Cork Puller

There are many corkscrews on the market, from rabbit ears to electric-powered screws to the standard waiter's model.  I use one that I bought years ago at Goosecross Winery in Napa Valley that includes an integrated foil cutter.  But you may not have met the type shown below: a cork puller.  It has two tines, one a bit longer than the other, and you slide those tines down between the cork and the bottle using a rocking motion.  When fully down, you pull up while twisting, and the cork comes out with the puller.

The cork puller is my main way of dealing with difficult corks, particularly ones that are either kind of loose, and a corkscrew may push down into the bottle, damaged corks that a corkscrew shreds, and really tight corks that are difficult to pull out.  You can find a $7 version at the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/EY-Opener-Corkscrew-Bottle-Two-Prong/dp/B072272K47

Using AI For Checking Grammar

One of the first uses I made of AI was to check the grammar on some of my older Life Experiences blogs, and I was shocked at how poorly I wrote back then.  I uploaded my 5-page "Getting Sideways" blog and asked Gemini to "grammar check the attachment".  It suggested 25 changes, the first 3 you can see below.  I've done this on several documents, and I incorporate 80-90% of its recommendations.  My newer writings are much better because, since 2020, I started using the free (I love free) Grammarly extension in Google Chrome and catch the errors as I make them.

https://gemini.google.com

Thanksgiving Dinner

I made dinner reservations for Thanksgiving at The Golden Lamb in Lebanon, Ohio, back in July, just in case another get-together option failed to appear.  Getting a reservation as the date nears is just about impossible, and cancelling our reservation would be no big deal.  Their signature dinner included turkey, sage sausage & apple dressing, vegetables, cranberry chutney, mashed potatoes with two-day turkey gravy.  None of the cooking and none of the cleanup.  Loving it!

https://www.goldenlamb.com

Grinch Mimosa

For a different take on a mimosa, we made the Grinch Mimosa shown below. It's about a half a flute of orange juice, 1/2-ounce of blue curacao, and topped with champagne, prosecco, or another bubbly. The ratio of OJ to blue curacao is important to get the perfect grinchy green, so add a little at a time until it's just right. We opted for a rim of Rainbow Nonpareils Sprinkles, but a sliced strawberry with a piece of marshmallow on top, resembling the Grinch's hat, would be totally cool. The simple details are at the link below.

https://thetoastykitchen.com/grinch-mimosa

60 Watts

When I saw the USB and USB-C outlets on our flight from College Station, TX, to Dallas, I was surprised to see that they could deliver up to 60 watts of power.  But over the years, smartphones and tablets have improved their charging rates, with the Pixel 10 Pro XL supporting up to 45 watts and the iPhone 17 Pro Max up to 40 watts.  I guess Southwest was looking a few years into the future when they decided 60 watts was a good number.  More on all that watts, volts, and amps can be found at the link below.

https://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/question501.htm

Mug Rug

I like mug rugs so much more than traditional coasters.  They are larger, skinnier, and as you can see below, perfect for this Ohio State football fan.  If you're crafty, you can sew a mug rug perfect for your passion, or turn to Etsy (link below), Amazon, or many others for designs that please.

Big shout-out and THANKS to Mary for this awesome cutie!

https://www.etsy.com/market/mug_rugs_machine_embroidery_designs

Using AI For Research

A few years ago, I heard that Electric Vehicles (EVs) were going to be a problem because they weigh so much more than conventional gas cars due to their large batteries.  That made sense, and because I wasn't thinking of buying an EV, I really didn't care.  Recently, I took some heavy stuff to the dump, and the invoice said my Infiniti QX60 weighs nearly 4,800 pounds, more than I expected, but certainly not the largest SUV you can buy.

With the advent of AI and its ability to produce answers to questions, I asked Google Gemini how Tesla's weight compared to its gas-powered brethren.  The table you see below shows that Tesla EVs and regular SUVs are very comparable.  Using AI for research has made my life much easier.

https://gemini.google.com

All The Best Delicatessen

We had lunch a few months ago at our local All The Best Delicatessen, with my selection being the soup and half-sandwich combo shown below.  The chicken soup was packed with chicken, carrots, and noodles, and the corned beef Reuben was served on a seeded rye bread.  The food was great, and this isn't your normal deli.  We got seated at a table set up with silverware wrapped in cloth napkins, given menus, and we placed our order with our server.  This is no stand-in-line joint that's mainly self-serve.  To top it off, they even have a full bar with seating.  Very cool place.

https://allthebestdeli.com

Traffic Sign Recognition

We rented a Mazda CX-50 from Budget during our last trip to Texas, and like many cars, it displays the speed limit on its dashboard, which you can see as "55" in the picture below. It seemed odd that it would disappear for a while, only to return as we approached a new speed limit sign.  I thought the car might actually be reading the signs, but I had never heard of anything like that.  

Took a little research to find that some newer cars have a Traffic Sign Recognition (TSR) system that uses a small, forward-facing camera, typically located near the rearview mirror, to scan the road ahead for traffic signs, and an onboard image processing computer to recognize a variety of road signs.  The TSR can be combined with the car's navigation system, which may have limited or outdated speed limit data, to keep the driver better informed.

That's all good, but the Mazda included one very annoying feature.  Look closely at the end of the needle on the speedometer, and you will see that the speed limit is highlighted in red with a red line curving to the limit of the current speed.  That piece of nanny-nagging is too much.

https://caradas.com/understanding-adas-traffic-sign-recognition

Rain-Sensing Wipers

As I was driving on the rainy day you see below, it got me to wonder how rain-sensing wipers work.  A little research showed it starts with a light-emitting diode (LED) located between the windshield and the rearview mirror.  When the windshield is dry, most of the infrared light is reflected back to a light detector (photodiode) within the sensor.  When raindrops land on the glass, they disrupt this reflection. The water droplets scatter the infrared light, reducing the amount reflected back to the sensor.  Pretty slick.

More information can be found at the link below.

https://www.carparts.com/blog/how-do-rain-sensor-wipers-work-and-are-they-the-right-choice-for-you