How to Destroy Your Computer!

Ben Vitale

 

Did you ever wonder why your computer died? You used it yesterday and today it refuses to go on! A computer fails for many technical reasons, but I have destroyed three computers because of a static electric discharge, from my body. On two occasions I heard a snap, and saw a small spark as I pressed the power button on my computer; I knew immediately that my computer was destroyed. On another occasion I drew a spark to my keyboard; that destroyed Computer number three!

When humidity is low your body could charge up like a capacitor, to voltages in the area of 10,000 Volts. Did you ever draw a spark from your body when you touched a “ground” such as a water faucet? When you see and hear the spark you should also feel an electrical shock. Some computer components are only rated at 5 volts; you can imagine what 10,000 volts will do to these components!

It might be a good idea to position your computer near an available “ground” if possible!  I personally prefer to place a bare Copper wire across my desk that is attached to a “ground,” such as a water pipe or radiator.

When humidity is low and conditions are conducive to generating static electric charges, I usually get some advanced warning; every time I touch the room light switch, my body discharges through the light switch. So… When this happens I spray the room with Radio Shack Anti -Static Spray, before turning on my computer.

When you walk across the room to use your computer, always discharge your body to a “Ground” before touching or pressing the button to turn on the computer. Also; do not touch the keyboard before discharging your body. Once you discharge yourself do not move or slide any part of your body, before pressing the “on” button.

Do not attempt to install a ground wire without contracting your Electrician, to ascertain that your household wiring and equipment is safe to use.

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Did you ever play Stickball?

Ben Vitale

 

 

Many Long Island residents originally lived in the "Big City;" New York City. In the 50s, after the depression, money was scarce; very few people had money in their toy's budget. When I was a youth, my parents could not afford to buy me a Baseball Glove, and Baseball Bat. The name of the game for the entire population was to "improvise." Did I feel deprived...  Absolutely not; everyone that I knew was poor, but we did not know it! We simply did not have a frame of reference to compare against. It is amazing, how one could feel wealthy, in a poor community!

Most of my friends could not afford to buy real Baseball Equipment so we improvised! Someone that had a few dollars left over from his "Communion money" would buy a "Softball!" In Brooklyn, we called this a "Spaldeen." Now the scary part; we needed a Baseball Bat to play baseball, but no one could afford to buy one! “Hummm... “ Someone had to borrow a broomstick handle from their mother's broom, so that we could use it as a "Baseball Bat." The trick was to manage to get through the entire game, without breaking your mother's Broom Stick! If someone broke the Broom Stick, you would be in serious trouble! LOL.

OK! We managed to locate a Ball and a "Broomstick Bat," but where do we play Stickball? In the street of course; in the midst of moving Automobiles and Trolley Cars! LOL. Every city street had a "built in" Baseball Diamond; the "Sewer Covers" that were in every street made a wonderful "Home Plate" and "Second Base. "Hummm...” Where is first and third base? First and Third bases were the car door handles of any car that just happened to be parked on the side of the road. OMG; I certainly would not want anyone to use my car door handle for first base! It's amazing how one's perception of the same situation changes with age! LOL.

As soon as a game of Stickball began, concerned residents would hang out of their windows and remind us that if we broke their window we would have to pay for it!  Actually a “Spaldeen” ball would not damage anything that it hit except a glass window from a residence. I have never seen a “Spaldeen” break a car window! OMG a broken window was a year's worth of "Allowance!" OK… I managed to break one window; which put my allowance into austerity mode!

Stickball has become a tradition to many people. A group of people from across the country return to Brooklyn annually to play a “reunion game” of stickball. http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/brooklyn/stickball-reunion-mixed-reviews-brooklyn-neighborhood-play-ball-lost-article-1.385876

I just loved to play stickball when I was young… Yesterday I discovered a treasure at the local novelty store; a genuine “Spaldeen.” It is amazing how a simple object like a rubber ball could bring back so many wonderful memories!

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Trick to Clear Snow Without a Snow Blower!

 Photo Credit: Ben Vitale

I discovered this simple trick out of sheer desperation. It had snowed last night and we had 2 inches of fresh powdery snow…  My snow blower refused to start. I am not superstitious, but I am totally convinced that my Snow Blower is haunted! LOL.  My snow blower actually knows when it snows, and will not start under any circumstances. It works just fine in the fall! I actually tried to re-deploy my snow blower to collect leaves; it also failed miserably at that task. My snow blower is indeed haunted! LOL.

I decided to try something that I have thought of doing before; use a leaf Blower to clear snow. OK… Using a Leaf Blower to blow Snow… Hummm! I did ultimately manage to clean my driveway and walkway using the leaf blower; it worked amazingly will!

