Egypt has went through major convulsions these past couple weeks--millions demonstrating against President Morsi, and the recent demand by Egypt's military that Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood had 48 hours to basically "get their act together". As would be expected, Morsi didn't meet their demands, and the military removed him from office.
I have watched the situation in Egypt with interest and concern. It has a population of 90 million people--with 6.76 million in Cairo alone, and another 10 million in the immediate outskirts. As such Cairo is the largest city in Africa, and Egypt has the largest populations of any Arab country.
While Hosni Mubarak was no angel, he was favorably disposed towards the U.S. As we all know, he was removed from office, and Egypt held democratic elections in which Mohammed Morsi was elected. Though he claimed to be working for all Egyptians, he quickly aligned himself with the Muslim Brotherhood (if he wasn't already), and started to consolidate power. He dissolved the country's Supreme Court, and granted to himself sweeping powers that no longer required legislative review before enactment.
Morsi also showed his vehement anti-Semitism when he referred to Jews as being descended from apes and pigs...
Many people that originally voted for Morsi have come to regret it. They have now come together in a major movement to bring about change in the Egyptian government.
President Obama applauded the Egyptian elections, and, arranged to let Egypt have a number of M-1 Abrams tanks (the toned-down export version and F-16 jets--1.2 billion dollar's worth.
This worries me, as it provides a serious upgrade to Egypt's weaponry, which could be used against Israel, or against an nation transiting the Suez Canal into the Arabian Sea--remember that Egypt controls the Suez Canal.
What worries me more is that President Obama recently offered to send Morsi a crack team of experts to deal with large demonstrations, urban unrest, etc... hmmm.... I don't remember the President doing the same for Mubarak, so that shows you which side he's rooting for.
Many may say that we shouldn't interfere with a democratically-elected leader as that is what the people want. I would agree... to a point:
1. Hitler was a democratically-elected leader, and when other countries intervened, it cost millions of lives and millions in treasure to stop him.
2. President Obama has already intervened...
A major risk at play is that if Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood are completely cut out of Egypt's government, they may resort to armed struggle en masse.
Anyway, I think you'll find Chriss Street's article compelling...
Smitty
Chriss Street: Egypt Joins the Arab Winter
Monday, July 15, 2013
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
A Bored Farmer, A Barn Full of Stuff, and A Welder...
- I don't know if a farmer actually did this, or someone just built a vehicle with a distinctly rural theme, but it's innovative and amusing either way.
- Smitty
- When you live on a farm you learn to
- "make do" with whatever you find in the barn!!
- This is the exact and perfect example of why
- we save everything.
- This car has been built with all of the junk
- laying out back in the pile, and under the work
- bench, and stuffed in the rafters.
- All this guy needed was a little time on his hands.
- Spotted in Cannon Falls , MN on 5/23/12 Its a car? or a truck?
Milk can fuel tank; radiator from a Minneapolis-Moline tractor. The GM Small Block V-8 is probably the most modern thing on the... er... car... or whatever it is!!!
- Check out the gearing wheel....What do you see?
- Dash is a crosscut saw blade with handles attached - tractor hand brake -
tachometer - 2 mirrors mounted on horse shoes and big truck turn signal switch
mounted on left - single wiper motor
How many men who grew up on a farm are now thinking, "Why didn't we do that? " (Because most farmers are too busy to put the time into something like this--Smitty)
Milking machine tank on top of aircleaner, and a washtub fan shroud.
What looks like a hopper to a seed drill protects the headlight, while a "knuckle-buster" wrench forms the bracket for the headlight adjuster.
Rear seating straight from the "two-holer" with protective covers. Seat backs from the legs of a New Home treadle sewing machine, with a singletree for a headrest.
- Tractor seats with hayfork backs - seat belts -
tractor tool box behind driver seat - gear shift beside hand brake - stereo & CD player on dash blade - the drive
chains are still on the floor board. He did put in seat belts so he must be street legal... I hope...
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Heat Stroke--Serious and May Be Fatal
Here is the information on Heat Stroke. Some of the information is the same as Heat Exhaustion as it generally is the precursor to Heat Stroke. One other thing to bear in mind... pets can suffer from these problems too. In really hot weather, bring them in the house if possible, or ensure they have plenty of shade and water.
I encourage you to visit the Web MD Website--they have a lot of good information on all types of medical problems, with illustrations and pictures as well.
Smitty
Heat stroke
is the most serious form of heat injury and is a medical emergency. If
you suspect that someone has heat stroke -- also known as sunstroke --
you should call 911 immediately and render first aid until paramedics
arrive.
Heat stroke can kill or cause damage to the brain and other internal organs. Although heat stroke mainly affects people over age 50, it also takes a toll on healthy young athletes.
Heat stroke often occurs as a progression from milder heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat syncope (fainting), and heat exhaustion. But it can strike even if you have no previous signs of heat injury.
Heat stroke results from prolonged exposure to high temperatures -- usually in combination with dehydration -- which leads to failure of the body's temperature control system. The medical definition of heat stroke is a core body temperature greater than 105 degrees Fahrenheit, with complications involving the central nervous system that occur after exposure to high temperatures. Other common symptoms include nausea, seizures, confusion, disorientation, and sometimes loss of consciousness or coma.
Other symptoms may include:
While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, initiate first aid. Move the person to an air-conditioned environment -- or at least a cool, shady area -- and remove any unnecessary clothing.
If possible, take the person's core body temperature and initiate first aid to cool it to 101 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit. If no thermometers are available, don't hesitate to initiate first aid.
You may also try these cooling strategies:
After you've recovered from heat stroke, you'll probably be more sensitive to high temperatures during the following week. So it's best to avoid hot weather and heavy exercise until your doctor tells you that it's safe to resume your normal activities.
Heat stroke is strongly related to the heat index, which is a measurement of how hot you feel when the effects of relative humidity and air temperature are combined. A relative humidity of 60% or more hampers sweat evaporation, which hinders your body's ability to cool itself.
The risk of heat-related illness dramatically increases when the heat index climbs to 90 degrees or more. So it's important -- especially during heat waves -- to pay attention to the reported heat index, and also to remember that exposure to full sunshine can increase the reported heat index by 15 degrees.
If you live in an urban area, you may be especially prone to develop heat stroke during a prolonged heat wave, particularly if there are stagnant atmospheric conditions and poor air quality. In what is known as the "heat island effect," asphalt and concrete store heat during the day and only gradually release it at night, resulting in higher nighttime temperatures.
Other risk factors associated with heat-related illness include:
Age. Infants and children up to age 4, and adults over age 65, are particularly vulnerable because they adjust to heat more slowly than other people.
Health conditions. These include heart, lung, or kidney disease, obesity or underweight, high blood pressure, diabetes, mental illness, sickle cell trait, alcoholism, sunburn, and any conditions that cause fever.
Medications. These include antihistamines, diet pills, diuretics, sedatives, tranquilizers, stimulants, seizure medications (anticonvulsants), heart and blood pressure medications such as beta-blockers and vasoconstrictors, and medications for psychiatric illnesses such as antidepressants and antipsychotics. Illegal drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine also are associated with increased risk of heat stroke.
People with diabetes -- who are at increased risk of emergency room visits, hospitalization, and death from heat-related illness -- may be especially likely to underestimate their risk during heat waves, according to a recent study presented at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting by researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Weather Service.
Check with your doctor to see if your health conditions and medications are likely to affect your ability to cope with extreme heat and humidity.
Check with your doctor before increasing liquid intake if you have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease; are on fluid-restricted diets; or have a problem with fluid retention.
If you live in an apartment or house without fans or air conditioning, try to spend at least two hours each day -- preferably during the hottest part of the day -- in an air-conditioned environment. At home, draw your curtains, shades, or blinds during the hottest part of the day, and open windows at night on two sides of your building to create cross-ventilation.
If you're a senior who either can't afford to buy or run an air conditioner, check with your local Area Agency on Aging for programs that can assist you. One such program is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
I encourage you to visit the Web MD Website--they have a lot of good information on all types of medical problems, with illustrations and pictures as well.
Smitty
Heat Stroke: Symptoms and Treatment
--from WebMD
Web MD Heat Stroke Symptoms and Treatment
Heat stroke can kill or cause damage to the brain and other internal organs. Although heat stroke mainly affects people over age 50, it also takes a toll on healthy young athletes.
Heat stroke often occurs as a progression from milder heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat syncope (fainting), and heat exhaustion. But it can strike even if you have no previous signs of heat injury.
Heat stroke results from prolonged exposure to high temperatures -- usually in combination with dehydration -- which leads to failure of the body's temperature control system. The medical definition of heat stroke is a core body temperature greater than 105 degrees Fahrenheit, with complications involving the central nervous system that occur after exposure to high temperatures. Other common symptoms include nausea, seizures, confusion, disorientation, and sometimes loss of consciousness or coma.
