Karin's New Adventures

The real reason why YOU shouldn’t buy an EV now

Karin Brenig — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 13:25:10 +0000

I love driving an electric vehicle! I'm thrilled to be part of an exclusive club of "insiders" - the few who actually get it - and I'd rather have things stay like that for as long as possible. So, all you people on the fence, please don't buy an EV. You'd ruin the experience for those of us who already drive one.

Never say Never

Karin Brenig — Sat, 18 May 2024 11:35:26 +0000

after over 25 years of blogging I sold the first printed version of my adventures.

Hairy Affair

Karin Brenig — Tue, 09 Apr 2024 11:51:22 +0000

Karin cuts her own hair and is contemplating different hairstyles.

Imagine Yourself

Karin Brenig — Fri, 22 Mar 2024 18:29:38 +0000

Playing around with A.I. for generating text or images is fun and educational.

When Farmers hang up their Boots

Karin Brenig — Fri, 23 Feb 2024 09:07:53 +0000

silent farmers' protest: just hang up your boots.

Speed Trap Kirchseeon

Karin Brenig — Sat, 03 Feb 2024 13:48:24 +0000

the newly installed speed trap in Kirchseeon paid for itself within the first 10 days. It continues to generate considerable revenue.

Remembering my Father

Karin Brenig — Thu, 04 Jan 2024 17:23:16 +0000

I remember my dad, the renowned scientist and father of four, whom I admired, feared, and always tried to live up to, unsuccessfully.

Angelina Midnightcherry Tesla

Karin Brenig — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 17:53:45 +0000

Tesla Model Y has these features, that made me fall in love - and that no other electric car manufacturer deems necessary.

Mr. Obvious helps MVV

Karin Brenig — Fri, 05 May 2023 08:35:03 +0000

Sometimes a really big thing comes around, and I feel the urge to jump right in and play with it. Currently the "big thing" obviously is AI and chatGPT. So I signed up for a free account - and starting playing.

Technophobia is real for some people

Karin Brenig — Mon, 01 May 2023 11:27:47 +0000

I’ve seen movies and read stories about people, who believe technology will harm them physically. Until now, though, I had never met somebody personally who suffers from technophobia. That changed. My mother’s current live-in care taker definitely has some mental issues related to all things that run on electrical power.

Got Wheels?

Karin Brenig — Sat, 11 Feb 2023 14:26:15 +0000

I got my first driver's license in June 1975 there where 3 kinds of vehicle classes. Over the years the laws were changed to now 16 different categories.

Office Space

Karin Brenig — Sat, 21 Jan 2023 14:10:08 +0000

I'll give you my opinion about different styles of office spaces: open concept, cubicle farm, classic office, and home office.

New Domain, same Adventures

Karin Brenig — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 10:44:45 +0000

when I realized that my previous webhost, Justhost, was costing me over $230 per year, I switched to Contabo.

Blackout? Prepare for Wild Camping – You’ll be fine

Karin Brenig — Sat, 22 Oct 2022 15:51:41 +0000

The current energy crisis – if that is even a thing yet – has people worried about potential wide-spread, long-lasting black-outs. While I agree that the potential for these is real in Germany, especially as the winter comes up on us, I consider myself well prepared to survive at least two weeks without electricity. Just […]

Modernizing our Heating and Hot Water System

Karin Brenig — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 11:00:36 +0000

The heating system in our 1963 house was from 1997. We wanted to save on fuel, so we invested in a modern oil-burning furnace.

I ride again!

Karin Brenig — Wed, 17 Nov 2021 09:15:06 +0000

I was sad when I had to sell my 2009 HONDA Shadow Aero before moving back to Germany. The plan was to buy another HONDA Shadow as soon as possible after getting the most important things organized.

Managing our Trash – and my Parents’ too

Karin Brenig — Sun, 13 Jun 2021 14:55:06 +0000

Moving back to Germany I anticipated a few obstacles and a little bit of “reverse culture shock”, but about important things – like work, housing, health insurance, politics – not about something as mundane as trash. I vaguely remembered, that Germans separate their trash – but I didn’t expect to see the system that far […]

COVID-19 Positive

Karin Brenig — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 11:47:16 +0000

The world has been in a state of paralysis for over a year now. Our basic constitutional rights have been violated. We can’t move about, we can’t meet, many of us can’t work, we can’t shop, we can’t go out to eat or see a movie. We feel like we aren’t allowed to live – […]

Old Skills applied to new Situations

Karin Brenig — Mon, 08 Feb 2021 14:40:24 +0000

When I started cutting my own hair about fourty years ago, I had no idea that this particular skill would come in handy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because hairsalons, like many other personal services, have been locked down in an attempt to reduce the number of new infections in Germany, people here are getting anxious. If […]

Old Dog doesn’t need New Tricks

Karin Brenig — Fri, 18 Dec 2020 08:47:43 +0000

when I started working in IT, back in 1978, nobody really knew, how this "EDP" thing was supposed to work. Anybody without fear of breaking stuff was more than welcome to try their hand at it. Twenty years ago I worried about my skillset becoming "outdated" - and myself becoming "unemployable" - if I didn't keep up with the ever changing world of IT.

The first Night in our new House

Karin Brenig — Sat, 01 Aug 2020 13:00:46 +0000

After months of living in my parents' basement we finally slept in our new house. Air matresses for our bed, a camping cooler for a refrigerator.

Competitive Online Shopping

Karin Brenig — Sun, 05 Jul 2020 12:57:36 +0000

I have enjoyed online shopping ever since it became available. My Amazon account dates back to 2001, when they were just an online bookstore. I like the convenience of doing a quick search, price comparisons, browsing dozens of images, reading different customer reviews – and then buying something that will be delivered to my home […]

Four Decades to go around full Circle

Karin Brenig — Sat, 23 May 2020 14:29:05 +0000

Spending lots of time in my home office makes me think about the beginning of my career in IT. Back in 1978 I used the same skills that I use now.

Are we there yet?

Karin Brenig — Sun, 06 Oct 2019 17:14:44 +0000

Months of hard physical work resulted in a perfectly organized, tightly packed, shipment of 79 moving boxes and miscellaneous other items – just what we deemed essential for our move to Germany. We were prepared to do without our stuff for at least eight weeks – maybe longer, if customs in Germany is curious enough […]

Shouldn’t I be happy that I sold my Motorcycle?

Karin Brenig — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 17:34:51 +0000

Selling the motorcycle is a necessary step to prepare for the big move. It still hurts.

Another Milestone reached

Karin Brenig — Sat, 20 Jul 2019 18:49:17 +0000

Who said that an old woman can’t loose weight? Yes, it is harder than it used to be when I was younger, but it still works the same way it did 30 years ago: you have to watch what you eat, when you eat, and what you do while you’re not eating. For me the […]

Are Screen Protectors even still a Thing?

Karin Brenig — Sun, 14 Jul 2019 19:00:49 +0000

Gorilla glass on most cell phones supposedly doesn’t need a screen protector, but I’m not sure if I want to trust that claim. So the first thing I always do with a new phone, or tablet, or e-reader, is get a screen protector for it. Not just any screen protector, though. I am very picky […]

Weight Management for Women over 60?

Karin Brenig — Thu, 25 Apr 2019 05:22:34 +0000

Weight management for women over 60 is a challenge. Read what I tried and how I'm doing.

When one Cell Phone is just not enough

Karin Brenig — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 17:42:00 +0000

Some people need to carry two cellphones. One of these clunky things alone is hard to accomodate. Two pose a real challenge. Until you come up with your own solution: the piggy-back ExxoPok.

Windows 7 Users, beware of Update KB4493132

Karin Brenig — Fri, 22 Mar 2019 18:15:48 +0000

If you are like me – holding on to old things, resisting change that doesn’t promise tangible improvements, at least within the realm of my personal world – you are probably still running Windows 7 on at least one of your personal computers. If that’s the case, Microsoft now wants you to buy their newest […]

the Internet – the Place where we learn and teach

Karin Brenig — Wed, 23 Jan 2019 18:00:05 +0000

Yesterday morning, after I had dumped all the remaining ice out of a cooler, and then ran the garbage disposal in our kitchen sink the night before, the air gap faucet on our reverse osmosis water tank was leaking. Water came out of the small hole on the bottom of the faucet, partially dripping along […]

when less is better

Karin Brenig — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 18:58:59 +0000

My little old homepage that I built back in 1998, using Notepad for my html-editor, is still out there. Largely unchanged, for sentimental reasons. I added two sub-domains, though, for practice on newer web design techniques like HTML5 and WordPress. Most webmasters have one main goal: get traffic. Organic traffic is considered the “best”, but […]

Not every Change is an Improvement

Karin Brenig — Wed, 19 Dec 2018 17:49:56 +0000

So, WordPress version 5 comes with this “awesome” new super-stylish Gutenberg editor. I’m not sure if old Mr. Gutenberg would agree – but I personally don’t like that kind of “improvement”. My goal is to provide meaningful content to my readers. I don’t want to have to struggle to learn how to go about the technicalities […]

Short Code SMS not getting through?

