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

Retirement, A Very Personal Fear

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...

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2023, I’m Very Glad To See It End

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...

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Random Posts

  • 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. We’ve all known people we […]
  • Grammar and Rhetoric, the Drout WayGrammar and Rhetoric, the Drout Way
    When 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 EngineerStyle, What It Means To An Engineer
    If 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 ServiceA Question About Poor Customer Service
    I 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 UserA Look At The Snake Slayer IV From A New User
    If 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 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 my love hate relationship with […]

Random Posts

  • Technical Arrogance, No One Is ImmuneTechnical Arrogance, No One Is Immune
    If 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 UserA Look At The Snake Slayer IV From A New User
    If 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 ToReliability, Warranty and Why Nothing Lasts As Long As It Used To
    Five 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 […]

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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

  • Apathy, How To Waste Your VoteApathy, How To Waste Your Vote
    Over 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 RevisitedUdacity Revisited
    It’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 ImpossibleImagination, It Allows Us To See The Impossible
    I 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?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 ServiceWithout Net Neutrality Expect Cable Television Content And Service
    Net 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 …
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