The Low-Tech Times

Here in the eastern United States, I was very disappointed when Norfolk Southern discontinued their steam operations program in 1994. Fortunately, mainline steam fans in the West still have something to be grateful for. Union Pacific Railroad continues to own and operate two steam locomotives, U.P. 4-8-4 844 and U.P. Challenger 3985.

Number 844 recently led a 34 car passenger train to the Democratic National Convention. The train will be on display at the event. Talanalea posted a Youtube video of the train near Cheyenne, WY on its way to Denver.

See Also:Obama Continues the Tradition of Utilizing Trains In Presidential Politics

The Low-Tech Times previously published a joke post about Barack Obama selecting his running mate. As it turns out, that post was incorrect.

This weekend, Barack Obama announced his selection for his VP nominee. His selection is Delaware Senator Joe Biden.

The Old-fashioned Way

Traditionally, when hanging a picture or mirror on the wall, the first step is to find a stud in the wall to nail into. Some people have a knack for knocking on the wall and finding studs. Others use hi-tech stud finders, which sometimes work. Other times, the blinking lights and beeps from the stud-finder appear not to work.

My father-in-law gave my wife and me a subscription to This Old House magazine. I enjoy reading the magazine and it often features good tips. A recent tip in the magazine suggests using a cow magnet to find studs via the metal nails in them.

A New Low-Tech Method

We recently purchased a bench and mirror for our foyer from The Miller House, which sells locally hand-made quality furniture. I highly recommend that store for those living in Northern Virginia, the West Virginia panhandle, and Western Maryland.

When selling us the mirror, they provided a Hercules Hook which can securely hang items up to 150 pounds on the wall. I was a little skeptical at first, but ended up really liking the simple, low-tech device. When using Hercules Hooks, there is no need to find a stud. You simply push the hook directly into the drywall (no tools required) and it securely can hold a picture or mirror by design. I found it is easier to center hangings when using the Hercules Hook because there is no need to to use studs.

Hercules Hooks are available from Amazon.com: