Dan's Blog

Photo Viewing

2012-03-26T09:11:00.002-05:00

Just a quick observation here. I haven't been using Facebook much lately and I've gotten used to the photo viewer in Google Plus. Now when I look at photos in Facebook I find it a little irritating. The photos aren't as large and the comment area is huge and full of adds. I know it's nothing major but it's still rather annoying.

Google Plus photo viewer

Facebook Photo viewer

My Blog's Not Dead

2012-03-23T19:54:00.002-05:00

I apologize for the lack of content lately. I've been really busy. I'm starting a new job in Urbana on the 2nd of April and I'm still trying to find a house to rent and get everything packed and moved into storage. I promise I'm not abandoning this blog though. I've got a couple articles planned when I have the time to write them properly. The next month or so is going to be a little hectic though. Wish me luck and I promise I'll be posting more soon.

Thanks for reading! You can subscribe, follow, view my profile, or search by tag from the pop-out on the right.

Rapportive

2012-03-16T00:31:00.000-05:00

Rapportive is a must have for Gmail users. It's a plug-in that displays information on everyone in your emails. It's a really helpful tool to find out more about who an email is coming from. When you open an email it displays information about the sender on the right side. It shows their Facebook status if available and all contact info if they're in your contacts. It displays info from most social networks and anything it can find. If the email was sent to multiple recipients you can see their info by hovering over their name. You can get the free Gmail add-on for Firefox, Safari, Mailplane, and Chrome from their website https://rapportive.com/.

Beginners Guide To Pinterest

2012-03-14T20:07:00.000-05:00

I've had some questions on what "Pinterest" is and how to use it. I don't actually use it that much but it's a pretty basic site. "Pins" are nothing more than posted images. People add comments to the images and they link to articles spread across the web. The site can be a little confusing at first but once you start looking around there's really not much to it. I got bored and drew up a little presentation to help you get started.
Click here to view the presentation in a new window.

EOH 2012

2012-03-11T12:54:00.001-05:00

EOH 2012:
We made it to the 2012 U of I Engineering Open House this weekend. We went with a smaller group and it was a little easier this time, I think we got to see a little more. The kids still had a lot of fun.
You really can't go wrong with plasma, thermite, and rockets. ;)
Apparently they had to built this steeple tall enough for Jesus to see the cross. :)
Violet found all the goodies, including ice cream made with liquid nitrogen and "asphalt" you make with M&Ms and chocolate syrup.
There were signs written on the sidewalk everywhere for the Hydro Lab.
So we eventually had to make it over there. It ended up being one of Violet's favorite exhibits.
Uncle Sam took us to the greenhouses to see some of his work.
Then we got to check out the tropical greenhouse while we were over there.
Then we got to hang out with Sam at the Farm House for a while.

Yorkshire Pudding

2012-03-08T13:00:00.000-06:00

And now for something completely different. :) I haven't posted a recipe yet but I really love this one so I thought I'd mix it up a little.

This is a variation on a dish my Grandmother used to make. It's very easy to make and very filling. It's commonly made as a side dish but I cook it as a meal all the time. I've been making this one since I was a teenager.

Ingredients

1/2 stick of margarine
2 to 3 bullion cubes
a little water
1 cup of flour
1 cup of milk
2 eggs

Directions

Turn oven on to 425°
Melt margarine in a large skillet
Add a little water and bullion cubes
Smash the bullion cubes with a fork and stir them in
Mix flour, milk, and eggs in a bowl
Pour mixture into skillet, DO NOT STIR
Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes

That's all there is to it. I use a spatula to cut it like a pie and dish it up. You can adjust the amounts of margarine, water, and bullion to suite your taste. It's traditionally made with the drippings from a pot roast. This is sort of a substitute for that but if you're ever making a roast that would be a good time to try it too. ;)

2012 University of Illinois EOH

2012-03-07T21:46:00.000-06:00

It's time for the 92nd annual Engineering Open House at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign this weekend. EOH will take place 9am-4pm on Friday March 9th, and 9am-3pm Saturday March 10th. They boast over 230 exhibits this year.

I try to make it every year and this year will be no exception. There's a lot of really cool stuff there. Many peoples favorite is the "Concrete Crusher" it shakes the whole building. One of my favorites was the computer where you move a cursor left simply by thinking left. I can't wait to see how this has evolved since the last time I saw it. I don't remember them having it last year but I think it's back. Another one I want to check out is the "Tesla Coil Music" exhibit in the Engineering Hall. There's really too much to see all in one day. I'll be taking my 4yo Violet too. The kids have a lot of fun and there's really something for everybody there. If you're anywhere near Urbana-Champaign I highly recommend checking it out. You can download a PDF of the Visitors Guide. If you can't make it they'll still have live video of some exhibits available through their mobile app. You can get the app for Android or iPhone. Or you can watch live on their website. The official website is http://eoh.ec.illinois.edu/.

UPDATE: I just received an email from my brother about another exhibit I'll have to check out.

The American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA) Student Chapter at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) has organized a series of railroad engineering exhibits for the 2012 Engineering Open House (EOH) on March 9th and 10th. Rail Extravaganza! will be located in the North Crane Bay and Room 1233 of the Newmark Civil Engineering Laboratory (NCEL) on the University of Illinois campus in Urbana.

Google Play

2012-03-06T19:44:00.002-06:00

This is something from Google I actually haven't heard about yet. It's going to replace the Android market. It's basically a cloud service that stores all your content from Google Music, Google Books, and Google Movies, and makes it available on any device you log into, even on your desktop. It also keeps track of all the apps installed on your Android device.

From Google: "Google Play is entirely cloud-based so all your music, movies, books and apps are stored online, always available to you, and you never have to worry about losing them or moving them again."

