I think my hot water heater died today. I thought my shower seemed colder than usual today, and in the late afternoon my wife reported no hot water in the kitchen.

It could be something simple, but even if it is, it's time.

I always stop at railroad crossings, even if the gates are up and there are no lights flashing. I won't stay long if I don't see anything coming, but I don't want to take a chance.

It's no exaggeration at all to say that a train hitting a car is like a car hitting a soda can.

I've been following the Clark Rockefeller story with a lot of interest, perhaps because I'm a parent now, and perhaps because the early news stories kind of made it sound like I should know who he was, although I'd never heard of him before.

Now that the new details are out there, I don't feel nearly so bad now. Even the people who knew him well didn't know the half of it.

I've finished Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer. My impression is still favorable.

The short of it: It's a well-told story in dramatic fashion, with good research to back it up.

For the long of it, you'll have to read on.

I've been reading Manhunt: The 12-Day Search for Lincoln's Killer, by James L. Swanson.

I'm not done but I like it.

Clive Thompson: I'm sitting on the floor of my apartment, surrounded by electronic parts... It'll look awesome when it's done. If it ever gets done — I keep botching the soldering. A well-soldered joint is supposed to look like a small, shiny volcano. My attempts look like mashed insects, and they crack when I try to assemble the device.

Why am I so inept? I used to do projects like this all the time when I was a kid. But in high school, I was carefully diverted from shop class when the administration decided I was college-bound. I stopped working with my hands and have barely touched a tool since.

I can relate a little too well.

When a 15-year-old came around asking how to continue his hobbies during a time in his life when finances and time are a bit short, I had a simple suggestion for him: Work on developing his creativity.

Creativity has another bonus: It's also one of 10 traits that can make you rich, if that's important to you.

On one of the train forums I frequent, a legitimate question quickly degenerated into brand wars. And brand wars are one thing, but when people hold their preferred company to a different standard than the other company--in other words, one company is evil because it does something, but their preferred company does the same thing, it isn't productive.

Actually, I see very little reason for brand loyalty as it is. I drive a Honda and I use a Compaq computer. Do either of those companies have any loyalty to me? No. To them, I'm just a source of income from yesterday.

I've spent the last week chasing a scammer, because I'm a sucker for a good story. I have that story, but I'm not happy with it.

In the meantime, there's definitely a need for a procedure to follow if you make a deal on a forum or bulletin board and never receive the promised merchandise.

This is a followup to Friday's post. I really should let this go, but the journalist in me loves a great story, and this story has lots of twists and turns and weirdness.

I wrote on Friday about several people giving gifts to someone they thought was a disabled Gulf War II veteran who was getting into the hobby. As parts of his story began to fall apart, there was a falling out. For some people, the biggest slap in the face came when the gifts they had sent him showed up on eBay.