What inspires someone to become an engineer? #video

| March 11, 2023

When I was in high school, I headed off to Ohio Northern University to become an engineer although veered off into industrial technology, facility design and then teaching when offered a Miami University instructor position when in graduate school. Now putting that education redirection aside … and the other career moves that followed … I’m […]

Woodworking: Finished my Scrapwood Challenge project

| May 20, 2020

Several posts ago I mentioned that I was participating in the Makers Mob woodworking 6-week Scrapwood Challenge as part of the stay-at-home COVID19 orders. I can’t say that this project is anything great, but it did give me something to do in the evenings besides tweet political garbage or watch more outrage and debate from […]

Pretty soon we won’t need to think at all – WIRED article

| November 16, 2019

Here’s a WIRED article that made me think … although it has a misleading title line, even if that is what caught my attention and started me reading it.  When does user-friendliness, algorithms and anticipatory artificial intelligence that is designed to help us make decisions, end up becoming "I don’t need to think at all" […]

Learning about automotive manufacturing and Digital Buck

| October 22, 2019

One thing about waiting for a start-up car company to build a car is that I’m learning a lot more about the automotive manufacturing process. Nowadays, many of the parts are manufactured by suppliers to the automotive industry and then assembled. The same will be true for the unique Elio Motors three wheel tandem seating […]

Tech Friday: The overused Hamburger Menu for desktop apps

| September 6, 2019

Perhaps it is just me, but I’m growing tired of the software development trend to make every piece of software resemble a smartphone app. I spend a significant amount of time using a desktop computer with plenty of display real estate, yet apps and webpages are all trying to make their mobile apps, notebook computer […]

So you want to be a aerospace engineer? Get inspired.

| August 28, 2019

TechFriday: Yahoo and Google adopt new look to ire of users

| July 7, 2017

Complaining is getting me nowhere … but those of us old school users of Yahoo and Google continue to be frustrated to see both companies going down the "design for smartphone – card look format" to their pages, even for large display computers. YAHOO A few weeks ago Yahoo Finance forced all users to give […]

A couple favorite Baba 30 photos from Robert Perry

| December 16, 2016

  Got to love Facebook for connecting people who love the same things … in this instance, a naval architect and sailing guru Robert Perry has posted a couple of his favorite photos of one of his early designs — the Baba 30 (our first sailboat, Brenich). It was a beautiful boat and enjoyable to […]

Planning for a grilling/greenhouse/generator/rain porch space

| August 25, 2016

After we “cooked” our generator (my fault for not telling Brenda to prop open the enclosure door), I’ve been tinkering to get parts in order to fix it as mentioned before … but my best attempt as scrounging parts has failed. I could only come up with a possible match for the windings and the […]

In the planning stages for a kitchen update – August 2016

| August 2, 2016

Now that we’ve been in our house for over 20 years and haven’t really done much to update our kitchen and the builder grade cabinets and appliances. It is time to start the ball rolling and at least get a few ideas. Brenda thinks our kitchen is too small by today’s "big house" standards so […]

Tiny iPhone details you may not have noticed

| May 3, 2016

Noticed a short video on TechInsider website demonstrated a few of the Apple design details that make an iPhone an iPhone. Some I knew and paid attention to, other I hardly noticed.  Good stuff. http://richc.us/tiny-iTips

Why is there a tiny hole in airplane windows?

| June 13, 2015

If you have already traveled by airplane, chances are you’ve noticed a tiny hole on the lower portion of all airplane windows The hole is designed to balance out the pressure between the last two layers of a typical pressurized-cabin window. For more images and a more detailed explaination see the article at Interesting Engineering.

Creativity, engineering, design and modern woodworking

| April 14, 2015

How cool is this project and design? Check out Manifattura Italiana Design or for more images look at DesignBoom.com’s post.  

Duke Engines holds promise for low vibration and light weight

| May 8, 2014

While sorting and tossing some old “paper” magazines last weekend, I stumbled across an article about New Zealand’s Duke Engines in a September 2011 issue of Sport Aviation (PDF of article) that peaked my interest. I’ve posted on engine design ideas before as they relate to aviation and automotive, but thought this design has some […]

Who designs the plastic knobs on washing machines?

| March 31, 2012

Take two on the “who designs these things?” A couple of weeks ago I posted on the rust inside an automatic icemaker and wondered why a better grade of material that could resist the rust wasn’t used inside a freezer so prone to moisture. Today the  knob on our GE clothes washing machine snapped off […]

Reagan.GOP.com website browses nice on a webOS Palm Pre

| February 1, 2011

It is nice when websites run and link to webOS friendly media content. One of the better sites is reagan.gop.com remembering President Ronald Reagan’s legacy and his upcoming February 6th birthday – he would be 100. In browsing with my Palm Pre yesterday I found it to be one of the few utilizing content and […]

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