It's basically a major redesign of the Android market. Not as exciting as I thought it would be when I first saw it, but it looks promising and I'll have to update once I've had a chance to check it out more. Until then you can find out more about it from the official Google blog or go to play.google.com/about/.

2012-03-06T09:47:00.002-06:00

So, Pinterest seems to be the latest craze. I've recently signed up so I could have a look and see what all the buzz is about. Personally, I don't like it but I could see how it could become addictive. It's like thousands of Facebook/Blog posts thrown together on one site. I think the addictive part is that it's like a game trying to sort through all of these posts and save and organize the ones you actually want to read. I think it's popularity is partially due to people not knowing how to organize and save what they find on the internet. For example, I was talking to Sarah last night and tried to explain to her how I organize what I find online. She had no idea what an RSS feed or reader was. I realize many people don't know how to use RSS to organize information but I'll cover that in more detail in another post. For now I'll just explain how I use Google Reader to save things I find on Pinterest. I'll admit there seems to be a lot of great ideas floating around on Pinterest. I'm not a fan of the website or the layout though. That's where RSS comes in. Just like most websites, Pinterest generates RSS feeds. I really wish Facebook generated RSS but that's a whole other story. Anyway, back on topic. When you go to any users page on Pinterest you'll see an icon below their profile picture. On Pinterest it's grey but they're usually orange. Here are some examples.

Most websites generate RSS feeds and have a similar icon somewhere. Right now Pinterest only generates feeds for users and not individual boards. Hopefully they'll change this soon. Most blogs generate a feed for the entire blog and then individual feeds for different tags or categories. My photo site generates feeds for the entire site, categories, tags, collections, albums, and even comments on individual photos. Using RSS efficiently requires a little bit of set up. If you don't have a plug-in or extension in your browser the feed just opens as a web page. You have to copy the link and paste it into whatever reader you use. I use the "RSS Subscription Extension" When I click on an RSS feed I get this page that lets me choose what reader I'd like to add it to.

As many of you know I am a fan of Google so I use Google Reader. All the blogs I follow automatically show up there and I can organize everything with tags and in folders. I even subscribe to my own feed on Pinterest. This way I have access to everything I've pinned right inside my reader. Readers are great for viewing updated content from many sources all on one webpage.

I will probably still use Pinterest some, but I'll be saving the stuff I want to follow and everything I've pinned in my reader. I just find it more efficient and easier to organize things in Google Reader.

Well I hope this improves your internet experience a little and hopefully helps you discover the usefulness of RSS feeds. Google Reader is one of many feed readers. There are plenty of online readers as well as desktop and mobile apps available. Try a few out and you'll probably find one you really like. ;)

SkyNet, I Mean Google

2012-03-03T22:24:00.000-06:00

I recently found a blog post comparing Google to SkyNet and thought I should share so I drew up this spreadsheet. Enjoy!

Mobile Photos & Photo Blog

2012-03-03T13:22:00.000-06:00

Well, I know I posted a feedback form and said I wouldn't post anything until I got enough responses but, I just discovered some improvements to the photo hosting site I use. For those of you that don't know I use Zenfolio to host all of my photos. Zenfolio recently added a couple new features that I think fans of my photography will enjoy.
The first is a brand new mobile compatibility. Now when you view my photos on a mobile device you get a completely redesigned theme instead of the full desktop website. This really is a nice feature for those of you that use a mobile device like an iPhone, Android or a tablet to view my photos. The new design also has full screen capability built in and it supports swiping to change the photo. It works a lot like many built in photo viewers and I was really very impressed with it.

The second is a new blog built into the site. Don't worry, I'm not going to stop using Blogger. I plan on using the blog built in to Zenfolio to post about new galleries whenever I add them. I know sometimes it's nice to hear the story behind photos rather than just looking at a gallery. I think the built in blog will work nicely for this without taking over my blog here and keeping only photography posts on Zenfolio.
I hope you like the new improvements, I know I do. Don't forget to check out my photos at photos.danmoses.info and my new photo blog at photos.danmoses.info/blog

Google Offers $1 Million In Rewards To Expose Exploits

2012-02-28T15:42:00.000-06:00

At this years CanSecWest security conference Google will once again be offering a bounty on Chrome exploits. The prizes will be awarded as follows.

$60,000 - “Full Chrome exploit”: Chrome / Win7 local OS user account persistence using only bugs in Chrome itself.

$40,000 - “Partial Chrome exploit”: Chrome / Win7 local OS user account persistence using at least one bug in Chrome itself, plus other bugs. For example, a WebKit bug combined with a Windows sandbox bug.

$20,000 - “Consolation reward, Flash / Windows / other”: Chrome / Win7 local OS user account persistence that does not use bugs in Chrome. For example, bugs in one or more of Flash, Windows or a driver. These exploits are not specific to Chrome and will be a threat to users of any web browser. Although not specifically Chrome’s issue, we’ve decided to offer consolation prizes because these findings still help us toward our mission of making the entire web safer.

Google will give out multiple rewards per category, up to the $1 million limit, on a first-come-first served basis. All the winners will also get a Chromebook.

Chrome is currently the only browser eligible for Pwn2Own never to be exploited. Many say this is because Chrome doesn't get much attention from hackers due to the difficulty of getting around Google's security sandbox.

Google will not be sponsoring the Pwn2Own contest this year because of rule changes that allow hackers to collect prizes without having to reveal full exploits to vendors. Google guarantees to send non-Chrome bugs to the appropriate vendor immediately.

To find out more about CanSecWest and the Pwn2Own contest visit CanSecWest

Most this info was taken from the Chromium Blog

How Does Google Keep Your Data Safe?

