Refrigerator compressor failure, basics of the refrigeration cycle

Refrigerator badge on freezer door

A week or two ago, our 10-year-old Maytag Performa PTB1753GRW apartment refrigerator's compressor started buzzing noticeably. The refrigerator still seems to cool/freeze. However, the compressor seems on its last legs. It also produces a rather irritating buzzing noise.

Model PTB1753GRW, Serial 15723408CC

Make & model label inside refrigerator freezer compartment

Examining the refrigerator shows these details.

A note taped to the back of the refrigerator:

Details of the most recent compressor service

It reads as follows, with my thoughts:

• 134a: 3.49 oz 
• 134a refers to refrigerant R-134a (1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane), which manufacturers began using "in the early 1990s as a replacement for the more environmentally harmful R-12"
• OIL: 9.63 oz
• All compressors contain oil to lubricate the moving parts
• CHARGE # 1
• Presumably to document how many times technicians have serviced the compressor
• BOARD # 103
• Most likely refers to the board model used to control the internal refrigeration cycle
• 2 / 17 / 03 13:35:29
• Date and time of first charge...this represents 11 years, 8 months, 9 days ago, as of this writing

COMPRESSOR

Removing the refrigerator rear panel reveals the following compressor equipment:

Compressor manufacturer label

The compressor, left, and fan, right

The label on the compressor reads as follows, with my thoughts:

• Embraco EGZ 70HLP
• Embraco represents the manufacturer, headquartered in Brazil
• Wikipedia entry
• The word "embraco" seems to represent an acronym of the corporate name: EMpresa BRAsileira de COompressores S.A.
• EGZ 70HLP represents the model of the compressor...see page 27 of the Embraco 2003 product line catalog
• EG = Basic prefix for all models of the EG COMPRESSOR DENOMINATION (no further information to gain)
• Z = Efficiency level: Z = 5th generation
• The next number = "Compressor capacity in BTH/HR – 60Hz – ASHRAE check point divided by 10" : so 70 seems to indicate compressor capacity of 7 BTH/hour, or how much heat it can remove (?)
• The next letter indicates the refrigerant: H = "R-134a"
• The next letter indicates the Application: L = "LBP (-35ºC to -10ºC ( -31ºF to +14ºF ))"...that is, the evaporating temperature range...LBP = "Low Back Pressure" and applications = refrigerators, frozen food cabinets, frozen food display cases, display windows, etc.
• The final letter indicates the Electrical equipment: P = "P - PTC + Run Capacitor (optional)"...PTC seems to mean "Positive Temperature Coefficient" relay (details)
• THERMALLY PROTECTED
• It seems insulated (?)
• 10 LRA
• LRA = Locked Rotor Amps. The prefix 10 indicates the "amperage the motor will pull while trying to make the rotor spin inside the stator, if the rotor is locked up."
• R 134a 1 PH
• Refrigerant
• 115-127V 60Hz
• This seems to represent the electrical input tolerances
• JOINVILLE-SC MADE IN BRAZIL
• This seems to represent the factory location: Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil
• 513700109 FAB 1 18/DEC/02 KA2YKPU5
• Seems like internal serial number and manufacture date

BASICS OF THE REFRIGERATION CYCLE

OK, so I spent some time attempting to get my head wrapped around the basic concepts of the refrigeration cycle.

It seems to involve several primary variables of the refrigerant:

• Pressure
• Temperature
• State of matter (that is, liquid, gas, or mixtures of the two during transitions)

It seems to involve several key insights about how to manipulate these variables of the refrigerant to get desired effects:

• A change in refrigerant pressure changes the refrigerant temperature:
• High pressure to low pressure = cools the refrigerant state of matter
• Low pressure to high pressure = heats the refrigerant state of matter
• A change in refrigerant temperature changes the refrigerant state of matter:
• Decreasing the temperature = changes from gas to liquid (note: perhaps only partially)
• Increasing the temperature = changes from liquid to gas (note: perhaps only partially)
• States of matter grant different refrigerant temperature ranges:
• Gas state of matter allows for super-heating it well above ambient temperature of the environment
• Liquid state of matter allows for sub-cooling it well below ambient temperature of the environment
• During a state of matter transition, heat goes in or goes out
• Refrigeration cycle occurs when a system uses the above insights repetitively in two ways:
1. Sub-cool the refrigerant
2. Move the sub-cooled refrigerant through the desired area to cool

In a modern refrigerator, this seems to involve four components:

1. Condenser: 
• Changes high-pressure, super-heated gas into lower-pressure, lower-temperature liquid
• Super-heated means a temperature well above the ambient temperature
• This step occurs after the refrigerant exits the compressor
• This readies the refrigerant for the expansion device in step #2
2. Expansion device: 
• Changes lower-pressure, lower-temperature liquid into low-pressure, sub-cooled liquid 
• Sub-cooled means a temperature well below the ambient temperature
• This step occurs after the refrigerant exist the condenser
• This readies the refrigerant for the evaporator in step #3
3. Evaporator: 
• Changes low-pressure, sub-cooled liquid into higher-pressure, higher-temperature gas
• This step removes the heat from the area to cool
• The refrigerant's increase in pressure and temperature, and its change of state of matter from liquid to gas, occurs as it absorbs heat from the area to cool
• During this step, the refrigerant boils as it absorbs heat, changing it from a liquid into a gas
• This prepares the way for the compressor in step #4
4. Compressor: 
• Changes higher-pressure, higher-temperature gas into high-pressure, super-heated gas
• This returns the cycle to the starting point in step #1, above
• The compressor may only compress refrigerant while in exists as a gas state of matter

So, to recap:

1. Sub-cool the refrigerant -- steps #4, #1, and #3
2. Move the sub-cooled refrigerant through the desired area to cool -- step #2

There is something I do not quite understand, yet: saturated mix, gas & liquid refrigerant, condensing at the same temperature...when it becomes a liquid, it sub-cools lower than the condensing temperature...I believe the principle = during a state of matter transition, the temperature and pressure remains the same, but heat comes in or goes out, changing the state of matter.

Cycle overview

Condensers
1963 United States Air Force training video (oy, the sexism and stereotypes, but solid on the rest)

Social site for renters to communicate (?)

Living in an apartment and wondering if a social site existed to facilitate meeting and communicating with the people around me.

For example: templates for introductions, sharing contact info, profiles.

My first attempts at searching for such a thing met with no luck.

Seat replacement

We chose the Bemis/Church "Bemis 652CHSL000 GEN21 Series High Density Molded Wood Round Toilet Seat with Chrome WhisperClose Hinges, White"

Not surprising how people love them...we have had one for some time and it just works and looks great.

Cap City Squeeze Juice Bar - Salad Shaker

My first, to-date, salad shaker:

• Balsemic vinegar
• Mixed greens
• Gorgonzola cheese
• Quinoa
• Grape tomatoes, sliced in half
• Cucumber
• Apple
• Strawberry

Verdict: just what I needed that day

Tom Killian Cards

Beautiful stuff:

Web site

Food notes - Honey, Pie

Chess pie...which contains something called mace, a spice similar to nutmeg.

Basswood/linden flower honey (called Lyn in the eastern Kentucky mountains, or genus Tilia)...blooms I believe in the spring in the mountains of eastern Kentucky and West Virginia:

• http://www.honey.com/honey-locator/profile/ilg-international-trading-inc (Staten Island company, Ukraine honey)
• http://www.honey.com/honey-locator/profile/neshanic-valley-beekeepers-llc (New Jersey company, Michigan honey)
• http://www.honey.com/honey-locator/profile/honey-bees-r-us-apiaries (Florida company, New York honey)
• http://www.honey.com/honey-locator/profile/gooserock-farm (New Jersey company & honey)
• http://www.honey.com/honey-locator/profile/delta-food-international-inc (California company, Chinese honey)
• http://www.honey.com/honey-locator/profile/euro-american-brands-llc (New Jersey company, Germany honey)
• http://www.honey.com/honey-locator/profile/ames-farm (Minnesota company & honey)
• http://www.honey.com/honey-locator/profile/drapers-super-bee-apiaries-inc (Pennylvania company & honey)
• Companies via: http://www.honey.com/honey-locator
• http://www.kybeeco.com/
• http://beeraw.com/basswood-honey.html - New York honey
• http://louisvillelocalmarket.com/products/hosey-s-local-raw-kentucky-honey
• http://www.ksbabeekeeping.org/
• http://www.mtnstatehoney.com/page4.php

Note: I ended up purchasing a small jar of basswood honey from a store in Wisconsin.

UPDATE:

• Unfortunately basswood failed this year here.  All the honey, as little as it was, had a dark amber color.  (Pikeville, KY, eastern Kentucky)
• It was probably black locust honey. There use to be a lot of black locust trees and its a very very clear honey with a great taste.  The trees died. Not many left.  (Campbellsville, KY, central Kentucky)
• However to say it is Basswood Honey would be stretching the truth, just like people that sell pure sourwood honey. A lot of other flora sources would also be in it.
• You should talk with Clay Guthrie at the Dadant Beekeeping Supplies in Frankfort KY. He travels to Eastern KY and Tennessee where Basswood Honey is common. He should be easy to find through his business on the internet.

"Weird Al" sandwich

"...fire-roasted eggplant, some roasted red peppers, diced heirloom tomatoes, some thin-sliced red onions—maybe double up on the onions and have some caramelized onions on top of the sliced onions. A little basil, some arugula, some chopped and marinated mushrooms, maybe a slice of fresh avocado, some alfalfa sprouts, a dose of hummus, a drizzle of pomegranate molasses and put it on a warm toasted French roll lovingly sprinkled with some truffle oil."
(via)

Osaka-Ya

Dawn and I visited Osaka-Ya today:

• Kintoki with condensed milk and sweet red beans (large)
• We purchased a few items:
• Kit Kat matcha green tea flavor
• Kit Kat "Otona no Amasa White Kit Kat" (Adult sweetness line: White Vanilla Chocolate)
• Cherry Hi-Chew
• Chocolate manjū and Coffee manjū
• Anpan

Osaka-Ya has a simple website but I found Yelp pictures better.

Top Five Regrets of the Dying

Top Five Regrets of the Dying

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I didn’t work so hard.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.

(via)

Westercon, FantasyCon - 2014 materials

A friend recently returned from Westercon 67 and FastasyCon in Salt Lake City, Utah. He shared materials with me, which, rather than retaining, I am noting here:

• Shadow's Beneath: The Writing Excuses Anthology ; http://brandonsanderson.com/introducing-the-writing-excuses-anthology/
• Starfall--the online TV series ; http://www.starfalltheseries.tv
• The Little Green Book of Chairman Rahma (http://tor-forge.com/author/brianherbert), and, The Dark Between the Stars (http://tor-forge.com/author/kevinjanderson)
• Horror Writers Association ; http://www.horror.org
• Golden Mountain Media ; http://www.goldenmountainmedia.com
• Timpanogos Storytelling Festival ; http://timpfest.org
• Lucky Bat Books ; http://luckybatbooks.com
• Nerdvana, The Podcast ; http://www.nerdvanapodcast.com
• Night's End, by Yasmine Galenorn (http://galenorn.com)
• Move Mountain, by Kirsten Lepore (2013, 11 min) ; http://kirstenlepore.com/Move-Mountain
• Monster Hunter: Nemesis ; http://www.baen.com
• The Chaplain's War ; http://www.baen.com
• Dover Whitecliff ; http://www.doverwhitecliff.com
• Engines of Liberty: Rebel Heart ; by Graham Bradley
• Curiosity Quills: Complimentary Book Voucher ; http://curiosityquills.com/raffle-redemption/ ... number = 201783 (?)
• The Gods of Garran, by Meredith Skye ; http://meredithskye.weebly.com
• Egyptus and Ham, Son of Noah ; http://mmrobinson.com
• Running From the Gods, by D.T. Read ; http://diannthornleyread.com
• The art of Eric Velhagen ; http://ericvelhagen.com
• Monsterheds ; http://www.monsterhedz.com
• CheapCaffeine.net ; a webcomic by Nathan Shumate
• OryCon 36 ; http://www.orycon.org
• Alison Langston Illustration ; http://www.allisonlangston.com
• Anna del C. Dye ; http://www.annadelc.com
• VilleAnne ; http://storybundle.com

Cafe Brasil, Santa Cruz

We visited Cafe Brasil in Santa Cruz over the weekend for lunch. We split a Feijoada Plate: "The traditional Brazilian specialty. A bowl of black bean stew simmered w/ various sausages. Served w/ a side plate w/ rice, farofa, slices of orange and sautéed greens. Plate served w/ rice, farofa, slices of orange& feijoada."

Black bean stew: great. Farofa: dry, felt nervous I might get some down my windpipe, but otherwise tasty.

Whiteboard cleaner

The best?

MB10W Whiteboard Cleaner from Solutions MB

Says some person on the internet.

NameChk

Noting just for reference:

http://namechk.com/

This service checks a given vanity username at dozens of sites.

PPAPI flash plugin in Chromium on Debian

Apparently I am one of the last to hear about Google's decision to end NPAPI plugin support and switch to PPAPI plugin support.

Noticed when Debian stable updated Chromium and flash support started falling apart.

Jarbraltar at Yellowbill cafe bakery

Saw this posted on their sidewalk sign and had to stop in and see. Photo credit to their Facebook page. Espresso and two ounces steamed milk.

Similar to the Gibraltar, but in a mason jar. : o ) An article claims Blue Bottle Coffee in San Francisco invented the Gibraltar.

Alchemy waiting area reading material

Dawn got her hair professionally styled recently at Alchemy Salon & Spa in Sacramento, for her graduation ceremony. (aside: months ago, we observed the owners hanging the sign over their shop...they seemed enthused and ebullient)

While I waited, I browsed a book, "Hair Heroes," by Michael Gordon. It mentioned some random stylists and I learned a few random facts:

• Jimi Hendrix grew up in a broken home...he rejected the ukulele given by his father for a second-hand electric guitar
• Gene Shacove, the stylist who screenwriter Robert Towne based the movie Shampoo on, really hates Warren Beatty...Beatty picked up the movie and ran with it but Shacove claims Beatty never really gave anything to him...even though he claimed Towne spent months at his salon

The salon featured coasters with two URLs on the bottom:

1. http://irongreymammoth.com/ (now http://www.jairustonel.com/)
2. http://meetthepressgang.com/ (currently not loading as of the writing of this post...but it seems related to https://pipl.com/n/Stefan_Burnett/)

The shop also had a 2006 book called WIG about fashion and hair, which I cannot find a reference to on the Internets.

Caputo tipo 00

The world's best pizza flour?

Google Search

(via)

Capitol Box Art

Applauding this effort: http://capitolboxart.com/

Wedding anniversary notes

We vacationed in Calistoga this weekend to celebrate our wedding anniversary.

• Colin Hay - what a voice!; we heard "Waiting For My Real Life to Begin" on the May 31 Prairie Home Companion. Link (audio @ 01:30:57)
• Utah Phillips - also Prairie Home Companion, which honored him with one or two songs, including "I Think of You" Link (audio @ 01:13:11)
• The Planetary Dance - on the way to Muir Woods, we passed a bunch of people dancing in a field next to Muir Woods Road, which turned out to represent the 34th Annual Planetary Dance 
• Hotel Room amenities
• iHome HiP42 MP3 Docking Alarm Clock Radio (now discontinued, we both liked the "Bedtime Beats" sounds, the first of which reminded me of a Hayao Miyazaki film and the second which reminded me of the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Open Sea Exhibit
• Speakman Anystream shower fixture (link)
• Curved shower curtain rail
• Shower splash guards
• Shower hand rails
• Hookless shower curtain by Focus Product Group (focuspg.com) with a clear horizontal panel near the top (sort of like the Vision at this link)
• Anti-slipmat which seemed glued to the tub floor...seems nicer than rubber ones which need cleaning (?)
• Spa amenities
• Stands for lotion/hair gel/deodorant dispensers
• Container for cotton swabs and disposable razors
• Zero-gravity SO Sound Solutions "Sound Lounger" (link); they had modified the lounger so it mechanically reclined and they provided Beats headphones and a cold compress, plus a comforter to stay cozy
• Castello di Amorosa
• Dawn liked a green lace skirt from the Melody O2 collection
• I tried these red wines:
• Pinot noir (Los Carneros)
• Zingaro (SF Chronicle Gold Medal)
• Sangiovese (SF Chronicle Gold Medal)
• Il Brigante (?)
• and a white one: Gewurztraminer
• The castle impresses...worth a visit to appreciate the attention to detail and planning...we just walked around the grounds
• We met the cat, Sir Lancelot, and also a peacock, and watched the other cat, Lady Guinevere, sheep, goats, and so forth
• Food
• Mishka's Cafe, Davis (link), for coffees--the owner was there on Sunday; it is named after his cat, Mishka
• Muir Woods Cafe (link)--we tried the grilled cheese and tomato soup ("to die for")
• Boskos Trattoria Italian Food, Calistoga (link): I had the "Godfather" (Italian Sausage, Roasted Eggplant, Garlic, Onions & Red Bell Peppers In A Spicy Herb Tomato Sauce On Spaghetti)...Dawn had the Vittorio (Bay Shrimp, Mushrooms And Garlic In An Asiago Cream Sauce On Fettuccine)...we both shared a bottle of Ca Di Rajo Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore 2012 (link)
• Free continental breakfast at the Calistoga Best Western Stevenson Manor: scrambled eggs, we split a waffle we made in the waffle iron, hardboiled egg, oatmeal, a bagel and cream cheese plus orange juice 
• Yo el Rey Roasting, Calistoga: coffees
• Woodhouse Chocolates, St. Helena
• Sogni Di Dolci: I had the Napoletano (mozzarella, tomatoes, basil, garlic, and oregano) and Dawn had the Club Panino (turkey, pancetta, provolone, tomato, lettuce, mayonaise--which tasted good and spicy, like mustard)

