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

Rotator Cuff

March 30, 2026 Uncategorized 6 Comments
Episode #896 April 4, 2026 I was packing up cardboard boxes to donate. Consequently, the house was in some disarray.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1ZBfxQ8oP0&list=RDj1ZBfxQ8oP0&start_radio=1 As I carried one of the boxes across the room, I tripped on a chair leg and fell shoulder-first into the floor, crushing the box and all of its contents. The shoulder hurt like hell, so Paula helped me up.  For the next two weeks, the shoulder hurt, but I still had full range of motion.  Then I made the mistake of collecting firewood. I threw a large branch of Manzanita deadwood down from the small hill...
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The Dragon of Silicon Vale

March 24, 2026 Uncategorized 2 Comments
Episode #895 March 28, 2026 The Dragon of Silicon Vale by Ricki T Thues 2026   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLV4_xaYynY&list=RDTLV4_xaYynY&start_radio=1 Silicon Vale stretched out across countless realities. Its shimmering landscape was accented with rivers of light. Glass towers rose toward the starry night, reaching to connect everything with translucent bridges. The stars were flashing signals pulsing with meaning over immeasurable distances, traveling at the speed of light. At the center of this kingdom stood a citadel known as the Foundry of Thought. On the penthouse balcony of the citadel stood the wizard Huang Jensen. Amber eyes scanned his vast creation. Enchanted circuits and...
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Analysis

March 17, 2026 Uncategorized 3 Comments
Episode #894 March 21, 2026 This year, my home insurance company required me to install a Moen smart water valve.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKnnh8VDULs&list=RDIKnnh8VDULs&start_radio=1 As I stumbled upstairs after falling asleep on the couch, I habitually plugged my phone into the bedroom charger. On the screen, a warning from the Moen smart water valve app appeared. “Low water pressure. Check your water system,” the app said. I checked the sink water. No water pressure. The smart valve is just outside the house. This warning indicated low pressure upstream of the house. I was relieved that the valve was not sensing a leak...
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End Game

March 12, 2026 Uncategorized 2 Comments
Episode #893 March 14, 2026 End Game By Ricki T Thues - 2026     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zeVpU-4glg&list=RD4zeVpU-4glg&start_radio=1 The motel was lost on a frontage road. Some of the neon sign was flickering out, so it read “notel motel notel motel.” Edgar was running late as he drove into the parking lot. The brakes squealed with regret as the car pulled into a space. The engine coughed to a stuttering stop, the car door squealed open, and Edgar stepped out. A bell jingled as Edgar opened the office door. The manager did not look up. The room was stuffy in spite of...
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Entanglement

March 8, 2026 Uncategorized 1 Comment
Episode #892 March 7, 2026 I used to think of freedom as independence — as something I could reach if I wanted it badly enough or worked hard enough. It sounded clean. Almost heroic.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iN0f6VYesmk&list=RDiN0f6VYesmk&start_radio=1   But long before I made my first real choice, inheritance had already influenced me. I didn’t arrive at myself empty-handed. I was entangled within family dynamics, language, class, culture, and the era in which I was born. These didn’t limit my options; they molded them. I was defined, like an actor on a stage, complete with costumes, sets, and an audience. I stepped...
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Reader Mode

February 24, 2026 Uncategorized 1 Comment
Episode #891 February 28, 2025 Tired of ads on web pages? Want to just read the article? Try Reader Mode.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k03IQbaTcxc&list=RDk03IQbaTcxc&start_radio=1 All the popular web browsers have a reader mode. This converts ad-ridden pages to clean, readable text. Some browsers keep embedded photos and graphics. Others just strip the page down to the text. On the Mac, there are Safari, Firefox, Chrome, and Edge internet browsers. On Windows, there is no longer a Safari browser available. All of these browsers have a Reader mode. I use Safari on the Mac for all my browsing. Safari Reader is especially useful...
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