2012-02-27T10:52:00.001-06:00

One of the most common questions I receive when talking about Google is "how can my data be secure when it's stored in the cloud?". To be honest, I really haven't looked into it that much until recently. I've heard bits and pieces but never any details. Well, there are many, somewhat complicated answers to this question available online, but here I'll explain it a little more simplified so you can get the gist of it. Hopefully this will put your mind at ease.

First we'll cover actual physical security. One of the biggest threats to data security is still gaining physical access. Google data centers are patrolled round the clock by security guards with alarms linked to guard stations, closed circuit tv, electronic key access, and access logs. Every Google employee that works at a data center goes through an extensive background check. Google Apps are certified by FISMA (Federal Information Security Management Act) officials, but, beyond what it takes to obtain and maintain that accreditation, government employees are not allowed in.

Next is where Google stores your data. Basically your files are divided up across several different discs on multiple machines. The file names are randomized and each server disc contains hundreds of thousands of files. Your files may be split up between different servers in different states across the country.

Google also "obfuscates" your data. Think encryption, only way more complicated. It basically makes all data unreadable by anything other than the server itself.

Next we'll talk about the actual hardware your data is stored on. Ever wonder what happens to that disc that contains all your personal data when it is removed from a server. Well, one of two things is done with it.
If the disc is reusable it goes through a wiping process before it's allowed to be put in storage or leave the building. A Google employee first deletes all data on the disc, then rewrites the entire disc with all zeros to remove any remaining data, then reads the entire disc to make sure nothing was missed. Afterwards a second Google employee checks the disc again to make sure everything was done correctly.
If the disc is unusable it's destroyed. First it goes through a machine that rams it with a piston to warp the disc. Next it's put through a machine that basically shreds it.

What happens when you delete data? When you delete data, the disc is not wiped to erase it. That would be a painful process for Google. Essentially the data is "broken" so that it no longer functions and its place on the disc is gradually rewritten (over a time span no longer than 60 days).

To put into perspective how serious Google is about security, they invite third-party hackers to try to penetrate the data centers on a quarterly basis. Google products are hard to hack, as hackers have seen in the Pwned conference in recent years where the Chrome browser could not be hacked. The Pwn2Own conference didn't even invite it back (Google entered it anyway with a bounty). Google offered a $20,000 cash prize for any hacker who could successfully compromise a Cr-48 Chromebook via a vulnerability, and sandbox escape in its Chrome web browser.

Move your Facebook photos to Picasa

2012-02-26T09:22:00.003-06:00

I found a very useful tool to quickly move all your photos from Facebook to Picasa web albums and thought I should share. It's an extension for the Chrome browser. Since you really only need it once I suggest installing it, transferring all your photos and then you can simply right click on the extension icon and click "remove from chrome" to uninstall it when you're finished. You can get the extension in the Chrome Web Store here Move Your Photos. The app opens in a new tab and it's pretty self explanatory once you open it. You can choose all your photos or select only the ones you want to transfer.

The only photos this won't move are the ones you have been tagged in by other users, listed as photos of you on your profile page. I did find an app that will put these in a zip file for you so you can download them though. It's a Facebook app you can find here Pick&Zip. This one takes a little longer. You tell it what photos you want and then it processes them for you and sends you an email with a link to the zip file. It's a little more complicated but it's the only way I've found to get all the photos you've been tagged in.

If you're planning on abandoning Facebook soon, like I am, these are some very useful tools. If your a Google Plus user you can now share all your Facebook photos with your Circles, not to mention you've now got them all backed up in your Picasa account.

Is a Chromebook the right choice for you?

2012-02-21T10:51:00.000-06:00

I'm writing this for my blog and also to help contribute to the ChromeOS Wiki.

Hopefully this guide will help you decide if a Chromebook is the right choice for your needs. We'll split this up into three sections, what it does, what it doesn't do, and what it might do in the future.

What it does:

Traveling
In my opinion the best feature of the Chromebook is it's portability. Chromebooks are very light and their batteries last all day for most users. Even if you don't take it many places it's nice to be able to move from the table to the couch or anywhere else around the house without having to drag a power supply with you. It's also available in a 3G model that includes 100mb per month from Verizon for free with the ability to add more data.

The Cloud
The Chromebook is designed for "cloud" computing. What this means is that there is very little installed on the device itself. The majority of what you do will be done with web apps. The web has come a long way and it's amazing what you can accomplish online now a days. Google docs is one of many full office suites that handle word documents, spreadsheets, presentations and much more. The Chromebook has minimal photo editing built in and there are countless photo editing sites. You Tube is great for editing and sharing video and there are many other video sites available too. The Chromebook supports most cameras, external drives, and memory cards for getting your photos and videos online. It also easily connects to external monitors, televisons, and projectors to display your content. This is really just the tip of the iceberg as to what the Chromebook can do. To get a better idea of what's possible I suggest taking a look around the web store here.

Browsing
Chrome is an excellent browser for visiting all your favorite websites. It uses the latest technology and supports HTML5. If you're already using the Chrome browser you know how well it works.

Communication
Chromebooks have a built in webcam and microphone. These work great for posting directly to social networking sites, video sites such as You Tube, and many online photo editors. It's also great for audio and video chat. I personally love the "Hangouts" feature on Google Plus where you can have a video conference with several people at once. If you want to have a private conversation, many chat programs include a video chat feature.

Security
Chromebooks are some of the most secure devices available today. Verified boot ensures your file system hasn't been tampered with. There is also the option for two-step authentication to further increase security. All your data is stored in the cloud so even if your Chromebook is lost or stolen your data is still secure and easily available by logging in to another system.

What it doesn't do:

Manage Other Hardware
The only time I find I need to use a machine other than my Chromebook is for managing other devices. Some examples are, updating my TomTom GPS, Updating my child's various electronics and other devices that require programs be installed to manage them.

