Trick-or-Treat 2009

I did this by accident tonight and had to restore and reconfigure a bunch of stuff. DOH!

Hard Reset HTC Hero Android : HTC Hero Reset Procedure | DIGITAL BITS: "Hard Reset HTC Hero Android Phone – Procedure Trick


1) Turn off your HTC Hero completely.

2) Keep pressing the HOME key and Back key together for some while.

3) While pressing the Home and Back button, once press the power button.

4) Wait for a few seconds and you get a message on the screen asking for a confirm reset.

5) Now release the Home and back buttons press Menu.

6) Your HTC phone is now reset to its original state.

During this process, if your phone hangs, just remove the battery and try this procedure again. It definitely works."

Improve Battery Life for the Android Based HTC Hero Smart Phone | Gamaze.com

I just got my HTC Hero this past Saturday evening and am amazed at all of the features and apps this phone has compared to my old Samsung Rant. Still getting used to the touchscreen keyboard thing but I think with a little more practice it won't be so bad. Probably because I have been tweaking, installing apps and just generally playing with it so much I have of course been running the battery down quite a bit so I decided to find some battery saving tips and stumbled upon Mattias Hansson's blog:


Improve Battery Life for the Android Based HTC Hero Smart Phone | Gamaze.com: "It is easy to say that I’m a very satisfied owner of the HTC Hero since a couple of weeks. Overall, the smart phone is great and having the ability to run apps and processes in background gives it a clear edge over the iPhone. On the other hand, there are several areas where the Apple experience is just so much smoother. Without going into details I hope the rumoured couple of Android updates still this year will help ease these early misses."MORE...

Stone soup - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stone soup - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "A kindly, old stranger was walking through the land when he came upon a village. As he entered, the villagers moved towards their homes locking doors and windows. The stranger smiled and asked, why are you all so frightened. I am a simple traveler, looking for a soft place to stay for the night and a warm place for a meal. 'There's not a bite to eat in the whole province,' he was told. 'We are weak and our children are starving. Better keep moving on.' 'Oh, I have everything I need,' he said. 'In fact, I was thinking of making some stone soup to share with all of you.' He pulled an iron cauldron from his cloak, filled it with water, and began to build a fire under it. Then, with great ceremony, he drew an ordinary-looking stone from a silken bag and dropped it into the water. By now, hearing the rumor of food, most of the villagers had come out of their homes or watched from their windows. As the stranger sniffed the 'broth' and licked his lips in anticipation, hunger began to overcome their fear. 'Ahh,' the stranger said to himself rather loudly, 'I do like a tasty stone soup. Of course, stone soup with cabbage -- that's hard to beat.' Soon a villager approached hesitantly, holding a small cabbage he'd retrieved from its hiding place, and added it to the pot. 'Wonderful!!' cried the stranger. 'You know, I once had stone soup with cabbage and a bit of salt beef as well, and it was fit for a king.' The village butcher managed to find some salt beef . . . and so it went, through potatoes, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and so on, until there was indeed a delicious meal for everyone in the village to share. The villager elder offered the stranger a great deal of money for the stone, but he refused to sell it and traveled on the next day. As he left, the stranger came upon a group of village children standing near the road. He gave the silken bag containing the stone to the youngest child, whispering to a group, that it was not the stone, but the villagers that had performed the magic.'"

Rotary screw compressor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Rotary screw compressor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: "A rotary screw compressor is a type of gas compressor which uses a rotary type positive displacement mechanism. The mechanism for gas compression utilises either a single screw element or two counter rotating intermeshed helical screw elements housed within a specially shaped chamber. As the mechanism rotates, the meshing and rotation of the two helical rotors produces a series of volume-reducing cavities. Gas is drawn in through an inlet port in the casing, captured in a cavity, compressed as the cavity reduces in volume, and then discharged through another port in the casing. [1][1]

The effectiveness of this mechanism is dependent on close fitting clearances between the helical rotors and the chamber for sealing of the compression cavities.

Rotary screw compressors are used in a diverse range of applications. Typically, they are used to supply compressed air for general industrial applications. Trailer mounted diesel powered units are often seen at construction sites, and are used to power air operated construction machinery."

Ultimate Puller - Sensible Products We have one of these in the shop at work and it's been a big help sometimes getting stubborn squirrel cage fans off of motor shafts.

Always a good read, I have been a fan of Marshall Brain's How Stuff Works for years but only recently visited his official home page and learned of many of his other works. Surf on over and check it out for yourself. His page opens thusly:

MarshallBrain.com - The Official Home Page for Marshall Brain

Hello, and welcome to MarshallBrain.com. I am glad you have found your way to this site and appreciate your taking the time to visit.

