Archive for January, 2006
Server Move
All of our stuff has been moved to the new server… and so we held our breath and updated the DNS… and it worked! (mostly) In a few days the updated DNS info will move through the system and show the new site. Until then you may still see the old server.
No CommentsSteam Powered Crab
What's better than Radio Controlled Toys? STEAM POWERED RC Toys! Steam powered tanks, crabs, and other things. Their speed is not exactly like a Nitro RC… or even 9.6V Nicad from Radio Shack. But hey it's steam and that means: fire. Oh yeah, check out the vids and watch for the flame. This is honest to goodness steam power. Sweet.
The Perfect TV… Size
And my preference, Rule #2: Measure the width of your TV screen. Optimum viewing distance for TV is 3-6 times this width and 1.5-3 times for DVD/HDTV. Since you have a nice overlap at 3x you can use it for the best all around viewing distance/TV size. Now since regular TV is 4:3 ratio you can use 3,4,5 triangle math and come up with the one simple rule: TV size (inches diagonal) divided by 5 gives you the optimum viewing distance in feet.
Now remember this is the optimum setting for you Home Theatre/Main TV. So while a 70″ projector image is perfect for a 14′ distance to the main couch in the living room… putting a 55″ screen for the 11′ across the bedroom is a tad overkill.
Eminent Domain Debate Brought Home To The Supreme Court
"Angered by a Supreme Court ruling that gave local governments more power to seize people's homes for economic development, a group of activists is trying to get one of the court's justices evicted from his own home." - APTo fully understand the impact of this recent Supreme Court ruling let's review: Eminent Domain is the government's ability to seize property at market value for "the public good". Now historically this has been used for things like roads. You would never be able to create in Interstate for everyone's use if a single home owner in the path of the new highway could say 'nah, I don't feel like selling'. This makes sense and seems reasonable to most people. What the Supreme Court ruled recently was this: tax revenues go to the public good (in theory)… so if a developer is going to build something worth more than your home, that would create higher property taxes for the government, which makes it 'ok' to take someone's home and give it to a developer so tax revenues can go up "for the public good".
The problem with this is that just about anyone's home could be developed into something more expenive and therefore create higher property tax revenues. Which means almost anyone's home can be seized by the government if someone wants to build something else there. I guess the Supreme Court missed those property rights in the 5th & 14th Ammendments of the Consitution… Now what these activists have done is taken the point home to the Justices that ruled for the governement and against the home owner. They have gotten on the ballot in David Souter's home town. The issue? Weither or not to seize his home to build a small hotel. This would meet all the necessary requirements to increase tax revenues and justify the use of Eminent Domain to seize his land. I personally think this is GREAT! I mean can he really complain? He was the one that created this new law (yeah Judges can do that these days - no legislative body required) by "finding" it in the Consitution. Will it pass? Probably not, but it would be hilarious if it did. That's the double edged sword of democracy: take away someone's rights and it can take away your own.
No CommentsBasment Project Part 3
Now that the flooring is complete the rest of the basement can progress. We completed more of the electrical including two new exterior lights. 2/3rds of the plumbing has now been framed in prep for drywall. The cinderblock wall is half prepped for the faugh painting.
Basment Project Part 2
Here are the latest updates on the basement: a new floor! We did a combination of a microfinish coating and then a chemical stain. We like the chemical stain effect, but needed the microfinish coating to overcome the problems with an additive to the cement that reduced the curing time. An added benefit to the microfinish is the increased R-value of the floor which reduced the heating requirements for the finished basement significantly.
Orginial & The Sealer Striped
Microfinish Coating & Chemical Stain
No CommentsYes, I know, We’re Terrible
Posting has been sparse… but we’re fighting flus, moving servers, finishing basements, and studing for graduate school entrance exams… so sorry, we’ve been busy.
No CommentsWhen Bread Crumbs Won’t Do
“BERLIN - German police Thursday captured two men suspected of stealing from 15 cars and two garden sheds by following their footprints in the snow for several miles.” - ReutersMaybe crime doesn’t pay because most of the criminals are about as smart as their pet rocks.
No CommentsInsurgents Kill Cars - Not People
“BAGHDAD, Iraq - Twelve car bombs exploded around Iraq on Sunday, including eight in Baghdad that detonated within a three-hour window, as insurgents continued their attacks in the new year… killed no one.” - AP12 cars, 0 people. Seriously, isn’t this getting to the point where we just start laughing at these guys instead of trying to make them seem scary enough for the news? Iraqis are far more likely to be killed while driving their car then if it happens to blow up.
I mean REALLY. This could have been the story right here in the US last night: “Police were out in force last night, but unable to stop the violence as explosions when off in major cities around the country…” For those scratching your heads: The Police were out for the all the DUIs on New Years… Explosions that don’t hurt anyone — we call those “fireworks”. Here. But in Iraq they are a reason to pull out the troops and beg the Jihadists for forgiveness. You know, lest they aim their bottle rockets in our direction.
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