More Odds and Ends

More Odds and Ends . . .

October 2, 2021 Automotive Ignition Switch Woes--DIY. Our 17 year old SUV was having difficulty starting last month. Every time we turned the ignition switch it went "Click" and wouldn't start until it felt like it. The remedy involved a roll of Duck Tape and a bottle of St. Joseph's Low Dose Aspirin. Here's what I did .

It had been a very dry summer and then in September it rained a lot. I thought the ignition switch circuit might be faulty due to the high humidity. I laid a harmless, humidity absorbent, desiccant packet from a bottle of aspirin on the sticky side of a piece of duct tape and then taped it over the ignition key slot.

The next day, I pulled the tape down so I could insert the key to try start it. The car started immediately and has started every time for the past 3 weeks. After removing the key, the tape and Pillow Pak are put back in place. That fixed it for now. If it starts acting up again, I'll look for a replacement desiccant packet and a fresh piece of tape.

Precaution: Sticky tape may cause permanent damage to
metal finish or painted surface and material surrounding the ignition switch.

June 18, 2021 Special Characters Sub- and Superscripts--Editing New Google Sites Web Pages. The following characters and symbols are not readily available (or easily created) in New Google Sites. Here is a small selection that can be copied and pasted as needed:

Shown in 12 Point Arial:

Superscript: ¹ Normal: 1 Subscript: ₁ After pasting in the sub- or superscript 1, change it to anything you want.

Symbols: © ® ¶

Accents: é ñ ú

Fractions: ¼ ½ ¾ ⅛ ⅓ ⅔ ⅕ ⅖ ⅗ ⅘ ⅙ ⅚ ⅛ ⅜ ⅝ ⅞ Sorry, these cannot be edited here.

The above were individually copied from Microsoft Word's Symbols option. The method for changing colors may vary depending on the application in use.

New Google Sites allows you to reduce character size down to One Point. Here is 9/32 in small fraction form created manually using superscript for the numerator and various normal resizing for the diagonal and denominator: ⁹/32.

Here's how:

1. Copy and paste superscript ¹: ¹

2. Change ¹ to ⁹ and resize it to 10 point: ^{9 9}

3. Type a normal / after after the ⁹ (12 point Arial): ⁹/

4. Type 32 after the diagonal and resize 32 to 6 point: ⁹/32 ⁹/32

(Note: if the point size 6 is not listed in the drop down list, type it over the first number in the list.)

This method is not perfect but it will give a document's appearance more uniformity than by mixing large with small fractions. Word's Ctrl-D function can be used to raise the selected numerator but does not copy and paste as such to New Google Sites web pages.

April 15, 2021 Migratory Birds--Photography, Poetry. The past 3 or 4 day saw a return to winter with temperatures in the 20's -- 30's and some rain followed by 8 inches of snow. Our back yard bird feeding area was a hot spot for several hundred blackbirds that sought refuge in the tall trees while waiting their turn to feed.

We tripled the amount of bird seed normally sprinkled on the ground in order to accommodate our unexpected guests. Blackbirds had also filled the trees in the surrounding block. It sounded like they were enjoying themselves as they perched in the trees for most of the day--their song was like dozens of wind chimes in synchrony all tuned to the same pitch. I stopped what I was doing and listened. This melancholy verse tells more:

The seemingly distant, repeating melody echoed eerily through the treetops.

A light snow was falling that filtered out all other sound.

It was a memorable experience--

mesmerizing, a moment of complete tranquility.

T. Bolton

February 20, 2021 Streaming Media--Revisited. For the past several years I occasionally offer my rambling two cents worth regarding streaming media--specifically Netflix which I have been a subscriber for 4 or 5 years.

Most recently, I have binge watched the Jericho and Colony t.v. series over the past three weeks. Both productions were made a few years ago and had aired on other networks. Violence, warfare, rebellion, and mature content made them unsuitable for family viewing. Their plots were dark with social and political implications regarding personal freedom. In contrast, Jericho dealt with disruptive forces from within our government while Colony depicted life after an alien invasion from outer space.

After viewing both in their entirety, I have two positive comments to share:

1. Since both were now being streamed by Netflix, they were commercial free and ready to watch in their entirety.

2. Both series contained very little, if any, foul language and were uplifting in that respect--each series did quite well without vulgarity. Personally, the first time I heard profanity at the movies, everyone in the Sunday matinee audience gasped as all of the oxygen was being sucked out of the air. Some elderly ladies, wearing hats, clutched their purses and exited the theater. As a child, I speculated they had soiled themselves. For most, times were gentler and less angry back then. Nowadays, profanity seems to be commonplace with the exception of Network T.V. and G-Rated Movies--it appears to me the bar for decency is also being lowered there as well.

The Downsides:

1. The numbing effect of hour after hour of violence and misery was perhaps a turnoff for many viewers.

2. Both series had been cancelled before the whole story had been told. In my case, it was like buying a book, reading it to the end, only to discover the last chapter or two had been torn out.

Netflix, you have the resources. Bring these series and others like them to a fitting end. If not a complete season, do with them as you did with Breaking Bad by producing El Camino. When the Covid-19 threat has ended, the actors would welcome the chance to get back to work. Many thousands of fans would be grateful.

November 21, 2020 Splitting Hairs--Word Meanings. Being able to communicate clearly comes with practice along with having command of a vocabulary set that is comfortable to use. Myself, this has been a stumbling block that I am always attempting to rectify.

Makeable vs. Makable

Being able to precisely speak or write what you mean can become quite selective regarding choice of words. For instance, look at these two words: makeable and makable. At first, I thought makeable had a variant spelling and meant exactly the same thing. Actually, make + able (makeable) is defined as able to be made whereas makable, also an adjective, means capable of being made. To understand this, it is necessary to know the definitions of able and capable (Merriam-Webster Dictionary).

Here's an example. If I were a skilled carpenter and my wife asked if I could build a wooden deck on the back of the house, I would probably respond with confidence, "It's makeable."

However, if I were asked to pour a concrete patio, I would respond "It's makable, but, I'll have to read up and practice on a smaller project first."

Since the two words are homophones, it makes absolutely no difference in speech in this instance. When in written form, the insertion or omission of the "e" at the end of the first syllable does make a difference.

For these two words, I try to think that of makeable as having all the requisites and skills for getting the job done, or made. Makable, on the other hand, should be used when these prerequisites are not present, but there is potential for getting the job done or made upon their acquisition. (Who Cares!)

Anecdotal Remarks--Humor

Being a life-long fan and player of Carom Billiards, Snooker, and Pocket Billiards, the term Makeable is commonly used while the game is in progress. One of the biggest parts of a friendly game is the verbal exchange and laughter that can sometimes consume and interfere with the quality of play. But that's o.k.

If I were to play today, I might enjoy dropping this line into the conversation in order to evoke some kind of a response:

If a difficult shot presents itself (doesn't matter which kind of game) and my opponent says, "I think this shot is makeable," and then shoots and misses, I might respond by saying "Makeable for me, but only makable for you," and then proceed to clarify between the two. Of course, this remark would not be presented in a mean spirited manner. Also, don't say this outside your circle of friends. You might get clobbered.

September 27, 2020 Garage Renovation--Hobbies. Thirty-five years ago, I purchased an old Snooker table, restored it, and set it up in what was once my garage. Windows, siding, and brick trim replaced the garage door. The garage was pretty much useless in the winter. For most of the winters I lived in the house, the slightest breeze would fill the driveway with a 6 foot snow drift--cars had to be left outside in order to get to work on time.

Repurposing the garage made it possible to acquire a few more antiques that deserved a new life. An old piano and coke machine can be seen at the left in the photo below. Atop the piano was a VHS video camera mounted on a tripod. It was used to stream live snooker to the internet in the year 2000. It was pretty choppy using a slow CPU and pre DSL connection. Here's a link to some of the footage I recorded: Snooker.

I sold the property many years ago. Today, the only items I've kept include the coke machine which I have in storage, a couple of chairs, and an antique bookcase. Everything else including the snooker table and cue rack was given to others or discarded.

September 11, 2020 Conservation and the Environment--Nature and Human Behavior. In our rural community, crop spraying usually begins in May or June and continues almost non stop into July. The application of chemicals has become a science and their dispersal depends on what is needed to keep the crops healthy.

Living only a mile from the airport, the distinct sound of crop dusters taking off and flying overhead can be heard from early morning to near sundown. Application on the ground with huge boom sprayers is another delivery system. The County Weed Board also gets into the act by spraying the ditches along the roads or wherever invasive weeds are growing.

Humans and their livestock are in need of the high yield crops that flourish in our agricultural community. The Earth's population requires more food every year. If our population continues to grow, we will be eating ourselves out of house and home. The effect on other species living with us is observable--and it doesn't take a scientist to see what is happening.

I know, that if swarms of grasshoppers devour our grain crops, I wouldn't have bread to eat. I also know that if we didn't feed grain to our livestock, we could eat that grain, instead. Over fishing in our oceans, lakes, and rivers has also diminished the fish population; however, restocking of lakes and rivers by state fish and game agencies keep the sport fishermen happy. Urban sprawl and clearing of forests for farming and development have depleted the natural habitat on the planet. Modern society is also responsible for industrial waste, dumping, landfills, and soil, water, and air pollution. It is speculated that natural warming of the planet has been hastened by civilized man's consumption of finite resources and the release of toxic waste.

As I see it, not much enters or exits our planet and its atmosphere. In a few centuries, people may be swimming and crawling around in filth and garbage they inherited from us.

I'm sorry, I don't have the answers to what is so troubling during our brief time on the planet. Presently, many people view Earth as their personal possession--to do with--whatever pleases them. This is not right.

July 10, 2020 Pets and Laughter--Summer 2020. In my lifetime, this year is set apart from all others due to the ongoing pandemic. It has caused many of us to change our lifestyles in order to stay safe. In the midst of all that is happening, being able to appreciate the little things brightens the day.

Our pets always seem to make our time at home complete. Along with the usual banter between my wife and I, there is frequently something hilarious that happens on a daily basis. Today was no exception. This morning I asked Deb, my wife, what we were having for Lunch. At about the same time, one of our cats brushed up against my leg and let out two soft peeps as some cats do. I then remarked to Deb what a good cat he was.

As I bent down to pet him, Deb confirmed my praise for the cat by saying, "Super Nice Guy." Only partially hearing what she had said, I straightened up and replied, "Soup."

May 25, 2020 When Poets Dream--Digital Art. I always get a bit misty eyed on Memorial Day. Therefore, I have marked the occasion with a sentimental poem I wrote today about poets.

May 15, 2020 Excerpt--Verse. Robert W. Service was an author and writer of verse who published his works during the first half of the Twentieth Century. One of his most recognized works--at least in my generation and two that preceded--is The Cremation of Sam McGee. Many of his writings were based on his experiences and adventures in North America including the far north in the late 1800's. The following excerpt is from one of his shorter works, I Believe.

Read my remarks by clicking I Believe--Word Document or I Believe--PDF File.

April 15, 2020 The Big List--Updates. The list of Seven Letter Words that I began compiling several years ago has now grown to 6,540 words (See October 14, 2018 and April 11,2019 posts found in the archives linked on the home page). New countable words have become much harder to identify, but occasionally, I will encounter a few. I am not actively hunting for them, but do take note when one pops up.

Here are the links: Excel Spreadsheet or PDF File.

March 12, 2020 Speaking and Writing Resources--Links. Today's post features interesting links to speaking and writing resources. They explain what is considered appropriate and what is not

During a phone call several days ago, I took issue with the receptionist's reply to my request to speak with an employee of that organization. Instead of saying "I'll leave your message with her and she will return your call," the receptionist said ". . . she will reach out to you."

With a bit of investigation using the internet search phrases "what does the expression reaching out mean" and "what does the expression reach out mean," I soon found that I was not alone in thinking her reply seemed condescending. Here's a humorous article written by an individual who becomes very agitated when she hears the words reaching out. Reaching out, Seriously, Keep Your Hands to Yourself.

On the lighter side, at the end of the story, the author embedded a video of a 1966 song by the Four Tops, (Reach Out) I'll be There.

Another song that I immediately thought of was Neil Diamond's 1969 Hit, Sweet Caroline, with lyrics: . . . Hands, touching hands, Reaching out, touching me, touching you. . . . Here's a YouTube Link to his performance of Sweet Caroline.

At the time, I had felt belittled, but later realized the receptionist was probably attempting to use a more sophisticated way of saying she will return your call. Return you call would have kept us on equal speaking terms and would not have been offensive.

Other links. Here are several more links to speaking and writing resources:

6 Types of Figurative Language

The Five C's of Style

Euphemisms

Idioms

Much of the content listed above was vaguely familiar, but my ability to apply or cite examples has diminished over time due to neglect. In an earlier life, every word was scrutinized at the graduate level before a paper could be submitted for approval. Even then, the paper might be returned with notations explaining what changes were required.

In the 1970's , there were no quick fixes--One or two misplaced or misused words or paragraphs could mean retyping 60+ pages without visible erasures and over strikes. A high formatting standard was set with strict rules governing footnotes and bibliography pages. People lacking typewriting proficiency often commissioned others to proofread and type their graduate level theses and dissertations. Typists were usually paid by the page.

Lastly, here is another personal anecdote about why speaking or writing in an appropriate style is important: True Story.

It was the summer of 1979. I was finishing the graduate degree program at a University that was a five-hour drive from home. I had just completed my independent study (research paper) and submitted it in a hard bound cover to my adviser who would then forward it to the Graduate School, so I was led to believe. Feeling relieved to be finished, I decided to drive home for the weekend.

No sooner than I stepped in the door at home, the phone rang. My adviser's graduate teaching assistant had called to explain that the professor had identified a few more items that needed to be changed before the Monday deadline. She was kind enough to slide the marked-up copy under the door of my residence hall suite. Fortunately, it was the same co-ed facility where many graduate students, including herself, resided. I jumped in the car and headed back. Five hours later I was on campus at 2:00 a.m.

I removed the pages from the binder and began retyping the entire paper with specified changes including an updated table of contents. Most of the page numbers had to be changed because of a handful of corrections scattered throughout the paper. Everything was completed by Sunday evening. On Monday morning I had several photocopies made and then resubmitted the revised paper for approval. It was accepted and approved.

Today, the same changes could have been made in less than 10 minutes. Back then, 36 hours of continuous typing were.required. My portable-manual Smith Corona typewriter was really smokin' that weekend. I was lucky to have a new typewriter ribbon and a couple boxes of erasable bond typing paper on hand.

March 8, 2020 Sentence Structure and Proofreading--Speaking and Writing. Incomplete sentences and paragraphs with numerous grammatical errors impair communication. Vocabulary and good spelling alone are not enough.

The internet provides an abundance of grammar resources. For example, here are two websites that can provide help. Grammar Monster.Com and GrammarBook.Com.

Software applications such as Microsoft Word with spelling and grammar checking are convenient for flagging errors. They are not 100% reliable. Proofreading is still an absolute must. Spelling and grammar checkers do not identify many types of human errors--content omissions and errors (e.g. complete sentences, paragraphs, sections), incorrect headings or titles, names, dates, and other numeric data, or relationships (e,g, mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter, husband, wife . . .).

Many people who have the responsibility of creating accurate printed material are under the false impression that proofreading is no longer necessary and will shrug it off completely. They rely solely on the spelling and grammar checkers and sometimes will not even take the time to review flagged words and phrases. Some of their mistakes can be very serious or at least embarrassing. Anyone suffering the consequences at the receiving end may take issue.

Admittedly, spelling and grammar checkers provide time-saving assistance when writing. Neither, however, explain word/spelling usage and grammatical errors that will likely be repeated in another instance such as during an important conversation, interview, or oral presentation, etc.

Of course, a more relaxed manner of speech (but nevertheless correct in form) can be adopted during casual and informal situations that's appropriate for the audience. Using broken English or baby talk is not a good model for the youngsters--Television and their little friends will provide that along with a few unsavory words and expressions.

Considerable effort is required to proofread for spelling, grammar and correct meaning. One of the more frequently made errors, today, involves the use of copy and paste. When sentences and paragraphs used to create a new document are copied and pasted from an older version, it is likely that names, times, dates, addresses, cost, etc will need to be updated. It is very common to see that one or more of the updates had been overlooked.

Proofreading:

• • Verify Spelling, Grammar, Meaning, and all names, times, dates, places, quantity, cost and version number, etc.

  • Check for Completeness, and required format. Word Count minimum and maximum requirements may apply.

No one is perfect. A single proofreading is usually not enough. With that said, readers must be wary of questionable content. Many errors are recognizable as typos, but others remain oblivious to the reader.

Before this story was complete, at least a dozen edits were made to correct typos, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraph arrangement. With personal web page content, the writer is free to make changes at any time in the future until they are completely satisfied. Then, too, corrections and apologies may be in order.

March 6, 2020--Out of Touch--Writing. Here's a link to some of my more off-beat posts with links to essays, short stories and opinions. Out of Touch Word Document or Out of Touch PDF File. Out of Touch was my choice for the link name because the content and opinions expressed therein are not necessarily in tune with today's popular trends and schools of thought.

Other weird stuff is scattered about in the Miscellaneous section. Click its link in the left sidebar.

New March 4, 2020 More Odds and Ends--New Web Page. Welcome to the Grand Opening of

More Odds and Ends.

February 27, 2020 T.V. Trivia--Nostalgia. You may have lived during an era when everyone eagerly waited for their favorite weekly television programs; or, you may have missed those years but like to binge watch the classics. If so, you might enjoy testing your knowledge of old-time T.V.

T.V. Trivia

Name the T.V. Series or Show?

Matt, Chester, Festus,

Doc, Kitty, Quint,

and Newly

What T.V. Series? 1 pt.

Capt. Kirk, Spock, Scotty

Bones, Sulu, Uhura

and Chekov

What T.V. Series? 1 pt.

Granny

Elly May

Mrs. Drysdale

Miss Hathaway

Pearl

What T.V. Series? 1 pt.

Ben, Adam, Hoss

Little Joe and Hop Sing

What T.V. Series? 1 pt.

Lightning Round

What are the T.V. Character's

Last Names? (1 pt each)

Tie Breaker

Name the actor who played

Two of the Characters

Listed in the

Lightning Round. (1 pt.)

And what were the

Series' Titles? (2 pts.)

Double Tie Breaker

Name all of the actors who

had character roles in

the Lightning Round (11 pts.)

Perfect Score = 30

Links to Answer Sheet:

Answer Sheet Word Doc

Answer Sheet PDF File

February 27, 2020 How to Get Side by Side View in Google Chrome The preceding YouTube link will explain and show how to place Google Chrome Browser Tabs side by side. Placing the Trivia Answer Sheet next to the Trivia Questions is a perfect example of its use on a Desktop or Laptop computer.

The snippet below shows only part of the side-by-side screen view. Answers have been intentionally blotted out by editing the snippet (jpeg image) with Gimp.

Tom's Tip for the Holidays: Before splurging on gifts, vacations, and over indulgence in Christmas cheer, sit down and write a check to an area Food Bank. Paying it forward will make everyone happy, including yourself.

Tom's Tip: During these difficult times, take care of yourself and be respectful of others. Please, wear a face mask or covering and avoid close contact.

Tom's Tip of the Day: Live in the present and make the most of what you have.

Yesterday's tip: Take time to brush up on old skills.

Last week's tip is still important. Get plenty of Sleep!

Click here for more tips: Tips--Document or Tips--PDF format.