Smiths R Us

Illinois Pineapples

Why do I find so much humor at our local grocery store? I think it’s because they make it too easy!

I stopped by my local Highlander (Kroger) grocery store to pick up a few essential food items (that’s code for ice cream.) They’ve been pushing a locally grown message for a while now with posters and signs around the store. We’re in Northern Illinois and the store has stretched local to mean things like Michigan blueberries and Kentucky cucumbers. It’s within a long day’s drive, I guess. Continue reading Illinois Pineapples

I Don’t Want a Verizon iPhone

Rumors of a Verizon iPhone have been circulating for years. Even though none have materialized, the news ticker on our TV today showed that the mainstream media has picked up the topic…again. This new surge of rumors seems no more likely than previous batches. I suspect they are fueled only by wishful thinking, which I can’t completely relate to.

I may be in the minority, but I don’t want a Verizon iPhone. Continue reading I Don’t Want a Verizon iPhone

Gravatar, AppleScript, and macOS Contacts Revisited

A while back I did a series of posts (part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4) on using Gravatars in AppleScript to update pictures in your Mac ~~Address Book~~ Contacts. Those address pictures then sync to your iOS devices.

I’ve learned a few things since then, plus the Gravatar service has a new option that removes the need for a workaround I had to come up with. So it’s time for an update to my now obsolete posts.

Census form requires telling the future

Our 2010 census form arrived in the mail today but it’s impossible to fill it out according to the instructions. Why, you ask?

Well, today is March 16, 2010. The packet contains a letter dated March 15, 2010, which includes the following text in bold print: Please complete and mail back the enclosed census form today.

Okay, I guess I better get to it.

Question 1: How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?

Hmmmm. There does not seem to be a blank to state that I don’t know how to tell the future. 🙂

Computer Repair Tools from the Kitchen

I was doing some repair work on a laptop computer today and realized I had not yet shared one of my most significant homemade tools for this kind of work. It’s simply an ice cube tray with each cube numbered in permanent marker.

I put screws and other small parts in the tray as I disassemble each section of the computer. If I’m following a numbered repair guide I try to match the cube number to each step. Otherwise, I just fill the cubes in numerical order as it makes sense. Reassembly is a snap and there’s no losing or mixing up those tiny screws.

Oh, and while I’m snatching kitchen items to use as tools, cookie sheets make great parts trays for longer-term projects. The whole project can be shelved to get it out of the way and then easily resumed without parts getting misplaced.