tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16281262282092250102011-11-27T17:52:49.117-06:00ShutterSparksWelcome to my musings on whatever topic or current event catches my eye, plus software, programming tips, recipes, photography, and what have you.<br><br><b>Comments are <u>welcome</u>!</b>ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.comBlogger150125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-28080139956966490422011-03-20T16:07:00.002-06:002011-04-20T16:31:53.311-06:002011-04-20T16:31:53.311-06:00The Mystery of the Non-Waterproof Hot GlueSix years ago I had a bad experience with hot glue. I expected it to be waterproof and it wasn't. I did an immersion test and within 3 days the glue turned into a whitish gelatin and fell off. That's barely water resistant and certainly not waterproof.
For waterproofing I usually lean towards silicone (RTV, silastic, aquarium cement). It works well in every application I've ever used it on.ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-1310914616743747262011-02-22T15:51:00.001-06:002011-02-22T15:53:04.922-06:002011-02-22T15:53:04.922-06:00The IEC Power Cord MysteryThe ubiquitous IEC power cord has been a part of everyone's life for almost 30 years. Nearly every device capable of running on different mains voltages and frequencies has one so the manufacturer can ship to different countries by simply changing the power cord to match the plug type used in that country. Great idea.
Every device that needs an IEC cord comes with one from the manufacturer. ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-82604737517974028282011-02-08T21:53:00.005-06:002011-02-08T22:12:27.090-06:002011-02-08T22:12:27.090-06:00Simplest Way to Play Raw PCM Audio on Ubuntu: libaoThere are a zillion ways for a Linux programmer to play audio through the sound card. This is the problem. There are many layers to the audio system, many ways to go, and most of them are very complex because multimedia is very complex.
But what if you have the simplest of all cases where you have a buffer in memory containing raw PCM samples, ready to play, and you just want to pump the data ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-38816519431317923602011-02-02T13:06:00.000-06:002011-02-02T13:06:48.826-06:002011-02-02T13:06:48.826-06:00Major Flickr AccidentPhoto sharing service Flickr accidentally deleted a user's photos. Five years and 4,000 photos are gone and there's no recovery, no backups. Read about it here:
http://techcrunch.com/2011/02/02/flickr-accidentally-wipes-out-account-five-years-and-4000-photos-down-the-drain/
If just the thought of this gives you a wave of nausea, there are solutions to the problem such as this one:
http://ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-26374198517850960382011-02-02T09:29:00.000-06:002011-02-02T09:29:17.302-06:002011-02-02T09:29:17.302-06:00Google catches Microsoft with pants down, copying search resultsFunniest thing I've read in a while:
http://www.gizmag.com/bing-copying-google-search-results/17759/ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-71989234342461186672011-01-14T09:36:00.001-06:002011-01-14T09:38:07.702-06:002011-01-14T09:38:07.702-06:00Install Fails, Files Out of DateThe other day I was trying to install the software for a digital oscilloscope and ran into a problem. The software is written in Visual Basic. The installer said that "certain files are out of date" and offered to update the files before rebooting the system. If you answer no, the installer quits. If you answer yes, the system reboots and when you run the installer again it repeats the "filesShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-61788792596864707202010-11-28T21:47:00.001-06:002010-11-28T21:51:42.000-06:002010-11-28T21:51:42.000-06:00High Light Bulb ChangerSo you have a light bulb in a high ceiling fixture and no ladder. What to do? Make your own light bulb changer.
Materials needed:
Broom stick with standard Acme threads
An empty 2 liter plastic soda bottle
An old cotton t-shirt
Small amount of tape (electrical, duct, masking, whatever)
Sharp knife
Steps:
1.) Cut the bottle approximately as shown in the photo. Be careful because this kind ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-81129522938135951162010-10-05T15:36:00.000-06:002010-10-05T15:36:41.299-06:002010-10-05T15:36:41.299-06:00The End is NighAs mentioned in a previous post, October of 2010 has five Fridays, five Saturdays, and five Sundays, which only happens every 823 years. Strange as that may be, another apocalyptic moment is coming this Sunday:
10/10/10 10:10
Exciting, huh?
