Monterey Whale Watching trip 2015

Dawn and I returned to Monterey Bay Whale Watch (MBWW) today for a 5:00 p.m. end-of-day excursion.

Pre-excursion:

Ate a late lunch at Nino's Wharfside (spaghetti & meatballs, chicken parmesan). Purchased two candies, from Carousel Candies: 1) dark chocolate peanut butter cup; and 2) Oreo marshmallow on a stick.

Excursion notes:

• Was: 4:30 p.m., but MBWW canceled that trip, per low sign-ups, and pushed us later
• Somewhat alarmingly, they had not written down our names for the 4:30 p.m. or the 5:00 p.m., even though we had called at noon and they said they would send an email (never came?)...luckily, they had room
• We exchanged our raincheck voucher, from October 2010, no questions asked; nice!
• Struck up a fun conversation with the desk attendants and a man about Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles : o ) Good senses of humor! .
• Boarded around 5:15 p.m., left the harbor around 5:30 p.m. (had to wait for boat to return, disembark passengers, reset, and so forth)
• We took two pills each of the over-the-counter antiemetic Meclizine, prior to departure...once again: best advice ever...at least for me
• Sky looked a bit hazy, which cooled things off...we donned our warmies while waiting for the boat to leave
• Sea lions on the breakwater
• MBWW staff maintain a list of seabirds in the local area
• Whale sign! Spouts of water sighted, ahead
• Reaching the anchovy feeding area, we understood the magnitude of the sea life around us:
• 40 whales
• Hundreds of dolphins
• Uncountable seabirds
• Breaches, or whales jumping vertical, then crashing and splashing, occurred multiple times...sort of like  getting lucky and spotting a shooting star, one has to face the right way and spot it, during the few seconds it lasts, for the best effect
• Pec-slapping and lobtailing also observed
• One hundred yards separated us from the whales, per the federal whale watching guidelines
• Observed dolphins porpoising, in small and medium-sized schools
• Kate Spencer, naturalist, has moved on, to FastRaft
• I did not catch the names of the naturalist or captain, for our trip
• Choppy water, going out and coming in...evenings can get a bit rougher than day
• Seasickness:
• Meclizine saved us, thankfully, though it may have worn off a bit
• Several people not so lucky: a man near retirement age, a father, his son (multiple times, poor guy), a 20-something, his female companion, and so forth...presumably, all suffered
• Crew suggested using the back of the boat, if needed
• Felt overheated several times, and cool air saved me, as well as switching orientation
• Ginger treat helped soothe Dawn's stomach, as we departed, later
• On the way back, I found focusing on the horizon helped me...however, after some time, it became too dark to see
• Indoor computer-driven displays show maps of weather, depth, water temperature, as well as estimated speed and time remaining to destination...very helpful!
• Crew took lots of photos during the viewing portions
• Naturalist on board (most likely correctly) noted a light I saw, near Santa Cruz, was likely a boat light, not the lighthouse
• Complimentary hot chocolate and/or tea/coffee, I think, to warm up, on the way back
• Friendly crew, everyone helped out
• Rode in the 2002 Geo Shipyard Inc-built ship "Blackfin", USCG Doc. No.:1124507, call sign WDC3326, hull number GSY0171B202
• Noises of birds very audible
• Saw only a few jellyfish, appearing as yellowish-white blobs, close to the surface
• Leaving, near twilight, we saw a number of breaches, in succession
• Arrived in port around 8:30 p.m., a three hour trip
• A sea lion briefly barked at disembarking passengers, from the bottom of a short stairway leading to a boat-level access. We watched it for a moment, as it watched us, whiskers visible.

Sign reads, in a pseudo-handwritten script: "Help! Save Us / Ns smoking on the wharf! MCC 22-29 (b) (8)". The sign depicts various marine animals, under a cloud (presumably, of smoke), with cigarette butts on their heads: sea lion, sea otter, and pelican, as well as a crab who only show its claws, from the bottom of the sign.

Post-excursion:

• Returned to Carousel Candies and purchased a small turtle plush: "10" SLIDE SEA TURTLE is an adorable stuffed friend featuring wide eyes! Perfect for any sea life lovers! Part of Aurora's Dreamy Eyes collection. Featuring all new styling- soft & fluffy with loveable expressions!"
  
• Walked through a few tourist shops
• Purchased a milk chocolate turtle and a dark chocolate turtle, from Wharf Chocolate Factory (yum)
• Festa Italia, 82nd annual, which we walked through as we returned to the car, after the excursion
• Popped into Candyland Two, at 200 Alvarado St, to gape at a ginormous 60" giant sea turtle plush, item #308101, on sale there for $300, from vendor The Petting Zoo, Inc. (via their 2015 Sea Life and Wild Life catalog, page 39)

  

  So big! 60" giant sea turtle plush, item #308101, vendor The Petting Zoo, Inc.

Ambient notes, from Fisherman's Wharf:

• Man playing somewhat melancholy music on a wharf street piano, near MBWW (older, asian pacific-islander, with long beard)
• People smoking despite signs pleading for them not to:
• Three dogs, on the MBWW boat "Sea Wolf II", which we watched disembark passengers, then swing around to the marina-side and out of sight...seemed like they boarded when the boat returned, as we noticed the golden-haired dog trot out of the MBWW building with a dog treat
• Name of the "Sea Wolf II": I listened to Jack London's novel The Sea Wolf just recently, so seemed a curious name to see 
• Noticed the Bruce Ariss Wharf Theater (a.k.a. The New Wharf Theater), though nothing advertised...their Facebook page lists their next production as "Seasons of Love", a tribute to the person who helped revitalize the organization, who died in 2014
• Burial at sea: we gathered their intent while watching them, from inside Nino's Wharfside:
• Flowers
• Teenage girl carrying gift bag, which presumably held the ashes
• Hispanic American family members, several generations, several with bright pink shirts
• Middle-aged woman looking somber, possibly grieving
• Rest of party respectful, restless
• Came back more thoughtful
• MBWW sign: "No AM burials"
• Sea otter rolling-over while eating what looked like a shrimp, and then diving and returning with a crab
• The Little Mermaid Glass Bottom Boat Tours ticket booth contained Disney toys, including plush Inside Out character Bing Bong, Riley's long forgotten imaginary friend, as well as plush emotion "Anger"

Notes for next time:

• "Book a morning trip rather than afternoon, for smoother seas." (via)
• Eat a light meal, but limit the desserts until after
• Use the restroom, to ensure this does not contribute to nausea
• Warmies--even more layers, for evening excursions
• Sit comfortably and switch, if getting exhausted or nauseous
• Ginger treats, to calm unsettled stomach

Previously

Synergy Clothing

Passed by their store, on Wednesday.

Evening walk

Dawn and I walked down Shaffer Road to an ocean overlook, this evening, where we watched the ocean waves crash and a sea otter dive and surface. We walked back by the Gray Whale and Miss Blue, at the Long Marine Lab. Very pleasant.

Jury duty, County of Santa Cruz

Selected at random to serve as juror #4, on what I believe was a criminal jury trial, case #M83925, in the County of Santa Cruz. Defendant was Sean Michael Martinez. The charge was theft of an auto.

The trial ended after taking testimony from three people:

1. The woman who received a gift of the auto (something like Jeanne Payne?)
2. Kraig Evans (Capitola police department)
3. Ricki Trindade (Santa Cruz police department)

Judge on the trial was Marjorie Laird Carter. Counsel for the County of Santa Cruz prosecution was Mr. Nguyen. Counsel for the defense seemed like someone operating out of the Santa Cruz Public Defender's Office. Mentioned in the trial was a Ruben Trevino (spelling?) of Salinas, the spouse of witness #1, and the registered owner of the vehicle in question (which was gifted to witness #1).

Judge Carter provided no explanation for the dismissal of the jury, after the taking of the testimony, above. She hinted, paraphrasing, "A lot of this will probably make no sense to you."

After the trial, as I sat in the atrium, both counsel lawyers saw me and we very briefly discussed my thoughts on whether I found witness #1 credible. I told them I had found her mostly credible, but was waiting to hear testimony from the defendant. I told them I thought the defendant made a mistake, in my opinion, to arrive unshaven and without appearing to take care in their dress. I don't think my answer pleased either of them. After a moment, the counsel for the defense left with the counsel for the prosecution to, presumably, discuss another case, or the aftermath of the case I served on.

This represented my first selection to serve on a jury trial.

Based on my brief discussion with counsel for both parties, I am guessing something which came up during examination of the witnesses precluded them from proceeding:

1. Mistake with the incident report (I think it may have said "Jan 5" but it really occurred on the morning of Jan 6?)
2. Counsel for the prosecution decided witness would not survive as a credible source (only witness)
3. One of more of the officers mentioned something they should not have (for example, Mr. Martinez having another parallel issue at the time of this incident)
4. Other (?)

So many details of this trial which lie fresh in my mind but will soon all disappear. Sean was driving with an expired license. The woman mentioned the defendant had been assaulted, separately, during his time as a renter. The officers reported the defendant as very polite and forthcoming...the officers said nothing bad about him, and only gave him a misdemeanor (later, corrected to an infraction). Defendant had rented a room at the two-bedroom apartment with the woman, after the woman's sister left. The first year went quietly and predictably; he paid his rent on time. She became pregnant, with another man's child, and told him she planned to move out. They drank wine on the balcony. She and her 7-month old son went to sleep, around 8:30 p.m.. He drove and crashed the car, around 2:00 a.m. He was either returning with wine, going to fill up the car with gas, or had dropped off the wine and had left on other errands...I thought I heard all three descriptions.

There was another man, Mr. Ruben Trevino, the father of the child, who had gifted the woman the 2014 Chevrolet Impala. He works as a regional truck driver and owns two trucks. He had gifted her a Chevy Camaro, but that did not work for the already-born young child, so he gave her the Impala. The address was 511 Capitola, within walking distance of a liquor store and gas station. She claimed she had never, ever given the defendant permission to take her car. She claimed she had not talked with him since the day of the accident, until a text-message conversation, in which they discussed making arrangements with AAA (the insurance carrier). It seems she filed the criminal charges against the defendant without telling him. It seems the woman's sister left, after an argument. She may have made him pay the entire deposit for the apartment rental. She grew up in Napa valley, moved to Arizona, then moved to So-Cal. She moved to Santa Cruz, with her sister. She had worked as a manager for 25 years, training other managers and assisting them with setting up new stores. Opening arguments seemed to indicate the prosecution was betting everything on the jury finding the woman's testimony credible and that she had not given permission to the defendant to take her car. The defense claimed he had driven her car many times, seemed to indicate a possible love triangle, and the charges represented the wishes of Mr. Trevino.

Just a mess. Apparently, the woman and Mr. Trevino are happily married, so I wish both them and the defendant well, so they can move on with their lives.

Skyflight Mobiles

Dawn and I purchased a butterfly mobile, from Skyflight Mobiles, out of the State of Washington.

It has the following five butterflies:

1. Red Admiral
2. Orange Sulphur
3. Monarch
4. Tiger Swallowtail
5. Eastern Tailed Blue

Heated Throw

At Costco, saw a Sunbeam Microplush Electric Heated Throws, but Dawn did not like the colors. Amazon has an eggplant color.

Also saw a king blanket made out of a soft fleece/flannel.

Also, Life Comfort Cuddly Sherpa Throw (in purple).

National Geographic - Tracking the Illegal Tusk Trade

Saw the cover article, recently, and found this web site. Disgusting to profit off the killing of these endangered animals. What a waste.

Land of Stories

A friend recommended this series of children's literature. Her daughter really enjoys it. It features a set of twins who enter a world where many fairy tale characters reprise their roles, in nontraditional ways.

Bunya Bunya House, Santa Cruz - For Sale, $1.4 Million

Realtor listing, 304 Walnut Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Note: we love the bunya bunya tree, a species dating back to the Mesozoic Era, 252.17 - 66 million years ago. : o )

Description:
"Your chance to own the Victorian home built for William Douglas Haslam in the late1800's. Our gracious doyenne commands the intersection of Walnut and Chestnut Streets with her Queen Anne details and rare Bunya-Bunya tree. Vintage details include original woodwork and stained glass windows. Enjoy modern amenities like an updated kitchen and bathrooms. Relax on the patio or in the lovely yard beneath mature trees. Use the detached office to work from home or convert it back into a one-car garage."

General Information
Beds3 Bed
House Size3,099 Sq Ft
Price$1,399,000
Property TypeSingle Family Home
NeighborhoodWestside
StatusActive
Baths3 Full Bath
Lot Size8,146 Sq Ft Lot
Price/sqft$451
Year Built1878
StyleVictorian
Garage1 car garage

The house was listed in 2014, for $2.25 million. So, a drop of $850,000 in 12 months! At this rate, we should have the house in hand, within 1-2 more years, heh. ; o )

UPDATE: October, 2015: now listed for rent, at $4,500/month.

Getaround - Peer-to-peer car sharing and local car rental

Saw a Getaround car, while walking near West End Tap & Kitchen, in Santa Cruz.

"Rent great cars from people nearby Unlock 1,000's of cars from $5/hour."

Costco Pizza Sauce Machine Vendor

Waiting for a bit, while at Costco, read the machine tag, on the machine which automatically spirals pizza sauce onto the dough:

Automatic Bar Controls, Incorporated, out of Vacaville, California.

Note: the machine which flattens the pizza dough into pizza crust also seemed pretty efficient.

All the Girls Love Earl

Saw a sticker, for this vendor, on a sign in Sacramento, at the corner of Q Street and 20th Street.

Not a fan, but, there it is. The web site does not list a street address, but their social media account seems to indicate they operate out of So-Cal.

Vironex Geoprobe

Vironex Geoprobe: watching one of these machines as I walk to work.

Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

Marking for audio CD follow-up. Listening to Mark Twain's autobiography and learning details about the "making of" the autobiography. Twain remarked that Grant's memory was consistently accurate, so his account seems to reflect one of the authoritative accounts of the Civil War.

Steve Jobs: The Man In The Machine (2015 film)

Watched this movie at The Nickelodeon this afternoon.

• Reading between the lines--people parsed their words...for example, Chrisann Brennan, Nolan Bushnell...you could tell they feared saying what they really thought
• Chrisann's description of Jobs' reaction to learning of the baby: jaw clenched, face angry, storms out like a teenager. Ouch.
• Lots of enjoyable moments putting faces and glimpses of personalities to names...Kottke, Bushnell
• Lots of no-shows: Woz, Jobs' biological sister, his daughter Lisa, his other children and later wife
• Joan Baez gets no mention
• Biological and adoptive family given minimal mention
• Focused a lot on accounting irregularities, tax shelters, Foxconn, going after Gizmodo

New York Times review.

I thought the story of Jobs visiting Kobun Chino represented one of the key moments of the film, partly because Kobun Chino seems to represent an accurate and impartial source, but also because the visit seems to show Jobs at his most vulnerable: asking for help, and, at the same time, telling Kobun Chino he thought he was enlightened. Combine this with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (Tina Redse's theory) and Chrissann's remark about Jobs flirting with her by adapting Dylan's poetry to his own life. So complicated. 

Big Hero 6

"unobtanium", heh ; o )

Power: Li-On batteries (?)
Scanning technology--whole city (?)
Ms. Cass--no clue about what's going on
Professor Callaghan--seems pretty likeable, normal guy, builds a lab full of seemingly well-adjusted students, very functional program...then turns out to throw it all away for a micro-bot which he would get access to anyway, when Hiro joins his lab (probably something he completely controls)
Robot fighting web site: illegal, but widely available online?
Fred's butler: he's seen things...unflappable. Bravo.
Maker culture: 3D printers, 3D scanners, movie-OS (Dawn's observation) user interface...ala Tony Stark, unlimited power, resources, and materials to build with...Hiro made tons of microbots; software: neural interface, medbot OS, AI, and so forth
Honey Lemon: manic

In a world...where all of this seems near-future...

Are you a Genmaicha fan ?

The rice taste reminds me of rice krispy cereal and just does not resonate.

Movies

Today we watched two animated films:

• Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet (2015)
• Song of the Sea (2014)

Shirt heart idea

ORIGINAL
http://www.grafolio.com/illustration/26002&from=cr_fd&folderNo=351

HEART SHAPES
One heart (note: recolor, to red?)
http://www.polyvore.com/pink_heart_clip_art/thing?id=77246044

http://www.clker.com/clipart-orange-coral-heart.html

Two hearts
http://clipartzebraz.com/files/3/10783_clip-art-heart.html

Henry - VR Film

https://storystudio.oculus.com/en-us/henry/

gscan2pdf - Duplex scanning, with OCR

After setting up my Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i on Debian Jessie (stable), I began scanning duplex pages:

• sudo gscan2pdf
• Place pages into scanner, face down
• File > Scan
• Select device (in my case, "FUJITSU ScanSnap S1300i")
• Page Options Tab
• # Pages: All
• Source Document: Single sided (note: we select duplex, later)
• Select button "Options", for line "Clean up images"
• Select tab "Filters"
• White threshold: 0.90
• Black threshold: 0.48 (note: this currently does not save, for me!)
• Scan Mode Tab
• Scan Source: ADF Duplex (note: this scans both sides at once!)
• Scan mode: Lineart (note: best for scanning text)
• Scan resolution: 300
• Geometry Tab: accept defaults
• Enhancement Tab:
• Threshold: 50 (note: this helps cleans up artifacts)
• Sensors Tab: accept defaults
• Page options > Scan button
• Close the popup window
• File > Save

If you like, save the Scan Profile.

LINKS

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1681579

Andrew Purchin, Artist

Peet's Coffee, downtown Santa Cruz, features a selection of Andrew Purchin's paintings.

Portal Art Display, Sacramento Ice House Remodel on R Street

Portal: "a 12’ tall mirrored tunnel with programmable LED light panels that will be motion sensitive and respond to social media participation, Borden said."

On the way to work, I saw the FOX40 Sacramento news team preparing for their segment on the August 21 launch. The day before I had noticed the cage and wondered about it. Now it all seems clear.

UPDATE: And, just like that, it's gone. I walked past a party on Wednesday, September 16:

"Portal Finale Event / EDGE 916 / presented by Metro EDGE / Join Sacramento’s young professional movers and shakers for the biggest party of the year as we say goodbye to PORTAL on R! "

On Tuesday, September 15, they had this event, which I also walked past:

"Glow Yoga 5:30PM – 9PM Bikram Yoga of Elk Grove 14th Birthday Block Party BASH! Join us for an outdoor glow yoga class with tribal body paint, a taco truck, NuYo frozen yogurt, yoga demonstrations, music, prizes and giveaways, good company, and more. Tickets in advance are $10 and $20 the day of the event. The first 100 people to purchase a ticket will receive one (1) meal from the taco truck, one (1) drink (water or electrolyte), one (1) glow necklace and bracelet, and one (1) NuYo frozen yogurt."

In partnership with Capitol Area Development Authority (CADA), The PORTAL is designed by Quadriga Landscape Architecture. Programming for the PORTAL is developed, managed, and implemented by Tre Borden. Nice work.

Guzzler Vacuum Truck

Saw a Guzzler vacuum truck near the Sacramento Ice House remodel.

Study tips

http://matt.might.net/articles/college-tips/

Toto Washlet bidet

The KitTea washroom had a Toto Washlet bidet, a revelation.

I am not sure what specific model, but the arm control panel looked similar to the C100 model:

• Heated seat...so nice!
• Bidet heated water jets; felt oddly luxurious : o )

Alas, $600!

SF day trip

• KitTea
• Cats
1. Dizi
2. Banjo
3. Willa
4. Bonnie
5. Genie
6. Tia
7. Morris
8. Eric (pending adoption and move to Germany)
9. Cub
10. Murray
11. Gizmo
12. Colby
• Teas tried
• Genmaicha
• Sencha
• Hojicha
• Two herbal teas
• Food tried
• San Francisco Cheesecake Strawberry Swirl cheesecake: "Local organic strawberry preserves, from Inna Jam, swirled into our original style cheesecake."
• Shop
• Tea cups
• Tee shirts
• Very positive experience, overall
• Well thought out and coordinated experience
• Cats provided a lot of interaction
• Dawn really wanted to play with Cub, so we went back in for another 30 minutes
• However, another couple played with Cub the whole time, so we cuddled with orange tabby Colby
• Arizmendi Bakery, 1268 Valencia St., San Francisco, CA
• Heirloom Tomato, Red Onion, Lemon Parsley Pesto
• Lemony, but not overly so! A tasty diversion
• Many consider this the pizza place referenced in the film, Inside Out (Yeast of Eden)
• Mount Sutro
• Parked on Belgrave Avenue
• Walked on Interior Greenbelt steep trail up to Johnstone Drive
• Passed by UCSF student housing
• Saw the Sutro Tower up close
• Behr Avenue to Nike Road
• North Ridge Trail with detour to summit, then back on North Ridge Trail to Medical Center Way
• Medical Center Way to Fairy Gates Trail
• Fairy Gates Trail to Johnstone Drive to Clarendon Ave
• Clarendon Ave to Tank Hill Park (what views!)
• Back to the car
• SutroStewards.org
• Haight Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream: Tonight Dough ice cream brownie sundae
• Drove up Castro Street

Linux-friendly cloud hosting (with synchronization)

UPDATE: Trying InSync, to start.

• Copy
• "you have to manually create symlinks in order to get files synchronized directly in your own file system."
• "referral Link you will straight away get 20GB instead of regular 15GB"
• SpiderOak
• one of the first to support Linux 
• InSync
• Dropbox
• Cloudways
• They install and manage OwnCloud for you.
• 
  
• ownCloud.org
• Lists free providers (?)
• https://owndrive.com/
• Bitcasa
• Seafile
• The server is licensed under the Apache 2.0 license and clients are licensed GNU GPL version 3 (only)
• Wuala
• Box
• The java applet works on Linux, but it has limited functionality.
• RackSpace
• you can mount the storage in Linux using CloudFuse
• Crashplan
• Amazon S3 with Duplicity
• Other
• rSyncIT FTP Backup Solution
• Tarsnap
• git-annex 

REFERENCES

https://www.linux.com/learn/tutorials/769023-three-alternatives-to-ubuntu-one-cloud-service

https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1fzod1/linux_compatiable_cloud_storage_vendors_lets/ (2013)

https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/1wu3wr/need_clientside_encrypted_cloud_storage_backup/ (2014)

https://www.reddit.com/r/linux/comments/3fe4pt/cloud_storage_providers_with_proper_linux_support/ (2015)

Dragonlance: Dragons of Autumn Twilight (2008 film)

Watching the 2008 animated film. Wow. Thoughts after watching just 26 minutes:

• The bad news:
• The sexism: seems pretty obvious the producers knew they had no chance to pull off their vision of a Lord of the Rings-style epic, so they decided to order the animators to try distracting their target audience, instead...maybe it works, for 12 year-old boys, but wow, so crass it hurts
• The made-for-TV animation style: I remember watching films like this 30 years ago...sophomoric...
• Artistic style: oy...who came up with the intro idea of flying the red dragon through a brown turd-cloud...I groaned aloud
• This film's performance has killed (probably a good thing, from a business perspective) the chances of making the remaining books into films, by the same team
• The good news:
• It's Dragonlance...I'm like a dying man in a desert...I devoured these books, in high school
• I have completely forgotten all the major plot points...I remember the main characters, but much feels new again (for example, Otis' spiced potatoes)
• I think this FAQ post sums up the reality of the business side, from Co-Executive Producer Cindi Rice: "...I've seen many deals for Dragonlance come and go, and this is the first one to actually become a reality." Yep. Take it or leave it.

Verdict: The bad points above fatally flaw the film, both in execution and production. Critics have savaged the film, with just cause. Ah well. Maybe someday. Even Frodo had a few mediocre attempts before achieving movie history.

The movie web site FAQ, read in an accusatory tone, produces a laugh: Who is to blame??  ; o ) The movie web site forums had to do damage control.

The IMDB page shows the movie poster, showing Raistlin recoiling in horror, presumably from the film itself.

The movie's home page lists a number of prior attempts to make Dragonlance films into a reality.

Well. Maybe someday. Hope springs eternal.

Dragonlance Movie: War of the Lance

While on the subject of Raistlin Majere, I wondered about the production of a proper movie treatment of the Dragonlance War of the Lance trilogy.

It's already done, with respect to the Lord of the Rings. Selfish, perhaps, of me, to want to see something so influential from my childhood treated in the same way?

Self Regulation by Practitioners

The thought struck me several weekends ago that practitioners of a subject will always represent the most grounded voice in their practice. I wondered about self-regulation, but, upon reflection, think now that more voices than the practitioners have a say in regulation of practices.

Capturing this thought, as it seemed of interest during a long drive, even though upon reflection it seems rather prosaic.

Afton Ink

Saw a business card tacked to a community board, for a freelance copy editor, at Jamba Juice, in Sacramento, on Tuesday:

"They say the secret to happiness is doing what you love and I'd have to agree. Every project I take on–– big or small––is handled with the care, passion and creativity of someone who truly loves what they do. From launching a new publication to finding the right words to represent a business, I've got you covered.  

ABOUT JULIA MCCANDLESS 

I am proud to lead Afton Ink as a journalist passionate about finding the story and telling it well. I attended UCLA and UC Davis and hold a B.A. in Communications, and a minor in Theater Arts. My background includes working as a staff writer for several newspapers covering stories on education, arts & entertainment and sustainability. I also have experience as an editor with a communications firm in Los Angeles, CA, where I produced and managed print and virtual projects for a diverse client base. Now, I am proud to bring my expertise to my own clients—whether it’s rejuvenating communications for an established business, or helping a new business find its voice. "

Well said! : o )

Raistlin of Ruby

A commenter on Hacker News last week posted their experience with Ruby and I thought I might describe it as "Raistlin of Ruby". 80 hour work weeks, sacrifice of social connections, but paid very well and seems successful.

Mark Twain Autobiography, Volume 1: Memories of childhood

I sat and listened to Mark Twain's descriptions of his childhood home on a Thursday afternoon last week. I had the car windows open and had parked in the shade. A breeze cooled things considerably, making for a very pleasant time.

The following section represents one of my favorites, to date, describing his childhood area:

"My Autobiography [Random Extracts from It]: Paragraph 89," in Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume 1. 2010, 2008. (http://www.marktwainproject.org/xtf/view?docId=works/MTDP10362.xml;style=work;brand=mtp;chunk.id=d1e8913#d1e9096)

The Golden Arm

A folktale described by Mark Twain. It ends with a pause prior to the final sentence...if the speaker gets the timing right, it spooks the audience.

Screen door for apartment front door - Keeping cats inside

Would greatly appreciate the flexibility of propping the front door open, for the cross breeze. However, we can't let our cats out.

One comment: "This combine with a baby gate keeps my cats inside the house and insects out".

One comment: "We use a wide piece of cardboard spanning the width of the door and resting on the floor that is tall enough to prevent her from escaping, and that gets in the way for us humans."

UPDATE(S):

#1: we purchased the Bug Off 36 by 96 Instant Screen. We'll try some ad-hoc cat-proofing.

#2: we purchased "Grreat Choice Extra Tall Arched Expandable Metal Pet Gate with Small Pet Door," from PetSmart. These two products work well, together, and, with a door stop, all three allowed us to comfortably leave our door open!

Storing bicycles on balcony

How to store a bike outside and still avoid rapid decay?

• Tarp
• YardStash
• TidyTent

BIke on porch with cover this winter. Will it rust?

• "Moisture respects no covers"
• A cover helps quite a bit so there will be less rust on exposed parts. 
• Even temperature changes during the course of a day can cause condensation to form inside a frame which then leads to rust.
• mostly from the temperature swings.
• Garages seem OK (note: which agrees with my experience)

Bikes on the balcony?

• Plastic sheeting will keep the rain off but makes a noise in the wind.
• breathable plastic

Reddit: Is it okay to store bikes on a balcony?

• I've seen things get blown off balconies during strong enough storms.
• Storing a bike outside, even under a tarp or something to protect from rain, means that it's subject to daily temperature fluctuations. These fluctuations cause the components of a bike to expand and contract as the temperature heats up during the day and cools down at night. Over time, these fluctuations will wear out your bike's components faster than if you'd have just stored it inside in a climate controlled environment. If you have the space, storing it inside is preferred.

ArsTechnica: Storing a bike outside

• Disassemble
• CycleShell

In other news...if we have not used them in over a year...maybe time to sell (?)

Something So Strong

One of my favorite songs from the 1980's: Crowded House's 1986 hit, "Something So Strong" (video).

Learned today the drummer, Paul Hester, committed suicide, in 2005. Tragic.

Standing task chair

An idea, for work (?)

• Focal Upright Furniture
• ?

Previously

Deep Note

Wikipedia notes: "Deep Note is the name of THX's audio logo, a distinctive synthesized crescendo sound that glissandos from a high pitch to a rumbling low pitch. It was created by Dr. James A. Moorer,[1] then an employee of the Lucasfilm Computer Division, in late 1982.[2] The sound is used on trailers for THX-certified movie theatres, home video releases, video games and in-car entertainment; it debuted in the THX trailer shown before the 1983 premiere of Return of the Jedi in Los Angeles.[2]”

Kevin Braheny Fortune created an album, “Galaxies”, in 1988, which seems to include a nod to Dr. Moorer’s Deep Note...but Deep Note predates it by several years.

Kronos Quartet

Saw the Kronos Quartet on Sunday, at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium: David Harrington (violin), John Sherba (violin), Hank Dutt (viola), and Sunny Yang (cello).

They performed a set of pieces labeled, "In the Blue Room":

"...an intimate concert of works that includes a tribute to composer Terry Riley in celebration of his 80th birthday year! They’ll perform Good Medicine from Riley’s epic Salome Dances for Peace, and a new work written by Polish composer Aleksander Kościów, a piece is based on a traditional Polish folk dance, the oberek. A musical gift to Riley, it represents, in the words of the composer, “the human need for pure joy.” The evening also includes a work written for Kronos by Cabrillo composer-in-residence Nathaniel Stookey, and works by Mark Applebaum, Laurie Anderson, and Mary Kouyoumdjian."

NOTES

• All wore earpieces
• Lighting projected the performers' shadows on the upper walls of the auditorium
• We had great seats: Section K Row B, 1 and 2
• During an early piece, a dragon fly, attracted to the lights, swirled around and around, above the performers, disappearing into the ceiling, then re-appearing, swirling down closer and closer, until it finally reached the performers and disappeared from view--John smiled and completed the work
• Composer Nathaniel Stookey walked out to greet the performers, after they completed his work
• A few people walked out of Mary Kouyoumdjian's "Silent Cranes"
• I found Kouyoumdjian's work the most powerful and dark piece heard in recent memory...Kronos Quartet members get major props for playing it, in my estimate
• Setlist:
• Terry Riley / Good Medicine from Salome Dances for Peace *
• Mark Applebaum / Darmstadt Kindergarten *
• Aleksander Kościów / Oberek for Terry Riley *
• Nathaniel Stookey / String Quartet No. 3, “The Mezzanine” *
• Intermission
• Laurie Anderson (arr. Jacob Garchik) / Flow +
• Mary Kouyoumdjian / Silent Cranes *
• Two encore songs:
• Ralph Carney: "Lament for Charleston" ; Ralph brought out a bass sax, sitting between John and Hank
• Baba O'Riley 
• 
  

Étouffée

Dawn and I noticed a food truck with Étouffée:

"Étouffée or etouffee (pronounced: [e.tu.fe] ay-too-fay) is a dish found in both Cajun and Creole cuisine typically served with shellfish over rice. The dish employs a technique known as smothering, a popular method of cooking in the Cajun areas of southwest Louisiana. Étouffée is most popular in New Orleans and in the Acadiana area of the southernmost half of Louisiana as well as a popular dish in the coastal counties of Mississippi."

It was parked at the Cabrillo Festival’s Church Street Fair, in Santa Cruz. Crab, maybe, or shrimp (?)

Pk / Mk Black - Plotter Printer

Noticed color cartridges in a HP plotter printer, at work, had multiple shades of grey and black:

• matte black (mK)
• photo black (pK)
• gray (G)

Clarinet player - Brennen Milton

Dawn and I saw Sacramento clarinet musician Brennen Milton, in 2014, playing outside Karma Brew, near Fremont Park. Never got his name, at the time, but we purchased a CD of a recital and listened to it for a time, to help support his musical trip to Italy.

I ran into him just last week, playing outside his workplace, on J Street. Thought I recognized him, but was not sure, and by chance overheard his name from a co-worker, so Google'd him when I got home, and ta-da! His GoFundMe page.

Codes

Peet's Coffee, Santa Cruz - Bathroom code: 9966; 6901* (as of 8/17)* 8845* (as of 9/20)...from this, it seems staff change it frequently

Verve Coffee, Santa Cruz - Wifi code: streetlevel

Ōoku: The Inner Chambers

Dawn and I noticed this manga, at the Santa Cruz library. Matriarchal.

Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i on Debian Jessie (Stable) GNU/Linux

I purchased a Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i and wanted to use it, on Debian GNU/Linux Jessie (stable).

This documents my own experience with getting it to work, on a Lenovo ThinkPad X201 laptop.

TL;DR
Debian Jessie (Stable) ships with an older version of SANE. To support the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i, download, compile, and install SANE from source.

OVERVIEW
Scanner Access Now Easy (SANE) represents a commonly used GNU/Linux package API, which provides "standardized access to any raster image scanner hardware." (via)

Debian Jessie packages SANE into frontend and backend components:

1. sane - frontend packages, for the user-interface (for example, xscanimage, scanadf, xcam)
2. libsane - backend packages, for individual scanner support (for example, the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i)

Debian Jessie (stable) seems to ship with the following SANE packages installed:

$ dpkg -l | grep sane
ii  libsane:amd64         1.0.24-8    amd64 API library for scanners
ii  libsane-common        1.0.24-8    all   API library for scanners -- documentation and support files
ii  libsane-dev           1.0.24-8    amd64 API development library for scanners [development files]
ii  libsane-extras:amd64  1.0.22.3    amd64 API library for scanners -- extra backends
ii  libsane-extras-common 1.0.22.3    amd64 API library for scanners -- documentation and support files
ii  libsane-extras-dev    1.0.22.3    amd64 API development library for scanners [development files]
ii  libsane-hpaio         3.14.6-1+b2 amd64 HP SANE backend for multi-function peripherals
ii  libsane-perl          0.05-2+b2   amd64 Perl bindings for the SANE (Scanner Access Now Easy) Project
ii  sane                  1.0.14-9    amd64 scanner graphical frontends
ii  sane-utils            1.0.24-8    amd64 API library for scanners -- utilities

Unfortunately, the shipped version of libsane 1.0.24-8 does not seem to properly handle the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i.

FIRST ATTEMPTS
Following the advice of Gavin Carr, from September 2014 (note: Gavin used Centos 6), I first attempted the following steps.

$ sudo sane-find-scanner
found USB scanner (vendor=0x04c5 [FUJITSU], product=0x128d [ScanSnap S1300i]) at libusb:001:009 

$ sudo scanimage -L
device `v4l:/dev/video0' is a Noname Integrated Camera virtual device

Note: The results of running scanimage mean Debian did not find the device.

INITIAL WORKAROUNDS

The shipped version of libsane does not seem to currently include support for the Fujitsu ScanSnap S1300i. That is, Debian does not include the required firmware and configuration lines for it.

Happily, these two steps seem pretty straightforward.

Install firmware file
Copy firmware file 1300i_0D12.nal (hat tip, to Gavin Carr, for providing it along with his instruction steps) to folder /usr/share/sane/epjitsu :

$ sudo mkdir -p /usr/share/sane/epjitsu/
$ sudo cp 1300i_0D12.nal /usr/share/sane/epjitsu/1300i_0D12.nal

Update configuration file
Update configuration file /etc/sane.d/epjitsu.conf , adding these three lines:

# Fujitsu S1300i
firmware /usr/share/sane/epjitsu/1300i_0D12.nal
usb 0x04c5 0x128d

Retest with scanimage
After doing these two steps, scanimage finds the scanner!

$ sudo scanimage -L
device `v4l:/dev/video0' is a Noname Integrated Camera virtual device
device `epjitsu:libusb:001:009' is a FUJITSU ScanSnap S1300i scanner

SECOND ATTEMPTS
gscan2pdf
Install and run frontend scanner GUI gscan2pdf :

$ sudo apt-get install gscan2pdf
$ sudo gscan2pdf

However, after selecting the scanner, attempts to scan meet with error "Error during device I/O". x_x

scanimage
Additionally, I experienced similar errors, when running scanimage:

$ sudo scanimage -L
device `v4l:/dev/video0' is a Noname Integrated Camera virtual device
device `epjitsu:libusb:001:008' is a FUJITSU ScanSnap S1300i scanner
$ sudo scanimage --test -d 'epjitsu:libusb:001:008'
scanimage: sane_start: Error during device I/O

Note: At this point, I had set environment variables:

$ env | grep SANE
SANE_DEBUG_SANEI_USB=128 (note: "a value of 128 requests all debug output to be printed.")
SANE_DEBUG_FUJITSU=35 (note: "enables debugging output to stderr...useless noise")

FURTHER WORKAROUND ATTEMPTS

It seems, the shipped version of libsane, 1.0.24-8, has a few bugs. Per SANE developer discussions, it appears developers subsequently have resolved the bugs.

I first tried, unsuccessfully, to add developer Rolf's repository. However, when I attempted to pull in updates, "apt-get update" provided an error, which makes sense, given he provides Ubuntu support, not Debian:

$ sudo apt-get install software-properties-common (note: this provides "add-apt-repository")
$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:rolfbensch/sane-git
You are about to add the following PPA to your system:
 Ubuntu SANE packages from SANE daily git snapshots (http://www.sane-project.org/snapshots/) or cloned from git (http://anonscm.debian.org/gitweb/?p=sane/sane-backends.git;a=summary) if SANE daily git snapshot isn't available on the website.
Unchanged SANE daily git snapshots are ignored!
Please send scanner related questions to the SANE mailing list <email address hidden>.
 More info: https://launchpad.net/~rolfbensch/+archive/ubuntu/sane-git
Press [ENTER] to continue or ctrl-c to cancel adding it
gpg: keyring `/tmp/tmp069_7hv9/secring.gpg' created
gpg: keyring `/tmp/tmp069_7hv9/pubring.gpg' created
gpg: requesting key B7CC8701 from hkp server keyserver.ubuntu.com
gpg: /tmp/tmp069_7hv9/trustdb.gpg: trustdb created
gpg: key B7CC8701: public key "Launchpad PPA for Rolf Bensch" imported
gpg: Total number processed: 1
gpg:               imported: 1  (RSA: 1)
OK
$ sudo apt-get update
... *snip* ...
Err http://ppa.launchpad.net jessie/main amd64 Packages  404  Not FoundIgn http://ppa.launchpad.net jessie/main Translation-en_US
Ign http://ppa.launchpad.net jessie/main Translation-en
Fetched 127 kB in 3s (38.4 kB/s)
W: Failed to fetch http://ppa.launchpad.net/rolfbensch/sane-git/ubuntu/dists/jessie/main/binary-amd64/Packages  404  Not FoundE: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

Some reading seems to imply this represents an error with attempting to pull Ubuntu updates to a Debian system, which the list post, above, did not immediately make clear. Note: "add-apt-repository" seems to represent an Ubuntu utility.

So, this fails because attempting to lookup Debian system packages on an Ubuntu repository represents a semi-sketchy thing to do. It has risks.

As a test, I did the following:

$ sudo vim /etc/apt/sources.list.d/rolfbensch-sane-git-jessie.list 

from: 

# deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/rolfbensch/sane-git/ubuntu jessie main 

to the following, replacing "jessie" with "trusty":

deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/rolfbensch/sane-git/ubuntu trusty main

 Running apt-get update now works:

... *snip* ...
Get:14 http://ppa.launchpad.net trusty/main Translation-en [1,220 B]                                      
... *snip* ...

However, apt-get upgrade fails:

$ sudo apt-get upgrade
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree    
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
The following packages have been kept back:  libsane libsane-common libsane-dev
The following packages will be upgraded:
  libsvn1 sane-utils subversion
3 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 3 not upgraded.
Need to get 2,187 kB of archives.
After this operation, 131 kB disk space will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n] n
Abort.

I next attempted to install just libsane, however, I received an error, and aborted:

$ sudo apt-get install libsane
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree    
Reading state information... Done
Some packages could not be installed. This may mean that you have
requested an impossible situation or if you are using the unstable
distribution that some required packages have not yet been created
or been moved out of Incoming.
The following information may help to resolve the situation:
The following packages have unmet dependencies: libsane : Depends: libjpeg8 (>= 8c) but it is not installable
E: Unable to correct problems, you have held broken packages.

No thanks! Note: I received the same errors with "precise" and "vivid". Some reading suggested running "dist-upgrade" but I am, at the very least, smart enough to not go nuclear to resolve this, yet.

So, backed out the change and removed the repository. Will have to fine something a bit less sketchy.

$ rm /etc/apt/sources.list.d/rolfbensch-sane-git-jessie.list*
$ sudo apt-key list
$ sudo apt-key del B7CC8701

Backports? It seems Debian Jessie currently does not have any backports, for libsane:

$ sudo vim /etc/apt/sources.list
Add "deb http://http.debian.net/debian jessie-backports main"
$ sudo apt-get -t jessie-backports install libsane
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
libsane is already the newest version.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 38 not upgraded.

So. dmesg reports the following:

$ dmesg
[18601.324625] usb 1-1.2: new high-speed USB device number 9 using ehci-pci
[18601.419949] usb 1-1.2: New USB device found, idVendor=04c5, idProduct=128d
[18601.419955] usb 1-1.2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=0
[18601.419959] usb 1-1.2: Product: ScanSnap S1300i
[18601.419961] usb 1-1.2: Manufacturer: FUJITSU

Note: some developers have suggested EHCI versus xHCI (that is, USB 3.0) might represent the source of the problem. This shows I am using EHCI.

COMPILING SANE FROM SOURCE
Uninstall SANE:
http://installion.co.uk/ubuntu/vivid/universe/s/sane/uninstall/index.html

Compile SANE from source:
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/CompileSaneFromSource

The Debian build logs showed this configure command:

./configure --host=x86_64-linux-gnu --build=x86_64-linux-gnu \
--prefix=/usr \
--libdir=\${prefix}/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu \
--sysconfdir=/etc \
--localstatedir=/var \
--datadir=\${prefix}/share \
--mandir=\${prefix}/share/man \
--with-docdir=\${prefix}/share/doc/libsane \
--with-snmp=no \
--disable-locking \
--enable-static \
--enable-pthread \
--with-gphoto2 \
--enable-translations \
--enable-avahi \
--enable-libusb_1_0 \
--enable-pnm-backend \
--without-v4l

make
sudo make install

SUCCESS!
gscan2pdf now successfully scans the document.

LINKS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanner_Access_Now_Easy

http://www.openfusion.net/linux/scansnap_1300i

http://lists.alioth.debian.org/pipermail/sane-devel/2015-February/033079.html

http://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/45879/how-to-add-repository-from-shell-in-debian

https://launchpad.net/~rolfbensch/+archive/ubuntu/sane-git
https://packages.debian.org/jessie/libsane
http://www.sane-project.org/
http://www.webupd8.org/2014/10/how-to-add-launchpad-ppas-in-debian-via.html
https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/pkgreport.cgi?src=sane-backends&repeatmerged=yes
https://qa.debian.org/developer.php?login=debian%40jff-webhosting.net
http://installion.co.uk/ubuntu/vivid/universe/s/sane/uninstall/index.html
https://buildd.debian.org/status/logs.php?pkg=sane-backends&arch=amd64

Coffee shops opening early, Santa Cruz

Looking for early morning (~6:00 a.m.) weekend coffee shop destinations, in Santa Cruz, with reasonably good wifi:

1. Starbucks, Mission: 5:30 a.m., daily
2. Peet's Coffee, downtown: 6:00 a.m., Sat/Sun; 5:00 a.m., M-F
3. Coffeetopia, Mission: 6:00 a.m., daily
5. Santa Cruz Coffee Roasting Co.: 6:00 a.m., daily
6. Westside Coffee, Mission: 6:30 a.m., Sat/Sun; 5:45 a.m., M-F
7. Emily's Good Things To Eat: 6:30 a.m., Sat/Sun; 5:30 a.m., M-F
8. Verve Coffee, downtown: 6:30 a.m., daily
9. Lulu Carpenters, downtown: 7:00 a.m., Sat/Sun; 6:00 a.m., M-F
10. Firefly Coffee, downtown: 7:00 a.m., daily
11. Kelly's French Bakery: 7:00 a.m., daily
12. Caffe Pergolesi: 7:00 a.m., daily
13. Companion Bakery, Mission: 8:00 a.m., Sat/Sun; 7:00 a.m., T-F; Closed: M
14. Cafe Iveta, Deleware: 8:00 a.m., Sat/Sun; 7:00 a.m., M-F
15. Cafe Brasil: 8:00 a.m., daily

Elgin Broom Bear Street Sweeper

The city of Sacramento seems to have one or more Elgin "Broom Bear" Street Sweepers, which I noticed cleaning the streets. I like the alliteration and imagery of the name "Broom Bear".

Early morning coffee shop

Really enjoying the early morning coffee shop window experience, this morning. I have a light rail train above me, which represents a comforting sight and sound. Community of people coming and going, so not lonely. The smell and taste of fresh, hot, bitter coffee, to wake me up. Fast internet, too!

One Wheel Electric Scooter

Occasionally, I see someone going to work on a one wheel electric scooter. 

Maybe an AirWheel?

Karl Gerhardt - Sculpture of Ulysses S. Grant

http://www.twainquotes.com/Gerhardt/grantbustdetails.html

Listening to Mark Twain's autobiography. They discuss this work. Gerhardt's sculpture represents the last artwork made of U.S. Grant, during his lifetime, and, per the autobiography, represents the best likeness, in the opinion of family and close acquaintances.

Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron

Peter Pan Pop Band & Singers ‎– Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron

My family owned this on vinyl and we listened to it. Apparently it came in two configurations...I believe we had the one with Puff the Magic Dragon.

