The Whole Ed Cata-Blog

Auto Parts @ Amazon.com

2009-07-06T00:47:00.001-05:00

Amazon.com Widgets

As with other items available online, you will find that no one source has the best prices on all auto parts. Since most of Amazon.com's auto parts are supplied by a variety of third-party vendors, you will find an especially wide range of prices here.

I wish I could say otherwise, but after working with the "Part-Finder" to the left, I found it pretty obvious that auto parts are not Amazon's main stock in trade. Nonetheless, you'll want to check Amazon for your automotive needs, and I'm going to do what I can to make that process easier.

First, although it is by no means obvious, there is a Parts-Finder Site Map which lists all the different makes for which parts are available. Although you may find only a few parts, such as spark plugs for some makes, this page does indicate the breadth of parts available.

Like all part-finder applications, Amazon's is only as good as the information in its database (which comes from various suppliers). While a part may actually be available, the part finder will not find it unless the vendor has listed your specific vehicle in their data. The best approach is often to search the "all of automotive" category for a specific part number which you have determined to be the correct one.

For example, Ford lists a "dual function reservoir" on several vehicles with dual gas tanks for a couple of years around 1989. I don't even remember the correct designation for my 1989 F-150, but the "base part number" is 9B263. Ford includes extraneous characters in their part naming scheme to make one part seem like many distinct parts. As of this posting, when searching for 9B263, two parts are displayed: F1UZ-9B263-B and F1TZ-9B263-B. They are the same part. Not similar, or compatible or work alike -- the same. There is no guarantee that the number on the part you recieve will even match the part you ordered, except for the base part number. Sweet!

Drilling down to 1989 Ford F-150 Fuel System Ford, is totally useless because the Amazon database doesn't "know" that the part fits.

Another example from the same project is the 1989 F-150 fuel filter for this truck. Besides listing a bunch of parts that are completely unrelated, the part finder doesn't realize that you can upgrade the recommended filter to a 1991 Crown Victoria filter, even though the old six-banger is listed under "see all vehicles this product fits." BTW, I can't recommend Fram. They used to be a very reputable brand, and although I haven't personally had any problems with their products, there have been far too many complaints lately to be ignored.

Textbooks for Back-to-School

2009-07-03T07:35:00.001-05:00


Search

I was recently asked to write a page on textbooks, and although it may seem to be a little early to be thinking about back-to-school, given the lead time required for search engines to find and index pages it is if anything a little late -- at least from my point of view.

I suppose this is as good a time as any to mention to all my friends, fans, and family who actually go out of their way to purchase Amazon.com items through my links, that "all links are created equal." Amazon used to pay a premium to associates for items purchased directly from a product link, but that has been discontinued. Now any time you visit Amazon.com by clicking on one of my links, a "cookie" is set containing the appropriate Amazon Associate I.D. and any purchases made during the next 24 hours are credited to me, as long as the cookie is not reset by clicking on someone else's link.

The reason I mention that at this time is that Amazon has some more advanced seach functions for specific textbooks on their texbook homepage. It is often important to get the exact textbook assigned including the correct edition, since minor variations will cause a problem if for instance "pages 90 - 135" are assigned.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that textbooks are a very specialized market. In the "publish or perish" world of academia, many professors will be teaching from their own books, which are sometimes very low-volume items. While Amazon.com is usually an extremely economical source for books in particular, there are cases where the local campus bookstore will save you a few dollars, particularly if you are looking for used textbooks. If finances are an issue (and they usually are) you should check all available sources before making your purchase.

If you are selling a used textbook, you will often be able to get more by selling it through Amazon, although the process is more like selling an item on eBay than simply taking a book to the campus bookstore and taking whatever they are currently paying for that title.

The Martha Stewart Collection

2009-05-30T10:23:00.001-05:00

If you like the Martha Stewart Collection, you may have been disappointed when it became a Macy's exclusive. I know I was, since the line was a very popular with my Amazon customers. Well, now in a separate deal, Macy's has contracted with Amazon to handle their online sales.

If you are new to Amazon, you will find that these "third party" sales are essentially the same as direct Amazon sales. The main difference you will notice is that the Amazon search function may include extraneous items, and it may be harder to browse through categories to see what is available.

Of course Amazon still carries Martha Stewart Books, and even has a Martha Stewart Bibliography page, in addition to the popular Martha Stewart Magazines and Martha Stewart DVDs. What has changed is that the Martha Stewart Collection products have moved into the Macy's Store, which makes them harder to search for. Furthermore, it is virtually impossible to find the Martha Stewart Bed & Bath Sale Items, the Martha Stewart Dining & Entertaining Sale Items, or the Martha Stewart Kitchen Sale Items without considerable drilling down. This is also true for the Martha Stewart Clearance Items.

The Links below are a site map for Macy's Martha Stewart pages, which require considerable drilling down to reach (except from here!) If you like Macy's but don't have a store near you, you might want to subscribe to this blog, since I am planning similar articles for other popular Macy's departments and brands.

Gifts

For the Home

Dining & Entertaining

Kitchen

Decorative Accents

Bed & Bath

Rugs

Clearance

Amazon Kindle : The Perfect Graduation Gift?

2009-05-20T07:28:00.002-05:00

Amazon.com's proprietary Kindle Wireless Reading Device is one of the best kept secrets in electronics. In contrast with Apple's iPhone media blitz, Amazon generates sales that often outpace their Kindle production capacity with little more than their own web-based promotion. While the First-Generation Kindle is now fairly well-known, the same cannot be said for the updated Kindle 2, or the upcoming Kindle DX, currently available for delivery this summer.

Kindle readers include a subscription to Amazon's Whispernet 3G Wireless service, subject to certain limitations. Although the terms of the contract could be clearer, it seems that normal web browsing is permitted. The service explicitly includes free downloads of first chapter previews, and discounted electronic "kindle" versions of 275,000+ books to date. Amazon is currently negotiating with several major textbook publishers, which potentially will dramatically increase the value of the Kindle to collegians.

Amazon acquired Mobipocket in April 2005, so Windows users can download the free Mobipocket Creator 4.2 Home Edition software, allowing them to convert a wide variety of files into the kindle-supported .PRC format. Understandably, Amazon doesn't aggressively publicize the fact that thousands of public-domain titles are freely available in this form from Amazon, Mobipocket, Project Gutenberg, and others.

For Apple enthusiasts, there is a Kindle App for iPhone and iTouch, although these devices obviously suffer from their small screen size. You will find useful information on Amazon's "Shopping the Kindle Store on Amazon.com" page, but it would be well worth the nominal fee to download The Kindle 2 Cookbook: How To Do Everything the Manual Doesn't Tell You

Popular Women's Shoes @ Amazon.com

2009-04-23T22:59:00.001-05:00

Amazon.com recently rearranged their Women's Shoe Department, no doubt as part of the launch of their endless shoes and handbags subsidiary. This had the unfortunate side-effect of invalidating all the links in my Shoe Mania aStore. Paradoxically, my shoe sales soared. Apparently the programming that Google uses to determine the "significance" of the pages they index prefers a bunch of blank navigation pages over pages that actually link to products.

I'll resist the urge to wander off into a discussion of search engines and search engine marketing, except to make the point that using a vendor's own on-site search is frequently more productive than relying on one of the major search engines to find the products you want. To that end, I've cobbled together a couple of remote search boxes that will help you find what you're looking for on either the Amazon or Endless sites. They seem to work now, but because they rely on the vendor's software, they could break down in the future. Please feel free to leave feedback using the comments link at the end of this article.

Here are some popular shoes sold here in the past ten days. Clicking on the name of the shoe will take you to a perfectly functional Shoe Mania page with limited navigation. Clicking on the picture will take you to endless.com, and hovering your mouse over the "@ Amazon" link will bring up a pop-up with additional information, or clicking on it will take you directly to the appropriate Amazon page.

Anne Klein New York Women's Amannda Slide @ Amazon	Anne Klein New York Women's Tabatha Platform Sandal @ Amazon	Annie Women's Amber Sandal @ Amazon
Annie Maka Dress Sandal @ Amazon	Boutique 9 Joleen Sandal @ Amazon	California Magdesians Women's August Pump @ Amazon
Circa Joan & David Women's Presley Pump @ Amazon	Kathryn Kerrigan Sabrina Slingback @ Amazon	Lifestride Women's Mariah Slingback @ Amazon
Oh! Shoes Women's Reflex Pump @ Amazon	Penny Loves Kenny Women's Attar Sandal @ Amazon	Penny Loves Kenny Women's Attar Sandal @ Amazon
oh DEER! Women's Waldorf Pump @ Amazon	LifeStride Women's Caitlin Slingback @ Amazon	Easy Street Principle Dress Sandal @ Amazon
Bandolino Women's Berry Pump @ Amazon	Vince Camuto Angie Peep Toe Sandal @ Amazon	Annie Sadie Evening Dress Sandal @ Amazon
Charles David Women's Jester Sandal @ Amazon	farylrobin Women's Kyrie Pump @ Amazon	Miss Me Women's Kate-8 Moccasin @ Amazon

Free Indie Rock MP3 Downloads

2009-04-22T08:32:00.008-05:00

I was minding my own business (to the extent that I actually do that) when I happened on the Free Indie MP3s banner above. Well that certainly called for a web posting. Before I could even finish this page I realized that I had stumbled upon the motherlode of free mp3s.

