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about

Professionally, I’m a retired professor of accounting and former chair of the School of Accounting at the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business. My academic work explored how people make decisions in complex systems, especially when information is imperfect or overwhelming. I’ve published in a fair number of journals that few people read voluntarily, and I spent decades thinking about how technology shapes human behavior. These days, my time is divided between managing a small flock of chickens, herding goats, chatting on amateur radio (KO4LMP), and living just on the edge of the grid—literally and metaphorically. I’m a father to five daughters, a grandfather to 17, and a great-grandfather to three. Somewhere along the way, I realized that what I enjoy most is simply talking about the world we live in—and how to make sense of it.

recent posts

about

Professionally, I’m a retired professor of accounting and former chair of the School of Accounting at the University of South Carolina’s Moore School of Business. My academic work explored how people make decisions in complex systems, especially when information is imperfect or overwhelming. I’ve published in a fair number of journals that few people read voluntarily, and I spent decades thinking about how technology shapes human behavior. These days, my time is divided between managing a small flock of chickens, herding goats, chatting on amateur radio (KO4LMP), and living just on the edge of the grid—literally and metaphorically. I’m a father to five daughters, a grandfather to 17, and a great-grandfather to three. Somewhere along the way, I realized that what I enjoy most is simply talking about the world we live in—and how to make sense of it.

  • Conversations

    🪚How-to Build a Custom Sized Bifold Door

    My door opening is a non-standard size and trimming store bought bifold doors to fit results in structurally unsound doors. AI to the rescue. I followed the instructions exactly and created the perfect door.

    You said:

    What dimensions do I cut the panels to build a bifold door to fit a 30” x 71” opening?

    ChatGPT said:

    For a 30” wide × 71” high finished opening, here’s how to size the panels for a standard 2-panel bifold door.

    🔧 Step 1: Understand Required Clearances

    Bifold doors need space for:

    • Pivot hardware at top & bottom
    • Track at the top
    • Side clearance so they don’t rub
    • A small gap between panels

    Typical allowances (may vary slightly by hardware brand):

    • Width clearance: ~½” total
    • Height clearance: ~1½” total

    📏 Panel Width Calculation

    Opening width: 30”

    Subtract about ½” total clearance:

    30” – ½” = 29½” usable width
    29½” ÷ 2 = 14¾” per panel

    ✅ Cut each panel to 14¾” wide

    📏 Panel Height Calculation

    Opening height: 71”

    Subtract about 1½” total clearance:

    71” – 1½” = 69½”

    ✅ Cut each panel to 69½” tall

    Note: Oops. Typo. The opening is actually 72″ high but adding 1″ to the calculations was easy so no need to correct the AI.

    ✅ Final Panel Size

    Each of the two panels should be approximately:

    14¾” wide × 69½” tall

    ⚠️ Very Important

    Before cutting:

    1. Measure the opening in 3 places (top, middle, bottom for width; left, center, right for height).
    2. Use the smallest measurement.
    3. Check your specific hardware instructions — some require slightly different clearances.

    🛠 If You Want It to Fit Like a Store-Bought 30” Bifold

    Factory 30” bifolds are typically:

    • 29½” total width
    • 79” tall (for 80” openings)

    Since your height is only 71”, you’re building a shorter custom unit — so hardware positioning becomes more important.

    If you’d like, tell me:

    • Are you surface mounting the track?
    • What thickness material are you using?
    • Is this for a closet or something heavier like a pantry door?

    I can dial it in tighter for your situation.

    You said:

    I’m using 1” pine project boards, 3/4 inch actual.

    ChatGPT said:

    Perfect — 1” pine project boards (¾” actual thickness) are ideal for a lightweight bifold in a 30” × 71” opening.

    Let’s dial this in a little tighter so you don’t end up trimming later.

    📐 Finished Panel Size (Using ¾” Pine Boards)

    For a 30” W × 71” H rough opening:

    ✅ Each panel:

    14¾” wide × 69½” tall × ¾” thick

    That size assumes:

    • ~½” total width clearance
    • ~1½” total height clearance (track + bottom pivot adjustment)

    🔎 But Here’s What I’d Actually Do (Real-World Advice)

    Closet openings are almost never perfectly square. Before cutting:

    1️⃣ Measure Width in 3 places

    • Top
    • Middle
    • Bottom

    Use the smallest measurement.

    If your smallest width is, say, 29⅞”, then:

    29⅞” – ½” clearance = 29⅜”
    29⅜” ÷ 2 = 14 11/16” per panel

    That’s the difference between “fits nice” and “why is this rubbing?”

    ⚙️ Hardware Tip (Important with ¾” Material)

    Most bifold pivot hardware requires:

    • ~⅜” to ½” deep hole at top and bottom

    ¾” thickness is fine — just center your pivot holes carefully.

    If you go thinner, it gets risky. At ¾”, you’re safe.

    Note: The hardware kit required 5/8″ holes at least 1.5″ deep. With the door only 3/4″ thick there was only 1/16″ clearance on each side of the hole or (3/4 – 5/8)/2 = 1/16. This required very precise drilling.

    🧰 Recommended Clearances for Smooth Operation

    • Leave about ⅛” gap between the two panels
    • Leave about ⅛” gap at hinge side
    • Bottom clearance: at least ½” above finished floor

    🪚 Pro Tip Before Final Install

    After assembly:

    1. Dry fit panels in opening without hinges.
    2. Check for rub.
    3. Plane or sand edges slightly if needed.
    4. Then install hardware.

    Pine is forgiving — easy to tune with a block plane.

    ⚙️ Hinge Placement (Per Panel)

    For the two panels that fold together:

    • 1 hinge ~7–8” down from top
    • 1 hinge centered
    • 1 hinge ~7–8” up from bottom

    Use 2½”–3” butt hinges.

