David L. Farquhar on technology old and new, computer security, and more
Model trains come in a variety of sizes to fit the space you have available. Or, to cram more stuff into the space you have available. Here are the common sizes of model trains, or, if you prefer, model train scales.
Sizes of model trains, or any other model, are measured in scale. Scale is a ratio of the model’s size relative to the real thing. Sometimes people will refer to gauge as well, which relates to the track, rather than the train.
Many jobs require Security+, and even if a job doesn’t require it, having Security+ can help you break into your first security job. So how hard is Security+?
Even if you don’t work in security, but work with security, say, as a system administrator, having Security+ is helpful, as it can help you understand why a security analyst is asking for something. When you understand motive, then the relationship can move from following orders to something more collaborative, which is always a good thing.
Peel and stick tiles certainly offer attractive pricing. But you may be wondering, does peel and stick tile last? That’s a wise question to ask, because a floor that costs 38 cents per square foot isn’t much of a bargain if you have to replace it a lot.
I’m a landlord, so I use a lot of peel and stick tile. You might be glad to know that I see a lot of old peel and stick tile too.
In baseball card circles, you sometimes hear about the “Big Three.” The Big Three aren’t necessarily the rarest baseball cards in existence, but they are exceedingly rare and they are part of extremely popular sets. This increases demand, since set collectors can’t have complete sets without these. There just aren’t enough of the Big Three to go around.
In addition, each of the Big Three have a great story behind them, often shrouded in some mystery.
When people hear what my hobby is, sometimes they ask me, “Are Lionel trains worth anything?”
That’s a fair question. After all, television says they are. But there’s something else you ought to know. Back in 2003, if someone asked me that question, I could tell them to go to the library to find out what those trains are worth. Today, my public library doesn’t have a current Lionel price guide. There’s a reason for that. Lionel trains aren’t worth as much as they were in 2003, and people aren’t checking those books out anymore.
Cutting vinyl tile to fit around obstacles can be tricky. It’s easy to end up with an unsightly gap. Here’s how to cut vinyl tile around door jambs and how to cut vinyl tile to fit around a toilet, around a corner, or other obstacles.
With a couple of tricks and a fair bit of patience, you can get nice results.
DD-WRT is a popular aftermarket firmware for consumer routers. For more than a decade, it’s been the go-to for people who want to turn a sub-$100 router into a so-called “super router.” Here’s a look at the most noteworthy DD-WRT advantages.
MS-DOS was the dominant computer operating system of the 1980s and early 1990s. It was the operating system most people loved to hate, yet it remained a bestseller. It formed the foundation of Microsoft’s market dominance of the 1990s and beyond. What were the advantages and disadvantages of MS-DOS?
MS-DOS stood for Microsoft Disk Operating System. It also licensed it to IBM, who branded it PC DOS, for Personal Computer Disk Operating System. The differences between the two were relatively minor and they are more or less interchangeable, especially at versions 5.0 and lower.
1933 Goudey baseball cards are immensely popular with collectors. They weren’t the first baseball cards sold with gum, but the 240-card set was a landmark. It featured an attractive design, tons of star players, a size close to that of modern cards, and some big challenges.
It’s not hard to see why generations of collectors loved the set, and continue to do so. Collecting 1933 Goudey baseball cards takes money, patience, and imagination. Or at least two of the three. Yes, collectors of modest means who have patience and imagination can still collect Goudey, one of the most venerable of baseball card brands.
If you want to know where to buy Lionel trains in St. Louis, you have a lot of choices. It’s more than possible to make a day of train shopping in St. Louis.
I’ve never seen a comprehensive list of shops, so I made my own. If you know of any place I missed, I apologize. Please leave a comment and I will add it.