Bingo

Rick Thues January 14, 2025 Uncategorized 3 Comments

Episode #833 January 18, 2025 I was one of six winners at community Bingo.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9rkMMOqCE4 As I stacked the six Bingo cards in front of me and tested my dauber I introduced myself to Chris, who was sitting across from me. “Hi, I’m Ricki.” “I am Chris. I came to win.” “I came to lose,” I said. “But I have dead reckoning and dumb luck on my side.” The game of Bingo is mindless, boring and ultimately an excuse to socialize. I did have to pay attention to the letter-number callouts which were dulled by the din of...

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Engineers

Rick Thues January 7, 2025 Uncategorized No Comments

Episode #832 January 11, 2025 I have known many skilled mechanics. My neighbor is such a man.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ra7Bax6rGoQ Tyler can rebuild an engine, weld a repair, craft a sculpture, manipulate hydraulics and move earth. A mechanic is an engineer. The best engineers are applied physicists. An applied physicist is one who sees the world in clear relational reality. He executes his actions with precision. He sees reality for what it is. There is no task that Tyler cannot accomplish given time for observation, analysis, planning and execution. An engineer is the paradigm practitioner of the scientific method. The Scientific...

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Brakes

Rick Thues January 1, 2025 Uncategorized 1 Comment

Episode #831 January 4, 2025 Several years ago my 1999 Toyota Tacoma pickup truck brakes began to fade. The truck just did not have the braking power it used to.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zjGLuqyR1eU My general mechanic did all the usual tests: Pedal test. The pedal acted normally but required more effort than usual to brake. Brake fluid level. The fluid was full and clear, though every couple of years I had to add a little fluid. This may indicate a very slow leak. There was no evidence, however, of leaks in the reservoir, master cylinder, brake lines or calipers. Bleed the...

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Paradigm Shift

Rick Thues December 28, 2024 Uncategorized 1 Comment

Episode #830 December 28, 2024 Unlike a paragon, which is a model of excellence or perfection, a paradigm is our best idea at any given time.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJETT0g2bzw A paradigm is a set of procedures that are current, common and widely accepted best practices. These practices are not limited to ideas and beliefs. “Measure twice, cut once” is a way of saying that thoughtful preparation leads to better outcomes. Paradigm is, more broadly, a way of viewing or interpreting the world. If a paradigm changes it shifts the way the world is viewed. Examples of paradigm shifts are Ptolemaic Earth...

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Artificial Intelligence

Rick Thues December 18, 2024 Uncategorized 2 Comments

Episode #829 December 21, 2024 Artificial Intelligence (AI) has arrived just in time.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vet6AHmq3_s My short term memory has been degrading slowly over time. Fortunately my long term memory has remained relatively intact. I think my short term storage time is slowing down. Long term seek time is still good. In computer terms, good read, not so good write. I know how to research. My early trips to the library evolved into excursions into the Encyclopedia Britannica. A check with the Merriam Webster Dictionary often allowed me to parse through a baffling sentence. Some questions I put to the...

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As It Seems

Rick Thues December 11, 2024 Uncategorized No Comments

Episode #828 December 14, 2024 Things are not always as they seem. Sometimes the truth is hidden behind the obvious.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8hRX5tmq_s   The drain plug of my inflatable spa came loose and the water drained out. I don’t remember kicking the drain plug. In fact, I had not been in the spa for days. Did a temperature change cause the plug to loosen? What had happened to cause the drain to become unplugged? The water draining occurred after carpet cleaners came to my house. I don't think they jumped into the spa. What did they do? They drove their...

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