2014 February « The Fixer

philosophy

A LITTLE COMMON SENSE FROM AN OLD COWBOY …

Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong.

Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.

Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.

A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.

Words that soak into your ears are whispered… not yelled.

Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.

Forgive your enemies; it messes up their heads.

Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.

It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.

You cannot unsay a cruel word.

Every path has […]

trombone misuse

With our mud room added on, I needed a way to let guests announce their arrival. Knocking on the old front door wasn’t going to work if they couldn’t get to it.

I theorized a ship’s bell might turn the trick. I found a new one on the Internet, but found a bigger, older, heavier one that I lusted after as I suspected it might be heavier, louder and cooler… probably having served a long and full life on an actual SHIP. It was missing its clapper, but I knew I could figure something out.

There was A LOT […]

household products recipes

1. DIY Dishwashing Detergent

ablossominglife.com

1 cup borax, 1 cup washing soda (or baking soda will work, as well), 1/2 cup citric acid, and 1/2 cup of kosher salt as a scrubbing agent. Use vinegar as your rinsing agent.

2. DIY Shaving Cream

foodformyfamily.com

Shea butter, coconut oil, jojoba oil, rosemary oil, and peppermint oil are the ingredients you’ll need to make this natural shaving cream. Get the full directions here.

3. DIY Bug Spray

littlestonehouse.com

Add distilled water, witch hazel, and citronella oil to a spray bottle. Get the full directions here.

4. DIY […]

dueling doorbells

Enclosing the porch created a notification problem. Our guests could no longer knock on the door to the main house without entering the mud room.

I thought I could answer it with the ship’s bell on the porch.

We could barely hear it inside – a downside to well-insulated 2×6 construction, if there is such a thing.

The Fixer invented this brand-new solution.

I call it “a doorbell”.

Works GREAT!

Somehow people automatically understand how to operate it. I didn’t even have to publish instructions.

create your own website

Building and operating your own website is easier now than ever. The tools continue to evolve in power and in their accessibility to the non-geek market.

There are a few ‘secret handshakes’ and tricky bits to getting started, but in four easy lessons, I can have you comfortably running a website of your own, on your own.

The classes are every Thursday in March from 2:00 to 4:00 pm in the Darby Library meeting room.

There are currently FOUR students excited about taking the class, but Darby Adult Education requires a minimum of SEVEN to make it go. These […]

new websites

I built a new website for a local club and a new one for my wife. That inspired me to update my page here that talks about my willingness to do one for you:

I know more than a little about computers and the Internet. At this moment I own and operate four websites. The others are:

My personal website is here: Ted Dunlap . net

My economic, social and political commentary website is here: Bitterroot Bugle.com

Carrying the same content (mostly), quite a bit older and with archived articles beginning in 2006, is: Idaho Liberty.com

I built a […]

365 days of beans’n’rice

I’m told by our household nutritional expert that “beans and rice combine to make a complete amino acid”, which she says is all the food you need to survive on. She rather obviously doesn’t mean that as a whole truth, but I write in support of it as a foundation for keeping you and yours fed.

If you are paying attention (safe assumption, cuz you are here) you are rightfully concerned about having a store of food for the day your favorite food store doesn’t.

If you are not already well stocked, I recommend your first step to […]

making fire

Fire: So Easy A Liberal Caveman Can Do It

Posted by Chelsea Carpenter / February 13, 2014

Fire: So Easy a Liberal Caveman Can Do It

by Huny Badger and Chelsea MyAnn Carpenter

Fire to keep you warm, cook food, purify water and keep bugs and critters away. I will tell all you flapjacks the # 1 tool you need to make a fire and survive in the coming days, it is yer noodle, yer brain! Makin’ fire is so easy even a liberal cave-monkey can do it!

Fire is beautiful; […]

radio goes to school

I am a member of ARRL as far and away amateur radio’s best representation in the political world – a very important consideration to me. I appreciate many other things ARRL does, not the least of which is send me an excellent monthly magazine devoted entirely to radio.

The February 2014 issue has a great article about an individual who created an exciting, successful radio group in a Long Beach, California high school. Whatever magic Devon Day KF6KEE has and is using should be looked at by anyone interested in reaching and inspiring the next generation of amateur radio […]

real strength

15 Things That Emotionally Strong People Don’t Do Wellness • Paul Hudson •

There is a particular aspect of mental strength that is the deciding factor of whether or not you will have a good life. There are many levels to mental strength and all are needed to be successful and happy. The one particular area of mental strength that has the greatest impact is that of emotional strength.

Emotions are, of course, a part of our psyche, yet nevertheless, can be distinguished from the remainder of mental qualities because they most directly influence our physical body. They […]

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