the iMentor

Hints & rants

This weB-LOG is about the musing of a technical consultant. It is the iMentor's thoughts on technology and the human condition.

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Author: Rick Thues

Aguanga Sunset

November 18, 2024 Uncategorized No Comments
Episode #825 November 23, 2024         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRIKNINTFls   As I stand in the living room of my modest red cabin, the vaulted A-frame ceiling begins to glow with the warm hues of the setting sun. Through the sliding glass doors on the eastern wall are cumulus thunderheads, painted in delicate shades of orange and pink, drifting in a cerulean sky. Bandit, my black-masked white cat, chatters at the house finches flitting past the patio doors.  The day's heat has left the air inside the house stuffy and slightly humid, resisting the window cooler's whining fan. I unlock...
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Proscenium Arch

November 12, 2024 Uncategorized 1 Comment
Episode #824 November 16, 2024 A proscenium arch serves as a frame which encloses something different on its other side. It can also be a portal to another reality.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aktzXX964w   In a church the proscenium arch is a threshold between the secular and the sacred. It is a passageway to God. The congregation gathers on the pew side of the arch while recipients of the Eucharist pass through the arch to commune with God. The stage of a theater is often framed with a proscenium arch. On this side is the audience, seated in the normal world. On...
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Mile 70

November 7, 2024 Uncategorized 2 Comments
Episode #823 November 9, 2024 The age of 70 is a milestone in our society. It is the age of retirement, voluntary or not. It is also considered an advent to wisdom.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cs5vUfddkT8 Paula recently turned 70. She met it face on without a hint of slowing down. The day before her birthday she load organized at Skydive Perris. She made 6 skydives mentoring new jumpers into calm and precise formation skydives. One of the jumps was frantic and undisciplined. In her very practical, well learned style Paula debriefed the group. “When you walk you don’t flail your arms...
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Just Drive It

October 30, 2024 Uncategorized 2 Comments
Episode #822 November 2, 2024 When I owned my Rabbit sedan I used a Volkswagen mechanic who knew everything …about Volkswagens.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGfAtXM8rOU As the car aged I brought it in to Klaus more and more often. The problems ranged from brakes wearing out to engine timing issues. At 300,000 miles the dash lights started malfunctioning. The first couple of times it was just bulbs. These repairs were expensive because it was difficult to remove the dashboard to get at the display.  One day I got a check engine light and brought the car into Klaus. He connected his diagnostic...
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Womens Full Break Sequential

October 22, 2024 Uncategorized 2 Comments
Episode #821 October 26, 2024 On Saturday October 5, 2024 64 skydivers set an all women 2 point Full Break Sequential (FBS) freefall world record.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXjjum9WhyE The event began on Thursday when women skydivers from all over the world arrived at Skydive Perris in California. It is organized by Helaine Rumaner, Kate Cooper-Jensen and Christy Frikken. They are world class organizers. The team, ranging in age from 27 to 70, were all hand selected. My wife, Paula Thues is on the team. The plan is for 64 women to jump from 4 aircraft flying at 16,000 feet above the...
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Kauai

October 14, 2024 Uncategorized 2 Comments
Episode #820 October 19, 2024 KAUA'I We bid Dave goodbye and he drove Paula and I to the Hilo airport on the Big Island of Hawai'i.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbRS8LlUzYQ   Our flight to Kaua’i included one stop in Honolulu. The Boeing 717 jet was pulled onto the tarmac where the pilot fired up the engines. Within moments the engines powered down. There were two error lights on the flight controls. The jet rolled back to the gangway where maintenance boarded. For the next 45 minutes tests were run and heads were scratched. Suddenly, the lights were reset and the pilot announced...
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