Author: Dave Farquhar

Synthetic oil + Marvel Mystery Oil = happy lawn mower

Dave Farquhar Landlording , , , ,
Synthetic oil + Marvel Mystery Oil = happy lawn mower

I’ve always hated my lawn mower. But once I started using Marvel Mystery Oil in a lawn mower, and putting synthetic 10w-30 oil in the crankcase, I’ve been much happier. It makes me feel like I discovered one of the secrets of the universe.

While you’re at it, check the air filter. You’re supposed to change that every year, at least. The combination of a fresh air filter, Marvel Mystery Oil, and synthetic oil gives me easier starts and smoother running.

Read more

Don’t fall for the new Facebook stalker scam

Dave Farquhar security , , ,

According to trusted antivirus vendor Sophos, there’s a rogue Facebook application, posing as an app that claims to reveal a way to see who’s been secretly viewing your profile.

It’s a scam. And it’s spreading rapidly. It posts messages on your wall and tries to get you to visit a spam site. Don’t fall for it, but if you already have, delete the fake messages it posts.

Here’s a real app I want you to install instead: Safego.
Read more

Approaches for home network storage

Dave Farquhar Hardware, Servers and Networking

I put together a plan to update my home computer setup over the course of the next 12-18 months. You don’t want to know what I’m using as my primary desktop right now. You just don’t.

One of the things on my to-do list is centralized storage. As the kids get older, I’m pretty sure I’m going to need that. I looked at a Drobo, but the price tag scares me off. So I’m weighing some alternatives.
Read more

Taking a stand: Rupert Murdoch and the Chicago Sun-Times

Dave Farquhar Journalism , ,

Some people are ready to throw the entire journalism trade out with the week’s trash thanks to the deepening Rupert Murdoch scandal. But to some people, this wasn’t a surprise at all.

In 1984, 60 journalists took a stand against Rupert Murdoch. Without them, he quickly ran a once-proud paper into the ground, and he cut his losses and sold out after just two years of ownership. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Read more

Android modding gets just a little more mainstream

Dave Farquhar Hardware , , , , , ,

Infoworld published a piece on using Cyanogenmod to upgrade an orphan Android phone, the Motorola Cliq XT, beyond the officially supported Android 1.4.

It’s not a detailed how-to and has a lot of generalities, and someone wanting to do the same thing will still have to do a lot of Google searching, but we’re talking a short-ish (I’m guessing 1,500 words or less) Infoworld piece here. It’s a magazine that’s always been more about trends than details.
Read more

Another (unwanted) lawnmower adventure

Dave Farquhar Uncategorized ,

So the Toro died Sunday, with maybe 100-150 square feet of unmowed lawn left. I coaxed it into running again by adding oil–it looked low–and that was enough to mow what was left. The gray smoke bellowing out the side, the horrible noise, and the vibrating as if it would fall apart just added character. Yeah, character.

Against my better judgment, I finished cutting the lawn, then killed the engine and dragged the beast back into the garage. Then I got on the Internet to weigh my options.

Read more

Maybe 64-bit Firefox is on the way?

Dave Farquhar Software , ,

Mozilla is looking hard at questions regarding a 64-bit Windows build of Firefox. This is progress. This is good.

Read more

A year of shopping locally

Dave Farquhar St. Louis

A man at the library handed my wife a card this morning. He and his wife are shopping locally for a year in St. Louis, and writing about it.

Great idea!

Read more

Don’t take free software from a stranger

Dave Farquhar security , , , ,

And there’s this. Some people are taking popular free, open-source software, planting malware in it, and distributing it to unsuspecting people.
Read more

Maybe this is the difference between US and UK journalists

Dave Farquhar Journalism , ,

I’ve always wondered about the difference between US and UK journalists. I’ve always noticed a difference, but never quite figured out what it was or why. This CNN editorial is good insight.

There’s a certain irreverence and snarkiness in the UK press that you don’t see often in the States. The linked is an opinion piece and what she’s saying is theory rather than provable fact, but my experience matches hers. Read more