Purefinity's Blog

Using RPM to find large packages in Linux

2011-04-25T10:59:00.002-04:00

Here's how to use RPM to find the largest packages on your Linux system:
rpm -qa --queryformat '%10{SIZE}\t%{NAME}\n' | sort -k1,1n

Buying glasses online

2011-01-31T10:14:00.007-05:00

I recently went looking for a light-weight rimless replacement for my old Silhouette glasses that had become scratched and chipped.

I went to http://www.zennioptical.com/
And chose frame 377411 with high index 1.67 lenses (+ AR coating)

So far, I've been extremely satisfied with them. They weigh 9 grams, which is only 1 gram more than my old glasses. I'm also happy because the base curve for each lens was correct (something I've had problems with at a traditional optician). I own a lens clock and a lensometer, which gives you an idea of how often I've had issues.

The clip-on shade doesn't really work that well, but at 1/5th the cost of Silhouette I can afford to buy a pair of prescription sunglasses (also from Zenni). The nose pads are easy to adjust for a perfect fit.

The High Index 1.67 lenses are visibly thinner than my polycarbonate lenses, but I haven't measured with a caliper for fear of scratching them. For small lenses it probably makes more sense to save your money and get high index 1.61 instead.

So far I've ordered three pairs of glasses from Zenni and the prescription was within 1/8th of a diopter each time. This is enough of a variance to give some people a mild headache when switching between glasses. 3 out of 6 lenses were 100% accurate.

In the future I'd like to try ordering from europe (although it's much more expensive):
http://www.brille24.de/

Amazon Video for Windows Mobile

2010-11-11T12:18:00.003-05:00

I recently tried to play a video from Amazon that I transferred to my HTC T-Mobile Dash 3G (WM6)

Amazon Unbox transfers a portable version of the video to my device just fine, but if I try to play it under media player the following message is displayed:

To play this protected file, you must download a license from the Internet. Do you want to download a license?

Media player then displays:
Acquiring license

After about 30 seconds Internet Explorer will pop up and take you to a page titled
"DRM License Request"

After awhile you'll just end up sitting at the Amazon website and media player will give up trying to play the file.

Sometimes this process crashes my phone requiring me to pull the battery just to get it working again.

It would be "nice" if Microsoft and Amazon would publish instructions on how to get this working..

Resending Syslog Messages with TCPreplay

2010-08-16T10:37:00.002-04:00

If you're running 2 systems in VMware, then all you need to do is match the source and destination MAC address and IP address before running TCPreplay.

tcpreplay --loop=0 --mbps=2.0 --intf1=eth1 /root/syslogsample.pcap

T-Mobile Dash 3G MP4 Video Howto

2010-08-06T13:48:00.002-04:00

Just wanted to post the settings I use to encode MP4 video for playback on my Dash 3G smartphone (aka HTC Snap).

Encoding using Ulead 11:

Video
FPS 23.97
320x240
4:3
M4V-SP
512kbps

Audio
AAC
32000hz
96kpbs

Limiting Network Bandwidth Using Linux

2010-06-09T13:46:00.004-04:00

Just enter these two commands to establish a rate limit of 2kbps on eth0.

tc qdisc add dev eth0 root handle 1:0 netem delay 10ms
tc qdisc add dev eth0 parent 1:1 handle 10: tbf rate 2kbit buffer 1600 limit 3000

OR

More recently I found the following single command will effectively restrict bandwidth to 2kbps
tc qdisc add dev eth0 root tbf rate 2kbit latency 1ms burst 1540
or
tc qdisc add dev eth0 root tbf rate 15mbit latency 1ms burst 20m

2010 Mazda 3 - Rear Deck Subwoofer Install

2010-04-12T12:13:00.012-04:00

I recently added a Pioneer TS-SW841D 8in subwoofer to my 2010 Mazda 3 iSport with 4 speaker non-Bose stereo.
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Products/CarAudioVideo/Subwoofers/Shallow/TS-SW841D

The sub adds just enough to give me the lower range I was missing with the factory speakers. Best of all the rear deck mounting option (free-air setup) means that I won't lose any trunk space. The sub is only about 2.5 inches deep and as you can see the amplifier (blue) is the lowest part of my setup.

I decided to go with this sub, because I noticed the rear deck had a subwoofer mount stamped into it from the factory. I used a jigsaw and pretty much just followed one of the inner circles from the stamping.

Here's what it looks like from the top. One sheet from a Dynamat speaker install kit was all I needed to keep things rattle free.
In addition to a shallow mounting depth, the speaker also features a short xmax, which means you can conceal it under the rear deck plastic. I did however trim off two of the fabric keepers (factory sound deadening material) directly above the woofer just in case they were too close. Be careful when taking apart the rear deck, as I think I saw the side curtain airbags tucked behind the white triangle parts.

Now here's the wiring. You'll be splicing into the two rear speakers for use with a LOC (line output converter), and also tapping a 12v accessory lead for the amp. You'll need a gift card and flat head screw driving to pop out the center vents above the radio, then you'll see two phillips head screws that can be removed to get out the factory head unit.

For the LOC, you'll use the 4 wires at the upper left: Right- (Brown), Right+ (Light Blue), Left- (Aqua), Left+ (White)

The light blue wire towards the middle in the bottom row will be your 12v remote turn-on lead.

That's it! It took me about 5 hours to do all the cutting/drilling and cleanly tuck/secure all the wiring.

Strong Tailwind!

2009-12-05T17:18:00.002-05:00

I got a bit worried on the flight back from ATL this week. The pilot reported we were traveling at 701 mph. All the the aircraft listed in the seat back pocket guide have maximum speeds under 500 mph...

This would still be 609 nautical miles per hour. (Just in case the specs were intended to be listed that way)

Things I hate about my Nissan Dealer

2009-11-16T13:46:00.003-05:00

Everytime I take the car in, I feel like they do more harm than good.

Here's my list of gripes:

Sending us home with 19psi in all 4 tires
Having to bring the car in 5 times before they felt like actually fixing the noisy front bumper
Leaving greasy fingerprints all over the ceiling while fixing the dome light
Pretending they know how to patch my tire, only to have the plug fall out the next day
Charging hundreds of dollars a year for their bad service which is required to keep my warranty

Ok, I feel a little better now..

Oh wait, almost forgot.

Making you wait around for hours so they can close a car deal with you late at night while your baby is crying and it's hard to concentrate on what they're saying.

93 Del Sol - Dying Starter?

2009-08-24T15:30:00.004-04:00

Watch the video. Oddly enough, it happened after adjusting my timing belt. You can feel the resistance when rotating the crank manually with a ratchet.

I'll be pulling the starter out tonight to see what it looks like. The thumping sound is just the ratchet hitting the back of the bumper.

Finally switched to an optical mouse

2009-08-06T23:35:00.002-04:00

I hated them for gaming when they first came out, but the Logitech MX518 finally won me over.

It's longer and taller than the MS Intellimice I'm used to using so I had to get a wrist-rest. However, after a week I'm officially mechanical mouse free.

I think my UT3 scores might have actually improved, and I love the extra sensitivity for desktop use.

Best part is, no more cleaning those rollers. :-)

My travel thread

2009-08-06T22:51:00.004-04:00

I figured I should write down the places I've visited before I forget. Time can be cruel to your memories.

This is not written in order of preference! I'm not counting places I drove through or flew through.

1. San Francisco, CA
2. Clearwater, FL
3. Pensacola, FL
4. Orlando, FL
5. Point Judith, RI
6. Manhattan, NY
7. Washington, DC
8. Bethesda, MD
9. Pawtuxet, RI
10. Alexandria, VA
11. Harrisburg, PA
12. Hanover, PA
13. Boulder, CO
14. Salt Lake City, UT
15. Weeping Water, NE
16. Las Vegas, NV
17. Niagra Falls, Canada
18. Warner Robins, GA
19. Chicago, IL
20. Paris, France
21. Muenchen, Deutschland
22. Hanau, Deutschland
23. Chiemsee, Deutschland
24. Schwangau, Deutschland
25. Dachau, Deutschland
26. Philadelphia, PA
27. Herndon, VA
28. Chambersburg, PA
29. Dundalk, MD
30. Lancaster, PA
31. Block Island, RI
32. Berkeley Springs, WV
31. Vaihingen, Deutschland
32. Falls Church, VA
33. Frankenthal, Deutschland
34. Oswego, NY
35. Arlington, VA
36. Norfolk, VA
37. Auburn, PA
38. New Freedom, PA
39. York, PA
40. Waikiki, Hawaii

Fixing Internet Explorer 7

2009-08-06T22:44:00.002-04:00

IE7 crashed today after I used the reset function in attempt to get RDP working.

The problem is, it will just keep bringing up the runonce page asking you to set your search engine etc every time you open Internet Explorer.

This happened in Windows XP Pro SP3 with all the latest patches thru 7/2009.

Here's the fix:

1. Start -> Run -> regedit.exe
2. Then open HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Internet Explorer/Main
3. Create a New DWORD called RunOnceHasShown and give a value of 1
4. Create a New DWORD called RunOnceComplete and give a value of 1
5. Restart Internet Explorer

So much for Microsoft's lame attempt to ruin my workday. ;-)

Windows XP x64 Edition with VMware WS 6.5

2009-08-05T09:57:00.002-04:00

So I maxed out my K9N2GM motherboard with 8GB of RAM, and noticed that VMware Workstation 5.5 wouldn't see past 4GB even when it was running under XP x64 Edition SP2.

I upgraded to VMware WS 6.5 and now my virtual machines can use over 7GB if I need it. The only issue I had was that my PC would suddenly reboot the first time I ran workstation and player.

If you're looking for an affordable and stable system to run VMware, I suggest reading my upgrade thread here:
http://purefinity.blogspot.com/2009/01/amd-athlon-x2-upgrade.html

I originally bought it more for gaming, but VMware runs great too!

My JB Weld Thread

2009-08-02T22:55:00.001-04:00

1. DIY oil restrictor fitting
2. Repaired weeping clutch master cylinder connection (hydraulic)
3. Used to attach a blow off valve to aluminum tubing (pneumatic)

This stuff is really impressive. :-)

Blogger Blogspot Backup

2009-07-23T09:47:00.002-04:00

I'm blogging this so don't forget. This is the URL to backup my blog in a readable format.
http://purefinity.blogspot.com/search?max-results=100

I also do an XML dump from the settings tab (export blog). This should work for all blogger/blogspot accounts.

Honda ECU tuning with Crome

2009-07-22T22:50:00.017-04:00

Got a B16 or D16 motor you want to tune with Crome? Here are some step by step instructions I used to tune my D16Z6 (ZIF socketed P28 ECU) with a turbo.

You can click any of the images in this article to see a larger sharper version of that image.

Get the latest version of Crome. I used v1.53 which supports the latest boost and fuel tool code.
Open Crome and select File -> New to start a new bin file.
Since advanced boost tools are only supported on the P30 ROM, I need to first export a P28 map to import into a P30 ROM. This means I'll choose P28 as the ROM for now.
Now export the P28 maps. File -> Export Tables
Now start a new file with a P30 ROM
Now import the P28 maps. File -> Import Tables
Now would be a good time to remove the checksum routine and save your bin.
Next you'll need to install fuel tools from the plugin menu. After that's installed press Ctrl+F to set your injector size. I'll be using 1st gen DSM 450cc injectors. So the new flow rating becomes 450.
We'll also need to change the Injector Battery Offset by pressing Ctrl+L and choosing "Injector Battery Offset" (Stock). This ensures that the injectors keep performing as programmed even when there is more or less voltage than normal. If you can't find your injectors in the more dropdown, you'll need to figure out these values for yourself.
Time for boost! Install the Advanced Boost Tools plugin from the Plugins menu. Most people with a stock MAP sensor will just need to keep clicking next through the defaults. When it's done you'll notice you have a lot more columns in your map.
On my small .48 AR T3 turbo, I've elected to make the following boost tables adjustment. You can adjust these values as you see fit. I always like to keep a bin saved before the tables were adjusted so I can play around with different efficiencies and retard settings to test them out as different bin files. This menu can be accessed anytime by pressing Ctrl+B.
Next, install the "Add Extra Features" plugin from the Enhancements section of the plugins menu. This allows you to set the options page as shown in the picture. The only extra feature I use is the Boost Limit (set at 10 PSI in case the wastegate fails), so I've disabled the other shift and launch features by setting them above the rev limit. Here you can set when to enable VTEC, and obviously the rev limit too.
I've found that disabling the following sensors gives the greatest chance of success when running the ROM in an ECU.

