The Wrack Line Blog: Oregon Beach Info, along with Unique, Informative, and Often Philosophical, Articles
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In a world where you can't read much of anything without a subscription, and/or you must try to read while
pestered by increasingly intrusive and insistent advertizing, the Wracklineblog remains freely given
for your enjoyment, education, mental and physical health, and just good cheer. |
Monthly Essay, Music, and Scenic Picture Below
What's NEW in the Wrackline blog?
UPDATE Home Theater Made Simple. I have updated the section that discusses what to do in the case of NO AUDIO. The section is now named "Jimmie's Guide on Solving "No Sound" Problems."
UPDATE Jimmie's iPhone Camera: Added new sections for IOS 26.
UPDATE Jimmie's iPhone Battery Optimize: Added new sections for IOS 26. NOTE: Many battery saving recommendations have significant privacy consequences, including Location Services, Background App Refresh, "In-App Web Browsing", and the like. So this article is actually about a lot more than charging less often!
My music is now available on Bandcamp!
On my Bandcamp site, you will now find 10 tracks. Most of these might be called "ambient" - what used
to be called "New Age" in the distant past. These are quiet and melodic, guaranteed to put you in the creative Zone.
No beat, no "light rock", no jazz. Just pads, harmonies, and lots of chords.
May I recommend "Quiet Music" and "Ambient 16".
In addition, I have spent last December and January composing 5 new Christmas releases!
"Christmas Medley 2": Greensleeves; O Come, O Come Emmanuel
"Christmas Medley 3": Pat-a-Pan; Between the Ox and the Grey Donkey
"Christmas Medley 4": Bring the Torch, Jeanette, Isabella; In the Bleak Midwinter
"Christmas St Basil"
"Bell Carols"
I think you will find them to be quite delightful. I offer one of them at the bottom of the picture below.
Here's the link: Jimmie's Ambients"
RECENT: Growing Blueberries. Added a complete description on building your own PVC pipe and mesh enclosure to keep out the birds, rabbits, and squirrels.
Check Out "Deciphering Light Bulbs": Added information on the type of LED bulb that can withstand being put into recessed light fixtures, along with "extenders" that help with heat dissipation. It's at the bottom of the article.
Check Out Jimmie's Guide to (Easily) Setting Up a New iPhone/iPad. This is an article describing some VERY IMPORTANT things that should be done before starting a Setup and Transfer of Data from an existing device to a new one.
Check Out The Electoral College This is an article written on the day after the 2024 election, and is intended to show why the Electoral College elects our President based in large part on the vote of just seven states.
Check Out Installing Wall LIghts. This is an extensive article detailing how you can add some wall sconces/lights. It shows how to add an additional light switch to an existing light switch box, among many other things.
Check Out The Common Cold I offer a comprehensive description, including the "little" details, on handling a cold and particularly, The Cough.
Check Out Coal Tar Compounding Added a completely new and much simpler method of compounding your own coal tar compound.
Check Out Jimmie's Guide to Creating a Rock Border Elevated Garden Bed. Here I show how to create your own elevated garden. You can do this when you have really lousy dirt or want to grow some plants which require rich, friable soil (and almost all plants do).
Check Out Jimmie's Guide to HVAC Systems. I offer some information on the relative cost of replacing your whole HVAC system, with emphasis on Heat Pumps and their (significant) advantages. Included is a description, with some excellent graphics, on how heat pumps and air conditioners actually work.
Check Out "Growing Blueberries". Added new information on optimizing harvesting, and how to grow bigger blueberries.
Check Out "Growing Hebe Plants". Added 3 new varietals, along with picture updates showing hebes after 4 years of growth.
Check Out "Change Your Assumptions". Added a third example of how our assumptions can really interfere with our success in finding solutions.
Check Out "How to Build a Fence". Added some information on how to keep your new fence from turning grey after a few months.
Check Out "Assorted Useful Items". Added Light Bulb Socket Extenders. These are about 2 inches long, and will lower the bulb in ceiling "can" fixtures. This greatly extends the life of bulbs by reducing their ambient heat, and gives more light to your rooms.
Check Out "Jimmie's iPhone Battery Tips". This is a comprehensive article on optimizing the iPhone battery life (and simultaneously reducing Cellular Data and significantly enhancing Privacy).
Check Out "Jimmie's iPhone Camera Tips". I have rewritten my previous article "iPhone Camera Tips" to include the remarkable camera in the iPhone 15. Example: You can use "Live Photo" to create a Long Exposure effect. Another example: You can edit camera settings just like you would do on a pro SLR camera. And one more: You can (with the iPhone 15) "Digital" zoom to 10x, and the results are almost identical to "Optical Zoom"!!
