Yosemite Lakes Campground Burned

What it looks like, with the fire burn overlay:

About 7-8 weeks ago, we camped at the southern tip of that little circle, on the right side of the above image. : o \

Not sure how much got burned...will remain interested in seeing post-fire pictures. Fearing the worst.

From the Yosemite Lakes web site:

Due to the Rim Fire, Yosemite Lakes remains closed and we are not accepting reservations at this time. Anyone having an upcoming reservation through September 3, 2013 is asked to please contact us at (877) 570-2267 so that we can assist with making other arrangements. We will continue to provide updates as we receive additional information.  (Posted 8/23/13)

Delegation

I am learning it.

12 Rules of Delegation

Coffeeee

Learning to appreciate aspects of coffee...but still would prefer caffeine pills so not staining my teeth. : o \

What's the most powerful/inspirational quote you've ever heard?

http://www.quora.com/Quotations/Whats-the-most-powerful-inspirational-quote-youve-ever-heard

Running again

Dawn and I have ran at the ARC track three times in the last week or so.

Caffeine

Take caffeine pills instead of coffee:

http://www.rush.edu/webapps/MEDREL/servlet/NewsRelease?ID=549

The researchers gave dosages of 0.3mg per kg of subject body weight each hour. For me, that comes out to about 25mg of caffeine per hour:

"They took the pills upon waking and then once every hour. The goal of the steady dosing was to progressively build up caffeine levels in a way that would coincide with—and ultimately, counteract—the progressive push of the homeostatic system, which grows stronger the longer a subject stays awake."

Caffeine affects the homeostatic rather than circadian system; thus, the researchers suggest, "shift workers, medical residents, truck drivers, and others who need to stay alert consider taking frequent low doses of caffeine."

Unless you like the taste of coffee...I've never gotten used to it. : o \

Also: using caffeine pill to sleep better

Frustrating...the only way to get 25mg seems to either split a 50mg pill (which I've only found through Pro-Plus in the UK) or do it via powder...which seems way too much effort.. : o \

Low Dosage Caffeine

• Jolt gum?
• ~95mg caffeine per cup of coffee
• 8-10 Cool Caffeine mints = 1 cup of coffee...so about 9.5-12 mg caffeine per mint (two mints per hour? : o \ )
• Power Bar Gel = 25mg caffeine...but...not going to eat one of these per hour
• No-Doz comes in 100mg ... split into quarters? But, seems expensive.
• Jet Alert comes in 100mg...split into quarters? Only $5 for 120

Notable Schultz's Throughout History

My initial list:

Dwight Schultz - Captain "Howling Mad" Murdock from the 1980s action series The A-Team
Charles M. Schulz - the comic strip Peanuts
George P. Shultz - former US Secretary of State
Lists:

Wikipedia - Schultz
Wikipedia - Schulz
Wikipedia - Schultze
Wikipedia - Schulze

How do you eat an elephant?

Answer: one bite at a time.

I had never heard this quote before today; Dawn says her professor says it like this: "One byte at a time."

2,650

The Pacific Crest Trail seems actually 2,663 miles in length, but a bumper sticker advertising "2,650" on it tickled me this morning. : o )

Well played!

Japanese Restaurant Etiquette

What employees say when you enter a Japanese restaurant:

Irasshaimase (audio)

New Pizza Recommendations

Some recommendations:

Roma's Pizzeria

Pasquale's Italian Pizzeria

Rico's Italian Pizza

Project Management 101

Reading up on project management:

• New to Project Management? Pro-Tips for Success (link)
• F. John Reh's, "How to Manage a Project"
• Scott Berkun's, "The Art of Project Management: How to Make Things Happen" (++)
• A large percentage of my time as a PM was spent making ordered lists...having clear priorities was the backbone of progress.
• What slows progress and wastes the most time on projects is confusion about what the goals are or which things should come before which other things.
• If there is an ordered list posted up on the wall clarifying for everyone which things have been agreed to be more important than which other things, these arguments end quickly or never even start.
• So, if ever things on the team were not going well and people were having trouble focusing on the important things, I knew it was my fault: 
• either I hadn't ordered things properly, 
• hadn't effectively communicated those priorities, or 
• had failed to execute and deliver on the order that we had.
• For most projects, the three most important and most formal ordered lists are used to prioritize
• Project goals (vision), 
• Features, and 
• Work items
• and so forth...the whole thing seems very good
• Marian Haus' "7 Essential Project Planning Documents" (link)
• John Troyer's "Three Keys to Getting Your Projects Under Control, Part 2" (link)
• What is the payoff of completing the project?
• Example "why" statement
• Microsoft Solutions Framework's "Is Your Project Out of Control?" (DOC; via the SLAC)
• “reality distortion field.” This phenomenon occurs when a team, engrossed in its own magnificence, convinces itself that impossible dates can be met, that enormously complex technical problems are nothing to worry about, and that naysayers just aren’t committed to shipping on time.
• The one success factor most experts agree on is the need for a project team to have a clear vision for its project.   The breakdown—if there is one—may have occurred because the project 
• does not have a crisp vision, 
• the vision has not been well communicated to the team, or 
• the team does not agree with or believe in the vision. 
• Whatever the cause, however, the lack of a shared vision is a fundamental flaw that will prove fatal to the project.
• Without a vision for the project, the team  
• will be unable to make difficult feature or bug tradeoffs, 
• will be frustrated by communication problems among members of the team, and 
• will inevitably make decisions that are misdirected because they have no foundation.
• The most important part of working with groups that you are dependent on, or who are dependent on you, is communication.
• The only three variables are time, resources, and product. You cannot restrict all three variables of the equation.

Project artifacts

• 15 Tools (via)

Prius Shopping

Our car's engine siezed up last Sunday (dropped valve seat).

So, on the advice of our mechanic, we're shopping for a new car...a Toyota Prius.

Previously.

NOTES

• PriusChat glossary
• Getting rid of the previous car
• Donate Your Car to KDFC
• JunkMyCar--instant quotes
• California DMV: How to Change Vehicle Ownership
• "In most states you should remove the license plates once the tower arrives and return them to the DMV. However, in the following states the license plates need to remain on the car: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Georgia, Hawaii, Kentucky, Louisianna, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Washington.In the states of California and Arizona you must also turn in a release of liability as well." (via)
• Research
• Sellers
• Top 10 Best Places to Find Used Cars (via; recommends AutoTempest)
• Craigslist
• "People who sell cars on craigslist generally sell lower end or salvaged cars because the people who look there are looking for that type of junk...." (via) 
• "...it's also a place where really smart people buy and sell quality cars without any additional costs that cars.com and other dealers would add to the sale." (via)
• Options
• 3M Paint Protection Film seems like a good investment, but only on new cars
• Solar roof available on 2012+ models
• Toyota options, by year
• More, plus video outlining Gen 3 changes
• Colors
• Prius colors through the years
• Salsa Red Pearl (2004, 2005)
• Navigation
• "...have heard the nav. is not what it is cracked up to be plus a Garmin is cheaper and able to go in different cars." (via)
• Touring differences (2007-2009)
• Shipping 
• From AR to CA costs about $1,100 (via)
• More discussion
• What's the best way to ship a car? (link)
• Buying a car in Deleware (link)
• Tips for a long cross-country drive (link)
• Electric cars
• DIY Electric Car
• EvalBum - compare electric conversions
• List of electric cars eligible for California Clean Vehicle Rebate Project refund
• Third party inspections
• 
  
• Test drives
• Things to look for
• Checklist
• Prius Maintenance
• Video: Second-generation Toyota Prius still reliable, efficient after 200,000 miles
• DIY maintenance 
• Scheduled maintenance guides
• Toyota's Owners Site lists all service history and recalls
• Fluids
• Transaxle oil
• "...that goes at 100,000 miles give or take and costs another $3,000...." (via)
• Transmission 
• "...transaxle fluid change, so I had that done at the dealer for $100." (via)
• "At 3 years, some will change their transaxle fluid (you can diy or my dealer charged $144 for it but that's cheap) despite Toyota's claims of it being a 100,000 mile product. There are oil analyses indicating that's a really good idea." (via)
• Analysis of replacements
• Catalytic converter
• 
  