    🧠 Extra Stability Tip (Important with Pine)

    If this is going in a closet where humidity changes:

    • Seal all sides before install
    • Even a quick coat of primer reduces warping

    Note: My bifold door is for a bathroom in a tiny house rather than a closet. As a result, the door must be closed from both the outside and inside. On the inside, however, a handle or knob with more than about 3/8″ depth prevents the bifold door from closing completely. My solution was to get a tie down anchor from Harbor Freight for less than $3. It works great.

  • Conversations

    🐕Wanted Dog Psychiatrist

    You said:

    I might need a dog psychiatrist. The grandsons and dad were having a blast shooting my potato cannon. Tazzy, our miniature Australian shepherd, ran off towards the house where I supposed she would take refuge from the loud booms. Soon, however, it started to rain and the fun ended.

    When I returned to the house, there was no Tazzy. She didn’t appear that night and even though I looked in all her usual hiding spots, she was nowhere to be found. When the rain ended the next day, Tazzy still didn’t come back. After three days, it looked like we’d never see Tazzy again. Then someone posted a picture of a “found dog” on Facebook. It was Tazzy.

    I believe she got to the other side of our usually shallow creek and couldn’t get back from the rainwater. She was found several miles away. Since this episode she exhibits all the signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, hiding under anything she can find and acting like she’s been found all over again upon my return from even short trips.

    A severe storm came through and that made matters worse. I’ve tried to explain to her that there will not be any loud booms today because the sky is blue, but she doesn’t seem to understand weather forecasts.

    ChatGPT said:

    Oh Brad… poor Tazzy. That’s not a “dog psychiatrist” situation — that’s a genuinely scared little herding dog whose world suddenly proved unpredictable and loud.

    From her perspective:

    • Loud explosive booms
    • Family excited and energized (which can amplify arousal)
    • She flees to safety
    • Heavy rain
    • Rising creek
    • Separation from her people for three days
    • Found by strangers miles away

    That’s not mild stress. That’s survival-mode memory encoding.

    Mini Australian Shepherds are wired to be hyper-aware. That intelligence that makes them wonderful also makes them excellent at remembering “that one time everything went wrong.”

    What You’re Seeing

    What you’re describing fits post-traumatic stress response, not true PTSD in the human diagnostic sense, but behaviorally similar:

    • Hypervigilance
    • Hiding under furniture
    • Panic when separated
    • Startle sensitivity to storms
    • Re-checking attachment security when you return

    She likely now associates:

    • Loud booms → danger
    • Storms → danger
    • Absence of you → possible abandonment
    • Sudden sound changes → threat

    And no… blue skies do not override amygdala memory. 😄

    The Good News

    Dogs can rewire these associations — but it takes predictable safety, not explanation.

    You won’t talk her out of it.
    You will show her out of it.

    What Will Help Most

    1. Predictability, Predictability, Predictability

    For the next several weeks:

    • Same feeding times
    • Same evening routine
    • Same sleep location
    • Calm arrivals and departures

    When you leave, don’t make it emotional.
    When you return, don’t make it a “reunion event.”

    You want to communicate:
    “Leaving and returning are normal background events.”

    2. Create a Designated Safe Den

    Instead of her choosing random hiding spots:

    • Set up one “approved bunker” space
    • Crate with door open OR
    • Covered dog bed under a table
    • White noise during storms
    • Soft blanket with your scent

    You want her to think:

    “When nervous → go here → nothing bad happens.”

    Right now she’s scanning for safety. Give her a consistent anchor.

    3. Storm & Boom Desensitization (Very Gradual)

    Not now. Not while she’s raw.

    In a few weeks, you can:

    • Play very low-volume thunder sounds while feeding treats
    • Pair distant mild noises with high-value rewards
    • Slowly build tolerance

    But only when she’s calm again baseline.

    4. Rebuild Separation Confidence

    Since she panics when you return, that tells me she’s worried while you’re gone.

    Practice tiny separations:

    • Walk outside for 30 seconds
    • Return calmly
    • No big greeting
    • Repeat daily

    Then 1 minute.
    Then 3 minutes.
    Then 5.

    You’re rebuilding her trust that departures are temporary and safe.

    5. During Storms

    Do NOT:

    • Force exposure
    • Drag her out
    • Over-soothe in a frantic way

    Do:

    • Act normal
    • Provide access to safe space
    • Speak in calm neutral tone

    Dogs read our nervous system more than our words.

    The Creek Factor

    If she truly got trapped by rising water and stranded, that may have intensified the trauma because:

    • She fled to avoid sound
    • Then got physically blocked
    • Then lost orientation

    That’s a compound stress event.

    For a while, you may want to:

    • Walk her near the creek calmly
    • Let her sniff
    • Reinforce that it’s safe now

    Just low-key exposure.

    When to Consider a Vet

    If you see:

    • Refusal to eat
    • Persistent shaking
    • Self-harm chewing
    • Aggression out of fear
    • Inability to settle even in calm conditions

    Then a vet consult is wise. Sometimes short-term anti-anxiety medication can help break the fear loop while retraining happens.

    But most dogs recover with structured reassurance.

    Timeline

    Three days lost is big for a dog.
    Expect several weeks for noticeable improvement.

    But the fact that she’s attaching tightly to you? That’s actually good. She still sees you as her safety base.

    One More Thing (Important)

    Avoid any loud play — potato cannon or otherwise — anywhere near her for quite a while.

    If the grandsons want to relive artillery day, give Tazzi a heads-up:

    • Bring her inside
    • White noise on
    • Safe den ready

    Prevention now will shorten recovery later.

