free desktop wallpapers

I am enjoying some very nice FREE desktop wallpapers from Vista Wallpapers. In particular, I like the Nicobu and the VladStudio collections.

thrilling movie

I saw the movie "Unstoppable" recently. It is one fantastically gripping, edge-of-your-seat thrilling movie. Very entertaining. Thumbs up!

dog cot round 3

Here is the third attempt at the dog cot. Still 1000 denier Cordura nylon. Camo green color was on sale. I tried sewing the material and then assembling it onto the frame, but it was too loose. I had to undo stitches on one long side and one short side. Then stretching the material as tight as I could on the frame, completed the sewing. Stitches are rather large (and uneven), as can be seen in the photos. This time I didn't cut off any material but used all that was there. Sometimes that meant sewing through three layers of material.

It seems that the solution to minimize stretching of the material under weight is to double the material. If this round doesn't work, maybe I'll order two yards of material the next time so that I can double it. On the back side in the middle is a strip of the left over "awning" green I had on the first go. I stuck it in the middle to try and minimize the stretching.

The pipe photo is a 12-inch tailpiece extension. It seemed to be of a very hard plastic. I cut off the part with the larger diameter. The remaining part I wrapped a few turns of duct tape in the middle and inserted it into the pipes that made the long sides of the cot. The duct tape made it a very snug fit and kept it positioned inside the larger pipe. The inserted extensions prevented the long pipes from overly flexing under the tension of the nylon fabric.

The second attempt was short-lived. I broke two needles in the second round. I had tried using a rug and it failed miserably under load. Additionally, I had skipped the part about screwing down the corners. Doggie managed to work up a corner and tore that particular corner.

In this third round I've learned my lesson and screwed down the corners, using as many existing screw holes as possible. I did have to make one new screw hole.

The stitches are rather large. This morning, doggie was working on one of the stitches with his teeth. With the nylon tensioned so tightly, it was like a drum so every time the thread slipped from his teeth, it'd make quite a bit of noise. A little scolding and he is now snoring away. That stitch has not given away yet, but if he keeps working on it, it will break.

Else so far so good. The fabric stretching has been minimal. But it's only been in use for one night.

I consider doggie our "special needs" child in the sense that his things need to be super rugged. One time I got him a stuffed toy and he tore it apart in minutes and was happily unstuffing it. He also had a ballistic nylon bed at one time and within minutes, tore apart the plastic zipper and was working on unstuffing it. It was a very expensive lesson for me. I had to throw it away after I was unable to get the smell of urine out of it. That smell probably came from the "stop chew" spray that I had put on it. Spray is useless against this dog. I once threw a bananna peel outside to see what he would do. He chewed it and ate it. I cannot understand how Labrador Retrievers can be the most popular dog in the country. They seem to be incredibly destructive, and unless you're an hunter, why have one of these things? I would never ever recommend a Lab for a first-time dog owner.

March 15, 2011: Cot is working fantastic; no problems whatsoever thus far.

September 23, 2011: Cot still ok. It helps that it's in his crate, where he can't get to its sides or flip it. When it's outside, he can flip it and he does chew on the legs. The legs are replaceable if need be but right now they're holding up. Photo below was taken in the morning, when the grass was still wet from dew and hence the marks left on the cot from wet paws.

June 08, 2012: I've had to re-stich. The giant stitches were big enough for him to pick at with his teeth and eventually break. The nylon has stretched and the bed does sag somewhat.

a winning movie

I truly enjoyed the movie "The King's Speech." Witty dialogue and great heroes in the king, his wife and his therapist. This one is a winner.

crazy movie

Just saw the movie "Black Swan." It's crazy. I don't watch horror movies. This one is not a horror movie, but it's "horror" enough for me. *shudder*

footnote: A big screen is not necessary for this movie.

uncontacted tribe

http://www.uncontactedtribes.org/brazilfootage

snacking

I have enjoyed snacking on these: Nabisco yogurt pretzels, Nature Valley chocolate granola thins, Blue Diamond wasabi & soy sauce almonds. I don't necessarily need the yogurt pretzels in 100 Calorie packs, but that's how they come. The granola thins are really crumbly so I typically devour one as I stand over the sink. They also come as peanut butter granola thins, but I haven't tried those. The wasabi almonds have a little (just a very little) kick and is just something different. I also enjoy sweet potato fries and would recommend that you get them when offered on the menu. Enjoy!

hand lotion

Hand lotion for around $1 USD. I like it. Not too heavy, not too light, non-greasy and works well enough. I wash my hands frequently and this lotion is what I use when my hands cry for lotion.

It'd be nice to give to homeless people, but the tube is not sealed and they'd be leery, I think.

best online Catechism of the Catholic Church

The best online Catechism of the Catholic Church is Hosted by Saint Charles Borromeo Catholic Church in Mississippi. It is searchable, includes the index, and also has mobile device formats. May you enjoy!

Gopher reacher repair

Several years ago I bought a Gopher reacher tool. I think it was around $20 USD, from either the grocery store or Walgreen's.

In a very short time (I'm guessing in a matter of weeks) it broke at the bend pivot. The pivot point was all plastic construction. Not wishing to discard it after so little use, I bought an aluminum angle from Ace hardware in the neighborhood. I used a hacksaw to cut the angle to the length I wanted and also to cut the notch to straddle the pivot. Several photos are included to show how the splice was made. I used some sort of industrial glue to glue it onto the Gopher. That worked out just fine. The Gopher no longer folds but that's okay.

Eventually the cups on the Gopher fell off. The problem was that the threads on the cups were plastic (see photos of the black cups). I tried to patch it up a few times with whatever household glue I had. Eventually I lost a screw and attempted to replace it with a screw I had in my scrap collection. Finally I lost the other screw as well and it sat unrepaired.

Thanks to a reviewer on Amazon, I was clued in to Arcmate. They offered replacement cups (the blue ones in these photos) with free shipping. I just received the cups today and the Gopher is repaired and ready for service once again. The cups aren't exactly as pictured on their webpage; there is no fancy shoulder on the bolt side of the cup. they should still work fine, though.

Home Depot had a reacher that I considered, but it felt too heavy and the angled pick-up end could be a problem in tight spaces and is difficult to maneuver at any other than the ideal angle. We lost the remote to our old stereo set. It has a large cylindrical dial for the volume. With the reacher I can grab that dial and rotate to adjust the volume. That sort of rotation would be very difficult if the pick-up end were angled.

Reachers are fun to use. I'd recommend that everyone have a reacher in the house. There are a variety of reachers on the market so you have options.

Cheers.

information overload

Job hunting is one huge information overload. There is a glut of free advice for the job hunter.  Here are some broad categories to name a few:

Tools and advice for ...
   1. determining a career path
   2. how to go about finding a job
   3. writing a cover letter
   4. writing a resume (one for machines one for when you actually are invited to submit a resume to a real live person)
   5. preparing for a phone interview
   6. preparing for an interview
   7. how to use the internet for the job search
   8. how to network

And each of the above has its own bucket of research. You have to research the company, the job and you have to research yourself. Cover letters and resumes should be geared towards the specific job you're applying for. You'd have to pick through your past and communicate experience befitting the job.

If we're supposed to have prepared answers to interview questions, how about if the company would send us the questions at the time the interview is offered and say, "Be prepared to answer these questions."

Sometimes the advice is inconsistent among the various experts, and a choice has to be made as to which opinion you'd go with.

With all this glut of information, the HR folks are expecting us to know this stuff. We appear completely dufus, careless, or ignorant if we fail to do what is "basic." (Duh, surely you are prepared to answer basic questions such as "What motivates you?" and "What is your greatest weakness?" and "Where do you see yourself five years from now?" and so forth.) With all this required research, application and practice, it's no wonder that it may well take over a year to master the game and get a job.

The professional side of me says I understand. The softer side of me says I might not want to be that wound-up, polished, ambitious candidate for a high-pressure company who is unforgiving to a little mistake.