The trick to successful use of a leaf blower is to start using the Leaf Blower as soon as possible, before the snow gets slushy. I even had success clearing a six inch snow drift, of very dry snow, with my Leaf Blower. When dealing with high snow, locate the Leaf Blower plastic nozzle, at ground level, underneath the snow. The Leaf Blower acts like a pneumatic air compressor and lifts the snow straight up, in the form of a snow blanket. The snow acts like a pneumatic piston; once off the ground, the snow breaks up.

The leaf blower did do a reasonable job on my Walkway.

Ear, Eye and GFI  protection should also be used.

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Rock Salt is Not Available

Ben Vitale

 

Photo Credit: Ben Vitale

After the snow storm on Wednesday, residents of long Island were inundated with heavy wet snow that was in the form of slush. Those that had commercial snow blowers may have been able to force their machine to deal with slush; those with low priced equipment could not deal with the slush. The slush turned to solid Ice the very next day.

I made four trips to multiple Home Depot and Lowes stores in order to purchase Rock Salt. Each day I received the same answer; sorry, we do not have Rock Salt. A savey customer told me that that he believes that the corporate office was not delivering Rock Salt because it is now “out of season.” I then looked over to the Gardening Department and saw a pallet full of Charcoal Briquettes.  My wife then suggested putting Charcoal Briquettes on the ice; hummm… It just might help!

The employees were helpless because their corporate offices were not delivering the Rock Salt. I intentionally gathered a group of employees, and told them that I was going to play the irate customer! I said that they could not get involved with this Salt issue, but I can. I told the employees to please tell their boss what an “irate customer” told them. I then smiled, and proceeded to be an irate customer! Hey! “yannow” it’s fun to be an irate customer once in a while. 

I believe that the CEOs of Home Depot and Loews should go on undercover Boss, and speak to the hundreds of people, that are still waiting for Rock Salt, here on Long Island. The employees were exemplary; Lowes and Home Depot should be proud of them. I’m not so sure that I could say the same about the corporate management! It’s great to be an irate customer; I can’t get fired! LOL

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Ice Flow in Patchogue NY

Photo Credit: Ben Vitale

There has been what appears to be, a small Ice flow in Patchogue, NY; probably caused by tide, wave and wind conditions on the Great South Bay. In this case, chunks of ice were deposited against and over the bulkhead at the Sandspit Marina. It appears that conditions were in our favor, and we did not sustain any damage. Ice flows at other locations have caused heavy damage to homes and properties; please look at the link below. https://www.google.com/search?q=ice+jam+photo&tbm=isch&imgil=pFYKW3p62MQNsM%253A%253Bhttps%253A%252F...  If you get a chance to go down to the Marina you will see that another Ice flow is pushing it's way over the rock jetty at Patchogue River. I have seen Ice flows cause havoc on streams that are located in upstate NY. When a stream gets totally blocked; that's when the trouble begins! Ice jams are sometimes relieved with dynamite. Once the Jam is relieved, you do not want to be downstream! Our mini Ice Flow in Patchogue, NY, does not represent a hazard, but it is a beautiful thing to look at.  

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Recollections of Christmas Eve
Ben Vitale

I have fond memories, of Christmas Eve at Grandpa and Grandma’s house, 60 years ago. My Grandparents had a tradition of playing Poker, in between the courses of dinner; Today, three generations later, our Grand Children, who are adults, love to play Texas Holdem Poker, at family gatherings. The grandchildren are now teaching Grandpa how to play Texas Holdem Poker! Hummm… Is playing poker at family gatherings hereditary?  LOL

Many of our family traditions stem from my grandparents who came to America from Italy, in the 30s.  The Christmas Eve ritual at their house in Brooklyn, NY, was really interesting and choreographed with the precision of a Broadway musical production.  

On Christmas Eve, my grandparents served a seven course meal; each course was followed by a game of Poker. It was so funny! The table cloth was literally removed from the table after each course, and Poker was played on the Plate Glass Tabletop! Through practice, my family members had training, in the art of playing Poker that could be compared to the training that one would receive at a military Boot Camp. LOL. I firmly believe that if my family went to a Casino to play Poker, the Casino wouldn’t stand a chance! LOL.  After the last course, the family would play Poker for the rest of the night. With all of the above going on, some family members managed to go to Midnight Mass, which is a Catholic tradition!

Christmas Eve at my house takes the same effort and dedication that it did decades ago! Once again we are working hard in preparation for our Christmas Eve celebration, 2013. This year, our Christmas tree was just about the right size for the room; we didn't have to cut off any branches from the top of the tree.  21 people will be at our home this year on Christmas Eve. I have introduced another component into my family’s arsenal of traditions; Karaoke Sing Along, after dinner.

My wife and I can remember the Bubbly Lights that our grandparents always put on their Christmas, Tree 60 years ago. Marie and I carried on the tradition, and always had “Bubbly Lights” on our Christmas Trees. Our tradition has propagated itself through Three generations! My 21 year old granddaughter would never forgive us if we didn't have bubbly lights on our tree! Bubbly lights have become a multi-generational tradition in my family!

While writing this article I had an epiphany; I suddenly realized that Christmas Eve at my house has had a profound effect on our grandchildren. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if our tradition survives for decades to come!

You might want to read another Christmas related story that I published a few years ago. I personally feel that “Christmas Stories” are timeless, and become relevant at Christmas time every year!
http://patchogue.patch.com/groups/ben-vitales-blog/p/bp--the-most-beautiful-christmas-tree-on-long-island

Have a Merry Christmas everybody! Have a happy Hanukah! Have a happy Quanza

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Christmas Tree Light Up Saint Francis De Sales December 8, 2013         
Philip Butler (Patchogue Knights of Columbus,Council #725)

The Patchogue Knights of Columbus,Council #725, with assistance from the Patchogue Fire Dept’s Union Hook & Ladder Co. #1, Matthew Coraro, Deputy Chief, put up the lights on Suffolk Counties’ largest Christmas Tree at Saint Francis de Sales Church this past Saturday, November 23rd.

“Tree Decoration Chairman” Paul Lauben did a great job, and thanks all for their help including Parish Roundtable coordinator Kevin Drawbridge, council Grand Knight Michael Boehm, Deputy Grand Knight Mike Hoesterey, Tom Berensten Philip Butler, Carmine Franzese, and John Terlecki. Pastor Father Tom invites the entire Patchogue community to the tree’s light up 4pm, this Sunday, December 8, 2013. Saint Francis De Sales is located on South Ocean Avenue and Amity St., Patchogue, NY.

Hot chocolate for all thanks to the Main Street Café.

Please forward this to your family and friends!

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Reduce the Calories in Your Favorite Beverage  by 75 Percent

Ben Vitale

This is not an advertisement!

I have been trying to “be good,” with regard to my diet. Yes, I know we need lots of water every day, but water is tasteless.

My wife introduced me to a simple trick that she uses, to make a tasty low calorie drink. Simply fill one quarter of a glass with Apple Cider; the remaining three quarters of the glass are filled with water. Hummm… This drink actually tastes very good. I tried this same trick using Orange Juice; this also tastes good. I then tried “Green Tea and Honey” beverage, mixed with water; this is my favorite!

As time went on I discovered that I preferred to drink the diluted beverages as opposed to filling the entire glass with the high calorie beverage. So a 400 calorie beverage turns into a 100 Calorie drink, when served with the water mixture. One part beverage and three parts water tastes great.

I also use this same trick when I go to a fast food establishment; I mix their beverages with water. It is wonderful to be able to reduce my calorie input by using water, while not losing the flavor of the beverage. Many fast food establishments also provide water at their soda fountains.

You must experiment with different beverages and see which beverage/water combinations taste best to you. You might also want to experiment with different beverage/Water ratios; I sometimes use a 4 to one, water to beverage ratio. In this case, a 400 Calorie beverage is transformed into an 80 Calorie drink.

The water that comes out of my faucet does not taste very good; so I use a charcoal filter to improve the taste. The filtered water makes my mixtures taste even better.

Have you tried this trick? Have you discovered a secret combination that really tastes great?

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Beware: Phone Call from Microsoft

I just received a phone call from an “un-named” person who said that he was from Microsoft. This person said that my computer was having a serious problem, and he asked me to log onto his web site, so he could fix my problem. While still on the telephone, I received another phone call from another
“un-named” person, on my second telephone line. The person on my second telephone line also wanted me to log onto his Internet site so that he could fix my computer. This person said that he was from technical support!

A Google search of “Phone call from Microsoft,” revealed that this is a Scam.  

Do not follow verbal instructions if you receive a similar call; hang up!

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Del Satins to Perform at the Patchogue Theatre

Ben Vitale

 

The Patchogue council 725, of the Knights of Columbus, is sponsoring a special performance of the famous Del Satins, to benefit the New York State Veterans Home in Stony Brook. This performance is   special, because the lead singer Stan Zizka is your neighbor! Wow! He lives in Patchogue Village.

The Del Satins worked with Dion originally from Dion and the Bellmonts, to record “Runaround Sue,” and “ Donna the Prima Donna.” I have found that both the young and the old are in agreement; this is a show that “should not be missed.”

Date:   Sunday, October 27, 2013

Time:   3PM

Place:   Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts, 71 East Main St., Patchogue, NY, 11772

Tickets start at $18 dollars, and are available via telephone, Web, or at the Patchogue Theatre Box office.

Telephone #:   631 207 1313

Web:  www.patchoguetheatre.com

“Donna the Prima Donna:”  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6OmZmoblSI

“The Wonderer”   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH3iz4o6G5E


The Del Satins are also going to have a “meet and greet,” photo opportunity session.

If you love 60s music, you really should attend this performance!

Buy your tickets as soon as possible; this show will sell out quickly.