A1 Snoopy Vs. The Red Baron
A2 Do Re Mi
A3 Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport
A4 Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor
A5 That's What We Learn In School
B1 Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter
B2 On Top Of Spaghetti
B3 The Return Of The Red Baron
B4   Puff the Magic DragonB5 How Much Is That Doggie In The Window

I always wished more songs existed about the battles between Snoopy and The Red Baron.

The song "Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport" seems a lot darker than I remember...lines like this went over my head, I think: "Tan me hide when I'm dead, Fred / Tan me hide when I'm dead / So we tanned his hide when he died, Clyde / And that's it hangin' on the shed!! / Altogether now!"

Good stuff. ; o )

Electric range burner covers

Looking for something to cover the coils on the top of our electric range, to stop debris from getting into the drip pans.

Reviews online seemed consistently disappointed with thin metal covers, as they dent easily and discolor.

Needs:

• Sturdy
• Will not discolor easily...for example, when setting a hot pizza pan on top
• White, if preferable, to match our range

Then, I realized we probably had two problems. I wanted something on which to set a pizza pan, for cutting. Our pizza pan has holes, which means the slicing process makes a mess. So we really needed something to set that on, which did not make a mess over the oven.

I actually like these insights, even if it means more problems to solve...each problem gets a simpler solution. A trivet or silicone baking mat would work, for the pizza pan slicing. A burner cover would work, for general protection from getting dirty. Perfect.

Our countertop needs a 2'x2' mat. We ended up getting Clever Chef Professional Grade Silicone Nonstick Baking Mat - Full Sheet Pan (23.58W x 15.75L).

Steam Folder Migration: USB 3.0 external storage drive, to internal SSD

We recently complete updating storage on Dawn's laptop, adding additional capacity and modifying partition sizes.

Today, we moved the Steam folder, from a Samsung T1 Portable 250GB USB 3.0 External SSD, to her newly expanded laptop internal SSD, loosely following the instructions on the Steam web site:

• Exit the Steam client application
• Browse to the Steam installation folder for the Steam installation you would like to move (D:\Steam, for us)
• Copy the folder to the new location; for example: C:\Program Files\Steam
• Delete all of the files and folders, in C:\Program Files\Steam, except the SteamApps folder and Steam.exe
• Rename D:\Steam to D:\SteamBackup
• For the first time only, launch Steam via "Run as Administrator", then log into your account
• Running as non-Administrator, Steam produced an error which said (paraphrasing): "Could not connect; please connect to a network and try again
• Running as Administrator did not produce the error
• Verify integrity of game cache(s):
• From the Library section, right-click on the game and select Properties from the menu
• Select the Local files tab and click the Verify integrity of game cache... button
• Steam will verify the game's files - this process may take several minutes
• Once the process is completed, the Check Window will automatically exit
• Manually update the Start Menu shortcut, for Steam: right-click on the icon, select Properties, then change the location the shortcut points to, so it points to the new folder (for us, we changed it from D:\Steam\Steam.exe, to C:\Program Files\Steam\Steam.exe)

Done. 

NOTES

• After you have some confidence that Steam works as expected, you can either keep D:\Steam as a backup, or delete it
• OK to start Steam as non-administrator, for all future uses...that first time, above, Steam needs administrator rights to repair itself

Previously, previously, previously.

Car tires

Was:
Goodyear Assurance P185/65R15 86T
Came with car

Now:
Bridgestone - Ecopia EP422 PLUS 185/65R15 88H, Manufacture #006138
$257.96 for four, with $70 multi-tire discount, plus install and fees, so ~$325 out the door.

Bob Zimway, Photographer

Subject's photographs appear at Westside Coffee Company's Almar Ave, Santa Cruz location.

Eggy bagel! : o )

Wool socks

On wool socks:

"That said, the suit-wearing man should usually be donning wool socks year-round. Wool socks do a better job of keeping feet warm in cold weather, and cool in hot weather. This is because wool socks are much superior at wicking water, keeping feet dry and regulating their temperature. All else being equal when it is warm cotton-encased feet will get hotter and sweatier, and when it is cold, they will get colder."

Via

Interested in the Dore Dore 100% Wool Over-The-Calf sock, but ... so expensive! Even on sale at $28/pair.

Smog Checks for California Hybrid Vehicles

The smogpocalypse! ; o )

http://www.bar.ca.gov/Industry/Industry_Resources/Q&As_Hybrid_Vehicles_in_the_Smog_Check_Program.html

Diploma frames

http://www.amazon.com/Lawrence-Frames-Certificate-Document-Mahogany/dp/B00G7KGU60/

http://www.target.com/p/room-essentials-back-bevel-document-frame-black-8-5x11/-/A-10353622

UCSC McHenry Library Digital Newspaper Displays

Collecting info on the newspaper displays in the lobby of the McHenry Library, which rotate frontpages from around the world.

Lee Jaffe's installation photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ldjaffe/albums/72157626824825533

• Modeled after installation at UC Berkeley International House
• "These photos document work on a 6-screen installation that will feature front pages from newspapers worldwide. The architects left us with pretty much nothing we could use and in fact added some extra surprises. I'm working with Doug Russo, a carpenter, to design and build this installation that we hope will compensate for the deficiencies of the space in an attractive and secure manner."
• "...the electrical raceway [was] added for a different project just before we started our installation. Nobody thinks this was done well -- there is conduit all throughout the wall and it could have been routed differently -- but there is no money to fix it at this point. We were able to reposition our installation a bit to cover some of the raceway but we cannot hide it completely." (photo)
• Installation occurred during summer 2011

Gifts funding the creation: "UC Santa Cruz receives $350,000 to create global café and reading garden at University Library"
http://news.ucsc.edu/2007/01/1028.html

• "Stephen Silberstein--cofounder and former president of Innovative Interfaces, a library software company in Emeryville, California-has donated $250,000 to create a global cyber café in the campus's newly expanded and renovated McHenry Library."
• "Plans for the UC Santa Cruz café include a rotating digital newspaper display that spotlights up-to-date front pages of approximately 140 newspapers from around the world. Representing the varied geographic areas of Asia, Europe, South America, Africa, the Middle East, and the United States, the newspaper exhibit is designed to contrast different global perspectives of current events."

UPDATE, 8/3/2015: A UCSC staff member writes:

"The person who was most directly involved with the implementation of this system has retired. I will try to answer your questions as best I can. 

The current newspaper display was installed in 2011 based on an earlier pilot installation in 2009. It uses Mac Mini computers and 30" Dell monitors. The image swapping is managed by the MacOS screen saver application. The newspaper images are .jpegs managed by newseum.org and those images are updated on that site daily. The library contracted with a programmer to do some customized scripting to automate the daily download of new newspaper images. Unfortunately, I do not have any contact information for that developer."

So, it sounds like a script downloads the fixed image URLs, from Newseum, which updates the image URLs, daily. For example, the Centre, Alabama, USA newspaper, "The Post". The script may copy the images to a folder on the computer driving each display (or perhaps a server folder). The computer then displays the images, in the configured folder, via native screensaver utility.

Seems pretty straightforward! I had wondered if Newseum represented the source; nice to see it confirmed. The script just iterates over a configured list of newspaper images, probably calling something like wget.

Note: Lee Jaffe may represent the retired staff member referred to, above. The 2009 installation seems to represents the install seen in several photos from Lee's Flickr account, prior to the McHenry Library remodel.

UPDATE: 04/08/2023 - 

Newseum as an organization dissolved in 2019. 

We stopped by the iHouse at UC Berkeley today and it looks like they removed their newspaper displays.

Here's how the UC Berkeley iHouse cafe displays looked as of September 17, 2019:

Photo courtesy IHouse UC Berkeley

 

"Computer Programming: What is the difference between developer, engineer, programmer, coder, architect, and consultant?"

• A programmer knows how to program computers.
• A developer is a programmer who sits in a cubicle and gets paid for it.
• A coder is a programmer who sits on a beanbag listening to techno in a black T-shirt and gets paid for it.
• An architect is a programmer who thinks up something really big for the other programmers to program, and gets paid for it
• A consultant was a programmer, but now wears a suit and tells developers, coders, and architects how they ought to develop, code and architect, and gets paid a lot for it.

Jon Peterson, via

Traceroute

oh?

"The default starting port in UNIX traceroute is 33434. This comes from 32768 (2 This comes from 32768 (2 15 ^ or the max value of a , or the max value of a signed 16-bit integer) + 666 (the mark of Satan)."

Via 

XOR Magic

Pretty cool!

Swap variables, without a temp variable : o )

Rocket Farms Bamboo

Purchased a Rocket Farms "Lucky" Bamboo plant (Dracaena braunii), at a local Trader Joe's.

The label details say it will "improve" luck...which represents a relief...sometimes they do not specify good or bad luck! ; o )

Care instructions

NOTES

• How I Keep My Houseplants Alive
• Water
• Filtered or distilled OK
• Tap water OK, but let sit overnight, so additives evaporate
• Low humidity can cause leaf tips to turn brown as well (via)
• In soil: should be kept moderately moist. Lucky bamboo doe not like to be soggy or dry. (via)
• Other (?)

Makers Market Santa Cruz

Visited the Makers Market Santa Cruz today, at Abbott Square.

We met local glass maker Zachary Rudolph, saw Nickelodeon popcorn for sale, and listened to live harp music, by local artist Jesse Autumn. Zachary had purple drinking ware for sale (note: other colors, as well). He practiced his sales-fu on us, but we resisted! : o ) Good stuff; hoping he keeps doing it.

Favorite Sounds

An ongoing list:

• Clacking of slow-moving, elevated light rail trains, from a distance
• Cicadas, in the summertime (audio)
• Frogs, at night
• Male woodland cicadas (Tibicen platypedia?), in redwoods: "...from male woodland cicadas, sending out their mating calls with "a cacophony of mechanical-sounding clicks." These little insects climb high into the trees, so that they're often heard but rarely seen." (via)
• Red-winged blackbird 💜 (example)
• Other (?)

Only as sick as your secrets

Having never attended AA, I had not heard this quote, until randomly hearing/reading about it the other day.

Hiyashi Tan Tan Men

Had this cold noodle dish at Ramen House Ryujin, in Sacramento.

Andrew Westerman

Westside Coffee, in Santa Cruz, features his photography.

Radio Songs

Heard on KOSF 103.7 FM, out of San Francisco, California:

• Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany-native Peter Schilling's "Major Tom (Coming Home)", from his 1983 album "Error in the System" on the Elektra and WEA Records labels. Video.
• London, England-native Murray Head's "One Night in Bangkok", from the 1984 album "Chess" on the RCA label. Video. Note: Murray Head also sang "Superstar" from the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar".
• London, England-formed Talk Talk's "It's My Life", from their 1984 album "It's My Life" on the EMI label. Video.

Heard on KBLX 102.9 FM, out of Berkeley, California:

• Detroit-native Kem's "I Can't Stop Loving You", from his 2005 album "Album II", on the Motown Records label. Audio.

Heard on KUSP 88.9 FM, out of Santa Cruz, California:

• Heard a classical tarantella . A fun exchange where the host did not know how to pronounce "roulette".

Cloning, Increasing SSD Partitions of Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon, 2nd Generation (Rel 2)

Used a Transcend 512 GB SATA III SSD, in the following enclosure, to clone the existing 128GiB SSD: "ZTC Thunder Enclosure NGFF M.2 SSD to USB 3.0 Adapter. Support UASP SuperSpeed 6Gb/s 520MB/s Black Model ZTC-EN004-BK"

• Really tough to insert the Transcend SSD drive into the ZTC M.2 SSD to USB 3.0 Adapter board (the adapter board and SSD then gets inserted into the enclosure)
• The adapter's USB 3.0 Micro-B receptacle seemed poorly soldered, most likely a factory defect
• After inserting the USB 3.0 Micro-B plug, Microsoft Windows recognized the adapter, then, after a few seconds, lost connection to it
• The adapter's blue LEDs turned on/off in the same way
• Physically bumping the adapter seemed to produce the same effect
• After some experimentation, I discovered flexing the USB 3.0 Micro-B receptacle, at a downward angle, allowed for a reliable connection
• After finding the workaround mentioned above, I sat for nearly 18 minutes, holding the adapter board perfectly still, at this angle, to complete the clone of the existing disk
• We did not use the aluminum enclosure, just the M.2 SSD to USB 3.0 Adapter...due to the faulty soldering...having the adapter in the enclosure did not allow for the workaround
• We used software Macrium Reflect Free, version 6.0.685 (17 June 2015); it worked perfectly--love it!

After cloning the internal disk, we replaced the 128GiB X1 Carbon internal SSD with the new 512GiB SSD:

• This went smoothly
• We needed to apply a non-trivial amount of force to unscrew the screw holding down the SSD
• Insertion of the Transcend 512 GB SATA III drive was no problem

Rebooting showed everything as expected!

Due to dual-OS configuration, on one disk, enlarging partitions had a few wrinkles:

• The original 128GB SSD had a hidden, 7GiB Intel Rapid Start Technology (IRST) partition, as the last partition
• We found no partition editors which would allow us to move this partition 
• After disabling BIOS IRST support and doing some research, we deleted this partition, with no ill effect
• The vendor seems to have labeled this partition "OEM", which caused a bit of confusion, initially...many posts advised, rightfully so, to not delete the OEM partition
• After deleting the IRST partition, we successfully moved the Ubuntu swap partition, allowing room to expand the main Ubuntu partition size
• After a reboot, we increased the partition size of the Microsoft Windows 8 C:\ partition (after taking a risk and deleting a 1.0 MiB partition which seemed unused)
• We also created a new IRST partition:
• Type = Unformatted
• Drive Letter = None
• Use diskpart to set the ID to D3BFE2DE-3DAF-11DF-BA40-E3A556D89593
• After creating the IRST partition, we re-enabled IRST in BIOS
• Hibernation works, as expected, with the system going into Microsoft Windows S4 sleep mode

So far, all seems well. Ubuntu and Microsoft Windows work, as expected. 

Cleanup tasks:

• Migrate files from external USB 3.0 SSD to internal USB 3.0 SSD
• Update Ubuntu
• (?)

Previously

Wanship

An "n"...or maybe an "r" (?)

Passed by this thought-provoking logo, on a trailer:

Note: Wanship seems to refer to the Utah city...however, the web site seems a bit vague.

Wisdom, from their History page: "Bruce said, the most important thing is to know what your costs are, and don’t run for less than your costs ! sounds simple, but as our industry has proven time and time again, overcoming that obstacle is something that is easier said than done."

"Dokdo Belongs to Korea"

Saw this sign, as I passed the dispensary, "Santa Cruz Mountain Herb," on Highway 17. It refers to Dokdo:

"The Liancourt Rocks,[a] also known as Dokdo or Tokto (Korean pronunciation: [tokt͈o]; Hangul: 독도; hanja: 獨島, literally solitary island) inKorean, and Takeshima (竹島/たけしま?, literally bamboo island) in Japanese,[2] are a group of small islets in the Sea of Japan. WhileSouth Korea controls the islets, its sovereignty over them is contested by Japan. South Korea classifies the islets as Dokdo-ri, Ulleung-eup, Ulleung County, North Gyeongsang Province.[3] Japan classifies them as part of Okinoshima, Oki District, Shimane Prefecture."

Tom Paine Slough

A thing I passed.

"Yesterday This Day's Madness did prepare...."

“Yesterday This Day's Madness did prepare;
To-morrow's Silence, Triumph, or Despair:
Drink! for you know not whence you came, nor why:
Drink! for you know not why you go, nor where.”

The Rubaiyat
By Omar Khayyam

Saw this today, at an Alhambra Theatre Fountain, now a Safeway, in Sacramento.