Heavy Duty Multimedia
If you do large amounts of multimedia editing you probably have a machine setup for that purpose already. There are many web apps available for photo, video, and audio editing however if you're a professional in any of these areas the Chromebook may not meet your needs.

Mac/PC based programs
In spite of there being so many fantastic web apps available many companies still require you to use proprietary software for compatibility. You can not install local applications on a Chromebook. Though with the release of Chrome Remote Desktop, you can use that as a stopgate as companies move over to HTML5 based applications.

What it will do:

Improve
There's still room for improvement. Although many Chromebooks have GPS and Bluetooth hardware, it isn't utilized by the software yet. Hopefully we'll see this in the near future. ChromeOS is still very new and Google's hard at work improving it all the time with regular updates.

You Tube Watching Tips and Tricks

2012-02-18T20:42:00.000-06:00

I thought I'd share some of the things I've learned about watching videos on You Tube.

The first is You Tube Leanback. This is more of a TV friendly version of You Tube. If you connect your laptop to a TV or just want to lean back and use a remote this is a great feature. It works best with the Android app to control it. You can go to Leanback here http://www.youtube.com/leanback. The android app is available here https://market.android.com/details?id=com.google.android.ytremote.

The next is the HTML5 video player. All web pages are written in HTML. HTML5 is the latest version. It does a lot more than previous versions. If you use the Chrome or Firefox browser you have HTML5. This means it supports video directly in the browser without a plugin. The HTML5 version of You Tube will play videos in the WebM format instead of using the flash player. If you'd like to give it a try just go here http://www.youtube.com/html5 and click on "join the html5 trial". If you'd like to know more about HTML5 you can check it out here http://html5demos.com/.

Hope this makes your You Tube experience a little nicer, enjoy.

Migrate From Facebook to Google

2012-02-16T10:13:00.000-06:00

I'm never going to stop pushing for people to switch from Facebook to Google Plus so here's a little tool that helps you move all your friends from Facebook into your Google contacts.
It's called "Friends to Gmail" and you can find it here www.friendstogmail.com.
Even if you're not moving to Google Plus it's still a good way to back up all your friends to your contacts.

Step 1
Go to www.friendstogmail.com.

Step 2
Click on "Connect with Facebook".

Step 3
Click on "Load Friends".

Step 4
Wait for it to load your friends.

Step 5
Copy the generated text.

Step 6
Create a new text file called "facebook.csv". You can do this with any text editor. Remember to save the file somewhere you can find it.

Step 7
Follow the link on the page to your "Google Contacts" or open contacts from Gmail.

Step 8
Click on "more" and in the drop down click on "import".

Step 9
A window will pop up. Choose the "facebook.csv" file you created and click "import"

Step 10
Enjoy having all your Facebook friends safely stored in your Google contacts. :)

What's In A Cigarette?

2012-02-11T11:02:00.000-06:00

I've been catching a lot of flak lately about my last post on "roll your own" cigarettes. I know I'll have to quit soon but until then this is a lot better alternative to buying packaged cigarettes. I'll explain why.

There are a rediculous amount of additives in packaged cigarettes. Most of these are listed as flavoring although I don't think that's truly what's intended by the tobacco companies.

I recently read about the "fire-safe" cigarettes. As of January 1, 2010, the fire-safe cigarette law was in effect in 43 states. It has been signed into law and will become effective in all states and the District of Columbia by 2012. They basically add ethylene vinyl acetate and polyvinyl acetate so cigarettes go out sooner when unattended. Fire safe cigarettes are produced by adding two bands or "speed bumps" to the cigarette paper during manufacture in order to slow the burn rate at the bands.

Some consumers in the United States claim they have found a noticeable difference in the taste of FSC cigarettes from non-FSC cigarettes, comparing it to a copper or metallic taste. Other symptoms reported include an itchy rash, (allergic reaction), severe headache, vomiting, diarrhea, mouth sores, and nose bleeds. There has been a rise in people rolling their own cigarettes instead of continuing to smoke FSC and there have also been petitions regarding FSC. One current petition has been signed by over 27,000 people that attest to the negatives of FSC cigarettes.

Currently there are no findings published on the long term health effects on humans of inhaling EVA co-polymers. Results of tests conducted on rodents show the risks associated with 'Ethylene Vinyl Acetate copolymer emulsion based adhesive' include triggering the cellular proliferation necessary for tumor development.

Then of course there's the list of 599 additives in cigarettes submitted to the United States Department of Health and Human Services in April 1994. It applies, as documented, only to American manufactured cigarettes intended for distribution within the United States. If you want to see the whole list you can find it here.

Most hand rolling tobacco contains 0 additives and most papers now use a sugar based adhesive strip. You can even get adhesive free paper. Cellulose papers are popular, they're transparent and sticky enough when moistened that no adhesive is necessary. For comparison here's a list of ingredients just in the paper and filters from Philip Morris USA's website.

CIGARETTE PAPERS:
Cigarette paper is the wrapping material surrounding the tobacco rod to form a cigarette rod. The cigarette paper is made of cellulose and may contain additives to provide whiteness, improve ash appearance and to help ensure burn uniformity.

CELLULOSE
CALCIUM CARBONATE
MONOPOTASSIUM PHOSPHATE
POTASSIUM CITRATE
SODIUM CITRATE
GUAR GUM, DEPOLYMERIZED
HERCON 70
CARBOXYMETHYLCELLULOSE
GUAR GUM
SIDESEAM ADHESIVES:
Sideseam adhesive is used to secure the cigarette paper around the tobacco rod. Sideseam adhesives are used in small amounts.

