Fixing a noise problem by taking the low road on purpose
I used to take the highway all the time. Not-so much now.
I've always been the type of guy that drives in silence. Rarely do I listen to the radio or play music. The only thing I hear is engine noise, wind, tires rolling and my GPS periodically giving instructions. And where the phone is concerned, I don't use that while driving. I never got used to that, which is for the best.
Recently, I made a decision to avoid using the highway for safety reasons, but there are two nice things about doing that I didn't expect.
First, it's actually fun weaving around little residential side streets at slow speeds. I see a lot of stuff I don't see on the highway, and figuring out how to get places with all those twists and turns makes the drive a lot more interesting.
Second is the lack of noise. I've come to realize that road noise from the highway was actually really bothering me.
Only a complete moron would say to roll up the windows or turn the stereo up to "fix" a noise problem while driving. Yes, there are idiots who actually believe that drowning out noise with more noise is a proper solution. An idiot believes sacrificing getting fresh air in the car and assaulting your ears instead is A-OK. It's not.
I was putt-putting around a residential area the other day with the windows rolled down, and then I realized hey, I'm not being assaulted by irritating sounds. I even heard birds singing here and there. How nice.
If you ever wanted to know why almost nobody drives on the highway with the windows down, it's the noise. It doesn't matter what kind of car you have. You could have a brand new Cadillac or Lexus or whatever with less than 100 miles on the odometer that's whisper-quiet with the windows up. But if you're on the highway, want a fast way to get fresh air and open the windows, yeah, noise. And a lot of it.
Here's a little secret I learned from hypermiling to save gas by not using A/C: If you're in a four-door car driving solo, it's hot outside and you want to cool down, don't immediately turn on the A/C. Open the driver's window about 1/4 of the way down and the rear passenger window also 1/4 of the way down. This creates a stream of air through the car that will cool you without even having to turn the A/C on or even the fans. As long as you're moving, you're getting that air...
...but on the highway this results in getting assaulted by road noise.
On the slower roads I can use the air stream trick, stay cool and not have noise blasting at my ears. On the highway, not really. Too loud.
If you can, try taking slower roads, roll the windows down (weather permitting), and enjoy.
What is an ideal weight?
I'm daring to answer this question.
Last year I put on a few pounds so I had to get them off again, and did. Compared to most others who start diets and fail, I don't. If I start falling off the wagon, I get right back on. When I am determined to lose weight, I get the job done.
Part of the reason I'm successful at keeping a proper weight is I know when to stop.
Yeah, there's a question you never hear asked. If you're actually successful at losing weight, when do you stop?
When you examine the BMI table (BMI means Body Mass Index), the table is correct, but trying to determine the stopping point for losing weight in the "normal" range is challenging.
Traditional BMI charts consider 18.5 to 24.9 to be within the normal range, but there's a problem with that. If my BMI was 18.5, I'd be a sickly looking twig teetering on being underweight. If my BMI was 24.9, I'd be teetering on being overweight again.
So what's the correct BMI number to go for? Right in the middle of the normal range?
Almost.
The ideal weight for the vast majority of people is a BMI of 22, which is slightly ahead of the middle.
If you want to know what your weight would be at a BMI of 22, just look at the table, it's right there. Find your height on the left column, match that up with 22 column, and there you have it. Note that the table shows height in inches on the left, starting at 58" (4'10") and ending at 76" (6'4").
I had to figure this out by myself because I could not get a solid answer for the question of "What weight should I be so I know when to stop?" It's whatever the table says your weight for your height should be for BMI 22. That's the answer.
Does this mean to stay EXACTLY at BMI 22? No, because that would be unreasonable. Most people fluctuate in weight +/- three pounds depending on what they eat and drink that day. You're not going to weigh exactly the same in the morning as you would in the evening and vice versa. If you dip down into 21, you're not going to go to hell for it, nor will you suffer eternal damnation for fluctuating above 22.
How did I arrive at BMI 22 being the goal number? It's because that number is almost in the middle of the normal range and is on just about every BMI chart and table. Most charts/tables don't use the decimal points, so I just went with what they all have.
Again, for those of you actually successful with weight loss (and good for you if you are, I mean that sincerely) where you need a solid number to know where the finish line is, now you have it. BMI 22.
How to get a safety razor blade out of a plastic case
This is stupidly easy but also stupidly difficult when faced with this for the first time.
You might be wondering how something so small could be so difficult to deal with.
When you get a small pack of safety razor blades that uses this style of plastic case, there will either be 5 or 10 blades in there. The main advantage of this case style is that it protects the blades and prevents them from damaging anything else.
Derby blades as far as I'm aware all come packaged like this. If, for example, you order 100 blades, you get a box with 10 little plastic cases containing 10 blades each. And if you look at safety razor blade sampler packs, you'll see this style of case used on other blade brands also.
The problem...
...is that there are no instructions on how to get the blade out of the case.
This is how it's done:
The little case will have a plastic wrapper on it. Remove that.
On one side of the case will be two slots. Use your thumb to press down on the side away from the slot. Push and slide out the small card with the blade logo brand on it. Push and slide out a wrapped blade after that. Put the small card back in the case afterward.
There is also a second slot on the same side at bottom. This is where you put your used blade once you're done using it.
This sounds complicated, but it's not. Once you get the hang of it, it's easy.
A very weird '90s Fender color, Blueburst
This one is weird enough to where it almost doesn't look real, yet it is.
The '90s. A time when Fender's angle was showing off modern designs and features, and that included the finish choices.
One color of the '90s that a blue/purple looking thing is Midnight Blue...
...but then there's Blueburst. This color goes all over the place. Some are just the burst. Some are transparent where you can see straight wood grain. Some are transparent and flamed (yes, a blue flame). Some are heavy quilted, some light quilted.
The majority of the Blueburst finishes are on '90s Stratocaster guitars, although some Telecasters exist.
Years later, the color made a reappearance on the Jazz Bass and the Player Stratocaster HSS Plus Top, but it doesn't have quite the same blue punch the '90s finish had. It appears there's some green with the newer Blueburst towards the middle of the body.
But that '90s Blueburst... wow. It's a feast for the eyes, and yes it was a premium color option at the time. The '90s Fender guitars with that finish are decades old now, but certainly do not look it. Blueburst is a finish that still looks fresh even now.
The other guitar company who does really awesome blue burst finishes is LTD, so be sure to see those as well.
Still the best cheap semi-hollow, Squier Starcaster
Squier does have the market cornered with this one.
Let's say this is your situation:
"I want a semi-hollow electric guitar, I want it cheap, and I want it new."
...then you want a Squier Affinity Starcaster.
You'll quickly discover that you can't beat the Affinity Starcaster's price for a new semi-hollow electric. Sure, you'll see the Ibanez AM53, AS53 and AF55, but those are all $50 more.
Now to be clear, this model is NOT as good as the Squier Classic Vibe Starcaster, nor is it anywhere near as cool as, say, the VOX Bobcat S66...
...but again, you can't beat the Affinity Starcaster price for a new semi-hollow electric. When price is the #1 concern, Squier wins this round, followed by Ibanez, then followed by everybody else.