Disable knock sensor
Disable atmospheric pressure sensor
Disable injector test circuit
Disable VTEC speed check
Disable VTEC coolant temp check

There are some other areas in the advanced tables you may want to tweak as you begin tuning. For example, I like to tighten up the RPM range for VTEC engagement/disengagement (a 500 RPM range that dips into the 3800RPM is a bit too low for my setup).

I've also found that bigger injectors and boost means the IAT compensation may be too aggressive and can create dangerous lean conditions. Therefore you may want to adjust the multiplier used at 151.5 and 284.
Other tips:

Remember to use a timing light and set your ignition timing at idle to match the timing used by the map (usually 16.5 degrees)
Your first tuning session should be done with VTEC disabled so that the low cam is tuned properly. Then you can re-enable VTEC and do high cam tuning.

Happy tuning!

D16Z6 Turbo Del Sol

2009-06-03T13:58:00.003-04:00

It's up and running, providing 192WHP@7PSI! With some more tuning I'm hoping for a 13.9s 1/4mi, but the engine is pretty tired at 200,000 miles. ;-)

-Specs-

Turbo:
Intake: 2.5 inch
Inlet: 2.25 inch
Compressor trim: .42ar
Compressor Wheel diameter: 43.20 / 60.41
Turbine Wheel diameter: 45.74 / 62.86
Exhaust Trim: .48ar
Turbine flange type: t3 flange
Down pipe flange type :4 bolt
Cooling type: oil cool only

Engine Management:
450cc DSM injectors with resistor box
P28 chipped with Crome
11.8:1 – 12.5:1 A/F Ratio
0.75 degrees of ignition retard per pound of boost (Static ign timing set to 16 @ 22inHG, 650RPM)
Denso Iridium IK20 spark plugs (One heat range colder, default gap)

Drivetrain:
OBX Helical LSD for D16
6 puck ACT disc

Exhaust:
Cast iron manifold
3in downpipe
2.5in exhaust with canister muffler
Hi-flow cat

PowerLine Network Kit Review

2009-03-01T11:44:00.004-05:00

I recently acquired a Dlink DHP-301 PowerLine HD Network kit and decided to run it through some performance tests in comparison to wireless. The kit lets you share your home network via any electrical outlet in the house.
http://www.dlink.com/products/?pid=533

Direct connection to ethernet switch on 3rd floor (I have a Netgear 802.11b/Ethernet switch)

92mbps

Connection from 2nd floor

Using 802.11b = 4.8mbps

Using DHP-301 = 41mbps

Connection from the 1st floor

Using 802.11b = 3.6mbps

Using DHP-301 = 27mbps

As you can see from the tests, the powerline network devices yielded much better performance than 802.11b. Would newer wireless technologies equal or beat powerline networking? Perhaps, but I don't have the equipment to test them.

The advantages of powerline networking are that you can easily connect devices such as video game consoles and DVRs that only have an ethernet jack. It's also useful for government laptops that don't allow wireless. The performance will also beat wireless if there are alot of obstructions like reinforced concrete between floors.

The disadvantages are that powerline networking creates annoying interference for analog devices like baby monitors. It's also sometimes hard to find a free outlet near your devices. (You need an empty outlet, powerstrips won't work)

Simulating Network Delay Using Linux

2009-01-30T09:35:00.004-05:00

In a previous blog post I documented how to create a router using Linux:
http://purefinity.blogspot.com/2008/10/making-linux-router-or-gateway.html

Now that we have that setup, we can use it to emulate WAN latency using netem. If you're running a 2.6 kernel you should already have it installed.

Keep in mind that this only works for outbound traffic, so choose your network interface accordingly.

To add 100ms to all outbound traffic on eth0
tc qdisc add dev eth0 root netem delay 100ms

To check status
tc -s qdisc

To remove the delay from eth0
tc qdisc del dev eth0 root

You can also use netem to simulate packet loss, variable delay and rate control. For more information on netem:
http://www.linuxfoundation.org/en/Net:Netem

If you're looking for an easy to use tool to test throughput and latency that is more sophisticated than ping, I recommend QCheck. You can install it on two Windows machines and test between those two points, or install QCheck on a Windows machine and an Ixia Endpoint on a Linux machine. Both QCheck and the Endpoint were available for free at the time this article was written.
http://www.ixchariot.com/downloads.html

I would like to note that my first choice to emulate network latency was to use tcmon from the Windows resource kit, but I quickly found the tool to be poorly documented, unsupported on Windows Server 2003, and only provided rate control on Windows XP. It's sad when a command line tool for Linux is simpler and easier to use than a GUI tool from Microsoft.

Howto disable autorun in Windows XP

2009-01-21T15:22:00.001-05:00

Handy info!

Click Start
Click Run
Enter GPEDIT.MSC
Group Policy mmc will popup. On left panel:
Double-click Computer Configuration to open submenu
Double-click Administrative Templates to open submenu
Double-click System to open submenu
Double-click Turn autoplay off option which will be near the bottom of the list in the right panel.
The default is the Not configured . Set it to Enabled.

L4d Server Basic Howto

2009-01-20T10:43:00.006-05:00

Here's the steps I used to setup a Left4Dead server on my Windows Server 2003 box.

Step 1: Get the files to install the source dedicated server (I used C:\srcds as my dir)
http://www.srcds.com/

Step 2: Run hldsupdatetool and agree to the terms of use etc

Step 3: Update/Install your game
C:\srcds\hldsupdatetool.exe -command update -game "left4dead" -dir C:\srcds

Step 4: Create a server.cfg file in C:\srcds\l4d\left4dead\cfg to look like the following

// server
name hostname

// password for rcon
rcon_password ""

// Difficulty of the current game (easy, normal, hard, impossible)
z_difficulty normal

// Only allows connections from game
lobbies sv_allow_lobby_connect_only 0

Step 5: Run the game server
C:\srcds\l4d\srcds.exe -console -game left4dead +ip -port 27015 -nohltv +sv_lan 0 +map l4d_vs_hospital01_apartment

Tips and Tricks:

You can control your server by joining the game from a different machine and using rcon.
1. Open the developers console by hitting tilde (enable it from keyboard setup first)
2. Type: rcon_password
3. Now that you're authenticated you can disable autokick by simply typing: rcon
4. You can also change game settings and more by typing things like: rcon sv_cheats 1
5. To see each player's latency just type: ping
There are useful commands you can run from the console too!
1. You can see when people type in the game, here's how to respond: say "blah blah"
2. To kick a player: kick "playername"
3. To shutdown the server: quit
You need a public IP address bound to your server's NIC in order to host a game, here's how to do it while keeping your home network intact.
1. First off, there are a few requirements for what I'm about to tell you. You must have DHCP based cable or DSL without an authentication mechanism like PPPOE. You must have Windows 2000 or newer with two NICs. Your cable modem must be bridged or otherwise setup so that your NIC will be assigned the public IP address directly from your ISP upon being connected (Not NAT'd through your modem and given a private IP). You'll also need a crossover cable. Got all that? Then read on...
2. Connect an ethernet cable from your modem to NIC1 on your server.
3. Connect a crossover cable from NIC2 on your server to the WAN port of your router.
4. On NIC1, Right click -> Properties -> Advanced -> Check the box for Internet Connection Sharing.
5. Assuming your router, NIC1, and NIC2 were all set for DHCP, you should now have a server with a public IP address and your home network should still allow all the rest of your machines to access the internet. If you have problems getting the addresses assigned, trying rebooting your router and/or the server. You can also try using DHCP release/renew commands.

Happy gaming!

Playstation to USB Adapter for PC

2009-01-13T21:59:00.008-05:00

Testing the Playstation to USB Controller Adapter

You can find these adapters on eBay (usually direct from Hong Kong) for less than $8 including shipping. It was so cheap, I decided to buy one and test it out. On to the tests!

The Test System:

MSI AM2 Motherboard
AMD Athlon X2 Processor
Windows XP SP3 (32bit)
PCSX2 Playground v1.0.0395 VM
ePSXe v1.7.0

PSX and PS2 Emulator Compatibility
If you're reading this article you're probably a ePSEe or PCSX2 user looking for an easy way to get a controller working with the emulator. You'll be happy to know this cheap little device allows you to use two Playstation controllers at once, as advertised. I was even able to use my Red Octane Guitar. HOWEVER, it did not like every controller I tested, and the driver CD they shipped with the unit didn't help. All of these controllers were first tested on my Playstation 2 console before I tested them under an emulator.

(The test equipment pile)

Hardware Compatibility
So which controllers worked and which didn't?

Sony PS2 Dualshock 2 (SCPH-10010) FAIL
Sony PSX (SCPH1080) PASS
Verge Micro PS2 (VGP2MCONT) PASS
Red Octane Guitar (PSLGH) PASS
Madcatz Wireless PS2 (8246) FAIL

I found that it didn't matter which emulator I tried the Dualshock 2 controller in, or how many controllers I used at once, they always failed to work properly. The wireless controller also didn't work as it wouldn't sync. Perhaps these two controllers have voltage requirements that aren't being met by the adapter? I won't have the time to research.

I should note that while the guitar worked, Rock Band doesn't run properly under PCSX2. Perhaps with some tweaking I can get the emulator to see it as a guitar and get the blank menu options to appear, but I don't have the time.

Tip: Things seem to work the best if you plug the USB cable in first, then both controllers, then start the emulator.

Other Uses:
I also found that a Playstation controller with this USB adapter works great for the following other emulators:

Stella v2.3.5 (Atari)
Project 64 v1.3 (N64)
FCE Ultra v0.5 (NES)
Snes9X v1.41-1 (SNES)
Gens v2.14 (Genesis)

Further Reading:

http://www.epsxe.com
http://www.pcsx2.net
http://www.ngemu.com

AMD Athlon X2 upgrade

2009-01-10T23:05:00.016-05:00

In a previous post, I described the Pentium 4 architecture I was using and how it appeared to be nearing obsolescence.
http://purefinity.blogspot.com/2008/12/pentium-4-architecture-becoming.html

Well with the incredibly cheap prices in 2009 (ie: $35 for 4GB of RAM) , I thought it was a good time to upgrade.

Performance testing:

AMD Athlon X2 5000, MSI K9N2GM, Powercolor Radeon HD 3850 PCI-E (688mhz clock, 747mhz RAM), 4GB DDR2 800 RAM
Left4Dead 1024x768 + low settings - 66FPS (19FPS with 8200 on-board video)
LAME MP3 Encoding w/ defaults - 22sec
7zip ultra comp + AES256 encryption - 1m15s
Doom 3 (1280x1024, Ultra Quality, 4x AA, 8x AF) - 118FPS

The Doom 3 score actually exceeded my expectations. :-)
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/gaming-graphics-charts-q1-2008/Doom-3,560.html

Old P4 / 6600 GT AGP
Left4Dead 1024x768 + low settings - 30FPS
LAME MP3 Encoding w/ defaults - 30sec
7zip ultra compression + AES256 encryption - 1m55s

Torture testing:
System temp was 44 deg C during torture testing.

