Are you addicted to social networks and technology?
Posted By RichC on May 6, 2014
Food for thought …
A poem posted to YouTube by Gary Turk. “Look Up” pertaining to a “Generation of idiots, smartphones and dumb people.”
Paint the old Mercedes Benz with base and clear coat paints
Posted By RichC on May 5, 2014
Sunday afternoon was a perfect time to take a couple of the Mercedes Benz repairs to the next step with AutomotiveTouchup.com paints. Although I’ve painted several cars back in the day we used enamel and lacquer single stage automotive paints, I’ve never used a base coat and clear coat. This was the perfect test.
- Rework the final body filler and primer by wet sanding with 200 grit.
- Final sanding with 400 and then 600 (not shown)
- Apply 3 coats of base tint to match Mercedes “turd” brown.
- Apply 3 coats of clear coat and overspray off the car to blend and gloss.
Opened the pool just in time for the ducks to enjoy
Posted By RichC on May 4, 2014
There was a day when Tootsie (now 15 years old) would not have approved of ducks in the swimming pool … but nowadays she doesn’t even put in the effort to bark, let alone give chase. How times have changed.
Monkeying with animated GIFs … pun intended
Posted By RichC on May 4, 2014
Playing around with a couple video clips where a monkey and a kangaroo punch. I turned them into animated GIFs and then HTML5 using GFYCAT.com — just techie fun.
We are the one-percenters when it comes to history
Posted By RichC on May 3, 2014
The LearnLiberty.org YouTube channel is one of the better online timewasters learning tools when it comes to educational web surfing. I particularly enjoy the variety of subject matters and guests who contribute to making the short and concise content. In the video below, Professor Deirdre McCluskey points out the radical change innovation made in our standard of living and comparative wealth in the “1% of history.” Prior to 1800, we have remained “poor” and, earning adjusted for inflation, remained fix throughout recorded time until two changes in Holland and England happened: economic liberty and social honor for inventors, merchants and manufactures. In the United States such “liberty” caused wages to change from $3/day to $120/day. So looking at the big picture, we are the one-percenters of history and have 99% of the wealth. Check out the video and check out LearnLiberty.org.
Michael Bloomberg on the Feds actions and wealth inequality
Posted By RichC on May 2, 2014
Love him or hate him, billionaire “business magnate, politician and philanthropist” Michael Bloomberg clearly understands the effect the Federal Reserve has when it comes to pumping money into the economy. So simple and so true when it comes to who benefits the most from government trying to solve business and wealth inequity problems. He is equally as clear when it comes to creating jobs and what happens when government goes “taking from the top and giving to the bottom.” This one minute CNBC clip is well worth the listen.
| A one-minute CNBC snippet with Michael Bloomberg – 5/2/2014 |
TechFriday: A better way to handle animated gifs – GFYCAT.com
Posted By RichC on May 2, 2014
I’m not a big fan of animated GIFs primarily due to the hosting and viewing overhead (large file size), not to mention their usually annoying content. But GFYCAT.com resizing web site which significantly reduces the size and associated overhead with such large files can make sharing them a tad bit easier.
The simple web app resizes plump GIFs, or even video clips to a fraction of the original size using HTML5 video code. The “hatched robin eggs” example is an iPhone5 trimmed 6-second video plumped as an animated GIF to 7MB. It was uploaded and compressed by GFYCAT to a more manageable, but still large, 570KB.
(http://gfycat.com/KnobbyOpenKittiwake )
Mourning Doves today – baby robins tomorrow
Posted By RichC on May 1, 2014
It’s that time of year … time for eggs to hatch and baby Mourning Doves to start growing their feathers. Our pair does a fine job of leaving their “pigeon-like” mess everywhere too. Each year I wonder where their chicks go?
| Short MP3 audio clip — Mourning Dove calls |
Sometimes what you need is a slap in the back of the head
Posted By RichC on April 30, 2014
Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs often offers some pretty solid commonsense advice that should be 
like the infamous NCIS Leroy Jethro Gibbs smack in the back of the head. I wonder how many asking Mike for advice ever bother to correct their mindset or change their actions when it comes to looking for work (or dating)?
It is frustrating to see millions of unemployed in this country unwilling to prove their worth by taking a menial job or choosing to improve their situation through education. Too many Americans seem content to leech off society. Politicians continue to pursue policies that stagnant the economy by taxing the makers or parrot the phrase that “we need amnesty for illegals because they are willing to do jobs Americans won’t.” That’s not going to wake up or help improve the prospects for the unemployed in this country.
Back to Mike Rowe … a fan wrote him and asked him for some career advice:
Hey Mike!
I’ve spent this last year trying to figure out the right career for myself and I still can’t figure out what to do. I have always been a hands on kind of guy and a go-getter. I could never be an office worker. I need change, excitement, and adventure in my life, but where the pay is steady. I grew up in construction and my first job was a restoration project. I love everything outdoors. I play music for extra money. I like trying pretty much everything, but get bored very easily. I want a career that will always keep me happy, but can allow me to have a family and get some time to travel.
I figure if anyone knows jobs its you so I was wondering your thoughts on this if you ever get the time! Thank you!
– Parker Hall
Hi Parker
My first thought is that you should learn to weld and move to North Dakota. The opportunities are enormous, and as a “hands-on go-getter,” you’re qualified for the work. But after reading your post a second time, it occurs to me that your qualifications are not the reason you can’t find the career you want.
I had drinks last night with a woman I know. Let’s call her Claire. Claire just turned 42. She’s cute, smart, and successful. She’s frustrated though, because she can’t find a man. I listened all evening about how difficult her search has been. About how all the “good ones” were taken. About how her other friends had found their soul-mates, and how it wasn’t fair that she had not.
“Look at me,” she said. “I take care of myself. I’ve put myself out there. Why is this so hard?”
“How about that guy at the end of the bar,” I said. “He keeps looking at you.”
“Not my type.”
“Really? How do you know?”
“I just know.”
“Have you tried a dating site?” I asked.”
“Are you kidding? I would never date someone I met online!”
“Alright. How about a change of scene? Your company has offices all over – maybe try living in another city?”
“What? Leave San Francisco? Never!”
“How about the other side of town? You know, mix it up a little. Visit different places. New museums, new bars, new theaters…?”
She looked at me like I had two heads. “Why the hell would I do that?”Here’s the thing, Parker. Claire doesn’t really want a man. She wants the “right” man. She wants a soul-mate. Specifically, a soul-mate from her zip code. She assembled this guy in her mind years ago, and now, dammit, she’s tired of waiting!!
I didn’t tell her this, because Claire has the capacity for sudden violence. But it’s true. She complains about being alone, even though her rules have more or less guaranteed she’ll stay that way. She has built a wall between herself and her goal. A wall made of conditions and expectations. Is it possible that you’ve built a similar wall?
Consider your own words. You don’t want a career – you want the “right” career. You need “excitement” and “adventure,” but not at the expense of stability. You want lots of “change” and the “freedom to travel,” but you need the certainty of “steady pay.” You talk about being “easily bored” as though boredom is out of your control. It isn’t. Boredom is a choice. Like tardiness. Or interrupting. It’s one thing to “love the outdoors,” but you take it a step further. You vow to “never” take an office job. You talk about the needs of your family, even though that family doesn’t exist. And finally, you say the career you describe must “always” make you “happy.”
These are my thoughts. You may choose to ignore them and I wouldn’t blame you – especially after being compared to a 42 year old woman who can’t find love. But since you asked…
Stop looking for the “right” career, and start looking for a job. Any job. Forget about what you like. Focus on what’s available. Get yourself hired. Show up early. Stay late. Volunteer for the scut work. Become indispensable. You can always quit later, and be no worse off than you are today. But don’t waste another year looking for a career that doesn’t exist. And most of all, stop worrying about your happiness. Happiness does not come from a job. It comes from knowing what you truly value, and behaving in a way that’s consistent with those beliefs.
Many people today resent the suggestion that they’re in charge of the way the feel. But trust me, Parker. Those people are mistaken. That was a big lesson from Dirty Jobs, and I learned it several hundred times before it stuck. What you do, who you’re with, and how you feel about the world around you, is completely up to you.
Good luck –
MikePS. I’m serious about welding and North Dakota. Those guys are writing their own ticket.
PPS Think I should forward this to Claire?Credit: The Real Mike Rowe
Praise for Duke Energy’s use of information technology
Posted By RichC on April 29, 2014
Rarely do we talk about near monopolies, government agencies or utility companies in a positive way when it comes to servicing their captive market or hostage customer … where else can we go? We shouldn’t be surprised since where there is little competition, there isn’t the same motivation to excel with customer service as when business is a bit more competitive.
BUT … Duke Energy has exceeded expectations with their online customer services. Our bill and usage data is now online and archived for comparison … and last night I realized that their mobile phone optimized website was well done. The power to our house went out about 7:30 PM and after firing up the generator (good chance to keep it running), I checked to see if our outage had been reported. I fully intended to “call,” but the mobile site was easy to use and linked immediately to check any reported outages. Besides being able to report online, there on the map was our outage with all the information. Very impressive. Kudos to Duke-Energy … and to their full browser friendly website too.
Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee
- lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
- digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.