Where is Starman Now

Elon Musk made history again with his sending a Tesla and Starman into space. Here is a website that is tracking the car in real time along its journey. Fun short term diversion. LINK

Windows 10 Windows Key Tips

We have all likely become used to seeing the Windows key on the keyboard. Down on the left side of keyboard between the CTRL and ALT keys. It is very handy for a number of functions to make your life easier if you know which key combos to use.

Just pushing on the Windows key will bring up the start menu quicker than moving the mouse to the start bar.
A few combinations the might be of interest.


Windows key and e  - opens the file explorer window to find files.
Windows key and x  - opens up the computer settings bar
Windows key and m - sends you back to the desktop
Windows key and k - brings up the connection bar.

Happy Friday

You can never outspend happiness.

I bank on being happy, especially on a Happy Friday!

Soapy Fish Bait

Ivory soap can be used as catfish bait by boiling it and letting it re-harden so that it does not crumble. Melt it in a double boiler, then pour into an ice cube tray. Once poured, push a treble hook into each cube with the points of the hook sticking out and let it harden. Incidentally, hot dogs also make good catfish bait.

Cord Cutters

Would be cord cutters might stick with cable TV, because they find it difficult to make a decision or find it difficult to change. There are so many options that it can seem overwhelming, so it seems easier to overpay than make the change. Many are finding that regular cable, in addition to high cost, offers the worst picture quality due to compression the signals to get so many channels on the wire. Even antenna TV offers substantially better picture quality and it is free after the purchase of an antenna.

Considerations for cutting the cord include the 4 C's - Cost, Channels, Commercials, and Complexity. I'll go through each with some questions. Cost is obvious. Can you afford what you are paying? Do you want to pay less? How much less is worth your while? Are you considering a life change that might make you move and break your contract (and pay a termination fee)? Is a long term contract a good idea?
Which channels do you consider 'must have', because your favorite shows are on them? Out of the hundreds of channels most people regularly watch less than 18.
How complex or complicated will it be to change? Can I do it myself? Will I need to hire an expert and how much will it cost?
Do I mind watching commercials? Do I hate commercials? Many cable TV alternatives offer premium packages that offer programs without commercials.
There is a website that can help answer many of those and more questions. It has the latest offerings and you answer a few questions, then it narrows down the offerings for you. https://www.suppose.tv/tv
Incidentally, Spectrum has decided to offer ala cart selection, where the subscriber can select up to ten additional channels (from a list) in addition to the standard set of channels. Sounds like the ultimate, have it your way TV. For an additional fee, there are even more premium channels that can be added individually.

Winter Olympic Tidbits

This year there are 92 countries participating in the Winter Olympics. The opening show used a record-setting 1,218 drones, four times as many as Lady Gaga in her Super Bowl half time show. The plastic and foam drones are about a foot-long, weigh eight ounces and are all synchronized to fly in formation. Here is a link to one of the formations. LINK
Here are some stats:
2,500 athletes participating
242 from US - most of any country
102 events
222 medals
80,000 foreign tourists
Members of Team USA who win a medal receive: $37,500 for Gold, $22,500 for Silver, $15,000 for Bronze.

New Olympic Events

Four new events were added to this Olympics: Men’s and Women’s Snowboard Big Air, which sees competitors performing their best spins and tricks after launching off a large (about 160 feet) ramp.

For the first time, the Alpine skiing Nations Team Event will make its debut; the event features mixed teams of two men and two women going head-to-head in a series of downhill slalom races in a best-of-four competition.

Men’s and Women’s Speed Skating Mass Start features a maximum of 28 athletes in a 16-lap race, where all participants start at the same time with winner-takes-all stakes.

Curling Mixed Doubles. The new event consists of teams of two, a man and a woman, competing in a curling match

For the 2020 Summer Olympics five new events will be added: baseball/softball, karate, sport climbing, surfing, and skateboarding.

Olympic Tech

A test of a next-generation 5G network and a series of multiple camera 'pods' shooting more than a terabyte an hour of footage all have to work without a hitch (one terabyte holds the equivalent of 250 full-length movies). All that footage goes by fiber-optic cables to a technical operations center, where it is processed into the 360-degree and 3D stereoscopic footage that some can watch at home.

Fourth Type of Olympic Medal

In addition to the gold, silver, and bronze there is another Olympic award that is even harder to obtain. The Pierre de Coubertin medal, inaugurated in 1964 and named in honor of Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee, is given to athletes, former athletes, sports promoters, sporting officials and others who exemplify the spirit of sportsmanship in Olympic events or through exceptional service to the Olympic movement.

Unlike the sporting medals, the de Coubertin medal is not awarded at every cycle of the Games. It is only handed out when the International Olympic Committee determines someone has truly earned it.

In January, just ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea IOC president Thomas Bach bestowed the award upon Chinese artist Lv Junjie, a master of Zisha (means "purple clay,"), an ancient type of clay that is used to create teaware and other small objects. Bach commended Junjie, because of his work using Zisha, or Yixing clay to spread the Olympic spirit. Many of his creations contain Olympic art.

Lash Tabs and Pig Snouts

Have you noticed that many backpacks have a little leather square sewn on the front?

The little diamonds, called lash tabs or pig snouts have two parallel slits cut out of the center. This lets you weave a cord or string through and tie various items, such as shoes, a water bottle, etc., to your bag. The strong little square is built to hold your larger items while hiking or traveling, but it can also be used for smaller objects like earbuds or anything you want to get at quickly.

Why Not Reuse Water Bottles

There are many types of water bottles and it pays to know which ones can be reused. A bottle labeled 1 is only safe for a single use. When exposed to oxygen or high temperatures, including sun heat, such a bottle will discharge toxic substances that get into the water. Also avoid bottles labeled 3, 6, or 7 as they exude toxic chemicals able to penetrate drinks, and lengthy exposure can result in severe health problems.

Bottles made of polyethylene (2 and 4) and polypropylene (5) are suitable for multiple uses. They are relatively safe if you only store cold water in them and regularly disinfect them.

Happy Friday

My mother never taught me to be happy. She showed me.

Strive to be a happy role model, especially on a Happy Friday!

Sunday Car Buying

In fourteen US states, car dealers are not legally allowed to be open on Sunday and many cities have similar laws. Even in states and cities where dealerships can be open on Sunday, there are sometimes restrictions on what time they can be open or that require a dealer to choose to be closed on either Saturday or Sunday. The reason is called a blue law and blue laws were enacted for religious reasons to allow people to practice their faith on Sunday, instead of buying liquor or automobiles.

Mardi Gras

Can you believe it, Next week is Mardi Gras and the beginning of Lent for this year. That means Easter will be on April Fool's Day, April 1.