Doug's Sounding Board


12
Oct

Fixing Ataris

This summer Henry was over and wanted to play the Atari 2600. I went to go turn it on and found there was no way for the video signal to get where it needed to go. I removed the VCR from the stack of equipment awhile ago since we don’t have any more tapes and that was the only RF input I had. Then I realized that with the ending of analog broadcast pretty soon nothing will be able to handle the RF signal. I looked for standalone RF converters and found that, while they do exist, it’s cheaper just to get a VCR, but I don’t want a VCR just to run the Atari. I found a kit from The Longhorn Engineer. The kit is easy to assemble (even though I had been out of practice soldering). The instructions on the site are complete but I was having trouble making it work with my model so I put it aside for awhile. When I went back to it the instructions were updated and they worked perfectly! Now I have composite and s-video and pseudo-stereo outputs!

Later in the summer Vinna wanted to play Asteroids and it wouldn’t turn on. I thought it might be the kill-switch that triggers when the back panel is open but that tested fine. The power coming out of the power supply was non-existent though. I looked up replacement power supplies and found the service manual. From that I learned about the fuses. One of the six fuses was bad so I replaced it and it powered up. Since I was working on it I replaced the lock on the back panel so I wouldn’t have to tape it in place anymore. I’ll try harder not to lose this set of keys.

Now I just have to replace the RAM chips in the Battlezone machine.


18
Sep

Near light

The kitchen light transformer I got in exchange had the same problems as the first one, plenty of power on the AC side, but nothing on the DC side. So the next day I took the new transformer back to Riverside Lighting to ask them to test it since I didn’t think I would pick up two bad ones in a row. I was actually thinking now that the first one was functional as well.

I walked in and the guy recognized me and told me that 10 minutes after I left he tested it and it tested fine. I asked him why it didn’t test fine for me and he told me that when he asked the lamp guy about it he was told that it needed a minimum of a 25W load to operate. Also the lamp guy posited that the problem was the socket since he had replaced a number of sockets on lamps like mine. I was told I would have to bring the lamp in since four different sockets have been used on that lamp.

Yesterday I brought the lamp in and I was shown to the back room of the electrical room (almost a back room in its own right) when a tall man name Larry looked at it. He said it could be the socket the the look on his face didn’t indicate confidence in that. He said he would work on it that day.

Today I went to the post office and decided to stop by and see how progress was. I walked right back to the back room of the back room and Larry was packing something in a box. I said I had come to check on the progress on my lamp. “Is this your lamp” he asked while tilting the box so I could see inside? I affirmed that it was and I asked him what the problem was. He explained that the installer had over-tightened the screw that holds the coaxial power cable in place which ended up causing a short. I’m guessing that me having to replace the original transformer caused enough movement in the wire to highlight the problem. Larry re-tightened the screw properly and applied some glue stuff to the damaged section so it wouldn’t short anymore, and here I am with a repaired lamp on my desk at work.


15
Sep

Props to Riverside Lighting

In July the transformer in the drop-light above the kitchen sink died after 4 years. I was told tat was about the life span for those for the 60 watt transformer for 12-volt lighting and Riverside sold me a 75 watt replacement. They said this one should last longer since I was just using a 60 watt bulb in it and wasn’t pushing the full 75 watts.

Six weeks later the replacement was dead. After it was installed and working I dumped the receipt. I went to Riverside expecting to have to buy a new one and they just traded me for a new one without any hassle. Hopefully this one isn’t another dud.


15
Sep

Tuesday Media Roundup #41

I watched the beginning of the 1956 version of War & Peace but gave up on it because it was far too silly.

Saw part 1 of Black in America 2 on CNN. Now I wish I had seen the first one.