Symptoms of Heat Stroke
The hallmark symptom of heat stroke is a core body temperature above 105 degrees Fahrenheit. But fainting may be the first sign.Other symptoms may include:
- Throbbing headache
- Dizziness and light-headedness
- Lack of sweating despite the heat
- Red, hot, and dry skin
- Muscle weakness or cramps
- Nausea and vomiting
- Rapid heartbeat, which may be either strong or weak
- Rapid, shallow breathing
- Behavioral changes such as confusion, disorientation, or staggering
- Seizures
- Unconsciousness
First Aid for Heat Stroke
If you suspect that someone has a heat stroke, immediately call 911 or transport the person to a hospital. Any delay seeking medical help can be fatal.While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, initiate first aid. Move the person to an air-conditioned environment -- or at least a cool, shady area -- and remove any unnecessary clothing.
If possible, take the person's core body temperature and initiate first aid to cool it to 101 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit. If no thermometers are available, don't hesitate to initiate first aid.
You may also try these cooling strategies:
- Fan air over the patient while wetting his or her skin with water from a sponge or garden hose.
- Apply ice packs to the patient's armpits, groin, neck, and back. Because these areas are rich with blood vessels close to the skin, cooling them may reduce body temperature.
- Immerse the patient in a shower or tub of cool water, or an ice bath.
After you've recovered from heat stroke, you'll probably be more sensitive to high temperatures during the following week. So it's best to avoid hot weather and heavy exercise until your doctor tells you that it's safe to resume your normal activities.
Risk Factors for Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is most likely to affect older people who live in apartments or homes lacking air-conditioning or good airflow. Other high-risk groups include people of any age who don't drink enough water, have chronic diseases, or who drink excessive amounts of alcohol.Heat stroke is strongly related to the heat index, which is a measurement of how hot you feel when the effects of relative humidity and air temperature are combined. A relative humidity of 60% or more hampers sweat evaporation, which hinders your body's ability to cool itself.
The risk of heat-related illness dramatically increases when the heat index climbs to 90 degrees or more. So it's important -- especially during heat waves -- to pay attention to the reported heat index, and also to remember that exposure to full sunshine can increase the reported heat index by 15 degrees.
If you live in an urban area, you may be especially prone to develop heat stroke during a prolonged heat wave, particularly if there are stagnant atmospheric conditions and poor air quality. In what is known as the "heat island effect," asphalt and concrete store heat during the day and only gradually release it at night, resulting in higher nighttime temperatures.
Other risk factors associated with heat-related illness include:
Age. Infants and children up to age 4, and adults over age 65, are particularly vulnerable because they adjust to heat more slowly than other people.
Health conditions. These include heart, lung, or kidney disease, obesity or underweight, high blood pressure, diabetes, mental illness, sickle cell trait, alcoholism, sunburn, and any conditions that cause fever.
Medications. These include antihistamines, diet pills, diuretics, sedatives, tranquilizers, stimulants, seizure medications (anticonvulsants), heart and blood pressure medications such as beta-blockers and vasoconstrictors, and medications for psychiatric illnesses such as antidepressants and antipsychotics. Illegal drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine also are associated with increased risk of heat stroke.
People with diabetes -- who are at increased risk of emergency room visits, hospitalization, and death from heat-related illness -- may be especially likely to underestimate their risk during heat waves, according to a recent study presented at the Endocrine Society's annual meeting by researchers from the Mayo Clinic in Arizona, the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Weather Service.
Check with your doctor to see if your health conditions and medications are likely to affect your ability to cope with extreme heat and humidity.
Preventing Heat Stroke
When the heat index is high, it's best to stay in an air-conditioned environment. If you must go outdoors, you can prevent heat stroke by taking these steps:- Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, and a wide-brimmed hat.
- Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or more.
- Drink extra fluids. To prevent dehydration, it's generally recommended to drink at least eight glasses of water, fruit juice, or vegetable juice per day. Because heat-related illness also can result from salt depletion, it may be advisable to substitute an electrolyte-rich sports drink for water during periods of extreme heat and humidity.
- Take additional precautions when exercising or working outdoors.The general recommendation is to drink 24 ounces of fluid two hours before exercise, and consider adding another 8 ounces of water or sports drink right before exercise. During exercise, you should consume another 8 ounces of water every 20 minutes, even if you don't feel thirsty.
- Reschedule or cancel outdoor activity. If possible, shift your time outdoors to the coolest times of the day, either early morning or after sunset.
- Monitoring the color of your urine. Darker urine is a sign of dehydration. Be sure to drink enough fluids to maintain very light-colored urine.
- Measuring your weight before and after physical activity. Monitoring lost water weight can help you determine how much fluid you need to drink.
Check with your doctor before increasing liquid intake if you have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease; are on fluid-restricted diets; or have a problem with fluid retention.
If you live in an apartment or house without fans or air conditioning, try to spend at least two hours each day -- preferably during the hottest part of the day -- in an air-conditioned environment. At home, draw your curtains, shades, or blinds during the hottest part of the day, and open windows at night on two sides of your building to create cross-ventilation.
If you're a senior who either can't afford to buy or run an air conditioner, check with your local Area Agency on Aging for programs that can assist you. One such program is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
Recognize and Avoid Heat Injuries--Heat Exhaustion
We had record heat here in Utah this last week. It hit 105 degrees at least 3 days in a row, and a solid week of 100+ degree weather. In stark contrast, it's been a frigid 95 degrees these past few days, with "thunder bumpers" (sudden, drenching thunderstorms) each afternoon... go figure, Utah weather being what it is.
As part of our weekly safety meeting at work, I prepared some information on Heat Injuries--specifically Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke. Many people don't know the difference, but Heat Exhaustion can quickly lead to Heat Stroke, and Heat Stroke is a medical emergency that can cause brain damage, organ failure, and death...
Anyway, I thought I'd share them with you. I'll post the information on Heat Stroke in a separate Post. My source is WebMD.
Smitty
There are two types of heat exhaustion:
Other recommended strategies include:
After you've recovered from heat exhaustion, you'll probably be more sensitive to high temperatures during the following week. So it's best to avoid hot weather and heavy exercise until your doctor tells you that it's safe to resume your normal activities.
The risk of heat-related illness dramatically increases when the heat index climbs to 90 degrees or more. So it's important -- especially during heat waves -- to pay attention to the reported heat index, and also to remember that the heat index is even higher when you are standing in full sunshine.
If you live in an urban area, you may be especially prone to develop heat exhaustion during a prolonged heat wave, particularly if there are stagnant atmospheric conditions and poor air quality. In what is known as the "heat island effect," asphalt and concrete store heat during the day and only gradually release it at night, resulting in higher nighttime temperatures.
Other risk factors associated with heat-related illness include:
As part of our weekly safety meeting at work, I prepared some information on Heat Injuries--specifically Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke. Many people don't know the difference, but Heat Exhaustion can quickly lead to Heat Stroke, and Heat Stroke is a medical emergency that can cause brain damage, organ failure, and death...
Anyway, I thought I'd share them with you. I'll post the information on Heat Stroke in a separate Post. My source is WebMD.
Smitty
HEAT
EXHAUSTION
Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is a heat-related illness that can occur after you've been exposed to high temperatures for several days and have become dehydrated.There are two types of heat exhaustion:
- Water depletion. Signs include excessive thirst, weakness, headache, and loss of consciousness.
- Salt depletion. Signs include nausea and vomiting, frequent muscle cramps, and dizziness.
Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion
The most common signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include:- Confusion
- Dark-colored urine (a sign of dehydration)
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Muscle cramps
- Nausea
- Pale skin
- Profuse sweating
- Rapid heartbeat
Treatment for Heat Exhaustion
If you, or anyone else, has symptoms of heat exhaustion, it's essential to immediately get out of the heat and rest, preferably in an air-conditioned room. If you can't get inside, try to find the nearest cool and shady place.Other recommended strategies include:
- Drink plenty of fluid (avoid caffeine and alcohol).
- Remove any tight or unnecessary clothing.
- Take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath.
- Apply other cooling measures such as fans or ice towels.
After you've recovered from heat exhaustion, you'll probably be more sensitive to high temperatures during the following week. So it's best to avoid hot weather and heavy exercise until your doctor tells you that it's safe to resume your normal activities.
Risk Factors for Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is strongly related to the heat index, which is a measurement of how hot you feel when the effects of relative humidity and air temperature are combined. A relative humidity of 60% or more hampers sweat evaporation, which hinders your body's ability to cool itself.The risk of heat-related illness dramatically increases when the heat index climbs to 90 degrees or more. So it's important -- especially during heat waves -- to pay attention to the reported heat index, and also to remember that the heat index is even higher when you are standing in full sunshine.
If you live in an urban area, you may be especially prone to develop heat exhaustion during a prolonged heat wave, particularly if there are stagnant atmospheric conditions and poor air quality. In what is known as the "heat island effect," asphalt and concrete store heat during the day and only gradually release it at night, resulting in higher nighttime temperatures.
Other risk factors associated with heat-related illness include:
- Age. Infants and children up to age 4, and adults over age 65, are particularly vulnerable because they adjust to heat more slowly than other people.
- Certain health conditions. These include heart, lung, or kidney disease, obesity or underweight, high blood pressure, diabetes, mental illness, sickle cell trait, alcoholism, sunburn, and any conditions that cause fever. People with diabetes are at increased risk of emergency room visits, hospitalization, and death from heat-related illness and may be especially likely to underestimate their risk during heat waves.
- Medications. These include diuretics, sedatives, tranquilizers, stimulants, some heart and blood pressure medications, and medications for psychiatric conditions.
Preventing Heat Exhaustion
When the heat index is high, it's best to stay inside in air conditioning. If you must go outdoors, you can prevent heat exhaustion by taking these steps:- Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing, and a wide-brimmed hat.
- Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more.
- Drink extra fluids. To prevent dehydration, it's generally recommended to drink at least eight glasses of water, fruit juice, or vegetable juice per day. Because heat-related illness also can result from salt depletion, it may be advisable to substitute an electrolyte-rich sports drink for water during periods of extreme heat and humidity.
- Take additional precautions when exercising or working outdoors. The general recommendation is to drink 24 ounces of fluid two hours before exercise, and consider adding another eight ounces of water or sports drink right before exercise. During exercise, you should consume another eight ounces of water every 20 minutes even if you don't feel thirsty.
Norman Schwarzkopf on Leadership
General Norman Schwarzkopf was the Allied Commander for the first Gulf War in 1991. He received a classical schooling at a Swiss boarding school, served as an Infantry leader in Viet Nam, where he was severely wounded, and proved an able "fighting general" in the Gulf War that complemented General Colin Powell's political deftness.
I came across this quote the other day, and puts into perspective the difference between most politicians, and a true leader...
Smitty
I came across this quote the other day, and puts into perspective the difference between most politicians, and a true leader...
Smitty
Saturday, June 22, 2013
IRS Sends $46 Million to 24,000 Unauthorized Aliens at Same Address
From Blaze TV
The IRS sent 46 million dollars in tax refunds, etc. to 24,000 Unauthorized Aliens at the same Atlanta, GA, address.
You'd think with all the investment in Big Data, that the IRS would have seen a correlation here and checked things out.
I really hope that the IRS scandal results in more than handslaps for a few people. The IRS has already been used for political purposes and has become a power unto itself... if nothing happens, it will embolden them.
There's a parallel here in history.
Adolph Hitler started taking large bites out of countries bordering Germany in the late 1930's. He initially used political means, as in the Austrian Anschluss, and the annexation of Moravia, Bohemia, etc. (the Sudetenland) from Czechoslovakia--aided and abetted by Neville Chamberlain, Great Britain's Prime Minister, who compromised to avoid war, and declared he had gained, "Peace in our Time"..
Hitler's next step was to invade Czechoslovakia itself in 1939... the biggest thing he worried about was the French Army--then the largest in the world. France had a defense treaty with Czechoslovakia and HItler didn't want the French Army attacking his rear while he was attacking the Czechs.
He gambled... and won. France didn't respond, and another nation fell victim to Hitler's ambition to "fundamentally transform" Europe. He later declared that the lack of any significant action by France and Great Britain emboldened him to go further...thus the occupation of Poland, Norway, the Low Countries (Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg), Denmark, Greece and France itself. The rest, as they say, is history...
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/06/21/irs-sent-46-million-in-tax-refunds-to-23994-unauthorized-aliens-all-at-the-same-address-in-atlanta/
Smitty
The IRS sent 46 million dollars in tax refunds, etc. to 24,000 Unauthorized Aliens at the same Atlanta, GA, address.
You'd think with all the investment in Big Data, that the IRS would have seen a correlation here and checked things out.
I really hope that the IRS scandal results in more than handslaps for a few people. The IRS has already been used for political purposes and has become a power unto itself... if nothing happens, it will embolden them.
There's a parallel here in history.
Adolph Hitler started taking large bites out of countries bordering Germany in the late 1930's. He initially used political means, as in the Austrian Anschluss, and the annexation of Moravia, Bohemia, etc. (the Sudetenland) from Czechoslovakia--aided and abetted by Neville Chamberlain, Great Britain's Prime Minister, who compromised to avoid war, and declared he had gained, "Peace in our Time"..
Hitler's next step was to invade Czechoslovakia itself in 1939... the biggest thing he worried about was the French Army--then the largest in the world. France had a defense treaty with Czechoslovakia and HItler didn't want the French Army attacking his rear while he was attacking the Czechs.
He gambled... and won. France didn't respond, and another nation fell victim to Hitler's ambition to "fundamentally transform" Europe. He later declared that the lack of any significant action by France and Great Britain emboldened him to go further...thus the occupation of Poland, Norway, the Low Countries (Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg), Denmark, Greece and France itself. The rest, as they say, is history...
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/06/21/irs-sent-46-million-in-tax-refunds-to-23994-unauthorized-aliens-all-at-the-same-address-in-atlanta/
Smitty
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Interesting Facts
I haven't verified any of these, so if you find one that's in error, let me know...
Smitty
A cockroach will live nine days without its head, before it starves to death.
A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
A snail can sleep for three years.
All Polar bears are left-handed.
American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class.
Americans on average eat 18 acres of pizza every day.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
Babies are born without knee caps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.
Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, dogs only have about ten.
Cat's urine glows under a black light.
China has more English speakers than the United States.
Donald Duck comics were banned in Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.
Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie.
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
I am. is the shortest complete sentence in the English language
If Barbie were life-size, her measurements would be 39-23-33. She would stand seven feet, two inches tall and have a neck twice the length of a normal human's neck.
If the population of China walked past you in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.
If you keep a goldfish in a dark room, it will eventually turn white.
If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.
In ancient Egypt, priests plucked EVERY hair from their bodies, including their eyebrows and eyelashes.
In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
Marilyn Monroe had six toes.
Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike annually than all of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.
More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes.
No word in the English language rhymes with month.
Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.
On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.
One of the reasons marijuana is illegal today is because cotton growers in the '30s lobbied against hemp farmers--they saw it as competition.
-- A fact I have verified is that on long cruises before the advent of synthetic rope, sailors who ran out of tobacco would shred and smoke pieces of large ropes called hawsers. The hawsers were made from Manila Hemp-- and they would get a slight buzz from smoking it.
-- Another verified fact is that when World War II disrupted the supply of hemp from Asia, the United States government had farmers grow it--primarily in the Midwest. The shortage also spurred the development of alternatives--one of the first ones used was fiberglass, though it had some shortcomings as anyone who has rubbed against it knows...
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people do.
(Whew!! That's encouraging...)
Shakespeare invented the word "assassination" and "bump."
Some lions mate over 50 times a day.
Starfish haven't got brains.
Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.
An ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
The average human eats eight spiders in their lifetime at night.
The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds.
The cruise liner, Queen Elizabeth 2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.
The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off.
The most common name in the world is Mohammed.
The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.
The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan."
The Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia, has twice as many bathrooms as is necessary. When it was built in the 1940s, the state of Virginia still had segregation laws requiring separate toilet facilities for blacks and whites.
The sentence, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter in the English language.
The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes.
The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
The word "lethologica" describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want.
The word racecar and kayak are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left.
There are two credit cards for every person in the United States.
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters on only one row of the keyboard.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
You are more likely to be killed by a Champagne cork than by a poisonous spider.
You can't kill yourself by holding your breath.
You share your birthday with at least nine million other people in the world.
Smitty
A cockroach will live nine days without its head, before it starves to death.
A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
A snail can sleep for three years.
All Polar bears are left-handed.
American Airlines saved $40,000 in 1987 by eliminating one olive from each salad served in first-class.
Americans on average eat 18 acres of pizza every day.
An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
Babies are born without knee caps. They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.
Banging your head against a wall uses 150 calories an hour.
Butterflies taste with their feet.
Cats have over one hundred vocal sounds, dogs only have about ten.
Cat's urine glows under a black light.
China has more English speakers than the United States.
Donald Duck comics were banned in Finland because he doesn't wear pants.
Dueling is legal in Paraguay as long as both parties are registered blood donors.
Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
Every time you lick a stamp, you're consuming 1/10 of a calorie.
February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.
I am. is the shortest complete sentence in the English language
If Barbie were life-size, her measurements would be 39-23-33. She would stand seven feet, two inches tall and have a neck twice the length of a normal human's neck.
If the population of China walked past you in single file, the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.
If you keep a goldfish in a dark room, it will eventually turn white.
If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.
In ancient Egypt, priests plucked EVERY hair from their bodies, including their eyebrows and eyelashes.
In the last 4000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.
It's impossible to sneeze with your eyes open.
Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors.
Marilyn Monroe had six toes.
Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike annually than all of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.
More people are killed by donkeys annually than are killed in plane crashes.
