May 2008 Archives

If you ever need to wind up and store a lengthy cord or cable, here's a video showing the "over-under" technique.

You simply must do it this way, comma, period. Learn this simple trick once, and you'll use it for the rest of your life. It's like tying your shoes, except easier...and it's that useful.

I may have linked to this in a previous post somewhere, but tonight I felt compelled to post it here (again), just to share one of my minor, yet undoubtedly useful skills.

For decades (literally), I have known this technique existed. I had seen it performed on occasion, usually by some low-ranking sound tech, but never had the need to interrupt someone who was so obviously busy doing their job. (It's not like people do this for fun...right?)

The other night (okay, it was several weeks ago) I was cleaning up the garage, and there they were: twisted and tangled in a poorly-wound mess. What's my first answer to any simple problem: speak with the interwebs.

Alas, the wonderful little 5min.com video we see here. What a great world we live in.

I watched my once-beloved "Smoking Gun" 1980 Mazda RX-7 disappear into the distance today. My longtime friend and fellow rotary enthusiast Shane is taking the torch once again, as we continue our tradition of swapping cars.

For those not familiar with my current situation, a brief summary: the city in which I live has experienced rapid growth in the last 5 years. As a result of the increased vehicle traffic, the street on which I live is being widened from a two-lane asphalt road (30' wide) to a five-lane divided roadway (90' wide). This has made it necessary for the city to purchase a number of houses to make room for "progress." I am one of the lucky homeowners facing the eminent domain acquisition.

By lucky, I mean "Wow, am I glad I don't have to live on this busy street any more." and "Gee, I never would have been able to sell my house in the current real estate market." and finally, "Cool, I get to move back to the city and take back what might pass as a social life amongst like-minded people."

This week I finally began the search for comfortable city-dwellings It has to be comfortable for both me AND my dog. "Comfortable" to me starts with finding good investment value, and for my dog, comfortable means a fenced backyard of fair size.

As with most projects of importance, this one comes with a deadline: I have 30 days after the closing to vacate...meaning there are only 28 days left. And if I don't find a sufficiently comfortable city dwelling in twenty-eight days, I will become a squatter.

Perhaps it would fulfill one of life's golden opportunities: In this case, re-enacting a few scenes from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I may presently be feeling a bit of Arthur Dent-like perspective. This is furthered by the fact that I will be traveling this weekend, exploring unfamiliar territory: Chicago. A night out in the windy city is certain to include one visit to the pub. Who knows who I'll meet. Ford? Zaphod? Trillian?

Photos from the Chicago weekender will follow soon, and stay tuned for tales of house-hunting in Dallas.

this looks like it could be used in useful uses.