If you are not using IrfanView as the default image viewing program on your PC, you are doing yourself a SEVERE disservice. Before you read the rest of this post, go to the IrfanView Official Homepage and download the program and the plugins, install the program, install the plugins, and let it associate all the file extensions with IrfanView. Double-click any image file and note that it opened more-or-less immediately. Hit the space bar on your keyboard and the next image is there. Hit backspace and the previous image is there. It works with pretty much all image file types, and can even read some partially-corrupted images.
I have been using IrfanView since the years when it actually mattered that the entire program can fit on a single floppy disk. It is one of the first programs I install on any new machine. I like it so much I actually donated my own money to support the program, and I NEVER donate to shareware/freeware authors.
Anyway, I just realized as I was sifting through a pile of images on my camera's memory card that when you hit DELETE on the keyboard, and it gives a confirmation dialog, and you hit Yes or the Enter key - it deletes the image as if you had deleted the file in Windows Explorer. My previous method of doing a first-cull to delete throwaway images was using the Filmstrip view in Windows Explorer, full-screen so it shows up a big image. With IrfanView, it can give a fullscreen image, and hitting control-H shows the actual pixels so you can see every last detail. Windows Explorer resamples in a not-great way but IrfanView shows a very clear image on my monitor. My life just got more efficient. Thanks to Jesus! (and to IrfanView!)
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Reviews. Show all posts
Friday, December 7, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Refiew: Brita Grand Water Filter Pitcher
Cliffs: This product pwns all. This is a win and a half for Brita and all people who buy them.
Long version: We have been using a filter pitcher that took Brita filters and it was pretty cheezy - not terrible, but not the greatest. The time came to get more filters, and we had a choice to make: buy more filters and use this chumpy pitcher, or get a new pitcher with a filter included and buy more filters later? It was a tossup until I went to the grocery store and saw this filter pitcher up on the shelf. It's a color my Darling Wife likes, and I felt like getting her something nice just then so I picked it up.
We followed the preparation instructions and we've been using the pitcher for a couple of days now. I can only describe this pitcher as great. It holds "10 cups" which translates to "fill the top twice to fill the bottom once" and this is enough water to give everybody a good drank before having to fill the top again (fill the top and it filters the water, dropping the water into the bottom). The oblong shape is a nice size and doesn't take too much counter space. The handle is perfect for my size 8 hands to get a good grip. Comfort grip indeed. The filter change indicator is a gadget but at least it works as intended. The plastic is well-molded and the fitment of the parts is good, as I expect from Brita. As with other Brita filter pitchers like this, it makes the water better and does so in a pretty big hurry.
Fill it, wait a couple minutes
Pour
Done
There's no fuss, as is the case with all their other filter pitchers. This one is extra nice because it holds enough water for us all but still fits under the kitchen faucet. It's light enough, even the older children can use it. It's pretty. More importantly, it works. I paid full retail plus tax for mine and I'd do it again if something happened to this unit.
********
Yeah but the top falls off!
Some people have complained that the top falls off while pouring. I checked: my hand holds down the back edge of the top while pouring. I moved my hand down the handle to uncover the top and tilted the pitcher to 90ยบ and the top stayed put just now. I had the top fall off exactly ONCE, the second time I filled it. The top was full of unfiltered water, which makes it weigh about 1000x more than it weighs when the top is full of air; I tipped the pitcher and the full top fell off. Lesson: wait two minutes for it to filter the water before pouring! This is a non-issue for me.
Battery is non-replaceable!
Are you REALLY going to be using the same pitcher for five years? Really? Okay then, so $0.50/month is too much to save for another one. I'm pretty sure if I pried the indicator would pop off and I could replace the battery, but I'm pretty sure the Zoo will manage to destroy this thing before that happens.
Long version: We have been using a filter pitcher that took Brita filters and it was pretty cheezy - not terrible, but not the greatest. The time came to get more filters, and we had a choice to make: buy more filters and use this chumpy pitcher, or get a new pitcher with a filter included and buy more filters later? It was a tossup until I went to the grocery store and saw this filter pitcher up on the shelf. It's a color my Darling Wife likes, and I felt like getting her something nice just then so I picked it up.
We followed the preparation instructions and we've been using the pitcher for a couple of days now. I can only describe this pitcher as great. It holds "10 cups" which translates to "fill the top twice to fill the bottom once" and this is enough water to give everybody a good drank before having to fill the top again (fill the top and it filters the water, dropping the water into the bottom). The oblong shape is a nice size and doesn't take too much counter space. The handle is perfect for my size 8 hands to get a good grip. Comfort grip indeed. The filter change indicator is a gadget but at least it works as intended. The plastic is well-molded and the fitment of the parts is good, as I expect from Brita. As with other Brita filter pitchers like this, it makes the water better and does so in a pretty big hurry.
Fill it, wait a couple minutes
Pour
Done
There's no fuss, as is the case with all their other filter pitchers. This one is extra nice because it holds enough water for us all but still fits under the kitchen faucet. It's light enough, even the older children can use it. It's pretty. More importantly, it works. I paid full retail plus tax for mine and I'd do it again if something happened to this unit.
********
Yeah but the top falls off!
Some people have complained that the top falls off while pouring. I checked: my hand holds down the back edge of the top while pouring. I moved my hand down the handle to uncover the top and tilted the pitcher to 90ยบ and the top stayed put just now. I had the top fall off exactly ONCE, the second time I filled it. The top was full of unfiltered water, which makes it weigh about 1000x more than it weighs when the top is full of air; I tipped the pitcher and the full top fell off. Lesson: wait two minutes for it to filter the water before pouring! This is a non-issue for me.
Battery is non-replaceable!
Are you REALLY going to be using the same pitcher for five years? Really? Okay then, so $0.50/month is too much to save for another one. I'm pretty sure if I pried the indicator would pop off and I could replace the battery, but I'm pretty sure the Zoo will manage to destroy this thing before that happens.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Total Pillow Total Victory
The point of advertisement is to get you to want what they have to sell you. Total Pillow just ran a commercial on my idiot box. Near the end of it, my Darling Wife and I were agreeing that it looked like a nice thing to have, and #3 (lying on the floor in front of the TV) said "Can I have one of those?"
It looks like a good product, but my had is off to the people at Total Pillow for making a commercial that had everyone watching in my living room wanting one. I'm WAY to cheap to buy one (well, two for the price of one, plus two hot/cold packs that fit in the pillow, just pay separate shipping/handling fees) but I'll give them a free plug for doing such a good job on the television spot!
It looks like a good product, but my had is off to the people at Total Pillow for making a commercial that had everyone watching in my living room wanting one. I'm WAY to cheap to buy one (well, two for the price of one, plus two hot/cold packs that fit in the pillow, just pay separate shipping/handling fees) but I'll give them a free plug for doing such a good job on the television spot!
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Review: Self-Adhesive Laminating Sheets STINK!
I asked my Darling Wife to pick up some laminating sheets so we could protect some of our homeschoolin' stuff. We have probably run a thousand sheets through hot laminating presses. She came home with some self-adhesive laminating sheets by mistake, but what the heck. It's something new, paid for, and solves a need Right Here Right Now, so I tried them out.
These things stink. The concept is bad, and I don't see any way to make the execution good.
You will get them crooked (fortunately these peeled off without damage)
You will get them crooked repeatedly for every sheet you protect
You will get air bubbles that are hard to press out
You may damage your papers trying to remove the laminating sheet
You may get creases and wrinkles, just trying to lay down the sheet
This stinks.
By the way, you get a chance to mess up every page TWICE because it takes two sheets to cover one page.
By way of contrast, consider a well-functioning hot press: You put a sheet into a laminating slip, and put them both into a paper folder. You load the folder into the press and the press makes it hot and smashes the sheet into a plastic-protected wonderful thing. You almost cannot mess up the hot laminating process.
If you have a couple of sheets to protect and don't have a hot laminating machine ($20 on eBay) then maybe try self-adhesive laminating sheets. Otherwise, avoid these like the plague and use a good hot laminating machine instead.
These things stink. The concept is bad, and I don't see any way to make the execution good.
You will get them crooked (fortunately these peeled off without damage)
You will get them crooked repeatedly for every sheet you protect
You will get air bubbles that are hard to press out
You may damage your papers trying to remove the laminating sheet
You may get creases and wrinkles, just trying to lay down the sheet
This stinks.
By the way, you get a chance to mess up every page TWICE because it takes two sheets to cover one page.
By way of contrast, consider a well-functioning hot press: You put a sheet into a laminating slip, and put them both into a paper folder. You load the folder into the press and the press makes it hot and smashes the sheet into a plastic-protected wonderful thing. You almost cannot mess up the hot laminating process.
If you have a couple of sheets to protect and don't have a hot laminating machine ($20 on eBay) then maybe try self-adhesive laminating sheets. Otherwise, avoid these like the plague and use a good hot laminating machine instead.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
That Was Easy.
Yesterday I ran a chkdsk and it took several hours (like 6) with many bad clusters repaired. I had my Darling Wife shut down the computer when it completed. Today I ran chkdsk again and it had an additional bad cluster after doing nothing all day. This is Very Bad.
The gparted/clonezilla plan failed because the old hard drive had (as gparted said) "hopelessly many" bad clusters. I remembered something I had read and checked . . . by "coincidence" (thanks Jesus) both the drives I was trying to use were Western Digital. I downloaded Acronis True Image (Western Digital edition) from Western Digital. I read the manual. I pushed a few buttons. In the morning I swapped the drives out.
If I had $40 or whatever I would say Acronis was worth it for an individual license. For a small company on a budget maybe a $$$$ license wouln't be, but zowie. That program Western Digital offers their customers is a 2009 version but it saved me huge headaches. Several drive manufacturers are offering house-brand versions of Acronis software to help customers migrate to a new drive.
I found it SUPER easy to use.
The gparted/clonezilla plan failed because the old hard drive had (as gparted said) "hopelessly many" bad clusters. I remembered something I had read and checked . . . by "coincidence" (thanks Jesus) both the drives I was trying to use were Western Digital. I downloaded Acronis True Image (Western Digital edition) from Western Digital. I read the manual. I pushed a few buttons. In the morning I swapped the drives out.
If I had $40 or whatever I would say Acronis was worth it for an individual license. For a small company on a budget maybe a $$$$ license wouln't be, but zowie. That program Western Digital offers their customers is a 2009 version but it saved me huge headaches. Several drive manufacturers are offering house-brand versions of Acronis software to help customers migrate to a new drive.
I found it SUPER easy to use.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Daddy Like: New Work Camera
For many years at work I've been shooting with a* Panasonic DMC-FZ10 which is acceptable for what we do. This week I was pleased to be able to start using a Nikon D100 which is rather a different sort of bird.
Warning: Long, camera-geeky post
Click any picture to see it full-sized and better quality.
"My" D100 was acquired through the magick of the owner of my company being in the right place at the right time, for the princely sum of $75 with the lens, and he got TWO at this price. The other is now a throwdown camera for his daughter. N.B.: We paid $75 for my old Panasonic maybe a year or two ago. THIS is a steal of a deal. This Nikon was slated for resale, but I was able to get it for "temporary testing" until it came up to the auction block . . . and the company owner saw me shooting with it . . . and blessed my keeping it for production work (score!)
This body has the optically-pretty-nice AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens, and my initial impressions were that it was not particularly sharp, and nowhere NEAR as zoom-y as the lens I was used to using. The Panasonic has a Leica-branded 1:2.8 6-72mm lens with bigger glass up front. The sharpness of the Panasonic (at "internet friendly" resolution) is, when the D100 is properly used, just slightly less-good than the D100 with a lens renowned for sharpness. This is high praise indeed for the Panasonic. I do kinda miss the ability to focus with the lens almost touching the subject, or filling the screen from across the room, but knocking a camera with changeable lenses because of lens performance would be silly. This D100 has the D50's kit lens, and it is a good one aside from being made of plastic.
I think I officially like this Nikon D100 for a production camera. If I don't, I'm pretty sure we can get more than $75 out of it. If I do keep this thing, I may very well make my company an offer on the old Panasonic, I like it that much.
********
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10
With custom high-visibility yellow surface treatment. I was asked once or twice if it was for use under water. No, it is for use in high clutter work spaces! Look for some hi-viz action on the Nikon in the near future. I used the knurled rubber grip off a thrashed lens to put some hi-tack surfaces on the focus ring and lens hood.
There were many, many times I turned around, stood up, shuffled my feet, or othwerwise moved and pulled the power cord on the camera. I had to use the power cord for benchtop product shots or I'd be changing batteries several times a day which gives me a case of the ass. The blob on top is a magnetic power coupling which releases without pulling the camera. The stock power connector would yank the camera, even to the point that it was slung off the bench onto the floor a few times. Takes a lickin'. The USB cable on the side is a connector preservation measure. That mini USB socket was only designed for 500 insert/removal cycles. This is YEARS for a regular tourist or occasional point/shooter, but months for light professional use. This is the third or fourth USB cable I've used for this purpose. The big-end connectors on the previous cables were totally worn-out beyond all use, but the camera's connector still works just fine, thank you. Look for something like this USB cable on the Nikon in the near future.
The shutter, aperture/speed control, and menu buttons all have self-adhesive buttons on them to make them easier to operate. This is excellent. The zoom and mode controls have knurled edges. I made the knurling deeper with a file after it was worn smooth with much use.