No word in the English language rhymes with month.
Nutmeg is extremely poisonous if injected intravenously.
On average, people fear spiders more than they do death.
One of the reasons marijuana is illegal today is because cotton growers in the '30s lobbied against hemp farmers--they saw it as competition.
-- A fact I have verified is that on long cruises before the advent of synthetic rope, sailors who ran out of tobacco would shred and smoke pieces of large ropes called hawsers. The hawsers were made from Manila Hemp-- and they would get a slight buzz from smoking it.
-- Another verified fact is that when World War II disrupted the supply of hemp from Asia, the United States government had farmers grow it--primarily in the Midwest. The shortage also spurred the development of alternatives--one of the first ones used was fiberglass, though it had some shortcomings as anyone who has rubbed against it knows...
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
Right-handed people live, on average, nine years longer than left-handed people do.
(Whew!! That's encouraging...)
Shakespeare invented the word "assassination" and "bump."
Some lions mate over 50 times a day.
Starfish haven't got brains.
Stewardesses is the longest word typed with only the left hand.
An ant always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.
The average human eats eight spiders in their lifetime at night.
The catfish has over 27,000 taste buds.
The cruise liner, Queen Elizabeth 2, moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.
The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps out to the body to squirt blood 30 feet.
The male praying mantis cannot copulate while its head is attached to its body. The female initiates sex by ripping the male's head off.
The most common name in the world is Mohammed.
The name of all the continents end with the same letter that they start with.
The name Wendy was made up for the book "Peter Pan."
The Pentagon, in Arlington, Virginia, has twice as many bathrooms as is necessary. When it was built in the 1940s, the state of Virginia still had segregation laws requiring separate toilet facilities for blacks and whites.
The sentence, "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" uses every letter in the English language.
The shortest war in history was between Zanzibar and England in 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after 38 minutes.
The strongest muscle in the body is the tongue.
The word "lethologica" describes the state of not being able to remember the word you want.
The word racecar and kayak are the same whether they are read left to right or right to left.
There are two credit cards for every person in the United States.
TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters on only one row of the keyboard.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
You are more likely to be killed by a Champagne cork than by a poisonous spider.
You can't kill yourself by holding your breath.
You share your birthday with at least nine million other people in the world.
Humor: If You Hate Puns, Don't Read This
I got these from a garden tractor site... some are pretty clever...
1. The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian .
3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.
4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption.
5. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
6. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
7. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
8. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
9. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
11. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
12. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'
13. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
14. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'
15. The midget fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
16. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.
17. A backward poet writes inverse.
18. In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.
19. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.
20. If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine.
21. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at him and says, 'I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger.'
22. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and says 'Dam!'
23. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.
24. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, 'I've lost my electron.' The other says 'Are you sure?' The first replies, 'Yes, I'm positive.'
25. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.
26. There was the person who sent ten puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.
1. The fattest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian .
3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.
4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption.
5. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
6. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
7. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.
8. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
9. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.
11. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
12. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other: 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'
13. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
14. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'
15. The midget fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.
16. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.
17. A backward poet writes inverse.
18. In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.
19. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.
20. If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine.
21. A vulture boards an airplane, carrying two dead raccoons. The stewardess looks at him and says, 'I'm sorry, sir, only one carrion allowed per passenger.'
22. Two fish swim into a concrete wall. One turns to the other and says 'Dam!'
23. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can't have your kayak and heat it too.
24. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, 'I've lost my electron.' The other says 'Are you sure?' The first replies, 'Yes, I'm positive.'
25. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root canal? His goal: transcend dental medication.
26. There was the person who sent ten puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh. No pun in ten did.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Don't Ever Give Up!!
A Russian driving a large articulated tractor with a long trailer gets stuck in a river... it seems impossible, but he doesn't give up. Watch this incredible video here:
Don't Ever Give Up
A good lesson for all of us... (now go drain the water from those axles, tranny and hydraulics tank, Dmitry!!)
Smitty
Don't Ever Give Up
A good lesson for all of us... (now go drain the water from those axles, tranny and hydraulics tank, Dmitry!!)
Smitty
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Yahoo News: What Mitt Romney's White House Would Have Looked Like if He Had Won the Election
This article spells out some of the details of how Mitt Romney planned to organize the White House. The tone of the article is definitely anti-Romney, but I have to wonder what the author is thinking when they take issue with
"A plan to restructure White House operations to suit Romney’s corporate management style, with clear deliverables"
In other words, Romney planned to hold people accountable for how they performed instead of rewarding political hacks by padding his cabinet with them.
Mitt Romney's White House
So many people have used Romney's actions, and supposed actions while at Bain Capital to vilify him. I'm definitely opposed to the excesses of capitalism as practiced by some of the "robber baron" industrialists. However, I'm reminded of some important points:
- I don't know of any people that work for poor people--a person has to be financially smart to succeed and create jobs.
- If a patient has inoperable gangrene in his leg, is it best to remove the diseased leg, realizing that the patient still might die, or to ignore him while he suffers a painful, extended demise?
The things that the majority of the Liberals, socialists, etc. don't seem to grasp is that government can only create jobs using someone else's money--after taking a large cut of overhead from the revenue collected before redistributing it.
Anyway, my two cents, er..... two dollars worth (adjusted for inflation)--
Smitty
"A plan to restructure White House operations to suit Romney’s corporate management style, with clear deliverables"
In other words, Romney planned to hold people accountable for how they performed instead of rewarding political hacks by padding his cabinet with them.
Mitt Romney's White House
So many people have used Romney's actions, and supposed actions while at Bain Capital to vilify him. I'm definitely opposed to the excesses of capitalism as practiced by some of the "robber baron" industrialists. However, I'm reminded of some important points:
- I don't know of any people that work for poor people--a person has to be financially smart to succeed and create jobs.
- If a patient has inoperable gangrene in his leg, is it best to remove the diseased leg, realizing that the patient still might die, or to ignore him while he suffers a painful, extended demise?
The things that the majority of the Liberals, socialists, etc. don't seem to grasp is that government can only create jobs using someone else's money--after taking a large cut of overhead from the revenue collected before redistributing it.
Anyway, my two cents, er..... two dollars worth (adjusted for inflation)--
Smitty
Friday, May 31, 2013
Garden Update
Well, I finally got some time to finish off the garden.
We planted potatoes about 3 weeks ago, and they had started to come up--Yay!!! I've never planted potatoes before, so I was concerned they might not grow.
I have felt that I needed to get some experience with growing a crop that could be stored for the winter. This would provide us food that we didn't have to buy, and would also help us learn new things and be more self-sufficient.
Since it had been a few weeks since it was disked, I re-tilled the unsown part of the garden. I have a tiller for one of my garden tractors-- a Dayton, and it made short work of the spot:
The next day I furrowed the spot with my White GT1650--it's too hard to remove the tiller and quickly swap things back and forth on the Dayton... plus it gives me one more tractor to have fun on!!
We planted three more rows of potatoes, including some Yukon Golds...similar to a Russet potato but with a yellow tint to the flesh of the potato.
We also planted Blue Guatemalan Banana Squash, Amish Crookneck (similar to Butternut, but with a long neck on them), Fordhook Acorns squash, and Silver Bell squash. Links to these plants are included towards the end of this article.
After putting in the squash, I furrowed the rows between the growing potato plants. As they grow, potatoes will form at the surface, and will "green" from exposure to the sun if you don't heap dirt around the base of the plant.
Many people don't know that potatoes, tomatoes, and egg plant are all members of the nightshade family. The leaves, roots (not tubers), stems, etc. contain the alkaloid solanine and are poisonous. Ditto for the actual "fruit" that grow on some potato plants. Green potatoes also contain solanine, and shouldn't be eaten... which makes me wonder why tomato caterpillars and Colorado Potato Beetles can get a way with eating them, but I digress...
More information on dangers of green potatoes:
Don't eat Green Potatoes
Anyway, here's a couple pictures of me furrowing.
We intend to make a small "root cellar" area in our basement.
When I was a kid, there was an old house (actually more of a shack) down the street from me that had a root cellar behind it. Someone had lived in the house when we first moved in, but they moved not long after and the house later burned down.
I remember going into the old root cellar, with it's weather-beaten door half off the hinges, and seeing dusty wooden shelves with a few jars of fruit still on them. Even though it was mid-summer (high 90 degree temperatures), the root cellar was cool and comfortable.
Root cellars are how people kept food long term before the arrival of refrigerators and grocery stores stocked year round with fresh fruits and vegetables. You can store many different types of food in root cellars--potatoes, carrots, onions, winter squash, turnips, apples, etc. If done right, many things would last until late spring.
We had started putting our winter squash in cardboard boxes in a cool room in our basement. We still have three smaller squash there as of this writing (late May) and they are still good. Now I wanted to expand on that a little, hence the potatoes in the garden.
In addition to storing the squash, we want to store the potatoes. We eat a lot of them and like them cooked in various ways--boiled with the skins on, fried, made into "Galloping" (Scalloped) potatoes, potato salad, etc. We planted 40 pounds of potatoes--a 10 to 1 yield is considered good... we'll see how we do.
Potatoes contain a lot of nutrition--a medium sized baked potato with the skin on has almost half the daily recommended amount of Vitamin C. They also contain other vitamins and helpful minerals. In fact, in rural Ireland in the mid 1800s, two-thirds of the people subsisted as sharecroppers and potatoes were their main food source. When potato blight destroyed the harvest for a couple of successive years, over a million people starved to death, and another million emigrated to other countries--particularly the U.S.
We also like squash, particularly winter squash, like banana squash. We love banana squash in many different forms--baked, mashed, made into "pumpkin pie" and pudding, etc. We wanted to try some different types as well now that we had more room. We looked at different varieties--we didn't want Hubbard or Acorn squash since they are a pain to peel. Something fairly decent size with a smooth skin would fit the bill. We finally came up with those I mentioned earlier.
We also wanted to plant open pollinated seeds. Open pollinated seeds come from plants that haven't been genetically modified. Most seeds you buy today have been scientifically hybridized to get certain desirable features--larger yields, resistance to disease and insects, etc.
However, the seeds contained in the resultant fruit or vegetable often will not grow if you plant them. Or, they will throwback to one of the original plants, and not the hybrid. Lastly, some seeds actually have a patent on them, and you cannot legally save seeds from your planted crops for the next year!! A recent court case between Monsanto and a farmer that reused seeds ruled in favor of Monsanto--the farmer ended up paying an $84,000 fine.
Monsanto Wins in Seed Patent Case
So, to cut to the chase... we did some research and picked some additional types of squash to plant. Some of these links are to seed companies, etc., but I'm not compensated for including their links.
We bought most of our seed from Seedsaver's Exchange. They work to preserve heirloom, organically grown, and open-pollinated seeds. I don't get compensation from them for including the link, but I encourage you to take a look at their website and support them if you can.
Fordhook Acorn Squash
This squash is bigger than the traditional acorn and not as ridged...hopefully it will be easier to prepare.
Amish Crookneck Squash
The Amish Crookneck are unusual as well. (I'm not promoting this particular seed dealer, they just have good information about the squash)
Blue Guatemalan Banana Squash
I bought this just because I am intrigued by its color... We'll see how it does.
Silver Bell Squash
This came as a gift from Seedsaver's Exchange because I made a small donation... I'm interested to see what they taste like:
We also bought seeds for the "trombone squash" (Tromboncini) from another site. We will plant these at the house. It is a vine-type squash that has a long thin neck and a large bulge at the bottom. It is eaten as a summer squash, much like Zucchini, but if allowed to mature and "set" it turns a tan color similar to a butternut squash, and can be stored and eaten as a winter squash. Here's a link:
Trombone Squash
Anyway, that's it for now... I'll keep you posted as things move along.
Smitty
We planted potatoes about 3 weeks ago, and they had started to come up--Yay!!! I've never planted potatoes before, so I was concerned they might not grow.
I have felt that I needed to get some experience with growing a crop that could be stored for the winter. This would provide us food that we didn't have to buy, and would also help us learn new things and be more self-sufficient.
Since it had been a few weeks since it was disked, I re-tilled the unsown part of the garden. I have a tiller for one of my garden tractors-- a Dayton, and it made short work of the spot:
The next day I furrowed the spot with my White GT1650--it's too hard to remove the tiller and quickly swap things back and forth on the Dayton... plus it gives me one more tractor to have fun on!!
We planted three more rows of potatoes, including some Yukon Golds...similar to a Russet potato but with a yellow tint to the flesh of the potato.
We also planted Blue Guatemalan Banana Squash, Amish Crookneck (similar to Butternut, but with a long neck on them), Fordhook Acorns squash, and Silver Bell squash. Links to these plants are included towards the end of this article.
After putting in the squash, I furrowed the rows between the growing potato plants. As they grow, potatoes will form at the surface, and will "green" from exposure to the sun if you don't heap dirt around the base of the plant.
Many people don't know that potatoes, tomatoes, and egg plant are all members of the nightshade family. The leaves, roots (not tubers), stems, etc. contain the alkaloid solanine and are poisonous. Ditto for the actual "fruit" that grow on some potato plants. Green potatoes also contain solanine, and shouldn't be eaten... which makes me wonder why tomato caterpillars and Colorado Potato Beetles can get a way with eating them, but I digress...
More information on dangers of green potatoes:
Don't eat Green Potatoes
Anyway, here's a couple pictures of me furrowing.
We intend to make a small "root cellar" area in our basement.
When I was a kid, there was an old house (actually more of a shack) down the street from me that had a root cellar behind it. Someone had lived in the house when we first moved in, but they moved not long after and the house later burned down.
I remember going into the old root cellar, with it's weather-beaten door half off the hinges, and seeing dusty wooden shelves with a few jars of fruit still on them. Even though it was mid-summer (high 90 degree temperatures), the root cellar was cool and comfortable.
Root cellars are how people kept food long term before the arrival of refrigerators and grocery stores stocked year round with fresh fruits and vegetables. You can store many different types of food in root cellars--potatoes, carrots, onions, winter squash, turnips, apples, etc. If done right, many things would last until late spring.
We had started putting our winter squash in cardboard boxes in a cool room in our basement. We still have three smaller squash there as of this writing (late May) and they are still good. Now I wanted to expand on that a little, hence the potatoes in the garden.
In addition to storing the squash, we want to store the potatoes. We eat a lot of them and like them cooked in various ways--boiled with the skins on, fried, made into "Galloping" (Scalloped) potatoes, potato salad, etc. We planted 40 pounds of potatoes--a 10 to 1 yield is considered good... we'll see how we do.
Potatoes contain a lot of nutrition--a medium sized baked potato with the skin on has almost half the daily recommended amount of Vitamin C. They also contain other vitamins and helpful minerals. In fact, in rural Ireland in the mid 1800s, two-thirds of the people subsisted as sharecroppers and potatoes were their main food source. When potato blight destroyed the harvest for a couple of successive years, over a million people starved to death, and another million emigrated to other countries--particularly the U.S.
We also like squash, particularly winter squash, like banana squash. We love banana squash in many different forms--baked, mashed, made into "pumpkin pie" and pudding, etc. We wanted to try some different types as well now that we had more room. We looked at different varieties--we didn't want Hubbard or Acorn squash since they are a pain to peel. Something fairly decent size with a smooth skin would fit the bill. We finally came up with those I mentioned earlier.
We also wanted to plant open pollinated seeds. Open pollinated seeds come from plants that haven't been genetically modified. Most seeds you buy today have been scientifically hybridized to get certain desirable features--larger yields, resistance to disease and insects, etc.
However, the seeds contained in the resultant fruit or vegetable often will not grow if you plant them. Or, they will throwback to one of the original plants, and not the hybrid. Lastly, some seeds actually have a patent on them, and you cannot legally save seeds from your planted crops for the next year!! A recent court case between Monsanto and a farmer that reused seeds ruled in favor of Monsanto--the farmer ended up paying an $84,000 fine.
Monsanto Wins in Seed Patent Case
So, to cut to the chase... we did some research and picked some additional types of squash to plant. Some of these links are to seed companies, etc., but I'm not compensated for including their links.
We bought most of our seed from Seedsaver's Exchange. They work to preserve heirloom, organically grown, and open-pollinated seeds. I don't get compensation from them for including the link, but I encourage you to take a look at their website and support them if you can.
Fordhook Acorn Squash
This squash is bigger than the traditional acorn and not as ridged...hopefully it will be easier to prepare.
Amish Crookneck Squash
The Amish Crookneck are unusual as well. (I'm not promoting this particular seed dealer, they just have good information about the squash)
Blue Guatemalan Banana Squash
I bought this just because I am intrigued by its color... We'll see how it does.
Silver Bell Squash
This came as a gift from Seedsaver's Exchange because I made a small donation... I'm interested to see what they taste like:
We also bought seeds for the "trombone squash" (Tromboncini) from another site. We will plant these at the house. It is a vine-type squash that has a long thin neck and a large bulge at the bottom. It is eaten as a summer squash, much like Zucchini, but if allowed to mature and "set" it turns a tan color similar to a butternut squash, and can be stored and eaten as a winter squash. Here's a link:
Trombone Squash
Anyway, that's it for now... I'll keep you posted as things move along.
Smitty
Thursday, May 30, 2013
HUMOR: Chicago is known for....
Chicago is known for three things:
1. Pizza
2. Mobsters
3. Corrupt Politicians
One thing we can say about President Obama--he's definitely NOT a Pizza!!!!
Smitty
1. Pizza
2. Mobsters
3. Corrupt Politicians
One thing we can say about President Obama--he's definitely NOT a Pizza!!!!
Smitty
IRS Agent Who Wrote Threatening Letters Promoted
Here's a head scratcher for you...
