Have you heard

Whoa, oh, oh
No, no, no

Oh erase that. That’s a leftover from the tune of my last post.

Now what was I going to post? Oh yeah, cleaning and death. Intriguing combination don’t you think? Has me thinking of wearing clean underwear in case of a car accident.

too much stuff to leave behind

Recently I heard about this idea called Swedish Death Cleaning. I guess it’s a “thing”. Apparently not related to meatballs or IKEA.

It’s personal just like death. From the little I understand (my cleaning knowledge is extremely lacking) one could not hire a person to do this type cleaning for you. It does not involve morticians. I have minuscule cleaning motivation so this is a problem.

A simple idea but yet probably not easy to act on.

When you get old ...

Oh wait, excuse me while I interrupt this post.
I just thought of a great Halloween costume for young adults. Dress up as an old person because turning old is really scary! Just ask an old person.

When you get old, you should clean out your stuff (clutter is one of my wife’s favorite words) by thinking about your death and what you will leave for your lucky descendants to clean up. For example, I should toss my old collection of business cards given to me from vendor meetings. Change my mindset to the one who comes upon this collection and wonders why on earth did he save this.

While I make no big claims on anything other than maybe those extra fries you left on your plate, I do claim a small expertise with youtube surfing. I found a clip on this death cleaning thing.







One suggestion from the above clip is creating a box of things that matter only to you which you labeled toss out upon death. Now collecting those things in a box is good organizing but I suspect my kids might be very interested in that box’s contents. I would have been if my parents had left such a box. I’m putting a $100 bill in my box. Then I’ll leave a separate note saying that there was a $100 bill in that box. One more thought. I should write a note saying that if you find my mess of stuff to be a bit overwhelming, then recall your messy room as a teenager.

I got clutter, whoa-oh
I got troubles, whoa-oh
I got worries, whoa-oh
I got wounds to bind

Enjoy a few more whoa-ohs:

I made something this summer

Inspired by an instruction video and watching our grandkids enjoy the water tables at a children's museum (don't you think "museum" is the wrong word for these places?) I decided to build our own portable water table.

The main parts:

• plastic storage bin
• fountain water pump
• PVC pipe and elbows

The most expensive item is the submersible water pump. I bought one from Home Depot for $29. The pump sits on the bottom of the bin and just needs to be covered by water. I did notice that typically after 30 minutes of play more water needs to be added. I found the 1/2 inch size pipe was the easiest to use. Leaving the pipe connections not glued allows the "water system" to be configured a variety of ways. Small plastic cups and stoppers add to the fun.


Two of my water table testers:

Both water table testers gave it their sign of approval.

Oo ee oo ah ah ting tang walla walla friday fragment

I must be a blog nerd because I still enjoy creating silly titles.

You don't need a silly or great title to join Mrs. 4444's Friday Fragments.  If you can write a sentence, then you can fragment a post and link up.

I had a title this long

I’ve been replacing rotten deck boards this week. (too bad the world can’t replace rotten people) I was talking to my master carpenter brother while selecting some wood at Home Depot.  BAM, a 8 foot piece hit the floor. Note to self - Don’t try to load lumber one handed while talking on the phone.  Luckily just a big noise, my feet were not in the way. But a clerk nearby yelled, “hey what did you just buy?”. I do enjoy humor at stores.

It lacks granularity and specificity with respect to its growth plans, and uncertainty surrounding the risks. Oh, excuse me I was just reminding myself why I hate corporate speak.

I’m an indolent kinda guy. I'm happier on days I can let the morning newspaper age a bit on the driveway before venturing out.  (Lisleman's word of day)

keep your fish close and facehooks away

One time during the last century, I was stung at Myrtle Beach by a jelly fish. A paste of Vaseline and meat tenderizer relieves the pain. I ended-up with left over so we had tender steaks that night. Don't recall what happened to the Vaseline.

I have become comfortably posted. How about you?

my recycled collection

I suspect most of my repeat offenders visitors here pay little attention to my collection of odd things I have assembled. With these wondrous moving objects consisting of mostly recycled garbage rubber banded together I have produced youtube clips. If you are interested please take a look on my Playing Around page.