• Inverter
•  "... the Inverter is another $1,500 to $2,000." (via)
• Batteries
• HV traction battery
• "If you are in the market for an HV battery replacement, outside of warranty, the absolute best use of your money is a brand new unit from Toyota." (via)
• "...main traction battery costs $3,500..." (via)
• "The main traction battery lifespan is about 10 years. Many have exceeded that and others have not. Much is determined by abuse and environment (via) 
• "Traction batteries from wrecks are still plentiful. Saw a couple on car-part.com, each for $700 from a 2008 and a 2009 each with less than 30K miles on them." (via)
• "I have read on PC that if a Salvage Battery has been in the yard awhile the battery is most likely completely depleted which brings on many other issues if you decide to install this in your Prius. It may require a charge from Toyota which is chargeable. This may also not work. Evidently if the battery is not in constant use problems occur. " (via)
• 12V battery
• "The 12V battery...powers the computer and there are many horror stories of bizarre car behavior with a low 12V battery. The battery exchange cost was about $120 at my dealer, but again they're usually more expensive. There are way to check the battery voltage by accessing the car's MFD service menu." (via)
• New 12V battery (expected life of 4 years - 2006 prius would require new one soon) http://priuschat.com/threads/questions-to-ask-when-looking-at-a-used-high-mileage-prius.88426/#ixzz2cyZDPf1v 
• Testing the battery
• Spark plugs
• Serviced at 100K-120K miles (via)
• PCV valve
• Serviced at 100K-120K miles (via)
• Shocks/Struts
• "...probably getting towards end of life [at 100K-120K miles] .. That is probably $1k to replace...." (via)
• Coolant pump
• Ensure recall work done...for 2005 (via)
• Water pumps
• Inverter
• "It failed at 185K miles on my car." (via)
• Engine
• "It failed at 195K miles on my car." (via)
• Filters
• Engine filter
• "Hold the filter up to sunlight. When you can't see light coming through, it's time to change the filter." (via)
• Brake pads
• "...most changed brake pads after 150k...." (via)
• Oil change
• "From my nearly 50 years of changing oil, this is the best method that I discovered."(via)
• Polish/Paint protectant
• Nu-Finish, semi-annually (via)
• Salvage titles:
• "However, if someone tells you why it was totaled for some minor reason, they are almost 100% lying and the car was probably in a horrible accident and badly repaired (but has a new paint job)." (via)
• "Salvage title cars have essentially no warranty (you can confirm it yourself in the warranty book)." (via)
• "it ... sounds like a good deal to me IF you have an inspection done by a body shop as well as the one already done by the dealer." (via)
• "The main test for a Prius is the full-works drive through car wash. If it passes that, then you can be assured that all connectors are water tight and you are very unlikely to have a problem...." (via)
• "You will lose almost all your "savings" when you sell a Salvage title car..." (via)
• AutoBeYours rebuilds Prius, Leaf, and so forth
• The Primo II, the Pruck
• Tips on buying a salvage Prius
• Financing
• Tax, title, tags, and fees calculator (link)
• Handling payment for used car sales (link)
• California DMV Vehicle Registration Fee Calculator (link)
• $15,000, purchased in Placerville, CA (local/one-time fees highlighted):
• $1,200 in Use/Sales Tax
• $195 in fees 
• $1,396 total
• $10,000 car:
• $800 in use/sales tax
• $195 in fees
• $995 total
• $5,000 car
• $400
• $195
• $595 total
• "KBB tends to overvalue, if anything." (via)
• CARB electric car refunds
• LightStream loans
• Residuals of leased cars, from a Toyota dealership employee (link)
• 2012 Prius Plug-in (blue book): ~$25,335 (21K mi)
• 2010 Prius (blue book) $9,304 (110K mi, p#1)
• 2009 Prius (blue book) $18,860 (14K mi; touring); ~$9,095 (100K mi); $12,840 (93K mi, p#6)
• 2008 Prius (blue book) ~$8,300 (132K mi); $9,814 (103K mi); $9,250 (90K mi); $14,614 (76K mi, touring, p#6); $12,714 (63K mi, p#3)
• 2007 Prius (blue book): $8,728 (91K mi); ~$11,400 (53K mi); $8,980 (124K mi; p#6); ~$9,119 (123K mi; touring); ~$7,364 (157K mi); $5,790 (160K mi); $5,621 (173K mi)
• 2006 Prius (blue book): ~$8,494 (99K mi); $7,361 (149K mi); $6,023 (145K mi)
• 2005 Prius (blue book): ~$8,548 (75K mi) ~$7,435 (95K mi); $7,247 (100K mi); $6,186 (133K mi; p#6); $5,100 (164K mi); $4,618 (174K mi; base); $4,583 (179K mi)
• 2004 Prius (blue book):$8,035 (56K mi; p#1); ~$6,359 (100K mi; p#9)
• 2001 Prius (blue book): $4,491 (72K mi)
• "0% APR is a great way to purchase a vehicle if you can get it.....simply put....you're paying cash for the vehicle.....the general rule of thumb is.....for every 10 thousand dollars financed under normal APRs you will pay about 200 to 250 a month......so with no money down and no trade a 30 thousand dollar vehicle would cost about 6-7 hundred a month.....with 0% APR that same vehicle would cost you 500 a month for 60 months.....basically the bank will make no money off of you....and if you have this chance....take it now while it lasts...dealerships usually dont do it for long." (via)
• Insurance
• Looks like financing a 2010 Toyota Prius will add $243.00-$620.53 to my insurance bill each six months : o \
• So, for five years of financing, this will add somewhere between $2430.00-$6205.30
• I currently pay $245 every six months (~$40/month)
• All quotes, below, via Esurance.com 
• Selecting Ownership = Financed seems to trigger some Esurance coverage requirements:
• Comprehensive Coverage & Deductibles
• Collision Coverage & Deductibles
• "THE SPLASH OUT"
• Bodily Injury Limits: 250K/500K
• Property Damage Limit: 100K
• Medical and Funeral Services Payments: I decline
• Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury Limits: 100K/300K
• Uninsured Motorist Property Damage Limits: I accept
• Comprehensive Coverage & Deductibles: $100
• Collision Coverage & Deductibles: $100
• Towing and Labor: I decline
• Rental Reimbursement: I decline
• Customized Parts and Equipment Coverage Limits: I decline
• Auto Loan/Lease Coverage: I decline
• 2010 Toyota Prius
• If financed: $878.53 (six months, or $146/month)
• If not financed: same as above...this is "the splash out," after all....
• "THE MINIMUM"
• Bodily Injury Limits: 15K/30K
• Property Damage Limit: 5K
• Medical and Funeral Services Payments: I decline
• Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury Limits: I decline
• Uninsured Motorist Property Damage Limits: I decline
• Comprehensive Coverage & Deductibles: No coverage
• Collision Coverage & Deductibles: No coverage
• Towing and Labor: I decline
• Rental Reimbursement: I decline
• Customized Parts and Equipment Coverage Limits: I decline
• Auto Loan/Lease Coverage: I decline
• 2010 Toyota Prius
• If financed: $501.00 (six months, or $83.50/month)
• If not financed: $258.00 (six months, or $43/month)

Thomas Mann

He authored a new book with Norman Ornstein

"It’s Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism" (link)

Happy Documentary

http://www.thehappymovie.com/

Sugar overdose as liver toxin?

Robert Lustig on reducing our consumption of sucrose from 20+ teaspoons of sugar per day (the average American consumption) to 6-9 teaspoons per day.

Also, too, on Science Friday. More.

Radio Songs

Heard on KDRT 95.7 FM out of Davis, CA:

People Like Us and Ergo Phizmiz's "Ghosts Before Breakfast"...one of the more experimental songs I've heard in a while (audio)

Heard on KXPR 88.9 FM out of Sacramento, CA:

Camille Saint-Saens: Fantasie in A major Opus 124 ; Skaila Kanga, harp; Kenneth Sillito, violin; Label: Chandos; Number: 8621  BUY

Anton Heberle: Concerto for recorder and orchestra in G major - Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra; Pinchas Zukerman, conductor; Michala Petri, recorder; Label: Philips; Number: 420243 BUY

Also, too:

Kimbra

Vision Insurance Claims

Noting something for my future reference:

Vision Service Plan (VSP) - generally requires claim reimbursements for out-of-network providers within six months.

Mineral Water and Bone Health

Several months (years?) ago, a co-worker noticed I had a glass bottle of mineral water on my desk, and commented that it seems bad for overall bone health.

At work, I ususally refill that bottle with water from the tap, after cleaning it each time. I finally got around to looking into this claim today, however, and, somewhat surprisingly, it seems inconclusive, at best.

P0302

Well, our car engine made a nasty metallic rattling noise this morning.

On Saturday, the dashboard displayed Check Engine Light code P0302...engine misfire cylinder #2.

So, as of right now, will probably need to take some time to figure out what went wrong.

Lake Tahoe Day Trip

Dawn and I visited Vikingsholm today (finally)!

To do so, we had to get through a number of obstacles:

• Dead car engine
• Rental car
• Getting to the rental car

Ugh. But--so wonderful to finally get to see it!

It seems like our last vacation for some time, now that Dawn begins her final push through to graduation this week. Took the 4:00 p.m. tour of the Vikingsholm house, then visited the museum and purchased a Vikingsholm booklet and DVD.

Lots of people enjoying Emerald Bay...stand up and sit-down kayakers, lots of boats, suntanning, picnics, tourists, hikers. Once again remarked how much I love the smell of dried pine needles.

Afterward, we returned to Cake Tahoe for a "Cupcake Split" (just in time, before they closed at 6:00 p.m.) and a growler of the Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company's Local Lager, which received a "Silver Medal 2013 California State Fair". I think I like the Sugar Pine Porter better, but it's a personal preference. We also popped into Cooking Gallery, where I purchased a Dharma "Beautiful Bend" 12mm borosilicate reusable straw and case...they didn't have a cleaner at the store so I purchased one via the Dharma web site.

Left Sacramento around 1:00 p.m.; returned home around 8:00 p.m. 

Previously.