Nikon D100
Looking at these pictures I can't help but notice the deep knurling on the knobs and very tall buttons for the frequent-use controls. Also the barrel adjustment (zoom) on the lens is hi-tack rubber. This is excellent.
This camera is beautiful. A real cream puff. That will be changing. I don't know how it was treated before, but it's about to start getting a workout.
How many buttons and knobs do you really need? ALL of them? Yes the viewfinder boot is gone already. That went missing pretty quickly, actually. I don't miss it.
********
*This is the second, or third, depending on how you count, DMC-FZ10 I've used at work. The first got a fried USB port. They got me a replacement and I dropped the camera LCD-first on a metal corner of something. Then I used the LCD from the first camera to replace the one in the second, and while I was in there I flipped the protective screen upside-down. Note the lettering on top of the screen!
*I also went through FOUR ancient Sony Mavica MVC-FD91 cameras which also had nice big (14x optical) zoom lenses. They used 3.5" floppy disks for storage, and were . . . large.
*I may be hard on gear. Do you think? This is the difference between professional grade and consumer grade equipment. I will be astonished if the Nikon doesn't last longer than the average camera I've used before (1/year, approximately, with some VERY short lived cameras in between).
Warning: Long, camera-geeky post
Click any picture to see it full-sized and better quality.
"My" D100 was acquired through the magick of the owner of my company being in the right place at the right time, for the princely sum of $75 with the lens, and he got TWO at this price. The other is now a throwdown camera for his daughter. N.B.: We paid $75 for my old Panasonic maybe a year or two ago. THIS is a steal of a deal. This Nikon was slated for resale, but I was able to get it for "temporary testing" until it came up to the auction block . . . and the company owner saw me shooting with it . . . and blessed my keeping it for production work (score!)
This body has the optically-pretty-nice AF-S Nikkor 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens, and my initial impressions were that it was not particularly sharp, and nowhere NEAR as zoom-y as the lens I was used to using. The Panasonic has a Leica-branded 1:2.8 6-72mm lens with bigger glass up front. The sharpness of the Panasonic (at "internet friendly" resolution) is, when the D100 is properly used, just slightly less-good than the D100 with a lens renowned for sharpness. This is high praise indeed for the Panasonic. I do kinda miss the ability to focus with the lens almost touching the subject, or filling the screen from across the room, but knocking a camera with changeable lenses because of lens performance would be silly. This D100 has the D50's kit lens, and it is a good one aside from being made of plastic.
- I had become accustomed to shooting in ISO 50 mode and ISO 400 is straight-up noisy on the Panasonic. The Nikon is quieter at ISO 1600 than the Panasonic at 400. I need to get used to using higher ISO settings!
- The Nikon focuses WAY faster than the Panasonic. This is aided by the useful autofocus assist lamp which actually works pretty well.
- The Panasonic is not an SLR so the LCD can give a constant live view during focusing. It has a digital zoom manual focus assist feature that lets you see EXACTLY what is in focus. The viewfinder on the Nikon is tiny by comparison, and somewhat harder to use for manual focus.
- The Panasonic has a lovely BIG GNARLY METAL focus ring. This Nikkor has a pitiful plastic thing way out on the end of the lens. Everyone who reviews this lens bags on the focus ring with good reason. Still, it works.
- I'll have to train myself not to twiddle the right-hand knobs by accident. You can screw up a shot just by moving your finger. This is a feature and a user training issue, not a bug.
- Newer DSLRs put displays on the back panel where I like them, this old Nikon only has the top display and the one in the viewfinder.
- The power switch on the Nikon is basically a control lock-out. Power consumption is the same on or off after a few seconds without taking a picture. Photos are able to be made immediately at power-on. The power switch on the Panasonic cues up a 5-seconds boot sequence.
- I LOVE the zoom-on-auto-review function on the Panasonic. I zoom in on almost every shot to see that it is focused how I like, and that requires extra buttonpressingknobtwiddling on the D100.
- The trigger on the D100 is smooth. The Panasonic has a definite hitch to it when the shutter is actuated, which can jar the camera and throw off some of the long exposures it needed because it is so noisy at higher ISOs.
- I am finding the D100 somewhat easier to use. This is in no small part because it has DOUBLE (26 vs. 13) the number of knobs and buttons. Many useful things are buried in menus on the DMC-FZ10 that have a straight-up external control on the D100.
- The color from the D100 is perfect for what I do with the camera, which is good . . . because the color on the LCD is off (too blue).
I think I officially like this Nikon D100 for a production camera. If I don't, I'm pretty sure we can get more than $75 out of it. If I do keep this thing, I may very well make my company an offer on the old Panasonic, I like it that much.
********
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10
With custom high-visibility yellow surface treatment. I was asked once or twice if it was for use under water. No, it is for use in high clutter work spaces! Look for some hi-viz action on the Nikon in the near future. I used the knurled rubber grip off a thrashed lens to put some hi-tack surfaces on the focus ring and lens hood.
There were many, many times I turned around, stood up, shuffled my feet, or othwerwise moved and pulled the power cord on the camera. I had to use the power cord for benchtop product shots or I'd be changing batteries several times a day which gives me a case of the ass. The blob on top is a magnetic power coupling which releases without pulling the camera. The stock power connector would yank the camera, even to the point that it was slung off the bench onto the floor a few times. Takes a lickin'. The USB cable on the side is a connector preservation measure. That mini USB socket was only designed for 500 insert/removal cycles. This is YEARS for a regular tourist or occasional point/shooter, but months for light professional use. This is the third or fourth USB cable I've used for this purpose. The big-end connectors on the previous cables were totally worn-out beyond all use, but the camera's connector still works just fine, thank you. Look for something like this USB cable on the Nikon in the near future.
The shutter, aperture/speed control, and menu buttons all have self-adhesive buttons on them to make them easier to operate. This is excellent. The zoom and mode controls have knurled edges. I made the knurling deeper with a file after it was worn smooth with much use.
- Lens: Leica-branded DC Vario-elmarit 1:2.8 6-72mm ("35-420 equivalent 12x Optical Zoom") focuses down to ~2"
- Sensor: 1/2.5" CCD, 4 Megapixels
- ISO: 50-400
- With image stabilization (technically, maybe helps 1 stop!)
- 2" 130,000 pixel screen
- Shutter: 1/2000 to 8 seconds
- Flash range: 4 meters
- Auto to full manual controls, with the usual modes
- Storage: SD/MMC (using a 2GB SD)
- Battery: proprietary, small, lasts half a shift if that :(
- New retail: $600 in 2003
Nikon D100
Looking at these pictures I can't help but notice the deep knurling on the knobs and very tall buttons for the frequent-use controls. Also the barrel adjustment (zoom) on the lens is hi-tack rubber. This is excellent.