The Hangover – Pretty funny and well done trace-your-steps movie. All of the characters play well together. Nice setup for a sequel too.
Delirious – It’s kind of quirky and entertaining but Michael Pitt comes off as too wooden for me. Good thing he’s mostly paired with Steve Buscemi!
State and Main – This is a funny big-name ensemble. It feels like it was or could be a stage play. The dialog is clever and everything is fast paced.
I Am Legend – I think this tells the story better than The Omega Man and from what I’ve read it’s closer to the original novel (which I now want to read). The practicalities are seen. The loneliness is felt. The feelings of the others are made known too. Good stuff and I look forward to the prequel.
Keeping Mum – An English comedy that isn’t about celebrating the quirks of a small town. Sometimes it seems like that’s all you get from the English indie comedies. Anyway, it’s enjoyable and you should watch it.
Wedding Daze – This isn’t very memorable; I had to go look up what it’s about. It has some funny parts but most of it I just didn’t care about the characters.
Elegy – An affair between an older man and a younger woman? I thought this would be awkward or cliche. Instead it has some compelling relationship stories and I really felt for the characters.
Righteous Kill – It’s always fun to watch De Niro and Pacino. The story isn’t that great but you almost don’t notice!
Seven Pounds – Sometimes the story seems a little disjointed but it all pulls together and it ends up being a good story of the personal. It ended better than I expected.
Passengers – Kind of another version of The Sixth Sense, but not nearly as good. I just wanted them to get on with it so the movie could end. I don’t think I would think of The Sixth Sense this way if I had seen Passengers first.
Public Enemies – This is good but it felt like there was more cut out to get it to a good theater running length. I guess we’ll find out if there’s director’s cut. The film looks weird at times. It was obviously filmed with digital cameras that at times made things feel too smooth when filming in dark. It was both distracting at times and made things stand out at others. I’m sure that’s just a glimpse of what’s to come.
Swing Vote – It’s both a commentary on the political system and the stereotypical non-voter. Kevin Costner plays close to the type he played in Tin Cup. I say check it out!
The Dukes of Hazard – This might be hard to believe but I think the plot of the average episode was better than the movie. Highlights: They showed off Jessica Simpson’s legs nicely in the beginning, and Burt Reynolds as Boss Hogg.
The Midnight Meat Train – I can say I’ve never been that crazy about Clive Barker movies. This is the first one I actually got into. The story was interesting. The gore was over the top so if that turns you off avoid this movie. Or just cover your eyes since you can see it coming.
Funny People – The trailer doesn’t spoil the movie for you and the story told ends up being good. I wasn’t expecting comedy, but a movie about comedians with some funny parts. With that in mind there was a lot more humor than I was expecting. Also I think it’s the first thing I’ve liked Eric Bana in.
Religulous – Bill Maher’s documentary to show how much religious is a big mistake. The best part for me is when he was talking to the Jesus at the Holy Land Experience. He talks to a variety of people but it’s mostly a rehash of ideas I’ve heard about why religion is bad.
Slumdog Millionaire – When I was watching this I was reminded of four movies it borrowed from but right now I can’t remember what they are. Anyway, good movie and I like how it was told with the flashbacks. I don’t think this would be my pick for best movie last year but I don’t think I saw any movies last year that were better.
Julie & Julia – I liked this but I, like many others, wished the movie focused more on Julia than Julie. Good job to the movie makers for making Julie more likable. I went and read some of the Julie & Julia blog entries and she comes across as much more self-centered there.
The Wrestler – This movie was better than I expected and I thought the ending was great (but I seem to like abrupt endings)! I had heard it was like a retelling of Passion of the Christ and I can see what they meant. The stories line up pretty closely.
Death at a Funeral – Funny! But if you haven’t seen this you can wait for the inexplicable remake next year. Remaking a recent English-language film directed by an American director doens’t happen that often but it’s happening here. Actually you should just see this one since you never know how the remake will turn out.
Sicko – Seeing this movie while the current health care debate is raging really drives home all the more that we need this change. I think this probably plays better now than when it originally played in theaters. The usual Michael Moore gimmicks are not as present here and when they are they are short lived; the material stand up on its own.
Michael Clayton – Well played by everyone and an ending I could really enjoy. This movie made me miss John Grisham movies though. What happened to them?
Gabriel – A rebellious teenage bible student watched the Matrix too many times and this is what came out. Why did the end have to go on so long?
Sex Drive – This movie takes awhile to hit its stride. It’s shortly before they get to the Amish. Seth Green cements that as one of the Amish, but what doesn’t Seth Green make better? It never gets great but it’s fairly fun.
Beowulf – I was wondering if I would haev any uncanny valley problems with this movie and I’m happy to report that I didn’t. This movie once again demonstrates that animated doesn’t make it a kids movie. The story is told well and I’m glad I saw it. I think it was perhaps the right way to film it.
Houseboat – Crazy living situation. Italian beauty. Drama behind the scenes according to imdb. It all makes for an entertaining movie. Good for a lazy afternoon or evening when it happens to be on.
District 9 – Really well done. I liked most everything being from the point of view of security, news, or documentary cameras. A main character that doesn’t think clearly and pays the price. I look forward to the sequel.
Video 3000 – A 5 minute foreign short about a universal remote. Kind of like Click but very short.
Porno – An odd Polish short film.
No Bikini – A great short story about a girl’s summer switch to another gender.
Uncle Nino – A well done story of the outsider coming in to show the family what’s important in life.
9 – My favorite movie of the year so far. I liked everything about it! No sequel for this one please. I don’t know how it compares to the short by the same name, but I’m guessing since I’ve seen this one the other probably won’t stand up. It might be the reverse for those who have seen the short.


02
Sep

Can I make yogurt with common household equipment?

I recently saw that a friend got a second yogurt maker. I hadn’t heard of such a device and I envisioned something like a bread maker where you put in all the ingredients and some time later you have yogurt. After some research I found that yogurt making is a simple process. Heat milk to 185 degrees F, cool it to 110 degrees F, add cultures from starter or live culture yogurt, and keep it between 105 and 112 degrees F for at least 7 hours. The yogurt maker handles that last part, which is the part I’d need to replicate.

My first thought was to check the oven. It goes down as low as 80 degrees F (great for letting dough rise). The oven doesn’t have every 5 degree interval on it, instead having every common temperature. Unfortunately getting yogurt cultures to do their thing didn’t make the cut. The oven jumps from 80 to 100 to 125.

The next idea was to use the induction cooktop. The cooktop can go way below normal settings you would get on a gas cooktop unless it is the really old kind that has the always-on pilot light.

In all of these cases you need the milk and cultures in the container with a lid on. I used a remote bbq thermometer in the pot to measure the temperature. First up was a quart of water in the tall sauce pan on the lowest setting. The remote thermometer showed it climbing well over 115 in no time.

Next I decided to try half a gallon in a large sauce pan. The climbing temperatures were slower but they also passed 115 without too much time passed.

I then decided I needed more surface area to dissipate heat so the big skillet was up next. Luckily I could just dump this water from one vessel to the next for each test. On this one the temperature dropped the most before the heat was once again applied so maybe it would work. Unfortunately this one had the fastest climbing temperature. Yes there was more area to eliminate heat, but there was also a lot more area to absorb heat!

I thought I was out of luck when I remembered the cast-iron wok. It has a small area base and a wide open top, perfect! I put two sheets of foil on top for my lid and after heating in a slow climb the temperature held steady at 114 degrees F. Figuring there must be a way to make it work I reconfigured the foil into a a very crude cone with an opening in the top. After some more tweaking I got it to stay steady at 107 degrees F for 45 minutes!

So, can I make yogurt? Probably. I think that it would have an iron flavor to it by the time the batch was done though. Also there’s a significant setup time needed for that foil cone to see if it is just right. It’s probably better off to get a yogurt maker.

Other things to try:

  • We have a portable induction cooktop that might be able to go lower, but probably not.
  • Using a mason jar in a water bath. An uncovered pot might be able to keep the temperature low enough.

01
Sep

Tainted coke

I just learned that 3 people in the U.S. and Canada have died from cocaine laced with Levasole (levamisole hydrochloride). It’s a livestock deworming drug that is estimated to contaminate one third of the cocaine supply. Stay safe people! Only use organic, fair-trade cocaine.


12
Aug

Things I can do again

Now that I’m not worried about internal bleeding I’ve done two things this week I’ve avoided since I started being on blood thinners. I rode my scooter, and I rode the Giant Dipper.

I was worried the scooter would be in bad shape after no riding for almost seven months, but the batteries don’t even seem to  be any worse after the long period of neglect. The front tire can use some air and it’s more dirty, but it’s almost like there wasn’t a break in there!

We rode the Giant Dipper on Monday (1907 night). I avoided it before because it can be jarring and I just didn’t want to risk it. Here it is:


06
Aug

Customer service

I’m cleaning off my desk and I found a card from cdbaby from when I ordered a CD some time ago. It’s not part of their standard practice, cards don’t come with every order, but this card makes sure I will never forget them as an option when I’m looking for music.

I don’t remember the prompt in the checkout process that led to the card, but I remember what I wrote: “Send me a limerick.” The card contains “limerick” printed on a blank label-sticker stuck to the inside.

That’s customer service!


04
Aug

No more clot!

Yesterday I had my second second opinion. To prepare I didn’t wear the compression stocking so he would see what my leg is like normally. Surprising to me, even though I could feel the difference in my leg not wearing the stocking, my leg didn’t look too abnormal compared to the good leg. Anyway, we went through the history and the symptoms and the rest of the story. He pretty much confirmed everything the previous vascular specialist said, which is good. He had a look around with his surface vein ultrasound laptop that the other doctor used. He said it looked okay and there was still some blockage but he couldn’t tell whether it was fresh or old. He suggested I get a full ultrasound to make sure nothing was fresh which would require stepping up to a hematologist.

The ultrasound people at Dominican managed to fit me in with maybe a 10 minute wait and the ultrasound tech said none of it looked like fresh thrombosis, but of course I would have to wait for the official word from the radiologist. This afternoon the doctor called with the official results. There is still a slight blockage of scar tissue. There is no clot. I can stop taking the blood thinners! I do have to keep wearing the compression stocking for at least a few years, but I’m okay with that.


27
Jul

The first step towards new paths (and other things)

We’ve been fighting with our decomposed granite paths almost since they were installed. They were installed with a glue sealant on them to help keep them in place so the dogs wouldn’t track the small particles in. The granite particles make a great abrasive on the wood floors, making them look old after a couple of months. Unfortunately the glue on top of the path doesn’t last long, maybe a couple of weeks before you need to re-apply it which makes it time-consuming and expensive.

We’ve talked about other solutions, one of them being grass for the paths. Julie & Fish just had sod installed and had a lot left over and they offered it to us so Friday we went to work to install it. Breaking up and clearing out the decomposed granite was the slow part, taking probably about 8 hours to remove about 2 cubic yards. After that all the steps were fairly simple (thanks to Julie for providing a list). We didn’t have a sod knife but Dean suggested a serrated knife would do the trick and indeed the bread knife was great and cutting up the sod.

So now we have a patch of grass (assuming it takes) in front of the back door so the dogs will have to run across it (hopefully cleaning their paws from granite) until more can be done.

Thanks to Julie & Fish for the materials and the instructions! Thanks to Dean for assistance in putting down the sod! Thanks to Ward for the digging rod which is a great workout and a great digger!

Saturday we needed a rest so we went with Dean & Marcia to the Gilroy Garlic Festival where I had chocolate garlic ice cream, a garlic sausage sandwich, garlic corn on the cob, garlic fries, deep fried garlic, and garlic chocolate peanut butter cups.

Sunday was more relaxed and got some motivation at the end to finish fixing the front fountain. The water tube that connected the bottom to the top was pushed out by the papyrus plant growing out of control. When I hacked it back some to check out the situation I accidently cut the power cord to the pump. Nicole and Abby hacked away the papyrus some more so I was able to reinstall the tube and install the new pump.

Now we just need to get back to the fence.

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