IRS Exempt Organization Specialist Stephen Seok signed many of the intimidating letters sent to conservative non-profits. He also asked intrusive questions requiring things like a copy of all brochures handed out, the names and credentials of all speakers, and the contents of their speeches, etc.
Despite the public outcry over the IRS' abuse of conservative groups, Mr Seok wasn't reprimanded or even placed on administrative leave... HE WAS PROMOTED!! He is now a supervisory IRS agent.
When the IRS Cincinnati Center was contacted, they deferred all questions to the IRS Washington, D.C., office. When the Washington D.C. office was contacted regarding the promotion, they refused to answer, citing the Privacy Act of 1974...
Abusive IRS Agent Promoted.
All of this is especially troubling, and it seems the "hits just keep on rolling in"... with scandal piling on scandal. Almost as troubling is that a lot of "conservative" politicians seem to have adopted a wait and see attitude rather than jumping in and demanding that those responsible be identified and fired, and criminally prosecuted as warranted.
One of my growing concerns is that the American public has heard so much about all the different scandals that they're becoming numb to it and basically shrug their shoulders and say, "What can I do?"..
Regards,
Smitty
IRS Exempt Organization Specialist Stephen Seok signed many of the intimidating letters sent to conservative non-profits. He also asked intrusive questions requiring things like a copy of all brochures handed out, the names and credentials of all speakers, and the contents of their speeches, etc.
Despite the public outcry over the IRS' abuse of conservative groups, Mr Seok wasn't reprimanded or even placed on administrative leave... HE WAS PROMOTED!! He is now a supervisory IRS agent.
When the IRS Cincinnati Center was contacted, they deferred all questions to the IRS Washington, D.C., office. When the Washington D.C. office was contacted regarding the promotion, they refused to answer, citing the Privacy Act of 1974...
Abusive IRS Agent Promoted.
All of this is especially troubling, and it seems the "hits just keep on rolling in"... with scandal piling on scandal. Almost as troubling is that a lot of "conservative" politicians seem to have adopted a wait and see attitude rather than jumping in and demanding that those responsible be identified and fired, and criminally prosecuted as warranted.
One of my growing concerns is that the American public has heard so much about all the different scandals that they're becoming numb to it and basically shrug their shoulders and say, "What can I do?"..
Regards,
Smitty
Are DHS Police Monitoring Conservative Rallies?
Several Tea Party rallies and demonstrations in the past few weeks have seen the presence of "Federal Protective Services" police from the Department of Homeland Security, in addition to local law enforcement.
These gatherings were peaceful, as is typical of Tea Party gatherings, so one has to wonder why the need for DHS police... especially since the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, which had a number of arrests nationwide for assault, drug use, and rape, didn't seem to concern them.
Read more here:
DHS Police Monitoring Conservative Gatherings
Maybe just a touch of paranoia would be appropriate right now, especially if it prompts us to actively work to ensure our Constitutional Rights aren't swept aside by edicts and regulations from politically appointed "Czars".
Smitty
These gatherings were peaceful, as is typical of Tea Party gatherings, so one has to wonder why the need for DHS police... especially since the "Occupy Wall Street" movement, which had a number of arrests nationwide for assault, drug use, and rape, didn't seem to concern them.
Read more here:
DHS Police Monitoring Conservative Gatherings
Maybe just a touch of paranoia would be appropriate right now, especially if it prompts us to actively work to ensure our Constitutional Rights aren't swept aside by edicts and regulations from politically appointed "Czars".
Smitty
Sunday, May 26, 2013
Did the IRS' Lois Lerner Lie?
Lois Lerner is the IRS' director of tax exempt organizations division. She has been on the hotseat for the recently erupted scandal wherein the IRS targeted conservative groups.
Ms. Lerner apparently is not aware that when you lie, you need to keep your stories straight. She has been given Four Pinocchios by the Washington Post "Fact Check" website.
When finally questioned under oath about the problems in the IRS, Ms. Lerner stated she had "done nothing wrong", but then immediately took the 5th Amendment in response to further questioning...curious, isn't it?
Maybe she didn't do anything wrong... if so, what need is there for her to take the 5th? A plausible explanation, assuming she didn't do anything wrong, is that she knows things that would implicate others in wrongdoing, and is trying to protect them. If so, I doubt she is doing it out of the goodness of her heart--self-preservation is more likely the motive...
Anyway, you can read the article in the Washington Post here, along with other related articles:
4 Pinocchios for Lois Lerner
Another twist, if I'm not mistaken, Ms. Lerner was recently appointed to head up the IRS department that overseas ObamaCare...
"What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive..."
Smitty
Ms. Lerner apparently is not aware that when you lie, you need to keep your stories straight. She has been given Four Pinocchios by the Washington Post "Fact Check" website.
When finally questioned under oath about the problems in the IRS, Ms. Lerner stated she had "done nothing wrong", but then immediately took the 5th Amendment in response to further questioning...curious, isn't it?
Maybe she didn't do anything wrong... if so, what need is there for her to take the 5th? A plausible explanation, assuming she didn't do anything wrong, is that she knows things that would implicate others in wrongdoing, and is trying to protect them. If so, I doubt she is doing it out of the goodness of her heart--self-preservation is more likely the motive...
Anyway, you can read the article in the Washington Post here, along with other related articles:
4 Pinocchios for Lois Lerner
Another twist, if I'm not mistaken, Ms. Lerner was recently appointed to head up the IRS department that overseas ObamaCare...
"What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive..."
Smitty
Chriss Street: OBAMACARE FUNDED IRS BIG DATA
This article is from a couple weeks ago, but it brings out the unholy connection between Obama Care and the IRS--even more troubling in view of the recent revelations that the IRS Regional Processing Center in Cincinnati (the largest IRS processing center in the country, BTW) deliberately targeted conservative groups by asking inappropriate questions of applicants, or outright ignored requests.
To add insult to injury, the IRS has recently upgraded its computer system to the IBM zEnterprise 196 system. In addition to using this vastly increased capacity on bonafide tax-related issues, the IRS is now monitoring taxpayer's digital activities on such sites as Facebook and eBay...
ObamaCare Funded IRS Data Monitoring Upgrade
I'm very concerned.
My reading of history is that anytime an oppresive regime comes to power, two of their main targets are the freedom of speech, and the education of youth. They always implement some type of national police force that answers to those in power, NOT the citizens...
We now have the government interfering with the legal functioning of conservative groups, and pushing "Common Core" school curriculum, which despite it's supporter's objections, reduces the influence that parents and local organizations has in your child's education.
I once asked one of my kids what they thought of the present political situation. They didn't like it, but basically didn't know what they could do about it. That's understandable--the problem is huge and we are just one person.
The answer, however is to remember that a lot of grains of sand bonded together makes a concrete wall.
Please pass this post on to your other friends and contacts... the things most despots fear more than the power of the sword is the power of the pen.
Smitty
To add insult to injury, the IRS has recently upgraded its computer system to the IBM zEnterprise 196 system. In addition to using this vastly increased capacity on bonafide tax-related issues, the IRS is now monitoring taxpayer's digital activities on such sites as Facebook and eBay...
ObamaCare Funded IRS Data Monitoring Upgrade
I'm very concerned.
My reading of history is that anytime an oppresive regime comes to power, two of their main targets are the freedom of speech, and the education of youth. They always implement some type of national police force that answers to those in power, NOT the citizens...
We now have the government interfering with the legal functioning of conservative groups, and pushing "Common Core" school curriculum, which despite it's supporter's objections, reduces the influence that parents and local organizations has in your child's education.
I once asked one of my kids what they thought of the present political situation. They didn't like it, but basically didn't know what they could do about it. That's understandable--the problem is huge and we are just one person.
The answer, however is to remember that a lot of grains of sand bonded together makes a concrete wall.
Please pass this post on to your other friends and contacts... the things most despots fear more than the power of the sword is the power of the pen.
Smitty
Saturday, May 25, 2013
HELPFUL TIP: Effectiveness of Penetrating Oils
Machinist's Workshop recently published some information on various
penetrating oils. The magazine reports they tested penetrates for break out
torque on rusted nuts.
I WANT TO CAUTION YOU THAT PENETRATING OILS WILL SOFTEN SOME PLASTICS AND WILL DISSOLVE OR REMOVE PAINTS, LACQUERS, AND VARNISHES.
Try a little on a test piece or in an inconspicuous place first if your item has plastic parts, or a painted finish.
Below listed, a subjective test was made of all the popular penetrates, with
the control being the torque required to remove the nut from a
"scientifically rusted" environment.
Average torque load to loosen
No Oil used ................... 516 pounds
WD-40 ..................... ... 238 pounds
PB Blaster .................... 214 pounds (mineral
oil in a solvent carrier, often acetone or mineral spirits)
Liquid Wrench ...............127 pounds
Kano Kroil .................... 106 pounds (mineral
oil in a solvent carrier, often acetone or mineral spirits)
ATF - Acetone mix............53 pounds (ATF (automatic transmission fluid) -
predominantly mineral oil).
