws fresher external air right through the structure.

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Tech Friday: A Versa 2 smartwatch and setting up Fitbit Pay

Posted By on September 23, 2022

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It has taken me a while, but after updating my Fitbit Versa smartwatch a couple weeks ago, I couldn’t be happier with the “at the time” difficult decision. Once before, my original was replaced under warranty (free) but with the same Versa (1) smartwatch which really did serve me well. Lesson: Watches and gadgets do not last forever … and I sense we’ll Versa2Replacement220824soon be seeing this with battery powered cars too … GULP! 

This go-around, I’m giving Fitbit Pay a try since it is supported on the “new to me” Versa 2 smartwatch – it was not available on the original Fitbit Versa. For the record, having struggled whether to switch to an Apple Watch or not, a watch with 4+ day battery life for half the price won out for now … even though it would be nice to have a watch fully integrated with other Apple devices.

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Back to Fitbit Pay

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A few years ago, Taylor moved to Williston, ND #TBT

Posted By on September 22, 2022

A lot has happened in 9 short yearsbut it has been NINE years! Where does the time go?

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While cleaning out a few miscellaneous files and moving RTB_WilliamsCty40719a few photos off my iMac’s upgraded SSHD and to cloud storage only, I noticed a few of my son Taylor after his move to Williston, ND. It was a challenging move for him, but both a great first career position and confidence building opportunity. So for a Throwback Thursday #TBT memory during my visit in September 2013 to help him settle in, here’s one of Taylor with Lake Sakakawea in the background (mostly positive memories (our trip 9 months later in 2014), but it is much better to have him back in Ohio).

Who doesn’t love an illusion that messes with your mind?

Posted By on September 21, 2022

The triangle with the missing block … explained (below the break).

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Taylor’s slow move, galls autumn oak leaves and pool pump

Posted By on September 20, 2022

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TaylorCondominium220918After helping Taylor move a few larger things over to his new condominium last weekend, he sent a photo of his still bare living room, but it is coming together. The TV is working so he could watch the 2022 losing Cincinnati Bengals (now 0-2) on Sunday afternoon. He has been slowing moving boxes of things from his 2015 move back to Cincinnati apartment a few minutes away, but is waiting on a couple of moving guys to haul his sectional couch, buffet, dressers and bed. It is a good call considering the two stories down from his apartment and 3 stories up a VERY narrow staircase into his condo. It was even a challenge getting a couple of items like the TV and headboard I made for him up to his new place. All in all though, I LadyBug220918think he will be pretty happy with his new place since it currently fits his urban lifestyle (we are definitely different people).

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It also feels as if autumn is here. No more swimming, the grass is greening back up and the squirrels are working overtime gathering mouthfuls of acorns. The oak leaves have ladybugs which I hope are eating the wasp larva (?) that show up as orange galls on the oak leaves (read this).

As for chores around the house last weekend, I was irritated to have received the wrong gasket kit to rebuild our older Sta-Rite swimming pool pump (hopefully this will be the correct one?)

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There are too many models and they are not well listed when trying to shop for them … but the good news is that the new bearing are into my rebuilt electric motor and it purrs smoothly … I now have a spare 1-1/2 HP pool pump motor when the new one starts chattering (and from experience, it will in about 5 years). 

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Hurricane Fiona batters Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic

Posted By on September 19, 2022

PR_Flooding_Fiona220919Power is out in Puerto Rico with two-feet of rainfall after Hurricane Fiona came ashore. The Dominican Republic was saturated as well with flash flooding and mudslides as the category 2 hurricane slowly moved off the norther shore. As it moves over open water, it is forecast to strengthen as it passes Turks and Caicos on Tuesday to become the season’s first major hurricane in the Atlantic for 2022. Forecasters have it curving northeast out to sea and perhaps threatening Bermuda later this week.

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Music Monday: “ABC” and some early Jackson 5 #video

Posted By on September 19, 2022

Jackson_5_tv_special_1972The trigger for today’s Jackson 5 song “ABC” was due to hearing it as segment music on Fox Business last week. It triggered a memory of the choreographed “five-some” dancing and singing back on 1970’s TV, although I don’t recall watching them very much.

Nevertheless, hearing them and watching a young Michael Jackson had me remembering why they were popular … and particularly why “he” became a superstar. So for today’s Music Monday, here’s  a live recording of “ABC” from YouTube.

More repairing: Dowels to strengthen a broken table leg

Posted By on September 18, 2022

Who hasn’t needed to repair, or re-repair, a broken piece of furniture? In today’s world, most furniture, as well as other items, are throw-away after they break, TableLegRepair220915but there are still a few of us who enjoy getting the last few useable years out of a well worn piece of furniture.

My like-minded son-in-law showed me the once repaired and broken again coffee table leg used in a basement play area while we were up visiting our granddaughters last weekend. I was reminded by Brenda that this was the table that fell out of the back of her RAV4 years ago while she was moving it. In other words, it has seen some serious abuse.

The broken leg was glue repaired once before, but without the strength of the wood, broke again. This time I brought it home to add three dowels and then clamped and glued again with a favorite waterproof glueTitebond IIInot that it needs to be waterproof. Hopefully adding the three dowel pins will give it nearly original strength and take the abuse of a basement play area? We shall see?

The enticement emails from HelloFresh.com worked

Posted By on September 17, 2022

Having initially enjoyed the weekly meal offering from Hello Fresh, the menu started to get a little stale as new items began to resemble previous meals. PorkTacos220915With inflation at the grocery store (and the fuel and time cost), the price was somewhat less of a gripe, but both of us started to notice fewer and a cheapening of the included ingredients; also less freshness of the produce. I am hoping that this is just a shipping issue or summer heat related???

After several enticements to come back after we canceled in August, we accepted a recent subscription discount to rejoin again. Unfortunately the last couple of meals were still repetitive. Top that off with last nights wilted cilantro used to garnish the top the “One-Pan Sweet & Spicy Cashew Pork Tacos” … and I continued to be a bit disappointed (but the meal was still tasty).

We will give the subscription a little longer, but they need to show some improvement if we are continue in the face of tightening our budget in the face of a recession. BTW, send me a message if you want a discount code  for a free meal. 

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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.
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