If Indie isn't your thing, no problem. Amazon has thousands of completely legal free mp3's in virtually every style.

Barsuk Records: 2009 Amazon Digital Sampler	2009 Bar/None Records Sampler
Sub Pop's Amazon Sampler	Anti Sampler 2009
Secretly Canadian 2008/2009 Sampler	Jagjaguwar 2008/2009 Sampler
Dead Oceans 2008/2009 Sampler	Saddle Creek sampler 2008-2009
Slumberland Records Spring 2009 Sampler	Arts & Crafts Label Sampler
Victory Records Label Sampler	Worn & Grazed: A Park the Van Sampler

Valentine's Day Sales @ Amazon.com

2009-02-09T08:09:00.001-06:00

Amazon.com regularly features gift suggestions, although the page link can be a little hard to find. These suggestions include seasonal favorites, in this case for Valentine's Day. This year they are sweetening the pot with a 30% off sale on select jewelry and a couple of other sales listed below:.

The intimate apparel sale gets you a $10 discount on purchases of $50 or more FROM ONE SELLER. Most of the more "exotic" selections are over $50, so that shouldn't be a problem. If you find something nice for less, you can add some shorts or something to reach the $50 threshold. There are also a lot of items in the $25 range if you want to double up. You can browse all the selections, or concentrate on these sellers:

You can save $10 on select Men's & Women's Fragrances by entering the promo code FRAGFEB9 at checkout time on orders of $59 or more. Like most of these promo code offers, this one can't be combined with other specials in the same order, although you can submit two or more separate orders any time. Note that "Fragrance" includes not only the obvious perfumes and colognes, but also a number of bath and aromatherapy needs.

There are a number of sales in the Gourmet Foods section. Some of these are specifically Valentine's day sales (expire February 14th) but many will be available afterwards. In addition to the Amazon Gift Guides, be sure to check out the gourmet Valentine's gift items

Fresh cut flowersare very popuilar on Valentines Day. In fact, Valentine's Day is for florists pretty much the same as the Christmas shopping season is for retailers generally. Amazon.com features flowers from two major suppliers: ProFlowers and Falcon Farms. Because flowers are perishable most will automatically be shipped next day air, but you can schedule February 14th delivery as long as you order by midnight February 11.

Valentine's Day Gifts by Category

2009-02-09T07:58:00.004-06:00

I actually found Amazon's Valentine's Gift Guides more confusing than helpful, but maybe that's just me. You should look at the main pages (in large type below) as they do have handy links based on price ranges. Beyond this most of the links aren't really recommendations, but just links to Amazon's main category pages. I used to refer to these as "top-level" categories, but that is no longer accurate. What distinguishes these "main" pages is that they contain a lot of extra navigational links and editorial content, which you may or may not be interested in. The subcategory pages are less verbose, and are compiled "on the fly" from Amazon's database.

If you are looking for actual suggestions, I believe I have included all of those pages in the links below. Some of them are a new page format (at least it's new to me.) There are a number of subcategories included on "tabs" across the top of the page. I've included the direct links separated by a colon and slashes. These pages seem to load pretty fast, so I think it's an improvement even if it might be confusing at first.

Amazon's gift suggestions tend to have a holiday-specific theme. If that isn't what you are looking for, You might be better served by the gift guides for girlfriends or wives or the gift guides for boyfriends or husbands. These and more can be found on the (generic) gift guide page.

Valentine's Gifts for Her

Valentine's Day Books : Romantic Fiction / Dating and Mating / Wining and Dining / Literary Love / Reads for Little Cupids
Call and Tell Someone You Love Them : Cell Phones / Unlocked Cell Phones / Prepaid Cell Phones / Cell Phone Accessories
Valentine's Gifts for your "princess" : Pink / Princess / Furry Things / Yoga / Lounging
She Hearts... Pink Tools
Make Some Valentine's Day Delights (Seasonal Bakeware)

Valentine's Gifts for Him

Gifts For Yourself

Gifts You'll Heart... at Prices You'll Love (I) : Bacon / Chocolate / Coffee
Gifts You'll Heart... at Prices You'll Love (II) : Vampires / Aliens / Superheroes

Gift Ideas in Automotive

Valentine's Day Apparel @ Amazon.com

2009-02-09T07:55:00.001-06:00

These Valentine's Day gift ideas from Amazon.com are basically just searches for various terms in the appropriate apparel sections, although they do involve some imaginative uses of the "or" function. The main headings will take you to the Amazon "Gift Ideas in Apparel" page, which includes some additional links based on price range.

Gift Ideas in Apparel for Her

Gift Ideas in Apparel for Him

Earth's Best Organic Baby Food @ Amazon.com

2009-02-06T10:05:00.002-06:00

Grocery prices are outrageous, and Amazon.com is as susceptible to as anyone to price increases. But their extensive line of non-perishable groceries include a lot of products that may not be available in smaller markets, and they may be cheaper than the same items in large urban centers. This is especially true when you include transportation costs, since most items qualify for free shipping on orders over $25.

In spite of the competitive nature of the grocery business, I'm sure many people could save time and money by having Amazon deliver their groceries. I think the problem is that too many people just don't realize that the service is available. Even fewer realize that they can save an additional 15% and automatically qualifiy for free shipping with the Subscribe and Save program.

This is definitely a niche marketing proposition. Unfortunately Amazon doesn't ship any variety of Hormel Spam to Hawaii where it is very popular and shipping costs are high. We'll be featuring more products as our geographically diverse customer base brings the hidden values to our attention.

Today we're featuring Earth's Best Organic Baby Food, a great product line that may not be available in many local stores, and you can save another 15% by entering the coupon code EARTHBE3 at checkout on many selected items through February. Hover your mouse over the product name for current pricing, or click to go straight to the page. You can also click on the "aStore" links for a faster-loading "Amazon Lite" page. Here are just a few of the popular products available:

1st Sweet Potato (24)	aStore
1st Pears (24)	aStore
1st Peas (24)	aStore
1st Carrots (24)	aStore
1st Bananas (24)	aStore
2nd Antioxidant Variety Pack (12)	aStore
2nd Country Gourmet Meals Pack (12)	aStore
2nd Dinner Variety Pack (12)	aStore
2nd Fruit Variety Pack (12)	aStore
2nd Vegetable Variety Pack (12)	aStore
2nd Seasonal Harvest Variety Pack (12)	aStore
2nd Strained Pear Mango (12)	aStore
2nd Plum/Banana/Rice (24)	aStore
2nd Beef Carrots & Corn (12)	aStore
2nd Chicken Tomato Pasta (12)	aStore
2nd Banana Apricot Mixed Grain (24)	aStore
Sesame Street (Toddler) Organic Crunchin' Crackers (6)	aStore
Toddler Snackin' Fruit Hearts Blueberry (12)	aStore
Toddler Sunny Days Snack Bars, Apple (6)	aStore
Sesame Street (Toddler) Organic Cookies, Oatmeal Cinnamon (6)	aStore
Tots Cereal Bars, Strawberry (6)	aStore
Tots Cereal Bar, Strawberry Banana (6)	aStore
Tots Apple Peach Banana Juice	aStore

Legend of the Seeker

2009-02-01T09:26:00.006-06:00

Perhaps you were too busy with your preparations for Halloween or the presidential election to notice the debut of the new Disney/ABC Domestic Television series "The Legend of the Seeker".based on Terry Goodkind's epic fantasy series, "The Sword of Truth"

Executive producers Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert certainly have the necessary experience to bring this series to the small screen, having collaborated on "Hercules: The Legendary Journeys" and "Xena: Warrior Princess". (Both are available from Anchor Bay Entertainment.) The wild New Zealand locations are, as always, perfect for the genre.

Goodkind has resisted selling the screen rights to the "Sword of Truth" franchise in the past, but agreed to the ABC/Disney deal because he was convinced that their treatment would be true to the original characters and stories. That is not to say that the TV series is a direct retelling of the stories in the books, so reading them will not necessarily "spoil" the television experience.

These twelve books in the Sword of Truth series are also available as mass-market paperbacks:

One of the challenges of adapting a story into a television series is to create reasonably complete story lines for each episode while continuing to advance the plot of the overall saga. ABC has provided some help here by making full versions of the first season episodes available online as well as a documentary Legend of the Seeker: A First Look as a free download on iTunes

Here are links to the first nine Legend of the Seeker installments with a very brief synopsis just to remind you of which one goes with which title:

Prophecy/Destiny
Episodes 1 & 2 are combined, perhaps because they introduce the premise for the series. Simple woodsman Richard Cypher learns that it has been prophesied theat he will become The Seeker, "a hero who arises in the times of trouble and suffering and seeks out evil." We meet Kahlan Amnell, a sort of beneficent priestess or Confessor sworn to protect the Seeker, and Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander, a powerful wizard who is secretly Richard's real grandfather.
Bounty
Evil D'Haran Emperor Darken Rahl puts a price on Richard's head and magical maps that track his location are distributed.
Brennidon
Richard's birthplace is captured by Darken Rahl's D'Haran hoardes, and his supposed mother held captive.
Listener
Our heroes save a boy named Renn from Rahl who naturally wants to use the boy's psychic abilities for evil.
Elixir
When their horses are stolen, Zedd must defeat his former student, Jeziah.
Identity
After having a vision of Richard's death, the sorceress Shota magically exchanges his identity and that of a merchant's son, Gryff.
Denna
We learn of Denna and her Mord'Sith sisters -- a cult of evil dominatrices who are apparently Darken Rahl's answer to the Confessors. Richard kills Denna, but she'll be back.
Puppeteer
Zedd poses as a puppeteer to obtain the third Box of Orden, one of a set of magical items Rahl desperately desires to posesss.
Sacrifice
Well, well. Kahlan's sister isn't dead after all, and she's at least eight months pregnant. This can't be good.
Confession
Somebody's using a magical orb to cover up the murder of members of the D'Haran resistance.
Home
Release Date: 21 February 2009
Revenant
Release Date: 28 February 2009
Hartland
Release Date: 7 March 2009
Conversion
Release Date: 14 March 2009

Real World Economics

2009-01-21T01:52:00.002-06:00

Few Americans would profess much understanding of economics. In fact, they understand economics perfectly. It is the arcane mumbo-jumbo of econometrics and finance that confounds them. As former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan testified, he doesn't really understand those disciplines either.

