Author: Dave Farquhar

Vinyl plank flooring on walls

Dave Farquhar DIY ,
Vinyl plank flooring on walls

Someone asked me about using vinyl plank flooring on walls recently. It’s an interesting idea, except for one problem the person brought up: vinyl planks falling off.

The adhesive on vinyl planks works better with gravity helping out. On walls, the gravity is working against it. Here are some tips that will help give you better results with vinyl plank flooring on walls.

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How to fix a lamp cord

Dave Farquhar DIY
How to fix a lamp cord

If your lamp stops working but the bulb is good, or your lamp cord gets damaged, it’s time to replace it. The cord, that is. Not the whole lamp. Here’s how to fix a lamp cord.

Even if you have to take the lamp completely apart, the project should take less than an hour. The easy fixes only take a few minutes.

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Commodore 256: The 8-bit that never was

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing , , , , , , ,
Commodore 256: The 8-bit that never was

In 1985, Commodore followed up on its best selling Commodore 64 with a model with twice as much memory. The design of the 128 offered the possibility of following up with a Commodore 256. It never happened. Instead, Commodore moved on from 8-bit machines after the 128. Here’s why.

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1981 Fleer baseball cards

Dave Farquhar Baseball , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1981 Fleer baseball cards

It’s just my opinion, but I think 1981 Fleer baseball cards get less respect than they deserve. It ended Topps’ 25-year monopoly on baseball cards and, frankly, I think it’s a nicer set than the Topps or Donruss sets from the same year.

Yes, compared to the smooth and polished Topps, the Fleer set at times looked like amateur work. But they didn’t make as many mistakes as fellow upstart Donruss did. And they tried some things with their set that Topps had been unwilling to do. The 1981 Fleer baseball cards got some critical accolades at the time, and frankly I think it’s an underrated ’80s set. It didn’t contribute a lot to the most valuable cards of the 1980s, but it certainly helped shape the decade.

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What salary do I need to buy a house?

Dave Farquhar Saving money , , , , , ,
What salary do I need to buy a house?

What salary do I need to buy a house? I struggled with that question in my 20s and it probably kept me renting a year or so longer than I really needed to be. Then again, considering the housing crisis of 2007-2008, renting a year or so longer was a small price to pay to avoid potentially making the biggest financial mistake of my life.

One of the reasons for that financial crisis was not enough people asking that question. A second reason was banks being dishonest about the answer. For the record, I think buying a house is a good idea and it’s worth it. But you have to be sane about it to keep from getting into trouble.

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Dyson vacuum cleaner repair/rebuild

Dave Farquhar DIY
Dyson vacuum cleaner repair/rebuild

Our Dyson DC-14 pet vacuum started making a terrible loud, high-pitched noise one day. It still worked, mostly, but the noise was obnoxious enough that you wanted hearing protection while using it. And when I investigated further, I found the vacuum brush was not spinning either. I finally got around to fixing it.

A Dyson vacuum cleaner making a loud noise, a high pitched squealing noise, and the vacuum brush not spinning are all symptoms of the same 1-2 problems. The clutch is engaged and possibly damaged. It’s also possible the filters are clogged.

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The meaning of superseded patches

Dave Farquhar security ,

One of my clients asked me to explain superseded patches and how they relate to vulnerability management and patch management. This is a common question about a common complaint. Knowing the meaning of superseded patches and how to handle them is absolutely critical for running a successful security program.

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Using Adsense with WordPress

Dave Farquhar Wordpress , ,

I first started using Google Adsense sometime in 2003 or 2004. But using Adsense with WordPress isn’t completely straightforward. So here’s an easy, concise guide to using Adsense with WordPress, including within your content.

I’m not a full-time blogger. I’m a computer security analyst by day, and blog part time. I went to journalism school in the ’90s in hopes of landing a job that doesn’t exist anymore. Some of what I learned about printing magazines applies to modern blogging. Some of it is subtly different. I don’t need to make a ton of money blogging, but I don’t blog to lose money either. There are an awful lot of bad people with bad motives making a lot of money online off sketchy or downright dishonest content. I’m writing this so the good guys can learn what the bad guys know, and make a little money too.

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A Lionel e-unit wiring diagram

Dave Farquhar Toy trains ,

Lionel’s e-unit is the most common cause of trouble in vintage Lionel trains. Sometimes people bypass them or remove them entirely to avoid dealing with the problem. Or maybe someone attempted a repair in the past and you just bought the remnants. If someone did that and now you want to replace or rewire it, you need a Lionel e-unit wiring diagram.

You found one.

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Is it worth it to buy a house?

Dave Farquhar Saving money , ,
Is it worth it to buy a house?

A lot of people will say if you are asking is it worth it to buy a house, the answer is automatically no. As a homeowner and landlord, I think the answer is more complicated than that, so I’m not going to be quite that cynical.

Is it worth it to buy a house? Frankly, it depends.

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