Hydraulics: A Case Study in the Failure of American Industrial Leadership
Six parts connecting the leadership argument, my CONEXPO photographs at Chinese manufacturers, Danfoss origin labels and the acquisition investigation.
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Industry, family, travel and everyday life. Choose a subject to explore, or search the collection for a particular place, product or question.
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8 stories and accounts
Industry and business
Who controls the factories, technology and supplier choices behind American equipment? Reporting and analysis on industrial leadership, the Danfoss–Eaton deal, and the capabilities America needs to keep building.
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40 stories and accounts
Cooking and food
Meals at home, food on the road, and recipes saved for another evening. Each account follows its own dish, with the recipe author, place or personal starting point identified where known.
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3 stories and accounts
Nature
The garden, compost and small changes outdoors. Observations close to home, with each season and encounter kept in its own story.
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16 stories and accounts
Travel
Places, journeys and the hours around a workday. Find a trip by destination, reason for visiting or kind of place.
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11 stories and accounts
History and family
Family history starts with people I am connected to. Farm recollections, a wartime diary and stories of skilled work link individual lives to larger events. Begin with a story, then follow the people, places and original records behind it.
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6 stories and accounts
Gaming and entertainment
Gaming has been part of my life for years. These are stories about the systems I’ve owned, the games I’ve enjoyed, time with family and friends, and finding ways to play while traveling.
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16 stories and accounts
Products and ownership
What changes after the purchase: repairs, subscriptions, replacement parts and the occasional disputed bill. These accounts follow the products and services in my life over time.
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How I use AI
My objectives, evolving workflows, and applications of AI across business, technical learning, media, and creative work. These accounts explore how experience and research become decisions, useful outputs, and lessons for the next project.
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13 stories and accounts
Lifestyle
Books, everyday routines, fences, repairs and projects around home. Personal accounts of the things that fit around work and family.
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108 stories and accounts
Danfoss–Eaton: The China Sale and America’s Industrial Interests
The Eaton acquisition, the White Drive divestiture and the separate China sale to Impro—including manufacturing assets, know-how and patent rights.
Explore topicAsia and Europe Hire America’s Sales Talent. U.S. Manufacturers Should Too.
Who hires the Americans with the customer relationships? Five chapters on sales talent, foreign ownership and the commercial capabilities U.S. manufacturers need.
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Nine years with a Weber Spirit
A Father’s Day gift with roughly nine years of use by August 2026: my Weber story follows cooking, wear parts and the unresolved frame repair.
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New Orleans: streetcars and a sunset ferry ride
A river crossing, passing freight traffic and a call home from the boat.
ReadTwo sisters remember Christmas on the Wiseman farm
Two sisters remember Christmas on the Wiseman farm, preserving different views of the same family setting.
ReadSometimes gaming together means watching
Gaming as time with my children, with the shared experience at the center.
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The Hydraulics Industry
Pumps, motors, valves, cylinders, steering and controls: the products and capabilities behind the machines.
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Hydraulic Cylinder Imports: Five Countries, Three Years
Cylinder-import data, the trade case and component-supply questions, with supporting reports in one reading path.
ReadEquipment Leaderboard: Large Foundation Drilling Rigs
Compare foundation drilling rigs using manufacturer specifications, configuration notes and clearly identified torque measures.
ReadMcLouth Steel: What Remains After a Mill Stops Producing
McLouth Steel: the innovation, productive capacity and environmental legacy of a closed mill.
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From component to machine
A visual explanation of hydraulic functions, with the drilling, work-truck and towing photo essays grouped beneath it.
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From the garden to the blender
Spinach from my own garden became lunch on April 28. The recording preserves ingredients, texture adjustments and my reaction to the pineapple juice.
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At the stove on May 25
Two May 25 preparation photographs, with the exact dish still unidentified. They are separate from the saved Kitchn cheeseburger-potato recipe.
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Putting together a bean salad
An April 21 recording and matching preparation photo follow my three-bean salad and dressing adjustments. The starting recipe’s author is still unidentified.
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The griddle I bought for camping
An October 2020 camping purchase became a griddle used at home. The story connects the purchase record with my cooking and maintenance accounts.
