Hurricanes Matthew prep a priority for Florida and Encore

Posted By on October 4, 2016

hurricanematthew161004amThe Category 4 Hurricane Matthew is wreaking havoc on Haiti with 145 mph wind and up to 40 inches of rain, I’m keeping a close eye on new projections that put this powerful storm way too close to Encore.  

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Thankfully my good friend Mark called me last night and offered to add a couple of extra lines and take down the Sunbrella covering that I left up this year. It would definitely get damaged even in tropical storm force winds, let along something of hurricane strength! This storm is sure to impact everyone along the Florida east coast and from what I’m hearing, the entire eastern seaboard of the U.S.

Phone scams, Do-not-call lists and IRS fraud

Posted By on October 4, 2016

Mail fraud and phone scams are ongoing problems if you live in the U.S. unless you are lucky enough to ndncrlogoexist under a rock. Throughout the years I’ve been targeted by shady hoodlums looking to make a quick buck using fraud and deceit as a way to access money or more information. Likely these criminals pickup databases of phone numbers, addresses and accumulated personal information found freely online, or less "freely" from hackers doing business on the dark web. Years ago I was able to track down a company in Atlanta that carelessly released my personal information which ended up in sinister hands (credit and bank fraud before banks put many safeguards in place). The source was computer hardware auctioned off after a short-lived online bank closed their doors. Careless for sure … and obviously they were not quite as careful to BleachBit my personal information as someone else we’ve IRSSCAMREPORTINGall been hearing about.
Winking smile 
After eliminating our home landline phone some years ago and registering our cells and my business lines on the Do Not Call Registry, the number of calls decrease. Unfortunately this year the incidents have picked up again and I’ve opted to fill out the complaint form on the Do Not Call Registry and more recently the US Tresury.gov Inspector General forms for this most recent IRS Impersonation Scam.

Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration Jan 20, 2016 Press Release

  Voicemails from IRS Scam requesting a return phone call – 10/3/16

My expectations for any kind of resolution are low due to the bureaucracy that is our government (I’m also sure they overwhelmed with complaints), but without an involved citizenry, there is really little room to complain.

We will see if anything comes of my complaint … or if some do-good vigilante hacker decides to calls 917-341-2116 on their own and turns the tables on them I’m betting that I wouldn’t be the only one wryly grinning. Maybe Donald Trump had it right on Monday (10/3/2016) with going on the offensive when it comes to cyber security and cyber warfare?

Boat generator and securing cage project ready for Encore

Posted By on October 3, 2016

IMG_7657The generator "security cage" project for our sailboat Encore is ready to be installed. I’m not fond of making a few more holes in the deck, but it needs to be done.

The final touches (minus adding Velcro) were taken care of this past weekend. That included softening the aluminum edges, adding shrink tubing to the matched keyed brass/stainless Brinks locks (keeps them from rattling), making a longer cord, final fitting and sanding the seat/workbench/fish cleaning board … and sewing the Sunbrella cover … with Brenda’s sewing machine!

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To the casual eye, it may look as if the generator would slide out even when locked in place, but the handle of the Honda EU2000i fits up into the "seat section" and locks the generator to the deck. It can’t be move out of the "open" cage without breaking something.

Positioning on the aft deck is something to ponder as well. I’m hoping it will fit on the starboard aft since I may add a wind generator in the future and it would be nice to be able to step on the generator cage in order to reach an additional 18" up the mast. I’m not sure exactly how it might all fit, but since the battery bank in starboard and the solar panel already has wire going into the starboard cockpit locker, that would make the most sense. Besides, the outboard motor hang on the port side rail and there is an access gate through the lifelines in the center. Of course a lot will have to do with where it will fit.

Keeping a close eye on Hurricane Matthew – 10/02/2016 1

Posted By on October 2, 2016

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Customer service, car covers, warranties and cheap wire

Posted By on October 2, 2016

b2blogo2This past week I’ve made a few frustrating online transactions and purchases. First, in dealing with NewEgg, I attempted to use a credit on my business account and decided to handled it on the phone with customer service rather than risk it online. I explained that I was using a "store credit" and wanted to pay the difference with a credit card. The transaction went through, but the credit did not … so I called back to adjust and instead the next customer service rep voided the order entirely and processed a credit. He then indicated the credit could take up to a VanCoverTWO160929week to be issued and appear. Great … the purchase was canceled … my card charged and won’t be credited for a full week! He then attempted to process a repeat order this time applying the credit and notified me that the item was "out of stock" and that that I should call back next week. Unbelievable!

On to problem number two:

I bought a replacement cover for my 2001 Honda Odyssey which I leave in the harsh sun of Florida November thru June. Last year’s cover made it only one season and did not come with a warranty, that I know of? So this year, I opted to try a cover from BudgeIndustries who offer a hard to believe 10-year warranty. It seems like a long time for an outdoor car cover, BudgeIndustriesCarCover2016but it will be interesting to see if they stand behind it? The cover looks to be slightly better material, but lacks the straps that go under the car, the mirror pockets and I noticed some sloppy stitching(see circled photo above). I’m hoping they will stand by their warranty.

Finally problem three:

I’m completing the Generator Cage project, I realized the really nice power cord my friend Mark gave me was going to be too short. After pricing the wire locally, I "foolishly" opted to pick up some cheaper wire on eBay … and NOW I know why it was cheap. The exterior coating that is usually a solid rubber material and protects the heavier stranded 10 ga wire inside was somewhat brittle. On bending it, it cracks easily and does little to protect the wires inside. In fact the insulation on the wires inside aren’t anything to write home about either — likely made in China with very questionable materials (cheap, cheap, cheap). The cost to return this fairly heavy wire would be too much so opted to use it for my home generator extension … where I won’t be flexing or walking on it regularly. To top it all off, I paid for 20 feet and received what looks to me about 19-1/2 feet.

The old adage is true in this case … "you get what you pay for."

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Saving the Sailrite “How to make a Dodger” video playlist

Posted By on October 1, 2016

Sailrite has years of on and off water How-To YouTube Videos

Jamaica prepares for the strongest Atlantic hurricane since 2007

Posted By on October 1, 2016

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Hurricane Matthew grew into a powerful Category 5 storm late Friday building strength as it crossed the Caribbean Sea and heading north. Jamaica is preparing to get the brunt of a projected landfall on Monday but the first effects will be felt as early as Saturday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center has described Matthew as the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic since Felix in 2007.

TechFriday: The New Raspberry Pi OS Is Here and it looks great

Posted By on September 30, 2016

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The New Splash Screen Replaces the Old Cryptic Boot Messages

The Raspberry Pi’s main operating system, Raspbian, just got a brand new look from the Raspberry Pi Foundation. Dubbed PIXEL, it’s a skin for Raspbian that modernises the interface, adds some new programs and makes it much more pleasant to use. Click for a full review from Lifehacker Australia: The New Raspberry Pi OS Is Here, And It Looks Great

Daily Chuckle: Pi Rats of the Caribbean

Posted By on September 30, 2016

pi_rats_of_the_caribbeanI’ve been holding this somewhat humorous mathematician napkin-art for a "fill the day" post.

It takes the "Dumb Dad Joke" one step further into nerddom … but no, it is not my handiwork and I’m not sure who deserves the blame or credit!
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Transmission cooler hose? Once again, AAA pays for itself!

Posted By on September 29, 2016

While coming home from work at 9:30PM Tuesday night, Brenda called and said something didn’t feel right about our 2006 Honda Pilot. No unusual warning lights besides the "wrench" indicating we were due for an oil change, but the RPM were revving high. I stayed on the phone until she turn down our street and that was as far as she could get. AAA_towingHondaPilot

So I grabbed my tow strap and headed down the street in the trusty John Deere 330  lawn tractor. When I got to the SUV, it was surrounded by a cloud of smoke … smelling of transmission fluid. By the time I reach under the front bummer in the dark, it was apparent something was leaking … as Republican Presidential hopeful Donald Trump would say: "Bigly" or is it "Big League." 

I suspect it could be as something as simple as a transmission cooler line … we’ll see … as it is off to Mr. Godwrench today?

On Wednesday morning, the AAA tow guy rolling in as the rain started …and our PLUS membership again has paid for itself. My advice to those driving cars with higher miles (ours seem to always be over 200,000) is to get some kind of towing coverage, be it through your insurance, a club membership or AAA because "cars are breaking down at record rates."

On a side note, the tow guy commented that he drives high mileage cars too … then proceeded to tell me his current current daily driver is a 1998 Volkswagen Jetta TDI with 325,000 miles. I smiled and asked if he knew about the TDIClub … he said yes and has been wanting to get together with the local CinciTDI group (obviously we ended up talking another 20 minutes).
Winking smile

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