Archive for March, 2010


Watchtower Library for Macs

Filed Under: Technology by flipjargendy — Comments Off
March 19, 2010

    I forgot to post this when we got a Mac, last year. Now that I am finally upgrading to the new version, I am remembering to do it.

    For years, I had run Watchtower Library in Linux. It took a lot of messing around. You had to know what you were doing to get it to work. It took using odd Bash commands and some tweeking of Wine. When I found out Macs were now using Certified Unix, I really wanted one. When I sat down to install Watchtower Library I thought it would be just as much trouble as in Linux but it isn’t! A brother out there created an automatic installer that makes it so anyone can install it!

    It is easy to install. Instructions can be found on the website but all you have to do is follow the prompts. Everything can be found at wtlib4mac.royratcliffe.me.uk.

UPDATE: I was notified a few days ago that since it is the same version of Wine used in Mac OSX and Linux it works on both very well!

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Stranded in a White Desert

Filed Under: Creations, General, Nature by flipjargendy — Comments Off
March 13, 2010

    A couple of weeks ago when the first nice days hit, I decided to go ice fishing. It was great… even though I locked my keys and phone in the car, walked about six miles when I thought it was maybe half a mile. Things look much different on a lake. It was a nice walk, it was like being stranded in a white desert. It was a bit surreal. When I got back to the car I fished for a while and started on my tan for the summer while catching some tiny Perch. The day was not ruined by long walks or tiny fish.

    I got to give the electric ice auger my grandpa made out of an old car starter and washing machine parts. He was probably the first person to ever make one! Not sure about this one but he made one just like this about 20 years ago! Now I can drive my car out and sit on the ice, listen to music and catch some fish… well… little fish. Pictures below!

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Snirt Racing! Nothing like going Green!

Filed Under: General, Nature by flipjargendy — Comments Off
March 1, 2010

    We had company over the weekend. We were meeting new people all over the place, mainly letting them stay in our house. It was fun. It was a bit surreal.

    On Sunday, after meeting we all went to watch the “Snirt” races. It is a place where the air is filled with smells of gasoline, exhaust and mud. It is car racing that is only done in the winter. They call it “Snirt” because it is a race track of Snow and dirt. It was started by one of the families that have been around this area for a long so that the kids could learn how to drive. It has turned into a small event every Sunday for anyone who wants to race, watch or ride along in a car. If you know me well enough, you know I was in one of those cars.

    The track was so muddy there were times when you could not see out of the car at all. Some cars didn’t have wipers. Instead they put to use the plastic dangling from what used to be their driver’s side window to use by hanging their head out when it was safe. There was a lot of crashing going on. Each hit was like being in a mild accident. At one point, Dave, my driver and I were in the lead only to be rear ended, spun out and side swiped by two cars… it felt like two cars anyway. We couldn’t see out of any window after all of the mud had splashed up on the car while spinning.

    In these races you strip the car of any luxury features, such as rear-view mirrors and ignition switches, to make the car lighter. Another needless feature: coolant. After each race M, number 7/8ths, would cool his car down by putting snow on the engine and recharge the battery by using his tow truck. His car also lacked an alternator.

    Anyone who visits in the winter must come along for a ride. Helmets on of course.

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