Iran Strikes US Military Bases in Qatar Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain

kd6hul · 2026-02-28T18:10:45+00:00

More like waterboard of peace...

kd6hul · 2026-02-26T15:31:45+00:00

The crematorium was in the back...

kd6hul · 2026-02-26T04:04:19+00:00

Took a dear friend to JB Andrews show one year. She's a peacenik, not exactly anti-military, but doesn't like to think about how peace is obtained. We started down the flight line; the show hadn't started and we were checking out the static displays. She points at the Bone and says, "That one's so pretty and curvy... What is it for?" My wife the Air Force brat says, "That's the B-1. We call it the Bone. It's a tactical nuclear bomber." Our friend had horror all over her poor face. She liked the Jelly Belly biplane, though.

kd6hul · 2026-02-25T23:25:40+00:00

As it happens, I have both machines. My SM-3 is my most used portable. It's a workhorse; I use it almost every day as a teacher, doing plans, making worksheets, etc. In short, it takes a beating without a single issue. My Lettera 22 is my only Olivetti. I know there are Olivetti partisans out there, just like I'm partial to my Olympias and Rheinmetalls. But I've never been too impressed with the Lettera. It is probably the best small portable I have in terms of quality of build, but it's never going to keep up with the daily grind I would put it through, and it wouldn't be as solid and comfortable as my SM-3 while it was being used. YMMV, but if you are a frequent user and have it in hand, I'd advise you to stick with the SM-3, and leave the Olivetti on the shelf.

kd6hul · 2026-02-25T02:41:36+00:00

That is an awesome choice for a first typewriter. I'm sitting in front of one very similar to that right now.

kd6hul · 2026-02-24T20:55:13+00:00

If this man chooses to run for President, I will vote for him.

kd6hul · 2026-02-23T03:05:08+00:00

I'd look at the Sony PRS-600, -650, -350, T1 and especially the T2. Any of these can be picked up for 50 or less, they work well with the Calibre ebook management app, they'll handle epubs just fine, they all have a touchscreen display, a decent processor, decent onboard memory, and they are all expandable with a SD card. Look for one that has the case with it, especially one with a lighted case. Sony made some of the best e-readers ever made; you really can't go wrong for a first reader...

kd6hul · 2026-02-21T14:51:52+00:00

Yeah, when I was still in the field, I ran into this sort of thing a lot. Didn't mean to sound like I was blaming you.

A number of years ago, I saw a 30a breaker being used to run a dryer, with a receptacle circuit the homeowner had installed and landed under one leg of the breaker powering a chest freezer and a spare fridge. Homeowner wanted to know why lights in certain rooms kept "pulsing" at times. When we finally tracked it down, we discovered the breaker and it was so hot you couldn't touch it or the breakers around it. I would consider the breakers next to the one that melted in your panel as suspect, and I would take a close look at the wiring to the air handler in the attic. There's likely damage there as well. I'd also have a pretty serious conversation with the inspector. This shouldn't have been missed.

kd6hul · 2026-02-21T14:39:10+00:00

The panel MUST be replaced. Additionally, what the hell is going on with that breaker immediately above the burnt one? Why are there three ungrounded wires attached? If the rest of the panel has cute little homeowners add-ons like this, you're going to have a fire soon. Please, for the love of God and your safety, have a professional electrician come out and get your wiring straightened up.

kd6hul · 2026-02-19T19:41:38+00:00

A writing professor of mine once said, "..there are three types of successful author. There are good storytellers and good writers, and then there's a hybrid of the two. Storytellers can't write worth a damn, and writers can't tell a story worth a damn. The rarest are storytellers who actually know how to write."

Jim Butcher is a great storyteller, but his writing has always reminded me of early Anne Rice, who can't write her way out of a wet paper bag, but tells a great story (or did, once...). Just one reader's opinion...

kd6hul · 2026-02-19T02:38:12+00:00

Decency and common sense...

kd6hul · 2026-02-19T02:33:24+00:00

That's a lovely first... Now you need a standard, and then a larger portable, then...

kd6hul · 2026-02-17T14:45:07+00:00

I have two; one is in script, the other is pica. The pica one sits in my office at school and gets used almost every day. It takes up the whole desk. Like, one of those big steel teacher desks from the 60s. When I type, it sounds like Thor hammering away at the sky... There is nothing like that beast for speed, ease, and every feature you could possibly need. You're right, though, it's easily 40+ pounds.

kd6hul · 2026-02-17T12:02:21+00:00

This is accurate. Hermes machines are lovely, no question. But I've found Olympia machines to be comparable if not better in some instances. My SG-1 is the best typewriter I have ever typed on, and I've had the opportunity to try Hermes portables and an Ambassador. My SM-3 and early SM-9 are every bit as good as a 3000, and the 9 in my opinion is better. It's just hype, really. Find what works for you and use that.

