August 11, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter
Did you just subscribe in the past week? TNX as we say in Morse. I'll do my best to save you lots of time and sweet moola in this and future newsletters.
You might be an older, not age mind you, subscriber. Thanks for sticking around and this issue might astound you. As Kenny Chesney says in his hit song, "only time will tell, but it ain't talkin' ".
Do You Think Critically?
What is critical thinking? I define it as stepping back when confronted with a problem and considering the possibilities and secondary reactions to a solution.
What the HECK does that mean, Tim?????
Here's an example. You have a roof leak around a chimney and a young roofer shows up to fix it.
He comes down the ladder after surveying the situation and goes to his truck to get a tube of caulk. You ask him, "Is caulk the best material to stop the leak?"
He answers, "Oh yes, I've been caulking leaks like this for nine months now with no issues."
Then it hits you. A voice in your head whispers, "I don't want to ruin your day, but back 200 years ago when they built those cathedrals in Europe with the steep roofs they didn't have caulk. What do you think those roofers did to keep the roof timbers dry?"
That's some critical thinking.
Several days ago I got an email from Jim down in Boca Raton, FL. Here's what he said:
"I've seen advertisements for systems to spray water on A/C condenser units which in theory use evaporative cooling to assist the cooling of the refrigerant in the condenser coils. I can see why it might help but is it a good idea?"
Jim started the critical-thinking process and then decided to get a second opinion. Good for him! My guess is his gut didn't feel the company was telling the whole truth in their ad.
I've done expert testimony work for nearly twenty years and you know that a half-truth is a whole lie, right? That's why when I'm sworn in during a deposition or courtroom appearance I have to say, "I swear to tell the truth, the WHOLE truth, and nothing but the truth."
Let's take the next step in Jim's situation. I'd step back and ask these questions out loud. When I do this sometimes, my wife Kathy is convinced she's married to a fool.
#1. I wonder what the owners manual has to say about spraying my AC condenser unit with water? After all, it does get rain on it, so it might not hurt it!
#2. Hmmm, I wonder if the water coming out of my hose is the same as rain water? After all, I get hard water stains on my faucets inside but I don't recall seeing them on my car after a rain shower? That's interesting......
#3. I get my water for free (well not totally since I have to pay a tiny amount for electric to power the well pump) since I'm on a well but others have city water that might be expensive. I wonder if I'll really be SAVING MONEY on my AC electric bill by SPENDING MONEY in extra water usage?
If you don't know all the questions to ask when it's time to do critical thinking, I can help you out. Don't forget about my simple private phone consulting service.
Small Speaker - BIG Sound
A few weeks ago, I got this speaker so I could amplify the sound coming out of my low-powered amateur radio. That's a pretty specialized use, but hang in here with me.
Let's say you want to listen to some tunes out in your garage, on your deck, next to your pool, etc.
Your smartphone has Bluetooth and you've either got stored music on your phone or you subscribe to a streaming music service.
This dandy Klein wireless speaker will make you feel like you're at a Def Leppard concert, or maybe some other band.
CLICK or TAP HERE to see lots of other photos and to see why I LOVE LOVE LOVE this little speaker.
Tim, What Books Do You Read?
I used to share with you the books I read at night before I go to Sleep Land.
I decided to create a page on AsktheBuilder.com and put all my favorite reads there. I just built it this morning and have to add MANY more, but I've got a good start for you.
CLICK or TAP HERE to see what holds my attention and interest. I'll add quite a few more by next week. You may want to bookmark this page BTW and check in every few weeks.
Cleaning Tips Series
Kathy and I are devoting LOTS more time to the Stain Solver business.
We launched Stain Solver back in 1996 I think. I can look up when we applied for the trademark.
Stain Solver is a certified organic multi-purpose cleaner. The two pure ingredients are made in the USA. We blend them together and fill the bottles in a Chicago facility.
You may have used Stain Solver for years, but for cleaning only ONE THING.
I've made a HUGE MISTAKE by not sharing with you ALL the HUNDREDS of things you can renew using Stain Solver.
Well, I began to correct that mistake last week. I started to build a very cool cleaning tips series where you get a FREE NEW short cleaning tip every three days in your email inbox. I decided on every three days as I didn't want to overload you.
You can save HUNDREDS of dollars by salvaging something you thought was ruined. You can save HUNDREDS of dollars cleaning something yourself with Stain Solver that you might hire a pro to do. Hundreds of Stain Solver customers have done this.
I URGE you to sign up for this cleaning tip series because I GUARANTEE you'll get a tip one day and say, "You've GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!!! I had NO IDEA I could clean that so easily!"
CLICK or TAP HERE to sign up for the FREE series.
Here's an example of one of the tips. Imagine getting this photo in your Inbox:
CLICK or TAP HERE to see what Kelly's gross t-shirt looked like AFTER SOAKING it in Stain Solver.
That's enough for a Sunday morning.
I'll be wearing a new real bowtie - one you have to tie - to church this morning. It was given to me by a stranger last week. It's a gorgeous tie with lilacs on it. I'm the head usher at church and people compliment me all the time on my ties, especially when I wear my flag one.
Tim Carter
Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com
Certified Organic Clean Person of Interest - www.StainSolver.com
Invisible Adventure Man - www.W3ATB.com
P.S. Boy did I have a great adventure back a few days ago. Cannon Mountain!