From the Doghouse
A look at dogs having fun
Poser Gallery
My gallery of pictures I’ve created in Poser
My Science Fiction and Fantasy stories
Stories I’ve written
Nature by Carol
A look at the less technical side of life
Storing Passwords In Your Browser, A Poor Security Practice?
When it comes to computer security, I used to pride myself on being pretty savvy. That self-assuredness shattered when I had the daunting task of replacing my wife's computer. The moment revealed to me a shocking truth about my own security ignorance. Her ancient...
Why Did My Electric Blanket Fail? An Autopsy Into Its Death
My electric blanket was just your typical, everyday electric blanket, barely a year old and lightly used. It came with a promising five-year warranty, a promise that quickly dissolved into nothing when the supplier conveniently went out of business or changed their...
Customer Service, Why The L8 Is My Last Sainsmart Product
When it comes to technology, I tend to have a pretty staunch brand loyalty. It’s not just about the tech meeting my needs; if two products are similar in technology and capability, the price isn’t as big a deal to me as the brand itself. However, there's another...
Retirement, A Very Personal Fear
Fear is a funny thing. I’ve seen grown men injure themselves to escape a common garden spider. Personally, I’m petrified when I have to climb higher than 3 feet on a ladder. They’ve never been bitten by a spider, I’ve never fallen off a ladder, so why the paralyzing...
2023, I’m Very Glad To See It End
2023 is now firmly in my rear view mirror and I have zero feelings of nostalgia. It was tough losing two of our beloved dogs to cancer. Sundae had been a part of our family for 14 years, leaving a significant void, and even though Hilde was with us for just under a...
A BambuLabs X1 Carbon for Christmas? Careful What You Wish For
My Prusa MK3 has been a true gem, but after a solid three years of unwavering service, the plastic pieces sadly started to show signs of wear, cracking under the strain. I was at a crossroads: should I invest in a shiny new printer, or breathe new life into my trusty...
Random Posts
Needed, A Balanced Approach To Positive CommunicationRecently 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. We’ve all known people we […]
Grammar and Rhetoric, the Drout WayWhen I wrote my post on the confusing rules of writing, the last thing I expected to find was an answer. Two months later not only have I found several answers but I have a better insight into the way I learn. All thanks to two books on rhetoric and grammar. Living in rural Texas, […]
Style, What It Means To An EngineerIf you have an engineer within your close circle of friends, save yourself some trouble. Go to YouTube and watch “Dilbert – The Knack”. As the doctor is explaining young Dilbert’s condition he characterizes an engineer with two statements, “extreme intuition about all things mechanical and electrical” and “utter social ineptitude”. Yep, that pretty much […]
Random Posts
A Question About Poor Customer ServiceI often try to get you to comment on my blogs but today is a little different. I’m going to describe an issue I had with customer service about a year ago and I really want your opinion. Am I being petty? What have you done in a similar situation? What do you want the […]
A Look At The Snake Slayer IV From A New UserIf you’ve ever wondered just how fast your reflexes are, try sticking your hand into a nest box occupied by a snake instead of eggs. The few times I’ve done this it took about two microseconds for me to realize it was a snake and then my hand attained warp speed as I pulled it […]
After The Crash, Comparing Backup Software, Acronis, Aomei and ParagonThe 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 my love hate relationship with […]
Random Posts
Technical Arrogance, No One Is ImmuneIf there’s one thing the engineering world is full of, it’s arrogance. Don’t get me wrong, I suffer from the same affliction. I think it comes with being an engineer. After you’ve done the simulations and all the testing, it’s not a surprise that your design works. Enough successes and sooner or later you come […]- A Look At The Snake Slayer IV From A New UserIf you’ve ever wondered just how fast your reflexes are, try sticking your hand into a nest box occupied by a snake instead of eggs. The few times I’ve done this it took about two microseconds for me to realize it was a snake and then my hand attained warp speed as I pulled it […]
Reliability, Warranty and Why Nothing Lasts As Long As It Used ToFive years ago I had to make an emergency run to Fry’s because the video card in my wife’s computer had died and she had a raid scheduled with her gaming guild. With a wide selection of high end cards, I selected her current card because it had a lifetime warranty. Today I’m having to […]
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
Apathy, How To Waste Your VoteOver the last few months I’ve had some very harsh words for our politicians in Washington. My Mother-in-law pointed out that the politicians really aren’t to blame for our current situation. They may be totally incompetent and dysfunctional but it’s not their fault they are in office. The only reason …
Udacity RevisitedIt’s Thursday night and I’m doing my homework for week two of Udacity CS253 Web Application Engineering. I haven’t even started doing CS387 Applied Cryptography content for this week. I may have bitten off a little more than I can chew for this run. My struggles cause me to think …
Imagination, It Allows Us To See The ImpossibleI did this post after creating a scene in Poser showing my wife’s fondness for old cemeteries. I’ve never understood her fascination with them but her imagination allows her to reflect on these people’s lives and their contributions to society. My imagination only covers us leaving the cemetery. Before I …
Why Would You Want To Write A Blog?Ever notice that the moment you describe a problem to an engineer, they stop listening to you? Before you’ve finished describing the problem, they’ve started working on a solution for you. True, some of the very best engineers have the ability to remain focused on you until you’ve fully described …
Without Net Neutrality Expect Cable Television Content And ServiceNet neutrality is one of the things that keeps the Internet from becoming an echo of the vast cable television nothingness. If you were to take a survey of the most hated companies in the US, I’m willing to bet that the cable companies would top the list. Nobody likes …