The traditional definition of economics is: the study of the allocation of scarce resources. These are the everyday "kitchen table" issues we all deal with on a daily basis. I think people understand well enough that if you spend money on one thing, it's no longer available to spend on something else. If you endlessly pour $10 billion a month into an ill-advised and tragically mismanaged war, you don't have it for other projects that just might possibly be more beneficial.

Moreover, most people understand something the Wall Street "geniuses" have missed -- that all the money in the world won't do you much good if the planet becomes uninhabitable. When the above definintion was posited, certain resources seemed limitless, and therefore were not considered economic commodities. How could anyone charge for clean air and water? They were freely available to all. I think it's high time that definition was ammended to read the study of the allocation of finite resources.

Just as current government economic models failed to forsee the entirely predictable housing bubble, they completely ignore The Tragedy of Commons, as described in the influential 1968 Science article by that name. The problem is that economic models are only attempts to describe the aggregate behavior of real people. When they work, they're valid. When they don't work they're B.S. Thinking that The Laffer Curve, or other complicated equations can replace common sense is the most profound lack of understanding of economics of all.

Rescinding the plutocratic Bush tax cuts isn't "class warfare," or "socialism" -- its the same progressive income tax we've had since the beginning. The notion that increasing rampant income inequality is somehow "good for the economy" is another big lie designed to scare the disenfranchised into accepting exploitation by the investor class.

Unless you reject capitalism altogether, the idea of investment is reasonable. You entrust your savings to a business in exchange for a proportional share of their profit (or loss). Some of the most successful investors, like Warren Buffet approach investing just that way. But when trading becomes an end in itself, it's no longer investment -- it's gambling. I have no moral objections to gambling, but I know this: when you lose you pay up. You don't whine to the Department of the Treasury that the mortgages you've been hawking are worthless, and therefore it's up to the taxpayers to bail you out.

Here again, the beltway brain trust has a lot of complicated explanations why this unprecedented greed and incompetence should be rewarded, while the man on the street understands perfectly -- he's being robbed blind. Never forget this lesson: The Republican Party as it exists today is the party of privelege and irresponsibility. There may be a few honorable men in that group (Chuck Hagel comes to mind), but in general they are beneath contempt and should be thrown out of office wholesale. The Democrats aren't perfect, but you can say this about them: They're not Republicans.

The proposed economic stimulus plan isn't out of committee yet, but we know two things about it. It includes investment in roads, utilities, schools, and other economic goods that people can use -- and the Republicans have suddenly come to Jesus about deficit spending. "Why invest in America? Look at all the wonderful things deregulation and sloth have produced." Don't buy it. You can tell they are lying because their mouths move.

We'll come out of this recession or depression or whatever it is just as we always do: people will tighten their belts and concentrate on necessities. People need food, but they don't need delicacies. They need clothing, but they don't need fashion. Shelter is a necessity, but ostentatious mansions are not.

In hard times, people spend less on entertainment, and more on do-it yourself activities, whether that means auto repairs, starting a nice vegetable garden, or just doing some chores for a neighbor, perhaps in exchange for a home-cooked meal.

One way or another, people find a way to be productive whether they have a job or not. Despite of the fact that most of this activity is "off the books," (or maybe because of it) eventually things begin to turn around. If Hollywood or professional sports suffer, do you really think they will suffer very much?

Hydraulic Valve Lifters

2009-01-15T14:50:00.003-06:00

Hydraulic valve lifters are a wonderful invention introduced by Pierce-Arrow in 1933. Briefly, this is what they do:

Four-cycle engines have a camshaft which opens and closes the intake and exhaust valves through connecting parts that comprise the rest of the valvetrain. Because the optimum valve opening is relatively precise, and because the valvetrain parts are subject to thermal expansion and contraction, a specific amount of space known as valve lash must be provided on a cold engine.

Hydraulic valve lifters or tappets are also known as hydraulic lash adjusters, because that is what they do. When a valve is closed oil can enter the lifter pushing a cylinder within it until the rocker arm (in the case of overhead valve engines) contacts the valve stem, producing zero valve lash. When the camshaft pushes on the tappet its fill port is blocked, so it functions as a solid lifter would. This process is automatic, and does away with the need for periodic valve adjustment.

This makes for a very quiet valvetrain. Except in rare conditions where the tappet "pumps up," it also prevents serious damage to valves and even pistons that can occur when the valve lash is set too tight. Other things being equal engines equipped with hydraulic lifters tend to be durable, since the pitfalls of improper valve adjustment are avoided.

Of course, hydraulic lifters do wear out. How long they will last depends on engine design, maintainence, and conditions of use. As a general rule of thumb auto engines with 75-100 K miles are candidates for valve lifter replacement. When you begin to hear valve noises, you should inspect the entire valvetrain, replacing parts as needed. There is no reason most engines won't go 400 K miles if this is done.

This is a surprisingly easy process with inline engines, although it's a bit more complicated than changing spark plugs or oil filters. With a V-6 or V-8 engine, you may have to remove the intake manifold, in which case you should be familiar with the operation of a torque wrench. Depending upon your specific engine, you may have to remove a number of parts to gain access to the valve cover and pushrod cover. Consult your repair manual for details.

On a typical OHV engine, removing the valve cover will reveal the rocker arms, the pushrods, and the valvestems with their associated springs and keepers. These will be filthy, so it's a great benefit to clean them now using aerosol carburetor cleaner for starters. Since carb cleaner tends to be corrosive, I like to follow that with a thin coating of Marvel Mystery Oil.

Much is made of the importance of keeping the pushrods in their original positions and alignments. This is because small differences in wear patterns will only work against you if you mix them up. It's probably a good idea to just replace the lot of them. Pushrods are pretty cheap compared to the labor involved in getting to them, and they are likely to be filthy inside and out. You want your valvetrain to wind up at the tight end of the specified valve lash range -- wear will tend to make it looser over time.

Once you've removed and either catalogued or discarded your pushrods, you can access the tappets by reaching down through the cylinder head, preferably with a tappet remover, but you can't get them out. To do that, you have to remove the pushrod cover. This will also be filthy, and needs a thorough cleaning. Oil lubricates the entire valvetrain, as well as acting as the hydraulic fluid in the tappets, so cleanliness is essential to a lasting repair.

Pull the old tappets, and replace them with new ones. Coat the new tappet with engine assembly lube or regular oil. You may want to coat the bottom where the tappet contacts the cam with a bit of axle grease. You don't want any excessive friction or galling from a dry start, so apply lube generously wherever new parts contact anything. Reassemble the engine in the opposite order you dismantled it.

This is only intended as a general guide, but you can see that depending on your specific engine, there are relatively few steps to this whole procedure, and you should be able to manage it if you take your time and address any unforseen "bumps in the road" as they occur. Given that your beloved car or truck might last longer than you do it's a pretty worthy project.

PC-BSD 7.0.2

2009-01-06T02:50:00.001-06:00

I'm not easily embarassed, but I should have looked around the FreeBSD Site a little more before my last post. I was so thrilled to see changes in FreeBSD 7.0 that would help me to finally get my MySQL server set up "right," that I completely overlooked PC-BSD. I assumed that it was yet another branch in the BSD code tree, and that since it was new, it couldn't amount to much yet. Wrong!

One of the biggest challenges in building a *NIX network is to get all the component programs and their dependencies sorted out to build a useable desktop environment. This is one area where Linux distros have outpaced the BSDs. PC-BSD, it turns out is not a new BSD branch, but simply a distribution of the current STABLE FreeBSD release.

The distro includes a selection of software packages and its own PBI (Push-Button Installer) utility. Together, these constitute a desktop operating system that is easy to install and use, while preserving FreeBSD's full range of configuration options "under the hood." I'm juggling boxes now to get something Pentium Threeish to test this on!

For more information see The PC-BSD Quick Start Guide.

FreeBSD 7.0

2009-01-04T21:07:00.002-06:00

BSD is the best kept secret in the world of desktop operating systems. And by "secret," I mean not the least bit secret, completely out in the open, freely available to all, and entirely open source. Talk about hiding in plain sight! So what is it?

Let's begin with a little history: UNIX is a multi-user multitasking operating system developed in 1969 by AT&T employees at Bell Labs. The name is reference to an even earlier OS Multics, so it's ironic that the copyrighted name UNIX® has been so jealously guarded for all these years. Almost as soon as UNIX appeared, various organizations began to create their own software around the same general framework, most notably UC Berkeley with their Berkeley Standard Distribution -- BSD for short.