I am best known as the founder of How Stuff Works. I started HowStuffWorks as a hobby in 1998 and it has grown to be one of the top Web sites in the country.

I am known for the Robotic Nation essays and the book Manna. The article How to make a million dollars is also very popular. I am known for my book for teenagers entitled The Teenager's Guide to the Real World, now in its tenth printing and selected for the New York Public Library's prestigious Books for the Teen Age list (review). I am also known as a member of the Academy of Outstanding Teachers at North Carolina State University, where I taught in the computer science department for 6 years.

MORE...

HTC Hero smartphone judged best gadget of 2009 | Mail Online

HTC Hero smartphone judged best gadget of 2009 | Mail Online

Troubleshooting Residential Electrical Problems - a DIY Strategy

Unreality - A Series of Michio Kaku Videos that Will Blow Your Mind |

Unreality - A Series of Michio Kaku Videos that Will Blow Your Mind |

Jolicloud OS seeks to move past browsers - Hack a Day

Jolicloud OS seeks to move past browsers - Hack a Day

Pumps

Hey! Be sure to check out Pumps and Pumping Information for an excellent new resource.

On this truly sad day, we welcome you to join us as we memorialize the passing of ‘Rama’ Christopher Wyatt. Rama was known to many as the generous, kind, massage therapist always willing to offer his healing hands to those in need. Many may know him by his laughter and song.

And boy how our Rama could wail out a tune. Born the son of Rock –A- Billy Legend and Hall of Famer Gene Wyatt, Rama had some big musical shoes to fill. In the recent months Rama has shared many stories and songs of his father’s music and life with us, Singing his heart out. We know in our hearts that Rama is across the veils now playing alongside his father.

He was a trickster, a romancer, a magician, a drummer, a father, a husband, a brother, and a dear dear friend to many of us who will miss him terribly for all our days.

You are welcome to join us as remember the life of our dear friend as we commemorate his life and his passing.

Maeven Eller Five

‘Rama’ Christopher Wyatt

9/7/63 – 9/4/09

Services begin at 7 p.m.

Cover dishes for feasting afterwards welcome

Sacred Journey Fellowship

(Formally known as Pleasant Valley Unitarian Universalist Church)

1215 Main Street

Garland, TX 75040

Miami banker gives $60 million of his own to employees - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com

"Lots of bosses say they value their employees. Some even mean it.

And then there's Leonard Abess Jr.

After selling a majority stake in Miami-based City National Bancshares last November, all he did was take $60 million of the proceeds -- $60 million out of his own pocket -- and hand it to his tellers, bookkeepers, clerks, everyone on the payroll. All 399 workers on the staff received bonuses, and he even tracked down 72 former employees so they could share in the windfall."

READ MORE At - MiamiHerald.com

A DAY AT THE BEACH


Helpless from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

Too much thinking 'can make you fat' - Telegraph

Ahhh, so that's my problem. I think too much! :-)


"Researchers found the stress of thinking caused overeating with heavy thinkers seeking out more calories.

The research team, supervised by Dr Angelo Tremblay, measured the spontaneous food intake of 14 students after each of three tasks.

The first was relaxing in a sitting position, the second reading and summarizing a text, and finally completing a series of memory, attention, and vigilance tests on the computer."


READ MORE At The Telegraph

@ugusta: The Augusta Chronicle Online: Celebrate 2000New Year's song remains ingrained in public mind 12/31/99

"New Year's song remains ingrained in public mind

Depending on where you celebrate New Year's Eve tonight, the turntables will spin Prince's 1999, Barry Manilow's It's Just Another New Year's Eve, or even, heaven forbid, Will Smith's Will 2K.

But at midnight, in almost every nightclub and home, on every television and radio, the song will be the same: Auld Lang Syne.

``It just fits the moment,'' says Tyrone Traher, who has studied the origins of the song. ``It's traditional. Kind of like how Amazing Grace is always played at a funeral.''

Except that most people can make it past the first line of Amazing Grace.

``Yes,'' Mr. Traher agrees with a chuckle. ``No one seems to know all the words.''

He pauses for a moment.

``Come to think of it, I've honestly never read all the words to the song,'' he concedes.

So there you have it: a Gaelic-riddled song with an old-fashioned melody that many Americans sing as ``should auld acquaintance be forgot ...'' and then trail off into a hum."

READ MORE At The Augusta Chronicle Online

As they say, hindsight is 20/20 and if I had known then what I know now I would have definitely done things differently. I went to work for the company I am employed at which I currently refer to as my "day job" over 19 years ago. I was fairly fresh out of school having graduated High School then taking courses in Electronic Engineering at I.T.T. and working for Dominoes Pizza while putting in applications and doing interviews in the hopes of landing a "real job". I finally did get a job with a company that offered a great benefits package and a future of better pay although the starting pay was actually a step down from what I was making delivering pizzas if you include the tips. I literally began at the bottom sweeping floors and later upgraded into a higher position in the same department operating powered equipment.