ReadA growing season, one observation at a time
Dated observations from my garden, with the April 28 spinach smoothie as the specific harvest-to-kitchen connection.
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From a saved recipe to dinner
Our “This Week’s meals 4/12” note and saved recipe folder connect dinner ideas with their original publishers, then leave room for the actual cooking story.
ReadA pancake breakfast across the griddle
From my Blackstone ownership account: pancakes, bacon and hosting breakfast at home. No specific batter recipe or matched breakfast photograph is established.
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The stuffed peppers I wanted to remember
Made by my partner and remembered in my August 22 photo walkthrough. Two photographs preserve the peppers; the original recipe is still unidentified.
ReadThin-cut steak, from the Blackstone to the plate
My Blackstone cooking, identified in the August photo walkthrough: two thin cuts on the surface, then the browned steak on a plate.
ReadDark pasta and shrimp on a white plate
Dark pasta and shrimp in my October 7 photo archive. Restaurant, location and exact recipe remain unidentified.
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A creamy pasta plate in August
An August 27 plate of pasta, vegetables and grilled slices. The photo is dated; its venue, sauce and recipe still need identification.
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Filled pasta, peas and a browned topping
Filled pasta and peas from the August 21 archive. The recipe, filling and restaurant or cooking location are not yet identified.
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Three cheeseburgers on the counter
Three burgers on a kitchen counter, September 14. The date and serving scene are known; the recipe and cooking method remain open.
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Salad in the serving bowl
A salad set out to serve on September 14. Its dressing and exact meal connection are still unidentified.
ReadChicken on the serving platter
Chicken set out on August 15. The photograph is the source; its seasoning, cooking method and recipe are not yet established.
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A plate set out to try different sauces
A later walkthrough explains the idea: setting out sauces to explore flavors with my son. The August 15 plate’s sauce names and results remain unknown.
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At the stove on August 16
August 16 preparation photos show labeled ground beef, a pan, black beans and corn. The finished dish and exact recipe remain unidentified.
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A shrimp plate at the table
A shrimp plate linked to the New Orleans travel photographs. Its restaurant and dish name remain unconfirmed; the linked trip preserves the existing context.
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A smoothie from the pitcher to the jar
Three August 13 photographs follow the smoothie into a jar. This batch has no recovered recipe and stays separate from the April drinks.
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Inside the blender before mixing
Inside the blender on August 24: a separate preparation whose exact liquid, powder, quantities and finished result are still unknown.
ReadAn April blueberry smoothie
An April kitchen recording mentions blueberries, yogurt and milk. A separate preparation from the garden-spinach lunch; the complete recipe is not yet recovered.
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Returning to the compost pile
Wet weather, repeated visits to the compost pile and the mushrooms appearing after rain.
ReadA garden path taking shape
A garden path taking shape through the work around it.
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The road north with the boys
Time on the road with my sons and the stops that become part of a trip.
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Wrocław, from the city to the gala
The internal business gala and the wider September–October 2025 trip, with sixteen photographs of the gathering, meals and city.
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The stops on the road to New Orleans
The places along the road through Alabama toward New Orleans.
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Stops along the river
A shaded bicycle ride, two views of the river, a toad and an outdoor-table stop, photographed on August 23.
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Chattanooga between work stops
Chattanooga in the spaces between work appointments and travel.
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A closer look at the towing museum
A July stop at the towing museum in Chattanooga, from the gallery floor to the machinery behind the cabs.
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The annual Michigan camping weekend
The annual Michigan camping weekend: the drive, fishing, meals, games and time outdoors.
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Las Vegas between the show hours
Las Vegas outside the exhibition schedule, in the hours around the show.
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Documents by day and the Mall after dark
A treaty display by day and a photograph of the illuminated Washington Monument after dark.
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New Year in Uvita
A New Year visit to Uvita in Costa Rica.
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Tulare, through the machinery
Bakersfield, Tulare and Fresno during a February 2025 California trip, with a closer look at the machinery in the photographs.
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Across Louisiana and into Mississippi
A December 2025 route from Thibodaux through Slidell to Bay Springs, then back to New Orleans.
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Planet Word: a morning with language
A Washington morning among the word wall, projected city scenes and the I’m Sold! gallery.
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Raccoon Mountain: following the water and power
The river valley, reservoir, turbine display and power infrastructure during the July Chattanooga visit.
ReadMy parents: Brian and Cynthia
Brian and Cynthia: family life, the work of building a home and the stories connecting both sides of my family.
ReadPreserving the record and pursuing recognition
Walter Gates’s Purple Heart effort, recognition for 1st Lt. George W. Foote and ways to help locate the underlying records.
ReadAlbert’s construction work in the Pacific
Albert’s surveying and airbase-construction work in New Guinea and the Philippines, through the documents in the family wartime chapter.
ReadAlbert and Eleanor
Albert and Eleanor Schweickart’s lives in the wider history of the family.
ReadWalter Gates’s wartime record
Walter Gates’s wartime record and the documents preserved around it.
ReadJohn’s West Berlin equipment test
John Schweickart’s recollection of testing equipment in West Berlin.
ReadThe Wiseman farm at Buck Creek
The Wiseman farm at Buck Creek and the family life connected to it.
ReadFamily branches
Follow the Schweickart branch through the existing family archive.
ReadInteractive family tree
Explore the relationships between people in the family tree.
ReadArchive and chronology
The biographies, recollections, genealogies and other records behind the family accounts.
ReadFrom the Genesis to the phone in my pocket
From Sega and Nintendo to PlayStation, Xbox and phone gaming: the systems I’ve owned and what I wanted from them.
ReadLiving with the PS5 and PlayStation Plus
Years with the PS5 and PlayStation Plus, including games, controllers, storage and recurring services.
ReadA portable screen is only part of travel gaming
Why a portable screen is only one part of making Remote Play work while traveling.
ReadGaming in a hotel starts with the connection
Hotel connection frustrations and the observations I want to record before making a useful comparison.
ReadWhat a choice changes in an interactive mystery
How decisions carry a fictional mystery forward, and how selected story scenes can become a form of entertainment.
ReadEnterprise’s $1,989 windshield bill
A rental receipt, a glass invoice and a claim that reached collections: the documents behind the windshield bill I am disputing.
ReadA useful generator, a harder value question
A generator can be useful and still leave questions about price, upkeep and the job it was bought for.
ReadThe robot vacuum we kept buying
The robot vacuum we kept buying, and the experience behind those repeated purchases.
ReadFrom a wireless dog fence to a physical fence
Why the experience with a wireless boundary led toward a physical fence.
ReadDrilling equipment: site, workshop and transport
A photographic look at drilling equipment on site, in the workshop and in transport.
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Truck bodies: collection, tanks and cranes
Four truck configurations, from refuse collection to tanks and cranes.
ReadHow I use AI
The objectives, evolution, workflows and evaluation criteria behind my use of AI across business and everyday life.
ReadFrom a voice note to a website revision
How a recorded observation becomes a specific website revision that I can read, compare and review.
ReadConnecting photographs, recordings and stories
Indexing, visual inspection, matching recordings and editing a sequence of photographs into a supported account.
ReadFrom scattered inputs to a useful question
A synthetic equipment example shows how a recording, a document and a research table can help prepare a technical question.
ReadPersonal data and AI
Walmart and Amazon exports, Google Takeout, recordings and photographs brought into a wider personal context.
ReadTechnical learning and supply chains
Learning electronics and hydraulics, reading schematics and investigating equipment supply chains.
ReadFoundation drill rigs with U.S. components
Working through foundation-drill design concepts and U.S. component sourcing.
ReadInteractive stories and toys
Interactive stories, mysteries and bringing toys to life with my children.
ReadBooks I’ve Read
Books I have read and my comments, with signed-copy links when a confirmed offer is available.
ReadThe driveway gate that still needed finishing
A driveway gate that needed finishing, and the steps still involved in the project.
ReadFinding a place for the shed
Working out where a shed belongs before treating the site decision as settled.
ReadThe move to a physical fence
A closer account of the move toward a physical boundary around the property.