With so many versions of *nix floating around, it was inevitable that the POSIX (Portable Operating System Interface) API would be formulated to ensure interoperability. So all the flavors of BSD, Linux, SunOS, Irix, HP/UX, etc. can now be called simply "POSIX-compliant UNIX-like Operating Systems" (or just *NIX). All this development occurred in the realm of big iron, since Intel's first multi-tasking CPU (80386) didn't arrive until 1986, followed by POSIX in 1988.

The Regents of the University of California released the BSD code into the public domain in 1990, and the first x86 architecture port of BSD -- 386BSD followed in 1992. So, if there's been a perfectly serviceable network-ready clone PC operating system freely available since well before Windows 95, why are so few people using (or even aware) of it?

One reason is that it's free. A lot of people automatically distrust freeware. There is also no particular incentive to promote or advertise FreeBSD and its variants, although some enthusiasts (like me) do what they can in terms of advocacy. Then there is the question of suitability for a given task. *NIX is much better adapted to network server applications than to stand-alone desktop use. Finally, Windows and *NIX are very different in their general philosophy.

Windows requires relatively little expertise to successfully install and operate. Everything is done automagically by wizards. BSD is vastly more configurable, but that versatility comes at a price: You need answers where you didn't even know there were questions. That isn't an insurmountable problem -- BSD has some of the most extensive and complete documentation available for any software. Unfortunately, accessing that information can be a bit overwhelming -- like taking a drink from a fire hose.

Here's what to do: the next time you replace a computer (or see one being discarded), use it for your BSD project box. There's no substitute for diving right in and getting your feet wet. If you've already tried this in the past, try again. The 7.0 Release is a big improvement over previous releases in terms of ease of installation and configuration. Don't worry if you can't get everything you could possibly want up and running in an afternoon, that would be an unrealistic expectation. Just fiddle with it when you can and before long you'll be amazed at what that old "piece of junk" computer can do unencumbered by an operating system so "advanced" that you need a new computer for every new OS version.

Now I'm not even going to attempt to tell you how to use BSD in you particular circumstances, or even which flavor is best for you, but I will point you to some significant resources:

The FreeBSD Handbook (volume I) This users manual will take you step by step through the process of installing FreeBSD on a PC-clone and setting up a graphic user interface, which should be a more comfortable environment if you are accustomed to Windows.
The FreeBSD Handbook (volume II) This administrators guide focusses on network server tasks.

Like the OS itself, these resources are available online, but sometimes a hard-copy edition is much handier. Even if you are installing a version of BSD other than FreeBSD, this documentation will be helpful.

You may want to get installation CDs, but if you have broadband internet, I recommend that you try installing from an FTP server first. It's surprisingly easy and (sort of) fast. All you need to do is follow directions to prepare 5 floppy disks, then the rest of the distribution will be downloaded as needed during the installation process. (Try that with Microsoft!)

After you have installed BSD you will have access to the manual pages accessed by the command "man <command>". Start with "man man" to learn more about the man command itself, and since you probably can't read fast enough to absorb the whole page as it flashes by use the pipe (|) character to redirect output to "more," a simple utility that displays one page at a time. So you'll type "man man | more" (without the quotes) then press enter.

Like Perl, *NIX make easy things easy and hard thing possible. Enjoy.

The Blue Angel - Der Blaue Engel

2008-12-30T22:09:00.002-06:00

	No Classic Film collection would be complete without Josef von Sternberg's The Blue Angel, and this is the only version to have! I've looked for this DVD many times in the past without success, and now I know why. Early film-makers weren't sure that their industry would even survive, much less that it would become the zillion dollar behemoth it is today. They didn't anticipate rereleases, much less 24-hour cable reruns and DVD sales. Incredible as it may seem to aficionados, this is one of the many great films thought be lost, until a copy was unearthed in Berlin recently.
The film is not merely classic (Many critics put it on a par with Citizen Kane), but truly historic. While the perennial favorite Cabaret is about Weimar Germany, The Blue Angel is a complex allegorical tale of Weimar Germany. Based on the novel Professor Unrat by Heinrich Mann, the film centers on the relationship between the stuffy professor Emmanuel Rath (Emil Jannings) and cabaret singer Lola Lola (Marlene Dietrich).
Jannings is rather obscure today, but he was a big star when the film was shot in 1930, winning the first-ever "Best Actor" Academy Award two years before. Ironically, it was Sternberg's ingénue who stole the show. This first major German "talkie" is generally regarded as Dietrich's debut, although she had in fact worked on stage and in films in supporting roles.
The film made her an international sensation and introduced her signature song "Falling in Love Again". I won't synopsize the plot: "Boy meets girl -- Germany's most disturbing home videos ensue..." Suffice it to say that this film would be difficult to make today -- including as it does themes of female domination, sado-masochism, bondage, humiliation, cuckolding and even some kind of kinky stuff.
Based on some of the Amazon Reviews for this DVD, I fear I need to belabor what should be obvious: This is not a porno flick. No pizza delivery boys or bad jazz bass licks. It's an Art Film. There is a lot of sexuality involved, to be sure but it was shot in 1930 for crying out loud. The production values are not what you would expect today, although German director Wim Wenders did an excellent job with the restoration.
What you will find is a complex story line with some excellent acting and directing. Furthermore, both the German and American versions are included in this release, which were shot concurrently not overdubbed. You can even view the two versions side-by-side. Ausgeseitnicht! And, by the way there is a film version of the newly restored American cut which will have its U.S. premier at the 14th annual Berlin & Beyond festival in San Francisco January 19.

Obama Cabinet Members

2008-12-20T06:15:00.011-06:00

President-elect Obama announced the last of this cabinet-level nominations Friday. Having run on a platform that promised to unite America, the list is notable for its ethnic, gender, and ideological diversity. It is said that compromise is a solution that pleases noone, and while these cabinet picks have already been widely criticized by both the left and the right, their expertise has been little disputed.

After eight years of Karl Rove's divisive politics of the perpetual campaign, it is refreshing to see glimmerings of a return to efficacy in public life. Obama has never been the left-wing extremist that Republican spin-doctors have portrayed him as, and it appears that he intends to make good his promise to be a president for all America -- if the "loyal opposition" gives him half a chance.

Obama says he wants to have the benefit of diverse opinions and vigorous debate before setting policy and Doris Kearns Goodwin's quotable Lincoln biography -- Team of Rivals has often been referred to in this context. Reportedly, John McCain responded: "Senator, I served with Abe Lincoln. I knew Abe Lincoln. Abe Lincoln was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Abe Lincoln." -- but I think that's just a joke.

Herewith are brief descriptions of the prospective new cabinet members, subject to Senate confirmation:

Secretary of State	Hillary Clinton
Secretary of the Treasury	Timothy Geithner
Secretary of Defense	Robert Gates
Attorney General	Eric Holder
Secretary of the Interior	Ken Salazar
Secretary of Agriculture	Tom Vilsack
Secretary of Commerce	Bill Richardson
Secretary of Labor	Hilda Solis
Secretary of Health and Human Services	Tom Daschle
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development	Shaun Donovan
Secretary of Transportation	Ray LaHood
Secretary of Energy	Steven Chu
Secretary of Education	Arne Duncan
Secretary of Veterans Affairs	Eric Shinseki
Secretary of Homeland Security	Janet Napolitano

Steven Chu (Energy)
	Chu is a Nobel Laureate in physics and the director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where he has emphasized technology to reduce greenhouse emissions. He helped to establish Stanford's Bio-X program, which encourages a multi-disciplinary team approach to problems frequently lacking in scientific research. He has also fostered cooperation between academia and industry, brokering a deal between the Berkeley Labs, the University of Illionois, and BP. Although controversial, this consortium is advancing scientific research in an environment where alternative energy funding has been conspicuously lacking.

Hillary Clinton (State)
	Former first lady and Democratic primary contender, Hillary Clinton is on of the most recognizable names in American politics. During her college years, she supported Barry Goldwater in 1964, but by 1972 had become transformed into a supporter of Eugene McCarthy. It is therefore ironic that her refusal to characterize her vote on the Iraq War Resolution as a mistake arguably lost her the Democratic nomination. During her distinguished career as a lawyer, first lady, bestselling author, and senator, she has established herself as a strong advocate for human rights -- a reputation that should serve her well as Secretary of State. Her books include: It Takes a Village, An Invitation to the White House: At Home with History, and Living History.
Read more about Hillary Clinton
Tom Daschle (Health and Human Services)
	Since his demonization by the Bush administration despite his decidely moderate voting record and his narrow defeat in the 2006 senate race, respected and popular Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle has focussed on health care. His book Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis is a mixture of sound public policy and political pragmatism that should be required reading for the American voting public. Skyrocketing health-care costs are as great a threat to the economy as the Iraq War and the lack of a coherent energy policy, and we can only wish Daschle well as Secretary of HHS and director of the coming White House Office of Health Reform
Read more about Tom Daschle
Shaun Donovan (Housing and Urban Development)
	At 41, Shaun Donovan is the youngest of the Obama nominees, but he has still assembled an impressive resumé. After completing his degree in public administration at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government and an advanced degree in architecture at the Graduate School of Design, Donovan served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Multifamily Housing at HUD, and as an acting FHA Commisioner. In 2004 he became the head of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

Arne Duncan (Education)
	Another youthful Obama cabinet designee, Duncan played basketball at Harvard, where he graduated magna cum laude in sociology. He became director of the Ariel Education Initiative, enhancing children's educational opportunities on Chicago's South Side in 1992. In 1998 he joined the Chicago Public Schools, where he became Deputy Chief of Staff for the Schools CEO in 1999, whom he succeded in 2001.
Read more about Arne Duncan
Robert Gates (Defense)
	Gates is probably the best Secretary of Defense one could expect from the ideologically-skewed Bush administration. Even as the impending redefinition of our middle east policy argues against an immediate shake-up of the top-level military command structure, those ranks have simultaneously been purged of those unwilling to endorse the nonsensical Bush Doctrine. Gates was nominated Director of the CIA in 1987, but withdrew when it became clear that the Senate confirmation would be hampered by his role in the Iran-Contra debacle. Daddy Bush nominated him again in 1991 and he was confirmed. He retired from the CIA in 1993 and during the Clinton years occupied several positions in academia, including president of Texas A&M University. Gates declined the junior Bush's nomination as Secretary of Homeland Security in 2001 and as Director of National Intelligence in 2005. He was appointed to the Iraq Study Group in 2006, but resigned upon his nomination as Secretary of Defense. Gates recently wrote a summary of his vision for DoD in Foreign Affairs Gates has written three books: Iran: Time For A New Approach (with Zbigniew Brzezinski and Suzanne Maloney), From the Shadows: The Ultimate Insider's Story of Five Presidents and How They Won the Cold War ,and Understanding the New US Defense Policy Through the Speeches of Robert M. Gates
Read more About Robert M. Gates
Timothy Geithner (Treasury)
	As president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Geithner has been in the eye of the recent financial storm, but who is he? To be fair, Federal Reserve bankers usually keep a low public profile, so Geithener's relative anonymity isn't surprising. Washington and Wall Street insiders seem to think he is an excellent choice, which doesn't exactly fill me with confidence. On the other hand, it's hard to imagine anyone being confirmed that couldn't pass muster with those groups. On the plus side, Geithner is said to be extremely intelligent, which can't hurt in the effort to correct the mess he's inheriting. He is also said to be very internationally-minded, and to view income-inequality as a serious problem -- two significant breaks from the current administration. Geithner was Undersecretary of the Treasury for Foreign Affairs under Secretaries Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers -- two "moderate" Clinton appointees that aren't exactly blameless in the current SNAFU. Geithner is also a member of the Group of 30. Geithner has been enthusiastically endorsed by a couple of economists who do have significant public profiles: Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich and recent Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman, so I guess we'll all have to give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

Eric Holder (Justice)
	Despite Holder's extensive resumé, the press has generally focussed on two things: If confirmed, he would be the first African-American Attorney General (actually he has already been acting Attorney General pending Ashcroft's confirmation), and he has publicly acknowledged that he gave former president Bill Clinton questionable advice concerning the Marc Rich pardon. I think the public should know more than that. Holder will be succeeding, in my opinion, the three worst Attorneys General in American history, and his task will be nothing less than to restore respect for the rule of law in America. He is said to be extraordinarily even-handed both as a prosecutor and as a jurist. If that means he will apply the law without prejudice to the rich and powerful as well as to the disenfranchised, great! If it means he will do the politically expedient thing to avoid rocking the boat, I fear for the Republic. Congress has already chosen that path. There is no doubt that any number of high-profile public crimes have been perpetrated on George W. Bush's watch. The question is: will the lesson be "no one is above the law", or "you can't fight city hall?"

Ray LaHood (Transportation)
	Bipartisanship was a theme of the Obama campaign, but many were suprised by his nomination of outgoing Republican Congressman Ray LaHood for Secretary of Transportation, not so much because of his party affiliation as because of this relative lack of transportation credentials. LaHood is one of those populist Midwestern Republicans, said to be a decent man and a good manager. He has voted with the Democrats on a number of transportation-related issues. One clue is that in Washington-speak "transportation" boils down to the ongoing feud between roads and rail. (Can't we have both?) In that regard, LaHood and his associations in the House of Representatives might be helpful in implementing a long-overdue overhaul of the nation's rail system. Beyond that, this one's a puzzle to me.

Janet Napolitano (Homeland Security)
	Janet Napolitano received her Juris Doctor degree from the University of Virginia Law School, which certainly signals a new direction for the heretofore mostly useless Department of Homeland Security. She has been an outstanding two-term Governnor of Arizona and a rising star in the Democratic party. Since her appointment will cede the Arizona governor's mansion to Republican Secretary of State Jan Brewer, one can only assume tha Obama intends to make Homeland Security a real department.

Bill Richardson (Commerce)
	Democratic presidential contender and Governor of New Mexico Bill Richardson is no lightweight, and many considered him a more logical choice for Secretary of State than Hillary Clinton. Speculation is rampant that his selection for the Secretary of Commerce spot signals an increased role for Commerce in the coming administration. Commerce touches upon several key areas of the Obama agenda, including foreign trade, technology, and environment. Richardson's skill as a negotiator will certainly be useful in reshaping the American landscape as we move away from an oil economy toward something new and more sustainable. Richardson is the author of two books: Between Worlds: The Making of an American Life, and Leading by Example: How We Can Inspire an Energy and Security Revolution
Read more about Bill Richardson
Ken Salazar (Interior)
	Environmentalists are less than pleased with the appointment of Ken Salazar, whose record on green issues is described as "mixed." The mainstream position on environmental issues as regards the Department of the Interior has long been that we should have a "balanced" approach combining environmental protections with "constructive" use of public lands. While this sounds reasonable, this approach has led us to the brink of gloabl catastrophe, with the best available science indicating that if we could magically reduce our carbon emissions to zero today considerable damage would already have been done which would play out over the next several decades. Salazar will not be operating in a vacuum, though, and depending upon the policies he is asked to implement, he could be a tolerable choice. At least there is no indication a Salazar Department of Interior would exist solely to trade cocaine and hookers with representatives of the most egregious despoilers of the land.
Read more about Ken Salazar
Eric Shinseki (Veterans Affairs)
	Former Army Chief of Staff General Shinseki is the first of many high-ranking officers demonized for telling the Bush administration the truth -- in this case that it would take hundreds of thousands of troops to stabilize post-war Iraq. He is a capable and dedicated officer who will doubtless do what he can with the antiquated mess that is the current Veteran's Administration. I'd like to see the VA buy up the Afghani opium harvest, but that would upset the pharmaceutical companies, wouldn't it? Whatever else happens, look for Shinseki to develop innovative approaches to old problems and to rock the boat if necessary to get the job done.
Read more about Eric Shinseki
Hilda Solis (Labor)
	Hilda Solis is arguably the only genuine liberal in a cabinet notable for its centrist politics. As a representative for the 31st and 32nd California Congressional districts from 2000 to the present, she has had an excellent record on labor and civil rights issues. After decades of vigorous Republican Union-busting and luke-warm Democratic support, Solis just may be what the Democrats (and the country) need right now.
Read more about Hilda Solis
Tom Vilsack (Agriculture)
	Tom Vilsack is the first Democratic Governor elected in Iowa for 30 years. He is another centrist, pick and some would say on matters of Agriculture leaning to the right. In the past he has come down on the side of large corporate farming operations on a number of issues. Note that the "free-market" zealots are strangely silent on the huge farm-subsidy budget, which although touted as friendly to the family farm actually favors agri-business. There doesn't seem to be much change in the offing here.
Read more about Tom Vilsack

Children's Boot Sale @ Endless.com

2008-12-19T08:42:00.001-06:00

Bearpaw Little Kid/Big Kid 405P Lug Boot @ Amazon	Western Chief Toddler/Little Kid FDUSA Rain Boot @ Amazon	Bearpaw Toddler/Little Kid 410 TPR Boot @ Amazon	Bearpaw Little Kid/Big Kid 410P TPR Boot @ Amazon
Western Chief Toddler/Little Kid Camo Rain Boot @ Amazon	Kamik Infant/Toddler Astro Boot @ Amazon	crocs Toddler/Little Kid Nadia Boot @ Amazon	Western Chief Infant/Toddler Ladybug Rain Boot @ Amazon
Kidorable Toddler/Little Kid Ladybug Rain Boot @ Amazon	Kidorable Toddler/Little Kid Dinosaur Rain Boot @ Amazon	Western Chief Toddler/Little Kid Rain Boot @ Amazon	Kamik Toddler Rocket Snow Boot @ Amazon
Western Chief Infant/Toddler Spider Rain Boot @ Amazon	Kamik Toddler Snowbug 2Boot Insulated @ Amazon	Western Chief Little Kid/Big Kid Dino Rain Boot @ Amazon	First Kiss Little Kid/Big Kid Callie Boot @ Amazon
Chooka Toddler/Little Kid Primary Dots Rain Boot @ Amazon	Western Chief Toddler/Little Kid Kitty Rain Boot Pink @ Amazon	Western Chief Toddler/Little Kid Cowgirl Rain Boot @ Amazon	Western Chief Little Kid/Big Kid Spider Rain Boot @ Amazon

Clean Your Tank II

2008-12-18T03:24:00.000-06:00

It started innocently enough -- the "dual function reservoir" on my 1989 Ford F-150 got plugged up with tarry residues from the gas and the rear tank no longer worked. I didn't really have the time or money to deal with it, so I just continued to drive using the front tank only. It actually took me a long time to figure out that the problem wasn't with the rear fuel pump, which was the obvious (and wrong!) conclusion. A gummed-up fuel tank selector valve actually sends gas from the front fuel pump to the engine, then returns it to the rear tank, which eventually overflows. No wonder my gas mileage was so abysmal!