AMD Athlon X2 5000 (Highest observed temp 53 deg C - 100% util @ 2600mhz for 1 hour)
Max Temp 55-68 Deg C
http://products.amd.com/en-us/DesktopCPUDetail.aspx?id=40&f1=&f2=&f3=&f4=&f5=&f6=&f7=&f8=&f9=&f10=

ATI Radeon HD 3850 (Highest observed temp 68 deg C - 100% util @ 688mhz for 1 hour)
Max Temp Unknown, but 75 Deg C is known to be stable according to some reports
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/video/display/radeon-hd3870-hd3850_13.html

The motherboard chipset is on par with similar chipsets from other vendors
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/amd-nvidia-chipset,1972-16.html

AGP lives! The ATI 3850 AGP performs about the same speed as the 3850 PCI-E
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ati-agp-3850-agp,1939-4.html

The shader seems to have issues in certain games like Left 4 Dead where reflective surfaces look magenta or oddly reflective. Hopefully this will be fixed with future drivers from ATI.

Update:
The K9N2GM motherboard (AKA K9N2GM-FD) does not support Linux when using the SATA controller. This is a shame, but thankfully I was able to run Windows XP x64 with VMware Workstation 5.5 to use my Linux applications.

I've since bought 2 more sticks of Crucial RAM, and now have 8GB of memory running in dual channel mode. So far I have not run into the 7GB limit the user manual mentions.

The processor is now running at about 2.95Ghz and is cool and stable. (226x13)

The video card was overclocked in the BIOS to run a 695Mhz GPU clock and 828Mhz memory.

Basic Linux find command syntax

2008-12-23T12:15:00.002-05:00

# find . -name foo

Finds files in the current dir+subdir named foo

# find . -name \*foo

Finds files in the current dir+subdir ending in foo

Pharmacy price gouging

2008-12-16T14:48:00.002-05:00

Giant pharmacy got me good last month. I had to pay out of pocket for some medication for my cat and they charged me $91. When I refilled it, I decided to go to Target pharmacy instead... the cost? $5

It definitely pays to shop around! Since it looked like we needed more refills and because the cost was so high, we almost decided to put the cat down. Good thing we didn't trust the pharmacist when he said it's just an expensive medication.

Pentium 4 Architecture Becoming Obsolete for Modern Games

2008-12-16T12:40:00.008-05:00

A friend of mine recently got me "Left 4 Dead" for my birthday which did a great job of demonstrating how slow my older system really was. After some tweaks the game is running fast enough to be playable, but I found some interesting things out along the way.

System specs:
Pentium 4 Northwood 2.8Ghz (533mhz FSB)
Gigabyte Motherboard
Nvidia 6600GT
1GB Patriot PC3200 RAM

Timedemo commands:
HL2 and L4D have similar commands as they use the same engine. I made my own demos for each game to make sure they were compatible with the version I had.

All games were run 1024 x 768 with everything set to low or off.

1. Start a game
2. Enable the console from the keyboard setup
3. record
4. stop
5. timedemo

Nvidia driver:
I started my testing in Half Life 2. I was surprised that a driver upgrade was able to get me about 16FPS. (v6.14.10.8185 -> v6.14.11.7824)

Testing:
Nvidia now offers some free system monitoring tools (and overclocking tools) that allowed me to track system metrics like CPU utilization, GPU utilization and Memory utilization while the demos were running. The GPU was often running 80-90%, Memory pegged at 98%, and the CPU pegged at 100%. Given the high GPU and CPU utilization, I thought some overclocking would help. The results show that overclocking didn't help that much. I also tried bumping the res down to 800x600 on L4D and found that didn't help much either.

CPU overclock: 3.23Ghz (154mhz FSB, no voltage changes)
GPU overclock: Core 560mhz, Memory1070mhz

HL2 Baseline: 23.80 FPS
HL2 Driver Upgrade: 39.26 FPS
HL2 GPU Overclock: 41.00 FPS

L4D Baseline: 30.46 FPS
L4D CPU Overclock: 33.16 FPS

Heat:

I got a new power supply a few weeks ago and didn't pay attention to the fact that it had a fan on the inside that my old power supply didn't have. This fan sits very close to the CPU fan, and spins in the opposite direction. I checked the Gigabyte health monitors and it showed the CPU idling at around 56 deg C and the fan was spinning at 1700RPM. Luckily the heatsink allowed me to easily unscrew the fan and put it on backwards to reverse the flow. Now the CPU idles at about 32 deg C, and the fan spins at 4000RPM.

While I had my PC open, I decided to do some other heat management mods. I drilled some larger holes in the front near the front fan to let it breath easier and I sealed all the random air holes with clear packaging tape. Now air can only enter through the front of the case and can only exit through the power supply (back of the case) or through some holes near the processor (back of the case).

Now even while overclocking the CPU rarely gets above 52 deg C. In fact, the whole system runs cooler, even the disk drives. The only thing that still ran hot was the GPU at 70 deg C. It seems the pretty copper heatsink with fan looks nicer than it performs.

The future:

I suppose I could max the system out with 2GB of RAM and an ATi 3850 AGP video card, but the most cost effective long-term solution in my opinion would be to save my money and get a newer multi-core system with PCI Express. This is because the Pentium 4 architecture with AGP has pretty much retired and will no longer be able to receive upgrades to support newer games.

I'll be re-using my case though.. :-)

Updates:

1. I thought L4D was missing the ability to find specific games and choose a server with the lowest ping, but it's actually just hidden. To use the HL2-like game finding tool, open the console and type: openserverbrowser

2. You can change the language to German from the steam games menu by right clicking the game and choosing properties.

3. bind k "vocalize PlayerLaugh" ;-)

2008 Nissan Rogue

2008-12-10T14:08:00.006-05:00

I recently bought a 2008 Rogue SL AWD, and traded in a 2006 Nissan Altima. The Rogue has less cargo space and interior room. I also can't sit in the passenger seat without hitting my head on the ceiling since I'm about 6 feet tall and have a child seat behind me.

On the plus side, the MP3 stereo, bluetooth integration, window tint, and HID headlights are all nicely done. Also, it's comfortable (except for the passenger seat if you're tall) and drives just like a car.

The paddle shifters are a joke on a underpowered engine w/ CVT, but at least it's still a bit faster than a 1.8l Civic.

Updates: I moved the rear-facing child seat to behind the driver which helps the headroom problem alot. This also seems to make it easier to fold the seat down for extra cargo space.

I found there are some decent roof and trailer hitch storage options available that fit the Rogue.

Found dealer stabbed screws into the front bumper for lic plate, but read that's a common practice.

Still getting 20mpg after our 2nd fillup. For a recent long highway trip we got 24.5MPG.

We also found that the hatch will dump water into the cabin if you're not careful when opening it. And when driving over 62MPH, the front end make a whistling/honking noise when it's a windy day.

The rear wiper stopped working a few weeks ago. The car has 9400miles on it! Actually it has a mind of it's own now and will turn itself on and off regardless of what position the switch is in..

How to pay a credit card with ING Direct

2008-12-07T21:47:00.003-05:00

It took some searching to find directions on how to use an electric orange checking account from ING Direct to pay an online bill. I tested the instructions below using several different accounts.

1. First login to your ing direct account at http://www.ingdirect.com
2. Click on "My Accounts"
3. Write down the number listed under the "Account #" column
4. Combine this number with the Routing Transit Number "031176110", and you should have all the information most credit cards and other online bill services require to pay your bill.

My Workout Routine and Results

2008-11-23T15:10:00.013-05:00

This is just an entry to mark my progress, and maybe help others through example. I currently workout twice a week for about 1.5 hours each session.

Routine:
I manage to work all major muscle groups in two days. The exercises are complementary in that the movements designed to work one muscle group also use the other muscle groups that are worked the same day. For example when you bench press, although it is pec focused, you are also using your delts and triceps.

Day 1 is pecs, deltoids, triceps
- Bench press sets
  - 12 reps @ 135lbs
  - 8 reps @ 185lbs
  - 5 reps @ 225lbs (3 sets)
  - 20 reps @ 135lbs
- Seated shoulder press sets
  - 8 reps @ 135lbs (3 sets)
- Forward dumbbell raises (alternating arms during set)
  - 16 reps @ 35lbs (3 sets)
- Side dumbbell raises (weight in each hand)
  - 16 reps @ 35lbs (3 sets)
- Fixed bar pulley skull crushers
  - 12 reps @ 150lbs (3 sets)
Day 2 is biceps, lats, traps, quads, hams, glutes, calfs
- Pullups
  - 10 pullups (2 sets)
- Standing dumbbell curls (alternating arms during set)
  - 16 reps @ 40lbs (4 sets)
- Standing one handed preacher curls (alternating arms during set)
  - 16 reps @ 30lbs (1 set)
- Shrugs (dumbbell in each hand so divide total weight by 2)
  - 24 reps @ 150 lbs (4 sets)
- Wide grip pull down
  - 8 reps @ 200 lbs (2 sets)
  - 16 reps @ 140lbs (1 set)
- Machine assisted hack squat (Squating low)
  - 12 reps @ 400lbs (1 set)
- Cardio (Treadmill, Alternating Intervals)
  - 3 min @ speed 3.4, elev 0
  - 3 min @ speed 7.0, elev 1
  - 3 min @ speed 3.4, elev 0
  - 3 min @ speed 7.0, elev 1
  - 3 min @ speed 3.4, elev 0

I could do more for my legs, but I hate how tired it makes me feel for the days that follow.

Supplements:
I had alot of new supplements recently donated to me, so I mixed 3 different canisters together which consisted of the following:

GNC Soy Protien 95
GNC Distance
American Whey

I mix one scoop into 8 ounces of whole milk and drink half of it 45 minutes before my workout and half directly after. I feel like the soy protien gives me a little more energy for some reason.

Baseline:
I used a tape measure to get my initial measurements. These can be used to track my progress. I was measured with a caliper in 2007 at 184lbs to have 17% body fat, but the accuracy of these tests vary.

9/14/08
Weight 179lbs
Right Arm 14.75" (Flexed)
Left Arm 14.00" (Flexed)
Waist 34.00" (After breakfast)

2 month check:
I really need to be more strict about when I weigh and measure myself. First thing in the morning before eating and after visiting the bathroom would be the ideal time. Still, I think I have made some actual progress.

11/23/08
Weight 180lbs
Right Arm 15.00" (Flexed)
Left Arm 14.50" (Flexed)
Waist 34.25" (After breakfast, lunch, and dinner)

Targets:
16" arms, maintain 180lbs, bench 300lbs

Update - 09/03/09:
Right Arm 15.50" (Flexed)
Left Arm 15.00" (Flexed)
Weight 176lbs

My wide grip pulldown weight went up to 220lbs.

After much soul searching, I've decided to give up on my 300lb bench. As I make attempts for 280lbs, my lower back hurts for several days after. I can also feel aches and pains that I never felt before as I continue ageing into my 30's.

I also remember pressing over 1100lbs on the leg press at age 29 and breaking a rib and ripping my groin. I really don't need another experience like that..

For me, my long term health is more important than being able to say I could move a certain amount of weight. So my new plan is to get my weight down between 170-175, and keep my arms between 15-16". Then just maintain that for as long as I can.

Reinhardt Family Research

2008-11-12T16:24:00.101-05:00

-This article is still under development. Please check back for updates-

Introduction:

This is the start of an article I'm writing about one of my forefathers that was fairly easy to track. He's one of the reasons I decided to learn German. While I was trying to decide which 2nd language I wanted to learn, I found all this historical information about my family (I have many Germanic ancestors on both sides). With old letters available to translate, and needing archive searches overseas, picking German was an easy choice to make. Now I have two hobbies: learning German, and researching history.

(He's the one with the mustache - circa 1908)

The focus of my research:

It's all centered around Herr Carl FW Reinhard. I find that ancestry research is the easiest if you simply research a single person until you encounter too many dead leads to move on. At time of writing I still haven't run out of leads to pursue for him.

German name was Carl Friedrich Wilhelm Reinhard - Ref: Marienkirche in Hanau

American alias was Charles "Chas" FW Reinhardt - Ref: US Naturalization Papers

Born: 1/16/1858 – Ref: US Naturalization Papers, Marienkirche in Hanau

Born in Hanau Germany – Ref: 1920 US Census

5' 4" tall - Ref: 1908 US Dept of State document

Mother and father born in Hanau Germany – Ref: 1920 US Census

Died: 10/17/1937 in his home on 18 Bayside Ave, Pawtuxet Warwick RI - Ref: Providence Journal Death Notice

Arrived in US: 10/4/1881 through New York– Ref: 1920 US Census

Naturalized: 5/14/1890 at Providence district court – Ref: US Naturalization Papers

Occupation in the US: Jewelry manufacturer (Goldschmied?) (Reinhardt manufacturing, woven wire chains) – Ref: Toy
- Occupation in Germany: Goldarbeiter (Goldworker) - Ref: Meldebüchern
- From a RIGS researcher:
  "a city directory from 1912 shows that Reinhardt Mfg was located at 167 Dorrance Street and that Charles H. and William O. Reinhardt also worked there. What was 167 Dorrance Street in the early 1900s is now the site of the Garrahy Judicial Complex, home to Rhode Island District, Family and Workers Compensation Courts. It is on the edge of the city's Jewelry District. In the late 1700s, Nehemiah Dodge of Providence figured out a way to bond a thin layer of gold to less expensive metals, giving rise to the costume jewelry industry. For all but a decade or two of the last 200 years, Rhode Island has been the world capital of the costume jewelry industry. While I can't say what prompted FW to migrate to Providence, it was a logical place for a goldsmith to be."
Starting in 4/11/1864 he attended the Hanauer Knabenfreischule (Hanau Public School for Boys, sometimes freischule was a school for poor children). The school was renamed 10/1/1864 to Knabenbürgerschule II (State School for Boys, the rename to include the word "bürger" indicates a focus on prepping the pupils for a trade rather than college). In August 1866 he left the school for reasons unknown and went to Dettingen (Baden-Wuerttemberg). In 3/8/1870 he returned to the Knabenbürgerschule.
His mother died in her home at 25 Schützenstraße. His father died in the Landkrankenhaus (Rural Hospital). The cause of death was not recorded for either parent, and there are no known plagues or disasters in 1871 that were suspected of killing them.
In 1871, the grandparents were already dead. According to a local historian in Hanau, the children most likely lived with their Uncle Kaspar Reinhard (Born 3/30/1828 in Hanau and
died 12/7/1877 in Hanau). He was a Goldarbeiter or Bronceur and lived at 39 Steinheimer Straße und at 10 Kölnischen Straße among others.
Around 1877, FW lived with Daniel Seitz (Gärtner/Gardener) at 19 Hospitalstraße in Hanau. On 2/16/1877 he announced moving to Frankfurt. Later he lived with his brother Heinrich at 13 Lothringer Gasse in Hanau and then on 11/24/1879 he again announced moving to Frankfurt. After that he lived again with Heinrich at the Hanauer Vorstadt Nr. 3 and announced leaving for Frankfurt on 3/23/1880. Hanau had no other records of his location past 1880.

Heinrich Reinhard was a Diamantschleifer (Diamond polisher) and Goldarbeiter (Gold worker). He married on 3/11/1877 (evangelisch-reformiert) in Hanau to Susanne
Elisabeth Simon. She was born on 3/9/1855 in Mittelbuchen and was
the daughter of the Ackermanns Johann Michael Simon and Anna Margarethe
(Schmidt). Mittelbuchen has been since 1974 a district of Hanau.

Heinrich and Susanne Elisabeth Reinhard had 2 children:

Marie Luise Mathilde * 7/23/1877
Karl Friedrich Wilhelm * 4/29/1879

The godfather of Karl Friedrich Wilhelm was his uncle Karl Friedrich
Wilhelm Reinhard.

Heinrich Reinhard lived at Vorstadt Nr. 15. On 3/14/1892 he was registered as moving his entire family to Frankfurt. The Meldebücher after 1894 were burned in the war, und thereby it cannot be known if they ever returned to Hanau.

Siblings:

Ludwig Heinrich Friedrich - 5/28/1863 (Survived WWII living in Germany)

Mathilde Henriette Maria - 5/16/1854 (His only living sister)

Heinrich - 3/29/1856

Johann Karl August Simon - 1/15/1861

Caroline Christine Leopoldine - 5/25/1865 to 8/5/1865 (Died as an infant)

Karl Otto - 6/21/1866

Parents:

His Parents were married on 3/13/1854.
Father: Johann(es) Heinrich Reinhard born 11/27/1819 and died 10/3/1871 - Ref: Marienkirche in Hanau
- He was a Zigarrenmacher (Cigar maker) and Aufseher (Supervisor) in der Zigarrenfabrik F.L. Vollbracht.
- His parents Caspar Reinhard and Susanne Schäfer married on 9/25/1815.

Mother: Maria Amalie Baacke born 4/25/1830 and died 4/16/1871 - Ref: Marienkirche in Hanau
- Her parents Heinrich Baacke and Maria Amalie Heiderich married on 7/9/1813.

Grandfather (Paternal): Caspar Reinhard
- He was a Seidenstrumpfweber (Silkweaver?).
Grandmother (Paternal): Susanne Schäfer
- She was the daughter of Ludwig Schäfer from Niederrodenbach.
Grandfather (Maternal): Heinrich Baacke
- He was a Schneidermeister (Master tailor)
- Son of Bernhard Ludwig Baacke from Niederrodenbach.
Grandmother (Maternal): Maria Amalie Heiderich
- She was the daughter of the Caffamachers (Coffee Roasters?) Johann Heiderich aus Hanau.

(Niederrodenbach is about 10km east of Hanau.)

(Pedigree Chart)

Wife and her Family:

Anna Hermina (Lippold)
Born: Feb 1867 in Connecticut – Ref: 1900 US Census
Died: 1952– Need Ref

Married: August 8th 1884 – Need Ref

Father: Henry Lippold - 1826 - born in Germany (Saxony)
Occupation: Blacksmith - Ref: 1880 US Census
He could read but could not write - Ref: 1880 US Census

Mother: Louisa W. Rumph – Jan 1833 - born in Germany (HessenDarmstadt)
Filed as head of household in 1900 without Henry
Occupation: "Keeping house" (Homemaker?)

Children:

William Otto (5/19/1885)
Charles Herbert (1/16/1887 - 1969) (Same birthday as FW!)
Annie Louise (10/18/1888 - 4/6/1965)
Theresa Selma (8/1890)
Emma Alma (3/1892 - 1963) (Went blind?)
Ernest Edward (11/21/1893 - 1976) (Emmett's father)
Louisa Freida (2/1895 - 1994)
Otto Arthur (1/1899 - 1952)
Henry George (1902 - 1985) (American WWI veteran?)
Walter Raymond (1906 - 1975)

Other info: (Ref: Toy and Unverified Documents)

He went deaf in his later years

He was known to be cold and aristocratic

There may have been Reinhardts that owned a pub in Frankfurt.

Anna and FW conversed in German

He liked automobiles (Cadillacs and DeSotos)

He had one sister in Cranston/Providence (Hermina/Mina?)

Mina had a daughter named Clara

He may have had a brother named Frederick who may have lived in New England

He had 3 other brothers in Germany named Fritz (born 1863), Heinrich (had a grandson and a grand daughter that were siblings), and Otto

Heinrich had a grandson that served in WWII (I'm assuming Heinrich's children all lived in Germany)

Clothes were sent to the surviving Reinhardt’s after WWII (According to a 1948 letter)

His brother Fritz called him "Wilhelm" (According to a 1948 letter)

He raised his children episcopalian, but he had church records at Marienkirche Hanau

Married Anna Hermina Lippold August 8th 1884 (A first gen American, although parents were both German)

Historical facts:

American civil war (1861-1865)

Germany controlled by William I + Otto Von Bismarck (1862-1888)

Prussia annexes Kurhessen (1866)

Germany unites as a country (1871)

Germany annexes France and demands indemnity payments, ending the Franco-Prussian war (1871)

Bismarck fights against Catholic political resistance (1871-1876)

Germany’s 2nd Reich (1871-1918)

German economic crash - gruenderzeit bubble burst (1873-1896)

The Goldmark (officially: just Mark) became the new currency of Germany (1873 - 1914)

Bismarck bans socialist activities following two attempts on the life of emperor William I(1878)

Tariffs and an increase in indirect taxes were introduced in Germany to favor protectionism (1879)

Edison’s first public display of incandescent lighting in America (Dec 31^st 1879)

America controlled by president Rutherford B. Hayes and briefly in 1881 by James Garfield (1877-1881)

America controlled by president Chester Arther (1881-1885)

Benz designs and builds the world's first automobile in Germany (1885)

Ellis Island immigration station opened in America (Jan 2^nd 1892)

US declares war on Germany (April 1917)
- Males born 1872-1900 were registered for the WWI draft

Armistice signed between Germany and allies (Nov 1918)

In 1880-1890 most workers in MA worked 10h per day and made $3 or less per day. (Closest state to RI I could find data for) - Ref: Wholesale Prices, Wages, and Transportation - By United States Congress
- A decent loaf of bread cost about 5 cents in the early 1890s
The 1880's - The "new immigration" period brought many people from Germany and other parts of Europe to the U.S. to escape from a devastating economic situation. The rise of steamships and ocean liners made this possible. A record 250,000 Germans came to the states in 1882 alone. - Ref: German National Tourist Office

Artifacts:

A. His family wrote him a letter in 1909 from Frankfurt am Main

The letter appears to have been written by the daughter of his sister Mathilde, who was also named Mathilde? (signed Mathilde Rias ..... you can try to read the last name in the image below)
FW had requested that his sister Mathilde come to live with him in America, but this letter is a reply stating that they prefer she stay where she is at age 55. "In the end we three persons had the opinion that she should stay here, because it’s a big and onerous journey for her"
The letter states there was a horrible flood in Frankfurt, and they included some pictures
The letter states Mathilde's husband "August" died in January

(Envelope front)

(Envelope back)

(The part of the letter describing the flood)

(A pic of the flood)

(The author's signature)

(Frankfurt am Main is about 20km west of Hanau. The letter also mentions meeting people in Sachsenhausen.)

(The letter mentions that Mathilde had business dealings on Hedderichstrasse)

B. He took a trip to Germany and back with his wife Anna in 1908.

Cruise vessel “Königin Luise” took Charles and his wife Anna from the US to Germany in March 1908.
Cruise vessel “Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse” took Charles and his wife Anna from Bremen Germany to NY in May 1908

(A menu from the return to America)

(A menu from the trip to Germany)

(The actual ship manifest for the return to America)

(A pic of Kaiser Wilhelm Der Grosse)

C. His petition for citizenship (heard and granted in 1890)

(Reproduced from NARA Boston - District court of Rhode Island)

D. The 1920 census

(Town of Warwick, Kent County, Rhode Island, Enum Dist 19, Sheet 16)

E. A 1948 coin from Hessen, which was recently donated to me by my mother. It was most likely passed down from one of FW's children. This was probably what FW's father used in Hanau as currency.

Here's some info on the coin which I haven't fully translated or validated yet:
"Das 3-Heller-Stück kommt, wie es ja auch draufsteht aus Kurhessen, das mit Darmstadt rein gar nichts zu tun hatte. Kurhessen war das Kurfürstentum Hessen-Kassel, Residenz war logischerweise Kassel und sein damaliger Landesherr war Kurfürst Wilhelm II. und sein Sohn Friedrich Wilhelm. Kurhessen wurde nach dem Krieg 1866 von Preußen annektiert. Das Land hatte drei Prägestätten: Kassel, Clausthal und Lippoldsberg. Da auf dem 3-Heller-Stück aber kein Prägebuchstabe zu sehen ist, kann man auch nicht feststellen, in welcher der drei Prägestätten das Stück gefertigt wurde. Auflagezahlen sind nicht bekannt, dürften aber erfahrungsgemäß in die Hunderttausende gehen. Darmstadt hingegen war die Residenzstadt des Großherzogtums Hessen, auch Hessen-Darmstadt bezeichnet. Dort regierte zum selben Zeitpunkt Großherzog Ludwig II."

"The Thaler was the currency of the Landgravate, then Electorate of Hesse-Kassel (or Hesse-Cassel) until 1858. Until 1807, the Thaler was subdivided into 32 Albus, each of 12 Heller. It was worth three quarters of a Conventionsthaler.Between 1807 and 1813, the Westphalian Thaler and Westphalian Frank circulated in Hesse-Kassel. The Thaler and Heller were reintroduced in 1813, but without the Albus (the last coins denominated in Albus were issued in 1782). Thus, 384 Heller = 1 Thaler. In 1819, the Thaler was set equal to the Prussian Thaler. In 1841, a new currency system was introduced, dividing the Thaler into 30 Silbergroschen, each of 12 Heller. The Thaler was replaced at par by the Vereinsthaler."

(This picture shows an identical coin from a different year in much better shape)

F. FW's birth record from the Taufbuch Marienkirche (evangelisch - reformiert) Hanau

Ort and Tag der Taufe = Place and day of baptism/christening.

(The script is really hard to read, but I had an expert verify it. I'm still analyzing the record for other clues)

G. A 1909 newspaper article containing information about some property FW owned.

"New Park Commission Purchase" (Newport Daily News – Wed July 21 1909)

Through the purchase of 12 house lots between Smith street and Bay View street, in the Edgewood section just south of the Providence city ????, the Metropolitan Park Commission has obtained the key to the situation so far as the development of it’s new Edgewood Beach reservation is concerned. Owing to various legal complications the purchase of this particular tract, which just out like a bay windows into the land previously acquired, seemed hopeless for a time although it was clearly recognized as the natural and proper site for the bathing pavilion, with accommodations for (5?)00 bath houses, and other connected structures which the executive committee of the Park Commission and their landscape advisers had projected. The property, however, finall came into complete possession of Charles F.W. Reinhardt, one of the three mortgages of the estate of the late Gustave Wendish, and other legal complications, which involved the occupancy of about 100 bath houses by Mrs. Minna Thoeme, who conducts business at the beach, and the claims of several heirs who live near Dresden Germany, were at last untangled. Mr. Reinhardt was enabled to turn the property over to the commission with no encumbrance except the provision that Mrs. Thomas* shall be permitted to continue the business of catering to the wants of a certain portion of the public for two years longer. The commission is glad to have her do this, as it provides a much needed accommodation which could not otherwise be immediately supplied.

*Did the newspaper make an error here and actually meant to print Thoeme?

H. FW's death certificate

(Indicates he retired in 1924)

Resources:

NARA Waltham, MA - Good for finding citizenship papers and other info

The Ellis Island Foundation - Has searchable ship manifests

The church of LDS - Their libraries have a wealth of information, and also offer things like free ancestry.com census searches

Ancestry dot com - If you have the money, this is the quickest way to find good data fast!

Google Earth - Lets you find almost any place on the planet, even in other languages.

Google Translate - Not perfect, but very useful for both cut and paste translation along with full web page translation.

GenealogyJ - A free GED viewer. (family trees, timelines, etc)

Book plans
I'd like to eventually put all this loose data into a book of some kind as a keepsake for my family. I'll use this section to jot down my ideas.

Use google book search to help reinforce my reference section (niche history sometimes requires rare books)
Put all the artifacts in the appendix section as complete as possible (meaning the full raw text)
Use the cafepress self-publish service?
- http://www.cafepress.com/cp/info/sell/books.aspx
- 7.5 x 9.25 Technical Manual, Perfect Bound, Color Cover/BW Pages
The book cover can be a collage of family photos, state seals, and location photos
Time period will cover 1858-1937 as it follows FW
Remember to thank those that helped from NARA and the Hanau Archives.
Include digital version of the book with the book on CD/Flash drive? Include URL to blog version of book?
Kurz Selbstbiografie
List the age of the characters for reference as events are explained.
Include pedigree chart
Find out how long it took to travel from Bremen to NY by steamship. How long between Hanau and Frankfurt by train.
Make selbstbiografie more of a foward and explain all the nationalities in me
Have appendix of addresses mentioned
Include other appendices and think of other useful ways to chop up the data
Include emails and letters from all German archiv in the appendix
Resize all photos 7.5 x 9.25

Questions to be answered (and todo list):

What happened to the Reinhardt children living in Germany? Can the family tree be traced forward to find living relatives that might have more information? (I'm hoping to find a great-grand-child between 80-95 years old) Heinrich had a son that may have lived in Bad-Nauheim 7/8/1948.

Who else lived in Frankfurt related to Mathilde and where did they live? Who signed the 1909 letter? (Can we find records of the January 1909 death of Mathilde's husband August?)

What did FW take for money in 1881 and how did he convert it to US currency?

Did the Reinhard family speak Hessisch? (In addition to Hochdeutsch?)

What was FW doing in Frankfurt 1877-1880? Who did he know that lived there? (The Hanau archive speculates that he might have moved around because of joining the military or perhaps for his occupation)

What became of Heinrich's life in Frankfurt? Is there information about his marriage, children, and death? (Born 3/29/1856)

Did his brother Friedrich have a daughter named Mina?

Was Mina (Thieme) really FW's sister? (Born 1859, and ran bathhouses at Edgewood beach.)

Which other Reinhardt's other than FW came to live in America?

How did FW amass his wealth? Did he inherit money from his parents/uncle?

Are there any living Reinhardts in the US that might be able to help with research?

Is there any evidence to support that FW killed Mr. Taylor in Slocum with his car? Rumor says he then put his car in the barn and never drove it again.

Are we connected to the Reinhards that built the Reinhardskirche (Hanau Grafschaft)?
Some searching can be done here:
http://wiki-de.genealogy.net/index.php/Datenbanken

Find info about the Reinhardts in Frankfurt 1877-1910
- Information about their business?
- Historical photos?
- Reference 1909 address, Heinrich's move to Frankfurt with his family(3/14/1892), August's 1909 death.
- Get economic information for the timeperiod 1877-1892 (Frankfurt, Hanau, and Rhode Island)
More clues of photos in the "Henry A.L. Brown" collection? (Henry might still be alive, but how do I contact him?)
http://mygfna.com/History.html
FW's son William Reinhardt (JR) took over the American jewelry business (Any records with clues?) (Peerless Margarine)
Get original 1948 letter from Heinrich's grandchild.
Did FW buy a farm in 1927 in North Kingstown (Kingston?)
What was the Reinhardt family connection with the Herkimil diamond?
Check for google earth photos for any of the historic streets mentioned in the Hanau documents.
He probably needed some horse drawn transportation in 1877-1880 for all his moving around, but was rail also available?
From the mitgliederliste des ADAV: Johann and Otto Reinhard were both a Zigarrenarbeiter at age 13 and 8 respectively?
Did his family send him away in 1866 due to Prussia's annexation of Kurhessen?
Need more info about the history of his brothers Johann and Karl.
What did toys look like and what did people eat in Hanau 1855-1865?
What did toys look like and what did people eat in Rhode Island 1885-1905?
Find other historical facts (Telephone, Film, Prohibition, Female voting)
Research the Reinhardt kids in the US. (Otto Arthur, etc)

-This article is still under development. Please check back for updates-

Transition from mental translation to instant comprehension

2008-11-10T21:17:00.002-05:00

Something interesting happened today, I was listening to a German talk show when suddenly I realized that I wasn't translating it to english in my mind before understanding it. It took 3 years of moderate immersion in the language for this to happen, and a lot of practice went into it, but things finally just clicked into place.

I look forward to breakthroughs like these because they always make me feel like all the work I've put in was well worth it. :-)

Learning German - tips and shortcuts

2008-11-09T22:12:00.010-05:00

After 3 years of teaching myself German, I've decided to publish some shortcuts and tips that I've learned along the way.

1. Adjectives and Grammar - There are obviously a lot of rules in German grammar that intimidate many of the people attempting to learn the language. In English you would say "I would like the red apple", but it German it would be "Ich moechte den roten Apfel". In this example der becomes den and rot becomes roten. However, what I have found is that you can usually skip it and the audience will still understand what you're writing/saying. For example, you could simply say "Ich moechte der rote Apfel" and most would understand you. I've found that simply adding an "e" to the end of any adjective seems to work, but remember that there is no ending if the adjective is used at the end of the sentence ie: "Der Apfel ist rot".

One thing to keep in mind on this trick is that even though they understand you, adding an"e" to every adjective often results in a sentence that can be understood but still sounds wrong. However I think this shortcut is valuable because it leaves me free to learn more important things like how to properly construct a sentence, when to use du, dich, or dir and how to conjugate my verbs. One example of proper sentence construction is the translation of "I remember", which in German it would be "ich erinnere mich". There are countless examples like this where unless you know which words need to accompany the verb, your listener will be left hanging waiting for you to complete the sentence.

2. Word Gender - This is a new concept for English speakers. How can a objects like tables (in this case male - der tisch) have a sex? In English we simply use "the" for everything. The answer is, there is no logical way to do it so you have to memorize the sex (male-der, female-die, neuter-das) that goes with the word. However, every plural word I've seen uses "die". This means you could in theory always use the plural form of what you're trying to say and then in turn could always use "die". Even better, the plural form of a noun in German often doesn't even use "die" in the sentence ie: "Ich mag Aepfel". This is exactly how plural nouns function in English ie: "I eat apples."

3. Word pronunciation - My best tip here is to immerse yourself in listening to native speakers everyday. Watch TV and movies in German, listen to music in German, and try to repeat back what you hear. At first all the words will seem to run together and sound like gibberish, but eventually you'll be able to hear and separate each word. You won't understand everything right away and that is ok! After 3 years, I can listen to something and write down what was said even if I didn't already know all the words that were used. I feel that German spelling rules were easier to learn than English because they seem to have less exceptions.

4. Verbs - Verb tables are your friend! There's really no way around memorizing a lot of verbs. Fortunately most past tense forms end in "t" or "en" and most future tense forms end in "en", but there are exceptions. There's quite a few different tenses for each verb, but I've found just using the past, present and future tenses are enough. If you memorize nothing else, make sure you learn all the forms of "haben" and "werden"!

5. Ob and Wenn - They seem similar to an english speaker that's used to having only one word for "if". Here's some examples to help clarify when to use which one.

If it is going to rain by tomorrow, (I don't know yet.), i will stay at home.
(Wenn es morgen regnet (Ich weiß aber nicht, ob es morgen regnen wird), dann bleibe ich zuhause.)

By a rule of thumb i'd say, whenever you can construct a sentence by using "whether" in English, it is safe to use "ob" in German.

I don't know, whether you (will) understand this.
Ich weiß nicht, ob Du das verstehst.

6. Don't be scared to try! - Of course you'll sound horrible the first few years, but you'll NEVER improve unless you practice. Most of the German people I've met had a lot of patience and were very kind to me as I struggled to speak and understand what was said.

That's it for now, I'll post more as I think of it. :-)

Silbermond - In zeiten wie diesen (translation)

2008-11-08T20:43:00.004-05:00

Here's a translation I did for Silbermond's song "In zeiten wie diesen". You've probably figured out by now that I'm a big Silbermond fan.. ;-)

Please comment if you find any mistakes please!

German to English translation (Deutsch nach Englisch)

Warum sind wir hier
*Why are we here
Sind wir hier um Egoist zu sein
*Are we here to be egoist
Bis der Neid eskaliert
*Until the envy escalates
Nein dafür sind wir nicht hier
*No, we're not here for that

Ich frag mich, ist es wahr
*I ask myself, is it true
Sind wir hier um uns abzuknalln
*Are we here to blow ourselves away
Um uns mit Blut zu beschmiern
*in order to smear ourselves with blood
Nein dafür sind wir nicht hier
*No, we're not here for that

In Zeiten wie diesen
*In times like these
Ist es Zeit neu anzufangen
*It's time to begin anew
Denn aus Zeiten wie diesen
*Because from times like these
Gibt es keinen Notausgang
*There is no emergency exit
Wir haben längst schon bewiesen
*We've long since proven
Dass wir die Kraft haben
*That we have the power
Mauern zu Fall zu bring´
*to bring down walls
Lasst es uns beschließen
*Let's conclude
In Zeiten wie diesen...
*In times like these...

Warum sind wir hier
*Why are we here
Sind wir hier um Nazi zu sein
*Are we here to be Nazis
und nicht aus Fehlern zu lernen
*and not to learn from mistakes
Nein dafür sind wir nicht hier
*No, we're not here for that

Es ist mir nicht klar
*it's not clear to me
Sind wir hier um zu zerstören
*are we here to destroy
Dich mich und den rest der Welt
*you, me, and the rest of the world
Nein dafür sind wie nicht hier
*No, we're not here for that

In Zeiten wie diesen
*In times like these
Ist es Zeit neu anzufangen
*It's time to begin anew
Denn aus Zeiten wie diesen
*Because from times like these
Gibt es keinen Notausgang
*There is no emergency exit
Wir haben längst schon bewiesen
*We've long since proven
Dass wir die Kraft haben
*That we have the power
Mauern zu Fall zu bring´
*to bring down walls
Lasst es uns beschließen
*Let's conclude
In Zeiten wie diesen...
*In times like these...

Sind wir hier um unsere Seelen gegen geld zu taschen
*Are we here to exchange our souls for money
und um Gott zu spieln
*and to play god

Wir erschießen uns für schwarzes Gold
*We shoot ourselves for black gold
Sind Kamikazeflieger, sind wir dafür hier
*are kamikaze pilots, are we here for that

Nein dafür sind wir nicht hier
*No, we're not here for that
Nein dafür sind wir nicht hier
*No, we're not here for that
Nein dafür sind wir nicht hier
*No, we're not here for that
Wir sind hier um Mensch zu sein
*we're here to be human beings

In Zeiten wie diesen
*In times like these
Ist es Zeit neu anzufangen
*It's time to begin anew
Denn aus Zeiten wie diesen
*Because from times like these
Gibt es keinen Notausgang
*There is no emergency exit
In Zeiten wie diesen
*In times like these
halten wir uns fest
*we hold ourselves tight
In Zeiten wie diesen
*In times like these
stirbt die Hoffnung zuletzt
*hope is the last to die
dass auch Zeiten wie diese
*that even times like these
irgendwann zu Ende sind
*are to end sometime

In Zeiten wie diesen
*In times like these
Gibt es keinen Notausgang
*There is no emergency exit
In Zeiten wie diesen
*In times like these
fängt alles bei mir an
*everything begins with me

Silbermond - An Dich (translation)

2008-11-07T17:24:00.007-05:00

Here's a translation I did for Silbermond's song "An Dich".

German to English translation (Deutsch nach Englisch)

An dich, ging jede Zeile, die ich jemals schrieb
*To you, went every line that I ever wrote
Und um dich, dreht sich mein Gesicht
*And my face turns around you
Schweissueberstroemt lieg ich im bett und kann nicht mehr
*dripping with sweat I lie in bed and can't anymore
Dich nicht mehr sehen, verstehen, wie es so weit kam
*can't see you anymore, understand, how it came so far

Doch nun bin ich bereit fuer ne neue Zeit
*Yes now I'm ready for a new time

Vergiss mich, dreh dich nicht um
*Forget me, don't turn around
lass mich hier stehen
*leave me here standing
Du wirst sehen es wird gehen auch ohne dich
*You will see, it will work, even without you

Vermiss mich, lass mich hier stehen und ich sag dir nie
*miss me, leave me here standing and I say to you never
niemals wirst du mich wiedersehen, hey.
*never ever, will you see me again, hey.

An dich werd ich noch denken wenn ich nicht mehr hier bin
*Will I still think about you if I'm no longer here
Niemals vergessen, dass es mir mit dir immer gut ging
*Never ever forget, that it always went good for me with you
Verdammt beschissen steh ich da, hin und her gerissen
*It's damn crappy how I stand there, torn back and forth
Und eins ist klar, es war
*and one thing is clear, it was

Doch nun bin ich bereit fuer ne neue Zeit
*Yes now I'm ready for a new time

Vergiss mich, dreh dich nicht um
*Forget me, don't turn around
lass mich hier stehen
*leave me here standing
Du wirst sehen es wird gehen auch ohne dich
*You will see, it will work, even without you

Vermiss mich, lass mich hier stehen und ich sag dir nie
*miss me, leave me here standing and I say to you never
niemals wirst du mich wiedersehen, hey.
*never ever, will you see me again, hey.

Es ist an dich, denn um dich dreht sich´s,
*It's about you, because it revolves around you
um dich dreht sich´s, um dich dreht sich´s
*it revolves around you, it revolves around you.

Adding a Linux swap partition

2008-11-03T15:59:00.000-05:00

I'm putting this howto in my blog to make it easier to find later when I need it again. I typically use it to resize swap partitions. I tested these instructions with RHEL 4.

To add a swap partition (assuming /dev/hdb2 is the swap partition you want to add):

Turn off all the swap space on the hard drive with the swapoff command.
Create the swap partition using parted or fdisk. Using parted is easier than fdisk; thus, only parted will be explained. To create a swap partition with parted:
- At a shell prompt as root, type the command parted /dev/hdb, where /dev/hdb is the device name for the hard drive with free space.
- At the (parted) prompt, type print to view the existing partitions and the amount of free space. The start and end values are in megabytes. Determine how much free space is on the hard drive and how much you want to allocate for a new swap partition.
- At the (parted) prompt, type mkpartfs part-type linux-swap start end, where part-type is one of primary, extended, or logical, start is the starting point of the partition, and end is the end point of the partition.
  
  Warning
  
  Changes take place immediately; be careful when you type.
- Exit parted by typing quit.
Now that you have the swap partition, use the command mkswap to setup the swap partition. At a shell prompt as root, type the following:
mkswap /dev/hdb2
To enable the swap partition immediately, type the following command:
swapon /dev/hdb2
To enable it at boot time, edit /etc/fstab to include:
/dev/hdb2 swap swap defaults 0 0
The next time the system boots, it will enable the new swap partition.
After adding the new swap partition and enabling it, make sure it is enabled using the free command.

	Warning
	Changes take place immediately; be careful when you type.

German Learning Resources

2008-11-01T23:44:00.000-04:00

To help fellow english speakers learning german, I've compiled a list of learning resources. I'll update and maintain it as I have time.

1. http://www.byki.com/ - $40 German practice drill software. Free version lets you see how it works.
2. http://www.verbix.com/languages/german.shtml - Free online verb conjugator
3. http://www.muenchen-tv.de/ - News and streaming TV from Munich
4. http://www.dradio.de/dlf/ - Streaming german radio. Great way to practice your listening skills. Can be ripped into mp3/ogg to listen later or grab the shows you want to hear.
5.http://www.amazon.com/Collins-Concise-Dictionary-HarperCollins-Dictionaries/dp/0062760580/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218166183&sr=8-9
One of the better paper dictionaries in my opinion.
6.http://www.amazon.com/German-Idioms-Barrons-Henry-Strutz/dp/0812090101/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218166327&sr=1-1
A bit more advanced, but entertaining to read at any level. Helps you translate sayings like "having a skeleton in the closet"
7. http://www.dict.cc - the online dictionary I use the most
8. http://www.amazon.de/Glaubeliebetod-Premium-Oomph/dp/B000ELL1KI/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1218166457&sr=8-4 - One of my fav German bands (you can listen to samples for free)

Making Linux a Router or Gateway

2008-10-31T14:29:00.001-04:00

Here's an example of how to set up simple routing on a Linux box.

Setup:
A Linux box with two NICs
Two network switches
Two or more additional computers

1. Add this line to your /etc/sysctl.conf file and comment everything else out
net.ipv4.ip_forward = 1

2. Modify the following files in /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts

ifcfg-eth0
DEVICE=eth0
IPADDR=192.168.80.138
NETMASK=255.255.255.0
GATEWAY=192.168.80.1

ifcfg-eth1
DEVICE=eth1
IPADDR=192.168.49.132
NETMASK=255.255.255.0
GATEWAY=192.168.49.2

route-eth0
GATEWAY0=192.168.49.132
NETMASK0=255.255.255.0
ADDRESS0=192.168.49.0

route-eth1
GATEWAY0=192.168.80.138
NETMASK0=255.255.255.0
ADDRESS0=192.168.80.0

3. Setup your other machines so that their gateway is 192.168.49.132 or 192.168.80.138

Use the GUI in Windows or use the following command in Linux:
route add default gw 192.168.80.138

Test from windows client:
>ipconfig

Windows IP Configuration
IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.80.142
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 192.168.80.138

>tracert 192.168.49.130

Tracing route to 192.168.49.130 over a maximum of 30 hops
1 1 ms <1 style="font-weight: bold;">

Cold air intake experiment

2008-09-27T14:30:00.000-04:00

How much difference in temperature is there between the following locations?

1. Short Ram Filter Location
2. Cold Air Filter Location
3. Open Air Filter Location

I decided to test this out for myself with a GE temp monitor with external probe. I currently have a cold air intake on my 96 Civic LX which positions the filter under the passenger side headlamp, behind the front bumper. I was considering cutting a hole in the front bumper to cool down the air where the filter was sucking, and I wanted to know if there was a large enough difference between the outside temp and the inside bumper temp to be worth it. While I was at it, I decided to test if the Cold Air system was even worth it. The answers are, the Cold Air System is worth it, cutting up the front bumper to cool down the air to the Cold Air System is not.

Here's why:

*All stop temp's were recorded after 5 minutes of parking.
*All moving temps were recorded after 10 minutes of 40mph cruising.

Outside Stop Temp - 92 deg F
Outside Moving Temp - 85 deg F

CAI Stop Temp - 101 deg F
CAI Moving Temp - 87 deg F

Short Ram Stop Temp - 138 deg F
Short Ram Moving Temp - 89 deg F

There is something very important to note about the measurements above. I only had to drive about 700 feet before the CAI temp reached it's lowest point of 87 deg, I had to drive 4 miles for the Short Ram temp to reach it's lowest point.

The short ram filter location takes a very long time to cool down while driving, and it heats up very quickly when you stop. In contrast the cold air system (CAI) filter location cooled down quickly while moving, and was slower to heat up.

If I was pushing the engine, I bet the short ram location would have been even hotter, even while moving.

Therefore the cold air system is worth it, but cutting a hole in your bumper for it is not. Unless you build a ram air chamber, but that is a different story. ;-)

Civic 96-98 M3 Mirror Install

2008-09-27T11:42:00.003-04:00

NOPI Part numbers:
875+1073 = 3 Wire M3 Power Mirrors
892+0034 = Mirror bracket Civic 4dr 96-00

First off let me say that if I wouldn't buy these again because:
1. They didn't even come close to fitting the car correctly out of the box
2. One of the mirrors was internally wired in reverse so U=D and D=U
3. The screws they included were so cheap they actually broke off when I tried to UNSCREW it from the plastic..

Ok, so now on to the install. I only had time to list the modification steps, so you'll have to fill in the blanks to figure out all the steps.

1. Remove your old factory mirrors and cut the white connector off leaving as much wiring hanging off as possible. Make sure you unscrew the connector from the old mirror first. You may also need to adjust the wire inside the housing with a long thin screw driver to get more slack.

2. drill the 3 mount holes a bit in your car door to make the holes more oblong shaped.

3. Trim the 3 pegs in the mirror bracket to make the 2 lower pegs about 1.6cm and the top peg about 1.3cm. You may need to carefully drill into the hole to get some extra depth.