    You didn’t break her.
    She got scared and survived.

    Now she just needs repeated evidence that:

    • The creek doesn’t trap her
    • The sky isn’t always exploding
    • Her people always come back

    And that takes calm repetition, not explanation.

    If you’d like, I can give you a simple 2–3 week “recovery plan” laid out step-by-step so you can just follow it without overthinking it.

  • Conversations

    🪅Donkey on Fire

    Note: This is yet another in my on-going donkey series.

    Chat history

    You said:

    My understanding is that not too many years ago Utah removed a law from its books against lighting a fire beneath a donkey (an outdated practice meant to get a balking donkey to unbalk.) Doesn’t that about say it all?

    ChatGPT said:

    Brad… that detail absolutely does say it all.

    First — the historical context is real. In parts of the American West, including places like Utah, there were once laws prohibiting lighting a fire under a balking donkey. The fact that such a law existed tells you two things:

    1. Someone actually tried that.
    2. It happened often enough that lawmakers said, “We need to stop this.”

    That’s both tragic and revealing.

    What That Practice Says About People

    https://calkinsart.net/donkeyinfo/2DT3.jpg
    https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/C6gAAOSwtNlil3Zw/s-l400.jpg
    https://i.etsystatic.com/40486857/r/il/ba542c/5172651495/il_1080xN.5172651495_bxh6.jpg

    Lighting a fire under a donkey wasn’t just cruelty — it was frustration.

    It reflects a very human impulse:

    • “You’re not moving.”
    • “I need you to move.”
    • “Therefore I will escalate.”

    The donkey’s response?
    Plant feet. Evaluate. Resist.

    The human’s response?
    Increase pressure.

    That dynamic shows up everywhere — not just with livestock.

    What It Says About Donkeys

    Here’s the fascinating part:

    Donkeys evolved in rough terrain. When they sense danger, they stop and assess. Horses bolt. Donkeys calculate.

    If a donkey refuses to move, it’s often because:

    • It senses unstable footing.
    • It perceives a threat.
    • It doesn’t trust the handler.
    • Or it simply isn’t convinced.

    You can’t override that wiring with panic.
    And historically, some people tried to override it with fire.

    The law’s existence is almost a backhanded compliment to donkey resolve:

    “We had to outlaw torture because the donkey still wouldn’t budge.”

    The Personality Analogy

    If we go back to your earlier question — what kind of people do donkeys remind me of?

    They remind me of the person who:

    • Won’t cave under pressure.
    • Won’t comply just to reduce tension.
    • May endure discomfort rather than abandon judgment.

    That trait can look maddening.
    It can look inefficient.
    It can look exasperating.

    But it’s also a form of strength.

    There’s something deeply symbolic about this:

    • A creature that refuses to move under pressure.
    • Humans escalating.
    • Eventually the law stepping in to protect the animal from human impatience.

    It’s almost a moral lesson about force versus persuasion.

    And honestly, it fits your rural storytelling style perfectly — there’s humor in it, but also a quiet reflection about how we try to “solve” stubbornness

  • Conversations

    🪅Some People are Like Donkeys

    People Like Donkeys

    Chat history

    You said:

    What kind of people do donkeys remind you of?

    ChatGPT said:

    Brad, that question is dangerous. 😄
    But in a good way.

    Donkeys don’t remind me of foolish people. They remind me of a very specific type of person — the kind that often gets misunderstood.

    1. The Independent Thinker

    https://images.openai.com/static-rsc-3/QlU454IL6U1tt8Kvh7tJn_1zrlnBMGfpssS3z46ZTnXzxYm9fPAMSKvb-OcDwYjayRFesMZJj6PgohJRYEsQOu9XKitlGWoS9drCRMl7pRo?purpose=fullsize&v=1

    Donkeys don’t react just because pressure is applied.
    They pause. Evaluate. Decide.

    That reminds me of people who:

    • Don’t follow trends.
    • Don’t respond to emotional pressure.
    • Won’t be rushed into decisions.
    • Refuse to move just because “everyone else is.”

    In a world of impulsive reactions, they’re the quiet evaluators.

    2. The Cautious Protector

    Donkeys were historically used as livestock guardians — especially against coyotes. They don’t spook easily, and they’ll stand their ground.

    Note: This should have been present not past tense. Where I live, guard donkeys are plentiful.

    That reminds me of:

    • The steady grandfather who doesn’t say much but misses nothing.
    • The farmer who won’t gamble the farm on a flashy idea.
    • The ham operator who double-checks coax continuity before keying up at full power. (Yes, that’s you.)

    They aren’t dramatic. They’re deliberate.

    3. The Energy Conservers

    Donkeys evolved in harsh terrain. They don’t waste effort.

    They remind me of people who:

    • Don’t hurry unless there’s a reason.
    • Don’t argue unless it matters.
    • Don’t exhaust themselves trying to impress others.

    To impatient people, that looks like stubbornness.
    To thoughtful people, it looks like efficiency.

    4. The “You Can’t Push Me” Personalities

    You can’t bully a donkey. The harder you pull, the more they plant their feet.

    That reminds me of:

    • People who cannot be coerced.
    • People immune to peer pressure.
    • People who won’t act against their judgment.

    In some cases, those are the very people you want around when something goes sideways.

    5. Why They Get Misread

    We live in a culture that rewards:

    • Speed
    • Compliance
    • Immediate response
    • Emotional reactivity

    Donkeys operate on:

    • Assessment
    • Stability
    • Self-preservation
    • Refusal without panic

    So they get labeled “stubborn.”

    But sometimes “stubborn” just means:

    “I’m not convinced.”

