What’s The Bottom Line On Tariffs? How Much Will They Cost Me?

Tariffs are a tax nations charge on imported or exported goods. The importer always pays the tax, and the money always goes straight into the pockets of the country imposing the tariff. But don’t be fooled—while the importer technically pays the tax, the cost always...

French Culture, I’m Forced To Admit I Was Wrong

My father returned from WW2 with pieces of shrapnel slowly working their way out of his body and a deep and abiding hatred of the French. I don’t know about you and your father, but mine never wanted to discuss the details. I never knew his reasons, but he passed his...

What Can Spirit Animals Teach Us About Today’s America?

This week, while perusing my feed on Bluesky, I stumbled upon a post in which someone shared that she had just learned that crows can hold a grudge for 17 years and thus declared crows as her new spirit animal. While many responses expressed surprise or shared their...

From the Doghouse

A look at dogs having fun

Poser Gallery

My gallery of pictures I’ve created in Poser

Nature by Carol

A look at the less technical side of life

Whatever Happened To Compromise And Acceptance?

Whatever Happened To Compromise And Acceptance?

I have no mouth and must scream is a short story by Harlen Ellison. Unfortunately it also very accurately sums up my feelings on American politics. I’ll confess to avoiding Twitter and Facebook. I have my website but I’ve accepted that the stats on my website don't...

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The SainSmart 3018 PROVer CNC Router, A Review

The SainSmart 3018 PROVer CNC Router, A Review

Given the number of posts I've made on 3D printers, it's safe to assume that I feel I've mastered the basic techniques. Still you always wonder if the grass is greener on the other side. In my case, thanks in part to the Covid blues and Amazon's Prime day I ended up...

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Random Posts

  • Why Did Amazon Kill Amazon Explore? It Was Becoming Great.Why Did Amazon Kill Amazon Explore? It Was Becoming Great.
    Why did Amazon kill Amazon explore? Let me start this rant by admitting I am an Amazon fan. I love the large selection of merchandise and the quick delivery. I’m a member of Prime and I frequently use their credit card. Still, they do enough boneheaded things that I sometimes wonder if they are running […]
  • Why All the Hate For PO Boxes?Why All the Hate For PO Boxes?
    Before you read too far, let me confess to you that I was in a very irritated frame of mind when I wrote this. After waiting two weeks for a word on the Nexus 7 I ordered from Google Wallet, I was notified yesterday that they cancelled my order because the address I gave them […]
  • Where I Admit I Made A Mistake About CongressWhere I Admit I Made A Mistake About Congress
    Spend enough time doing anything and sooner or later you’ll make a mistake. Some mistakes are unavoidable. You might say those are the cost of making decisions and although some of us never do, we’re expected to learn from our mistakes. In electronics it’s almost a given that your first prototype will have problems. That’s […]

Random Posts

  • Why Isn’t There An American Micro Bit?Why Isn’t There An American Micro Bit?
    I don’t know if you’ve seen this headline, “Every 11-year-old in Britain is getting a free minicomputer,” or what you thought when you did but I found it amazing that this was being done in Britain. The Micro Bit giveaway is a program sponsored by the BBC in a joint effort with twenty-five other corporations. […]
  • I’m Retired, So Why Am I Still On LinkedIn?I’m Retired, So Why Am I Still On LinkedIn?
    Long before I retired, I created an account on LinkedIn. It seemed like a good idea—you never know when you’ll need contacts to look for a new job. Still, I refused to play the numbers game. The people I linked with, by and large, were people I had worked with and respected. This was intentional. […]
  • Probability, Statistics and UdacityProbability, Statistics and Udacity
    While going through college I worked as a security guard. This was almost perfect for me as a college student because when I was not walking my rounds I was expected to stay at my desk  where I could study. The work was easy and with only a few exceptions very low stress. During the […]

Random Posts

  • Journalism?Journalism?
    I’m a little busy this week trying to finish my Udacity course and even though it doesn’t matter, I still want to get a good grade. With that in mind, I asked a friend to contribute and he was happy to help out. ___________________ The exposure and allure of journalism has drawn many people to […]
  • Small Talk, How This Engineer Learned To Enjoy ItSmall Talk, How This Engineer Learned To Enjoy It
    It should come as no surprise that I regard social get togethers as a form of state sanctioned torture. There’s multiple reasons but the main issue is small talk. There’s no polite way to say how much I suck at small talk. At first mention of the train wreck to be of the current Bachelor […]
  • Opinionbypen 2016 Goals in Review, How Well Did I Do?Opinionbypen 2016 Goals in Review, How Well Did I Do?
    I force my wife to read the first draft of all my posts. I’ve found that this keeps me out of trouble with her and gives me some insight on how people will feel when they read it. I mention that because after reading this post she said I always seemed sad when summarizing my […]

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From the Doghouse -It’s all about them

A look at dogs having fun!

Short Stories

With posts like these, ever wonder what kind of fiction I would write?

Random Posts

  • Passwords, We Have Way Too ManyPasswords, We Have Way Too Many
    Passwords, it seems like everyplace you go on the Internet someone is asking for your password. It’s not bad enough that everybody and their brother wants you to set up an account with another password, they all have different rules for your password. Must be at least 10 characters, must …
  • After The Crash, Comparing Backup Software, Acronis, Aomei and ParagonAfter The Crash, Comparing Backup Software, Acronis, Aomei and Paragon
    The idea behind a software review is to give an unbiased appraisal of the program. Unfortunately most reviews are anything but unbiased. As hard as I tried, this review is no exception. After my experiences last month, I decided to see what else was out there for backup software. Given …
  • Looking For a Christmas Present? Try Audible.comLooking For a Christmas Present? Try Audible.com
    Many years ago my Mother-in-Law introduced me to Audible.com. She did this indirectly by giving me a iPod Shuffle for Christmas. At the time, I considered the Shuffle part of her tireless campaign to pull me into the Apple mystique.  I appreciated the thought but music is not a significant …
  • Needed, A Balanced Approach To Positive CommunicationNeeded, A Balanced Approach To Positive Communication
    Recently I received a thought provoking email from a friend resolving to take a more positive approach in his communications about people. I applaud his motives and had written this post on that issue but I realized that this is not the simple issue I was trying to make it. …
  • The Path to Success is Filled With FailureThe Path to Success is Filled With Failure
    When faced with a problem, engineers tend to fixate on solving the problem. Often we’re still looking for a solution when others would have given up long ago. It could be that I’m too stubborn to admit defeat but there’s nothing more satisfying than solving a difficult problem. I don’t …
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