One of these decades, I will cease to stay up until after midnight when I have to wake up early the next morning. Or I may just keep on making myself tired until I am old enough not to need a full night's sleep anymore. On the other hand, Jules Verne's Journey to the Center of the Earth with Pat Boone et. al. from 1959 is a pretty good film
. . . and the new TV stayed on for the duration . . . with its back panel removed. The heat sinks in the low voltage section as well as on the video processor were pretty warm. I found a nearly-silent fan for the TV, and it's being installed. We'll see how that goes. There's something hinky with it still, because it was turning itself on and off, sitting unmolested with its back off, while I was fitting the fan to the removed rear panel. I may just have to alter the buttons to get the power switch operator to stop operating the power switch all by itself. We'll see. Oh, and our Universal remote does seem to work with the TV so that's all the better.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Free Television Causes Hair Pulling
I was gifted a Vizio VW26L, a 26" class LCD television. It was broken, and the dozens of screws to hold the back panel to the chassis were missing. It had a classic case of bad power supply filter capacitors (read: capacitor plague) and these were replaced with components pulled from junked equipment. That got the television powered on. Then there was the small matter of the buttons not working. I replaced a switch with one from junked equipment. Then the buttons didn't all work, when the switches were installed in the television. I'm still scratching my head over that one. The bigger problem is that the set shuts itself off when the guts are warmed up with the cover on.
So I can leave a few hundred volts DC exposed for the children and VFDKitty to get into, or drill a few dozen more holes in the chassis and hope it will work with better ventilation! By the way, jeers to Vizio on this. The failed caps died from excessive heat, and are under a piece of sheet metal with no vents. Coincidence?
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go test this TV for about a movie's length of time with the cover off ;)
So I can leave a few hundred volts DC exposed for the children and VFDKitty to get into, or drill a few dozen more holes in the chassis and hope it will work with better ventilation! By the way, jeers to Vizio on this. The failed caps died from excessive heat, and are under a piece of sheet metal with no vents. Coincidence?
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go test this TV for about a movie's length of time with the cover off ;)
Friday, March 4, 2011
"Modern African-American Slavery"
JM and NP both missed half of the explanation because I was talking about work while Boortz was talking, so they requested I explain what they had half-heard. The following is a (somewhat controversial) opinion held by Neal Boortz and other like-minded individuals. It is a good analogy, as far as it goes.
********
Blacks are enslaved in modern America . . . by the Democrats.
Back when slavery was the way to turn a profit on a plantation, blacks were given free housing, food, and clothing. In exchange they were expected to reproduce, and to do their work on the field. Today, there is such a dependency and entitlement mindset that many black families have generations of people who have never held a "real" job. The government gives them free housing, food, and clothing. In exchange, they are expected to reproduce, and to vote Democrat every four years.
********
Thus I summarized, and JM and NP could not disagree. Work and non-work discussions comcluded, JM walked off, thinking, and then he turned and said:
JM: Like I've said, many times before: Get my own islands.
VFD: I'll be your Chief of Security . . .
JM: OK
VFD: but I gotta get a free house, food, and clothing.
(crickets)
All: LOL
********
Blacks are enslaved in modern America . . . by the Democrats.
Back when slavery was the way to turn a profit on a plantation, blacks were given free housing, food, and clothing. In exchange they were expected to reproduce, and to do their work on the field. Today, there is such a dependency and entitlement mindset that many black families have generations of people who have never held a "real" job. The government gives them free housing, food, and clothing. In exchange, they are expected to reproduce, and to vote Democrat every four years.
********
Thus I summarized, and JM and NP could not disagree. Work and non-work discussions comcluded, JM walked off, thinking, and then he turned and said:
JM: Like I've said, many times before: Get my own islands.
VFD: I'll be your Chief of Security . . .
JM: OK
VFD: but I gotta get a free house, food, and clothing.
(crickets)
All: LOL
I'M RICH!!!1!
In my email inbox just now I have three emails telling me I had received a monetary benefit.
One from Yahoo Lottery Organization, subject line: CONGRATULATIONS!!!
One from UNITED NATION, subject line: YOUR EMAIL ID HAVE WON UNITED NATIONS LOTTERY
and one I think is actually legitimate. It came from Thomas, and was marked as a donation. Coincidental timing, I just had someone ask about a gun class a couple of days ago.
Thanks, Thomas.
One from Yahoo Lottery Organization, subject line: CONGRATULATIONS!!!
One from UNITED NATION, subject line: YOUR EMAIL ID HAVE WON UNITED NATIONS LOTTERY
and one I think is actually legitimate. It came from Thomas, and was marked as a donation. Coincidental timing, I just had someone ask about a gun class a couple of days ago.
Thanks, Thomas.
The Rent Gas Is Too D--n High!
. . . remembering all the while that the current price of gasoline and the slow increase to it were the desire of President Obama all the time . . .
The following was sent with slight variation to all three of my Elected Heroes in the District of Columbia:
Dear Personrichenoughtobuyanelection,
What else are we to think, but that this is intentional?
The price of gasoline is eating my budget. I suppose it sounds like small change to someone whose gas and airfare are paid by the electorate instead of his own pocketbook, but $3.50/gallon for regular unleaded hurts.
Alaskan oil if properly tapped could make Alaska the 8th largest oil producer in the world, but we do not drill for it. Then there are the oil sands in the interior and very well-proven reserves in the shallows of the Gulf of Mexico. We have more than all the oil we need to meet demand while other, cleaner technology is being brought online. The only thing between me a reasonable cost of oil (and therefore gasoline) . . . is the American government!
The American government, in the name of the environment, is intentionally supporting artificially high gas prices. The effect is that people with little enough money are losing more and more disposable (and sometimes not so disposable) income to their gas tanks to go to work and back. And the taxes continue to crush us as well.
What else are we to think, but that this is intentional?
The following was sent with slight variation to all three of my Elected Heroes in the District of Columbia:
Dear Personrichenoughtobuyanelection,
What else are we to think, but that this is intentional?
The price of gasoline is eating my budget. I suppose it sounds like small change to someone whose gas and airfare are paid by the electorate instead of his own pocketbook, but $3.50/gallon for regular unleaded hurts.
Alaskan oil if properly tapped could make Alaska the 8th largest oil producer in the world, but we do not drill for it. Then there are the oil sands in the interior and very well-proven reserves in the shallows of the Gulf of Mexico. We have more than all the oil we need to meet demand while other, cleaner technology is being brought online. The only thing between me a reasonable cost of oil (and therefore gasoline) . . . is the American government!
The American government, in the name of the environment, is intentionally supporting artificially high gas prices. The effect is that people with little enough money are losing more and more disposable (and sometimes not so disposable) income to their gas tanks to go to work and back. And the taxes continue to crush us as well.
What else are we to think, but that this is intentional?
Thursday, March 3, 2011
A Dead Man Kept Me Awake Last Night
King Solomon's Mines is such a page-turner I went to bed at 02:00 this morning. I'm not even going to check the headlines before going to bed tonight. Blaaaaaaaaaah
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Sustainability: We Don't Has It
At the rate we're going, in 15 years the USA will spend ALL its tax revenues on welfare and debt service. This leaves nothing for basic ("real") government activities. There are not enough tax dollars to fund everything even after you tax the filthy disgusting rich people to death. Mish brings the analysis. With graphs.
Something must be cut. The mainsomethings which must be cut rhyme with bledicaid and bledicare. Or else we default on our debts at some point. There are no other options.
Something must be cut. The mainsomethings which must be cut rhyme with bledicaid and bledicare. Or else we default on our debts at some point. There are no other options.
No Time Left for Yooooouuuuu
We didn't even get the children to bed until 22:00 and then my Darling Wife was busy looking up stuff for school online. I gotta getta router or something, because I had about zero time to wow you with all my fabulous wisdom tonight.
But you get a bonus anecdote for checking in anyhow: When we got to church 20 minutes early so she could go to her teachers/workers meeting, she discovered #3 had wet himself in his sleep on the way to church. So I put him in a diaper we had in the car, sat him on some plastic sheeting over his piss, and started the 20-minute drive back home to get him some clean pants, then 20 minutes back (1 hour total), to catch the last 40 minutes of the services. All this after driving 35 minutes to get home from work. In related news, it takes 20 minutes to go either way between my house and the church, at Maximum Warp (Speed Limit +3) when the locals insist on driving at Speed Limit -15% in front of me for 1/2 the trip, both ways.
But you get a bonus anecdote for checking in anyhow: When we got to church 20 minutes early so she could go to her teachers/workers meeting, she discovered #3 had wet himself in his sleep on the way to church. So I put him in a diaper we had in the car, sat him on some plastic sheeting over his piss, and started the 20-minute drive back home to get him some clean pants, then 20 minutes back (1 hour total), to catch the last 40 minutes of the services. All this after driving 35 minutes to get home from work. In related news, it takes 20 minutes to go either way between my house and the church, at Maximum Warp (Speed Limit +3) when the locals insist on driving at Speed Limit -15% in front of me for 1/2 the trip, both ways.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Regulations (and Crows) be D----ed
In Cirencester, UK, a crow is costing hundreds of pounds, ripping the wiper blades off cars. It is reported that if a car is left with its wipers uncovered for half an hour, the crow or crows will come along and strip the rubber off the blades.
In a slightly freer country, this means that, at the half-hour of a man's choosing, the crow will be perforated and dead, dead, dead. In the UK where guns are essentially banned, they will continue to lose wiper blades by the dozen until the crows get tired of the game. I would be surprised if someone didn't get into big trouble trying to trap the stupid birds, too. Health & Safety regulations being what they are (stupid), it would probably be cheaper just to continue replacing the wiper blades, even if jail for the bird trapper is avoided.
What a stupid country UK is turning out to be. Note that this used to be a nation where men were required to maintain proficiency with the long bow, the "assault rifle" of the day. Now look at you.
In a slightly freer country, this means that, at the half-hour of a man's choosing, the crow will be perforated and dead, dead, dead. In the UK where guns are essentially banned, they will continue to lose wiper blades by the dozen until the crows get tired of the game. I would be surprised if someone didn't get into big trouble trying to trap the stupid birds, too. Health & Safety regulations being what they are (stupid), it would probably be cheaper just to continue replacing the wiper blades, even if jail for the bird trapper is avoided.
What a stupid country UK is turning out to be. Note that this used to be a nation where men were required to maintain proficiency with the long bow, the "assault rifle" of the day. Now look at you.
Wisconsin Unions and Democrat Elected Heroes
Surprising no-one, the Senators in Wisconsin who refuse to show up to work, are campaign-funded by unions
And perhaps surprising some, the reduced benefits on which those Senators refuse to vote are more generous than the benefits granted to unionized federal employees under President Obama
ETA: hat tip: Instapundit
And perhaps surprising some, the reduced benefits on which those Senators refuse to vote are more generous than the benefits granted to unionized federal employees under President Obama
ETA: hat tip: Instapundit
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