ETHYLENE/VINYL ACETATE, COPOLYMER EMULSION IN WATER
POLYVINYL ACETATE
VINYL ALCOHOL-VINYL ACETATE COPOLYMER
ETHYLENE/VINYL ACETATE, COPOLYMER EMULSION IN WATER
MONOGRAM INKS:
Cigarette papers often have a small brand identifying mark (monogram) printed either on the cigarette paper towards the filter end of the cigarette or on the tipping paper. The monogram is printed on the paper using a minute amount of ink. The monogram inks used on our cigarettes may contain, for example, black, blue, red and/or yellow pigments.

IRON OXIDE BLACK
LINSEED OILS
LINSEED VARNISH
LECITHIN
ORGANOPHILIC CLAY
PIGMENT BLUE 15
PIGMENT YELLOW 14
PIGMENT YELLOW 42
PIGMENT RED 170:1
RESIN
ROSINS
SOYBEAN OILS
SYNTHETIC TREATED SILICA
WHITE MINERAL OIL
CALCIUM 2-ETHYLHEXANOATE
C.I. PIGMENT RED 53, BARIUM SALT
C.I. PIGMENT RED 57, CALCIUM SALT
OXY ALUMINUM OCTOATE
PETROLEUM DISTILLATES, HYDROTREATED MIDDLE
PHENOL, 2,6-BIS (1,1 - DIMETHYLETHYL) - 4 - (1 - METHYLPROPYL) -
PIGMENT GREEN 7
PIGMENT VIOLET 19
SILICA
TITANIUM DIOXIDE
2,2,4- TRIMETHYL- 1,3- PENTANEDIOL MONOISOBUTYRATE
TRIPROPYLENE GLYCOL MONOMETHYL ETHER
PROCESSING AIDS (ANTIOXIDANT, SOLVENT)
FILTRATION MATERIALS:
Cigarette filters are attached to the end of the cigarette rod. Filters are made in a variety of designs. In addition to papers and adhesives (both of which are discussed separately), most cigarette filters contain filtration materials known as a filter tow and a plasticizer. The filter tow is the bundle of cellulose acetate fibers or papers that comprise the bulk of a cigarette filter. A plasticizer is a softening agent that is added to the filter tow in small quantities to bind the filter fibers together. Some of our brands also contain carbon designed to assist in the filtration process.

CELLULOSE ACETATE
CARBON
TRIACETIN
POLYETHYLENE GLYCOL 200
TITANIUM DIOXIDE
COTTON
ALUMINUM OXIDE
SODIUM CHLORIDE
PROCESSING AIDS (FINISHING OIL)
FILTER PAPERS (including PLUG WRAPS, TIPPING PAPERS and TIPPING PAPER INKS):
A cigarette filter contains two papers. First, a plug wrap is used to contain the filtration materials (i.e., filter tow and plasticizer). Second, a tipping paper holds the filter to the cigarette rod. The tipping paper is wrapped around the filter assembly (i.e., filtration materials and plug wrap) and extends over the cigarette rod. Tipping paper is made from cellulose fiber and may have applied to it various colorants (e.g., pigments to give a cork appearance and/or to add a monogram) and coatings (e.g., to prevent the cigarette from sticking to the lips.

CELLULOSE
CALCIUM CARBONATE
POLYVINYL ACETATE
NITROCELLULOSE
TITANIUM DIOXIDE
IRON OXIDE BLACK
PIGMENT YELLOW 42
POLYVINYL ALCOHOL
STARCHES AND/OR MODIFIED STARCHES
TRIACETIN
ALUMINUM
CLAY
PIGMENT BLUE 15
TALC
ALUMINUM SULFATE
BORIC ACID
COPPER
DIBUTYL PHTHALATE
GLYOXAL
HYDROGENATED METHYL ESTERS OF RESIN AND ROSIN ACIDS
PIGMENT RED 101
POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE
RESINS
ROSIN
VINYL ALCOHOL-VINYL ACETATE COPOLYMER
ZINC
ACETATE PROPANOATE CELLULOSE
CASEIN
DIMETHYL SILOXANE
FUMARIC ACID
FUMERATED ROSIN
MALEIC ANHYDRIDE
PIGMENT YELLOW 17
POLYETHYLENE
SORBITAN,TRIOCTADECANOATE POLY(OXY-1,2-ETHANEDIYL) DERIVATIVES
C.I. ACID YELLOW 3, DISODIUM SALT
C.I. ACID YELLOW 23, TRISODIUM SALT
C.I. PIGMENT RED 57, CALCIUM SALT
DI-2- ETHYLHEXYLSULFOSUCCINATE
ETHYL ACRYLATE, COPOLYMER WITH METHYL METHACRYLATE
PARAFFIN
PIGMENT GREEN 36
PIGMENT ORANGE 5
PIGMENT RED 48:2
PIGMENT VIOLET 23
PIGMENT YELLOW 83
POLYSTYRENE
ZINC SULFIDE
ALUMINUM HYDROXIDE
BENZENEDICARBOXYLIC ACID, DIHEPTYL ESTER, BRANCHED AND LINEAR
BENZENEDICARBOXYLIC ACID, DINONYL ESTER, BRANCHED AND LINEAR
BENZENEDICARBOXYLIC ACID, HEPTYL NONYL ESTER, BRANCHED AND LINEAR
OCTADECANOIC ACID
PIGMENT RED 22
SILICA AMORPHOUS GEL
SODIUM BICARBONATE
LECITHIN
TRIETHANOLAMINE
C. I. ACID BLACK 2
C.I. DIRECT RED 81, SODIUM SALT
C.I. DIRECT RED 81, TEA-97 SALT
C.I. DIRECT YELLOW 11, LITHIUM SALT
CITRIC ACID MONOHYDRATE
MINERAL OIL
PIGMENT RED 49:2
FILTER ADHESIVES:
Filter adhesives are used both to secure the plug wrap to the filter and to secure the filter to the tobacco rod. Like sideseam adhesives, filter adhesives are used in very small amounts.

