For the second time in three days, some major Christmas family plans have been upset by the inconsiderate weather. Putting on the ice skates and skating to Jackson would have been the most sensible way to get there this morning, so we've put off the visit until tomorrow. On Christmas Eve, we cancelled our trip to East Lansing to see J's parents because of the ice and rain.
When California has a mudslide or forest fire or earthquake, I always wonder why anyone would want to live there. When we get weather here like this over Christmas, people in California are probably thinking the same thing.
Great inventions
Back on the subject of great inventions, I think the iPod and/or portable MP3 player is one of the most amazing. I don't think it's up there with the transistor or anything, but if anyone had told you even ten years ago that you would be able to put every single one of your CDs inside a tiny pocket-sized aluminum box, and be able to choose which one you want to listen to by looking at a full color LCD screen, you would have said they were crazy.
I have to hand it to Apple for another reason - iTunes. Not only is it some nice software and a great place to buy music, but it's so tightly integrated with the iPod that it's a snap to use and keep your iPod up to date. My first MP3 player was a Dell DJ 20 GB model, and even though it was a little bigger than similar iPods, it was a lot cheaper and sounds just as good. The problem is the software it came with - it was really frustrating to use, and it kept asking me if I wanted to upgrade to the "Pro" version. Dell was obviously in a big fat hurry to get their player out the door that they forgot to write some software to go along with it, so they contracted with Music Match to write a hacked-together add-on. It was awful, and I don't miss it at all.
I have to hand it to Apple for another reason - iTunes. Not only is it some nice software and a great place to buy music, but it's so tightly integrated with the iPod that it's a snap to use and keep your iPod up to date. My first MP3 player was a Dell DJ 20 GB model, and even though it was a little bigger than similar iPods, it was a lot cheaper and sounds just as good. The problem is the software it came with - it was really frustrating to use, and it kept asking me if I wanted to upgrade to the "Pro" version. Dell was obviously in a big fat hurry to get their player out the door that they forgot to write some software to go along with it, so they contracted with Music Match to write a hacked-together add-on. It was awful, and I don't miss it at all.
Workbench
I finally finished the workbench I started last winter. Click on the picture to see it in full.
It's small for a woodworking workbench, only 4' long. A more serious workbench would be 7' or 8' long and made of heavier and more expensive materials. This is one is made entirely from 2-by lumber from Lowe's. It's a common practice for people who don't want to spend the money on more expensive wood, like maple.
The vise jaws are cherry, which was bought at a local recycle/reuse shop for a few dollars, and the rest of it was paid for with Lowe's gift cards I received as gifts. The bench is 2' deep, which is pretty common. The top was glued and clamped together in pieces, and the joints for the legs and top are all mortise and tenon, reinforced with bolts. I wanted it to be disassembled and moved if needed, so there is no glue on any of the joints.
I enjoy working with hand tools, like planes, chisels, and hand saws and hope to start on a new project this winter. This bench should be a good start for those projects.
It's small for a woodworking workbench, only 4' long. A more serious workbench would be 7' or 8' long and made of heavier and more expensive materials. This is one is made entirely from 2-by lumber from Lowe's. It's a common practice for people who don't want to spend the money on more expensive wood, like maple.
The vise jaws are cherry, which was bought at a local recycle/reuse shop for a few dollars, and the rest of it was paid for with Lowe's gift cards I received as gifts. The bench is 2' deep, which is pretty common. The top was glued and clamped together in pieces, and the joints for the legs and top are all mortise and tenon, reinforced with bolts. I wanted it to be disassembled and moved if needed, so there is no glue on any of the joints.
I enjoy working with hand tools, like planes, chisels, and hand saws and hope to start on a new project this winter. This bench should be a good start for those projects.
Great inventions
1. Snowblower
2. Vaccines, Municipal Water Systems, Moveable Type (tie)
3. The internet
2. Vaccines, Municipal Water Systems, Moveable Type (tie)
3. The internet
Auto Bailout
I think instead of the government giving money to the car companies, they should just give money/rebates to people who buy cars. For example, you buy a $25,000 car. The government gives the car company $10,000 and you buy the car from the dealer for $15,000. You'd think pretty hard about whether you want that new car (assuming you have a job) if you thought you'd get that much money off the price of the car.
It's difficult to watch this car company drama play out, especially because so many of my friends and neighbors work for Ford and GM (and even Toyota) here in southeastern Michigan. This area has always been so heavily dependent on the car industry, and to watch it struggle is difficult.
The thing that bothers me the most, and my wife too, is that there is so little manufacturing in the US these days that stopping production of a large percentage of cars here would be awful. We need to make things in this country, we can't just be a nation of service businesses.
It's difficult to watch this car company drama play out, especially because so many of my friends and neighbors work for Ford and GM (and even Toyota) here in southeastern Michigan. This area has always been so heavily dependent on the car industry, and to watch it struggle is difficult.
The thing that bothers me the most, and my wife too, is that there is so little manufacturing in the US these days that stopping production of a large percentage of cars here would be awful. We need to make things in this country, we can't just be a nation of service businesses.
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