This camera is beautiful. A real cream puff. That will be changing. I don't know how it was treated before, but it's about to start getting a workout.
How many buttons and knobs do you really need? ALL of them? Yes the viewfinder boot is gone already. That went missing pretty quickly, actually. I don't miss it.
- Frikken DSLR already!
- Lens: F-mount (universal for Nikon lenses) AF-S (fast autofocus) Nikkor (Nikon) 18-55mm ("28-85mm equivalent") 1:3.5-5.6 ED takes 52mm filters, focuses down to ~11"
- Sensor: Sony 23.7x15.6mm (APS-C size) CCD, 6 Megapixels
- ISO: 200-1600 (extends to "6400")
- Without stabilization (and I don't miss it)
- WITH autofocus assist lamp (which is nice)
- 1.8" 118,000 pixel screen
- Shutter: 1/4000 to 30 seconds
- Flash range: 11 meters
- Auto to full manual controls, with the usual modes
- Storage: CF or Microdrive (using a 1GB "133x speed Professional" grade CF)
- Battery: proprietary, big, lasts ALL day and then some
- New retail: $2000 (body only) in 2002, $160 for the lens in 2006
********
*This is the second, or third, depending on how you count, DMC-FZ10 I've used at work. The first got a fried USB port. They got me a replacement and I dropped the camera LCD-first on a metal corner of something. Then I used the LCD from the first camera to replace the one in the second, and while I was in there I flipped the protective screen upside-down. Note the lettering on top of the screen!
*I also went through FOUR ancient Sony Mavica MVC-FD91 cameras which also had nice big (14x optical) zoom lenses. They used 3.5" floppy disks for storage, and were . . . large.
*I may be hard on gear. Do you think? This is the difference between professional grade and consumer grade equipment. I will be astonished if the Nikon doesn't last longer than the average camera I've used before (1/year, approximately, with some VERY short lived cameras in between).
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Movie Review: The Mutant Chronicles
This went straight to cable TV on the Sci-Fi channel for a reason. If you like zombie/monster movies and are into steampunk artwork, and are doing something else while the movie is playing, you might like this movie. If you don't mind very-obvious CGI effects and cheezy cinematography as part of a moderately-predictable plot line, you may like this movie. If you like to holler "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!" at the heroes of your movies, you may like this movie. Otherwise, not so much. I was ripping our CD collection to .mp3 and then polishing brightwork at the house while this one was on. It was basically background noise and steampunk eye candy every once in a while, otherwise it would have been switched off.
One thumb down.
Alternate ending suggestion: the heroes ALL die (spoiler: all but one of a dozen or so heroes do end up dead). The world is overrun.
One thumb down.
Alternate ending suggestion: the heroes ALL die (spoiler: all but one of a dozen or so heroes do end up dead). The world is overrun.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Asymmetries in Hip Mineralization in Mobile Cellular Phone Users
The news break came on the radio and they said "zOMG CELL PHONE USING MEN LOSE BONE DENSITY IN THEIR HIP WHERE THEY CARRY THEIR CELL PHONE IN A HOLSTER EVERYBODY PANIC!!!!!!!!!1!!" (to paraphrase)
After a little searching online, I found the article they referred to in the current issue of the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. I skimmed it and immediately homed in on a spot that made me toss the rest of the study over to /dev/null: Average age samples.
The summaries I found online reported that there was a "lack of natural variation" in the bone density of cell phone users vs. nonusers. The supposed natural left/right variation in hip bone density is present in non-users of cell phones. Men who wore cell phones on their right hip in a holster for a year (i.e., during the study) were supposed to lack this natural variation in bone density.
Table 1 in this study report kills the whole thing and should cause you to stop worrying about it altogether. The table is "Age and Anthropometric Data of Participants," and it lists a few interesting factoids about the study participants. The participants were within an inch of each other in height. "Nonusers" were a mean 47 years old with body masses of 85kg and Body Mass Indices of 28. "Users" were 33 years old, with masses of 77kg and BMIs of a mean 25.7! You are comparing men who have had a full decade and a half to lose bone on their non-dominant side, to young men with lower body mass indices! Statistical FAIL! They even said as much in the article, but then they concluded to the contrary!
I shake my head at the hysteria this will cause in the next few days/weeks and the [deleted] public policy recommendations that may be forthcoming because of this study. It is GARBAGE in my opinion. If somebody tries to warn you, raise your nose and say "Pish-tosh" like you know what you're talking about; now you do.
After a little searching online, I found the article they referred to in the current issue of the Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. I skimmed it and immediately homed in on a spot that made me toss the rest of the study over to /dev/null: Average age samples.
The summaries I found online reported that there was a "lack of natural variation" in the bone density of cell phone users vs. nonusers. The supposed natural left/right variation in hip bone density is present in non-users of cell phones. Men who wore cell phones on their right hip in a holster for a year (i.e., during the study) were supposed to lack this natural variation in bone density.
Table 1 in this study report kills the whole thing and should cause you to stop worrying about it altogether. The table is "Age and Anthropometric Data of Participants," and it lists a few interesting factoids about the study participants. The participants were within an inch of each other in height. "Nonusers" were a mean 47 years old with body masses of 85kg and Body Mass Indices of 28. "Users" were 33 years old, with masses of 77kg and BMIs of a mean 25.7! You are comparing men who have had a full decade and a half to lose bone on their non-dominant side, to young men with lower body mass indices! Statistical FAIL! They even said as much in the article, but then they concluded to the contrary!
I shake my head at the hysteria this will cause in the next few days/weeks and the [deleted] public policy recommendations that may be forthcoming because of this study. It is GARBAGE in my opinion. If somebody tries to warn you, raise your nose and say "Pish-tosh" like you know what you're talking about; now you do.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Atticfoil.com Radiant Barrier Helps In the Winter Also
I still haven't finished that radiant barrier installation. Funny how that happens to DIY projects when a baby is born. This is my roof this morning, Snow Day I, 2011.
Click any image to see it full-sized.
Here it is with the contrast turned up and the brightness turned down. Please forgive the MS Paint editing quality . . .
On the right of the frame, the snow on my roof is smooth. On the left, the lines between the rows of shingles were clearly visible, as the snow is less thick. The left side of the roof was warmer. The reason? No radiant barrier over there. This effect is pretty dramatic, and I was surprised. Remember that these bits of roof are over a common air space.
If I had finished this installation in the summer I wouldn't have this dramatic comparison shot, my furnace would not have been wasting heat into this section of roof . . . but then I wouldn't have got this dramatic comparison shot.
I got a good deal on an astoundingly good product from atticfoil.com. Go check them out if you don't have a radiant barrier in your attic yet.
Click any image to see it full-sized.
Here it is with the contrast turned up and the brightness turned down. Please forgive the MS Paint editing quality . . .
On the right of the frame, the snow on my roof is smooth. On the left, the lines between the rows of shingles were clearly visible, as the snow is less thick. The left side of the roof was warmer. The reason? No radiant barrier over there. This effect is pretty dramatic, and I was surprised. Remember that these bits of roof are over a common air space.
If I had finished this installation in the summer I wouldn't have this dramatic comparison shot, my furnace would not have been wasting heat into this section of roof . . . but then I wouldn't have got this dramatic comparison shot.
I got a good deal on an astoundingly good product from atticfoil.com. Go check them out if you don't have a radiant barrier in your attic yet.
Monday, December 20, 2010
How Well Do Temporary Fillings Work?
Like magic.
I have two holes in my teeth on opposite sides of my mouth. There were large amalgam fillings installed but they broke, and now there are gaps where food can get in and poke holes in the sensitive gingiva between the teeth. One side is worse than the other, and so I eat on the less-bad side. I ate some tortilla chips last week. This left me in pain for 3 of the last 4 days, from eating normal food. When you can't eat without hurting, it's time to Do Something. I was almost ready to set up an appointment with a local Dentist.
My Darling Wife kicked me out of the house yesterday and told me to get a D.I.Y. temporary filling. I picked up some Dentemp O.S., which I had used a few years ago with good results. The results this time were no less good.
I went to bed with some ibuprofen working its way through my guts and woke up this morning with a dull ache in my jaw. This was a drastic improvement from the day before when I was ready to set myself up for thousands of dollars of dental bills. My gums are healing from the insult they got a few days ago and tonight it feels less bad than it did today. In a week or two if the pattern holds, I'll be feeling well enough to be annoyed at having to use the temporary filling.
****
Bear in mind: inside the holes, my teeth have dentin in them, however thin it may be. I don't have an exposed root or an infected pulp or something horrible like that. If I did, I'd be writing about my visit to the Dentist today. If you have a dental emergency, but can't get to your Dentist, Dentemp O.S. is a stop-gap measure. If you have cavities that stopped getting worse since you read Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nigel but you need "something" to fill the gap between your current budget while you pay off credit cards and the time you can afford a real repair, you might give Dentemp O.S. a try. While you wait for the pain to stop, take ibuprofen (NOT acetaminophen) and use eugenol (clove oil) until the ibuprofen kicks in.
********
No I don't get anything from Majestic Drug Co. for this. I paid retail for this stuff and likely will again. When something works this well to alleviate pain, I like to share the knowledge.
I have two holes in my teeth on opposite sides of my mouth. There were large amalgam fillings installed but they broke, and now there are gaps where food can get in and poke holes in the sensitive gingiva between the teeth. One side is worse than the other, and so I eat on the less-bad side. I ate some tortilla chips last week. This left me in pain for 3 of the last 4 days, from eating normal food. When you can't eat without hurting, it's time to Do Something. I was almost ready to set up an appointment with a local Dentist.
My Darling Wife kicked me out of the house yesterday and told me to get a D.I.Y. temporary filling. I picked up some Dentemp O.S., which I had used a few years ago with good results. The results this time were no less good.
I went to bed with some ibuprofen working its way through my guts and woke up this morning with a dull ache in my jaw. This was a drastic improvement from the day before when I was ready to set myself up for thousands of dollars of dental bills. My gums are healing from the insult they got a few days ago and tonight it feels less bad than it did today. In a week or two if the pattern holds, I'll be feeling well enough to be annoyed at having to use the temporary filling.
****
Bear in mind: inside the holes, my teeth have dentin in them, however thin it may be. I don't have an exposed root or an infected pulp or something horrible like that. If I did, I'd be writing about my visit to the Dentist today. If you have a dental emergency, but can't get to your Dentist, Dentemp O.S. is a stop-gap measure. If you have cavities that stopped getting worse since you read Cure Tooth Decay by Ramiel Nigel but you need "something" to fill the gap between your current budget while you pay off credit cards and the time you can afford a real repair, you might give Dentemp O.S. a try. While you wait for the pain to stop, take ibuprofen (NOT acetaminophen) and use eugenol (clove oil) until the ibuprofen kicks in.
********
No I don't get anything from Majestic Drug Co. for this. I paid retail for this stuff and likely will again. When something works this well to alleviate pain, I like to share the knowledge.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Movie Review: Tron: Legacy
No, I didn't fall and hit my head and decide to go see a film in theater. I read about this one at the Huffington Post and decided:
Holy WOW that's a scathing film review. That is one of the worst reviews of a film I've seen in a while. I mean, ouch.
Holy WOW that's a scathing film review. That is one of the worst reviews of a film I've seen in a while. I mean, ouch.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Can't Blog Low. Living.
So I went up in the attic, and unless it's in the foot of pipe I can't reach because it's in the WALL, the dryer vent line turned out to be unclogged. a good 1/2" of lint deposits all around, sure, but not clogged. The lint took an hour to remove.
That included waiting for the family below to find the wasp poison, so I could spray the 5" diameter red wasp nest with "Sudden Death" brand aerosol poison. Let me tell you, the stuff lives up to its name.
Anyhow, I stopped for supper, then finished the repairs on the dryer. Yes, that would be 2 days after I ordered the parts, they are installed. Huge props and kudos, 5 stars and two thumbs WAY up, for Appliance Parts Pros. They not only have a sweet parts website, complete with illustrated parts breakdowns and "this fits your model" lists integrated in the product pages, they also have a Repair Forum, where you will be able to learn just why your appliance won't work, and how to fix it, and where to get the parts . . . for a competitive price, no less! Thanks God, my parts were on sale. Seriously, if you need parts or advice for your appliances, go to www.appliancepartspros.com. I did, and paid full retail. Two days later, with their standard shipping, the part they advertised as "in stock" was installed in my dryer.
Plus
I asked my Darling Wife to vacuum out the dryer vent line from the bottom while I was clambering around the attic. The vacuum decided to start expelling dirty air just then. Great. I used the other vacuum (thanks Jesus for a spare) and got the job done, then troubleshot the primary vacuum. Clogged hose. two pints of lint later, I found that a piece of a child's set of paper 3-D glasses had got tangled with a power outlet socket cover (child safe, vacuum dangerous) and a bunch of hair got up in it and clogged her solid.
So now I'm off to put the vacuum back together. As the song says: "That's life . . . thaaat's what they say . . . "
That included waiting for the family below to find the wasp poison, so I could spray the 5" diameter red wasp nest with "Sudden Death" brand aerosol poison. Let me tell you, the stuff lives up to its name.
Anyhow, I stopped for supper, then finished the repairs on the dryer. Yes, that would be 2 days after I ordered the parts, they are installed. Huge props and kudos, 5 stars and two thumbs WAY up, for Appliance Parts Pros. They not only have a sweet parts website, complete with illustrated parts breakdowns and "this fits your model" lists integrated in the product pages, they also have a Repair Forum, where you will be able to learn just why your appliance won't work, and how to fix it, and where to get the parts . . . for a competitive price, no less! Thanks God, my parts were on sale. Seriously, if you need parts or advice for your appliances, go to www.appliancepartspros.com. I did, and paid full retail. Two days later, with their standard shipping, the part they advertised as "in stock" was installed in my dryer.
Plus
I asked my Darling Wife to vacuum out the dryer vent line from the bottom while I was clambering around the attic. The vacuum decided to start expelling dirty air just then. Great. I used the other vacuum (thanks Jesus for a spare) and got the job done, then troubleshot the primary vacuum. Clogged hose. two pints of lint later, I found that a piece of a child's set of paper 3-D glasses had got tangled with a power outlet socket cover (child safe, vacuum dangerous) and a bunch of hair got up in it and clogged her solid.
So now I'm off to put the vacuum back together. As the song says: "That's life . . . thaaat's what they say . . . "
Friday, July 16, 2010
Radiant Barrier Performance Data/Update
As I was working on the fabulous image you see below, #2 came around wanting to go do stuff with me outside the house. His mother turned him out to play in the back yard for a little while. He went under the shaded deck cover (the coolest part of the yard) and swung on the swing for literally about 20 seconds. He came straight back inside and said "It's hot outside."
. . . which made it a perfect day to record some performance numbers for my DIY radiant barrier in the attic! It is 95ยบF outside, and the sun is blasting down, with no clouds to stop it and barely any wind to speak of. I went over to my garage with the ol' digital thermocouple thermometer and did some measuring.
At the underside of the garage ceiling, it is 87ยบ. On top of that single 5/8" layer of uninsulated drywall, it is 92ยบ. I went straight for the big money: on top of the atticfoil.com barrier material, between the barrier and the roof deck. 132ยบ I left a gap at the top of the foil, to accommodate ventilation when we can finally get a ridge vent installed. This house currently has NO soffit vents and only two gable end vents. The foil over the garage is folded back over the garage ceiling as shown below, to keep the eventually-to-be-blown-in insulation from clogging the eventually-to-be-installed soffit vents. There is NO source of cool air in there, aside from the scuttle used to access the attic. There is a river of HOT air flowing at the top of the attic, where the air flows out from over the barrier material, on the way to a gable vent on the other end of the house.
I have mentioned before how, near the floor of the attic, it is relatively pleasant. Standing up in the attic is like stepping into a furnace, literally. Two feet down from the peak of the roof, in the stream of hot air, it was 112ยบ. Two feet further down, mostly out of the stream, it was 102ยบ, and then as mentioned before it was "only" 92ยบ on the floor of the attic. Curious, I moved over two yards to the end of the garage. The end of the garage, where the attic is open to the attic over the rest of the house. The end of the garage, where the radiant barrier installation stopped at the last work day. 6 feet over, there is no barrier yet, and it is hot, just moving over to that part of the attic. I laid the thermocouple on top of the 4" of insulation between the attic air and the ceiling below. The top of the insulation was sitting at 105ยบ. That insulation is separated from air-conditioned inside air by a 1/2" sheet of drywall.
No wonder our old air conditioner couldn't keep up. It was working in a blast furnace all day. The new one, working under this radiant barrier, shrugs off 95ยบ like water off a duck's back. I have GOT to get the rest of that radiant barrier in. Then, as promised: PICTURES! :D
Click to see full size:
My Paint skillz, admire them:
. . . which made it a perfect day to record some performance numbers for my DIY radiant barrier in the attic! It is 95ยบF outside, and the sun is blasting down, with no clouds to stop it and barely any wind to speak of. I went over to my garage with the ol' digital thermocouple thermometer and did some measuring.
At the underside of the garage ceiling, it is 87ยบ. On top of that single 5/8" layer of uninsulated drywall, it is 92ยบ. I went straight for the big money: on top of the atticfoil.com barrier material, between the barrier and the roof deck. 132ยบ I left a gap at the top of the foil, to accommodate ventilation when we can finally get a ridge vent installed. This house currently has NO soffit vents and only two gable end vents. The foil over the garage is folded back over the garage ceiling as shown below, to keep the eventually-to-be-blown-in insulation from clogging the eventually-to-be-installed soffit vents. There is NO source of cool air in there, aside from the scuttle used to access the attic. There is a river of HOT air flowing at the top of the attic, where the air flows out from over the barrier material, on the way to a gable vent on the other end of the house.
I have mentioned before how, near the floor of the attic, it is relatively pleasant. Standing up in the attic is like stepping into a furnace, literally. Two feet down from the peak of the roof, in the stream of hot air, it was 112ยบ. Two feet further down, mostly out of the stream, it was 102ยบ, and then as mentioned before it was "only" 92ยบ on the floor of the attic. Curious, I moved over two yards to the end of the garage. The end of the garage, where the attic is open to the attic over the rest of the house. The end of the garage, where the radiant barrier installation stopped at the last work day. 6 feet over, there is no barrier yet, and it is hot, just moving over to that part of the attic. I laid the thermocouple on top of the 4" of insulation between the attic air and the ceiling below. The top of the insulation was sitting at 105ยบ. That insulation is separated from air-conditioned inside air by a 1/2" sheet of drywall.
No wonder our old air conditioner couldn't keep up. It was working in a blast furnace all day. The new one, working under this radiant barrier, shrugs off 95ยบ like water off a duck's back. I have GOT to get the rest of that radiant barrier in. Then, as promised: PICTURES! :D
Click to see full size:
My Paint skillz, admire them:
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Movie Review: The Great Raid (2005)
I have added this to my personal collection. If you know how cheap I am, you know that is saying quite something. I'm not big on the phrase "A must-see film" but I do highly recommend it. The story is an inspiring one about a noble act done in the face of overwhelming odds. It shows a lot of what is great about America(ns) in a way that stirs admiration in the heart of a person who has not been thoroughly indoctrinated into modern anti-americanism. It also shows quite a bit of brutal behavior, some of which was justified, in graphic detail.
Not for viewing by children, expectant mothers, or the faint of heart. There are battle scenes which leave little to the imagination, and a couple of tear-jerking plot twists.
The Great Raid may be difficult to watch, but I imageine it was more difficult to live through the actual events . . . the movie is based on a true story.
Not for viewing by children, expectant mothers, or the faint of heart. There are battle scenes which leave little to the imagination, and a couple of tear-jerking plot twists.
