Leather...
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Posted:Apr 6, 2019 6:20 am
Last Updated:May 15, 2019 8:36 pm 31508 Views
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When given the choice of leather or fabric upholstery I prefer to sit on, the answer has always been fabric. My main chair is fabric but one of my office chairs is covered in a man made Ultrasuede. Usually, I drape a towel over the Ultrasuede so it doesn't show signs of wear. Leather seating from experience, is usually stiffer than fabric and I'd guess it's because of longevity. Leather tends to stretch and pucker.
Last month when I needed a rental car, a got a Mazda SUV with leather seats. Yeah, uncomfortable as I imagined despite all the motorized adjustments possible.
The one thing people mention about leather is the smell. There is a mystique about processed animal hide that people are attracted to. Maybe having leather goods is a sign of wealth? I do not know.
We were at Ikea last weekend and on my shopping list was a chair. I must have tried 20 and one high-back fabric style was my top choice. They also offered a leather cushion version for $100 more. Decisions, decisions... back and forth trying the fabric versus the leather, there was a bit of Deja vu... the leather smell reminded me of a baseball glove I had as a .
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Mick Jagger needs a new heart valve...
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Posted:Apr 2, 2019 3:55 am
Last Updated:Jun 1, 2019 4:09 am 32382 Views
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In recent Rock music events, the Rolling Stones have postponed their North American tour originally scheduled April 20th to July 29th. Their 75 year old singer Mick Jagger will undergo surgery Friday to replace a heart valve.
Local radio stations announced if you have tickets to hold on to them as the Stones intend to get back on the road as soon as Mick recovers!
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Drone ON - flight restrictions when Trump is at Mar-a-Lago
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Posted:Mar 31, 2019 9:46 am
Last Updated:Apr 10, 2019 1:53 pm 30763 Views
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Trump is his Mar-a-Lago retreat this weekend and that means ALL model aircraft is BANNED in a 50 mile radius of where he is staying.
ALL model aircraft.
That means if you have a rubberband powered balsa airplane and you go to a schoolyard with your , by law you can be arrested and have to a $,000 fine.
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Drop a dime...
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Posted:Mar 28, 2019 7:06 pm
Last Updated:May 18, 2019 6:56 am 28954 Views
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Who remembers the old style phones?
They had a coin slot the top and it was cents to make a local .
This was more than 40 years before they invented caller ID so it was easy to be in informant to illegal activity and not having the call traced.
A call to the Police to let them know of some suspicious activity and hang up .
That is where the term "Drop a Dime" came from.
phones have become a thing of the past.
Hopefully, no one reading my blog has investment in a phone company.
I knew of a guy was was on the front technology for phone cards that offered low long distance . Good business lasted a generation and all the competition made rich men poor men if they did not get when everyone and their grandmother was phone cards.
Soon after, cellphone plans put the kibosh on calling cards.
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The president said "No collusion, it's all a big hoax, everybody go home..."
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Posted:Mar 24, 2019 6:45 am
Last Updated:Mar 28, 2019 2:14 pm 30298 Views
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On Friday evening, Mueller concluded his investigation and amazingly Conservatives (like the proverbial fly on the wall) seemed to know what was in the report. Thousands of pro Trump comments began to appear on all the news articles. It was like someone had swatted a hornets nest!
Since the Mueller report was about Russian interference, they naturally had to connect it with Democrats not accepting the outcome of the election... but that should be the topic of a DIFFERENT blog.
Muller's report isn't public. Not yet darlings... soon, but not now.
They're already shouting "No collusion, No collusion no more indictments" and 'sticking it in the faces of everyone who didn't support Trump, despite 34 shoes dropping all around him. I'm already reading this solidifies Trump's chances of reelection. Personally, that depends on what the Democrats have to offer and... that too should be the subject of a different blog..
I've said it before, outside of Mueller, I believe New York state will be investigating Trump's family businesses and taxes. Maybe the Russian investigation has concluded one episode, but it's not over really.
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Drive-By-Wire... part 2
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Posted:Mar 9, 2019 7:21 am
Last Updated:Mar 13, 2019 4:42 am 29352 Views
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I've been putting off car maintenance for a long time. With a shopping list of things that needed to be done, I arranged car rental and the mechanic got me his corporate rate. That allowed me to get an SUV for the same price as a compact. This worked out great as the larger vehicle saved me another trip to Miami to bring up computers, TV, clothing and some household items in our never-ending relocation project.
I selected a 2019 Mazda CX-5 that has an MSRP of $35,000 with all the options.
While they state 26-28mpg combined, I was getting around 20 miles per gallon.
Keyless entry and push start ignition seems to be standard for all new cars. The CX-5 has an electric tailgate that only locks when the key fob is more than 40 feet away. The bad part is you could be inside a restaurant and the car hatch just outside is unlocked. The doors are locked but the hatch isn't! We checked it a few times to to be sure.
Lane assist. Since the steering is electronic, you can feel the steering stiffen and resist if you change lanes without signalling. It attempts to pull you back into the lane. If you drift in your lane, it will give a visual warning on the console and if you're on the highway it will beep with a visual warning. The same thing happens if you start to change lanes and the sensors detect cars coming up from behind in adjacent lanes. You can feel the steering wheel, hear and see the alert.
The steering, brakes, transmission control are 'by wire' and electro-mechanically or fully electronic and not solely connected mechanically.
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Disbarred...
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Posted:Mar 3, 2019 5:50 am
Last Updated:Mar 24, 2019 6:36 am 27436 Views
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I see Michael Cohen made it to the news this past week. He testified privately Tuesday to the Senate Intelligence Committee and appeared (which was televised) before the House Oversight Committee Wednesday. Thursday he was in a private meeting before the House Intelligence Committee.
Busy guy.
From the story I read, Cohen was automatically disbarred for his felony conviction on five counts of tax evasion and false statements... the list goes on, doesn't it?
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aHOLES...
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Posted:Feb 22, 2019 4:00 am
Last Updated:Feb 23, 2019 4:49 pm 28680 Views
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I used to think overly aggressive, obnoxious or arrogant people didn't realize they were aHOLES. That may be true for a very, very small percent. The overwhelming majority of aHOLES know exactly what they are doing!
Take for example, the guy with a macho pickup truck. It's jacked up three feet with oversized tires. You can see all of the suspension where the car was lifted. I like to see big cars that are well done. The exception is when they have their high intensity blueish headlights on high beams, fog lights on and an array of blinding LED off-road lights on the front bumper... rumbling down the highway and get 10 feet from the back of my car, especially when I'm doing 85 in a 65 zone. Three other lanes to choose from, but no... the aHOLE in them comes out and they have to attempt to intimidate me into getting out of 'their' way.
I usually let my foot off the gas and slow down to 65. If someone is going to ram me, it's better at 65 than 85.
Another aHOLE example is coming up to the cashier at the grocery store. It's busy and I'm waiting for the person ahead to move forward so I can put my groceries on the conveyor. As I begin taking things from my cart, an aHOLE behind me starts to load their groceries before I'm done. Not wanting confrontation, I stopped and told the last one "I suggest you wait 5 seconds so I can finish unloading my cart" and stared until they removed their things that were in my way.
Not the first time this has happened.
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Drive-By-Wire...
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Posted:Feb 12, 2019 4:21 am
Last Updated:Feb 20, 2023 7:04 am 27952 Views
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My first car had a steering wheel that was directly connected to universal joints that linked to the wheels. By the third car, I was driving rack and pinion for the steering system. That connected the steering wheel to a set of gears that controlled the wheels. Maybe my fourth or fifth car had power steering... a hydraulic pump that supported the steering system making it easier to turn the steering wheel, especially if you were trying to parallel park.
My current car doesn't have conventional power steering. Instead, the steering wheel connects to an electric actuator that simulates the hydraulic system. While it feels like you're turning the steering wheel connected to the tires... you're not.
It's a series of sensors, motors and actuators as an electro-mechanical system that replaces the linkages and hydraulic pump.
While we're at it. The gas pedal used to have a flexible cable that connected to the carburetor. When you pressed on the gas, it opened the throttle valve allowing gas and air into the engine. Yeah, it's gone now. The gas pedal has been changed over to a sensor with the feel of a conventional system. It now sends digital impulses to a computer that controls servos that open and close the fuel and air mixture.
Don't stop me now... 
Brakes? The pedal that used to be directly linked to a hydraulic pump had been replaced and a sensor giving you the feel of brakes and it does this electronically.
For the most part, it's all been engineered to work similar to cars of yesteryear with fewer components.
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my bucket list...
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Posted:Feb 9, 2019 3:37 pm
Last Updated:Feb 18, 2019 3:42 am 26944 Views
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I'm thinking of the right tools for the job.
Most of the vacuuming of the construction dust in my condo renovation is done.
The fine dust from sanding drywall patch is more than my shop vac can handle.
Ideally, the whole place needs to be wet swabbed.
Should I get a string mop or a sponge mop with a squeeze handle and a bucket at a cost of $50.
I ponder...
This is not my area of expertise !
The shop vac does wet or dry, but I'm actually thinking to rent a carpet cleaner that sprays water. A day's rental runs $75 or I can buy my own cleaner and use it as needed.
Hoover has an upright cleaner for $100 and a professional model for $150.
Really designed for carpet, it has forced air to dry and I would think it would do the job on tile.
With the hose and upholstery attachment it's possible I could eliminate the need for a mop and bucket.
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