The problem to be solved, however, is to determine in which time zone this date and time signifies the precise moment of destruction of the universe.ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-45370557175360345642010-10-02T12:45:00.000-06:002010-10-02T12:45:26.927-06:002010-10-02T12:45:26.927-06:00Another Apocalyptic MomentActually, it's an apocalyptic month this time. October of 2010 has five Fridays, five Saturdays, and five Sundays, which only happens every 823 years.
Nothing happened during our last apocalyptic moment, No Supernova Today. Maybe this one will bring Armageddon.
ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-27861670963413687882010-09-11T07:13:00.000-06:002010-09-11T07:14:45.904-06:002010-09-11T07:14:45.904-06:00What Were You Doing on 9/11 ?The Maya Paradise BBS has a thread where you can post your stories:What were you doing on 9/11?Let's hear your stories of that fateful day, September 11, 2001.ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-30387015680679487882010-09-03T11:49:00.002-06:002010-09-03T11:52:42.487-06:002010-09-03T11:52:42.487-06:00Raise Interest Rates!Here's some lateral thinking for you: Since late 2008, the central banks of the world have been pumping hundreds of billions of dollars into the world's banking and financial institutions in order to stimulate economic activity and head off a recession / depression. This is the right thing to do in a fiat money system when faced with this economic situation. (I'm not going to discuss my viewsShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-68712496430673228922010-08-29T07:30:00.010-06:002010-08-29T07:42:40.245-06:002010-08-29T07:42:40.245-06:00Boat NamesHopefully you'll laugh like I did:ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-90781299569963309232010-08-09T15:00:00.003-06:002010-08-09T15:04:07.578-06:002010-08-09T15:04:07.578-06:00No Supernova TodayAn interesting thing occurred early this morning. Shortly after 5 AM, there occurred 05:06:07 08-09-10.I'm pleased to report there were no major earthquakes, no tsunamis, Yellowstone caldera didn't blow up, no mass extinction, the methane clathrates at the bottom of the oceans didn't turn over, the LHC did not produce a planet-eating black hole, the earth's magnetic poles didn't reverse, the ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-51226467595786868202010-07-22T11:40:00.003-06:002010-07-22T11:50:43.624-06:002010-07-22T11:50:43.624-06:00Serious Flaw Threatens all Versions of Microsoft WindowsA serious flaw that affects all versions of Microsoft Windows, from Windows 2000 through Windows 7 has been discovered, publicized, and already exploited by hackers. The exploit is especially dangerous because all the user has to do is open a folder containing an infected file with a .LNK extension. The exploit then runs automatically.Malware already exists that exploits this flaw. At present ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-83375873955700299422010-07-14T11:59:00.001-06:002010-07-14T12:01:28.939-06:002010-07-14T12:01:28.939-06:00Microsoft Bing Is Paying for Users?Microsoft has now taken to paying people to use their search engine? Is it that bad?http://www.discoverbing.com/education/searchwithpurpose/?fbid=eU87ehBy_x8&wom=falseIt looks a little less blatant framed as a donation but then Microsoft has always been expert at putting lipstick on a pig.I never did understand why Microsoft would go after the web search market at all. Of all the things they ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-8071281563041281202010-07-07T14:17:00.001-06:002010-07-07T14:18:26.377-06:002010-07-07T14:18:26.377-06:00Elena Kagan Lost My SupportIt's too bad really. Elena Kagan has a brilliant mind and is supremely qualified academically to be a Supreme Court justice, but the confirmation hearings and a reading of some of her opinions reveals a fundamental wrong-headedness about natural rights.The wordings found in the Declaration of Independence (which is not the basis of law), and the Bill of Rights and Constitution (which are the ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-86149373240442812782010-06-09T08:41:00.002-06:002010-06-09T08:44:39.969-06:002010-06-09T08:44:39.969-06:00Cook Over Wood More EfficientlyA huge number of people in the world use wood fuel for cooking. Cooking over wood is very common here in Guatemala. Wood fires generally produce a lot of pollution and smoke, and result in deforestation in some areas. But wood is not such a bad fuel if we burned it more efficiently. The problem is that methods for burning wood are terribly inefficient. Most wood fueled cooking setups waste ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-29807242284227951992010-06-03T12:52:00.001-06:002010-06-03T12:54:29.913-06:002010-06-03T12:54:29.913-06:00The BP Blues by the Dirty CajunsShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-71322837450156616422009-07-09T12:35:00.001-06:002009-07-09T12:36:27.975-06:002009-07-09T12:36:27.975-06:00The Gandhi Model will not work in IranThe Gandhi Model of peaceful, non-violent resistance worked in India and it worked for the civil rights movement in the United States. Unfortunately, I don't think it will not work in Iran. The Gandhi Model only works if the ruling government is made up of people who have some basis in morality and who place at least some value on human life. But dealing with the rulers of Iran and the Basij ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-27649085438911875472009-06-28T04:41:00.002-06:002009-06-28T04:45:14.309-06:002009-06-28T04:45:14.309-06:00A Reality Check for the Recording IndustryFor several years now there have been stories in the news about the RIAA suing private individuals who engaged in music file sharing and downloading. Recently ASCAP tried to get into the act with the idea of charging royalties for ringtones and with their demands worded in such a way that it sounded like one would have to pay a royalty for whistling a tune.What we are seeing are the dying gasps ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-14818277965066782732009-05-30T15:33:00.003-06:002009-05-30T15:36:57.889-06:002009-05-30T15:36:57.889-06:00Flickr ExploreFinally got a couple of photos into Explore! again on Flickr. Yay!Click the photos to see much larger versionsShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-71471413018849396102009-05-23T13:09:00.002-06:002009-05-23T13:12:51.116-06:002009-05-23T13:12:51.116-06:00It Appears We've Finally Found the Evolutionary Missing LinkScientists have discovered an exquisitely preserved ancient primate fossil that they believe forms a crucial "missing link" between our own evolutionary branch of life and the rest of the animal kingdom.The 47 million year old primate – named Ida – has been hailed as the fossil equivalent of a "Rosetta Stone" for understanding the critical early stages of primate evolution.The top-level ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-15407300544903961722009-05-16T01:40:00.001-06:002009-05-16T01:40:09.390-06:002009-05-16T01:40:09.390-06:00STS-125 Atlantis Solar Transit (200905120002HQ)STS-125 Atlantis Solar Transit (200905120002HQ), originally uploaded by nasa hq photo.This photo is too cool not to post.In this tightly cropped image, the NASA space shuttle Atlantis is seen in silhouette during solar transit, Tuesday, May 12, 2009, from Florida. This image was made before Atlantis and the crew of STS-125 had grappled the Hubble Space Telescope. Photo Credit: (NASA/Thierry ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-20356218094761587302009-05-14T10:45:00.001-06:002009-05-14T10:55:23.773-06:002009-05-14T10:55:23.773-06:00We Grow 'Em Big in Central AmericaI just had to post this photo taken in Costa Rica. I hope you enjoy it.LagarteadaOriginally uploaded on Flickr by Néstor BaltodanoShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1628126228209225010.post-41975445407024656812009-05-09T10:38:00.002-06:002009-05-09T10:40:40.580-06:002009-05-09T10:40:40.580-06:00Scorpions Anyone?I thought I'd post a video made from several clips I shot of scorpions that one occasionally encounters here where I live.ShutterSparks / KW2Phttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18439661823512170380noreply@blogger.com0