Dan's Blog

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!

Cellular Coverage

2011-12-19T21:18:00.000-06:00

Well, the time is getting closer that I'll be heading out. I've been researching cellular coverage to make sure I can stay in touch out there. I currently have Virgin Mobile service. It's a great service and I get truly unlimited data, unfortunately there is no coverage in North Dakota. From what I've found in my research Verizon has the best coverage in the Williston area. Fortunately I have a Google Chromebook with Verizon 3G built in so I shouldn't have any problem staying connected.

Verizon's Coverage

The bad news is the Verizon 3G isn't unlimited and definitely isn't cheap and I'll have to find something for voice calls since my Virgin Mobile won't work out there. I'm also pretty sure I'm getting a new Virgin Mobile for Christmas. I may have to sell it and find something else. I have yet to find a prepaid Verizon Android phone for a decent price and Verizon's prepaid rates are outrageous. So far I think my best bet will be AT&T. They have an unlimited prepaid plan for Android phones for $50 a month. I believe they slow down your data rate after a certain amount of usage but it's still the best available in the area. The coverage may not be as good as Verizon but I'd say it's a close second and for the price I think it's definitely the best option.

AT&T's Coverage

Google's New Navbar

2011-12-19T20:18:00.000-06:00

If your sick of the black navigation bar on Google sites here's a trick to get the new navigation bar early.

Basically it's just installing a cookie to tell Google to use the new version. This method works only in the chrome browser. Here are the steps.

1. Go to http://www.google.com

2. Right click anywhere on the page and select inspect element.

3. Click on the "console" button towards the middle of the screen.

4. Paste this code
document.cookie="PREF=ID=03fd476a699d6487:U=88e8716486ff1e5d:FF=0:LD=en:CR=2:TM=1322688084:LM=1322688085:S=McEsyvcXKMiVfGds; path=/; domain=.google.com";window.location.reload();

5. Press enter.

That should be all you have to do. To get the new navigation bar to show up on other pages just hit the refresh button.

The Plan

2011-12-12T20:18:00.000-06:00

Well, it looks like I'll be heading to North Dakota soon in search of work. I plan on documenting my journey here. As it stands now I will probably be leaving sometime in January. Rumor has it that there's lots of money to be made out there. This is a result of the recent oil field developments. People are flocking to this area in hopes of making good money. January is probably not the best time to be driving to North Dakota but it just kind of worked out this way. Housing is very scarce and it wont be easy to find a place to stay. I've heard that many have set up camps and RV parks and people are pretty much living anywhere they can. I've searched online but haven't been able to find a whole lot of info on the conditions or photos of any kind really. Hopefully this blog and my Nikon will change that. I've lived in a tent at the south pole and honestly I love the cold so I don't think I'll come across anything I can't handle but it should be an adventure. My ultimate goal is to 1. find a good job making good money and 2. find a decent place to live so my family can join me out there. The biggest boom is in Williston. I've also heard there's a fare amount of work in Bismarck as well. I'm guessing the money will be better in Williston but the conditions will be worse. Who knows where I'll end up but hopefully it will all be worth it. That's all for now and as soon as I find out more I'll be posting more.

View Larger Map

Back Again

2011-12-09T18:06:00.001-06:00

Well it's been a while but the blog that nobody reads is back. :)
I haven't had anything to post about and still really don't. I may have to start posting if I head out to North Dakota. I may be heading there after the end of the year. Things are finishing up in Iowa and it's not looking good for jobs around home. At least I'll be home for the holidays and if I can find a place to stay Sarah and Violet will join me in ND. Either way I'll try to keep the blog updated. I realize I could just use Facebook but that really annoys me so unless everyone starts using Google+ I'm just going to blog. :)

Tonido

2011-02-24T15:43:00.000-06:00

Here's another nice little piece of cloud software I've found. It's a small server you run on your desktop so you can access all your files from anywhere. It works on a home network out of the box and from anywhere on the web with a few router tweaks. It has a built in music player but I really prefer Sockso which is just as easy to install. It has a decent photo viewer for looking at pictures stored on your computer. It also has the ability to share files with other people over the internet and even mount your files as a networked drive although I prefer the web interface and I don't really have much choice on the Cr-48. It has some other stuff built in that I haven't really tried yet, like a blog and the ability to create shared work spaces for online collaboration. I believe all this is better done with web apps anyway. Here are some screenshots.

It's a really handy program if you live in the cloud like I do. What it's most useful for is to have access to your files from any web browser. You can download it for Windows Mac or Linux at www.tonido.com

Google Forms

2011-02-23T18:28:00.000-06:00

I've was checking out Google docs again and noticed you can make forms. It's pretty sweet. Naturally the first thing I thought of using them for was family get togethers. Feel free to test it out. Fill out the form and your results will show at the bottom. It's not perfect and with many things Google it's still in beta, but still pretty cool.
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Results

Google Voice

2011-02-19T14:52:00.000-06:00

So, by now you probably think I'm a salesman for Google. I'm not, it's just they've been doing a lot of great stuff lately. I recently started using Google voice and I love it. I've been wanting to change my phone number back to a 708 area code for a while now. I've had a 630 number since I lived in Woodridge. The problem is that so many people have my 630 number that I don't want to give it up. I solved this with Google voice. I got a free 708 number from Google. Here's how its set up. If you call my Google number it rings on my cell and on my notebook if I'm online. It shows the correct caller ID on my cell too. If I don't answer it goes to Google voicemail. If you leave a message it sends a text to my phone after it transcribes the message. It also sends the message to my email. That's right, it transcribes messages into text you can read so you don't even have to listen to the message if you don't want to. There is a delay if you call my 630 number and I don't answer. First it will ring on my notebook if I'm online and then it will go to the Google voicemail. I can also call out from my notebook to any US number for free. Currently if I call from my cell it will still show my 630 number but they're working out a way to make it show my Google number on caller id. I can set it so that the id on text messages I send from my cell will show my Google number. There are tons of other features too. If you want to screen your calls you can listen to someone leaving a voicemail and answer anytime you want when you're online. Just like an old fashioned answering machine. You can add more than one cell to your voice account as well. You can even port your current cell number to Google voice for $20. One of the major benefits I see with this is that you could use your Google number for everything and not have to worry about what your actual cell number is. If you go on a trip and forget your phone you could just buy a $15 prepaid that comes with $15 airtime. Add your new number to Google voice and your all set. You could never have to worry about porting your number again when you want to switch carriers or move between contract and prepaid.

Blizzard 2011

2011-02-03T12:19:00.000-06:00

Well the snow cam is down but here's a time lapse video. It wasn't nearly as impressive as I had hoped. The whole winter storm wasn't nearly as bad as I expected. I can't believe they're still talking about it on the news. I went out for a while today and all the roads are wide open. Anyway here's the video.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmZm5P3JcSo
Here's another video I took during the storm. You can see the wind whipping around by the street light.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMrGGoc_C5I

Sockso

2011-01-28T05:37:00.000-06:00

Oh, I almost forgot about this one. This is definitely one of my favorite programs I've found in a while. I've become more cloud based with everything I do lately and this little program has helped tremendously. So, Sockso is a program that lets you access all your music over a web server. I know a lot of people have no idea how to setup a server on their computer but it's really not complicated at all. Linux already has the Apache web server built in but you can easily add a server to Windows and Mac as well. The Apache website is www.apache.org. The Sockso website is sockso.pu-gh.com. All you do is download, install and tell it where your music is. This is all open source software by the way, so that means it's completely free. Once you have Sockso installed all you do is point your browser to the ip address of your computer. The default port is :4444 To find your ip address in windows just open a command prompt and type "ipconfig". Mine is 192.168.0.102 so I would point my browser to "192.168.0.102:4444". Any computer on your network can go to that address and play any music on your PC. If your comfortable with setting up your router you can redirect a virtual server to that address and you can access your music from anywhere on the web. Here's a screen shot of what Sokso looks like once it's up and running.

When you open music it plays in a small pop up that looks like a media player. You can use it with or without logging in. If you register and login though, you can create and save custom playlists and it keeps track of everything you've listened to and even gives you suggestions when you play a track. You don't have to worry about spam or anything like that, it only registers on your PC. If you setup the virtual server on your router you can let all your friends have access to your music as well and create their own playlists. Of course you can access all your music any where you have internet access this way as well. It's got a lot of other great features too. There's a cover flow browsing option that looks very nice. I know this seems like it's complicated but it's really not at all. I set the entire thing up in less than 5 minutes. If you've been looking for a way to access your music from anywhere on your network this is the best program I've found. With a little extra setup you can listen to all your music anywhere you have internet access. I would like to find out if there's a way to make it work good from a mobile. I don't have a screenshot for it but there is a nice backend GUI for configuring everything too.

Big Bands: Old, New and Songs about Kalamazoo

2011-01-26T04:11:00.000-06:00

I recently watched a good show on PBS. The Big Band Years: Peter Marshall hosts this celebration of big bands of the 1930s and '40s. Included: Glenn Miller, Harry James, Benny Goodman and Cab Calloway, as well as singers Helen O'Connell and Bob Eberly (Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra), the Pied Pipers (Tommy Dorsey Orchestra) and Frank Sinatra (Tommy Dorsey Orchestra). My favorite performer from this series has to be Tex Beneke. There was a really good performance of “(I've Got A Gal In) Kalamazoo,” one of my favorite songs I've forgotten about. There were a lot of talented female performers as well, too many to note. I guess in the life of a 1930's big band leader there's no lack of women to perform with.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFv_PoZ2iP0
I wish big band music would make a comeback and it has a little. There was a very good show on PBS featuring Max Raabe, Max Raabe and the Palast Orchester: Tonight or Never. This guy is one of the most entertaining performers I've seen in quite some time. He performs old classics as well as remakes of modern songs, even Brittany Spears, and he writes original music too. He's a trained baritone opera singer. He sings with a German accent and a smart ass smirk on his face but never cracks a smile. I think he's hilarious. He's coming to Chicago and if I had the money I would definitely go see him. Anyway if you get a chance these are two shows that are definitely worth checking out.

A New Look

2011-01-26T04:10:00.000-06:00

So, I've been really sick the last couple of days. I've been passing the time as I usually do, by playing on my notebook. I thought the theme looked a little cluttered on my blog so I changed it. I think it's a much cleaner look now. I then had to redo the theme on my photo site to match of course. I'm getting pretty good at theming with css and php. My photo site has a much cleaner look and loads faster now. The slideshow option is still there but I moved it to the upper right side. If you want to download any photos to order prints just click on a photo and it will open the full size version or right click and "save link as". I've put the fotomoto ordering option back on all photos too. They are a little pricey but they're good quality and I get a few cents for every photo. If you want cheap prints just download the photos and order them from wherever you want. If you don't like the theme or have any other suggestions about what you think I should change on the site let me know. I put the photos up so everyone can enjoy them and your feedback is welcome.

In the process of theming my blog I've changed some of the plugins as well. There's now a box that shows the latest photos I've uploaded. My Facebook status and Twitter updates are also on the right side of the screen. I've added some video functionality too. Mostly because my Google notebook has a built in webcam. You can now leave video comments on any post. I've also added a video call program. If you click on the "Chat" link it opens a page where you can video chat with a webcam. It is password protected to keep the weirdos out. If any of Violet's relatives want to video chat with her just let me know and I can give you the password and meet you on there.

I ran into a couple problems while updating, but I think I've fixed them all. When I updated the Facebook plugins it reposted everything on the site to Facebook. Sorry about that. Now that I've got everything the way I want it on here, maybe I'll add another post soon. I was thinking of doing a review on the roku. It's the only way we really watch tv anymore. And remember if you have any suggestions on how I can make the photo gallery better leave a comment or send me a message.

More on Chrome

2011-01-11T18:47:00.000-06:00

I've used the Chrome notebook quite a bit now. I did manage to install Ubuntu to boot side by side with Chrome OS however I haven't used it much. I find that I'm using the notebook about 90% of the time. I've moved my old laptop into another room where I have a nice desk and a better monitor for editing photos and using other apps. The fact that this thing is so fast and the battery lasts all day so I can do without a power cord has made it my primary computer. I'm sitting on the couch writing this from it right now. Another thing I love is that it doesn't overheat when it's sitting on my lap like a traditional laptop. Here are some more of my more recent thoughts on the CR-48, that's Google's official name for it.

I manged to get the webcam working properly. You have to go to the adobe settings page and give everything permission manually. Flash Settings

It took some looking around online but I got the 3g working. They give you 100mb a month free which has been plenty for me. If I were riding the train everyday or otherwise needed the 3g more often you can upgrade it.

The speakers sound remarkably good. They are located on the sides near the front. The sound quality definitely surprised me coming from such a little machine.

Another thing I noticed is the light sensor. You can easily adjust the brightness but if it gets brighter or darker while you are using it the screen automatically gets brighter or dimmer. It's not a huge difference and is hard to notice sometimes but it does make it a little more pleasant to use.

One thing I don't like is that the keyboard is had to see in dim lighting. A backlit keyboard would be very nice to see.

The SD card slot works. It's of little use to me as I do all my editing on another computer and I shoot raw files. There are some good cloud photo editors but only one that handles raw files and it's not free. If I used a point and shoot it would come in handy though.

The wireless card supports bluetooth. It works in ubuntu but there's no easy way to use it with Chrome OS yet. I really don't have any need for it so it doesn't bother me. The card also supports GSM and there's a sim card slot under the battery. I haven't been able to make that work yet though.

Printing was kind of a pain. Only because currently Google cloud print only works with a printer connected to a Windows PC. Until about a week ago I haven't had a Windows PC that I used regularly. I set one up mainly for some of Violet's toys that only work with Windows and a GPS I got for Christmas that can only be updated through Windows.

The bottom line is this notebook is really fast, 10 sec. boot time and instantly wakes from sleep. There are a ton of web apps available. I've been using a lot of Google services for a while anyway, like Gmail, Picasa and Google docs. Anything I do on my other laptop is synced easily with the Ubuntu One cloud service and there are lots of other cloud based apps for sharing notes and files. Every one is more connected now a days and a lot of companies are gearing more towards cloud based computing. I charge it overnight and this things ready to go all day. I take it with me everywhere and I'm always connected.

If you're interested in trying out Chrome OS you can download the open source version "Chromium OS" from this website http://chromeos.hexxeh.net/ it wont be as fast but it's essentially the same system. It runs from a usb thumb drive. The difference with the CR-48 is that the kernel and the operating system have been built specifically for this hardware. The modified bios skips all the detection processes as the kernel and the OS already know what's there. It helps that it's also running on a solid state drive.

Chrome Notebook Unboxing

2010-12-14T12:04:00.000-06:00

Today I received the Cr-48 Chrome Notebook. I recently applied for the pilot program and I guess they accepted me. The best part was they didn't even notify me. UPS just left it on my porch :)

Sarah was getting ready to yell at me for ordering more crap when I finally opened it and realized what it was. Now at this point I've only had it for a few hours. After I've been using it for a while I'll write a more detailed review. It

First impressions, it's very clean looking. It's all a rubberized flat black finish. It's almost completely smooth with very few vents. I almost missed the sd card slot completely. It also has one usb port and a vga output. The screen is very nice. It's fairly bright and not too reflective. The keyboard and controls are very simple. It has built in speakers and microphone and a headphone jack on the side. The built in speakers aren't too bad for a small (12inch) notebook. Hulu looked and sounded great. It also has a nice built in webcam. I'm still having trouble getting it to work correctly, but that's why they are giving these out to test, to try and work out the bugs.

Ok, so it looks great, but what is it, what is Chrome OS. Well Chrome OS is basically Google's Chrome browser as an operating system. I've played with the open source version (Chromium OS) a little. You may be wondering, what good is a notebook if it only has a browser and no other software? Well, if you've used Google's Chrome browser you know there are tons of add ons and extensions that make it more like an operating system. The best part is it's all cloud based. Log in to any Chrome OS computer and all your apps and documents are there. If you loose you notebook or it gets stolen you don't loose anything, it's all stored in the cloud. The down side is it's pretty much useless without an internet connection. Luckily it has built in 3g through Verizon wireless. Google was kind enough to throw in 100mb of data a month for two years at no charge. I haven't had a chance to test it out yet as Verizon doesn't get very good signal here but Sarah will give it a good test this weekend while I'm driving her down to Springfield. It claims eight hours of battery life with a week of standby and only weighs 3.8lbs so it should be good for the trip.

Did I mention it's fast too? It starts up in seconds and comes out of standby immediately. I think this is due to it being a very specialized and minimized version of linux.

What bothers me so far. There's no right click on the mouse pad. You have to learn the keyboard shortcuts to copy and paste and such. There's also no scroll area on the mouse pad. I got over this pretty fast when I realized it had multi touch. You just use two fingers to scroll up and down.

Well hopefully I'll have some time to play around this more. I'll have a more detailed review soon.