I have seen a mix of diesel fuel and a little gasoline work well, but, as in the case of all oils and solvents, it's very flammable.
I use a solution that was published years ago in "American Gunsmith" magazine. I forget what they called it--I call it "Wonder Oil" It is very effective at dissolving dried oils, grease and "gunk" (that's a scientific term). Like WD-40, it also is water-dispersing, and leaves a slightly oily residue. It does have a strong smell, but it's a lot cheaper than the commercial penetrating oils. All the ingredients can be purchased from WalMart or a hardware store. Here's the formula:
4 parts Mineral Spirits
4 parts Kerosene
1.5 parts Marvel Mystery Oil
.5 parts Rislone
(You can get Marvel Mystery Oil and Rislone at auto parts stores if they're not available elsewhere.)
Here is a sample of how to measure it if you are using English measurements (fluid ounces, cups, teaspoons, etc.):
4 cups each of Mineral Spirits and Kerosene, one and a half cups Marvel Mystery Oil, and a half cup of Rislone.
CAUTION: These amounts will produce 10 cups, or 2 1/2 quarts of oil. You may want to use a smaller amount--just reduce proportionally.
WARNING: Like other penetrating oils, this will dissolve paints, varnishes, etc. and soften or distort some plastics and rubber compounds.
I keep this solution in used plastic oil cans--you don't need to clean the old oil out, just pour the solution in and the oil will dissolve into it. You can also use empty brake fluid or oil treatment bottles as well.
I use a refillable aerosol can when I need to spray the solution. Harbor Freight used to sell them, though I can't find it now on their website. They used to be $8 or $9... I see them on eBay, however, and also on Amazon.com. Here's an example:
Amazon.com Refillable Aerosol
These are a really neat item--It consists of a metal can similar to a paint spray can, with a screw on top, and a valve stem. You fill the can half full of liquid, screw the top on, and pump air into it, using an air compressor, an air hose from a service station, or even a bicycle tire pump. They have several nozzles included so you can spray oils, glass cleaner, water, etc.
So, here's another item you can file away as a helpful tip.
Smitty
penetrating oils. The magazine reports they tested penetrates for break out
torque on rusted nuts.
I WANT TO CAUTION YOU THAT PENETRATING OILS WILL SOFTEN SOME PLASTICS AND WILL DISSOLVE OR REMOVE PAINTS, LACQUERS, AND VARNISHES.
Try a little on a test piece or in an inconspicuous place first if your item has plastic parts, or a painted finish.
Below listed, a subjective test was made of all the popular penetrates, with
the control being the torque required to remove the nut from a
"scientifically rusted" environment.
Average torque load to loosen
No Oil used ................... 516 pounds
WD-40 ..................... ... 238 pounds
PB Blaster .................... 214 pounds (mineral
oil in a solvent carrier, often acetone or mineral spirits)
Liquid Wrench ...............127 pounds
Kano Kroil .................... 106 pounds (mineral
oil in a solvent carrier, often acetone or mineral spirits)
ATF - Acetone mix............53 pounds (ATF (automatic transmission fluid) -
predominantly mineral oil).
I have seen a mix of diesel fuel and a little gasoline work well, but, as in the case of all oils and solvents, it's very flammable.
I use a solution that was published years ago in "American Gunsmith" magazine. I forget what they called it--I call it "Wonder Oil" It is very effective at dissolving dried oils, grease and "gunk" (that's a scientific term). Like WD-40, it also is water-dispersing, and leaves a slightly oily residue. It does have a strong smell, but it's a lot cheaper than the commercial penetrating oils. All the ingredients can be purchased from WalMart or a hardware store. Here's the formula:
4 parts Mineral Spirits
4 parts Kerosene
1.5 parts Marvel Mystery Oil
.5 parts Rislone
(You can get Marvel Mystery Oil and Rislone at auto parts stores if they're not available elsewhere.)
Here is a sample of how to measure it if you are using English measurements (fluid ounces, cups, teaspoons, etc.):
4 cups each of Mineral Spirits and Kerosene, one and a half cups Marvel Mystery Oil, and a half cup of Rislone.
CAUTION: These amounts will produce 10 cups, or 2 1/2 quarts of oil. You may want to use a smaller amount--just reduce proportionally.
WARNING: Like other penetrating oils, this will dissolve paints, varnishes, etc. and soften or distort some plastics and rubber compounds.
I keep this solution in used plastic oil cans--you don't need to clean the old oil out, just pour the solution in and the oil will dissolve into it. You can also use empty brake fluid or oil treatment bottles as well.
I use a refillable aerosol can when I need to spray the solution. Harbor Freight used to sell them, though I can't find it now on their website. They used to be $8 or $9... I see them on eBay, however, and also on Amazon.com. Here's an example:
Amazon.com Refillable Aerosol
These are a really neat item--It consists of a metal can similar to a paint spray can, with a screw on top, and a valve stem. You fill the can half full of liquid, screw the top on, and pump air into it, using an air compressor, an air hose from a service station, or even a bicycle tire pump. They have several nozzles included so you can spray oils, glass cleaner, water, etc.
So, here's another item you can file away as a helpful tip.
Smitty
Utah Scientist Makes Breakthrough in Mental Illness Research
I have been really busy the last week or so, and haven't took the time to research things and post them on my blog. I actually came across this article on KSL.com, one of our local news websites. Some of you may have seen it already, but I wanted to post it here for those out of state.
It tells of the work of Dr. Mario Capecchi, a Nobel-prize winning geneticist at the University of Utah.
While the traditional method to treat mental illness was to use therapydrugs to alter the brain's chemistry, Dr. Capecchi has researched the effect the body's immune system has on mental health.
More information can be found at this link:
Utah Scientist Makes Mental Health Breakthrough
This is exciting information for me. I have Attention Deficit Disorder, and also had a head injury when I was 12. The results manifest themselves in various ways. I've tried various medications to help me deal with it, but found that none really seemed to help me. So, I've developed coping skills that have helped me to deal with it. However, takes constant mental and emotional effort and at times leads to burnout.
I know of other people who have wrestled with depression, anxiety attacks, bi-polar conditions, or any of a number of emotional or mental challenges. It is heart-breaking, and people in general still tend to believe that a person should just "snap out of it", instead of treating it as a medical condition instead of a conscious choice.
I hope it's helpful for those of you who wrestle with these things, or knows someone that does.
Smitty
It tells of the work of Dr. Mario Capecchi, a Nobel-prize winning geneticist at the University of Utah.
While the traditional method to treat mental illness was to use therapydrugs to alter the brain's chemistry, Dr. Capecchi has researched the effect the body's immune system has on mental health.
More information can be found at this link:
Utah Scientist Makes Mental Health Breakthrough
This is exciting information for me. I have Attention Deficit Disorder, and also had a head injury when I was 12. The results manifest themselves in various ways. I've tried various medications to help me deal with it, but found that none really seemed to help me. So, I've developed coping skills that have helped me to deal with it. However, takes constant mental and emotional effort and at times leads to burnout.
I know of other people who have wrestled with depression, anxiety attacks, bi-polar conditions, or any of a number of emotional or mental challenges. It is heart-breaking, and people in general still tend to believe that a person should just "snap out of it", instead of treating it as a medical condition instead of a conscious choice.
I hope it's helpful for those of you who wrestle with these things, or knows someone that does.
Smitty
Saturday, May 18, 2013
OIl Filter Comparison--Fram Users Take Note
Many people don't pay attention to the oil filters a shop uses when they get their oil changed. Fram filters--a widely-sold brand, are quickly recognizable due to their deep orange color. Although they have the best advertising program and probably sell more filters than any other brand, I'm not a big fan of Fram.
These You Tube Filters show the internal parts of different Automotive Filters and provides commentary on desirable features.
The first video shows the construction of a Fram filter. You'll see that they use a cardboard-like end cap to seal the filter internally and force the oil through the pleats. If you look carefully, you will see that the metal clamp used to hold the pleats together missed the edge of the pleat and has an open hole to the oil passage--meaning a lot of oil will go through the filter housing and not get filtered at all. It also shows several high-quality filters and how they're made:
The second video is a little long, but it also shows why Fram filters aren't generally the best choice.
A number of years ago, my brother-in-law had a Fram filter on his pickup burst open. Before he knew there was a problem, the engine was drained of oil and suffered major internal damage. I've never seen this happen before or since, but I became a little leery of the brand.
I researched oil filters more recently and learned that Fram is actually very cheaply made--as shown on the videos, they use a fiber material instead of metal for end caps on their "Extra Guard" filters, and have less actual filter media (as seen in less pleats) than other brands. Even then, you often pay more for a Fram filter than for a better quality one.
In my personal experience, and from my own research, I've found that the following brands often use cheaper (and less effective) components in their filters:
Fram
STP
AC-Delco (quality varies depending on who makes their filters in a particular year).
