Category Archives: Personal True Stories

Auto Safety

Posted in Head Lights, Personal True Stories by

In the late 70s, I was driving home in the early morning. A policeman pulled me over. The city is known for strict speed law enforcement so I was driving a tad under the limit. So, as you can imagine, I was curious about the reason.

The officer told me my left headlight was out. Now, I was even more curious. I just repaced it 2 days prior. I tried to be as respectful as possible but asked if I could check for myself. He didn’t seem to mind so I checked. Apparently a rock took it out.

The old sealed beam lights went bad in a microsecond after the air gets to the filiment. Sure enough, 2 days after the light was installed, it was was useless. The officer politely issued a warning and the next day, I replaced it.

In this case, I was thankful the officer stopped me. The light needed replacing.

Even so, the manufacturers made me angry. The sealed beam light was the standard of the day. However, they were very susceptible to even very small objects. I wondered why they never put a plastic sheet over it for protection. A little 1 penny piece of clear plastic would have kept my car safe; not to mention that it would have saved me eleven dollars and the 10 minutes it took took to again make the car safe.

It would appear that safety is not so much in the forefront of the minds of auto engineers. I’m sure most all of us have some examples of poor engineering that cause safety problems on cars. I think it is intentional in some cases.

Consider running lights today on modern cars. To replace a headlight on a modern auto, it takes half a day at a local mechanic and over $100. I know. I’ve had mine replaced… 3 times. The last time, I drove the car for over 2 months with 1 headlight. I didn’t much like paying the $110, but time waa a big factor. I had to wait from 8 in the morning to 3:30 in the afternoon. It is sort-of why I waited so long.

The other running lights can be difficult to get at too. In my personal opinion, high maintenance equipment on cars should not be nearly impossible to repair, like brakes. It appears they go out of their way to make things difficult to repair. This, in a way, is a safety factor. I mean, do they really want us car owners putting off brake maintenance. Is this really what the auto makers want? Is it really what anyone wants?

One thing I do know. Light and brake maintenance is far more complex than it should be and probably not as much as the auto makers would like. Oddly, the government agencies overlooking such things don’t seem to mind it. They just don’t like it so much when I drive around with one headlight.

A Bargain Book

Posted in Amazon and Kindles, Deceit, My Author's Page, Personal True Stories, Publishers by

Recently, I was going through “My Author’s Page” on Amazon and discovered a couple of wrong entries.  One of them didn’t belong at all; and I was able to have it removed quickly.  The other was a copy of my book, “Mitch,” though the cover was all wrong.  After three frustrating days, more-or-less, I managed to find out what was going on.  It seems, if someone has a copy of my book, he can sell it on Amazon.com as a used book.  It is sort of a way you can buy my books at a bargain.  I don’t mind so much, but the book is automatically listed on my author’s page and I have nothing to say about it.

I guess it’s not really my page after all.  Not only is the used book listed on my page, but now, after all I went through, the new copies aren’t, leastwise not that I can find.  So if you want to buy a new copy, you can’t.

Well, I guess that’s okay.  At least you can get the book at bargain.  The book sells new for $6.39.  Think of the bundle you can save by buying the new one at over $30.00.  That’s right. They are selling the used one at 3 times the cost of the new one!  Go figure.  In the meantime, the thirty dollar figure is scaring readers away from the new books, maybe from my books altogether.

Another interesting fact, an aside.  The used book is “Currently unavailable.”

If you can figure that one out, let me know.

In the meantime, if you want the book, send me an E-mail.  (KAAY@att.net)  I’ll try to have one sent to you for $6.39 + shipping.  No promises.  The way things are going, even that might be a trick.

For those who have your books listed on Amazon, an additional note.  You might want to manage your own copyrights.  I found out that that the dates listed by Amazon are years later than mine.

I wonder…

If the book is worth $30.00, maybe I under priced it.

Not likely.  I think those who have read it will say it is worth $6.39 but not $30.

Concerning My Computer

Posted in Computer Hacking, Computer Upgrades, Computers, Customer complaints, Google Earth, Personal True Stories, Uncategorized by

Concerning my computer, there is little that will upset me more than when some big outfit will try to take it over.  In that respect, I would prefer to go back to Windows 3.1.  Back then, I installed my software and did my work.  Actually, I reformatted my hard drive 3, maybe 4 times a year.  It helped to keep things neat and I always knew I could recover from a disaster.

Nowadays, Microsoft has about put a stop to that.  Backups and recoveries, even with the best hardware, is very time consuming and iffy.  I still do the backups, but I guess I’ll wait for a disaster to see if I can truly make the recovery.

I do miss the good ol’ days of DOS in many respects.  On the other hand, I do like some of the newer software.  One nice program is Google Earth.  I have used it extensively.  So, when I got my new computer, I decided to install it.

Not only was I not able to load it, but Google took over my homepage.  Did I mention that I don’t like companies taking over my computer?

For the next few days, off and on, I tried to get back to my homepage, Firefox.  Oddly, I Googled “how to set my homepage to Firefox,” and got nowhere.  First, I could not find the URL for the Firefox page.  Second, it appeared to me that Google locked me onto their homepage.  Every time I tried to change my homepage at all, it just went right back to Google.

Finally, I figured on simply reloading Firefox.  At the first step, I saw two pseudo-buttons, one of which was labeled “Refresh Firefox.”  After I clicked on it, after a short time, my homepage was restored, even to the point that it still had all the modifications.

As I said, I like Google Earth, but not that much.  I don’t think I’ll use it anymore.

However, the main reason for my writing this is in case Google ever gets control of your home page, you know what to do to get back to Firefox.  I would like to give you the URL for Firefox, but I still can’t find it.  My URL box is effectively blank while I am on the homepage.  I don’t know how they do that.

An Electric Riding Mower?

Posted in Electric Automobiles, Personal True Stories, Riding Mowers, Small Personal Transportation, Uncategorized by

More years ago than I care to admit, I bought a used 5 hp Sears riding mower.  Given the size of my yard, it did just fine.  Unfortunately, it only lasted three seasons.  (It was in pretty bad shape when I bought it.)  Even so, I only paid $100 for it and it saved me a lot of walking.

I wouldn’t mind having something similar today, but I can’t find a riding mower that is smaller than 8 HP.  Moreover, they like to make the things far more complex than they need to be.  For instance, the little thing I bought had hard rubber wheels and I didn’t need to concern myself with flats.  All the rider mowers today have pneumatic tires that might require repair or replacement.

There is one thing the little Sears mower lacked that I would have preferred, an electric starter.  Sometimes I had to pull on that rope 4 or five times to start it.  Back then, it wasn’t a problem.  Now, I am 70.  Pulling on starter chords can cause real back pains, especially if I have to pull on it multiple times.

For this reason, I now use an electric mower.  For quite a while, I used one with a power chord.  It was a nuisance.  I spent more time managing the chord than I did mowing.

So, I bought a battery powered mower the other day.  It cuts well and it is very quiet.  There is no power chord, and I’m sure the tree huggers would just love it.  I just hope the battery last more than one or two seasons.

Then, a few days ago, the thought occurred to me.  For years they have been pushing electric cars to cut down on pollution.  If it’s good for cars, why not rider mowers?

I don’t need a big one.  It would have two parts.  The mowing part could be very similar to the mower I have.  The second part would be the tractor like part.  Each part would have its own battery.  It would allow me to get around should the mower battery run low.

Other than the batteries, they would likely last just about forever.  The batteries would likely have to be replaced every 3 to 5 years.  There would not be a reason to make special trips to get gas, not to mention the hazards of storing it.  Also, of course, there would be no need for any belts.  The mower and both rear wheels would be powered by separate motors.

Also, it would negate the need for a starter, which adds quite an expense to the gas powered mowers.  If I want to go, I press a lever or pedal.  There would be no need to engage or disengage the cutting blade.  It would be a matter of toggling a switch.  (The mechanism for engaging the blade is not complex, but likely adds fifty dollars to the cost of the riding mower,)

I’m sure such a mower would not replace the big 12 hp mowers.  Some people have big yards.  Me.  If I got a 12 hp mower for my little lot, it would be like using a sledge hammer for a thumb tack.  Besides, if I was able to use the little electric riding mower, I could claim that I am doing my part for the environment.

Now if I can just figure out a way to put an air-conditioner on it.

Computers, Good and Bad

Posted in Abuse of Power, Christian values, Communist Takover, Computers, Dyslexia, Personal True Stories by

Ever since computers have become somewhat common, I have had an interest in them. It helped that my brother designed them. He had a master’s in math and an Electronics Engineer degree. When I went into the Marines, I went into Aviation electronics. Admittedly, I didn’t have my brother’s abilities. If I had, I likely would have never gone in the Marines. Even as it was, I almost went to work for Autonetics, the electronic division of the no longer existing North American Aviation.
After the Marines, I went into the repair of computers and then into operations. There is no way I ever thought I would start writing books. Most of my English teachers concurred. By the time I reached the 7th grade, I was starting to have problems. At the time I had heard of Dyslexia, but I had no idea what it is. Though I have never been diagnosed as dyslexic, I now realize I have many of the symptoms. Anyone who knows the symptoms and has read my books will realize what I mean, although it is more of a reading problem.
So during my youth, I spent a great deal of my time trying to hide my problems. Because reading is difficult for me and I read slowly, I generally shy away from reading. I am good at listening, which allows me to somewhat make up for it. I can attend a lecture and I remember it far better than if I read the same material. In spite of my efforts to hide my problems, teachers should have recognized it and taken proper actions. Instead they just punished me for not keeping up.
I am very bad at spelling. It’s not specifically part of dyslexia, but the two sort of go together. When I write, I leave words and even phrases out. I frequently use words like also at the front of a sentence and then too at the end. Homonyms drive me crazy. I really do know the difference between there, their and they’re. That does not keep me from using the wrong one in the wrong place. I haven’t the foggiest reason for it. I don’t know if that has is something common among dyslexics or not, but it does drive me nuts. In my more recent books, I do searches on many homonyms to make sure I use them correctly.
Actually, as I started this my purpose was to write about computers. I guess I got off on a rabbit path. Nonetheless, it isn’t too far off of the beaten path. The fact is, without computers, I’d never be able to write. It would be hopeless. I have heard of other authors who were highly successful. You can do a Google on dyslexic authors and there will be a big list of them. (Including Earnest Hemingway and Jules Verne.) The word processors, as great as they are, simply cannot find all my errors. I have no idea how the old authors managed it, but many did. Maybe they just had good editors.
Here lately, computers have really made a mark on recent history. The text-to-speech has really made things nice. First time I heard one, a man had a small box connected to a desktop computer. He had it set up so that anything he typed, it said, though it sounded a little like Robbie the Robot. Also, it did mispronounce things. In baseball, it pronounced the e. It sort of made it sound Italian. The problem was easily solved by separating the words… base ball.
Nowadays, the text-to-speech programs are very good, though some provisions have to be made for some words. The one I purchased always read the word read the same way, present or past tense. Nonetheless, I do use my program a lot. I use it to help me with my editing. Others might find the program far more useful. Even at seventy, I have full use of my eyes, for which I am thankful. Some are not so fortunate. People who are blind can listen to books. Before computers, the blind couldn’t read anything that is not in Braille.
On the other hand, computers help those who have a difficulty hearing. The old hearing aids, as great as they were had one problem; they amplified all frequencies about the same. That was fine for most, but sometimes people hear almost all frequencies but a small band, especially high frequencies. Current hearing aids are smaller, but they can also be programmed for a specific person. They are expensive, but for those who have problems hearing, they are well worth it.
Then there is the cochlea implant. What an invention that is. And it is only possible because of computers. Indeed, it is a type of computer. As far as I am concerned it is one of the greatest inventions of modern man. You might argue with me about it, but not with someone whose life it has changed.
I sat and watched TV one day and saw a cripple man walk. I was absolutely amazed. He didn’t walk well nor did he walk very far. He carried a computer on his back that had probes connected to his legs. …and when he wanted his leg to move, it moved, using his own muscle. I was floored. I worked around computers almost all my life and I was stunned to see what they did.
From that day, I understand that they have made large advances to help people walk with the help of computers. It is a wonderful thing, if for no other reason than to keep the muscles from atrophying.
What wonderful things these computers are. To be sure, they are a tool. They can be used for good and they can be used for things not so good. They can be used to spy on people. They can be used to track all that an employee does all day. For a while, I was even one of those employees.
I can’t help but think, why do people use computers for bad when they can be used for such good? Who knows? Maybe, one of these days they will make a word processor that can correct all my mistakes. I don’t think that will happen really soon though.