Karin Brenig — Thu, 01 Nov 2018 14:06:59 +0000

I am a little paranoid when it comes to credit cards and bank accounts, so I have all my accounts set up to report any activity immediately – by email, and text to my phone. This reassuring short “ding” sound coming out of my phone every time I swept a card somewhere went silent about […]

Belt and Suspenders for my Webspace

Karin Brenig — Sun, 21 Oct 2018 21:50:46 +0000

I had to re-learn an old lesson the hard way: never put all your eggs in one basket. Last Tuesday my webmonitoring service alerted me of the fact that this blog was timing out on visitors. When I tried to log in to the administrator interface on my hosting provider, I found out that that […]

IKEA – not just furniture, it’s a lifestyle

Karin Brenig — Tue, 07 Aug 2018 11:57:47 +0000

Living in Germany for almost half a century gave me sufficient exposure to IKEA furniture to be beyond thrilled when I discovered, that the company had expanded their reach into the USA. There’s even an IKEA within less than two hours driving from where I live now. I have yet to visit that store, but while I […]

“No soup for you, EU” the new Business Model?

Karin Brenig — Tue, 29 May 2018 20:47:50 +0000

The recent deadline for serious worldwide enforcement of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation prompted hectic activities with many international companies to cook up new (hopefully compliant) privacy policies. Discussion of the subject matter is full of misconceptions, uncertainties, questions, worries, fear of legal consequences, and outrage on both sides of the fence. What people […]

Senior Dog Safety

Karin Brenig — Sat, 28 Apr 2018 18:46:01 +0000

Armani, our black labrador chow-chow rescue dog, is twelve years old now. He has slowed down noticeably, sometimes limps a little bit, and lately he seems to have a hard time walking on laminate or hardwood floors in our house. Last Saturday he slipped and fell hard on his right hip. After that he had […]

Philip Oscar Dendron

Karin Brenig — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 12:58:10 +0000

The first thing that went through my mind when I started my new job at Indiana Tech in 2007 was “this office needs a plant”. Dusty, grey, lifeless cubicle walls don’t exactly inspire creative thinking. Research shows that some plants can actually measurably improve indoor air quality. So I asked Google for recommendations. The plant needs to […]

32GB just doesn’t cut it for Windows 10.

Karin Brenig — Sat, 17 Feb 2018 23:01:29 +0000

When I saw this deal on Microsoft’s website a few months ago, I thought it was a steal. Just $99 buys me a tablet with Windows 10 on it that I can leave in the office, and use for my personal online activities during lunch break. Initial set-up wasn’t too bad. I added a 64GB […]

Remember Equifax?

Karin Brenig — Thu, 04 Jan 2018 13:19:06 +0000

Just about four months ago roughly 143 million people – pretty much every adult in the USA – fell victim to Equifax’s lax handling of highly sensitive personal information. While the initial outrage lasted in the media, everybody was eagerly trying to protect what they could – but by now it’s eerily quiet out there. […]

Keep it simple – a brief Guide to Skin Care

Karin Brenig — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 23:02:26 +0000

My general approach to life is to not overthink it. I’m keeping it simple, easy, practical, just letting nature run its course, and going with the flow. I realize that this may not be the best way to handle all aspects of everybody’s life on a global level, but I believe it works very well […]

Thanksgiving Sweepstakes – a social Experiment

Karin Brenig — Fri, 01 Dec 2017 13:07:06 +0000

Reaching the milestone of 50 sales in my Etsy shop was reason to celebrate, and give thanks to my audience. So I created a “Thanksgiving Sweepstakes” post on my ExxoPok Facebook page and ran an ad for it. My $30 marketing budget would be spread out over 27 days, until November 30th. Instructions were simple: […]

Can’t even trust “Made in Germany”?

Karin Brenig — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 20:30:43 +0000

Some companies don’t seem to hesitate when it comes down to maximizing profits. Consumers’ health doesn’t matter. You have to be vigilant, continuously expect to be taken advantage of, even with – or especially with – something as innocent looking as gummy bears. Some of you may know that I am a huge fan of […]

Cubed, but not squared away

Karin Brenig — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 12:09:02 +0000

After seven months of high productivity and a feeling of purpose, sitting in a quiet office with a real door, to be able to complete a highly important project with an extremely tight deadline, I have been relegated to my prior workspace in a cubicle. While about 40% of US office workers sit in those […]

Amazon Global to the Rescue

Karin Brenig — Mon, 03 Jul 2017 22:19:56 +0000

When we moved to the USA in January 2006 we had most of the contents of our 840 squ.ft. condo shipped in a 40 ft. overseas container. Books, clothes, computers, dishes, kitchen wares, small electric appliances, and furniture had to come with us – because we figured shipping the household was still cheaper than buying […]

ExxoPok #67 is special

Karin Brenig — Fri, 09 Jun 2017 23:58:39 +0000

My heart skipped a beat today when I received my first order for an ExxoPok cell phone pouch coming in from my own little handmade e-commerce website http://exxopok.karin-web.com I designed this unique belt clip phone case out of personal necessity in October 2015, when I joined Google Fi and had to somehow attach a big Nexus […]

Microsoft – neither “micro”, nor “soft”?

Karin Brenig — Wed, 07 Jun 2017 12:17:33 +0000

I’ve used Microsoft’s products professionally and personally since 1995, you could say I am a loyal customer. In the early days I would have claimed to even be a fan. Over the years, though, the company has changed so much, that I feel the compelling urge to shake my head at their “business practices”. The […]

Helping, without helping too much

Karin Brenig — Wed, 24 May 2017 00:26:47 +0000

Helping people is a good thing, right? We are being taught early in life that you answer “yes, of course” when somebody, anybody, asks for your help nicely. As we get older, wiser, more experienced, it seems only natural that we will be asked for help more often. It can be flattering to find your advice highly […]

Counterclockwise ALDI

Karin Brenig — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 23:40:17 +0000

On my way home from work today I stopped by the new ALDI that recently opened. For most people this is just a low-priced grocery store, but for me it’s a cure for the homesick blues that I still get now and then. This particular new shop features the counterclockwise set-up, which is a rare […]

Germanize the Bathroom

Karin Brenig — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 17:07:44 +0000

Those of you who have lived in different countries can probably relate to the mixed feelings I have about houses in the USA, compared to houses in Germany. The main advantage of home ownership in the US is that it is way more affordable, not just because of the generally lower price of land, but […]

Rider Genes?

Karin Brenig — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 11:52:40 +0000

My daughter posted a picture on Instagram today, about her first motorcycle lesson. All geared up and excited. As I clicked on “like”, smiling, I was reminded of my own excitement when I had finally saved up enough money to buy my first motorcycle, 36 years ago. My mother didn’t like the idea of me […]

Adventures 2.0

Karin Brenig — Sat, 11 Mar 2017 00:45:51 +0000

After 330 posts on an antiquated platform designed in the ’90s I felt it was time for an upgrade on my blog. Several important requirements had to be met: it should not cost more to run, I don’t want to lose any of my old posts, and the platform needs to be future-proof. What looks […]

SEO for Dummies

Karin Brenig — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 18:54:03 +0000

So you think you got this blog, website, or other online presence, and now people are going to see you, hear you, buy from you? Wrong! If Google doesn’t know you’re there, you’ll be invisible. Your services or products could be the best thing since sliced bread – if nobody can find you through a […]

Joint Venture

Karin Brenig — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 18:25:00 +0000

I have been living with chronic lower back pain for the last thirty years. Degenerating discs, sitting on office chairs, lack of excercise, being slightly overweight, occasional heavy lifting - I had grown so used to the pain, that I hardly paid atten...

Expat.com published an Interview with me

Karin Brenig — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 20:45:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I was contacted by EXPAT.com - a website that I signed up for in 2009, and hadn't done anything worth mentioning on - asking if I would be willing to answer a few questions about "life in the colonies". Nice.So I answered so...

DIY – Anti – Aging

Karin Brenig — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 16:48:00 +0000

I know we all get "old" sooner or later, that's by design. I am hoping to get really, really, old - because that's still better than dying young. What I don't like are the side effects of getting old. For me the most noticeable, and most annoying, side effects of aging were mobility restrictions: morning stiffness, aching joints, start-up pain, lower back pain, sciatic nerve problems, maybe even early stage arthritis, or osteoporosis.

Instead of simply accepting the facts, or going to a doctor to get some kind of prescription, I went on a treasure hunt in pursuit of a solution to my problem, or at least an improvement of the condition.

Now, two months into my research and experiment, I am happy to report that things are looking really good! My mobility has greatly improved. Joint pain is almost gone in most situations. In addition to my main concern being a lot less concerning, I am also finding surprising improvements in other areas. Thinning eyebrows are growing in nicely again, I now have visible lower eye-lashes, my skin isn't itchy and dry anymore, the gaps between my receding gums and upper back molars seem a lot smaller lately, my respiratory allergies cause less frequent/severe coughing during the day.

How did I do all this, you may ask. Apart from a few general recommendations for a healthy life-style (eat less animal protein, get enough sleep, exercise every day) I attribute my success to three supplements that I added to my daily regimen, listed in descending order of importance.

one tablespoon full of colloidal silica (Hübner Silica Gel)
two capsules of high dose pure serrapeptase (Arthur Andrew Serrétia)
two capsules of cissus quadrangularis extract (Nutrakey Cissus Quadrangularis)

Ecwid – eCommerce for us “Little People”

Karin Brenig — Tue, 07 Jun 2016 19:46:00 +0000

I invented the awesome ExxoPok phone pouch - and I (try to) sell it on Etsy and Ebay. Not bad, for a start. It's like having a stand at the flea-market, though. Your shop isn't really yours, and the marketplace wants to make money off of you by charging various fees. Listing fees, transaction fees, monthly fees, service fees.........

So I started looking for ways to diversify, maybe add a web-shop to my own little old home page? Or sell ExxoPoks on Facebook? There are so many different ways to do that, I started to get confused. Shopify, Volusion, BigCartel, SquareSpace, 3dCart, LemonStand, BigCommerce, AmeriCommerce......... all fine products having several flaws in common.

They all cost monthly fees (after some initial trial period), ranging anywhere from $8 to $299 a month, depending on the level of flexibility you buy. Also, once you decide what e-commerce platform to use, you are pretty much "stuck" with them. Migrating to a different platform is complicated, or next to impossible, for most of these.

After weeks of digging I finally found a little gem called "Ecwid". It took me a few hours on the weekend to get this figured out, setting up a subdomain, adding a free template to it, customizing that and integrating Ecwid's shop plugin - looks great!

ExxoPok shop powered by Ecwid

Then I realized you can simply add that plugin to a Facebook page too. For up to 10 items the whole platform is completely free to use, forever. Which means, if I make a sale through Ecwid, all I'd have to pay would be Paypal's transaction fees.

I even figured out how to embed a single product widget right here, in my old blog!

German on the Spot

Karin Brenig — Sat, 04 Jun 2016 16:16:00 +0000

Today I volunteered to help Suin and Lee, professors of German at IPFW, with their brilliant "German on the Spot" event at the local public library. People could drop in with any old document, postcard, letter, photo... written in German that they had always wondered what it said on there.

My (only slightly rusty) skills acquired 1965 in fourth grade in Germany - reading and writing Sütterlin-/Kurrentschrift - came in handy to decipher faded handwriting. The personal touch, reading snippets about people's lives, makes history enjoyable and interesting.

The event was covered by local media

WFFT Fox Local, Fort Wayne

Google’s Ways are wondrous

Karin Brenig — Thu, 26 May 2016 19:08:00 +0000

Today I wanted to put a link to my Etsy shop on the main page of my little old website, built with a text-editor in 2001, left untouched since 2006. While I was already logged in to my cPanel on the hosting page, I checked my website statistics a...

Weekend-Plumber

Karin Brenig — Sun, 13 Mar 2016 19:10:00 +0000

Saturday evening I went into the basement to finish making an ExxoPok that I had started on earlier and noticed a small puddle of water right underneath our main drain on the floor.I knew immediately where that was coming from, because a few years ago...

Hey, Microsoft, stop pestering me, please!

Karin Brenig — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 21:47:00 +0000

I've been using Microsoft's operating system(s) on various computers since version 3.11 of Windows. Each new version brought some improvements, some new features, some limitations, and some new bugs. I learned to live with all things Windows - after a...

Reed City (??), MI

Karin Brenig — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 00:22:00 +0000

We were on our way home from Cadillac, MI, after a fun and relaxing skiing weekend. Our old van was loaded with skiing gear, two medium size suitcases, stuff for our dog, a cooler, some food. Since we only had a quarter tank of gas left, I decided to ...

Bye-Bye Verizon!

Karin Brenig — Sun, 27 Dec 2015 00:02:00 +0000

Now that two of the three phones on our family plan were out of contract, and the "early termination fee" for the third line was about as much as one month's payment for the entire plan, we gave them one last call to cancel the whole thing.Google's Pr...

CHASE ’em down!

Karin Brenig — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 12:45:00 +0000

Normally I don't trust banks. I have a quite negative opinion about them. I use banks because I have to, not because I want to. Today, though, I was pleasantly surprised about how one bank did business with me.Here's what happened:at 7:28 a.m. I recei...

My first Order came in

Karin Brenig — Tue, 08 Dec 2015 12:42:00 +0000

I know my design idea for the ExxoPok is ingenious. I know the "angle of dangle" solves the main problem that people have with today's big smart-phones. I also heard "hey, you should market that!" from a few people. I was thinking about it.Still, thin...

A Present for Me from fi

Karin Brenig — Sun, 06 Dec 2015 00:21:00 +0000

Fedex delivered a small package today from Google. Lego bricks, a USB cable, and instructions how to build either a "phone stand" or a "cable tidy" out of the Legos.That really was a nice surprise! Verizon never did anything like that to maybe show th...

Project Fi, the magical phone bill reduction

Karin Brenig — Tue, 24 Nov 2015 12:52:00 +0000

I don't trust "big business", usually - and I don't "advertize" other people's stuff, usually - but this one is different. Having a smart phone with a data plan in the USA is expensive, comes with unfair pricing, non-existent customer service, an...

Make or Buy?

Karin Brenig — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 12:40:00 +0000

As a software developer I've had to make that decision many times - is it better to simply make what you need, or should you look to buy existing solutions? I personally like the feeling of power that I get from being self-sufficient, so I tend to lea...

Entitlement?

Karin Brenig — Sun, 01 Nov 2015 00:37:00 +0000

Between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Halloween lots of people in costumes, mostly younger children with their parents, tour our neighborhood to ask for candy.They speak the magic formula "trick or treat", and I offer the bowl with candy saying "tak...

Electrified

Karin Brenig — Tue, 20 Oct 2015 11:48:00 +0000

Lately I have been driving by some impressive new structures in town. AEP is replacing many older transmission line pylons with these new ones.They have a smaller footprint on the ground and are (hopefully) less susceptible to storm damage. ...

Labor Day

Karin Brenig — Sun, 06 Sep 2015 16:17:00 +0000

This year, for the first time in decades, Indiana Tech gave us Labor Day off! This was the perfect opportunity to load up the van with beach gear and dog, and head to Portage where we stayed at a hotel for two nights. Yesterday we shopped the Lighthou...

Riding along the Obstacle Course

Karin Brenig — Thu, 30 Jul 2015 16:37:00 +0000

Weather permitting, I enjoy riding my motorcycle to work. Six years ago, when I first purchased my Honda Shadow Aero cruiser, the shortest distance was also the best way to go. My ride took me about 25 pleasant minutes along 9 miles of easy goin...

Finally got rid of “Apt. 119”!

Karin Brenig — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 23:18:00 +0000

Three times a year I order my free annual credit report from one of the three credit bureaus. It used to be quick, painless, and easy to do online - until two years ago. All of a sudden Equifax and Experian would not let me request my report over the ...

Lines, or no Lines?

Karin Brenig — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 11:38:05 +0000

While I can still get by everywhere without glasses, it is increasingly tiring to stare at my computer screen for hours. So I thought some midrange bifocals would be advisable.Costco has an eye specialist on site, and after you get your prescription, ...

