How to ventilate your computer

Last weekend, the hard drive in our media server died. This sucks, but is not the end of the world, we had backups. This is the second time the hard drive in the media server has died. My best guess is that this is due to excessive heat.
To prevent further losses, I’ve replaced the hard drive with a pair of hard drives in a RAID set. A RAID is basically telling two hard drives to act as one. If one fails, you have the other. I also bought an external hard drive to do even more backups.
But I need to address the heat issues. Michele is insistent that the covers stay on the computer. So, the easy method, leaving the sides off, is right out.
That meant using forced air blown through the case. I had a ultra-quiet Cooler Master fan and a grill for another project I never got around to doing.


So I had to figure out to mount this fan on the inside of the case. It had to mount on one of the side panels with a grill on the outside to protect from the fan and cover the cut-out.

After getting a good idea where the fan would fit, I laid the grill on the outside to make sure I could mark the drill and cut-out lines well.

I drew the lines and checked them 3 times. My father always says, “Measure twice, cut once.” and he’s right. If I messed up the outer case, it not like I can run to the hardware store for another one.

Next I drilled the screw holes. That allowed me to keep checking on the cut-out as they are the point of reference. Note the scrap lumber underneath to get a clean hole as I drill through.

Now a pilot hole for the nibbler was drilled near the where I needed the edge of the cut-out.
What’s a nibbler you ask? Well, it’s a special tool for cutting out bits of metal. Bascially takes little bites out of metal. Mine is tiny and only takes about 1/8″ by 1/4″ bites out of aluminum or thin steel. Good for precision work.

Once the hole there, I can place the nibbler inside it and start. You can see how I can track the line to nibble by just watching the top follow the cut line.

Again, be very careful not to make a mistake, I repeatedly compared the grill to the hole I was cutting out.

This is the hole only a few nibbles before completion. You can see a few of the cut-out bits on the ground. You need to be sure to vacuum these up. They are sharp and can cut feet easily, whether they human or canine.

Here is the fan in place, behind the side panel with the grill ready to get screwed together.

Once in place, the fan is ready to go.

Here is the grill in place as well. Looks pretty good, eh?

The power is plugged into the fan, and I’m ready to close up the case.

Last step was checking for Michele’s approval. She thought it looked nice as well.
Project complete.
If you want to try it yourself, it’s fairly simple. The keys are having the right stuff (fan, grill, and a nibbler) and taking your time. Rushing the nibbling or trying to use a makeshift tool like a file instead will to disaster.

What the…

In the last week, I’ve gotten a half dozen emails about advertising on Cruftbox and three different headhunters called me to offer jobs.
Wha? I am simply not that in demand. My unhealthy fascination with junk food alone should scare most people away.
What happened? Did someone post me on a milk carton or a bathroom wall?