4. Cut the lower ridge off one side of the triangular seal that came off the factory mirror. This will help it fit the new mirror bracket.

5. Using the 3 bolts from the old mirror, screw them into the 3 pegs in the new mounting bracket. Screw the new mirrors into their mounting brackets and test fit the entire assembly on the car including the triangular seal.

6. If you're satisfied with the fitment, fill the mounting pegs with epoxy and screw the bolts into the holes. Make sure you put them in all the way, but don't overtighten.

7. Take a multimeter with a DC voltage settting and figure out which wires control the U+D and L+R on your car. The ground wires were grey on the drivers side and pink on the passengers side for me. You should see +12 or -12 on the mutlimeter when you have it hooked up correctly while moving the mirror control pad in the car. Make sure you solder these wires together correctly with the new mirror according to the instructions that came with the mirror. (using the white connector, don't just solder them right to the car wiring...) I also recommend using electrical tape to keep everything insulated from each other.

8. After the epoxy has set, assemble all the pieces and attach it to the car.

Expect your new mirrors to vibrate much more than the OEM mirrors and also give you a much narrower field of vision.

Bosch spark plugs for Del Sol Si

2008-09-27T11:17:00.000-04:00

I recently installed some new Bosch spark plugs in my D16Z6 (part #4030)
http://www.boschautoparts.com/Products/SparkPlugs/Platinum.htm

They replaced some NGK V-power plugs that became fouled with a rich fuel mixture. The NGK plugs had a v-shaped center electrode with a flat ground electrode, while the Bosch plugs have a small flat center electrode with a v-shaped ground electrode (which is hard to see in most of the pics Bosch published for this plug).

I wanted some NGK G-power or laser platinum plugs for the D16Z6 like I use in my B16A but none were available according to the application list from NGK.

For now I'm very pleased with how the Bosch plugs perform, and the small center electrode should resist fouling better than the previous plugs.

Using SSH without a password

2008-09-17T16:11:00.000-04:00

Here's the quick and dirty way to login to ssh without a password (tested on Redhat Linux)

1. user@client$ ssh-keygen -t rsa
(hit enter for blank password and take all defaults)

2. user@server$ mkdir ~/home/user/.ssh

3. user@client$ cat ~/.ssh/id_rsa.pub | ssh user@server "cat >> .ssh/authorized_keys"

4. root@server$ vi /etc/ssh/sshd_config
change PermitEmptyPasswords to "yes"
root@server$ service sshd restart

If you run into problems, make sure the permissions for the .ssh directories and all files beneath it are set to 700 (ie: chmod -R 700 /home/user/.ssh)

There are obviously some security implications here. Use at your own risk!

Setting the date in Linux

2008-09-16T11:52:00.000-04:00

For handy reference I decided to post this tiny bit of syntax in my blog. This was tested in Redhat Linux. (The date command as part of coreutils)

date -s "09/16/2008 11:52:00"

Dish Network DVR Upgrade

2008-09-06T21:44:00.001-04:00

I recently got a Dish Network VIP612 DVR to replace my old 510 DVR. Unlike the 510, the 612 can record two shows at once (which is nice). The HD programs look as good as they do off my old antenna depending on what the program is.

However, I've had several problems with the unit. Sometimes playback is choppy when playing a recorded show, viewing photos makes the box reboot, and the over-the-air antenna hookup reads low signal even though there is actually more than enough.

I've already replaced the unit once and the second unit behaves the same way which makes me think that these are engineering flaws and not manufacturing flaws.

Update:
I recently connected the 612 to an LCD monitor using a HDMI cable with a DVI (DVI-D) adapter, and it looks great!

Gun Safety

2008-03-26T23:05:00.000-04:00

I looked into buying a pistol for home defense this week, and I was a little disturbed by the gun safety products available. I'm not an expert on firearms by any means, but I feel my observations are those anyone could make and validate if they noticed the same things I did.

The first thing I noticed was that many of the trigger locks are barely better than nothing at all as they can be unscrewed or twisted apart with pliers. I also found some of the lockable cases out there can be forced open without tools or much physical effort.

Some of the best safety products are built into the gun itself. For instance this Charter Undercover .38 special has a special hammer setup that prevents it from hitting the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled back. That means it shouldn't go off if you drop it, and you shouldn't be able to fire it with a good trigger lock on it.

For ammo, I liked the Speer hollowpoints. They had a higher mass than the others on the shelf, and the design should stop them from traveling through the target or through walls.
http://www.speer-ammo.com/ballistics/detail.aspx?loadNo=23720

Master lock had some decent trigger locks that actually used a key and had a full metal design.
http://www.masterlock.com/cgi-bin/product_detail.pl?dir=/cgi-bin/style_search.pl?style_id=A5&sub_style_id=B53&displaynav=&sub_cat_id=D90&template=style

A good case was hard to find at the local stores. Most of the good metal ones started at $150. Some of the cheaper cases at around $50 had a solid construction, but the built in lock had the same key as every other case of that type.

The underlying theme throughout my shopping experience was that you can't really rely on the store clerks opinion, you need to check out each component for yourself, and you get what you pay for.

Civic Brake Pad Replacement

2008-03-24T12:02:00.000-04:00

I recently bought some AEM / Nissin pads for the rear (part 26-200 ) and Hawk HPS for the front (part HB218F.583 ). I was planning to put them on after autocrossing this spring but I needed to replace the rear pads due to uneven wear. So rather than slap on a $50 set of pads, I decided to put on some cheap wearever pads from advance auto for $15 (part HBD564 ).

So far the cheap pads are working well on my badly rusted and gauged up rotors, even with high speed stopping. Although the Hawk pads I have up front are probably handling most of the stopping. I was sad they discontinued the axxis metalmaster pads I used to use, but the Hawk HPS have been a good alternative so far. After autoX, I'll get some new powerslot rear rotors and put on the new rear pads.

Wir Sind Helden - So und So (translation)

2008-02-24T00:50:00.001-05:00

I don't fully understand this song, but I'll post what I got so far anyway. "So und So" seems to mean "this and that", but in certain contexts it also means that someone doesn't stand by their convictions (according to someone I met from Muenchen).

german to english translation (Deutsch nach Englisch)

Wir sind helden - Soundso
*We are heroes - This and that

Sie wissen genau, wer du bist - Du bist uns so einer
*They know exactly who you are - You are one of us
Sie sagen es so, wie es ist - So gut kennt dich keiner
*They say it's so, like it is - You are not well known
Und zwar bist du vom Wesen so und so - So und so! So irgendwie!
*And indeed are you of the essence, this and that - this and that - so anyhow!
- verstehen sie dich, dass macht sie froh - So einer ändert sich nie
*Do you understand that makes them happy? - So never change it

Aber nichts davon bestimmt dich, weißt du
*But nothing thereof you certainly, you know
nichts davon verglimmt nicht mit der Zeit
*nothing thereof fades not with the time
nur du bestimmt nicht, weißt du
*only certainly not you, you know
nichts davon ist wirklich
*nothing thereof is really
nichts davon
*nothing thereof

So und so
*This and that
Und sowieso bleibt nichts davon
*and in any case remains nothing thereof
So und so
*this and that
Und sowieso ist nichts davon
*and anyway ist nothing thereof
So und so
*this and that
Glaub mir nichts davon
*believe me nothing thereof
bist du
*are you

So und so warst du schon immer - Genau so, nur kleiner
*This and that were you as early as always - Exactly so, only less
Im Alter wird so was nur schlimmer - Genau so, nur alleiner
*In aging so became only something worse - Exactly so, only more alone
Wie gut, wenn man geliebt wird, wie man ist â€“ So und so, und so allein!
*How good, when someone will be beloved, how someone is, this and that, and so alone!
So wie du warst, so wie du bist â€“ Bist das du, musst du das sein?
*So like du were, so like you are, are you that, must you be that?

Aber nichts davon bestimmt dich, weißt du
*But nothing thereof you certainly, you know
nichts davon verglimmt nicht mit der Zeit
*nothing thereof fades not with the time
nur du bestimmt nicht, weißt du
*only certainly not you, you know
nichts davon ist wirklich
*nothing thereof is really
nichts davon
*nothing thereof

So und so
*This and that
Und sowieso bleibt nichts davon
*and in any case remains nothing thereof
So und so
*this and that
Und sowieso ist nichts davon
*and anyway ist nothing thereof
So und so
*this and that
Glaub mir nichts davon
*believe me nothing thereof
bist du
*are you

Dein Vater ist froh, weil er weiß, du bist so und so
*Your father is happy, because he knows, you are this and that
Und Mutter ist froh, weil sie weiß, du bist so und so
*and mother is happy, because she knows, you are this and that
Dein Haustier ist froh, weil es weiß, du bist so und so,
*Your pet is happy, because it knows, you are this and that
Dein Lehrer ist froh, weil er weiß, du bist so und so
*Your teacher is happy, because he knows, you are this and that
Die Freunde sind froh, alles klar, du bist so und so
*Your friends are happy, everything is good, you are this and that
Auf Arbeit: alle froh, alles klar, du bist so und so
*To work: all happy, all good, you are this and that
Zuhause: alle froh, alles klar, du bist so und so
*Going home: all happy, all good, you are this and that
Und du gehst k.o, weil du weißt du bist so und so
*and you go k.o, because you know you are this and that
du gehst k.o, weil du weißt du bist so und so
*you go k.o, because you know you are this and that

Civic driveaxle Replacement

2008-02-24T00:18:00.000-05:00

The inboard CV joint lost it's bearing grease and started to grind itself apart. I went to Napa instead of Advance Auto this time, and was happy with the replacement drive axle. I remember the last axle I got from Advance needed the splines to be recut... What a pain.

I've got a B16A in my 6th gen Civic so I needed a 94 Integra LS axle to fit the y21 / s4c transmission. It was hard to reconnect the damper fork, so I had to disconnect the upper and lower ball joint and loosen the swaybar endlink. The new Napa axle ( part 94-6009 ) went in so smoothly I didn't even need to drain the tranny oil.

Wir Sind Helden - The Geek (Translation)

2008-01-30T21:07:00.001-05:00

Wir sind Helden - The Geek (Shall Inherit)
(German to English) (Deutsch nach Englisch)

Auf Deutsch

Bist du zu schlau, um nicht unangenehm aufzufallen
und nicht schön genug, um damit durchzukommen?
Weißt du genau, wie es ist, immer raus zu fallen
nur nicht weit genug, um woanders anzukommen?

Es tut weh, so zu sein, wie du solltest
Es tut weh, zu sein, wie du bist - Aber wenn der
Quarterback kommt, um dir die Brille abzunehmen Sag ihm:
Danke, die bleibt wo sie ist
Ich weiß doch:

Die Verletzten sollen die Ärzte sein
Die Letzten sollen die Ersten sein
Sieh es ein: The Meek shall inherit the earth
Die Verletzten sollen die Ärzte sein
Die Letzten sollen die Ersten sein
Die Ersten sehen als Letzte ein:
The Geek shall inherit the earth

Nicht deine Zeit, nicht deine Füße,
nicht dein Beat, nicht deine Leute,
deine Welt nicht, und nicht mal dein Schmerz
Du musst hier nicht dazugehören, aber such dir, was zu dir gehört
Du musst nicht tanzen, aber beweg dein Herz

Es tut weh, so zu sein, wie du denkst, dass du solltest
Es tut weh, so zu sein, wie du denkst, dass du bist - Aber wenn die
Homecoming Queen kommt, um dich wach zu küssen
Sag ihr Danke, ich hab nichts vermisst
Ich weiß doch:

Die Verletzten sollen die Ärzte sein
Die Letzten sollen die Ersten sein ...