I actually had a chance to take several other positions along the way but I chose the "safe" route of staying where I was at because I had built up some seniority which gave me a buffer in case of layoffs and it was guaranteed 40 hours per week whereas one of the other jobs, fleet service, starts off part time until you can build up enough time to bid for a full time position. Then in 1996 a new contract started that had been voted in during the 1995 negotiations. The department I was working in was to be contracted out but all of the people in the department would be transferred to a new position of cabin cleaning. The trouble was, they were also telling everyone that all future pay raises were to be frozen. Well, obviously that wasn't going to work so I started looking for a new place to go. A lot of my friends took positions as fleet service clerks, stock clerks, overhaul support mechanics and other assorted positions throughout the company. I, again going the safe route, decided on a Plant Maintenance Man position and passed the test initially for the Automotive Department where I remained for another 5 1/2 years until September 11th, 2001 put the industry into a tailspin and caused massive layoffs which sent me to a different work location and into the Facilities Maintenance department. After coming to Facilities I became interested in the equipment we worked on and started learning more about it, especially the electrical end of things and eventually got a Maintenance Electrician's License from the state.

The trouble is, after making all these "safe" moves over the years I find myself in a position that hasn't panned out for me. I make an average of $2 less per hour than all of my former co-workers who went on to other positions within the company, I have fewer options for working extra shifts (called CSing in company lingo) and very rarely see opportunities for overtime (which is often more plentiful for other positions. I made the "safe" move to the Plant Maintenance Man (PMM for short) thinking it would be a temporary position for a few years maybe and I would later be able to upgrade into a full Mechanic position (a position that pays $9 per hour more than I make now). But due primarily to politics (under a shoddy facade of policy and experience credit review procedures) I have been shut out time and again from getting such an upgrade but at the same time I have seen others with less experience (in one particular case an 18 year old kid fresh out of High School) who were deemed to be "qualified" which usually boils down to knowing the right people, being related to the right people or filling the agenda of "diversification of the work force". The PMM position requires three years previous maintenance experience to get into in the first place. The fleet service clerk position requires only a High School diploma or equivalent and a driver's license to start then training is provided. PMM is classified in the union contract as a semi-skilled position. Fleet Service Clerk is classified as non-skilled. So, 18 years ago if I had gone into the so called "non-skilled" Fleet Service Clerk position I would be making $2 more per hour now than I do by going into the "semi-skilled" position. But it goes beyond that because with 18 years I could easily have pulled a Crew Chief position by now giving me another $1.70 per hour on top of that. Plus more opportunities for CSing and overtime due to it being a MUCH larger department.

So, long story short, I messed up doing what I thought was the "safe" thing and I'm paying for it now every hour that I work. I can still transfer to one of these other positions and likely will as soon as the economy improves and there is more hiring taking place because I see now that the "few years" that I thought it might take to upgrade has become 12 1/2 years and counting. Transferring will mean throwing away all of my seniority and starting at the bottom of the list for bidding jobs and being among the first to be impacted by layoffs. But my pay will increase at least. It's just ironic that I find myself in the predicament that I have to transfer to a position which has lower initial qualification requirements in order to make more money. It all boils down to politics though. There are more of them than there are of us and our union doesn't care because A.) We don't represent enough votes to do them any good and B.) some of us have more seniority than the very union representatives who are supposed to represent us therefore they have a vested interest in keeping me and others like me right where we are at. The company has no interest in helping us upgrade because, hey, it's cheap labor, we have guys doing essentially the same work for $9 per hour less. What's not to love about that right?

I'm not getting any younger though and if I am going to start over in another department now is the time to do it because later it will be too late. But on the other hand, there is that nagging doubt of what if I transfer out and they finally do the right thing and implement a program to allow those of us trapped in this dead end to finally get an upgrade through training and testing? The current contract is in negotiations and there is talk of just such a program being a part of it but there has been talk before. There is talk at every contract negotiation. Talk is cheap. Talk won't pay my bills or support my family. I need more than talk.

Pete the purple squirrel leaves animal lovers baffled | Mail Online

Here's something you don't see every day... -Troy

"We've all seen lots of grey squirrels and maybe the occasional red, but this chap is definitely going through a purple patch.

He was spotted at Meoncross School in Stubbington, Hampshire, where pupils, staff and parents have all tried to solve the mystery of his unusual hue.

One clue is that he frequently pops into a building where old printers are stored. TV wildlife expert Chris Packham said: 'It is possible he has been chewing on a purple ink cartridge and then groomed that colouring into his fur."


MORE with PICS At Mail Online