Listen! Please!

Posted in Customer complaints, Fast Food, Immigration, Lawyers and Representation, Obama Care, Personal True Stories, Politcal Opinion, President Trump by

Recently, I went into a Burger King.  The woman behind the counter asked me what I wanted.  I told her a Whopper… then, before I could get another word out of my mouth she asked if I wanted the meal.

The woman had asked me a question and then didn’t let me finish my answer.  That is impolite, not to mention, not very efficient.  Nonetheless, I know it is part of their training to push the meals, so I ignored her interruption and told her, loudly I might add, “A large onion ring and a large drink.”

Then, when I received my order, guess what, there was a fry.  If I had looked, it was on my receipt.  I ask you, how did she hear fry when I said onion ring?  Did I make a mistake?  Highly unlikely, being as I made it a point to say onion ring.

I have heard it said, if you really want to be a success in life, learn to listen.  In this case, the woman didn’t listen.  She was so disposed to give me a meal that she thought I said fry.  I suppose, to some degree, it was my fault.  It is not the first time it has happened.  Most of the time I correct it before I pay for it.  In this case, it was a real problem.  I don’t like Burger King French fries.

Well, maybe it is just as well.  On this particular day, I cut down on my fried food intake a little.  However, it is frustrating.  In this case, I didn’t get my onion rings.  On the other hand, in industry, or in the military, not listening can be costly or even tragic.  It can cost lives.

I know it is a little matter, but maybe those who run Burger King, or any fast food outfit for that matter, should teach their employees to listen.  It might save more than a customer’s anger.

I might add, sometimes customers don’t complain.  They just go away, and the manager or owner never knows why.  By the way, it wouldn’t hurt for our representatives to listen now and then too.  For over a decade, most of us have been saying, build a wall.  The only one who seems to have listened is President Trump.  The rest ignore him and us.  Same for Obama Care, but more so.

Revisiting the Chairman of the Board Effect

Posted in Customer complaints, Head Lights, New Cars, Personal True Stories by

There was a time that, when my headlight went out, I went to the local store and bought a replacement.  Oddly, they  were sort of standard.  There weren’t but about three types.  Then I popped the hood, got out a screwdriver, and a couple of minutes later, the light was replaced.

Not only did it take just a few minutes, it also took just a few dollars.

Today, things are different.  The little lamp is fifty dollars and it takes another fifty to put it in.  It is impractical to replace it myself.  The car has to go on a lift and the steering wheel has to be cut all the way to one side.  Even then, replacing the lamp is difficult.

That tells me something about those that built my car.  It is not used by those that design it.  It certainly is not used by the chairman of the board.  If so, things would not be built that way.

More than that, it does make me wonder about the motives of the design engineers.  It seems that they have made it difficult to repair on purpose.  They don’t want customers like me fixing our own cars with a screwdriver.  They want me to come back to their garage to get it fixed.  That is something I avoid.  I don’t go back to the dealer unless I have to.

The Big Hoax

Posted in Computer Hacking, Computer Upgrades, Computers, Customer complaints, Personal True Stories by

I purchased a new laptop Sunday. After getting home, I began setting it up. Almost immediately, I was notified that it needed to be updated. Approximately two hours later, it downloaded the updates, checked them and started applying them. It was about 85% done when, inadvertently, I pressed the power button and the system powered down.
Honest, I didn’t mean to. It’s kind of the problem with computers. They don’t know if something is intentional or not. I waited a while, and then pressed the button again. The computer started, but not properly. It was about then that I wished I was working with my first computer. It was running on DOS 6.1 and Windows 3.1.
I used to reformat my drive and reload everything once a month. It took a little more than any an hour… and I was working with 3.5 inch floppies. If I didn’t have the latest version of software, it was of little concern.
Of course, I had to start all over with my new laptop. Actually, it was worse than that. Before I could start over, I had to restore the computer to the point it was when it was new. That took about an hour.
When the updates were done, HP decided it needed to update my bios and drivers, so I got busy on that, close to another hour. Then, as per the suggestion of HP, I created a backup copy of my system. By the way, they said I needed a minimum of a 16 GB thumb drive.
Again I wished for the good old days. My hard drive was 40 MB. It meant that the restore volume was more than 32 times bigger than the drive I was running my old system on. Fortunately, there is plenty of room on my new system drive… one TB. I’m not sure how long that will last. I am sure in a decade or two, I might need ten TB. I’m 70 years-of-age now. I likely won’t be around in a decade.
As I sat there watching my system generate the recovery volume, I pondered what all I have gained with my new system. Let’s see. I can now interface with many USB devices. My first system could only directly access 1MB if memory, actually, there was a limit of 640 KB, but there was something of a workaround.
The old system was limited to 8 bits, though my processor was able to run at 16 bits. As mentioned, I can store 1 terabyte. For all practical purposes, it is limitless. My DOS could only access a volume of 32 MB. The rest of the 40 MB had to be formatted as a separate logical volume.
Other than that, there really isn’t that much that I can do with the modern system that I wasn’t able to do with the old one. The fact is… if Windows 98 wasn’t so unstable, I would much rather use it as the new system, even with its limits. The biggest disadvantage of the new system is that the new system keeps trying to take control of my computer. Some might like that, I don’t.
However, there are other real disadvantages of the new system. I would like to format my system disk once a month, or at least every three months. With the current system, that is not practical. It might not even be possible.
As a computer professional, I learned one of the most important things a person should do with a computer is to perform backups on a regular basis. It would appear that Microsoft has gone out of their way to make this difficult if not impossible. At best, I can back up my data. Because of their registry files, backing up individual applications is not possible. This is especially important considering many programs are purchased on line.
(I paid quite a bit for one program. When I went from Windows seven to Windows 10, the program disappeared. It is gone. If I want it again, I will have to again pay for it.)
Maybe one of the most aggravating things with the new systems is that I can no longer write programs in Visual Basic 6. I can write in the newer versions but it is next to impossible to interface to the printers with the later versions of VB. (Even the Pros say as much.) I never wrote anything professionally, but I did write many programs for my personal use. By the way, they don’t work now either. In fact, when I went to Windows 7, I had to give up all my old software. I had to start all over.
I foresee, a big opportunity for the right person. If a person releases a Windows 3.1 look-alike, I will be one of the first in line to buy a copy. Anyone with an once of common sense would join me. We have gone from a system that helps us to a system that needs constant attention. Then too, we are always susceptible to all different kinds of malware. A windows 3.1 type system would not be subject to such things. …and, by the way, I could regain control of my system.
I might have to give up a few bells and whistles. Then again, I survived them before Microsoft took over my system. I think I could survive quite nicely without it all again.
As near as I can tell, it is a big hoax. They claim we need the bigger faster computers to run the software. On the other hand, we need the latest and greatest software to take advantage of the computer’s abilities. In the end, we have gained very little, other than, perhaps a headache.
All together, before I was able to use my new computer, I spent about 30 hours on updates and such. I certainly don’t want to go through this again. Maybe next time, I’ll just get one of those other little Chrome books. From what I understand, the things work right out of the box.
To me, the new systems are one of the greatest hoaxes of the modern era. Sitting, waiting on my new system was all it took to convince me of it. Apparently, I stand alone and I don’t think Microsoft is listening to me.
Well, I now have a spare system. I think I will use it to try out that other operating system, you know, the one that is free, Linux. I’ve kind of wondered about it anyway. Who knows, I might like it enough to replace Windows 10 on my new system and sat good bye to the Microsoft hoax.