Es tut weh, so zu sein, wie du denkst, dass du solltest
wenn dein Lehrer dich fragt, sollen wir uns nicht öfter sehen
Es tut gut, so zu sein, wie du denkst, dass du möchtest
wenn du sagst: Herr, lass diesen Knilch an mir vorübergehen

Auf Englisch

> Are you too clever, in order to not trip and fall
> and not attractive enough to get away with it?
>
> Do you know exactly how it is to always fall down
> only not far enough to arrive somewhere else?
>
> It hurts to be like you should
> It hurts to be like you are - but if the
> quarterback comes, to take your glasses say:
> "thank you, they'll stay where they are."
> I already know
>
> The injured should be the doctors
> the last should be first
> look at it this way: The meek shall inherit the earth
> The injured should be the doctors
> the last should be first
> The first see as the last
> The geek shall inherit the earth
>
> not your time, not your feet
> not your beat, not your people
> not your world, and not once your pain
> You dont have to belong here, but seek what belongs to you
> You dont have to dance, but move your heart
>
> It hurts to be like you should
> It hurts to be like you are - but if the
> homecoming queen comes, to kiss you awake
> Say: thank you, I didn't miss a thing
> I already know
>
> The injured should be the doctors
> the last should be first
> look at it this way: The meek shall inherit the earth
> The injured should be the doctors
> the last should be first
> The first see as the last
> The geek shall inherit the earth
>
> It hurts to be like you think that you should be
> if your teacher asks you should we not meet more often
> It does good to be like you think that you wish
> if you say: Lord, let these jerks pass me by.

Silbermond - Endlich (translation)

2008-01-30T21:03:00.001-05:00

This is one of my favorite German songs, but I couldn't find any translations of the lyrics so I translated it myself.
(German to English) (Deutsch nach Englisch)

Silbermond - Endlich

wir tragen alle zeit in unseren händen
*We carry all time in our hands*
sei unbesorgt denn ich beschütze dich
*Be unconcerned because I protect you*
doch die angst um dich sie wächst mit jeder stunde
*Yet the fear around you grows with every hour*
weil alle zeit der welt vergänglich ist
*Because all the time in the world is fleeting*

egal ob es dir gefällt oder ob es dich umbringt
*It doesn't matter if it appreciates you or if it kills you*
es wird alles irgendwann zu ende sein
*it will be the end of everything someday*
die einsicht bleibt dagegen sind wir machtlos
*the realization remains, we are powerless against it*
lass es für immer sein komm her und frier es ein
*allow it to be forever, come here and freeze it*
ich weiß dass alles mal zu ende ist
*i know that everything ends*
weil nichts für immer ist
*because nothing is forever*
doch es ist zeit die nicht verschwendet ist
*it is not a waste of time*
weil du sie nicht vergisst
*because you don't forget it*
ich weiß dass alles irgendwann zerbricht
*i know that everything crashes eventually*
doch im moment ist das so unwichtig
*at the moment that is so very unimportant*
weil du es nie vergisst
*because you never forget it*
weil der moment es ist
*because it is the moment*
der unsterblich ist
*that is immortal*

wir können nicht ändern was zu ändern nicht gemacht ist
*We can not change what is not meant to be be changed*
denn auch du und ich, wir sind nicht mehr
*Because you and I, we are nothing more*
als freischwimmer im fluss der zeit
*than uncontrolled swimmers in the river of time*
also lebe jeden tag als wärs dein erster
*so live every day as if it were your best*
leb jeden tag als wärs das letzte was du tust
*live every day as if it were the last thing you do*
wir wissen beide dass es endlich ist
*We both know that it is finite*
weil nichts unendlich ist
*because nothing is infinite*
doch solange du hier bei mir bist
*as long as you are with me*
interessiert das nicht
*I don't care*
ich weiß dass alles irgendwann zerbricht
*i know that everything crashes eventually*
doch im moment ist das so unwichtig
*at the moment that is so very unimportant*
weil du es nie vergisst
*because you never forget it*
weil der moment es ist
*because it is the moment*
der unsterblich ist
*that is immortal*

für immer
*forever*
für immer ist es nicht
*it is not forever*
nichts ist für immer
*nothing is forever*
für immer
*forever*

leb jeden tag als wärs das letzte was du tust
*live every day as if it were the last thing you do*

Tips for the HTC Excalibur / T-Mobile Dash

2008-01-29T21:53:00.011-05:00

After years of waiting for a portable computer that can connect to cellular networks, I finally got something close in the form of a T-Mobile Dash / HTC Excalibur.

I was trying to hold out for something that ran a Linux operating system with PC like capabilities, but that never seemed to materialize. So I had to settle for Windoh's. The deal was too good to pass up. The phone was 116USD after rebates, and I get unlimited access to a limited number of sites with T-Zones for 6USD extra a month (on top of my 39.99 voice plan).

I eventually needed to connect to an IMAP email server, which the T-Zones proxy doesn't support, so I upgraded my data plan to the 20USD full internet plan. Surfing without the T-Zones proxy isn't much faster, but it definitely seems more reliable as the proxy would often fail to connect (Overloaded perhaps?).

WM6 runs ok, but I don't really have much to compare it to so I won't rip it too bad. There are some obvious bugs like a malfunctioning alarm clock, non-functional fullscreen mode in Windows Media Player Mobile, IE home page that can't be changed, and a Windows live service that kinda takes over your phone.

A few registry hax will fix most of the issues someone will experience.
First, app unlock
http://mobile.surrealnetworks.com/AppUnlockReg.htm

Now you can edit the registry using this application.
http://mobile.surrealnetworks.com/SDA%20applications/RegEditSTG.cab

To change the homepage for Pocket IE:
HKLM, Software, Microsoft, Internet Explorer, AboutURLs
Change the value of home_0409 to the site you want. Using the editor I mentioned above, you have to enter it in hex if you chose the modify binary data option from the menu, which for http://www.google.com would be:
68 00 74 00 74 00 70 00 3A 00 2F 00 2F 00 77 00 77 00 77 00 2E 00 67 00 6F 00 6F 00 67 00 6C 00 65 00 2E 00 63 00 6F 00 6D

If you select the value using the key in the middle of your nav pad, you should be able to enter it as ASCII text.

The fullscreen problem is fix via another reg hak. Just google for "Windows Media rotate LandscapeMode registry".

You need to app unlock to run applications that are unsigned. (ie applications that were developed by people that didn't pay money to Microsoft) Once that's done you can run cool apps like PocketTV. But wait, isn't MPEG-1 outdated? Kinda, but when you only have 200mhz to run apps MPEG-1 is your best performing option. With PocketTV you can smoothly run 320x240 videos fullscreen at 700kbps. The MPEG4 videos you take with the phone also run fine under WMP at fullscreen but are only 144x176. I enjoy converting Doctor Who episodes to MPEG-1 and watching them on my phone. :-)

Here are the MPEG-1 settings I used:

23.976 fps
320x240
MPEG-1
74 quality/speed
video data rate 700kbps variable
audio 44100, mono, 56kbps

The phone has a nice WiFi chip that connects to my old Netgear 802.11b router perfectly. Once connected, I can have full access to the internet and my home network.

I can use IE to do anonymous FTP downloads from my local FTP server
Use Google maps downloadable app for smart phones
Use Yahoo Go! for email, weather, news, and flikr photos

I can also of course check my email and send videos and pics that I took with my phone over email. Maybe some of you have been doing this for years, but the wow factor is still present for me!

My Moto v188 is sitting on the shelf for now. If I go back to europe again I'll probably leave the Dash at home and use the v188 to avoid data charges, even though they're both quad band.

A few other things... The screen scratches easily. I bought some Fellows/T-Mob universal screen protectors but they're difficult to cut to the perfect size. Next time I'll get them pre-sized for my phone (If I can find them).

A tip about the connector on the bottom (power/headset/usb). They supply you with a splitter that converts the standard USB connector to the slash cut connector HTC uses. You can actually just use a standard USB cable without the splitter! It doesn't look like it fits, but it works perfectly.

The battery lasts about 24 hours almost regardless of what I do. Don't believe the battery meter, as it goes from full to blinking red in a short period of time.

Camera tip: You can press the 1 key while in camera mode to switch back and forth between still shot and video modes.

Get more available RAM by disabling voice command: I set everything that I could to no or none, and now I have an extra 4MB of RAM at all times. :-D

I was looking for an easy way to let my family view MP4 videos that I send from my phone with WMP and came across this KB article.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316992

It references this site, which doesn't look like it has the codec anymore..
http://www.ligos.com/index.php?s=lsx+mpeg
"I received LSX-MPEG for Adobe Premiere as a part of a bundled package. Can I upgrade my version to the latest release?

Our LSX-MPEG line of products was retired in 2002.
Upgrades for LSX-MPEG products are no longer available."

It also references this site, which has a quicktime plugin, not a WMP plugin..
http://www.envivio.com/player.php

Looks like the best way to have your family and friends view the MP4 videos from your phone is to use VLC
http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

I now run about 5 different email accounts at once on my phone. Included in this mix are POP, IMAP, and Outlook Web Access Synchronization all set for different automatic update intervals. For the most part it runs reliably, but sometimes I need to kill the messaging process because it stops checking for messages.

The Outlook Web Access Sync doesn't allow you to configure the sync interval, so it can really drain down the battery. My solution to ensure that I can still make it 20 hours on a single charge was to buy an upgraded battery. It's a Simplo battery for the DASH/S620, rated for 3.7VDC and 1050mAh. Works great so far, and I still keep the old battery charged in my laptop bag just in case I need it on long trips. For less than $20 it was a good investment. No more dead battery and blinking red LED!

I got a CellGear USA 5dBi external antenna from eBay. For only $20 I thought the quality was good. It comes with a long cable and magnetic base that allowed me to put it on the roof of my car while driving (it's only 4.5in). The antenna port is located near the camera lens behind the silver mirror. Unfortunately, I didn't notice any difference in signal quality with the antenna connected. I wasn't able to get better range, or more bars in the mountains of West Virginia. Maybe I need the gigantic (40in) 13dBi antenna to see a difference?

I got a 2GB Kingston Micro SD card (SD-C02G JAPAN) for my phone. It works great! I can install programs to it, and use it with the built-in camera. The best part is I can store several full length re-encoded Hollywood movies and a bunch of songs on the card.

Since the phone really doesn't do Linux, I was hoping to at least find a good SSH client for it. However, it looks like you have to pay if you want a good client. I tried zaTelnet, but even that didn't work very well with my non-standard SSH configuration.

I almost forgot to mention one important thing that sometimes gets on my nerves.. no copy and paste!

Update March 2009:
After the recent DST adjustment I noticed all my Outlook meetings are an hour late!

Update June 2009:
This phone is not loud enough, and very difficult to hear while driving. I've tried just the phone, the stereo wired headset, a bluetooth headset, and they're all very quiet even with the volume maxed out. Sometimes I find myself using the speakerphone and putting it right up to my ear, which of course means there is way too much background noise for the people I talk to..

Update Oct 2009:
I had to do a hard reset after the phone refused to call out anymore. Made me remember that I needed to install sktools to cleanup old alarm clock settings.

My personal blog

2008-01-29T21:42:00.000-05:00

Here's my first post and introduction. I'm not really much of a writer, but like most people I have opinions to express. Mostly, I just have a desire to share all the cool stuff I found in this world with other like minded "geeks" (for lack of a better word).

I work in IT, I have my MCP, CCNA, Linux+, GCFA, and GSEC. I've been lifting weights since I was a teenager and dabbled in martial arts for awhile. I do almost all the repairs on my cars, and enjoy hitting the drag strip or autocross track when I have the cash. I enjoy learning new languages, as it forces my brain to speak and hear stuff it doesn't understand.

I had a blog before, but I never really did much with it. Hopefully this one will work out better for me. It's both exciting and a little scary. Will some random corporation try to shut down my blog because I said something they didn't like? Will I find someone that lives near me and shares my hobbies? Will I find a new job from the people I meet here? Will I be turned down for jobs because of what I write? Will I be stalked by someone with waaaay too much free time on their hands? I dunno!! But no risk no reward right? ;-)