Eventually I began to have driveability problems, which I attributed to "bad gas." What I had yet to realize is that there is no "good gas." Gasoline is a terrible fuel for internal combustion engines. The tarry residues that gummed up my fuel system are a ticking time-bomb that will eventually claim any gasoline (or diesel) engine. If your car or truck has a diesel engine, Do It Yourself Biodiesel conversion is easier than you might think and well worth considering. In any case, you need to get the injector-fouling glop out of your tank.

In Clean Your Fuel Tank!, I explained how you can effectively clean your tank using commonly available household products. This is a reasonable alternative if you can't find a local shop to clean the tank, or if you just want to save some money over professional cleaning or a new tank. If you have a little background in chemistry, you won't find anything too surprising there, but others may find it a little disturbing to think about pouring Drano in their gas tank.

As I continued with my repair saga, I had to do a little research on which of the many new flavors of Permatex would be best to reconstruct the discontinued grommet that holds the anti-rollover vent in place and the gaskets for the fuel tank lock rings. (It's Permatex Ultra Rubber Gasket Sealant & Dressing.) Searching for "rust remover" in order to find the link for Permatex Naval Jelly, I happened upon the KBS Fuel Tank Sealer Kit.

If you're uncomfortable pouring corrosive chemicals into your gas tank just because some conspiracy theory wing-nut on the internet says it's a good idea, I can't blame you. On the other hand, this kit provides you with an alternative set of "store-bought" corrosive chemicals and a little confirmation if you decide to go the cheaper route. The kit consist of three products, which are also available separately:

AquaKlean (gallon) Also available in quarts, this is a heavy-duty degreaser. So is Drano.
RustBlast (gallon) Also available in quarts, this is a rust remover and metal etch like naval jelly. Rust Blast also leaves a zinc phosphate residue, so failure to use this may void any KBS warranties.
Gold Standard is the special tank sealer coating which seems to be available only in the tank Sealer Kits, at least through Amazon.com. If your tank is already leaking, I'd recommend a new tank.
RustSeal (gallon)

quarts

pints

After agonizing over the pros and cons of coating my tank, I decided that the possibility of large amounts of rust getting through my fuel filter was just too troubling. Better to completely rustproof the tank. Replacing the steel tank with polypropylene wasn't a particularly viable option in this case since the exhaust pipe comes too close to the tank. This option also typically involves replacing the fuel pump hanger, which may attach to polypropylene tanks differently than to steel tanks.

Christmas Sale on Women's Boots

2008-12-17T05:50:00.002-06:00

If you look closely at this banner, you'll see that it's an animation that says the 20% off sale between now and Christmas apples to Children's, Men's, and Women's boots. I didn't notice that myself until I read the fine print. The "selected brands" it mentions are virtually all Endless.com stock. Look for the "special offer" text on the product detail page to be sure. You can also search the Endless.com site for "bootpromo08" but that search yields so many returns, that it's probably easier just to assume your selection is included unless the detail page proves otherwise.

For those not familiar with Endless.com, it is a spin-off of Amazon.com dedicated to shoes and handbags. Endless features free overnight and return shipping, and generally is priced a little higher than Amazon.com for the same items. Their flashier website can often give you more detail than Amazon.com, but the Shoe Mania aStore links above are more adapted to browsing. If you want the additional services available at Endless.com, you can search that site for keywords in the name of your selection.

Although Amazon carries a few brands not included at Endless.com (and vice versa ?) their stock is almost identical, so you can switch back and forth pretty effecively. The aStore links above provide an abbreviated form of amazon's main site that load faster and facilitate browsing. In addition to 20% off, purchases of $50 or more also qualiy for $5 worth of free mp3 music from Amazon. A small sampling of the thousands of women's boots at Endless.com is featured below.

STEVEN Intyce Riding Boot @ Amazon	Western Chief Dots Rain Boot @ Amazon	Naughty Monkey D-Ring Boot @ Amazon	Rampage Berlynn Boot @ Amazon
Jessica Simpson Yana Boot @ Amazon	Sorel 1964 Pac Snow Boot @ Amazon	Naturalizer Jadis Boot @ Amazon	Chinese Laundry Turbo Leather Wedge @ Amazon
EMU Australia Bordeaux Boot @ Amazon	BCBGirls Maisha Boot @ Amazon	Dolce Vita Wendy Boot @ Amazon	Chinese Laundry Tahoe Flat Boot @ Amazon
Clarks Somers Boot @ Amazon	Nine West Blondey Boot @ Amazon	Clarks Mia West Boot @ Amazon	Bandolino Input Boot @ Amazon
Steve Madden Elivate Ankle Boot @ Amazon	Nine West YourSoCute Boot @ Amazon	Bronx Zari Tall Boot @ Amazon	Steve Madden Zestie Platform Stretch Boot @ Amazon

Endless Shoes Holiday Sale

2008-12-11T10:54:00.013-06:00

It pays to read the fine print. The 20% off sale between now and Christmas at Endless.com applies to 2 pairs of Children's, Men's, and Women's boots, and a $50 purchase qualifies you for $5 in free MP3s from Amazon.com.

If you're not familiar with Endless.com, it's a spin-off of Amazon.com dedicated to shoes and handbags, and featuring free overnight and return shipping. Their website can often give you more detail than Amazon.com, but the aStore links above are more adapted to browsing. If you want the additional services available at Endless.com, you can search that site for keywords in the name of your selection.

The links below feature just a few of the most popular boots from among the thousands available. You can click on the name of a style to open a new window at an Amazon aStore, click on the image to go to Endless.com, or hover your mouse over the "@ Amazon" links for more information. Clicking the link will take you to Amazon.com

Bearpaw T410 12" Boot @ Amazon	Bearpaw M410 10" Boot @ Amazon	EMU Australia Bronte Lo Boot @ Amazon	Bearpaw M405 10" Boot @ Amazon
Steve Madden Bonanza Tall Shafted Flat @ Amazon	EMU Australia Bronte Hi Boot @ Amazon	EMU Australia Hip Button Boot @ Amazon	crocs Nadia Boot @ Amazon
Bearpaw T405 12" Boot @ Amazon	Steve Madden Tianna Slouch Boot @ Amazon	Bearpaw 419 Demi Boot @ Amazon	Jump Women's Secret Boot @ Amazon
EMU Australia Hip Boot @ Amazon	Madden Girl Singerr Mid Shaft @ Amazon	Jump Twix Boot @ Amazon	Nine West Yogini Rain Boot @ Amazon
Steve Madden Magii Sweater @ Amazon	Sorel Joan Of Arctic Shearling Lined @ Amazon	Rampage Trish Ankle Boot @ Amazon	Madden Girl Jaylyne Flat Scrunch Boot @ Amazon

Reiki Resources @ Amazon.com

2008-12-10T18:26:00.003-06:00

Introduction

Reiki (pronounced ray-kee) is a Japanese system of energy healing originated by Mikao Usui in 1922, as well as the "Universal Life Force" used in these techniques. The word is derived from rei (spirit) and ki (life force). The term ki (also transliterated chi and qi) will be familiar to those versed in traditional chinese medicine, particulary acupuncture and acupressure, and is in fact borrowed from the Chinese.

Usui lived only four years after founding the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (Usui Reiki Healing Society) in Tokyo in 1922. His work was then carried on by his student, Chujiro Hayashi, who simplified and codified the teachings while focussing more on physical healing.

Hayashi's student Hawayo Takata is credited with introducing Reiki to the West. Travelling extensively in the U.S., Takata stressed the importance of charging money for Reiki treatments and teachings. Given the common inversion of the law of supply and demand in the U.S. (the more something costs, the more it's worth) this may have been useful. Almost all Reiki taught outside Japan can be attributed to her work.

John Harvey Gray was the third Reiki master trained by Takata to carry on that tradition, and is the longest-practicing Reiki Master Instructor in the West. Today there are many Reiki practitioners and instructors, each with their own empahses. Each has their adherents, and this brief discussion of the history of the tradition is not meant to imply the superiority of "pure" Reiki as handed down from Usui, but merely to outline the foundations of the practice.

Foundational Works on Reiki

The Original Reiki Handbook by Mikao Usui, founder of the Reiki technique and Frank Arjava Petter
Hayashi Reiki Manual: Traditional Japanese Healing Techniques by Chujiro Hayashi, Frank Arjava Petter, and Tadao Yamaguchi.
Hand to Hand by John Harvey Gray, Lourdes Gray, Elisabeth Clark, and Steven McFadden

Background

There is clearly a difference between living organisms and those which have expired, although the exact nature of the change defies scientific elucidation. There might well be a "Universal Life Energy," like Reiki just beyond the reach of our current technology. In the horror classic Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, this mysterious life-force was the then new and fascinating phenomenon of electricity. As mentioned earlier, the Chinese call it chi. It has also been referred to as ether, "the force," holy spirit, kundalini, mana, pneuma, prana, qudra, orgone, ruach, and silla as well as other names. ( For further information on these phenomena, you might want to consult Stefan Stenudd's Life Energy Encyclopedia)

Like Reiki, many of the systems that posit these life energies maintain that they reside in nodes -- most often referred to by the Hindu term chakras. They also maintain that this energy can be strengthened and balanced by various means. In the case of Reiki, the practitioner uses certain hand placements and positions on or just above the subject's body. The Reiki energy is said to flow from the practitioner's hands into the subject, stimulating the natural healing process. Subjects generally report feelings of tingling or warmth in the affected area, along with a sense of deep relaxation and well-being.

Training

Reiki training is divided into three levels or degrees. The first degree training, which typically takes only about two days, teaches the basic theory and hand placements used in Reiki. Students are given four "attunements" by a third degree (or master level) trainer. After recieving this basic reiki training, the student can treat herself or others.

The second degree Reiki training intoduces the use of symbols to enhance the strength of the Reiki energy and the distance over which it can be exerted. A fourth attunement is given, empowering students to use these symbols and enhancing their capacity for the flow of Reiki through them.

The third, or Master, degree of Reiki training involves one or more additional attunements, and a master-level symbol. Upon completeing the master training, one can teach the three levels of Reiki training and give the necessary attunements.

Since its introduction, many variations of the Reiki training have arisen, and there is considerable disagreement over what constitutes Reiki. Basically, the practice is what it is, and experience should dictate whether one chooses to incorporate a particular variation or not. There are, of course those who maintain that only one particular style or another should be called Reiki. Since there is no accreditation body for Reiki, this difference of opinion is unlikely to be resolved.

Reiki Listmania

A good way to approach an unfamiliar subject using Amazon.com as a source is to look over the Listmania® lists users have contributed. There may be disagreements within the Amazon community, as in society at large, but there is usually enough additional information to help you decide whose opinion you would value most.

Below are some of the many Reiki Listmanias chosen primarily for the quantity of additional information they present:

Reiki Forum

Amazon supports little-known (and under-utilized) forums where customers can exchange ideas on topics that interest them. Given the level of interest in Reiki demonstrated by reviewers, there really should be more going on at theReiki Forum, but that is subject to change!

People

Another neglected part of the Amazon site is their social networking pages. Even if you've never bought anything from Amazon.com, you can create an Amazon account and you will get a profile page where you can include as much (or as little) information about yourself as you wish. Here are some interesting people who have created Amazon content about Reiki:

Books

If you've looked at the Listmania pages above, you've discovered that there are a number of books that are "standards" mentioned in almost every case. (If you haven't checked out these lists, you should -- their authors are much more knowledgable about Reiki than I am.) I'm listing some of those here, as well as some that are a little more specialized, although they are not necessarily for advanced students only:

Please note that this is just a sampling of all the Reiki Books at Amazon. There are always new ones being published, and older titles may be reprinted or rediscovered by new audiences, so it's a good idea to do a little searching on your own. If you're really interested in the topic, you might invest in The Reiki Sourcebook or the Reiki News Magazine to aid you in furher research.

Selected DVDs by Steve Murray

Most Reiki practioners would agree that live training is preferable to books or DVDs. Nonetheless, many have recommended these DVDs. They can certainly at least serve as an easy and inexpensive introduction to Reiki. If you find they fully meet your needs, so much the better.

Caveats

Western science tends to have a blind spot with respect to many techniques of alternative medicine. Since science, by definition, deals with measurable and reproduceable experimental data, it is limited by the current state of the art in instrumentation. Phenomena that are not currently measurable can neither be proven nor disproven scientifically -- they simply lie outside the domain of current scientific discipline.

This has unfortunately contributed to the bias of Western medicine toward becoming a "disease care system" relying heavily on highly invasive, but scientifically verifiable therapies, primarily pharmaceticals and surgery. Disease prevention and the positive promotion of health, even through such acknowledged methods as proper diet and exercise has been neglected almost to the point of complete exclusion. The message seems to be that one can engage in all manner of stressful and self-destructive lifestyle choices, then take the appropriate pill to continue on one's reckless course.

There is a great deal of merit to many "alternative" techniques such as Reiki, but let the buyer beware, because the lack of scientific verification also permits considerable latitude and even downright fraud. For a reasonably balanced view of the merits of various holistic therapies, you might refer to Andrew Weil, M.D., a respected practitioner of western medicine as well as numerous alternative techniques who calls his approach integrative medicine.

Permatex Gasketing Products

2008-12-10T11:55:00.012-06:00

The last time I bought any Permatex, (actually called Form-A-Gasket) it came in two flavors -- hardening and non-hardening. As of this posting Amazon.com search alone lists 452 results for "Permatex." The Permatex website is a wealth of information on these products, but it requires a lot of drilling down and doesn't offer online sales. Actually, the very last time I bought Permatex was a couple days ago, when I got some "Water Pump & Thermostat Housing RTV Silicone" (22071) to repair a loose radiator hose connection, which is what inspired this page. RTV is an acronym for "Room Temperature Vulcanizing."

Sometimes it can be a real challenge finding what you want at Amazon. In the case of these Permatex products, it's pretty easy -- if you know how. The Amazon automotive products editors have (usually) included the Permatex part numbers in their product names, so you can just search for "Permatex" + "part#" and find the appropriate product. (Use the actual part number, of course, from the Permatex website). The search box below should help:

NOTE: Search results will often include two or more pages for the same part. Typically the "cheaper" one is supplied by a third-party vendor and will include shipping charges, while the "higher" part comes straight from Amazon and is eligible for free shipping on orders of $25 or more.

I've used Permatex gasketing products for years and never had any cause for complaint. I have less experience with some of their newer product lines, which I suspect are corporate acquisitions. I have no reason to believe they aren't good -- I simply have no personal experience with many of them:

Fast Orange is the Permatex line of degreasing hand cleaners. Most well-equipped garages have this or it's competing product Gojo
DL Hand Cleaner if you don't like Fast Orange (the smell, maybe?) You could try DL Hand Cleaner, including the pumice-containing Trounce line.
Right Stuff is Permatex's new elastomeric rubber gasket material which eliminates the need for cut gaskets and is approved by many OEMs. If you haven't used this before, you'll need the special caulking gun included in the Installer's Kit, or the aerosol Power Bead versions below.
Power Bead is a line of select Permatex gasket makers and sealants in convenient aerosol form.
PermaPoxy is a line of specialized and general-purpose epoxy resins. Similar products include J-B Weld and Bondo
GEL TWIST is the Permatex line of threadlocking products, similar to the familiar Loctite brand.
No Touch is the Permatex line of appearance products for glass, plastic, tires, and wheels. Competing brands include Meguiar's
Spray Nine is a heavy-duty cleaner / degreaser from Permatex. Many people use Gunk for this type of application.
NOS Nitrous Oxide Systems brand of octane boosters and fuel system cleaners.
Dr. Bond this brand includes one of three Permatex lines of cyanoacrylate super glues and a special plastic bonding glue.

Gasketing Products

These products build on the foundation of the Permatex® (Form-A-Gasket) line, and what most people think of when they hear the name. In addition to the "original" products, there is now a wide range of RTV Silicon products.

Form-A-Gasket #1 Type I (hardening) Sealant.
Form-A-Gasket #2 Type II (non-hardening) Sealant.
Aviation Form-A-Gasket #3 Type III (non-hardening Aviation) Sealant.
Tacky Sealants Hold gaskets in place while positioning parts.
RTV Silicon Sealants These "room temperature vulcanizing" silicon gasket-makers set into a rubber-like silicon gasket. Be sure to follow the directions, allowing the silicon to cure for 30 minutes between installing your part "finger tight" and torquing it down. These products come in a wide variety of color-coded formulations. The most popular are:

Ultra Black RTV High temperature and oil resistance. Not recommended for parts in contact with gasoline. Good for valve covers, oil pans, etc. Meets or exceeds dealer warranty requirements.
Ultra Blue RTV The original Permatex® RTV formula. Probably the best general purpose RTV silicon. Features high oil-resistance and flexibility.
Ultra Grey RTV Rigid, high torque RTV for higher RPM engines.
Automatic Transmission RTV Specifically for transmissions, resistant to harsh ATF additives.
Ultra Black Valve Cover and Gasket Dressing RTV This differs from Ultra Black 22072 in that it is a non-setting gasket dressing vs. a hardening gasket maker.
High Temp Copper RTV For high-temperature applications, including heads gaskets and exhaust manifolds.
Water Pump & Thermostat RTV High resistance to ethyene glycol / antifreeze.

Racing Sealants Made to be non-setting and non-hardening even at high temperatures for quick dismantling and reassembly.

Hylomar Universal Blue Racing Formula Gasket Dressing and Flange Sealant Improves the chances of re-using a wide variety of gaskets.
Surface Prep Activator for Anaerobics This solvent is recommended primarily for threadlockers, but could also be used for any of the anaerobic gasketing products below.
Anaerobic Flange Sealants I'm not sure how this differs from the anaerobic gasket maker, but Permatex mentions that this product is flexible.
Anaerobic Gasket Makers I'm not sure how this differs from the anaerobic flange sealant, but Permatex mentions that this product is easily removed.