ETHYLENE/VINYL ACETATE, COPOLYMER EMULSION IN WATER
DIETHYLENE GLYCOL, DIBENZOATE
DIPROPYLENE GLYCOL DIBENZOATE
HYDROCARBON RESIN-ETHENYLBENZENE, COPOLYMER WITH (1-METHYLETHENYL) BENZENE
MICROCRYSTALLINE HYDROCARBON WAX
MICROCRYSTALLINE WAX
ALPHA METHYL STYRENE POLYMER
METHYL PARABEN
POLYVINYL ALCOHOL
2-PROPENOIC ACID, 2-METHYL-, METHYL ESTER, POLYMER WITH ETHANOL AND ETHENYL ACETATE
BORIC ACID
NAPTHA, PETROLEUM
POLYVINYL ACETATE
POLYVINYL ALCOHOL BORIC ACID COMPLEX
TRIACETIN
VINYL ALCOHOL-VINYL ACETATE COPOLYMER
PARAFFIN
ALUMINUM DISTERATE
ALUMINUM TRISTERATE
OCTADECANOIC ACID
PROCESSING AIDS (ANTIOXIDANT, DEFOAMER, PRESERVATIVE, WATER)

Roll Your Own Cigarettes

2012-02-09T18:02:00.000-06:00

I've recently started rolling my own cigarettes again. I've tried this before but never liked it for several reasons.

First, pretty much all tobaccos I've tried have been complete garbage.

Second, the time and effort it takes and the mess it makes was not worth it.

Third, it was too hard to keep enough rolled so I wouldn't run out.

The first problem I solved when someone recently shared one of their hand rolled cigarettes with me. I actually liked it. It tasted better than any other I had tried. This tobacco was Drum. I actually like it much better than the carton cigarettes I used to buy.

Copied from Wikipedia

Drum is a brand of fine-cut handrolling tobacco, or shag. It was originally produced and distributed by the Douwe Egberts corporation. Douwe Egberts was purchased by the Sara Lee Corporation, which sold Drum to Imperial Tobacco, the current British producer. After Douwe Egberts discontinued Drum in the USA, Republic Tobacco of Glenview, Illinois, began making its own version of Drum for distribution in the United States, usually sold accompanied by a package of JOB rolling papers. Both versions are considered halfzware (Dutch for "half-strength") type tobaccos, although the flavors and cuts are not the same due to different methods of curing. Halfzware usually indicates a combination of dark Kentucky burley and bright Virginia tobaccos. Imperial also produces Drum in gold (blonde) and light (mild) varieties. Drum's main competitor in the US is Bali Shag rolling tobacco.[citation needed] Drum is known for being Vincent Vega's, from Pulp Fiction, rolling tobacco of choice. The two versions of Drum are made in different locations and have different sensory properties. European Drum is barrel-cured in the Netherlands using a centuries-old process, whereas the American version is made at the Top Tobacco factory in North Carolina. Drum in most european countries does not include rolling papers. A packet of Drum Tobacco can be seen in the blockbuster hit Pulp Fiction. The packet is clearly visible on a table prior to Uma Thurman ingesting narcotics

On to problem two. I've tried several different methods of making cigarettes in the past. I've bought the pouches and hand rolled them. I've had the injectors that use the tubes. Hand rolling is way to hard to make a lot of smokes. The injectors are really complicated, make a huge mess, and don't always turn out that great.

I've found that what I like best is the simple hand rolling machine. At first I wasn't using filters but since have started to use them. I can roll about a dozen cigarettes in the time it takes me to smoke one. The hand rolling machine was about $3 at the tobacco shop and filters are about $1 for 100. The filters also come with a $1 off coupon so they are essentially free.

Problem three was partially solved just by getting better at using the hand rolling machine. I also just purchased a case with a built in roller from ebay for $5.99. It holds tobacco, filters, and papers and has a roller built in to the lid. I'll post a how-to video on it soon.

Below is a video demonstrating my method of rolling my own cigarettes. This is my first attempt at a tutorial video on YouTube so enjoy.

Here's that other video I promised.

Why Everyone Should Use Google

2012-02-03T13:05:00.001-06:00

My plea to get everyone using Google+

Facebook has become really annoying lately. I recently got stuck on the new ” timeline” and it looks like everyone will be stuck on it as of the 10th. Below I'll list the reasons I think everyone should be using Google.

1. Email
This is probably the biggest thing keeping people from using Google+. I think it's one of the best reasons to switch to Google. I, like many people had email addresses I didn't want to lose when I switched to Google. What people don't realize is that Gmail works just as well as an email client for pretty much any account. In most cases Gmail already knows the settings and all it needs is your username and password. Once you set it up you can get all your email and send emails as your previous account right from Gmail. If you have an Android phone this makes it even easier to use your work or other email too.

2. No more annoying notifications.
With Google+ you don't have to constantly hear about how your friends Farmville is doing or how well they did in Bejeweled. Google+ has a place to post your score and brag about your gaming skills but it's only under the games tab and it doesn't automatically and constantly pester your friends. All your friends information is stored in your contacts list so if you want to know who's birthday is coming up just look at your calendar.

3. Hangouts
Google hangouts is really a nice feature. You can instantly create a chat room only with the people you choose with or without webcams. If you just want to post a message and come back later you can do that too.

4. Circles
No need for the ”crap my mom is on Facebook app”. Every time you post you can pick who can see it and who can't. Just group your friends into circles. You can still make posts public or to extended circles which includes everyone in your circles and your friends circles. You can share posts only to specific people too.

5. The Cloud
In my opinion Google has some of the best cloud services out there. The best part is it's easy to share documents, photos, events, and lots of other things to anyone in many different ways. I urge you to check out what Google has to offer.