Maker Faire 2014 - San Mateo

Some memories / notes:

• 8x10 digital view camera; Sam Girvin (sgirv *remove this nonsensical phrase* in@stanford.edu)
• Flatbed scanner modified into an easy to focus, extremely high resolution B&W digital 8x10 view camera
• Max image resolution: 1,800 megapixels; limited in practice by lens resolving power and fineness of ground glass
• Key components: 
• Canon Canoscan LiDE 210
• Schneider Symmar-S 210mm f/5.6
• Custom bellows system
• Ground glass plate
• Documentation will be posted initially on PentaxForums.com
• SVVR2 (Silicon Valley Virtual Reality) conference and expo, May 19 & 20; svvr.com
• UC-Santa Cruz Art Department Chair, Jennifer Parker; parker *remove this nonsensical phrase but include the one* 1@ucsc_dot_edu ; Baskin Visual Arts
• Obtanium Works: "One man's junk is another man's vehicle" Shannon & Kathy O'Hare; obtaniumworks.net
• Genevieve Santos: illustrator, wanderluster; kid-at-heart; genevievesantos.com
• Sparki, the easy robot for everyone, arcbotics.com; and Hexy, the low-cost hexapod robot
• Isabelle Kung, illustrator: www.isabellakung.com
• Mars Exploration Program: www.nasa.gov/mars
• Proteins and Peppytides
• Peppytide is a 3D-printed, foldable molecular model (note: part of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory)
• www.peppytides.com
• Darwin-mini robotis: www.robotis.us
• Novena open source laptop: novena.io; "back us on crowdsupply.com" (ends May 18)
• www.animalinstinctsapparel.com
• Consciousness Hacking: "Is inner-space the next great frontier?" consciousnesshacking.com
• WalkingBeans (Li-An, Yuki) @ sfwalkingbeans.com
• Skeletal Dropkick: www.skeletaldropkick.com : stoneware; monsters; handcrafted for daily use
• Curious Customs: Lamps, lanterns, and nightlights: http://curiouscustoms.com
• Nasa Centennial Challenges: www.nasa.gov/challenges
• RawrzToys.com

Kevin Voted Today

Governor
Jerry Brown

Lieutenant Governor
Gavin Newsom

Secretary of State
Derek Cressman

Controller
Betty T. Yee

Treasurer
John Chiang

Attorney General
Kamala D. Harris

Insurance Commissioner
Dave Jones

Member, State Board of Equalization, District 1
Chris Parker

Congressional District 3
Ami Bera

Senate District 6
Richard Pan

Member of the State Assembly
Ken Cooley

Superintendent of Public Instruction
Tom Torlakson

District Attorney
Maggy Krell

County Assessor
Abstained

Sheriff
Abstained

State Proposition 41: Veterans Housing and Homeless Prevention Bond Act of 2014
Yes

State Proposition 42: Public Records, Open Meetings, State Reimbursement to Local Agencies (Legislative Constitutional Amendment)
Yes

Shoes

Oxblood bluchers/balmorals:

• Cole Haan Caldwell
• Cole Haan Air Carter Split
• Bostonian Andover
• Bostonian Akron
• Alden
• Style #9015, "Dark Burgundy Shell Cordovan" (Last: Hampton; seems pretty true to standard sizing)
• How to properly try on Alden shoes (video)
• Johnston & Murphy
• Vintage

SIZES

• Extra Narrow (A+)
• Narrow (C, B)
• Medium (D, M)
• Wide (E,W)
• Extra Wide (EE+)

COLORS

• Cordovan
• Oxblood
• Burgundy
• Horween Leather Company colors

BELT TO MATCH

• Horween Color #8 (see link as above)
• Style Forum thread
• "You can get a sufficiently good match with any calfskin burgundy / merlot / cordovan / wine (all different names for basically the same color) belt and don't need to go to the additional expense of a shell cordovan belt."
• Reddit thread
• Chromexcel definition
• Vendors
• Trafalgar
• Broderick ** (?)
• Orion
• Brooks Brothers
• #853C Leather Dress Belt
• Alden
• Allen Edmonds
• Polished cobbler (though reviews suggest it looks dark brown)
• Rancourt And Company
• Chromexcel color #8 (out of stock)
• Shell cordovan color #8

Previously

Zippered leather binder folios

REQUIREMENTS

• Burgundy, or something close
• Good build quality...leather or something that looks professional
• No handles...not my thing
• Zippered around three sides
• Binder (three or more rings)
• Letter-sized paper pad

WOULD BE NICE....

• USB memory stick loop
• Pen on outside or middle (only a preference, so does not interfere with writing on back of pages)
• Gusseted file pocket, if possible, instead of a v-shaped pocket, which squishes papers
• One binder had a removable, velcro-affixed three ring binder...kind of interesting, but not sure if practical...I thought briefly about adding something like that to an existing pad folio, but it seems risky regarding fit

OPTIONS

• YES
• McKinley Leather: #140Z, though the burgundy seems a bit red--$175 (this is the one I purchased)
• A.C. Oehmich Company: option #174 seems to fit all the requirements--$124...or $133?
• Scully (5020Z or 494Z, Color: 22 - BURGUNDY; 06 - Italian leather...but hard to find)--~$230 for the 494Z
• LeatherTree: They sell the 5012 (no zipper) and the 5012Z (zipper)
• Colors which I do not want: 39-PLUM (looks purple)
• Day-Timer: (4462, "Western Coach Leather Zippered 1 1/2" Planner Cover Folio" seems perfect...4584: zippered, but not leather...looks cheaper)--~$92
• MAYBE
• Samsill: 70734 comes in burgundy
• Dacasso (E7002 - Burgundy seems reasonable, but no three ring binder option)
• Leatherology (their burgundy looks acceptable...but no three ring binder option)
• Jack Georges: beautiful, burgundy, but no zipper or rings
• Osgoode Marley: #1810 zippered folio, but no rings...comes in "Brandy" but no way to see color
• Willow Brook Leather: burgundy, zipper, no rings (looks a bit brown?)
• NO
• Levenger (black only)
• Claire Chase (tan only)
• Hartmann (see history...may not represent a good buy...also, only brown)
• Clava (#92107 comes only in black;)
• Barnes and Noble (Sienna Deluxe Bonded Leather Business Folio)...brown, but an easy local buy, I guess
• Quadra: has a USB memory stick loop which seems clever; alas, only black
• Avenues in Leather: only black, but some nice styles
• Gino Ferrari: Ambassador A4 Zip Folio with Calculator looks nice, but, only black 
• Bullet Blocker: well, it stops .45 and 9mm...but only in black
• Bosca: beautiful, hand-made, but no burgundy, no rings, and so forth
• Franklin Covey: only in black
• Johnston & Murphy: no binder, and so forth.
• Piel Leather: beautiful, but not burgundy; only saddle/black/chocolate
• Royce Leather Collection: only black or tan
• Bond St: #710018 looks a bit cheap

SEARCH TERMS

• "burgundy" binder leather pad zipper
• Padfolio (in reference to iPad, I guess)
• Folio
• Zipper
• Leather
• Saddle: the kind I do not want...looks like a pouch
• Binder
• Pad

COLORS

• Cordovan (unlikely to ever find true shell cordovan, due to size/expense, so just the color)
• Burgundy
• Brandy
• (?)

RESULTS

I purchased the McKinley Leather: #140Z after a dialogue with a customer service representative. Of all the companies I contacted, McKinley Leather responded in a timely manner via e-mail and re-assured me about the color and one or two other questions I had. Bravo! Scully Leather and A.C. Oehmich Company failed to respond within a day or two to rather simple questions. As to why I chose the #140Z, I liked the gusseted pocket and the pen placement near the pad's outside edge. It fit all the requirements and had a space for business cards.

Maker Faire Bay Area 2014 : Miss Tickle

My favorite part: watching kids operate Miss Tickle:

From the Maker Faire web site: "Baron Von Jabba's pedal-powered "creature quad," Miss Tickle."

Santa Cruz Housing

Dawn will enter graduate studies at Santa Cruz in early October.

OVERVIEW

• City on a Hill Press: Santa Cruz Hoods (2010)
• Nate Cooper: Maps of Santa Cruz (2006)
• Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce: Neighborhoods in Santa Cruz County
• Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce: Moving to Santa Cruz
• Santa Cruz Chamber of Commerce: Demographics
• Santa Cruz.com: Neighborhoods
• City of Santa Cruz: Statistics
• Who Rules Santa Cruz?

HOUSING

• UCSC Family Housing - do not allow cats : o (
• 
  

Mint Julep

Celebrated the Kentucky Derby today by watching it at the Berkley Bar, then making mint julep drinks.

We used the following:

• Maker's Mark Kentucky bourbon 
• Two kinds of mint: (1) backyard mint; and (2) week-old, store-bought mint
• Homemade turbinado sugar simple syrup
• This recipe: http://backyardbartender.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-best-mint-julep-you-will-ever-taste.html

Some mistakes I learned from: 

1. Ratio of turbinado sugar to water: I initially made a 1:1 ratio, then saw it required a 2:1 ratio. Not a big deal--just remix : o )
2. Forgot to muddle the mint at the bottom of one cup before putting in the ice
3. Sprig of mint for the top of the glass--it looks better to use a generous mint leaf : o )
4. Mix the simple syrup and bourbon together, then pour over the ice
5. Stir the mixture after pouring
6. Muddle the mint leaves over the side of the silver cup

Despite all the beginner mistakes, it turned out somewhat satisfactorily, after the ice had a chance to melt and the various parts had a chance to mingle.

I am not sure how much better a mint julep can really taste--it represents a simple drink. We drank in the kitchen and socialized, but I can imagine how refreshing this might taste on a hot and humid Kentucky summer afternoon!

Note: as a special treat, we watched New Orleans bartender Chris McMillian make it.

Linux (Debian) + Citrix Receiver SSL Error: You have not chosen to trust "DigiCert High Assurance CA-3" the issuer of the server's security certificate (SSL error 61)

Fixed this issue today on my install of Debian.

The exact error received: "You have not chosen to trust "DigiCert High Assurance CA-3" the issuer of the server's security certificate (SSL error 61)"

Relevant Google search phrase: "linux citrux receiver ssl error"

This led to this Ubuntu forums post: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1975705

I Google'd for "DigiCert High Assurance CA-3", which led me to page, "DigiCert Root Certificates :: Download and Test SSL"

I downloaded all six certs containing the phrase "High Assurance" to my Desktop:

1. DigiCert High Assurance EV Root CA
2. DigiCert High Assurance EV CA-1
3. DigiCert High Assurance CA-3
4. DigiCert High Assurance Code Signing CA-1
5. DigiCert SHA2 High Assurance Server CA
6. DigiCert SHA2 High Assurance Code Signing CA

Then, I moved them to the global ICAClient cacerts folder

sudo mv ~/Desktop/*.crt /opt/Citrix/ICAClient/keystore/cacerts

Then, finally, I rehashed everything:

sudo c_rehash /opt/Citrix/ICAClient/keystore/cacerts

After restarting my web browser (Chromium Version 32.0.1700.123 Debian 7.4 (248368)), things began working.

NOTE

I initially downloaded just certificate "DigiCert High Assurance CA-3"...but this did not work.I am not sure which of the above, therefore, allowed it to work.

 

Realism

Falling in:

http://www.artrenewal.org/pages/search.php

UC Davis Professor initiates replacement/supplement of textbooks with wiki

http://larsenlab.ucdavis.edu/

The Campus Crusade for Chaos and Confusion: iteration 001

UC-Davis, Kemper Hall: The Campus Crusade for Chaos and Confusion, iteration001 (more info):

The text:

100101101101111110001010011101110
001011101001000001111001011100110
100100001111000110100001101000110
101001110100100110010100011011010
011110010010111001111110001000100
010011100101001000000111100101010
100101011101110101110100101011001
010101001101110010101011101001011
101011010101010011010100010001010
101001100100010100100100010001001
000111000000101001011110001110111
101000001001001010101001010100101
001010100101010101010010101010010
100101001001010101010010101011100
100000101000101010001001010101011
011101101010100100010010101011010
101110110101110101010101010101001
101010100000010101110100101011011
100110010101010101010100101011001
111110001000001011111010110110101
100110010010010010000100010010100
101001101011010110101110000101000
110100110011010110101101011110012
Brought to you by the Campus Crusade for Chaos and Confusion iteration001

Hmmm.....

Converting the first  from binary (?) to ASCII results in the following confusion:

�ß�w H<¹¤<hhÔé2�§�çâ"r�<ªWuÒ²©¹WK­TÔES"�"G ��ô U*R¥U*�¤ª�r

*%VíR%Z»]UTÕ ºVæUU+? _[Y�HD¥5­p£LÖµ9

Another one, over by the Silo:

Text: 

Avoid reality at all costs.
brought to you by the Campus Crusade for Chaos and Confusion iteration001

Font: Apple Sand (via)

Josh Ritter - A Certain Light

A simple, pleasant tune:

"A Certain Light"

My new lover, sweet and kind
The kind of lover that one rarely finds
And I'm happy for the first time, in a long time

Came along and opened up the door
And though I know I've been in love before
Oh I feel it, so much more, than the last time

And she only looks like you
In a certain kind of light
When she holds her head just right

Its been winter, for a while
The north winds wail cut like a baby child
It was hard to think or smile
That brings springtime

But it did and now it is
The green green grass
Is come up green and its
Feeling just the way it did
The very first time

And she only looks like you
In a certain kind of light
When she holds her head just right

And anymore, it'd stretch the rhyme
So let me leave this where I started, I'm
Just happy for the first time
In a long time

In a long time

Homeless no more - How much would it cost to house the homeless in America?

In reaction to this article (via), remembered myself thinking big on the way home a week or two ago--how much money would it cost overall and per-person to house all the homeless people in America?

The article asserts some facts:

• 3.5 million people without homes each year in America
• $10,000 per unit, on average, for the structures at Second Wind Cottages, a tiny-house village for the chronically homeless in the town of Newfield, NY, outside of Ithaca
• $200,000 per unit for a typical development for extremely low-income housing
• $10 million per year in costs of homelessness to taxpayers, in Austin, Texas

So, doing the math, to house everyone in America would cost (at a minimum): 

$10,000 (10 * 10^3) per unit * 3.5 million (3.5 * 10^6) people 

= $35 billion (35,000,000,000, or 35 * 10^9)

How much does that amount to, per-person, in America? As of this post, the Census population clock reports 317,592,620 Americans:

$35 billion / 317,592,620 Americans
= $110.20 / American

That seems to represent a ballpark figure of housing all the homeless in America...a one-time sunk cost for building out the infrastructure.

Some huge caveats:

• $10,000 gets you the cost of building materials
• All construction labor donated by volunteers (hundreds? thousands?)
• In other locations:
• Costs, in some cases, offset with grants, government funding, and individual donations
• Architecture and design firms might need to contribute design services pro bono
• Supportive governments lease land to the housing for $1/year
• General concerns:
• Must work together with businesses and landowners to address impact on local businesses and homeowners
• "Unique legal zoning limitations and barriers that limit where tiny houses can be stationed."

It costs 9x as much (as it does in Quixote Village, in Olympia, Washington, where units cost $88,000): $308 billion, instead--that leads to $308 billion / 317,592,620 Americans = $969.80 / American

It costs 20x as much (as the average case): $700 billion, instead--that leads to $700 billion / 317,592,620 Americans = $2204.08 / American

So, it seems like a one-time cost to house the 3.5 million homeless Americans would amount to somewhere between $110--$2,204 per American.

But--let's say not everyone wants to pay. What then?

Note: I use the following rough and arbitrary labels to gauge American participation rates (fill in left-wing, center-left, center-right, and right wing assignments to the percentages as you prefer)

• 100% participation
• 75% participation
• 50% participation
• 25% participation

My rough guesstimates:

1. $10,000 units: $110-$441 per American (3.5 million homeless * $10,000 = $35 billion)
• 100% participation = $35 billion / 317,592,620 Americans = $110.20 / American
• 75% participation = $35 billion / 238,194,465 Americans = $146.94 / American
• 50% participation = $35 billion / 158,796,310 Americans = $220.41 / American
• 25% participation = $35 billion / 79,398,155 Americans = $440.82 / American
2. $90,000 units: $970-$3879 per American (3.5 million homeless * $90,000 = $308 billion)
• 100% participation = $308 billion / 317,592,620 Americans = $969.80 / American
• 75% participation = $308 billion / 238,194,465 Americans = $1293.06 / American
• 50% participation = $308 billion / 158,796,310 Americans = $1939.59 / American
• 25% participation = $308 billion / 79,398,155 Americans = $3879.18 / American
3. $200,000 units: $2204-$8816 per American (3.5 million homeless * $200,000 = $700 billion)
• 100% participation = $700 billion / 317,592,620 Americans = $2204.08 / American
• 75% participation = $700 billion / 238,194,465 Americans = $2938.78 / American
• 50% participation = $700 billion / 158,796,310 Americans = $4408.16 / American
• 25% participation = $700 billion / 79,398,155 Americans = $8816.33 / American

My opinion: when it comes down to brass tacks, the statistics in the table above show why homeless people still go without--I am guessing the number of people willing to actually contribute falls somewhere in the 25-50% range (if that), and, at an average cost of $200,000 per unit of housing, it would--at a minimum--cost the 25%-50% of Americans who care ~$4408-$8816 to accomplish. It is too much. Add in a 1% annual maintenance cost after the initial outlay, or $44.08-$88.16...worth it?

However--what if it only cost those Americans who care a one-time cost of $220-$441, plus a 1% annual maintenance cost of $2.20-$4.40? Now that represents an exciting, tractable change--almost NPR-contribution territory! Imagine this coupled with a united consensus to treat the problem.

Anyway, my question, answered. : o )

UPDATE: some additional notes, from comments at the article:

• "The majority of homeless people in the United States are disabled veterans and children and their mothers fleeing domestic violence" (they provide the following source)
• "minimum square footage laws"--apparently these limit housing options
• Frequent inspections? At least at first?
• The Hacker News post also has a ton of intelligent insights from various angles

The Ivory Silo

"The Ivory Silo"

Seen on a license plate frame in the staff parking lot at UC-Davis.

The Benjamin Franklin Effect

"Having heard that he had in his library a certain very scarce and curious book, I wrote a note to him, expressing my desire of perusing that book, and requesting he would do me the favour of lending it to me for a few days. He sent it immediately, and I return'd it in about a week with another note, expressing strongly my sense of the favour. When we next met in the House, he spoke to me (which he had never done before), and with great civility; and he ever after manifested a readiness to serve me on all occasions, so that we became great friends, and our friendship continued to his death."
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Franklin_effect

Breakup

Sitting inside Kemper Hall at UC-Davis watching a couple sitting outside on a picnic table in the public patio breaking up, presumably.

She's looking down, head bowed; he stares at her, alternates between holding his head in his hands and attempting to convince her to change her mind. She does not make eye contact, wipes away tears, stares away from him, turning away so they face each other perpendicularly. Both gesticulate, not wildly, with their hands as they talk. He seems in shock, trying to understand.

Above them, almond blossoms and blue skies.

Taxes

Game on.

And finished. Some notes for next year:

• No need to submit Schedule 540 CA 
• Student loan interest deduction
• Tuition fee credit
• 1099-B contains all the basis info for Schedule D and such
• (?)

Ailouro

The Greek word for cat.

11

Flappybird Impossible mode...apparently 10 or higher is the challenge:

UC-Davis, Kemper Hall

Kemper Hall, UC-Davis. Cold and rainy, today.

Hair

Radiolab did a segment on hair parts and true mirrors: http://www.radiolab.org/story/122613-mirror-mirror/

Zen Toro Sushi - Davis

Dawn and I ate at Zen Toro Sushi in Davis this evening.

I had:

• Uni x2 (NorCal) $10
• Amaebi x2 (Japan) $3
• 1/2 shell oyster x1 (Shigoku) $3

Dawn had the sesame chicken curry.

Core FTP LE

I really want to like it, I do.

But I am really stuck with the command line interface...trying to do something which seems relatively simple:

• Connect to a remote site using a site profile
• Transfer the whole site...files, folders, everything...to a local folder

That's it. I can't figure it out. I use "-recurse" -d, -p, and so forth, to no avail. It laughs and crashes. I'm using the latest build.

So, I love you Core FTP LE, but ....

Hire friendly and train technical

http://www.blogs.marriott.com/marriott-on-the-move/2014/01/hire-friendly-train-technical.html

Musical interlude

Listened to KVMR 89.5 FM out of Nevada City, CA today:
http://www.kvmr.org/

"Folk & Americana", by Larry Hillberg ; I think he called it "Back
"Backroads": "Ease into your Saturday mornings with first class music, past to present, including folk, acoustic, singer-songwriter, Americana, Country, & more."
http://www.kvmr.org/show/back-roads

Here's the playlist I heard today:

9:17am
Les Claypool's Duo De Twang “Stayin' Alive”from Four Foot Shack CD ALBUM (ATO Records (AT0) 2013) N

9:20am
Greg Brown “1952 Vincent Black Lightning”composed by Richard Thompsonfrom The Live One CD ALBUM (Red House Records 1995)
9:25am
Christine Bonner “Fire Dance” CD ALBUM (Rainbow Music Company 2004) L

9:29am
Ramblin' Jack Elliott and Jerry Jeff Walker “He Was A Friend of Mine”
from Friends Of Mine CD ALBUM

9:32am
Ramblin' Jack and Dave van Ronk “St James Infirmary”
from The Long Ride CD ALBUM

9:35am
Patrice Webb “Hard Times of Trouble”

Super Mario 3D World OST

Some of my favorite songs from the game. Love the jazzy bits and the horns. Some of the songs sound like a cross between a spaghetti western and a 70's weekly show intro.

Some of my favorites:

• Overland theme
• Gusty Garden (a 70's show intro (?))
• Champion Road (the spaghetti western horn solo)

Upside down world wall map

Because no right answer exists.

Several versions exist:

• Paper, Folded: ISBN 1-931057-02-8
• Paper, Rolled: ISBN 1-931057-08-7
• Laminated & Tubed: ISBN 1-931057-01-X

Calvados brandy + pear cinnamon cider

A cashier at our local Trader Joe's suggested a pairing of calvados brandy and pear cinnamon cider. Hrm.

Weekend Escape

• Farrell's Ice Cream, Sacramento (link)
• The unpredictability of the siren irritated Dawn
• Ordered the Triple Chocolate Brownie Sundae 
• Purchased a sea turtle balloon animal for Dawn from a Sacramento City College student also named Kevin
• Monster Mini Golf, Rancho Cordova (link)
• Played lots of skee ball, basketball toss
• Nearly empty due to football game
• Moster animatronics seemed a bit tired, but fun
• Old Spaghetti Factory, Rancho Cordova (link)
• Almost empty due to football game
• Had the "Masterpiece Shake"...pretty good, but nothing to write home about
• Had a fun "Carter the Great - The World's Weird Wizard" vibe at the back
• Burgers & Brew, Sacramento (link)
• Tried to get into the Davis location, but crazy busy on a Friday night...as was the Sacramento location, just a bit less so
• Split a Mushroom and Onion Cheeseburger
• I had a pint of Pliny the Elder
• Split a Guinness float...worth a try, would not buy again though. Just OK
• KP International Market, at the Koreana Plaza, Rancho Cordova (link)
• Saw this mega-supermarket on the way home...circled back to take a look
• Walked around and found several things:
• Meiji Black chocolate (link)...so so...probably would not buy again
• Riga Black Balsams (!!!) (link)...this is the first time I have seen it anywhere outside Latvia...I brought back a bottle 15 years ago but forgot about it and now I do not want to drink it...so happy to find something made more recently : o )
• Kvass (link)...specifically, Monastyrskiy Kvas (link)
• The food court lists things 50% off from 7:00-8:00 p.m. : o )
• The food court had a bunch of mochi items from Osaka Ya in Sacramento
• So many things to see and try o_O;; Quite overwhelmed at it all and will likely try to make it back again...but a bit out of the way
• A better article on the extensive selection of foods (link)
• The shopping center also had a karaoke place called, "Gangnam Style Karaoke"...but it looked closed or not open yet (?)

Braking Bad & Dash Cameras

Researching dash cameras, primarily in response to another driver brake checking ahead of me last Friday evening during stop-and-go rush-hour traffic.

So. Dash cameras.

http://dashcamtalk.com/dash-cam-comparison/
http://www.carcamcentral.com/reviews/dash-car-camera-guide-buyers
http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-dash-cam/

Previously (this was before we purchased our new-to-us car)

THOUGHTS

• Infrared LEDs = gimmick (maybe not for internal cabin monitoring or for nighttime security)
• Motion detection: handy, since I park on the street
• Cameras work best within the windshield wiper sweep area
• GPS not a critical feature, for me
• Battery discharge prevention device: "Overall, they are a reasonable device to consider but not 100% necessary depending on your driving behavior and battery condition." (via)
• Footage of rear-end not a major benefit:
• Typically, not culpable
• If driver flees, let police worry about offender
• Use dashcam to prove innocence for front-end collisions
• Estore009 represents a historically-good vendor
• TheWireCutter recommends, as of this post, model  DVR207GS
• Pros: $66; HD; mini-screen; G-sensor: "slightest jostling of the car would set it to record until stillness returned for a few minutes" (via)
• Cons: Color occasionally overexposed and blown out while driving at dusk (via)
• DashCamTalk, recommends, as of this post, model G1W as a successor to the DVR 207 GS
• Pros: $52; HD; mini-screen; G-sensor; "When comparing to our previous best buy camera in this price range, the DVR-027, the G1W video quality is vastly superior." (via)
• Cons: Not all black; loose mini USB plug; light-weight build quality; some wavy noise in the background (via)
• CarCamCentral recommends, as of this post, model K6000 ($38), or, for a bit more, GS1000 ($120)

 Leaning toward the G1W, currently.

INSTALLATION

• Prius technical manual (PDF) of wiring to/from front center mirror
• Front: "The heavy slope on the front windshield gives a very strong reflection in nighttime video. I think maybe I should have mounted it at the bottom of the windshield instead, although hiding the wires would have been much harder." (via)
• Rear: "...my camera location, on that vertical glass, is not so good." (via)
• Head rest...via bungee cord (??? : o \) (via)
• "A screen is not necessary..." (via)
• Itronics ITB-100HD install (via)
• "For my dashcam I took power from the mirror (I have the auto-dimming one with garage opener). It's powered on in READY. There is a wire in the same bunch that is hot all the time." (via)
• Another install of a Itronics ITB-100HD, with pics (via)
• Regarding mounts behind the rear-view mirror: "It is also quite difficult to use the camera if you have to change settings etc. " (via)
• Might want to use a sun shade...which would bump the camera (?)
• Seems like a number of favorite mounting positions for the front windshield (via)
• Rear windshield (via)
• Mounting locations
• After a review, I am still undecided...behind the front RVW can look OK, but it can also look conspicuous
• Front
• Dash
• Behind rear-view mirror mount
• Sides of windshield
• Headrest
• Headliner
• Rear
• Top of rear windshield
• Bottom of rear windshield
• Sides of rear windshielf 
• Headrest
• Headliner

Moon Phases

http://cde.nwc.edu/SCI2108/course_documents/earth_moon/moon/phases/phases_of_moon.htm

AutoIt

Magic!

Via: http://unattended.sourceforge.net/installers.php

Cello

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Cecilio-Cello-Outfit-Everything-You-Need-5-Color-5-Size-/180697976106

Microsoft Windows Powershell

Working with Microsoft Windows Powershell scripts for the first time--cautiously optimistic I may never have to write another Microsoft Windows batch file again. : o )

David Bowie - The Next Day

I liked this album, a lot!

Anderson Valley Winter Solstice Seasonal Ale

Yum, yum...beer on my desk tonight. : o )

Parameter

Add this to the list of words I struggle to spell correctly. I frequently catch myself typing "paramater", which sounds like the way "Cars" movie character "Mater" would say his name. : o \

List of eponymous laws

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_eponymous_laws

For example, Sturgeon's Law: 90% of anything is crap (paraphrased)

Local recommendations

Tootsies On 11th
Collected Works Gifts: http://www.collectedworksgifts.com/

Pain is Beauty

Listening to Submerge's Top 30 albums of 2013.

Listened to Chelsea Wolfe's Pain is Beauty, the #1 pick, then one song from Doombird's Cygnus.

Radio Songs

Heard on 94.7 FM KKDO out of Sacramento, CA:

Avicii's "Wake Me Up." Audio.Aloe Blacc provided vocals and reminds Dawn of Tracy Chapman.

Also, the 2nd movement of Grieg's Peer Gynt...awesome. Video/audio. Most people recognize the first movement.

Skittles

An old English lawn game : o )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skittles_(sport)

Green house

An attractive house on the corner of 15th St and T St:

http://goo.gl/maps/0O8QY

Pitties

http://www.mypitbullisfamily.com/

Seen on a car around town.

Amy Schumer on Fresh Air

One of Terry Gross' favorite interviews of 2013:

http://www.npr.org/2013/06/25/188698578/inside-amy-schumer-its-not-just-sex-stuff

Prix fixe pronunciation

One of those confusing ones: I prefer the French way, "pree feeks," but even Dictionary.com lists it like "pre fix". : o \

Radio Songs

Heard of KXPR 88.9 out of Sacramento, CA:

Alexander Glazunov: Saxophone Concerto in Eb major Opus 109 - Russian National Orchestra; Jose Serebrier, conductor; Marc Chisson, alto saxophone; Label: Warner Classics; Number: 67946 BUY

You can hear a sample.

Apricot Pecan Cake

Colin Street Bakery, out of Corsicana, TX, makes some great Apricot Pecan Cake : o )