The Great Raid may be difficult to watch, but I imageine it was more difficult to live through the actual events . . . the movie is based on a true story.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Movie Reivew: Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001)
A co-worker recommended this movie as very funny and a 'have to watch.'
It was only temporary but I think I lost a few IQ points while I watched 20 minutes of this film (the first 15 minutes, then some copious amounts of fast-forwarding). It was not only stupid, but not even stupid in a funny way. It's a good thing I was doing other stuff when the film was playing, otherwise I doubt I would have made it 5 minutes in.
If you like people being stupid, saying "fuck" every third word, and potty-joke levels of humor in your movies, have a go. If you are a typical government high school student you'll love it. Terrible movie.
The guy who recommended it came over to watch a couple of minutes over my shoulder. While I was rolling my eyes and/or shaking my head, he was laughing. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
It was only temporary but I think I lost a few IQ points while I watched 20 minutes of this film (the first 15 minutes, then some copious amounts of fast-forwarding). It was not only stupid, but not even stupid in a funny way. It's a good thing I was doing other stuff when the film was playing, otherwise I doubt I would have made it 5 minutes in.
If you like people being stupid, saying "fuck" every third word, and potty-joke levels of humor in your movies, have a go. If you are a typical government high school student you'll love it. Terrible movie.
The guy who recommended it came over to watch a couple of minutes over my shoulder. While I was rolling my eyes and/or shaking my head, he was laughing. Different strokes for different folks I guess.
Movie Review: Hotel Rwanda (2004)
The story of a [deleted] up situation, created by racism and the spirit of empire. The situation was resolved satisfactorily due to the courage, persistence, and cleverness of the hero.
It's a true story. He might tell you otherwise, but Paul Rusesabagina is a true hero.
Worth the time to watch. Not always easy to watch. Not for children, pregnant or nursing women, or the faint of heart. Good work by Terry George et al.
It's a true story. He might tell you otherwise, but Paul Rusesabagina is a true hero.
Worth the time to watch. Not always easy to watch. Not for children, pregnant or nursing women, or the faint of heart. Good work by Terry George et al.
Movie Review: Tunnel Rats (2008)
I saw Tunnel Rats -Hell is for Heroes, the unrated director's cut by Uwe Boll.
It had promise, according to the cover art and text description on the back. I watched 52 minutes of this movie on a tertiary display while I was working, then my shift ended. I'm not even remotely interested how the movie turns out for the remaining 44 minutes. I wasn't trying too hard, but I failed to find anything like a plot during that first 1/2 of the film.
If you're into combat movies, movies about dark evil places, and movies with lots of gratuitous gore, this film is for you. If you don't consider any of those to be a reason to spend an hour and a half plus the cost of a rental, skip it.
It had promise, according to the cover art and text description on the back. I watched 52 minutes of this movie on a tertiary display while I was working, then my shift ended. I'm not even remotely interested how the movie turns out for the remaining 44 minutes. I wasn't trying too hard, but I failed to find anything like a plot during that first 1/2 of the film.
If you're into combat movies, movies about dark evil places, and movies with lots of gratuitous gore, this film is for you. If you don't consider any of those to be a reason to spend an hour and a half plus the cost of a rental, skip it.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Movie Review: The Killing Fields
I watched The Killing Fields for the first time today. I'm young enough that it would have been WAY too early for me to see it when it first came out.
Wow. That's a good movie. It's a bit hard to watch in places, and sometimes the acting is a bit transparent, but (and this is high praise for a movie, from me) it's not a waste of two and a half hours of your life.
It is also most emphatically NOT for viewing by children (even some young teens), expectant mothers, or the faint of heart. I'm not sure if it makes it better or worse that it's based on a true story. May God help us not to repeat it in the USA.
Wow. That's a good movie. It's a bit hard to watch in places, and sometimes the acting is a bit transparent, but (and this is high praise for a movie, from me) it's not a waste of two and a half hours of your life.
It is also most emphatically NOT for viewing by children (even some young teens), expectant mothers, or the faint of heart. I'm not sure if it makes it better or worse that it's based on a true story. May God help us not to repeat it in the USA.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Movie Review: Why We Fight (2005)
I finally got around to watching the "Why We Fight" movie made during the regime of the eternally-hated President Bush.
If I had never watched that film, I would never have found out:
The US military is full of uneducated losers who couldn't support themselves on their own, without the assistance of parents in the lower socioeconomic class.
We didn't win the war in Vietnam
The USA is a "democracy"
Further I would never have known that the primary reasons we are fighting in Iraq are:
To further the US Empire
For oil
To profit the companies who build hardware for the US military.
I might have been inclined to think that, from WWII through the current wars, there were actual enemies out there, who would like to kill me if they could, and whom we send our troops to fight. I might have thought that Communism was a threat to be resisted by force of arms.
Bonus points for insulting the intelligence of the viewing audience with cheezy camera work, stock footage shot who-knows-where-or-when but inserted in places calculated to engender sympathy with our enemies
I left a note in the box when I replaced the DVD: "P.S. please take no notice of the existence of actual ENEMIES"
If I had never watched that film, I would never have found out:
Further I would never have known that the primary reasons we are fighting in Iraq are:
I might have been inclined to think that, from WWII through the current wars, there were actual enemies out there, who would like to kill me if they could, and whom we send our troops to fight. I might have thought that Communism was a threat to be resisted by force of arms.
Bonus points for insulting the intelligence of the viewing audience with cheezy camera work, stock footage shot who-knows-where-or-when but inserted in places calculated to engender sympathy with our enemies
I left a note in the box when I replaced the DVD: "P.S. please take no notice of the existence of actual ENEMIES"
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Review of Dayton A/C & Heating, Austin Texas
I had the vintage air conditioning system (25 years old) at my house replaced a few days ago by Dayton Air Conditioning and Heating, out of Austin, Texas. The entire experience, from having the company owner out to give me a free non-binding estimate, right through the billing, was characterized by hassle-free, professional, courteous service. Everyone knew his (or her) stuff, and nobody once tried to hard-sell, harass, lecture, or in any other way pressure me. They didn't try to up-sell a system, and didn't try to perform services that were not required just to get a bigger sale.
I cannot more highly recommend Dayton A/C & Heating to anyone who needs an air conditioner in the Central Texas region.
I found them through a random service I tripped over on the Internet, that was supposed to send my contact information to 3 companies which would give me a quote. I am glad Dayton was one of them. A few minutes later, they called me and we set up a date for them to give me an estimate. Coy Dayton hisse'f came out to inspect the place and work up a quote. He showed up in a wrapped company truck, well after normal working hours. He was ready to listen to what I wanted, and ready to make suggestions when it came to things I didn't mention. He did not try to push me into a 'better' system that would also be 30% more expensive. He did not try to push me into signing on for upgraded blinker fluid. He looked around the house, asked appropriate questions, and went out to his truck and worked up an estimate for the installation of my new system. UNLIKE every other one of the five companies I had give me estimates, Coy gave me actual model numbers and a break down of exactly what he thought was required to do the entire job. The only thing he insisted on including was his warranty agreement, and he only insists on selling it (to everybody) because the cost of it is thousands of dollars less than the cost to replace the first major assembly, should one ever fail. Nevermind (God forbid) the second, or third major failure. I agreed with him and eventually called him to get the system installation appointment set up.
The install crew arrived (on time) in a spiffy company van with everything it would be foreseeable they should need to to the job, and then some.
Their work order was a carbon copy of the same form Mr. Dayton had filled out and given me to think over. The men (it was a two-man crew) were clean, courteous, and competent. Everything the did told me they were in business to do a/c work, not to "do" customers. They wiped their feet clean on a doormat while the ground outside was moist. They laid down heavy moving blankets to protect our flooring. They even entertained my questions and suffered my presence looking over their shoulders for the whole 5 hours they were at our house. They worked quickly when possible, but took their time when it came to the detail work. A great deal of care was taken to get the old equipment out safely (safe for them and for my house) and get the new stuff in properly. Before they even knew I was going to need a new pad, they were talking about leveling he ground under the concrete pad under the condenser (that is, when it was the prospect of doing it right meaning more work, for less money). The duct work upstairs is a little bit of a nightmare in one corner, and they went to extra trouble to seal it all up tight as a drum.
Have a look at this. It's my new furnace, air handler, and cooling coil, in a space barely larger than the unit itself, freshly installed by Dayton's people. On the right you see the return air duct. The exhaust plenum (to the house ducting) is hiding on the left side by the wall. Not shown is approximately two feet of deck width on the near side of the unit. Not shown, because these are close quarters.
Note that the power and control wires, gas line, drain pipes, and even the new flue pipe are all dressed so that they are as neat and out of the way as possible. The connections on the outside unit are even more tidy. Also note how the new system has about a tub and a half of mastic sealing the ducts, vs. the tape-in-place job on the old unit. Then look at the floor beside the new equipment.
Look at the floor beside the old equipment:
They left the place CLEANER than when they got there.
There was some difficulty with our telephones, but still the billing lady was cheerful as she took me for $5600. That would be, exactly the cost of the estimate plus a fee for credit card service.
As for the equipment, what do you want? It works, of course, but it was just installed. I would be shocked if it didn't work. Time will tell the tale of reliability. One thing I can say, Mr. Dayton was enthusiastic about the reliability of the Amana equipment he sells, because every single dollar of labor on a warranty service call comes straight out of his pocket. I had a peek inside and everything looked fairly high quality. Compared to what we used to have, it's all new hotness.
Here, I'll make it easy for you: No scrolling up required! Dayton A/C & Heating, a company that did a good job for me.
********
Full disclosure: I paid full retail price for the entire job, parts, labor, and all. No discounts, no nada from them motivated this post. They were that good to me.
I cannot more highly recommend Dayton A/C & Heating to anyone who needs an air conditioner in the Central Texas region.
I found them through a random service I tripped over on the Internet, that was supposed to send my contact information to 3 companies which would give me a quote. I am glad Dayton was one of them. A few minutes later, they called me and we set up a date for them to give me an estimate. Coy Dayton hisse'f came out to inspect the place and work up a quote. He showed up in a wrapped company truck, well after normal working hours. He was ready to listen to what I wanted, and ready to make suggestions when it came to things I didn't mention. He did not try to push me into a 'better' system that would also be 30% more expensive. He did not try to push me into signing on for upgraded blinker fluid. He looked around the house, asked appropriate questions, and went out to his truck and worked up an estimate for the installation of my new system. UNLIKE every other one of the five companies I had give me estimates, Coy gave me actual model numbers and a break down of exactly what he thought was required to do the entire job. The only thing he insisted on including was his warranty agreement, and he only insists on selling it (to everybody) because the cost of it is thousands of dollars less than the cost to replace the first major assembly, should one ever fail. Nevermind (God forbid) the second, or third major failure. I agreed with him and eventually called him to get the system installation appointment set up.
The install crew arrived (on time) in a spiffy company van with everything it would be foreseeable they should need to to the job, and then some.
Their work order was a carbon copy of the same form Mr. Dayton had filled out and given me to think over. The men (it was a two-man crew) were clean, courteous, and competent. Everything the did told me they were in business to do a/c work, not to "do" customers. They wiped their feet clean on a doormat while the ground outside was moist. They laid down heavy moving blankets to protect our flooring. They even entertained my questions and suffered my presence looking over their shoulders for the whole 5 hours they were at our house. They worked quickly when possible, but took their time when it came to the detail work. A great deal of care was taken to get the old equipment out safely (safe for them and for my house) and get the new stuff in properly. Before they even knew I was going to need a new pad, they were talking about leveling he ground under the concrete pad under the condenser (that is, when it was the prospect of doing it right meaning more work, for less money). The duct work upstairs is a little bit of a nightmare in one corner, and they went to extra trouble to seal it all up tight as a drum.
Have a look at this. It's my new furnace, air handler, and cooling coil, in a space barely larger than the unit itself, freshly installed by Dayton's people. On the right you see the return air duct. The exhaust plenum (to the house ducting) is hiding on the left side by the wall. Not shown is approximately two feet of deck width on the near side of the unit. Not shown, because these are close quarters.
Note that the power and control wires, gas line, drain pipes, and even the new flue pipe are all dressed so that they are as neat and out of the way as possible. The connections on the outside unit are even more tidy. Also note how the new system has about a tub and a half of mastic sealing the ducts, vs. the tape-in-place job on the old unit. Then look at the floor beside the new equipment.
Look at the floor beside the old equipment:
They left the place CLEANER than when they got there.
There was some difficulty with our telephones, but still the billing lady was cheerful as she took me for $5600. That would be, exactly the cost of the estimate plus a fee for credit card service.
As for the equipment, what do you want? It works, of course, but it was just installed. I would be shocked if it didn't work. Time will tell the tale of reliability. One thing I can say, Mr. Dayton was enthusiastic about the reliability of the Amana equipment he sells, because every single dollar of labor on a warranty service call comes straight out of his pocket. I had a peek inside and everything looked fairly high quality. Compared to what we used to have, it's all new hotness.
Here, I'll make it easy for you: No scrolling up required! Dayton A/C & Heating, a company that did a good job for me.
********
Full disclosure: I paid full retail price for the entire job, parts, labor, and all. No discounts, no nada from them motivated this post. They were that good to me.
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