Gmail

Fast, searchable email with less spam

YouTube

Watch, upload and share videos

Calendar

Organize your schedule and share events with friends

Groups

Create mailing lists and discussion groups

Google+

Real-life sharing, rethought for the web

Blogger

Share your life online with a blog - it’s quick, easy and free

Click here to see everything Google has to offer.

If you're trying to do something with Google and can't figure it out leave a comment and maybe I'll write a tutorial. ;)

Now everyone start using Google+ so I don't have to log in to Facebook anymore!

ND Fail

2012-01-25T12:16:00.001-06:00

Well North Dakota turned out to be a bust. There may have been jobs there but none of them payed very much and housing was impossible to find. Lots of people were living in the Walmart parking lot but the money wasn't worth that. In the end I just missed my family too much and had to come home. It wasn't exactly fun and I didn't even bother taking pictures. I kinda just want to forget about that whole trip.

Right now I'm trying to find a job anywhere I can. I've been applying to lots of railroad jobs. I think that's something steady I could make a decent living at if I could get in. Today I'm going to take the test for the post office. The pay's not that great but it would be steady work. And they actually have several openings near by. I've been applying to construction jobs too but that's not looking too promising. I signed up for a couple courses at the Plumbers hall too, welding and HVAC. I figure it can't hurt. I still call the hall every week but I've been doing that for years and they haven't gotten me a job since 2008.
Well that's what's new.

I'm Back

2012-01-22T21:34:00.000-06:00

If you didn't guess it from the title, I'm back home. The trip was a learning experience but other than that a total waste.

I ended up staying in Sidney, MT. It was the closest to Williston that I could find an RV space. Housing of any kind is very hard to find in the area. Most of the RV parks had a waiting list and once you do find a space you'll be paying $700-$1000 a month for it. Lots of people are making a lot of money from RV parks. There were literally thousands of campers out there. Many people were setting up camp in parking lots. The Walmart parking lot was more than half full of people living in RVs and many living in there cars. There are definitely a lot of jobs available but there are also tons of people pouring into the area. Every time I stopped at a gas station there would be several vehicles pulling in. You could tell they were people that just got in to town and many still had luggage strapped to the roof. I think even in the middle of a boom town, when there's that many people looking for work the pay isn't going to be that great. From what I can gather truck drivers are making a good amount of money. Many seem to be making around $80,000 a year and there are a lot of trucks. The oil wells are spread all over the area and trucks are needed to move the oil and fluids for the drilling process. If you have a CDL and a nice RV you're willing to live in it may be worth it for you to head out there. From the little bit I looked in to oil rig jobs it seems that it takes a little time to get one. The starting pay isn't that great either. The bonus is a lot of over time. Many work 12 hour days 7 days a week with various rotations, 2 weeks on 2 weeks off etc. When you add it all up even with the over time your still not working a lot of the time and the starting pay of around $20 an hour doesn't seem worth it. Also, until you can find a job with a company that actually has housing available you'll most likely be living in the Walmart parking lot.

My decision was to just come home. I couldn't find a job in construction that paid well and wasn't ready to live in the Walmart parking lot in January. I was starting to get really homesick and I missed my wife and daughter too much to stay in the area unless the money was going to be really good. I've never been to that area before and hadn't realized how empty it is. Williston is not that big of a town and it's hours from anything. There's lots of highway out there with nothing but the occasional RV park along the way.

I'll add more later but just wanted to get something up to let people know what I found and hopefully help some people avoid the disappointment of going out there. If anyone has any questions or wants a little more info feel free to leave a comment.

Made It

2012-01-16T09:24:00.000-06:00

Well I made it. It took a while and I had a few problems along the way but I'm out here. The battery in my truck finally died around Madison, WI but it's been doing fine since I fixed that. The hardest part has been trying to find a place to stay. It seems this has been a really bad week to find an RV spot. I finally ended up getting a spot about an hour from Williston in Sidney, MT. Even here it's $250 for the week or $700 a month for a spot with electric and water only. I think full hookups are $1000 a month. They do have laundry, a bathroom and showers though. The old popup is doing ok. It got down below zero last night but with the help of some insulation and a lot of duct tape I stayed reasonably warm.

Today I'll be going to the job services centers. Everyone says that's the best place to start. I'm hoping to find a job that provides housing so I can move out of the camper. It works for now but I really don't want to stay in here long term.

Well that's all I've got for now. I'll be posting photos soon so check back.

Accommodations

2012-01-06T09:30:00.000-06:00

Many of you have probably heard about the housing crisis around the oil fields. I've heard about man camps, people setting up camp in the Wal-Mart parking lot and living just about anywhere they can. Lately I've been trying to figure out my best options for living when I get out there. Here's the plan I've come up with. It's not ideal but I'm sure I'll be ok.

1979 Starcraft Galaxy 8

Coleman Portable Flush Toilet

I'll be pulling my luxurious 1979 Starcraft Galaxy 8 pop-up camper out there. I considered buying a camper with a bathroom off of Craigslist but in the winter the plumbing on it would just freeze up anyway. I've ordered a camp toilet from Amazon.com. It's not the best but it should do the trick.

Texsport Battery Powered Camp Showere

The tricky part was trying to build a shower. I decided the best option would be to hang a shower curtain from the ceiling like they do with most pop-up campers that come with a bath. Then I had to figure out what to use for a shower pan / drain. The best idea I have is to use one of the 55gal plastic rain barrels I have. They're large enough to stand in and already have a drain with a hose connection built in. For the water supply I plan on using a large aluminum stock pot I have to heat water on the stove. I also ordered a battery powered shower pump from Amazon.

Rain Barrel

The camper has an LP furnace built in to it. I'll also be bringing a couple electric heaters, a couple propane heaters and an electric blanket just in case. I will be bringing my 3500 watt generator for backup power and it will add a little weight to the back of my truck for traction. Hopefully I won't need it but it won't hurt to bring it along, especially since the furnace doesn't work without a good power source.

Well that's the plan for now. I'll post some more pictures when I get camp set up out there.

Cellular Problems Solved

2011-12-28T13:42:00.000-06:00

WARNING! This is not for the faint of heart.

~~(work in progress, will update soon)~~
FAIL!
(I haven't been able to make it work yet, I did get a Samsung Intercept to work but for some reason can't make the Wildfire connect to the right towers, will update if I ever figure it out)

How to root and activate a Virgin Mobile HTC Wildfire S on a prepaid plan that uses Verizon's network.

Here's a summary of what I've found out and done.

1. Got a new HTC Wildfire S for Virgin Mobile

2. Obtained S-Off, Rooted and installed a Custom Recovery

3. Changed PRL file to Page Plus Cellular

4. Activated on Page Plus

note: I didn't come up with any of these methods or write any software, I'll try to give credit to those that have. :) Most my information came from http://www.xda-developers.com/ and http://www.kittyforums.net/

Step One: obtain S-Off, Root and install Recovery

(Tested by me, works great! ;) )

All HTC phones come with a security flag called s-on. This locks parts of the phone. Luckily I found an easy way to get S-Off, Root and Recovery for the Wildfire S all at the same time over at the XDA-Developers website. The original thread is here.

Required Files

HTC Drivers http://www.mediafire.com/?j9ocz7n8b51j5og

Simple Gold Card Creator http://www.mediafire.com/?t2jdi977o9odv77

Wilfire-S_One Click.zip http://www.mediafire.com/?8iijdtldidczrj5

Directions:
First we are going to install the Htc Usb Driver that was downloaded. Just double click and continue with the install.
Next do a backup the sd-card. This means anything you have on it to copy and paste somewhere on the pc. The reason for this is the sd card will be wiped for the process.
Now take and extract the Simple Gold Card Creator to the desktop. Inside should be a .exe file, if windows vista or 7 you will need to right click and open as admin.
Plug the phone into the usb cable connected to your pc. Enable usb storage.
In Simple Gold Card select the drive letter in step 1. Then click format, once format is done pull down the taskbar. Switch from usb storage to charge only.
Plug the phone in to the usb cable connected to your pc. Go to settings>applications>development enable usb debugging. Also at this time you should get a prompt on the taskbar (Windows) about installing drivers. Make sure it finishes before going forward.
Now inside of the Simple Gold Card Creator select MMC1 & click GetCID and copy it into the web page that the program links to in step 4. Make sure to use a real email as it will email a img to you.
Download the image file from your e-mail, the click load img in Simple Gold Card. Browse to where ever it saved and open it.
Now on the phone pull the taskbar down yet again and switch from charge only to usb storage. In Simple Gold Card make sure the drive letter didn't change. Then click patch mmc.
You should now have a working gold card! YA!.... Now pull the taskbar down again and switch to charge only mode.
Extract the contents of Wilfire-S_One Click.zip to the desktop. Inside of the new folder you should have a tools folder and a s-off.bat.
Double click the s-off.bat which will open a cmd window. Be sure to pay attention to what it is doing and hit any key when prompted. Caution make sure to wait till the phone is booted back up after booting to h-boot for the first time. As said read what is said in the prompt.
When all done you will be s-off, have root/superuser, cwm and busybox installed. Which I would recommend to do a backup.
Now enjoy life with your s-off'd wildfire

Step Two: Install Page Plus PRL File

(Tested Works!)

Page Plus is the only way to get a non Verizon phone on the Verizon network. They're a pre-paid MVNO(mobile virtual network operator)

Required Files

MSL Reader from the market here

QPST here

Page Plus PRL ~~here~~ (update: this prl file works better for sprint network phones http://www.mediafire.com/?8ctt788opff38cd )

1) Download Files and Install MSL Reader on phone

2) Open MSL Reader and accept the superuser request.
3) Tap read MSL
4) Write down your MSL, you'll need it
5) Go to the phone app, dial ##PORT# and hit on, then select.
6) Enter your MSL and click OK
7) Plug into a computer and download HTC diag drivers
9) Download pageplus.prl
10) Install QPST
10B) go to the device manager, and select the unknown HTC device, then update driver. then browse>let me pick from a list>have disk>go to downloaded unzipped folder>choose the appropriate folder for your OS type>click the driver. Now open, next, yes, close. Right click HTC Modem, and go to Properties>Advanced port settings>see what your COM port is
10C)Open QPST CONFIGURATION and select port. then add port, here you type the port your HTC MODEM is on.
10D) Your phone will now show up, and you will click start client>service programing
11) click your device and OK.
12) DO EXACTLY AS I SAY NOW! NOTHING ELSE!!! NO LOOKING AROUND!!!!!!!
13) Click read from phone, Give it the MSL you wrote down
14) Now click save to file
15) Click roam
16) Click browse where it says file and in that you put the pageplus.prl you downloaded
17) Write to phone. THIS WILL RESTART THE PHONE, BOOT MAY TAKE A WHILE DON'T PANIC

Step Three: Activate on Page Plus

(NOT TESTED!, will update once I've completed it, as I understand calls and texting should work fine, still need to check about data)

You will need to change your MDN and MSID to activate your phone. To do this dial ##your_MSL_here# then choose edit. If you lost you MSL use the app you downloaded earlier in the process to get it. When you activate your phone they will give you your MSID and your MDN will be your phone number.

To get data to work you need to dial ##3282# then click edit, then Data Profile and then edit your username to xxxxxxxxxx@vzw3g.com where the x's are your phone number.

If all is successful you'll have a decent Android phone with a relatively cheap prepaid plan on Verizon's nationwide network. Good Luck!