Category Archives: Humor

Those Thrifty German Immigrants ... Combine Repurposed as a Gravedigger

Posted on 17-December-2015 by mathscinotes

I am the son and grandson of German farmers. Their farms were almost magical to me because of all the belts and pulleys used to drive everything – it would have been an OSHA nightmare. I was always impressed with the self-sufficiency of these farms. For example, the Biegert farm in Hanover, Minnesota had a small sawmill that was powered using a tractor's PTO. Many farm buildings in that small community were built using wood from local trees cut by that mill. In fact, my family still has an affection for woodworking using butternut because that was a wood our father often milled on the farm Continue reading →

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Not The Way To Take A Chimney Down

Posted on 13-December-2015 by mathscinotes

I have worked on construction sites and farms, and the lack of imagination that people show with respect to safety never ceases to amaze me. This video shows what happens when someone does not think about what could happen. Continue reading →

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I am Battling Ladybugs This Year

Posted on 25-November-2015 by mathscinotes

We have had a warm winter in Minnesota so far this year. As with every transition from fall to winter, bugs seek warmth by taking up residence in our fiber-optic enclosures. Here is my latest example, a ladybug on a returned circuit board. Continue reading →

Posted in Electronics, Fiber Optics, Humor | 4 Comments

My Sister in Math Class

Posted on 30-September-2015 by mathscinotes

My sister posted this video on her Facebook page while stating it described her in math class. There is some truth to this statement. It could also have been used to describe any of her four brothers in nearly every classroom. Continue reading →

Posted in Humor | 5 Comments

Candidate for the Dumbest Idea I Have Heard

Posted on 16-April-2015 by mathscinotes

My coworkers and I often discuss our home remodeling/repair adventures. This morning, a coworker described how a neighbor in his home town used a rifle to solve a common plumbing problem. I do not condone this approach and I am appalled at every possible level that someone would even try it. Continue reading →

Posted in Construction, Humor | 2 Comments

Beautiful Spiral

Posted on 14-January-2015 by mathscinotes

Quote of the Day If a mistake is not a stepping stone, then it is a mistake. — Eli Siegel, "Damned Welcome" I have always been amazed at the beautiful curves that relatively simple functions can generate. I saw this … Continue reading →

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Dating and Compatibility Correlations

Posted on 12-January-2015 by mathscinotes

There must be an enormous amount of money involved in Internet dating because I see their commercials on television all the time. As far as their success in matching people up, I only have one data point – one of my sons met a wonderful gal though the OkCupid online service. Continue reading →

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A Hardware Engineering Christmas

Posted on 5-December-2014 by mathscinotes

Christmas is coming and the engineers are decorating their cubes. Here is an example – excuse the photo quality from my old phone. My idea of a great Christmas decoration is the one shown below from a Japanese mall. I … Continue reading →

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Engineer's Thanksgiving Humor

Posted on 24-November-2014 by mathscinotes

Quote of the Day If it bleeds it leads; if it thinks it stinks. — Journalism maxim I received the following photo this morning from an engineer who is responsible for preparing his family's Thanksgiving meal.

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How to Drive a Bobcat

Posted on 21-November-2014 by mathscinotes

Quote of the Day I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. — Douglas Adams One of the engineers I work with has a Bobcat (Figure 1) that he uses for digging holes and … Continue reading →

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