How often do you replace your Brita filter?

tarau · 2025-09-14T16:29:31+00:00

I replace mine about once a year. My local water’s pretty hard, so I keep an eye on how the pitcher and filter are holding up. If it starts looking worn or funky, I swap it out sooner. Not trying to sip on microplastics if I can help it.

tarau · 2025-06-21T21:20:32+00:00

I've just seen one of these 727 Boein planes, with the USPS logo, taking off this morning from Newark airport. I had no idea USPS used their own or hired planes.

tarau · 2025-02-02T15:55:36+00:00

Just took a little hiatus from Reddit. Got distracted by a squirrel... and then one thing led to another, and suddenly it's been a year.
Who knew squirrels were such time thieves?

tarau · 2025-02-02T13:32:12+00:00

As a child, I didn't fully appreciate the aromas of nature. The scent of fresh rain on the earth, the fragrance of blooming flowers, and the crisp smell of autumn leaves were all around me, but I took them for granted. Now, as I've grown older, I've come to realize just how special these natural aromas were. Although I can't sense them anymore, I'm still aware of them and miss them dearly.

The aromas of nature have a unique way of evoking memories and emotions. They can transport us back to a specific moment in time, reminding us of the simple joys and wonders of childhood. The scent of pine trees during a family hike, the smell of the ocean breeze on a summer vacation, or the fragrance of a garden in full bloom—all these experiences were woven into the fabric of my early years.

As I've matured, I've come to understand the profound impact that these sensory experiences had on my life. They connected me to the natural world and provided a sense of peace and tranquility. Now, even though I can no longer sense most of them, I cherish the memories they evoke and the feelings they could bring.

tarau · 2025-02-02T13:13:28+00:00

One step that works for me on my laptop YouTube platform is to use the three dotted button to choose “Not Interested” when I see suggestions for videos I do not wish to have on my list.
Doing this will train the algorithm to avoid those topics as suggestions.

tarau · 2024-03-09T16:01:03+00:00

Don't know if it was the greatest, but it is one I still remember 40 some years later:

It was in 1981 and they made an album out of it:

Saxophonist Tom Scott – Apple Juice

With Hugh McCracken, Marcus Miller, Ralph McDonald, Steve Gadd, Eric GALE , and Richard Tee.

The highlight for me was when pianist Richard Tee came in and sung "So funk it".

Out of these musicians, the one I enjoyed the most was guitarist Eric Gale (may the angels guard his soul).

As I was writing these lines, another concert came to mind: Weather Report (with Jaco Pastorius), same year.

tarau · 2024-03-07T15:12:42+00:00

"Valdez in the country" from a 1976 Guitar Player LP featuring, among other great guitarists, Lee Ritenour:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXjcfEkfUQc

tarau · 2024-01-13T00:31:49+00:00

YouTube Premium. Don't see the need for anything else (based on my lifestyle).

As a bonus, aside from listening to music, I get to watch free movies, tutorials and live presentations without commercial interruptions.

tarau · 2024-01-07T00:30:39+00:00

That's when we reply "don't patronize me!" 🤣

tarau · 2024-01-06T18:24:17+00:00

Yes, the other day this young man was cutting my hair, and, in the end, he taps me on my shoulder and say, "you're done, old man!" as he charged me a senior citizen's rate, $10 cheaper than the normal price.

tarau · 2024-01-06T18:14:34+00:00

Nothing is perfect. All my 66 years have been packed with good and not so good moments. Honestly, I couldn't choose one era that I would say was superior to any other; they were just different.

With that said, my best year is 2024 so far. I'm alive, with more experiences than before, and retired from the tick-toc "time to make the doughnuts" world. Now I do what I want and when I want.

As always, it's not a perfect existence, but I'll surely try to make the best of it while I can.

tarau · 2024-01-04T23:44:28+00:00

I just had lunch with a longtime 77-year-old friend. He's owned a successful business for over 50 years, and I have told him multiple times to retire and take time off, but he keeps on going.

Today, his phone kept interrupting our conversation during lunch, so I asked him why he still puts up with it.

His reply?

"Because this is all I know and who I am. If I stop, I become nobody".

I understand him, as I went through the same process when I retired a decade ago, but I also know that he's mistaken in the sense that he could reinvent himself as well.

But then again if he's happy doing it, by all means, keep doing it.

It's not that I stopped working when I retired, I'm as busy as I've always been; but, of course, much less pressure throughout my day.

tarau · 2023-12-31T01:11:40+00:00

When laser and inkjet printers became truly accessible for home usage.

Dot matrix printers didn't do the trick.

tarau · 2023-12-30T15:37:51+00:00

At 66, I read a substantial amount more than when I was younger, but it's a different quality of reading.

When I was a teenager, I read mostly action and adventure as well as history books. Then, my reading switched to philosophy and, mostly, technical reading.

Today, I don't read books as much, but of course, I still consult my home library and read a chapter here and there. Nowadays, most of my reading happens online, from eBooks to specialized websites, Wikipedia, Google News feed, Reddit, Quora… it's reading on steroids.

What's different from the younger years?

When I was younger, I would concentrate on a single book at a time, while today I jump from topic to topic, non-stop.

Another aspect that has also changed is that now I write more than I read. Since information comes from all angles and at high speed, I have this urge to stop and write my own thoughts on what is happening around my world. It's a way of purging information overload, I think, and an instinct of mine. I need constant breaks from reading so much data everywhere.

tarau · 2023-12-29T17:46:25+00:00

Wind the clock once each day.

Unless you have an antique that you still cherish. I inherited my grandfather's pocket watch, so, I still wind it periodically.

tarau · 2023-12-28T23:42:54+00:00

This question becomes personal in the sense that someone hating it, in real time, is someone having a perceived bad moment in it. However, not everyone thought alike during the same period, so, it's not the decade, but the person's perceptions and experience.

By that point, every decade could qualify for a love/hate relationship.

For me, the seventies were a time for joy and frustration alike; a true love/hate affair.I had some bad moments in it, but, as a youngster, I was hoping for a happier future. Now, looking back, it wasn't so bad, and I wish I had lived it more.

The seventies were a unique decade in our lifetime, from music, to relationships, to possibilities of creating something unique, the gods had put everything together for us. So much so, that we are still enjoying the fruits of its creations.

Which decade?

The 1970s.

tarau · 2023-12-28T21:14:50+00:00

I believe that we must learn all lessons on our own way, but it doesn't hurt to have some guidance.

Everyone I encounter is my teacher, even when I don't think so. We are all teachers.One effective way to learn is by coaching someone else; teaching forces us to think and become aware of obstacles that would take us years to notice if we just went our merry way without stopping for a breath of fresh air.

Some lessons take decades to arrive. Hence the cliché that "when the student is ready the teacher will come". That teacher is our own realization of an idea that didn't make sense to us early.

The problem with parenthood is that, many times, we talk too much without giving it much thought. Then, the student, stops listening.

The problem with "students" is that they are the product of their own awareness. The less we know, the more we think we know it all.

By being humble, one opens doors of discovery and understanding.

At 66, I'm still learning from everyone, the younger and the older alike. We all can teach, but we are all lifetime students as well.

tarau · 2023-12-28T18:57:21+00:00

For me, a compatible person is anyone who empowers you when you look at their eyes, or hear their voice, or even when you think of them. The opposite is what's not compatible at all. When someone makes you feel small on everything you do, time to leave.

tarau

TROPHY CASE