:(

I have been thinking about one of my beloved professors, my undergraduate professor and my graduate advisor in the mediaeval history programme at UK, Dr. E. Randolph Daniel, all this past month. I knew him all told for about fifteen years. Of course that was many years ago, and I knew he was quite elderly and today I put in his name and 'obituary', and sure enough, his memorial service was earlier this month. He'd died on February 23rd.  I am so sorry I missed his service. He really stood up for me in the department when I was having problems due to undiagnosed health issues, as well as a nasty marriage and the resulting divorce. Many years ago I sent him a card thanking him, but I hadn't spoken with him since shortly before he retired in 2000. But he taught me so much and he put up with a lot from me, and I so appreciated it. Requiescat in pace, Dr. Daniel. Here is a link to his obituary. 

 

Note to self - it's not always the techie solution that's needed

So, when your perennial issue of one earbud is so much quieter than the other comes up and you're messing with the balance on your phone (but resetting it for any other device) and Googling how to reset your Tozo T6 earbuds because you always forget, and you just try it five times to be sure and it still doesn't work....

It's the ear wax and dust, stupid. Now I've never been able to get the mesh cover off with tweezers like some geniuses out there, but I've soaked the mesh in alcohol (not the earbud, just a bit of alcohol off a pad), blown through the mesh pretty strongly when dry, knocked it a couple of times, and used a tiny brush, and it's all better. I wish I could get the mesh off, because I suspect it's icky back there, but there you go.

One suggested way of dealing with it is to suck it and get the crap out that way. It was useful, worked, and utterly something a guy would try. I was almost there, but mine worked, and I didn't have to spit out or swallow nasty stuff from my ear.

Anyway, I am posting this in case I remember to search my blog for this next time, it comes up on a Google search, since it's public, or if it helps someone else.

Beyond the Amazon boycott

I participated in the recent one-week boycott, but I'm sure that was a drop in the bucket for the company and Jeff Bezos. So I'm trying to dial back on my reliance on Amazon due to some of their policies and the fact that really, I'd rather support good than line the pockets of billionaires at cost to employees if I can. I have a Kindle, so I can't extricate myself completely, but I'm trying to find things locally or on other websites as I can and only buying from Amazon when I can't find it elsewhere or where the cost really is too prohibitive for me to go elsewhere. For books, I think I've found a solution. There is a seller on Amazon that often sells used books, but they also sell new books as well. [A competitor in the used book field, AbeBooks, is owned by Amazon]. The one I found is called Better World Books, and I've gotten books from them through Amazon before with no problem. But directly, for each book sold, they donate a book. They also have a literacy fund you can donate to support libraries and literacy programmes. I found a book that's been sitting in my wishlist on Amazon used for a quarter of what I would have paid in very good condition (I didn't need it new) yesterday and got two more for less than the original would have cost, with shipping free and tax included (less than $20). But there are new ones, too. You might want to check them out. Here is a link to their mission.

Grr...

I was complaining at work the other day about how dark it would be in the mornings with Daylight Saving Time and was assured that no, it would actually be lighter. It is now 7 AM. Behold... The DARK. 1) I have seasonal affective disorder, and i use a light on dark mornings to prevent depression, 2) I have experienced DST coming up on 58 times in my life, and 3) the whole point of DST is to have sunlight in the afternoon. But since my anxiety makes me question everything I think and say, I shut up. Fortunately, it's a temporary setback, and the light part of the year will prevail in general. But I hate Daylight Saving Time, and these next couple of the weeks will be hard. 😢😡

What a blessing from sadness

Nazis stole this Holocaust victim’s books. How his grandson unexpectedly got them back: Project in Germany aims to return books to their rightful owners