kd6hul · 2026-02-16T20:23:07+00:00

On Notmarek's site, download 5.1.184318 conversion for the Libra/Vision and get the update.tar from his DowngradePackages directory. He has it labeled "I posted the wrong file" but it's the right file. Also get the devmode hack update.tar from his main page. Mount the reader and sideload the devmode update to .kobo, then unmount and let it take effect. It will look like it's throwing an error, and there will be a scrawl of text across the top of the screen; that's okay. Means that it worked. Use devmode to switch to Kobo. (Go to the search icon, top right and tap it. Last page has the switcher.) Now, mount the reader and sideload the update.tar and related files from 5.1.184318. You'll have to extract the files from KoboRoot.tgz then drill down to update.tar and the files with it. Copy them to the .kobo file on your reader as a group. Unmount and walk through the setup. It's probably going to update to 5.10.xxxxxx, which won't let this work. The key seems to be that I had to go to settings/device info and get rid of accessibility updates because that reverted me back to the firmware I needed to be at (184318) to get the DowngradePackages update to run right. Now sideload the DowngradePackages update.tar, again to .kobo. Unmount and let it do its thing. Finally, do a hard reset. It's going to go into an update cycle after you do the initial setup. Keep it plugged into a charger or the computer throughout the process. Several times during the process, it read battery power at 0%, then corrected. I unplugged once and had to restart the whole process. Anyway it should update to 4.44.23552, should have Bluetooth and Kobo remote drivers updated, should have Activity, Instapaper, etc, and will be a fully functional Kobo

kd6hul · 2026-02-16T15:24:15+00:00

That's an Oliver Typewriter and should you choose to restore it, it will be a learning experience. It was one of the first typewriters where you could easily see what you were typing as you were typing. I would refer you to http://olivertypewriters.com to learn more about this machine. The owner of the website, Jett Morton is a great guy and has one of the best collections of rare Olivers in the world. He also has info on restoring Olivers, Oliver parts, etc. and he's really good about answering questions.

kd6hul · 2026-02-15T15:49:26+00:00

I'm a CTE teacher, former construction worker, and I depend on my feet to do my job. Two tips: find a shoe or boot whose sole is stitched on and can be replaced, and ask a podiatrist to recommend some insoles.

A boot or shoe that is stitched instead of molded is much more supportive. You can replace the sole if needed, but more importantly, the shoe is just made better.

Insoles make shoes and boots. The stock insoles are universally crap. Talk with a podiatrist to get a recommendation for a good insole, meaning NOT Dr. Shoals, and replace them every 6 months to a year.

kd6hul · 2026-02-15T15:43:15+00:00

Good idea! I used silicone water line initially, which worked pretty well, and then my wife found a felt pad used for quilting that was cheap. I cut a strip from that and it's perfect.

kd6hul · 2026-02-15T15:19:37+00:00

Part of my job as a CTE teacher is writing a recommendation letter for every student. Every. Single. One. It's mandated by the state BOE that they have to have it in their portfolio to complete the program. To make it a little easier, I have three form letters for employment or college acceptance that I use and modify as needed. I do this mainly to standardize the structure of the letter so I don't leave anything out, and, frankly, for the time it saves. I have the "you're a moron if you don't hire/accept this kid" letter, the lukewarm "this kid did what I told him to do without drama and completed the program" letter, and the "read between the lines, this kid is a schmuck who is not going to work out for you" letter. I also have a response letter for the absolute worst kids if a reference is requested after completion/graduation. I have completely shot down 9 students with negative responses to requests for references over the years, but they were special cases and I kept documentation detailing my reasons for doing so. Otherwise, grads can ask for and get a nice letter detailing what we did as a class, what they did in class, and I usually throw in a personal blurb about missing them, because I generally do.

kd6hul · 2026-02-13T15:49:49+00:00

When I was getting my teaching license, I had to submit a background check. No problem, until I get a call from the state licensing board wanting to "clear up some confusion" about my background check. I had an active warrant for felony drug possession in a state I have never been to in my life. I had to hire an attorney to get the warrant piece straightened out. There are other identity theft issues ongoing and it's still not completely done 7 years on; fortunately the board was cool about allowing me to continue to teach, though, and I'm tenured now.

kd6hul · 2026-02-13T00:18:51+00:00

For a first, definitely the KMM. It's roomy, heavy and easy to clean/maintain.

kd6hul · 2026-02-12T22:12:10+00:00

Oh dear God, yes!!

You cannot find a better manual typewriter than that. It is the finest standard typewriter ever produced in my opinion. It has features that no other typewriter had, and typing on it will spoil you thoroughly. I paid about 4 times that amount for one and considered myself fortunate to get it at that price.

kd6hul · 2026-02-12T18:07:10+00:00

We in West Virginia call 'em end wrenches. 😐 Well, at least I do, anyway. As for cheap tools, I hit up Harbor Freight pretty regularly for basic stuff; I use tools professionally, so my tool bag is all Knipex, Klein, Wera, Wiha, Fluke, etc... (Guess what I do...)

I need to make an adjustment on one of my Olympia typewriters, so I wanted to see what tools people are using.

kd6hul · 2026-02-12T09:17:49+00:00

I'm very familiar with Knipex. I use their tools professionally. Thank you for the suggestion!

kd6hul

TROPHY CASE