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Useful hacks for your tools!

Posted on March 19, 2021 by | 1 comment

Earlier this month Dr. E shared with us a post about DIY quick fixes.

Now here’s some tricks and “hacks” you can do with your tools:

Some good ideas here (especially the tire jack assist one, 4:06 mark)!

DCG

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The world’s richest

Posted on March 10, 2021 by | 6 comments

Infographic: The World’s Richest Families | Statista Infographic: World's 26 Wealthiest Own As Much As Poorest 50% | Statista Infographic: Which Countries Are Really the Richest? | Statista Infographic: The United States are Home to Most Millionaires | Statista Source: statista

~E

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If you haven’t been there: A visit to the Gateway Arch

Posted on March 9, 2021 by | 4 comments

The Gateway Arch (or St. Louis Arch, as many call it) is a magnificent structure located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also called the “Gateway to the West.”

It was built in 1963-65 and is a monument to Thomas Jefferson and his ideas for America’s westward expansion. The Arch is the tallest man-made structure in the Western Hemisphere, standing 630 feet high. It was designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen in 1947 and cost $13 million. The monument opened to the public on June 10, 1967.  It is located at the site of St. Louis’s founding on the west bank of the Mississippi River.

Some fun facts about the monument:

  • The arch’s two legs were built separately, and if their measurements were off by as little as 1/64th of an inch, they would not have been able to join at the top.
  • The arch is tall as it is wide.
  • The insurance company for the project predicted that 13 workers would die during construction. No one died during construcction.
  • Due to security concerns, presidents aren’t allowed to go to the top—except President Eisenhower (who signed the order for construction of the monument).

Read more about the Gateway Arch design here.

I visited the Gateway Arch back in the 90s. I’m not a big fan of heights yet you have to visit this monument if you go to St. Louis! The scariest part? The tram to the top.

The tram is a “one-of-a-kind” invention created by Dick Bowser.  You step (and duck your head) into what looks like an egg shell design (they call it a capsule). If you are not a fan of tight spaces this is not for you! Read about the design of the tram system here and see what the ride up to the top of the arch looks like:

When you get to the top, here’s the spectacular views: (start at 4:50 mark; there’s more tram ride up before that, if interested):

If you haven’t been there, enjoy the virtual visit!

DCG

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Women can, but men can’t do this

Posted on March 9, 2021 by | 6 comments

From “The Physics Factbook“:

The center of mass is the balance point of an object’s mass. If a pivot were placed at this point, the object would remain in place and be balanced. The center of mass of a system is not always at the geometric center of the system…. When a system is balanced around its center of mass, it is said to be in a state of equilibrium….

A person’s center of mass is slightly below his/her belly button, which is nearly the geometric center of a person. Males and females have different centers of mass — females’ centers of mass are lower than those of males.

Below are two videos on how men and women differ in their centers of mass (or gravity):

https://youtu.be/_YEmYqziusg

I took both tests — and, being a woman, I passed both.

I’m really interested in how our male readers do.

P.S. These tests should be administered to athletes who claim to be transgender!

~E

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How much money do you need to be in top 1%

Posted on March 5, 2021 by | 1 comment

Niall McCarthy reports for Statista, March 3, 2021, that according to Knight Frank’s 15th annual Wealth Report, the global super-rich (“ultra-high-net worth individual or UHNWI”) population — defined as an individual with $30 million or more in assets) increased 2.4% over the past year because of the COVID-19 pandemic’s surging asset prices, lower interest rates and fiscal stimulus. The increase of the super-rich was strongest in Asia at 12%.

The Wealth Report included an interesting subsection that used a Wealth Sizing Model to compare requirements to gain access to the top 1%.

Those requirements, in US$, vary considerably between countries. For example:

  • The entry point to being super-rich in Monaco is the highest on the planet at $7.9 million.
  • The United States has the world’s largest UHNWI population with around 180,000 people having assets of $30 million or more in 2020. However, to gain entrance to America’s one percent club, you’ll need $4.4 million.
  • In India, just $60,000 would entitle you to be among the top 1%.

Here’s the chart:

Infographic: How Much Money Do You Need To Join The Top 1%? | Statista You will find more infographics at Statista

~E

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DIY quick fixes

Posted on March 5, 2021 by | 5 comments

Some very clever ideas!

I’m gonna try the hair-dryer-as-vacuum one. 😀

~E

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We have a winner!

Posted on March 3, 2021 by | Comments Off on We have a winner!

for our 238th Caption Contest!

Our writers have voted for their respective #1 (best) and #2 (next best) captions. Each #1 vote is worth 4 points; each #2 vote is worth 2 points.

And the winner of our 238th Caption Contest, with four #1 votes and a whopping 16 points is . . .

Vett!

Here is the winning caption:

Introducing the new cabinet of the Biden Administration.

Julie Mullen is in second place, with one #1 vote and 4 points. Here is her caption:

Members of the Press Corps are caught breaking Covid restrictions while waiting for the WH press secretary to ‘circle back’ to anything relevant to their questions.

Calgirl, Jackie Puppet, James Stepp (aka truckjunkie), Leon, and Steve are in third place, each with one #2 vote and 2 points. Here are their captions:

Calgirl: “News Flash: ‘Nancy Pelosi calls the House to consider new charges after the Senate acquits Trump, for 2nd time, of unsupported Impeachment charges. She gambles that the 3rd time will be the charm.'”

Jackie Puppet: “Every kid’s worst nightmare!”

James Stepp: “One clown to another clown, ‘Hahaha-look at that weirdo with the tiny shoes!!'”

Leon: “So this is what $15.00 an hour looks like!”

Steve: “Joe Biden has decided a new wardrobe is in order for the Secret Service. After all they are supposed to blend in/appear natural with their surroundings. I think Joe outdid himself for where else but DC would a bunch of Clowns not stand out?”

Well done, everyone!

Congratulations, Vett!!!

For all the other caption submissions, go here.

Be here later today for our next, very exciting Caption Contest!

~E

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Did ‘ya know? Lost US Navy subs & crew are “on eternal patrol”

Posted on March 3, 2021 by | 4 comments

The other day I read that 52 US submarines and over 3,500 of their crew were lost during WWII. I then found out that those who perished are considered “still on patrol” or “on eternal patrol.”

Pearl Harbor Submarine Memorial

According to the Pearl Harbor Memorial web page, upwards of 55% of Japan’s merchant marine losses were due to American submarines. This came with a high price: The U.S. Navy’s submarine service suffered the highest casualty percentage of all the American armed forces, losing one in five submariners. Some 16,000 submariners served during the war, of whom 375 officers and 3,131 enlisted men were killed.

Here’s a complete list of lost US submarines that are “still on patrol.”

A man by the name of Tim Taylor founded the Lost 52 Project in order to research and locate the US Navy subs that were lost during WWII. From their web site:

“The Lost 52 Project is a long term exploration and underwater archeological project that is documenting and preserving the story of the Lost 52 WWII Submarines, leaving a foundation of knowledge for future generations. Building on our current discoveries, ocean exploration and underwater robotics expertise, our team is organizing, executing and managing expeditions with the goal to discover and survey as many of the lost 52 US WWII submarines as possible.”

Here’s a video of Lost 52 Project’s discovery of the USS Grayback:

Watch family members who lost relatives on the Grayback react to the submarine’s discovery:

Great job Tim Taylor and the Lost 52 Project! You bring great comfort to those whose loved ones are “on eternal patrol.”

DCG

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Homemade Pasta Dough: So fresh and so easy!

Posted on February 20, 2021 by | 5 comments

Many find cooking to be relaxing and a great way to save money. Trying new recipes can be fun  and many love sharing the fruits of their labor with loved ones!

Have you ever made homemade pasta dough? I have and it’s really a lot easier than one might think. You don’t need a lot of ingredients nor is a pasta maker machine required.

A basic pasta dough recipe includes just a few ingredients:

  • “00” flour or all-purpose flour
  • Eggs
  • Olive oil
  • Salt
  • Seasoning of your choice (optional): Garlic salt, oregano, basil, etc.

Here’s some photographs of some of the steps involved from the first time I made homemade noodles:

This is the brand of flour I used and it worked well. Available on the internet.

My dough after mixing/kneading. Should be elastic and a little sticky. Wrap in plastic to rest after kneading.

Dough resting on towels after rolling out flat, to allow to air dry for about 15 or 20 minutes.

Dough after I cut into noodles. I cut my noodles more like chicken noodle soup size as opposed to long spaghetti noodles.

The final fresh product!

Here’s a few easy recipes to try if you have never made homemade pasta dough before: Food Network Easy Pasta, Food & Wine Basic Pasta Dough, and Giada De Laurentiis Fresh Pasta Dough.

If you give it a try, let us know how it turns out! Or if you’ve made pasta dough before, please share any tricks you might use!

DCG

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R.I.P., Rush Limbaugh (1951-2021)

Posted on February 17, 2021 by | 8 comments

This morning, a year after he announced on his radio program that he had been diagnosed with Stage 4 terminal lung cancer, talk radio pioneer and titan Rush Limbaugh passed away, at age 70.

His death was announced on his program by his wife, Kathryn.

With remarkable composure, she said sadly:

“I know that I am most certainly not the Limbaugh that you tuned in to listen to today. I, like you, very much wish Rush was behind this golden microphone right now, welcoming you to another exceptional three hours of broadcasting. For over 32 years, Rush has cherished you, loyal audience, and always looked forward to every single show. It is with profound sadness I must share with you directly that our beloved Rush, my wonderful husband, passed away this morning due to complications from lung cancer.”

In the year since his diagnosis, Rush received some experimental treatment every other week. After he recuperated from the treatment, he would return to his golden EIB microphone the next week.

Rush had been absent from his radio show for more than two weeks, and I knew what his absence meant. Though Kathryn’s announcement was not surprising, I am absolutely devastated.

I began listening to Rush almost since the beginning, when his show broke out from Sacramento, CA, to syndication. Like his millions of listeners, I found him to be articulate, intelligent, funny, informative, with a remarkable ability to communicate complex ideas to the everyman. In the last few years, Rush no longer did jokes, but his political insights and judgment remained penetrating,  unparalleled among all conservative radio talkers. He also became more explicit about his Christian faith.

Rush was a great patriot who loved America and Americans, and his love was returned fully by his tens of millions of listeners.

Rush was not just the voice of American conservatism, he was the heart.

Today, the light of America is dimmed.

My only consolation is that I know he will continue to fight for us and for the good, having joined the army of the Church Triumphant in Heaven.

~E

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