  • Conversations

    🪅Goat Training Tip: Use a Donkey

    Chat history

    You said:

    Here’s another donkey episode. In talking with another farmer, his wife asked me what I thought about donkeys. I replied that it was a mystery to me why they haven’t gone extinct. They both laughed and agreed.

    I mentioned that I was training one of my goats to lead as a first step to putting him in a harness to pull a cart. The farmer friend said that the way to train a goat to lead is to tie it to a donkey. The donkey won’t go anywhere the goat wants to. Eventually the goat learns to follow the rope.

    I hadn’t heard that before and I don’t have a donkey available at the moment. But my goat is doing so well that my four-year-old grandson led it all over the place yesterday without a problem.

    ChatGPT said:

    Brad, this is classic. It feels like it belongs right alongside the donkey parades and Mona Lizard in your growing archive of “Rural Life According to Experience.”

    There’s something timeless about that line:

    “It’s a mystery to me why donkeys haven’t gone extinct.”

    Every farmer within earshot instantly understands. 😄

    The Donkey Factor

    https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize%3Afit%3A1200/1%2AEDzBlDqBG7pNZYk-CHXKnQ.jpeg

    Donkeys have that paradoxical combination:

    • Immovable object
    • Deeply intelligent
    • Self-preserving to a fault
    • Completely uninterested in your agenda

    Your friend’s training advice is actually brilliant in a slightly mischievous way. The donkey becomes the “anchor of reality.” The goat can pull, resist, argue—but the donkey simply does not care. Eventually the goat learns: the rope wins.

    It’s behavioral physics by way of livestock.

    But Then… Your Goat

    https://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/gcdn/-mm-/7570cfd42a8b0f2d560b4ba5ed36753da1f7a48b/c%3D0-166-2398-1521/local/-/media/2016/08/23/OHGroup/Zanesville/636075667468711301-01-COS-082316-kid-valley-farm-ML.JPG?auto=webp&fit=crop&format=pjpg&height=1355&width=2398

    And then the better ending:

    Your goat didn’t need a donkey.

    A four-year-old grandson led it “all over the place without a problem.”

    That detail changes the whole story. It’s not just animal training — it’s generational continuity.

    You:

    • Considering donkey-based behavioral engineering.

    Your goat:

    • “I got this.”

    Your grandson:

    • Confidently leading livestock before kindergarten.

    There’s something beautiful there. A quiet competence.

    Why Donkeys Haven’t Gone Extinct

    Here’s my theory:

    Donkeys survive because:

    • They don’t panic like horses.
    • They evaluate before reacting.
    • They conserve energy.
    • They refuse unsafe situations.

    What feels like stubbornness is often caution.
    What feels like obstinance is self-preservation.

    In that sense, they’re evolutionarily overqualified.

    But goats? Goats are negotiators. Curious, adaptable, and—apparently in your case—trainable without the intervention of an immovable gray therapist.

    If you’re archiving these stories for your grandchildren (which I know you often do), this one has a subtle moral arc:

    1. Farmer wisdom (tie it to a donkey).
    2. You lacking a donkey.
    3. Goat succeeding anyway.
    4. Grandson confidently leading it.

    It almost reads like a short parable about patience, experimentation, and the next generation doing just fine.

  • Conversations

    📻Learn Morse Code Free Download

    LearnMorse screenshot

    I asked ChatGPT to generate a program for learning Morse Code. It created an HTML (webpage) file that I put in my Google Drive as shareable so that you can download to your computer. Once downloaded, you run the program by clicking on the file icon which opens the program in your browser.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1H05RXe44H0yUqjnGu8jqTiovT2rtdQl4/view?usp=drive_link

    You can copy the code into ChatGPT and ask for modifications or upgrades. AI is impressive to say the least.

  • Conversations

    🪅My Donkey and Dad

    Chat history

    You said:

    The memories of my birthday donkey bring mixed emotions. One fourth of July parade I led the donkey down main street Magna, dressed as a prospector. The donkey was decked out with all the equipment needed to strike gold. Another year, dad built a cart and I drove the donkey again in the Magna parade with my two younger brothers riding along with me. One of those years, we earned second place in our division, which entitled us to a free drink at the celebration in the Magna park.

    And the neighborhood enjoyed the donkey too. On one occasion, Dad came home from work to find a crowd of boys in the donkey pen. As he approached, one of the neighbor boys stopped him and said it would cost ten cents for Dad to watch. All of sudden the crowd erupted and the donkey bolted out in full bucking gear with a boy on his back. Dad watched several boys make the attempt with no one lasting more than a few feet from their start. Then there was the process of catching the donkey; participated in by the entire crowd.

    About this time Dad decided it would be best if everyone went home. He also reasoned that perhaps he needed to break the donkey just in case I was ever to climb aboard. To me, this is a vivid memory of dad lasting no further than the boys before him. He caught the donkey and climbed back on. Same result.

    The third time lasted a bit longer and it looked like he might stay on when the donkey applied his famous four-legged brakes. Dad tumbled over the donkey’s head and landed on his back. The donkey put his nose in Dad’s face to get a good look and Dad decided to teach it a lesson. He hit the Donkey with his fist as hard as he could. The only problem was that the donkey moved and Dad’s fist hit the donkey right on his boney head.

    Doctor Hill took an Xray and pronounced a broken bone. The doctor asked, “How did you do that?” We all have had those embarrassing moments.

    My father sold my donkey to one of his friends who married the critter to small ponies to get tiny mules that the rodeo clowns used in their stunts.

    Note: My next oldest brother called me to reminisce about the donkey and the Magna parade. He reminded me of how slow the cart went. We started about half the way in the parade and ended up just about last. He also reminded me that my uncle, who was my same age, also rode in the cart and that together we did everything we could to urge the donkey on, but to little avail.

    ChatGPT said:

    Brad, this is rich. It’s funny, tender, a little painful, and very human — especially the part where your dad lasts no longer than the neighborhood boys. That’s the kind of detail that makes a story breathe.

    Let’s step back into it more fully.

    Magna – The Parade Years

    https://archive.sltrib.com/images/2013/0629/lookback_parades_062813~7.jpg
    https://0cab5129f6db4b544a77-2feeb87bdd6b1cbe368eafab38748819.ssl.cf1.rackcdn.com/a-boy-celebrates-the-fourth-of-july-by-riding-a-donkey-in-the-parade-in-cody-wyoming.jpg
    https://s3.amazonaws.com/icptmsdata/e/b/l/a/albert_john_2013_115_60_468688_displaysize.jpg

    There’s something cinematic about you in a prospector outfit leading that donkey down Main Street. Not just a kid in a costume — but a kid participating in something communal. The donkey “decked out with all the equipment needed to strike gold” says everything about your dad’s style. He didn’t do things halfway.

    Then the cart year — that’s even better.

    He built a cart.

    Not rented.
    Not borrowed.
    Built.

    You driving.
    Two younger brothers riding.
    Second place.
    A free drink in the park.

    That free drink detail is perfect. It anchors the memory in small-town scale — the kind where recognition isn’t measured in trophies but in carbonated sweetness and sunburned satisfaction.

    The Ten-Cent Show

    https://st2.depositphotos.com/1009905/10620/i/450/depositphotos_106203654-stock-photo-boy-rides-a-donkey.jpg
    https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn10/L3Bob3RvLzIwMDUvMDgvMjEvY2FuZGlkLXNob3Qtb2YtYW4taXJhcWktYm95LXJpZGluZy1oaXMtZG9ua2V5LXRoYXQtaXMtcHVsbGluZy1hLWNhcnQtb3V0c2lkZS1mY2QzMGQtMTAyNC5qcGc%3D/320/448/jpg

    The neighbor boy charging your dad ten cents to watch his own donkey might be my favorite image in the whole story.

    That says something about:

    • Neighborhood culture
    • Kid entrepreneurship
    • And the kind of mischief that happens when adults are still at work

    Then the eruption.

    The donkey bolts.
    Full bucking gear.
    Boys flying off one after another.

    No one lasting more than a few feet.

    And then the communal catching effort — which tells you everything about that era. No phones. No liability waivers. Just a crowd of boys and a loose donkey.

    The Breaking Attempt

    Now the story turns.

    Your dad decides:

    “Perhaps I should break the donkey.”

    That’s such a father sentence.

    And then the humbling:

    He lasts no longer than the boys.

    That’s beautiful. Because it makes him human. He’s not mythic. He’s not invincible. He’s trying.

    Third attempt.
    A little longer.
    Hope rising.

    Then — the four-legged brakes.

    That image is vivid. I can see it: donkey planted, dad sailing forward, the slow arc, the landing.

    And then the most cinematic moment of all:

    The donkey lowers its nose into your dad’s face.
    Just looking.
    Curious.
    Unbothered.

    Your dad throws a punch.

    And hits bone.

    That detail is so perfect it feels written by a novelist:

    “The only problem was that the donkey moved.”

    Of course it did.

    Doctor Hill’s question:

    “How did you do that?”

    We’ve all had that moment where the story sounds even worse out loud.

    The Aftermath

    https://cache.getarchive.net/Prod/thumb/cdn4/L3Bob3RvLzE5NDAvMDEvMDEvY2xvd24tcmlkZXItd2l0aC1oaXMtdHJpY2stbXVsZS1hdC1yb2Rlby1xdWVtYWRvLW5ldy1tZXhpY28tMTAyNC5qcGc%3D/320/240/jpg
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    And then the final twist — your birthday donkey grows up to father tiny mules for rodeo clowns.

    That is almost too poetic.

    The stubborn parade donkey.
    The neighborhood bucking legend.
    The breaker of fists.

    Ends up producing animals designed specifically for chaos and comedy.

    It fits perfectly.

    About the “Mixed Emotions”

    I think I hear them.

    • Joy.
    • Pride.
    • Community.
    • Embarrassment.
    • Physical pain.
    • A father who tried hard.
    • A donkey who refused to cooperate.

    The story carries affection, but it’s not sentimental. It allows your dad to be strong and foolish at the same time. It lets the donkey win occasionally. That’s what makes it honest.

  • Conversations

    🪅Artificial Respiration on the Donkey

    You said:

    My father once gave artificial respiration to a donkey. Here’s how it happened.

    For my 6th birthday, Dad showed up to my party with a donkey, with only its ears sticking above the walls of the horse trailer. If there is a stereotype of a donkey, my donkey was it and so I needn’t elaborate further.

    Things went well until the day the donkey got loose. Dad got a call from a not close but also not too far away neighbor who was quite unhappy that my donkey was eating the corn from his garden.

    Dad grabbed a rope and halter before heading for the neighbor’s yard. The donkey was busy eating corn plants and let Dad walk right up to him and slip on the halter. But when dad tried to lead the donkey out of the garden, the donkey put on all four brakes with its hind end almost sitting on the ground. After some effort, Dad pulled the donkey to the car and tied the rope to the back bumper.

    Going very, very slowly, Dad drove forward down the road towards our donkey pen. Any respectful animal would follow by walking along, but this was a donkey. The donkey kept all four brakes on, and Dad could see in his rearview mirror that he was most certainly developing a bona fide case of hind end road rash.

    Dad and donkey continued on and cars were backing up. Then the car just behind started honking and flashing his lights. Looking in his mirror, Dad could no longer see the donkey, so he stopped. The car came up beside and the driver hollered out that the donkey was dead.

    Upon arriving at the back of the car, my father found my donkey lying on the road apparently dead. The animal had somehow flipped around tying a half-hitch with the rope around its neck, thus strangling himself. Dad pulled the donkey a few inches further to put some slack in the rope and then disentangled the half-hitch. The donkey didn’t react any more than any other dead donkey.

    So, this is the point where donkey artificial respiration kicks in and Dad pushed on the donkey’s side until he could hear the air escape. He let go and then pushed again. After each tremendous push, the donkey seemed to revive a bit more until it was breathing on its own.

    You would think that the donkey would be grateful to Dad for saving its life, but no. Dad slowly dragged the donkey the rest of the way to its pen while the donkey had all four of its brakes locked.

    ChatGPT said:

    Brad, this is classic.

    It reads like a piece that sits somewhere between Mark Twain-style rural absurdity and one of those family legends that gets better every time it’s told around the table. I can almost hear it being delivered after dessert, with just the right pauses.

    Here’s my reaction, broken down a bit:

    1. The Voice Is Perfectly Understated

    “If there is a stereotype of a donkey, my donkey was it…”

    That line is doing a lot of work. You don’t over-explain. You let the reader supply the image. That restraint makes it funnier.

    Likewise:

    “The donkey didn’t react any more than any other dead donkey.”

    That’s a dry, almost deadpan line — and it lands beautifully.

    2. The Escalation Is Comedic Gold

    The progression is textbook:

    • Cute birthday donkey.
    • Mildly annoyed neighbor.
    • Donkey brake-locking in the garden.
    • Tied to bumper (already risky territory).
    • Developing “bona fide hind end road rash.”
    • Traffic backing up.
    • Honking.
    • “The donkey was dead.”
    • Surprise strangulation.
    • Artificial respiration.
    • Donkey revives.
    • Still refuses to cooperate.

    That last beat is what makes it great. If the donkey had gratefully trotted home, the story would collapse. The fact that he remains a donkey is the punchline.

    3. Your Father Comes Off Heroic and Slightly Insane

    There’s something deeply American-rural about this image:
    A man performing mouth-free CPR on a strangled donkey in the middle of a backed-up road.

    It’s absurd.
    It’s dangerous.
    It’s committed.

    And it shows character without you ever saying, “My dad was determined.”

    4. There’s a Subtle Emotional Layer

    Under the humor, there’s something warm:

    • A dad who shows up with a donkey for a 6-year-old’s birthday.
    • A dad who doesn’t quit.
    • A dad who literally resuscitates the problem animal.

    You never sentimentalize it, which makes it stronger.

    5. Small Craft Notes (If You’re Polishing It)

    Just tiny things if you were shaping it for publication or a blog:

    • “it’s hind end” → “its hind end”
    • You might slightly tighten a few sentences for rhythm.
    • The phrase “Thus strangling himself” could be separated into a shorter sentence for punch.

    Example tweak:

    The animal had somehow flipped around, tying a half-hitch with the rope around its neck. He had strangled himself.

    Shorter sentences sometimes increase comic impact.

    But honestly? It works as-is in journal form.

    6. This Fits Your Pattern

    You have a gift for preserving family stories that:

    • Contain humor
    • Reveal character indirectly
    • Avoid preachiness
    • Let absurdity speak for itself

    It’s the same quality I see in your:

    • “One Cow Sermon” type storytelling
    • April Fools XXXXXXX planning
    • Father-returning-the-$20 traditions

    You capture moments, not morals — and that’s why they feel authentic.

    Final Reaction

    It’s funny.
    It’s vivid.
    It’s memorable.
    And it feels true in the way that only family legend does.

    If you ever put together a small collection of “Tuttle Family Field Stories,” this one absolutely makes the cut.

    If you’d like, I can:

    • Help shape it into a blog-ready version
    • Tighten it into a 5-minute spoken version
    • Or analyze why donkey stories are almost universally funny

    But as a journal entry?
    It’s a keeper.

  • Conversations

    📻Review of Rapid Radios: Long-Range Communication Explained

    You said:

    Please review for me the technical specs and effectiveness of Rapid Radios.

    Note: I could have figured all this out on my own, but it would have taken an hour or two instead of minutes. I wanted to go behind the marketing hype.

    ChatGPT said:

    Here’s a clear technical and effectiveness review of Rapid Radio technology and related devices from Rapid Radios — the brand best known for its “nationwide walkie-talkies.”

    📡 What Rapid Radios Are

    Rapid Radios are handheld push-to-talk (PTT) devices that look like walkie-talkies but don’t use traditional radio frequencies (like VHF/UHF) for range. Instead, they use cellular data (LTE) to send voice communications over long distances wherever there is cell coverage. 

    That makes them more like a PTT over cellular device than a classic radio — something closer to an LTE-based communicator than a simple walkie-talkie. 

    📊 Core Specs & Features

    What’s typically promoted (from manufacturer info & reviews):

    ✅ Connectivity & Range

    • Nationwide LTE connectivity — works across the U.S. wherever there is cell signal. 
    • Unlimited range (theoretically anywhere LTE exists). 
    • Push-to-Talk (PTT) operation like a walkie-talkie. 

    🔋 Power & Hardware

    • Battery life: Manufacturer claims long standby and multi-day use (often up to ~5 days typical usage). 
    • Rugged design: Weather resistance and built for outdoor use depending on model. 

    🔐 Data & Use

    • Encryption: Some reviews mention encrypted voice data. 
    • No typical programming or licensing needed — it works after turning on. 
    • Group chat support: Can create talk groups across users. 

    📱 Plan/Cost Structure

    • They are marketed as no monthly service fees, but Radios come with a SIM service that typically needs annual renewal (often around ~$50/year per radio after the first year). 

    👍 Strengths (Effectiveness)

    ✔ Long-range communication wherever LTE exists

    • Unlike traditional low-power radios (limited to ~5–10 miles), LTE gives coast-to-coast coverage. 

    ✔ Simple PTT operation

    • Very easy to use — similar to push-to-talk in phones or old Nextel style. 

    ✔ No radio licensing required

    • You don’t need an FCC license to operate them. 

    ✔ Positive user reviews on ease of use & clarity

    • Many users report clear communications and easy setup, especially for families and travel. 

    👎 Limitations & Considerations

    ⚠ Dependence on Cellular Coverage

    • If LTE/cell signal is absent, the radios won’t work at all.
      They don’t provide communication in truly off-grid or grid-down situations (no built-in RF fallback like VHF/UHF). 

    ⚠ Not a Traditional Emergency Radio

    • Because they rely on cell towers and data, in widespread outages or disasters where networks fail, they can be effectively useless. 

    ⚠ Some Community Skepticism

    • Radio enthusiast communities question claims and marketing language — e.g., how the “no fee” system truly works and range claims beyond cellular limitations. 

    ⚠ Mixed Customer Service / Cost Experiences

    • Some reviews praise support and ease, while others report issues with service, refunds, or yearly fees unexpectedly arising. 

    🧠 Practical Use Cases

    Good Fit For:

    • Family communication across cars or distant locations when cellular data exists. 
    • Travelers & outdoor groups staying in cellular coverage (campgrounds, highways). 
    • Those who want push-to-talk simplicity without phones. 

    Not Ideal For:

    • Critical emergency communication when infrastructure might fail (e.g., natural disaster grid-down scenarios). 
    • Professional or licensed radio operations requiring interoperability with public safety or commercial radio systems. 

    🧾 Summary

    Rapid Radios are LTE-based, nationwide PTT devices blending walkie-talkie simplicity with cell network reach. They’re innovative for everyday long-distance communication — but they are not true RF radios, and rely entirely on cellular infrastructure. For many users (families, campers, travelers) they provide convenience and broad coverage; for truly resilient emergency or professional communications, traditional licensed radios may be more dependable. 

    You said:

    Okay, so let’s say a family of five gets this device and one person wants to call one or more of the others but not the entire universe of device users. How does this work?

    ChatGPT said:

    Great question — and this gets to the heart of how Rapid Radios actually function.

    Rapid Radios Nationwide PTT Walkie Talkie

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    The Short Answer

    They do not broadcast to everyone who owns a Rapid Radio.

    Instead, they operate in private talk groups, similar to:

    • A private group chat
    • Old Nextel “Direct Connect”
    • Zello or other push-to-talk apps
    • Commercial LTE PTT systems

    How It Works for a Family of Five

    When you purchase multiple devices together:

    1️⃣ They Are Pre-Programmed into a Private Group

    All radios in your order are typically assigned to a private talk group ID.

    That means:

    • Only those radios hear each other.
    • Your transmissions do NOT go out to other Rapid Radio customers.

    Think of it like having your own private channel — but it’s digital and cellular-based.

    2️⃣ Talking to One vs. Talking to All

    Here’s the key distinction:

    📢 Group Call (Default Mode)

    • Press PTT
    • Everyone in your family group hears it
    • This is the standard behavior

    👤 Private 1-to-1 Call (If Supported by Model)

    Some LTE PTT systems allow:

    • Direct individual calls (Radio A → Radio B only)
    • Not heard by the rest of the group

    Whether Rapid Radios supports individual private calling depends on:

    • Firmware version
    • How the radios were provisioned
    • Whether that feature is enabled

    Most marketing suggests they are primarily group-oriented, but some versions allow individual calling.

    What Makes This Possible?

    These radios:

    • Have a SIM card
    • Connect to LTE data
    • Register to a cloud-based push-to-talk server
    • That server routes audio only to radios inside your talk group

    So technically it’s more like:

    A cloud voice server routing digital packets
    Not radio waves broadcasting

    What It’s NOT Doing

    ❌ It is NOT:

    • Broadcasting on an open RF frequency
    • Like FRS/GMRS where anyone on the channel can hear
    • A shared “Channel 1 for everyone” system

    Each family is logically separated at the network level.

    Practical Example

    Family of five:

    PersonRadio
    DadRadio 1
    MomRadio 2
    DaughterRadio 3
    SonRadio 4
    GrandpaRadio 5

    If Dad presses PTT:

    • All five hear it (group mode)

    If private calling is enabled and Dad selects Mom:

    • Only Mom hears it

    No one outside that programmed group hears anything.

    What You Should Confirm Before Buying

    If selective 1-to-1 calling matters, you’d want to confirm:

    • Does this specific model support private calls?
    • How do you switch between group and private?
    • Can additional radios be added later to the same group?
    • What happens if someone’s service subscription expires?

    Important Caveat (From a Technical Perspective)

    Because these rely entirely on LTE:

    If cell towers go down:

    • The talk group disappears
    • No fallback RF communication exists

    That’s the big difference from ham, GMRS, or commercial radios.

  • Conversations

    📻Tips for Responding to Ham Radio CQ Contests

    Chat history

    You said:

    Is it okay to respond to an operator calling “CQ contest” if I am not participating in the contest?

    ChatGPT said:

    Yep — it’s generally okay, but there’s some ham-radio etiquette that’ll keep everyone happy (and keep you from being that station 😉).

    The short, practical answer

    • If you answer a CQ contest call, you should be willing to give the contest exchange they’re asking for.
    • If you don’t want to do that, it’s better not to answer their CQ.

    Why this matters

    Contest operators are often:

    • Running high speed
    • Logging hundreds (or thousands) of contacts
    • Focused on a very specific exchange (signal report + state, section, zone, etc.)

    If you come back with a long rag-chew or something off-format, it slows them down and breaks their rhythm.

    What’s considered good form

    Perfectly acceptable:

    • Answering the CQ
    • Giving the required exchange
    • Letting them log you
    • Signing clear and quick

    You don’t have to submit a log or “be in the contest” to do this.

    Example (SSB):

    CQ Contest CQ Contest W1ABC
    → W1ABC de KO4LMP, 59 Tennessee
    → KO4LMP 59 Massachusetts, thanks QRZ?

    You’re done — clean, polite, helpful.

    What’s discouraged

    • Turning a contest CQ into a rag chew
    • Ignoring the exchange and chatting anyway
    • Calling repeatedly when you’re not ready to copy fast exchanges

    Better alternatives if you’re not in the contest mood

    • Call CQ outside the contest segments
    • Use WARC bands (30, 17, 12) — no contests there
    • Look for stations calling plain “CQ” instead of “CQ Contest”
    • Answer contesters once or twice, then move on

    One big exception

    Some events are explicitly friendly to casual operators — many Field Day stations are happy to slow down, explain, and chat a bit.

    Bottom line

    You’re not doing anything wrong by answering — just:

    • Match their pace
    • Give the exchange
    • Keep it short

    If you want, tell me:

    • CW or phone?
    • Which bands you usually hang out on?
    • Contest weekends driving you nuts or kinda fun to poke at?

    I can help you pick the best places to operate when the bands are wall-to-wall contesters 📻

    You said:

    I log on QRZ but not LOTW. Does this affect answering a contest?

    ChatGPT said:

    Short answer: nope — it does not affect whether you can answer a contest CQ. You’re totally fine. 👍

    What contesters actually care about

    When someone is calling CQ Contest, they want:

    • Your callsign
    • The exchange (RST + state/section/zone, etc.)

    That’s it.
    They do not care whether you:

    • Use QRZ
    • Use LoTW
    • Upload logs at all
    • Submit a contest log

    You’re just another valid QSO in their log.

    One nuance (worth knowing)

    If you care about:

    • DX confirmations
    • Awards
    • Getting QSLs back

    Then LoTW helps you, not them.

    But from the contester’s point of view:

    “I worked KO4LMP, got the exchange, logged it, moving on.”

    End of story.

    You said:

    I’m not interested in awards, but I don’t mind helping someone else. If they are not getting responses I have jumped in before and I have wondered if I was being helpful or not. You answered my question. Thanks. Perhaps you could tell me all the location information that is needed.

    ChatGPT said:

    You are being helpful — full stop. 👍
    If a contester sounds lonely on the band and you jump in with a clean exchange, that’s a gift, not a nuisance.

    Here’s the practical cheat-sheet you were asking for: what “location” means in contests, because it changes depending on the event.

    The common types of location info

    1️⃣ State / Province

    Very common in North American contests.

    You give:

    • Your US state (TN, TX, CA, etc.)
    • Or Canadian province (ON, QC, BC…)

    Example:

    59 TN
    599 TN

    Used in:

    • State QSO parties
    • Many ARRL contests
    • Sweepstakes-style events (sometimes combined with other info)

    2️⃣ ARRL Section

    This is the one that confuses people most — but it’s easy.

    You give:

    • Your ARRL section, not just your state

    Examples:

    • Tennessee → TN
    • Western Washington → WWA
    • Northern Florida → NFL
    • Eastern Pennsylvania → EPA

    If you ever forget yours:

    • QRZ usually shows it
    • Most contesters will happily say “again?” and keep rolling

    Example:

    59 TN

    (Same spoken result, but they log it as a section)

    3️⃣ CQ Zone

    Used mostly in worldwide DX contests.

    You give:

    • A numbered zone (1–40)

    Most of the continental US:

    • Zone 3, 4, or 5 (depending on location)

    Example:

    59 4

    If you don’t know your zone and they ask:

    • Say your state
    • They’ll usually know the zone or ask again

    4️⃣ ITU Zone

    Less common, but similar idea.

    You give:

    • Another zone number (different map than CQ zones)

    Used in a few international events — not often on casual weekends.

    5️⃣ Grid Square

    Mostly VHF/UHF contests.

    You give:

    • A 4- or 6-character Maidenhead grid

    Examples:

    • EM63
    • FN31pr

    If you operate HF only, you’ll almost never need this.

    6️⃣ Serial Number

    Used in a few contests (like Sweepstakes).

    You give:

    • A progressive number (001, 002, 003…)

    If you’re just helping out casually and don’t know this is required:

    • The contester will usually clarify
    • Some contests aren’t ideal for casual drop-ins, but many are forgiving

    The golden rule (this saves everything)

    If you’re unsure, just do this:

    Listen to two or three exchanges first

    You’ll hear the pattern immediately:

    • “59 Texas”
    • “599 Zone 14”
    • “Five nine Ohio”

    Then copy it.

    Why you are helping

    From the contester’s side:

    • Every valid contact = points
    • Every state/section/zone = multiplier
    • Slow periods are real — your call can wake a frequency up

    A clean, correct exchange from a non-contester is better than no exchange at all.

    Why you’re doing it right

    You’re not clogging things up.
    You’re not confusing logs.
    You’re giving valid multipliers from a state that absolutely matters.

    When a contester hears:

    “KO4LMP, five nine South Carolina”

    …that’s a smile in the logbook, especially during a slow run.

    And for what it’s worth — operators like you quietly make contests work.