In the meantime, I'll march on and pray that God grease the skids and help me to land in the right place.

random thought

There used to be a television commercial that asks, "Do you snore?"

It seems to me that you wouldn't know the answer to that question unless someone tells you.  How else would you know whether you snore in your sleep?

Happy New Year

Happy New Year 2011 to all!

Up until a year ago, I didn't do new year's resolutions. After hearing my spiritual advisor comment, "aim for nothing, get nothing" I figured I can give it a try. Last year's resolution was to finish reading one book. I did that, finishing The Shack and just recently, a career-related book.

This year I will try for two resolutions: eliminate the word "stupid" and eliminate profanity from being issued forth from my mouth.  I think today I've already broken both, but I will try again tomorrow. My dog is not stupid, he's ornery. And it's not "f--ing NO" but perhaps an "emphatic NO." Kinda hard when you live with someone who just won't take a simple "no" for an answer and I have go banannas and yell and curse before the message gets through. And then I get the "why are you yelling at me" response. We'll see how it all works out.

Merry Christmas

Very Merry Christmas to everyone!

Here is a free book
Cosmic Diary Anthology Released as a Free Book: Postcards from the Edge of the Universe (you can download the pdf at the link)

and a free audio rental
of Father Corapi's personal testimony (offer posted on this blog some time before, the offer still stands today)

first time

As far as I can remember, this is the first time that I've missed Christmas midnight mass. Gumby isn't feeling well. I asked if I could go to mass or if I need to stick around in case we need to call 911 emergency. Gumby said "I can't answer that." i.e. I don't have the go-ahead to go to mass. Since we are supposed to be in service of our neighbor, I'll miss midnight mass, stick around here tonight and go to one of the Christmas day masses tomorrow. Right now, I think Gumby is sleeping, which is a good thing.

video about Mary

From The Anchoress ... link was made known to me by a friend


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aU18v-tl8I&feature=player_embedded

gifting

Check out Monastery Greetings.  Per their website:

Monastery Greetings is the only catalog-based website that combines hundreds of religious and spiritual gifts from Abbeys, Convents, Monasteries, and Hermitages. Sales of their products directly support them.

Gifting for any day for any one, so even if they're not an option for Christmas, keep them in mind for any occasion.

Here are just a few others. This is not an endorsement. I have not tried any of these products and in fact, have not even browsed their websites.

Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters bakery and gift shop
Holy Spirit Monastery Gifts
Abbey Gift Shop
Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis gift shop (in New Orleans)
Nuns gift shop (Mother Angelica's order)
Mystic Monk Coffee
MonksBread.com
Poor Clares bread and soup (pick up at their place in Canton, OH)

listening to...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OraPvMHwlpY
There ya go.
Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata no. 17 in D minor, Op. 31 No. 2 1st movement

listening to...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okjfw5JudXM
per the YouTube uploading author:

Ludwig van Beethoven
Piano Sonata No. 17 "The Tempest"
3rd movement: Alegretto
played by Daniel Barenboim

This is a pretty clear recording, where the bass is not muddy. I might look for the 1st movement eventually.

Christmas decorating

I spent a lot of time trying to find replacement bulbs for our Christmas mesh light. No luck. I bought a string of all green lights at a local store in hopes of being able to use those bulbs, but it didn't work out. So I ended up just packing up the one mesh and did my best to drape the new string on the last shrub. I definitely doesn't blend, but so be it.

Yesterday I spent all afternoon and evening yesterday doing some Christmas decorating inside. It's just one room we're doing, but it took a while. What takes time is going up and down the attic, unpacking and packing (trying to find stuff and pick-and-choose among what was found). At one point I had to find the cat and remove her from the attic. The attic is unfinished and has blown-in insulation -- not a pleasant place lose things such as a cat. Our 4-foot Christmas tree is up and decorated. I know we're still in Advent and the Christmas stuff isn't supposed to be up yet, but I think God understands and wouldn't mind.