Even if you not interesting or don't have the time to check out the youtube clips, you’ll still notice the pile of recycled pieces I electrified with a few LEDs below. Don’t you love the cassette tape styling I spent long minutes working on?

Myself I'm happier on days I can let the morning newspaper age a bit on the driveway before venturing out.

 

a pro

I’m pro at procrastination. I did get our taxes done weeks early so maybe there is some hope for me. Other things like oil changes and fixing stuff, I just don’t want to rush into them. Everything needs a certain amount of consideration time.

Oh the phrase, “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” is a mantra for me.

The problem is I modify that phrase with “if it ain’t broke bad enough” or “duct tape will work”.

My latest example of this was my cellphone.

This one would be hard to drop or lift

Sometime this year, perhaps in February, I dropped my cellphone from a waist high pocket. Typically no big deal. This time it hit on the corner of the hinge just right (or wrong) and a piece of it cracked off. That same day I tried unsuccessfully to super glue the piece back on. No go - it would not hold so I resorted to a duck tape fix.

The duck tape fix was marginally workable. If you didn’t carefully hold the phone it would start to separate. I suspect if it fully separated it would probably never work again. I placed very careful calls for a many weeks.

Finally after too many “next weeks”, I took it to the Verizon store. I had a plan with both an option A and option B. Option A was to convince them that their long time customer should just get this too easily breakable phone replaced. Option B was to activate my last phone which I still had but had been replaced by the now broken newer model.

The good news - Option A was a success. They shipped my a new replacement phone within two days.

It was this clam shell type but a new version with no antenna stub

Once in awhile during a brief reflective mood, I’ll think about changing my less than appealing characteristic. A few seconds later I tell myself, yeah maybe next week.

Here's Ellen Degeneres take on procrastination.

Hey you overachievers - any advice?

another circus 

washing Wednesday

Well it’s still Tuesday but don’t you wish you were a day early for washing?

Today my birthday presents came!

Such excitement - a new washer and dryer. As a bonus birthday treat I was allowed to install them. (saved about $90).

After connecting gas and water hoses, I was very ready to hit the start button.

Before I get ahead of myself, I should tell you what I’m dealing with. Pretty basic models from Whirlpool. The soon-to-be-scrap metal units were about 15 years old (not real sure since we never celebrated their birthdays). They were also Whirlpools.

My wife had heard horror (that’s too strong of an adjective, there was no blood or decapitated bodies in the stories) stories about the newer computerized units in which I believe you can play a DVD. No, she wanted simple turn the dial and push a button type (like me?). Also, she wanted top loading with agitator so that narrowed the selection. I like simple too but honestly the idea of maybe connecting the washing machine to the internet with Wi-Fi is sort of exciting.

Ok - back to “hit the start button”.

My first check I planned was to be water temperature selection, so I thought, I’ll just fill it with some water and check. Twisted the selector knob and push the button. Nothing. The old one would let you load while the water was filling. You could even watch the agitator churn the clothes. Hours of entertainment. The old one died a slow death because one day the agitator became very mellow and barely moved.

Hmm, I’m guessing new safety features on this one (damn government regulations) so I closed the lid. Click, Red Light. Oh, the lid is locked. Still no water.

DAMN NOW I need to open the instruction booklet and find the English section.

• Section - How to wash clothes
• Step 1 - sort and prepare clothes - OH c’mon, really, why not start with WEAR CLOTHES UNTIL DIRTY!
• Step 2 - add detergent
• Step 3 - add clothes - Now this is interesting, as mention above we would add detergent, clothes with the water filling in the past.

So at this point I decide I need a plan B. I’ll check the operation with some actual clothes. Add clothes, detergent, make selection, shut lid, and press start. Some noise but NO sound of water running. Double check hoses and shut off values. Everything looks good. Then I hear water filling - yes! It appears to have a long delay before the water starts.

But how will I know the water temperature matches the selection if it goes through the whole cycle? Look at manual - pick up manual - actually read some part of manual.

If you need to open the lid (they offer the explanation that you forgot an article of clothing - what if you are just plain curious does that count?) during an operation in which its locked you can push the start button and pause the operation. If you push and hold for 3 seconds you can abort the whole mission.

Houston we have a problem!

A few tries with the lid and pause button and I get the feel of it.  I own this machine now.

Finally I am master of the washing machine. I changed the temperature selection, paused operation, unlocked the lid and checked the water. I still could not check the water while it was flowing in, but it was still dripping.  I even flipped over to spin and had the water pumping out of there.

It does sound completely different than the old one too. Different mechanical sounds from the motor. Maybe its voice will change in a few years.

Then a strange sense of pride and responsibility came over me.

At that very moment, in my basement, I knew I was the only one of the household that knew the operational details of the washing machine. The gatekeeper of the washing machine. I would need to prepare a tutorial for others.

I hope that I can calmly explain the operation to my wife. Maybe I should consult our daughters the teachers for guidance.

Oh, I just realized I gave all my attention to the washer. The dryer is also a new Whirlpool but maybe back in its development an Apple engineer was involved because it just worked. No need to open the manual on that one.

another circus

we don't need - no more trouble

There was a time I should of sang this to the kids. Now that I think of it - my legendary bad singing could have used as a good threat to get their cooperation.

All together now - 

we don't need - no more trouble

The sharing that comes through blogging has not only introduced me to new people and places but new ideas and movements. For example:

I just learned today over at the Professor B. Worm blog about this great movement called Playing For Change.

This is not the only video clip they have done.  Go to their site and enjoy the other ones too.

I find the technique of editing all this different musicians singing in different parts of the world enjoyable and interesting.  Give it a listen and check out more on those links.

Ken Burns PBS series #5

credit: National Park Service Historic Photograph Collection

Today there are some similarities with the time period covered by the fifth episode of the PBS series The National Parks: America's Best Idea by Ken Burn.  The depression of 1930's has been compared to today's economic woes.  There are plenty of differences but we are in a period of higher unemployment.  The National Park Service played a job creation role in the great depression.  

FDR created the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1933.

My dad and his younger brother joined the CCC in the late 1930's.  Both of them still in their teens.  I wish I knew more about their adventures in the CCC's.  They have both passed on now.  From the stories, I believe they were at camps in Washington state.

Episode 5 spends some time with a few personal stories of past CCC members.  It was run like the military and from the pictures I've found on the web, it looked like hard work.

From the PBS site about this episode:

"In all, more than 3 million men found work with the Civilian Conservation Corps during the course of the Depression. Members of the CCC were responsible for building more than 97,000 miles of fire roads in national forests, combating soil erosion on 84 million acres of farmland, and planting 3 billion trees."

 Millions of men - billions of trees  -  all in less than a decade.

From just the little I know, I say GOOD JOB !

back to the bench, garage, basement?

Have you heard of circuit bending???

I just discovered the term today. I am surprised that this hacking around is so organized and even has a term for it. There was an organized festival on this hobby recently that was featured on rocketboom.

Of course this activity has been around for a long time. I was "circuit bending" I guess when I blew out my first stereo. I was playing around trying to make a light show based on the sound. I didn't know about ground loops or circuit isolation.

People (it does seem to be mostly a guy thing but that will change) have been taking stuff apart since there has been stuff. From what I read so far, most of this is pure playing around without trying to figure out the circuit properties or operation. I agree that is more fun.

Here's what Pete (one of the big names in the hobby ??) wrote on his site:

....making music using a Speak&Spell that he had rewired to create some of the strangest sounds I had ever heard. He told me that he had “no idea what he was doing.” He just randomly soldered points on the circuit board together and it started making weird sounds. I figured I’d give it a shot and was amazed to find that it was really that simple. I didn’t know what I was doing, yet I was getting amazing results. I was hooked.

Luckily (maybe it was fate?) I found an ebay auction for 20 Speak&Spells and I made the investment. About a month later I sold my first Modified Speak&Spell. A few months and a few more sales after that I made a simple website to show off some of my creations and casperelectronics was born.

I worked with the Speak&Spell for about a year and got to a point where I actually DID know what I was doing. I could isolate certain effects and maximize their capabilities but that’s also when I started getting bored. It stopped being about exploration and became more about repetition. I soon found that clients had their own ideas to bring to the table and I started taking great joy in figuring out how to bring their ideas to fruition....

Well after reading this I might be in the basement taking apart some old toys.

Here's few related links:
instructables
makezine