Herculodge

Watches Keep Getting Bigger and Bigger and Bigger

 

Thanks, Bill B:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/25/fashion/mens-watches-keep-getting-bigger.html

Just on the off chance that you haven't seen it yet.

 

Richard Berler's Impressions of the Grundig S450DLX

 

 

 

I got mine a good portion of a year ago. MW sensitivity daytime is above average, but not as sensitive as the Sangean PR-D5 or SONY ICF-S5W. The 450 is much more selective than the Sangean, however. On small portions (mainly higher portion of band) of the MW spectrum, I hear noise that stops when not turning the tuning knob.

On SW, sensitivity is quite good. Narrow choice for selectivity is a good choice for listening in most cases...wide does sound better when a station is in the clear and coming in well. Narrow is pretty good at dealing with adjacent frequency qrm, and off tuning helps as well.

I find that turning the bass high and treble high makes for easier copy on weak stations...in any case, nice to have these controls. I find that it's not worth using the memories. The slow and fast tuning buttons and "Q" advance to next SW band are ok. Nice to just tune around on this radio. I use it on batteries as well due to noise on the ac plug in. My only negative is that mixing products from local am/fm's can show up on the SW bands (rf control not effective in eliminating this). All in all, worth the $70!

 

For Sheer Comfort, the Invicta Leviathan Is an Easier Fit on the Wrist Than the Venom

Both the Invicta Leviathan (above) and the Invicta Venom are stunning watches, close to 55mm in case size but for sheer comfort the Venom doesn't come close to the Leviathan. I can wear a Venom out for dinner but I won't wear one all day at work. Even the rubber strap model lacks the comfort of the Leviathan in both bracelet and rubber strap forms. 

Manly Tool for Getting the "Black Jell-O" Out of Your Bathroom Sink

 

 

 

 

Regarding the coat hanger method I learned to get the gross clog out of my bathroom drain, Guy writes:

"Black Jello"... ha! A disgusting and perfect description.

The home improvement stores in my area sell a little gadget that's like the coathanger trick on steroids. It is called "Zip-It" and is a flat, flexible strip of plastic with sharp little barbs on opposite sides. You shove it down the drain and pull out the most rancid glob of @$#$*! you ever saw.

Amazon carries it too:
http://www.amazon.com/Cobra-Products-400-Drain-Cleaning/dp/B000BO9204

Update:

This blog's author thanks Guy for the recommendation; he just bought one because in part it's easier to store than a untwined coat hanger. 

 

Men Don't Shop: They "Pull the Trigger"

 

Men don't really shop; they exercise primal urges and instincs, like killing a wooly mammoth for supper. You'll never hear a woman say this: "I pulled the trigger on a mint condition Panasonic RF-2200."

Sometimes men pull the trigger more than they like and hide their trophies from their wives. The term for hiding your winnings is "financial infidelity." 

Pawn Stars Is a Man's Show

 

 

My cousin recommended I watch his favorite TV show Pawn Stars about six months ago. Ever since then, I've been hooked.

People bring in their stuff to sell to a pawn shap in Las Vegas. The show's draw: You never know what they'll bring in and you'll often be surprised. War artifacts, Superbowl rings, celebrity knicknacks and clothing, weird inventions, Dracula killer kits, vintage cars, fighter planes, ancient weapons . . .

One thing I have noticed: This is a man's show. Bartering, trading, negotiating. All the pawn shop principals are men. I'd guess the viewership is mostly men. 

Sergio Says the Grundig S450DLX Is Worth the Money

 

I just bought the Grundig S450DLX and I can say that is very sensitive in MW and SW the bands tha I use mostly. I have a Sangean PR5 D and it is as sensitive

as that radio. It tunes in 1 khz increments, the narrow filter works well and the RF attenuator is good to have when you get close to a strong station.

I was able to tune a lot of MW stations as far as Venezuela 780, Radio Caribe Cuba 1220, The Bahamas in 1540 and 810,1300 in Maratton Keywith 2.5 KW, A station in NYC from Miami so the radio works very well on MW. I tuned the SW bands and it is very sensitive.

I do not have any of the problems reported about noises or beeps while tuning. The radio quality looks fine for a radio of this price range.FM has an excellent audio.For the going on sale price of $70 at RS is a good deal.

Forum for OTA Antennas

Thanks, Ted:

Almost everything that you'll ever know about OTA antennas is here:

http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1037779

I have an AntennasDirect DB2 mounted in my office near a window connected to an ElGato EyeTV tuner for OTA viewing. Works great, considering I live in an apartment in a low-lying neighborhood with poor line of sight to most of the area's transmitters. I'm able to pick up stations about 40-50 miles away, despite it being mounted inside.

 

My Expert Plumber Taught Me How to Use Coat Hanger to Clear Bathroom Sink

My plumber Mike, who at 21 looks a splitting image of Kevin Spacey, was born into plumbing by his father, a Serbian who immigrated to America many years ago.

Mike is the most honest, efficient plumber I've ever known. He taught me to "untwine" my coat hanger, descend it into the bathroom sink drain, and twirl it like a helicopter blade so it collects all the hellish hair and grease. Up from the sink comes a ball of sludge that looks like a black cocoon of cotton candy. Very satisfying to get that clump of disgustingness rather than rely on bleach.

Another thing he told me: Throw your coffee grounds in your back yard. They collect in the pipes and once they clog the pipes, you're screwed. 

Rare Apex Performer Grundig Signal 700 Review

Thanks, Gerald:

The Grundig "Signal 700"is probably one of the five rarest offerings frm the original Grundig Werks of Germany. Made only within the 1974-1976 time period, it is one of a series of five true field radios manufactured by Grundig in this period. The others were the Signal 100, 300, 500 and the 2000, a larger field multiband with intergrated cassette  . all were ruggedly built and had grerat sound and tuning prowess. These were the only Grundigs other than the Satellit that didnt have the "Boy" suffix.

 The 700 is roughly the size of the Sony ICF-5900 and meant to compete directly with that set. It doesnt disappoint. I found mine in Germany (ebay) and ive not seen another since. The radio is finely crafted with design cues ahead of its time. Straighforward, intuitive control and function buttons are part of this great design.

The perfromance is all Grundig., The original Grundig that is, as the new grundig are simply Chinese made , Eton corp semi-junk My opionon , im jaded.. The radio covers AM,FM, and Shortwave and is the equal of several of my top performers.

 I am currently on my own " Rosebud" search for the others of this series. As of now , i only have the 700. Ill keep you posted if i get one of the others