ReadStove trouble and the oven repair record
Stove trouble in August and a separate oven-repair expense in September, with their connection still unconfirmed.
ReadA useful grill and a reason to learn welding
A still-useful grill, a deteriorating structure and an interest in learning to weld.
ReadTree work and a wood chip pile
Tree-service vehicles and a separate wood-chip pile in photographs from August 2026.
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Salsa verde chicken for bowls and tacos
Origin: “Crock pot salsa verde chicken” in our household meal list. An April 22 preparation photo adds context; the written formula remains untested.
ReadSausage and broccoli pasta
A three-ingredient dinner idea from our household meal list, developed into an untested formula. No outside recipe author is established.
ReadChicken rice and green beans on the griddle
An October 2 recording identifies chicken, rice and green beans on my Blackstone. The later written formula is untested; the pictured steak is separate equipment context.
ReadMediterranean chicken bowls
Our meal-list bowl combines chicken, cucumber, tomato, feta, rice and tzatziki. Its saved baked-chicken reference is linked separately from this untested skillet formula.
ReadA cheeseburger dinner in one skillet
Saved from Rachel Perlmutter at The Kitchn: a potato-and-beef skillet dinner. The May photograph is a separate meal; this recipe remains untested.
ReadMeatball stroganoff and the last part of dinner
Blair Lonergan’s recipe at The Seasoned Mom is the source. My saved-dinner notes follow the noodles and sauce; a first cook is still to come.
ReadChicken cheesesteaks on the Blackstone
Carrie Barnard’s Grill on a Dime recipe: chicken, onion and cheese in a hoagie roll. Saved for a future Blackstone cook, with the original linked.
ReadGarlic Parmesan chicken bites
Saved from Patty Catalano at The Kitchn. The source recipe is linked; the August chicken photo belongs to another meal.
ReadKielbasa pierogi and cabbage on one tray
Kristy Norrell at 12 Tomatoes supplies the sheet-pan recipe saved in our meal list. The Wrocław dumpling photograph is separate travel context.
ReadParmesan garlic chicken pasta in the slow cooker
Alyssa Rivers at The Recipe Critic is the recipe source. This saved idea follows the sauce through the final addition of pasta; it remains untested.
ReadWhite chicken chili and the final bowl
The Seasoned Mom recipe by Blair Lonergan, preserved in our household meal list. A finished bowl and my own cook-through are not yet documented.
ReadGetting the Blackstone ready for corned beef hash
An August 15 recording begins with coffee, canned corned beef hash and preparing the Blackstone. The can’s brand and finished breakfast remain unconfirmed.
ReadSmoothies, blenders and replacement parts
Blender-coupling orders across several years are the source. Actual appliances and repair results are still unmatched; the drinks have separate stories.
ReadPizza tools and a dough purchase
Pizza tools and dough appear in separate purchase records. The February meal photo has no confirmed restaurant, recipe or equipment connection.
ReadA KitchenAid stainless steel cookware set
A December 2022 KitchenAid cookware purchase starts this account. No pictured pan or meal has yet been confirmed as part of the set.
ReadLunch containers, boxes and reusable bags
Household purchase records identify the containers, box and reusable bags. A specific packed meal or current lunch routine is not yet documented.
ReadSpice tins and magnetic racks
Spice tins bought in 2018, racks in 2024 and a separate October kitchen photo. Their exact installed arrangement remains unconfirmed.
ReadReplacement parts: the coffee carafe
The source is an August 2023 replacement-carafe order. A specific machine and successful return to use are still unconfirmed.
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North through western Michigan
A route north through western Michigan, following the places along the way.
ReadA folding wagon for outings
A folding wagon and the practical question of what belongs on an outing.
ReadEarbuds and the replacement charging case
Renewed Galaxy Buds Pro bought in 2022 and a compatible charging case ordered in 2023. The result of the replacement remains unconfirmed.
ReadChargers, adapters and portable power
A power bank, chargers and an HDMI adapter bought at different times, without confirmation that they formed one travel kit.
ReadA pressure washer for household cleanup
The purchase record behind a pressure washer intended for household cleanup.
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