Other Gasketing Sealants

Ultra Rubber Gasket Sealant The best sealant for formed rubber gaskets.
SUPER '300' Form-A-Gasket Sealant Non-hardening sealant resists antifreeze, high-detergent oils, and aviation fuels.
Indian Head Gasket Shellac Compound For hoses, paper and cardboard gaskets.
Spray-A-Gasket Adhesive sealants hold gaskets in place for assembly.
High Temperature Form-A-Gasket Amazon doesn't seem to have this in stock, but it's a slow-setting sealant for heavy-duty applications like exhaust pipe connections.
Muffler & Tailpipe Sealer Follow the instructions, and this sealant will form a ceramic material in small joints between exhaust parts. Great for those "extra" parts used to adapt a clamp-on muffler to the thoughtfully welded factory-original system.
Motoseal 1 - Grey MotoSeal forms a solvent-based bond that is great for irregular sufaces on 2 and 4 cycle engines. Fully cures in 20 minutes.

Right Stuff New elastomeric rubber gasketing compound comes in regular and import versions for either a special caulk gun or aerosol dispenser, including their latest 1-Minute Gasket product.
Power Bead Several sealant and gasket-maker products are available in this convenient aerosol form.

I originally intended to cover all the Permatex products listed at Amazon.com, but (obviously) 452 search results ran into a very long page. I'll be adding to this post "soon," but for now, the gasketing products are probably what nost people are looking for.

Clean Your Fuel Tank!

2008-08-13T23:03:00.002-05:00

I recently had the dubious pleasure of replacing the fuel tank selector valve on my 1989 Ford F-150. It's a kind of Rube Goldberg contraption that uses pressure from a low-pressure pump located in the fuel tank to operate valves that direct gas to the high pressure pump, filter, fuel injector rail and back to the tank. I really don't expect parts containing rubber diaphragms to last much more than 20 years, so I wasn't that perturbed, although the availability of this Ford-only part left much to be desired. Compared to the caucus race of locating the part (for "only" $80) installation was uneventful.

Unfortunately, the substitution didn't fix my problem. To my surprise, the valve was actually good except for being stuck in one position by the accumulation of gunk from the gas tank. (I should have checked!) In this day of skyrocketing gasoline prices, you might well want to check your tank(s), because a car will still run with a disturbing accumulation of sludge in the tank, but it will perform a lot better with a good supply of clean gas!

Siphon a little gas from your tank into a mason jar and compare its color to some clean gas from an approved container. Is it nice and light, almost clear -- or is your gas an amber yellow tending toward brown? If so, you probably have an alarming accretion of tarry goo in your tank. Gasoline, kerosene, and Diesel fuel are all petroleum distillates -- refineries simply isolate a particular class of hydrocarbons from crude oil using an elaborate "still" called a fractionating tower. They also alter their product mix by "cracking" and polymerizing, but we won't go into that -- it's enough to know that the long-chain hydrocarbons (like gear oil) are dark and viscous, while short-chain fuels are light and fluid. Gas is really just very thin oil.

Of course everybody knows you can't make 200-proof moonshine without distilling your mash more than once, and your fuel isn't all one type of hydrocarbon molecule, either -- there are lighter and heavier molecules mixed in with those with average-length chains. Over time, the shorter-chain molecules are burned or evaporate, and the longer-chain ones accumulate as a tarry sludge in the bottom of your tank. As you add gas some of this residue dissolves, adulterating your fuel -- eventually to the point where your electronic fuel injection can no longer cope with the garbage you're feeding it.

Removing your fuel tank is relatively straightforward. Generally speaking you will find a fill tube, fuel delivery and return lines, an electrical connector and a vent line to be detatched. You then only need to empty the tank and remove the bolts that secure it to the frame. If you don't already have one, a shop manual for your particular vehicle is recommended for more detailed instructions. A floor jack is helpful in this procedure, but not absolutely required.

The traditional method of cleaning a fuel tank is steam cleaning, but I was unable to find anyone who still offers this service locally. I have no idea what automotive repair shop hours are going for these days since they priced me out of the market years ago, but I suspect that if you do find someone to clean your tank, they will charge you nearly the cost of a new tank. That would account for the disappearance of the service. The prospect of taking a perfectly good tank to the landfill didn't appeal to me, so I devised the following cleaning procedures:

If the design of your tank is such that you can get your hand inside it, begin by scraping as much goo and rust from the inner surfaces as you can. This is a thankless task, but its fast and productive, so keep at it using whatever paint scrapers, putty knives, pry bars, and wire brushes you have on hand. After removing all the debris you can reach, the following procedures will be much more effective on the relatively small amounts of contaminants that remain.

Old-fashioned soap-making involved mixing grease (usually lard) with caustic soda or lye (NaOH). You can remove the oily residues from your tank with crystal drain cleaner. I used Crystal Drano, but any brand should be fine. You might also use any suitable oven cleaner. These products are hard on skin and eyes, so the use of rubber gloves and safety goggles are recommended, if not expected. You don't have to saponify all the tar in your tank, but just enough to dislodge it from the metal surfaces, so go easy on the lye and add more as required. Be sure that all the surfaces of the tank get a good soaking.

Once the tar is removed, you're likely to find hydrolyzed aluminum silicates in the tank -- better known as dirt. You can remove this by sloshing around a strong solution of laundry detergent or trisodium phosphate. Lather, rinse, repeat. When the soapy water comes out clean, you've done the best you can.

If your tank is polypropylene, count yourself lucky. If it's steel, you're going to want to do something about rust. Due to the nature of metallic bonding and the accumulation of electrical charges, "rust never sleeps," but you can slow it down a little. The "right" way to do this is by lightly sand-blasting or bead-blasting the interior of the tank. You could do the same thing with sandpaper if you could reach all the surfaces. Of course, the paper is just a convenience -- the essential abrasive is sand.

Sponge out the inside of your tank and let it dry thoroughly. Wet sand will clump together and won't expose as many jagged little surfaces as dry sand. Put a generous amount in the tank and tilt it back and forth. If you were using sandpaper, you know that the harder you pushed down the faster this would go. Unfortunately, you can't exert much pressure here, so just be patient and think of what a great work-out you're getting. Peek into the tank with a flashlight to see how you're doing. It is not necessary to sand the tank down to bright metal, you just need to remove the loose rust scale. If you like, you can use phosphoric acid (better known as naval jelly) at this point.

Don't try to remove all the rust. Your tank started out as galvinized steel, but now that the zinc coating has eroded away, the phosphoric acid can convert the thin coating of rust that remains to metalophosphate, providing at least some corrosion resistance through passivation. You can ensure that all the acid is neutralized by treating the tank with baking soda. Be sure to rinse and dry the tank thoroughly, and you're done!

If you tend to be a picky, don't let the perfect become the enemy of the good. Your tank will probably never pass a white glove test, but think of the pounds of gunk you've removed rather than the ounces or grams that remain. On the other hand, if you're a lick and a promise sort, perservere. A little elbow grease now will save you a lot of grief down the road.

If all this seems like a lot of trouble to go through, it is. I'm sure many more people will simply replace their tanks than will follow this procedure. Hopefully, a few will buy their new tanks here. On the other hand, there are some who are as stubborn as I am, and quite a few who are offended by the cultural notion that everything is disposable. If you do rehabilitate your tank, at some point it will occur to you what a poor choice petroleum fuels are. You might even wonder why gasoline is the "mainstream" choice, and gaseous fuels like methane are termed "alternative" fuels.

Consider the fact that many fleet operators converted to compressed natural gas (CNG) decades ago, because it was more cost-effective, yet there is only one production CNG car on the market today, and practically no CNG filling stations, despite the fact that anybody with natural gas and electicity can "Phill" up at home. Consider that GM built and leased an electric car, the EV1 (to comply with California's stringent emissions requirements) that everybody seemed to love, but killed it because it didn't break down and contribute to the lucrative repair side of their business.

That goo isn't just in your tank. It's in your fuel lines, fuel gauge sender, injectors, valves, cylinders -- throughout your engine really. All completely unnecessary, but very lucrative for the special interests that continue to maintain that alternative energy technologies of twenty years ago "will take decades to develop." Don't let the fact that T. Boone Pickens' plan is to make a pile of money for T. Boone Pickens distract you from the fact that cost-effective alternative energy is available now.

Further resources

Internal Combustion: How Corporations and Governments Addicted the World to Oil and Derailed the Alternatives Book
Who Killed the Electric Car? DVD
21st Century Complete Guide to Natural Gas Vehicles CD
Build Your Own Electric Vehicle Book

Popular Women's Shoe Brands @ Endless.com (18 - Ci)

2008-07-18T00:01:00.001-05:00

We're understandably excited about Amazon.com's new Shoe and Handbag spin-off, Endless.com. As we've noted before, many customers buy two pairs of shoes in adjacent sizes, and return the one that doesn't fit. The Endless policy of free return shipping certainly acknowledges the usefulness of this approach.

Endless.com is still in its "Beta" testing phase, so you may have trouble with the site being slow or balky from time to time. Rest assured that the server-side software has the same robust reliability that has made Amazon.com synonymous with online shopping. If you do have problems reaching the site, you can use the "Shoe Mania" links below to locate products in our Amazon aStore. If you wish to order through Endless.com, simply cut and paste the name of the product in the form below. This should take you to a page at Endless.com that you can save whether the site is currently available or not. (This really isn't often a problem, but it's annoying when it is.)

Note that spelling does count, right down to whether initials are followed by periods or not. Capitalization is less critical, so I've tried to standardize that since so many brands are either SHOUTING or channeling e. e. cummings.

Here are some popular brands available at both Amazon sites: