Molecular dispersion beyond the integrity point

Monday, January 23, 2023

How to Distinguish Experts from Non-Experts

 


          If you can’t explain it to Grandma, it’s baloney.

1.       If they say, “It’s just too complex for you to understand,” it’s baloney.

          If the scientists or their company are making a fortune from it, it’s baloney.

          If it’s an observable phenomena but scientists are saying “don’t trust your own senses” it’s baloney.

          If they resort to bribing you, it’s baloney.

          If opposing views are suppressed rather than disputed by fact & reason, it’s baloney.

          If there’s a clear conflict of interest, it’s baloney.

          If it flies in the face of a century of previous science or art, it’s baloney.

          If the “experts” speak in absolutes w/ zero humility, it’s baloney.

          If anyone says “the science is settled”, it’s baloney.

          If you see a bandwagon forming, don’t get on. It’s baloney.

          If you detect a hard-sell, it’s baloney.

          If there’s censorship, and only one approved narrative, it’s baloney.

          If they keep changing their minds (masks bad, masks good, Trump vax bad, Biden vax good) it’s baloney.

          If it negates everything you learned in 7th grade biology class, it’s baloney.

 

Sunday, April 17, 2022

DIN Rail Mount DC Voltmeter

 I was setting up a DIN rail mounted 12VDC power supply for my permanently mounted telescope in my observatory.  Got it mounted in a 19" rack with a network switch and a rack mounted power strip, not b/c I need it, but b/c I wanted it.  Thought I'd put voltmeters on the AC side and the DC side, just b/c it would be fun and allow me to watch voltage while the scope is slewing to ensure voltage isn't dipping too much when the scope mount draws maximum current.


DIN rail mounted AC voltmeters are common and cheap.  The one I bought has a hole in the back that you pass the hot wire through on your AC input to monitor current. I guess there's a coil build into the device. Got that mounted and working.  


But try to find a DIN rail mounted DC volt meter.  I could not.  It's absurd.  Why do we need to monitor AC volts, but not DC volts.  But using my extensive powers of research from being an industrial planner, I could not find what I was looking for. 


So I built one.  

I used these two components: 

1.08 Width Universal DIN Rail Mount Clip Snap in Din-Rail Mounting Brackets DIN Rail Fixed Clamp Aluminum Alloy Solid State Relay Clip for 35mm Din Rail Black 4-Pack for $14.90 on Amazon

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B09QJ15K1L?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details
and 


Car Digital Voltmeter Gauge DC 12V, Waterproof LED Digital Display Voltmeter for Car Motorcycle, Power Energy LED Volt Meter for Car Battery Voltage Monitor (Red) for $11.89 on Amazon

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0787QFQ5N?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details

The meter comes with a piece of double-sided sticky tape.  I used TWO of the DIN rail mount clips, cleaned the surface with alcohol so the tape would stick permanently, and also cleaned the back of the meter.  I had a DIN rail mounted DC terminal board already, so just landed the red and black wires appropriately. 

Simple. Cheap. And it works.  It's the thing on the far left of the DIN rail.  I cranked the power supply up to 14VDC b/c the telescope mount likes that.





Tuesday, August 17, 2021

GE Window AC unit model AEL06LPL1 condensation pan drain hole location

 The GE Window AC unit model AEL06LPL1 has no proper drain hole to drain condensation from the unit. Instead it has a drain from the indoor section under the evaporator to the outside section under the condenser fan.  What's supposed to happen is that you mount the unit such that it's slightly higher on the inside, so condensation drips down the evaporator, then runs outside and into the "sling pan" under the condenser fan and gets slung into the condenser.


If this hole gets plugged from dust or dirt or whatever, water builds up in the inside section under the evaporator and starts dripping into the house.  Major pain.


I fixed this by taking off six sheet-metal screws on the outside section, prying the cover wide on left side as you're looking at it from the outside section, and using a long piece of #8 allthread, poking the drain passage until it started draining.  


It would have been really nice of the designers at GE to put an access port in the inside section of the unit to allow something to be poked through this drain passage.  But they did not.


I've gotten a lot of years out of this window unit, and it's operated great, energy efficient and good little cooler.  This is honestly the first trouble I've had with it.  Fortunately the water inside didn't ruin much.  Just some old magazines and a small section of drywall.  Frustrating though. 


Friday, February 22, 2019

Worst Customer Service Experience from Costco buying a refrigerator

This review was "moderated" by Costco, which means they refused to put my review on their website.

So I'm publishing it here.

Fridge arrived dented, did not make ice, the water stopped working after a day, major hassles getting a refund. 

Long version: Costco Shipped on 02/12/2019, Delivery Date:02/14/2019. They arrived at the house at about 1:30, which was in the noon-4PM window they said. They were on time. From there, things went downhill. 

Guys comes to deliver the fridge from Costco. They starts to disconnect the water line, and water spills out onto the floor. Delivery guy tells my wife that the valve isn’t holding, and says he may not be able to connect the new fridge, suggests setting it in the living room & not taking away the old fridge. He calls his boss to ask what to do. Meanwhile, Pearl looks at the valve and sees that it’s open. It’s a quarter-turn ball valve. She shuts it. HEY! Look! No more water leaking. Fine. So they install the new fridge. They tell her this is their 13th delivery today and they have five more to go. 

Oh look, there's a dent in the new fridge in a visible place. Fairly significant dent. 

I get on Costco Customer Service Chat online. They offer me $100 to keep the scratch-n-dent fridge. I say not enough, ship me a new one. 

They tell me in order to get a new one processed you would need to contact GE directly and get it processed through them as they do internal exchanges and require to set up delivery and pick up the same day with you. So I call GE. 

Called once 2:10pm 2/14/2019 – System hung up on me 

Called again 2:12 got a robot run-around then they hung up on me again 

Called again 2:14 PM, please hold for the next available agent, Trisa (Home Delivery Support) answered, said she needed to check on this unit to see if it’s available and asked me to hold (I just bought the bloody thing, you’d think it would be available). Came back on after a short time, said it is available (whoopee), and offered deliver on 2-21-2019. I said yes. She put me on hold for several minutes again to get that set up for us. She gave me return authorization number and said it would be delivered on 2-21-2019. 

That's A WEEK! 

15 hours after the new fridge is plugged in, it’s still not making ice, and it’s barely cold in the fridge section. The freezer section works. My daughter’s wedding is in a week, and we’ll have guests in the house starting a few days from now so now my wife wants me to postpone delivery of the new, hopefully undented fridge until March. I dread calling GE again and going through their idiotic robot system. 

Already overall this is the lamest experience I’ve had with Costco service. 

12:50 PM 2-15-2019: got on Costco Customer Support online chat, with LaQuita T: She could not help me at all, referred me to Costco Tech Support 1-866-861-0450. 

1:05PM 2-15-2019: Called Costco Tech Support, was on hold for 5+ minutes, then talked with Maria, she generated Case #. 

She Called GE. GE put her on hold. Maria made a Case # but could not help so transferred me to Costco.com to process a refund. 

Talked with Lee from Costco.com – he generated Service Request And said we would get a call within 5 to 7 days from the company to pick up the old fridge, and then I would get a refund. 

A week later a truck shows up with ANOTHER NEW FRICKING FRIDGE. When my wife says no, the driver marks “refused delivery” on the paper. He hauls away the broke fridge at her request. 

I get on the phone again to make sure the refund will be processed correctly. Called Costco.com 1-800-955-2292 spoke with Crystal at 2/21/2019 10:10AM, told her the tech who came today put on the paper that we refused delivery. Pearl told him that we did NOT refuse delivery, we asked for a refund not a replacement. The tech did indeed haul away the fridge Costco sent us. Crystal told me old (new) fridge was supposed to be picked up by “large freight” – then the refund would be processed She goes off line to connect with GE Appliance, I’m on hold for a long time. She’s online with GE appliance department – she will contact delivery driver to see why they brought out a new fridge. I’m back on hold waiting for that answer. Long hold. Crystal told me she had straightened it out and that yes, they did try to deliver a new fridge because one had been requested, but that they would process the refund within 3-5 days. Call ended 10:28 AM.

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

WALK OUT: Chris Mahar’s steely-eyed rules for buying a car, a truck, a horse, whatever:


OVERRIDING RULE: Always be ready to walk out. Always.  At all times.  No exceptions. Make your tolerance for walking out very, very low.  There are many dealers. You deserve what you tolerate.  Do not tolerate their crap

Note: this assumes you will get your own financing. If you're going with dealer financing you are at their mercy, and I pity you.

  1.  Walk out. Do not buy on the same day you first looked at the car.  Get the best price, then leave. Think about it.  Can you see yourself in this car?
  2. Tell the dealer, right up front, that there is only one number you're interested in; the drive-away-with-it price.  If they start trying to bury you with numbers, walk out.  This includes extras like rugs, window etching, paint coatings, and other sundry nonsense.  Walk out.
     
  3. Don't lie.  There's enough of that going on already.  And besides, there's nothing to be gained for you. If they lie, walk out.
     
  4. Before you buy, look with your own eyes at the actual title to verify this is not salvage, rebuilt, scrap. If they won't show it, walk out.
     
  5. Do not sign anything that has blanks or places not filled out.  Refuse to sign.  If they demand, walk out.
     
  6. Get everything in writing.  No verbal guarantees, warranties or promises.  They won't trust you, nor should they.  Don't trust them to act like anything but car dealers.
     
  7. Do not let the dealer run your credit more than once. Actually they shouldn't need to run it at all if you have your own financing. If they insist, walk out.
     
  8. Don't tell them how much you're willing to spend.  They'll ask.  Tell them you have your own financing.  After that, ignore them.  If they press, walk out.
     
  9. Don't bring a checkbook when buying a vehicle.  Don't bring a check. Set a price, then go get the money.
     
  10. Don't buy an extended warranty.  Don't pay to transfer one unless it's a spectacular bargain with nearly no restrictions.  They're universally a scam. If they insist, walk out.
     
  11. Take a nice long test drive, without the dealer if possible. If they won't allow it, be ready to walk out.
     
  12. Questions:
    1. What's the warranty?  What is not covered?
    2. Is the title clear? Show me
    3. Is it certified?  What does that mean for me?
       
      If you're buying new, you don't have to worry about a lot of this.  Still, always be ready to walk out.  Always.
       

 

Resources for buying a vehicle:

Auto Trader Magazine https://www.autotrader.com/

Kelly Blue Book https://www.kbb.com/


Costco Auto Program https://www.costcoauto.com/


True Car www.truecar.com


Tuesday, May 22, 2018

#LavaPorn - the best shots and videos of the volcanic eruption in Hawaii in May, 2018

I'm transfixed by shots of lava and the volcanic eruption that started in May, 2018. There are some awesome videos coming out, and as a service I'd like to capture and curate some of them here.






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzHCd2X1GaM&t=328s
10 minute video of guys walking around and right up to the slow lava flows


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1yV1kTrVGA
Helicopter footage of fast moving lava


https://www.facebook.com/USGSVolcanoes/videos/2035599389801945
Similar to above, helicopter video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtihmXFWqGo

Live footage of a lava geyser


http://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/hawaii-volcano-deadly-laze-could-be-released-as-lava-pours-into-ocean/news-story/b6db14773aec2aae08f0948f709a81be
Good news article with some great photos and videos

Reuters photos
https://www.reuters.com/news/picture/hawaiis-erupting-kilauea-volcano-idUSRTS1SEGD


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddzU-rkzKF0


More Lavaporn. Turn the music off. It's just stupid. Also don't need to see the dumb grass-skirted bobble thing or rubber duck. We're in this for lavaporn, don'tcha know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hbMLhcLWRs





Sunday, November 6, 2016

The Six Minute Career, by Chris Mahar

The Six Minute Career, by Chris Mahar
00:00:00 Jack felt a lightness in his chest as he accepted the first job of his new career, received his password, and logged into his new company’s internal website.  The training and education for this job had been grueling and at times painful, like a hot knife in his brain.  But he’d demonstrated the right propensity, and stuck with it to become a design engineer specializing in plasma flow measurement.
00:00:05 The task list immediately appeared on his augmented reality headset, and began scrolling by.  Jack’s breath hitched and he put a shaky hand to his forehead over his AR visor. There was so much to do.
00:00:10 He took a deep breath, savoring this moment of starting a new career, then dove into the task list, prioritizing and sequencing based on the new knowledge in his head from the intense learning session he’d just completed. The new auto-teaching system imprinted directly onto the brain, overlaying a new career over any old ones that were already there.  The process was like a knife to the skull, but lasted only a minute, and at the end left you fully trained to begin a new career, albeit with a very narrow specialty. General training took longer, usually several minutes, but was only available to certain people who had a capacity for it.  Being a specialist and not a generalist, Jack’s training never took long, and when it ended he always felt puffed up and fidgety, ready to take on the new and unfamiliar job.
00:00:20 Other workers appeared in his peripheral vision, and he got a hint of the people he was working with on the project, redesigning a spacecraft plasma pump from an old class of freighters. It wasn’t the most glamorous job, but first jobs in any career rarely were.  
The command interface wouldn’t let him focus on the people around him, but it allowed him to be aware of their rough appearance, their roles in the job, and, vaguely, their gender and manner of dress.  They weren’t physically present in the workstation with him, of course.  They were augmented reality manifestations of real people all over the world who had been specially trained for this type of work, and hired for this job based on their specialty.  But being together virtually aided in the work because they could each see what the others were doing, which allowed brief but potent interactions that furthered the project.
00:01:00 Jack heard their voices around him asking and answering questions, giving data, acknowledging tasks on the list and adding more tasks as the job took form.  As he worked, adding his details to the job, designs appeared on his AR.  He manipulated them, added the bits he was responsible for, and checked what others had done that related to his work.  Slowly at first, but with gaining speed, he ticked tasks off his list.
00:02:14 Red warnings flashed on his AR, indicating he’d made an error that conflicted with someone else’s work.  Several men swore, and one woman giggle.  He instinctively turned to apologize and got a glimpse of a thin Asian woman with her arms crossed and face tightened.  Then the AR caught up with his motion and put his work front and center, the woman appearing only as a shadow to one side.  He corrected his mistake, rerouting tubing that interfered with her work while muttering an apology.  He heard sighs and chuckles from a few of the others.  He thought he heard one of them say, “Noob,” but wasn’t sure.  The AR normally only amplified and transmitted discussion that related to the job, so he may have mis-heard.
00:02:45 Red faced from embarrassment, Jack continued working. The design was taking shape, and he worked feverishly to keep up, making sure his small part of the work followed the design principles, fit harmoniously with the whole, and interfaced neatly with other systems on the overall job.  As it came together he felt his face relax, and some of the tension in his chest eased.  He learned of a new innovative ceramic alloy that popped up in a window on the corner of his view, and incorporated it into his design section, then noticed that several others had also included the new alloy in their sections.  It allowed the part to be even lighter and stronger than originally designed, and he sat a bit straighter in his chair, his eyes bright from the improvement to the design.
00:03:30 He noticed others leaning back from the job, reclining slightly in their chairs, and heard a bit more bluster in their comments and questions to each other.  Some even criticized the work of others, despite the final part exceeding goals and design specifications listed when the job had began.  He could see that they were looking around, but knew the AR interface wouldn’t let them look away from the job for more than a fraction of a second before it adjusted.  Careers were so short these days that there was not time to be wasted on socialization. Jack had heard about a time when people had only six or seven careers in their lifetime.  He had lost count of all the careers he’d had.  He had memories of dozens of careers, but knew that when the imprint overlayed onto your brain, some knowledge was pushed out or overwritten, and he was sure he’d had many more careers than he remembered.
00:04:40 Work on the project was slowing as the last few touches were placed on the design of the part.  Jack knew, from his flash training, that once the part was designed, it would be mass produced, likely for several days, until a newer model was needed. He took a moment to glance at a journal article his command interface had flagged as related to this project, and saw in the summary that plasma flow measurement technology had advanced since this job had started, and much of what he’d learned about it was now obsolete.  He considered taking a refresher course, but this project was so close to completion that he couldn't spare time away from it.  
00:05:25 Jack’s part of the work was essentially finished, but he couldn’t legally post for another job until he received notice he’d been released for this one, which seemed particularly unfair.  He twisted his hands together as he scanned journals with a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.  Technology had moved so quickly while he worked that nearly everything he’d learned no longer applied.  A refresher course wouldn’t suffice. If he was going to stay with this speciality, he would have to get educated all over again.
00:05:35 Jack’s release slip appeared on his AR visor, an electronic  pink slip indicating that he would be released in 30 seconds with a reasonable bonus, and that this company had no further work for him.  No hope of another job here.  He gritted his teeth and thought that it was inconceivable that this company, the biggest spaceship design outfit in the solar system couldn’t find another job for him, especially after all the fine work he’d done on this job. He heard others in the virtual room groan as they got the same news.
00:05:39 Jack posted his resume on the job boards, hopeful that one of the smaller design firms might have work for an experienced and skilled plasma flow design engineer. The virtual room would evaporate in just a few seconds, and others were discussing what they might pick as their next career. The medical field seemed like a popular choice.
00:05:49 His gaze darted over the job specifications scrolling by, fingers twitching involuntarily, but no jobs offers appeared in his specialty.  His shoulders sank as he realized he would definitely have to learn a new career.
00:06:06 His arms fell to his side, lifeless, as he thought about his decision picking this career. One job. It had lasted one job. Again.  Why did this keep happening? The career counselor had been so sure that specializing  in plasma flow measurement would guarantee him jobs well into the future. Of course, he hadn’t paid extra for that councilor, taking whatever the school offered. And he knew that large corporations paid colleges to give advice and counseling that worked to their advantage. He clenched his fists in anger.  Didn’t the school have an obligation to their students?
00:06:19 Alright, he thought. He had allowed himself his moments of pity. Now he leaned forward in the chair, eyes brightening, and dialed up the college catalog, prioritizing careers based on the latest career counseling advice. It was time he picked a new career. This time he’d find one that got him more than one job before it became obsolete.  This would be his seventh career before lunch break, and he was determined to make it last into the afternoon.  He picked a promising career from the menu, and keyed up the neural interface, feeling that familiar hot knife in the brain sensation.  This time he would be a medical instrumentation designer specializing in wireless kidney implant monitoring.  His knowledge of plasma flow faded, and through the pain of imprint he felt a surge of pride in his new career.