Anonymity, at least 85%

Karin Brenig — Sun, 07 Jun 2015 22:00:45 +0000

I have been active on the internet since 1998, doing things that seemed crazy geeky at the time.Like video-chatting with people on the other side of the globe. I used Netmeeting on Microsoft's IRL servers. My Skype account was created as soon as they ...

The FedEx-Color-Rado Mystery solved

Karin Brenig — Fri, 15 May 2015 11:47:00 +0000

I buy lots of things online. Amazon, ebay, websites all over the world...... because it's convenient, and sometimes the only way to get what I want.On April 30th I ordered a small piece of hardware for my accordion from a shop in Germany. They notifie...

RNC Membership Renewal?

Karin Brenig — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 17:42:00 +0000

Really, what are they thinking? I don't consider myself a Republican. Actually, I am not a Democrat either. This kind of "either-or" categories is inadequate to describe my political views. I may be a green liberal conservative socialist.Tod...

The Science, or the Religion, of RO Water

Karin Brenig — Wed, 18 Mar 2015 14:59:15 +0000

In the light of our recent city water odor episode the discussion about "good" or "bad" reverse osmosis filtered water called for renewed investigation. I've heard both sides of the arguments, but maybe there are new, more recent, studies? Maybe commo...

City Water stinks!

Karin Brenig — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 14:26:00 +0000

For the past four days our tap water has had an awful, foul, chemical smell to it. It makes me gag when I take a shower.City officials were quick to tell us that this has a natural reason - it's because of the melting snow. Strange, though, that we've...

Netbook Revival

Karin Brenig — Sun, 01 Mar 2015 12:03:00 +0000

In September 2009 I bought this cute little Samsung N140 10" netbook to facilitate my academic endeavors. It featured Windows XP and a German keyboard. Last year, when Microsoft stopped supporting XP, I reluctantly put the poor little thing away, only...

Freeze! It’s for your own good.

Karin Brenig — Sat, 07 Feb 2015 18:13:00 +0000

Last Wednesday it became known that all personal information of roughly 12% of the entire population of the USA had been stolen by some Chinese hackers, because one big, powerful, rich insurance company carelessly neglected to encrypt a...

Private Sauna

Karin Brenig — Sun, 25 Jan 2015 21:21:00 +0000

One big part of my life in Munich was the weekly visit to a nearby public swimming pool where I would spend at least an hour in the sauna for two rounds of sweating, swimming a few laps in between.26% of Germans fourteen and older ...

Just improvise!

Karin Brenig — Wed, 31 Dec 2014 18:11:00 +0000

My New Year's Eve traditions include melting lead and telling the future by interpreting the strange objects that result from dropping the liquid metal into cold water.According to this website http://www.bleigiessen.de/s/ the saxophone...

The Price of Fuel

Karin Brenig — Mon, 15 Dec 2014 17:47:00 +0000

The price for a gallon of regular has fallen below $2.30 where I live.That is about $1 less per gallon than this time last year, almost $2 less than the highest prices I remember seeing. The last time gas was this cheap was approximately five years ag...

Surface Pro 2

Karin Brenig — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 14:28:00 +0000

For two weeks now I've been playing with this new toy I bought. It's a tablet/PC equipped with Windows 8.1. You can detach the keyboard and use it as a touchscreen tablet, or snap the keyboard back on and pretend it's a laptop. As an added bonus mine ...

Lockdown

Karin Brenig — Tue, 09 Sep 2014 15:11:00 +0000

Today was an exciting day at work!Around 9:00 a.m. a colleague noticed some police action going on across the street. Within 15 minutes multiple police cars had blocked off Maumee Blvd. and armed men were swarming out around an old house. Some snipers...

Beer and Wine at the State Fair?

Karin Brenig — Sat, 16 Aug 2014 21:18:00 +0000

This is the first year that they are serving beer and wine at the Indiana State Fair. Before you get all excited and jump up and down about it, though, let me tell you how it works.To get into the "adult" exhibition hall you have to make it past the g...

Brick Roads

Karin Brenig — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 20:23:00 +0000

In February 2011 the Fort Wayne Board of Public Works approved a resolution to preserve a limited number of brick roads adjacent to historic districts. I didn't even know that Fort Wayne had brick roads until the past long and harsh winter revealed a ...

Schuberth C3

Karin Brenig — Mon, 16 Jun 2014 02:03:00 +0000

OK, I realize that most riders around here don't even own a helmet. It's "uncool", especially on a Harley. I always wear a helmet when I ride; I don't worry about looking "cool". Until now, any old helmet would do for me. It needs to fit, of cour...

Earth Fare

Karin Brenig — Wed, 14 May 2014 23:19:00 +0000

Last week a new grocery store opened in my neighborhood. Earth Fare promises natural and organic food and supplements with the slogan "real food for real people".No hydrogenated oil, no high-fructose corn syrup, no artificial sweeteners. Sounds good. ...

What’s the Use of Primaries?

Karin Brenig — Mon, 05 May 2014 14:41:00 +0000

Tomorrow I will have a chance to vote again. It's just primary elections, but still - I'll go vote. Primaries may seem a bit confusing, because you don't really vote anybody into any office - yet. You just help one party to decide whom they will put up for their candidate(s) in the next general elections, November 4th this year.

The technicalities of primary elections vary slightly from one state to another.

According to Ind. Code §§ 3-10- 1-6, 1-9, Indiana holds so called "open primaries". That means voters do not have to declare a party affiliation upon registration. You may choose to vote on either party's ballot during primaries. You have to choose one single ballot for one distinct party, though.

Some other states have what is called "closed primaries". In those states you must declare yourself as affiliated with a specific party when you register to vote, and then consequently can only vote for that party in the primaries.

Whether your state holds open or closed primaries, and whether or not you participate, or what party's ballot you vote on, has no bearing on the next general elections. On general elections' ballots you will get to see all candidates, from all parties, who were pre-selected during primary elections.

Maybe that's why participation in primaries is usually low.

No more Candy Crush.

Karin Brenig — Wed, 16 Apr 2014 16:32:00 +0000

Enough already! Level 149 of this silly time-waster was the straw that broke the camel's back for me. I got rid of it. Deleted and uninstalled it. Now I am surprised that it took me over 9 months to realize this game is a huge waste of my time, the wo...

The Annual Trip to Painsville

Karin Brenig — Sun, 06 Apr 2014 23:40:47 +0000

Even though we're getting better at this, it doesn't seem to get any easier. Over two hours spent, using specialized software to produce a book over 50 pages thick for federal, and another booklet with 15 pages for the state tax return - just to ...

Spring Break 2014

Karin Brenig — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 15:36:00 +0000

Officially, this was a business trip. I was assigned as a chaperon for the four female students in our tour group. The focus of the trip was on renewable energy in Germany and Switzerland, and the students were participating for credit applied to thei...

Jury Duty

Karin Brenig — Wed, 19 Feb 2014 18:50:00 +0000

Being a US-citizen earns you two important rights that nobody else living here has: you can vote, and you can be called upon for jury duty. I have voted twice already since becoming a citizen, and that was quick and easy to do. Jury duty, however, is ...

16 Million Email Addresses and Passwords stolen

Karin Brenig — Wed, 22 Jan 2014 15:37:00 +0000

They knew since December, but decided to tell us today. Investigations into a huge botnet turned up 16 million stolen email addresses, complete with passwords, half of them ending in .de - Germany.I found out that my oldest email address, which I...

Snow Day

Karin Brenig — Mon, 06 Jan 2014 18:48:00 +0000

It had been snowing almost non-stop yesterday, leaving us with
about 14 inches of snow on the ground. Temperatures had dropped
drastically to -17°F. Figuring in the windchill factor we are now facing
life-threatening -40°F and a travel warning has been
issued by the authorities.

Currently only emergency travel is allowed. Most businesses,
schools, and government offices remain closed for today.
Indiana Tech decided to follow suit, which gives me a very welcome
day of plowing snow, unclogging a drain in the bathroom,
and staying warm by the fireplace.

Automated Passport Control

Karin Brenig — Sun, 13 Oct 2013 01:04:00 +0000

Chicago O'Hare was the first airport in the USA to offer automated passport control terminals beginning in July of 2013. On our way back home from vacation we had the pleasure of experiencing those personally.I really liked that! There are about twent...

Back in the Saddle again

Karin Brenig — Tue, 17 Sep 2013 22:58:00 +0000

Eleven days ago my motorcycle suffered considerable damage due to no fault of my own. I was on my way to work, stopped at a traffic light, when some guy in a burgundy car rear-ended me.The bike jumped forward a foot, then fell over onto...