RECENT: Schizophrenia is not a disease. For many years, I have wanted to write this very personal essay. It represents a unique and different take on schizophrenia, depresssion, and other "mental" issues, based on a lifetime of personal observations and journal entries. You won't find standard medical definitions here!
Also, Check Out a related article: "Medical Science and Worry". Here I discuss Health and Spiritual trust vs Medical Science and measurement (and worry). It's under "Health and Nutrition".
Check Out Creating Graphics with Powerpoint. Want to create your own graphics for a class book, a technical article, or for your blog? You can create virtually everything you might need with Microsoft Powerpoint.
Check Out Amazon is Actually Indispensible Some (perhaps well-meaning) regulators want to break Amazon. I would assert that this would actually hurt many consumers, particularly those who live in rural areas. An article on this is under the link "Essays".
Check Out the four articles on Vegetarian nutrition and breakfast/lunch "recipes", for more readable layout, and some extra information. They're under "Health and Nutrition"
Check Out "An Assortment of Useful Items". Over the years I have discovered many useful items (or useful amounts for ordinary items).
Bangages in packages of 100 of the same size
Mechanical pencils (pkg of 12), pencil leads (pkg of 144, "2B" rather than "HB")
Pencil erasers that you can cut to size
And many more!
Check out "Jimmie's Top 500 Ambients". This is a list of some of the finest QUIET music on the planet.
Check out "Our 'Negative Pension' " This is an article on the Subscription Pandemic. It was written in 2018, and by 2023, just about every entity wants a subscription. Subscriptions have become so common that we now face a substantial and recurring payout of cash - a reverse pension.
Check out "Using a D.I.Y. site to Create a Will". Been putting off creating your Last Will? Here is an article describing my experience using a well-known D.I.Y. provider.
Check out "Replacing NOISY bathroom fans". Replace your noisy "builder grade" bathroom exhaust fan with a QUIET one
Check out "How to Rebuild Toilets". Shows how to completely renew most toilets (fill and flush valves, tank-to-bowl seals), for about $40 instead of $200-$300
Check out "Install Full Length Drawer Slides". Replace those irritating drawer slides that only come out 2/3 of the way.
Check out "Transforming the 'Builder White' Door". Tired of the standard issue "4 Panel Composite Door" - in Builder White? Try staining it. I show how in this article
Check out "Piping Terms Demystified". Do you find it unusually hard to find the right faucet or toilet flexible line? That's because acronyms like "IPS", "MIP", and "MPT" all mean the same thing!
Check out "Growing Hebe Plants". This article shows many varieties of Hebe Plants, which grow well on the West Coast.
Check out "Quick Luches from Scratch". Among other things, it has Instant Pot times for beans, rices, lentils, and others.
Check out "Vertigo Notes". It shows how to handle vertigo and to to even turn it into a positive condition: improved balance.
Check out Our two articles on Music Theory. The will provide a good introduction to the origin of musical scales, "major" and "minor" triads, and chords.
Check out "The Standard Superhero Plot"! It's a spoof on Superhero movies, since every superhero movie has essentially the SAME plot! Look in "Essays".
A NOTE: A longstanding part of this blog was "Entries from Jimmie's Journal." This featured quotes from my journals, which span from 1975 to the present. I have decided to remove this link. Why? Because I am planning to write a book containing these quotes! Please accept my apologies for removing this, but I do hope you will appreciate the book when I finish it. My plan is to self-publish on Amazon!
Some Humor on D.I.Y. Projects
From Journals, 8/23/2021
Here's some Questions and Answers to help you in your next D.I.Y. projects:
How many bags (of river rock/gravel/mulch) do I need?
A: About 10 more than you actually bought.
How much does each bag weigh?
A: About 10 lbs more than you can lift.
Corollary: Just about anybody can lift a bag of dry mulch.
But it's always wet.
On a D.I.Y. scale of 1 – 10, how hard is this project?
A: From manufacturer or internet site: 4
Actual: 9
How much paint do I need for a 10 x 10 room?
A: About 1 qt more than you bought.
OK then: I'll do it scientifically: How many square ft total is a 10 x 10 room
with 9 ft ceiling?
A: About 100 square ft bigger than you caculate (the 1 qt).
There are typically two sizes of ceiling boxes for hanging lights. Which one does
this light fixture fit?
A: The other one.
Will my extension cord reach the nearest outlet? OR: Will the "Shower" setting
on my garden hose sprayer reach the tree I want to water?
A: Both will be about 1 ft too short.
Will a 12 in braided line reach my faucet inlet?
A: No. But the 18 in one you almost picked up at the store will.
"I need some information from a store associate. Can I find one?
Yes you can, but she's currently with a customer who has just asked her to to explain
Wave-Particle Duality in Quantum Physics.
What size nut/bolt/plug/fixture/electrical box/braided line/connector will I need?
A: The one that’s out of stock in the store.
But what if my project can't be completed without it?
Then it'll be out of stock online as well.
Here's an added thought about the item about extension cords and garden hoses being too short:
"How to make yourself appear to be a scientist"
Answer, create a "constant" and name it after yourself.
Scientists use constants all the time. They are essentially Fudge Factors that are used to make their equations
work. For example, Max Plank created an equation for Energy levels:
E=hf
The "h" is Plank's Constant. He uses it to make the equation "fit".
OK. So suppose you were to have investigated the too short cord/hose phenomenon, and you
find that almost all the time it's about 10% too short. In other words, our extension cord or our garden hose always somehow
ends up being 90% of our desired length. You have kept track of enough cases such that you think you can claim that
this is a "law".
So if you are writing an article about Home Improvement, you simply say:
Actual length = 90 % of desired length.
And if you want to look more sophisticated, you might change it into a math equation:
La = 0.9 Ld.
Where La is actual length and Ld is desired length.
Now you are (almost) a scientist.
To make yourself appear as a "real" scientist, you make the 0.9 a constant and name it after yourself!
La = ka Ld.
where ka is "Adams' Length Constant" for extension cords and garden hoses.
That's it! Now you have made yourself a bona-fide scientist!
Netarts Bay with Clouds
Here's my Ambient 9
Ambient 9
Copyright © 2026 J.A.
And here's my Ambient 10
Ambient 10
Copyright © 2026 J.A.
Wrackline "about":
The Wracklineblog started started with the "Hwy 101 Beaches" links. These lead to individual pages covering more than 70 beaches from Astoria, Oregon down to Brookings, Oregon. Each page has beach/park information, usually a picture of the entrance sign, and one or more scenic pictures taken by the author.
Here's an illustrated sample
Over the years, the Wracklineblog has expanded!
Check out all the red links on the right side, including:
"Jimmie's Top 500 Ambients", an exhaustive list of the most moving ambient music.
Photography explained and simplified (for SLR cameras and iPhones).
Very comprehensive articles on Home Improvement, each having unusual and practical tips. Build your own fence, Reface your cabinets, Transform those Builder White doors by staining. Put together a boss Home Theater.
How to successfully grow berries and ornamental shrubs.
A substantial health/nutrition section. Learn how to stay young! Learn how to eliminate muscle pain!
And, you will find a "Going Deeper" section at the end of some of the D.I.Y. articles, offering up ome tidbits and ruminations on self-achievements, self-acceptance and other themes.
"HTML coding" references and a cool HTML color tool.
NOTE: The Wracklineblog may not be exactly "mobile-friendly" (except for the Oregon Beach information!) The term "mobile-friendly" simply means the web designer has excluded content and/or functionality in order to get the site to look good on a tiny screen! The articles here present a great deal of information, and are accompanied with numerous graphics and/or photographs. I highly recommend a tablet, laptop, or desktop in order to get the best experience for this site.
Wrackline "Contact":
(I figured that there should be at least some facility to contact me!) Please do note that I keep myself busy during
my retirement years, and may not be able to reply to all comments, however. Thank you for your interest in The
Wracklineblog.
I'm Jim Adams (graduate from University of Dallas in 1973). I can be reached at wracklineblog(at)gmail.com
Wrackline "AD Policy":
NO ads! NOTHING that moves! Period.
And NO Cookies, either.
However some of the sections have links that will allow you to purchase books and/or other items. For example,
the "Deciphering Light Bulbs" article has a link to purchase a 6 pack of "Cool White" LED lights - hard to find in stores.
And the "New Home Wishlist" article has a link to buy a special Night Light to use for stair lighting. So, if you have an interest
for any of these items, purchasing them by way of these links will provide a little extra income for the author, who is retired.
NOTE: Clicking on these Amazon links takes you to the same location that you would get if you searched for
the item and clicked on it yourself. The security level is the same.
Amazon has an "Associates" package, in which Amazon itself pays a small percentage to the referring web site,
for qualifying purchases. All the payment information is handled entirely by Amazon, completely isolated from any Amazon
"Associate".