MicroGard
Pennzoil
In contrast, the following brands are better quality overall. They may cost a little more (not always), but when you consider that clean oil is the best insurance for long engine life, they're worth it:
Hastings
Purolator
Wix
NAPA (made by Wix)
Fleet Guard (typically used on large trucks and equipment)
Motorcraft
Ford
K&N
Champion
FWIW,
Smitty
Can You Trust Your Mechanic?
I came across this video on You Tube. It documents a California TV station that sent an Investigative Reporter to 9 different Jiffy Lube shops in different towns in the area:
Can You Trust Your Mechanic?
While this appears to be a problem tied in with one individual, problems with mechanics isn't isolated. Most are honest, but there are enough bad actors there that you have to be careful. Even if they are honest, some do sloppy work. My own experience with the local WalMart here in Layton, Utah is another example.
I used to go to WalMart's Tire & Lube Express for oil changes... it was pretty cheap, and could be done while I shopped.
However, over the course of a couple years, I had numerous problems with their work:
1. Mechanic didn't check rear differential (drive axle) in my truck even though it's a part of the service and I had specifically asked them to check it. I was working under the truck a few days later and looked at the square recessed plug that is removed to check and fill the differential. It was covered with a thick layer of oily dirt, and obviously hadn't been touched in a while. This was a major concern of mine since I had a leak in the differential and didn't want it to run out of lube.
2. Mechanic didn't check differential in my Toyota Camry. The Camry is a front wheel drive car like most cars today. Many of them combine the differential and transmission so they use the same oil. This isn't the case with the Toyota. Although it uses transmission fluid for the differential, it doesn't share oil with the transmission and has to be checked separately.
When I asked the mechanic if he'd checked the differential, he said that the car didn't have a differential because it was a front wheel drive!! He even argued with me about it until I told him I would show him the fill plug... FWIW, All cars have a differential--it used to be called the "rear end" when most cars were rear wheel drive, but every car has one or the tires would scrub as the car turns a corner because the tires on the inside of the turn turn less than than those on the outside.
3. Mechanic didn't grease my upper ball joints on my truck. In this case at least the mechanic did tell me he didn't grease the joints saying he didn't have the tool to do so. Problem is, my truck is a 1990 Chevy 1/2 ton 4-wheel drive--an extremely popular model with many still on the road. It has the same suspension as General Motors trucks built from 1989 to about 1995--in other words, tens of millions of trucks. If the mechanic couldn't grease my truck, he couldn't grease similar trucks of other customers.
4. When I got an oil change on my Nissan Altima, they checked the tires as a normal part of the service. I had replaced the tires a few months earlier, and the newer ones had a higher air pressure rating--this helps increase fuel economy, though the ride is a little bit stiffer.
I left instructions with the service writer that the tires needed to be inflated to 44 psi, as shown on the tire. When I picked up the car, the tires looked a little low, so I asked the mechanic what pressure he had put in them. He said, "32 pounds" which is normal for many tires. I showed him where the order said to put in 44 lbs and that the tires were rated for it. He argued with me, saying that he had went off the pressure shown on the door sticker on the car. He seemed dumbfounded when I told him that since my car had over 100,000 miles on it that it probably had a different set of tires on it than came from the factory.
5. You may ask why I continued to go back. Convenience and price mostly. But each time I was more specific with the mechanic about what needed to be done to avoid the previous problem.
The clincher came when I got the oil changed--again on my Nissan, and something told me to check the oil before I left the store parking lot. I opened the hood, pulled the dipstick and noticed that the oil seemed pretty dark for new oil. I asked the mechanic about it, and he said that it was caused by some of the old oil that remains in the engine after an oil change. I was aware if that, but wasn't convinced that was the reason it was so dark.
I took the car to my local tire shop, and had them put it on the hoist. I then took pictures of the oil filter with my phone. I went back to WalMart the next day and spoke with the Service Manager. I've dealt with him before, and he had always been helpful. When I showed him the picture, he went and checked all the filter brands his shop used, but none matched the filter in my car (The oil had been changed at a different shop prior to this oil change). He talked to the mechanic, who finally came clean about it--he hadn't bothered to change the filter, even though I had paid for it, and for 4 quarts of new oil.
The service manager had another mechanic do another oil and filter change on the spot. He apologized and asked what he could do to keep my business. I thanked him, but due to the other problems I'd had with his mechanics doing sloppy work (most of which he was already aware of), I said I would not use them again. And, I haven't.
The best advice I can give on this is to talk to your friends and neighbors and get a recommendation on a good shop, then stick with them. Most mechanics aren't dishonest, and honest mistakes will occur, but they will be quickly taken care of instead of trying to hide the problem.
So, chime in with any experiences you have--good or bad, so we all can avoid the bad operators...
Smitty
Can You Trust Your Mechanic?
While this appears to be a problem tied in with one individual, problems with mechanics isn't isolated. Most are honest, but there are enough bad actors there that you have to be careful. Even if they are honest, some do sloppy work. My own experience with the local WalMart here in Layton, Utah is another example.
I used to go to WalMart's Tire & Lube Express for oil changes... it was pretty cheap, and could be done while I shopped.
However, over the course of a couple years, I had numerous problems with their work:
1. Mechanic didn't check rear differential (drive axle) in my truck even though it's a part of the service and I had specifically asked them to check it. I was working under the truck a few days later and looked at the square recessed plug that is removed to check and fill the differential. It was covered with a thick layer of oily dirt, and obviously hadn't been touched in a while. This was a major concern of mine since I had a leak in the differential and didn't want it to run out of lube.
2. Mechanic didn't check differential in my Toyota Camry. The Camry is a front wheel drive car like most cars today. Many of them combine the differential and transmission so they use the same oil. This isn't the case with the Toyota. Although it uses transmission fluid for the differential, it doesn't share oil with the transmission and has to be checked separately.
When I asked the mechanic if he'd checked the differential, he said that the car didn't have a differential because it was a front wheel drive!! He even argued with me about it until I told him I would show him the fill plug... FWIW, All cars have a differential--it used to be called the "rear end" when most cars were rear wheel drive, but every car has one or the tires would scrub as the car turns a corner because the tires on the inside of the turn turn less than than those on the outside.
3. Mechanic didn't grease my upper ball joints on my truck. In this case at least the mechanic did tell me he didn't grease the joints saying he didn't have the tool to do so. Problem is, my truck is a 1990 Chevy 1/2 ton 4-wheel drive--an extremely popular model with many still on the road. It has the same suspension as General Motors trucks built from 1989 to about 1995--in other words, tens of millions of trucks. If the mechanic couldn't grease my truck, he couldn't grease similar trucks of other customers.
4. When I got an oil change on my Nissan Altima, they checked the tires as a normal part of the service. I had replaced the tires a few months earlier, and the newer ones had a higher air pressure rating--this helps increase fuel economy, though the ride is a little bit stiffer.
I left instructions with the service writer that the tires needed to be inflated to 44 psi, as shown on the tire. When I picked up the car, the tires looked a little low, so I asked the mechanic what pressure he had put in them. He said, "32 pounds" which is normal for many tires. I showed him where the order said to put in 44 lbs and that the tires were rated for it. He argued with me, saying that he had went off the pressure shown on the door sticker on the car. He seemed dumbfounded when I told him that since my car had over 100,000 miles on it that it probably had a different set of tires on it than came from the factory.
5. You may ask why I continued to go back. Convenience and price mostly. But each time I was more specific with the mechanic about what needed to be done to avoid the previous problem.
The clincher came when I got the oil changed--again on my Nissan, and something told me to check the oil before I left the store parking lot. I opened the hood, pulled the dipstick and noticed that the oil seemed pretty dark for new oil. I asked the mechanic about it, and he said that it was caused by some of the old oil that remains in the engine after an oil change. I was aware if that, but wasn't convinced that was the reason it was so dark.
I took the car to my local tire shop, and had them put it on the hoist. I then took pictures of the oil filter with my phone. I went back to WalMart the next day and spoke with the Service Manager. I've dealt with him before, and he had always been helpful. When I showed him the picture, he went and checked all the filter brands his shop used, but none matched the filter in my car (The oil had been changed at a different shop prior to this oil change). He talked to the mechanic, who finally came clean about it--he hadn't bothered to change the filter, even though I had paid for it, and for 4 quarts of new oil.
The service manager had another mechanic do another oil and filter change on the spot. He apologized and asked what he could do to keep my business. I thanked him, but due to the other problems I'd had with his mechanics doing sloppy work (most of which he was already aware of), I said I would not use them again. And, I haven't.
The best advice I can give on this is to talk to your friends and neighbors and get a recommendation on a good shop, then stick with them. Most mechanics aren't dishonest, and honest mistakes will occur, but they will be quickly taken care of instead of trying to hide the problem.
So, chime in with any experiences you have--good or bad, so we all can avoid the bad operators...
Smitty
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