The Omnivore’s Dilemma

I’ve actually been reading a lot lately but have been neglecting my reviewing duties. Friends and family know that I’ve read this book, because I can’t stop talking about it.
The Omnivore’s Dilemma – Michael Pollan
Michael Pollan is a writer for the New York Times. I heard him speak on the radio about our food and how it is made. It was intriguing and I picked up the book for our trip to Hawaii.
Basically, Pollan looks at how food gets to the supermarkets where the vast majority of Americans shop. The reality he explains is astounding. Now, before you think I’m just some hippy on the net hyping the latest granola-eating idea that comes down the pipe, let me describe my food habits. We buy the majority of our food at Pavilions and Ralph’s supermarkets, with the occasional trip to Trader Joe’s for unique items. We eat fast food a couple times a week as a family and I personally eat out every day at lunch. We do buy organic eggs and milk and when the opportunity arises ‘free range’ and organic meat.
In his examination of the corn industry, I was amazed at the absolute insanity of the system of corn farming. Due to the government’s intervention on behalf of the large food processors (like ADM), the price of corn is less than the cost to grow it and the corn industry has become dependent on oil-based fertilizer (surprise!). The amount of corn produced is huge and the food processors invented high fructose corn syrup in the early 80s to find a use for all the corn produced. Today, with corn syrup in pretty much everything we eat, the new corn product being pushed is… ethanol (surprise!).
Next he looks at what the label ‘organic’ really means. Again, I found this fascinating. In short, organic just means that a farmer doesn’t use pesticide or fertilizer on plants and doesn’t use hormones or anti-biotics on animals. The majority of ‘organic’ food is still grown by mega-agribusiness in huge amounts. Thinking now about people that shop at places like Whole Foods get their food as opposed to the ‘regular’ supermarket is a bit funny. Organically labled food is the same whether you buy it at Safeway or Whole Foods. The silliness of it even gets bigger when you start thinking about buying organic out of season fruits that rode in exhaust spewing aircraft to get from South America to the US in the name of being ‘healthier’.
I do have to say that buy buying organic, you are getting a product that doesn’t have pesticides or fertilizers in them. That is a good thing, but organic foods are not the panacea to America’s food problems.
Polland describes the Polyface farm as an example of a sustainable farming method that by all accounts is the best way you could hope to get your food. I have to admit I was enamored when reading it, but some of the concepts don’t scale to amount of food needed to feed cities of hungry people. If I lived near Polyface Farm in Virgina, I’d go out of my way to buy their food. Pollan leads from hear into a brief desciption of the ‘slow food‘ and ‘eat local‘ movements. Both movements argue that eating food that is produced near to where you live is better in almost every way than eating food that is produced far away and shipped to you.
The point Polland makes about food labeling is superb. When was the last time you went to the store and saw the name of the farm where your oranges were grown? Was it in Florida or California? If you had questions about the farm where your ‘free range’ chicken was raised, who coudl you ask? Big agribusiness does not want you asking or thinking these kinds of questions. They want you to think that all eggs and oranges and apples and milk is exactly the same. You know this isn’t true.
Why do you think the good chefs are picky about the food they cook with? It’s because the little things matter in food. Honey made by bees that live near Clover is much different than the honey made by bees near tupelo. Beef from cows that eat grass is different than that from ‘corn fed’ cows.
After reading the book, I went to our local farmer’s market with the kids. Sure enough, the people there could tell you exactly where the food came from, most of it local. But the selection just isn’t there. Eating local means no corn in winter and no grapes in the spring. I liked the ideas, but it takes real effort to eat local and sustainably. It’s more than driving to Whole Foods.
The last part of the book deals with hunting and gathering. This part was interesting, but not particularly revealing. Those that have qualms about eating meat yet do may find it deeper, but I came to grips with being carnivorous ethically long ago. Each person needs to make up their mind about eating meat. Either eat meat or go vegan I don’t care, but I do care if you haven’t given the matter some thought.
If you can’t tell already, I highly recommend the book to anyone that has a passing interest in what they eat. If you haven’t done much reading about food before, you won’t be disappointed.
Pollan has a good weblog about these idea at the New York Times, but it’s behind the pay wall where most people can’t read it. We read the printed on paper Times, so we get to read it. It’s a shame that the Times can’t find sponors to make the column free to read.

Tube Radio

Last weekend, we helped our friends with their garage sale. They advertised and set up the sale. We brought over our crap, err, our fine pre-owned items and helped out with the sale and watching the kids.
In the middle of everything was this fantastic item.


What’s so special about this radio? Looks like a simple AM radio to most, but this ia actually a tube radio.

Sure enough, this is a 5 vacuum tube model AM radio from the early 60s. An explanation is in order. Back in the early days of electronics, vacuum tubes we the key to all modern innovations from radio and TV to amplification of signals.
Like the sound of electric guitars and the speed of microwave ovens? Thank vacuum tubes.
People in their 30s and older will likely remember TV commercial that told you to when your TV broke, you could bring the tubes from your TV for easy replacement. They had special kiosks at the supermarkets for the testing of the tubes.
Vacuum tubes have mainly been replaced by transistors in almost all uses. A few niche markets remain, like broadcasting and audio enthusiasts, but by in large it’s a forgotten technology. The ‘tube sound’ or ‘tube amp’ refers to the use of vacuum tubes in audio systems. Some people swear by the tube sound, but I can’t hear much of a difference between it and a good solid state (transistor) amplifier.
I had a brief education in tubes (or valves as the rest of the world calls them) in college in the late eighties. But they still fascinate me. There’s a brisk market on ebay for tube radios, but they aren’t worth a lot.
This radio was from the last generation of vacuum tube based radios that were meant to compete with the new transistor based radio arriving on the scene. Transistor radios were smaller and ran off of battery power, unlike the larger tube radios than needed to plug into the wall.

The radio works great. I adjusted the dial, listened to a baseball game on it, and was in heaven.
Best of course is that the schematic diagram and tube callout is on the bottom, ensuring that I can keep this running forever.

Java Juice Coffee

For a while now, I’ve been drinking instant coffee at home. Michele put our coffee maker up in a cupboard and replaced with a hot water dispenser. It’s great for tea, but it leads to instant if you want coffee. I’ve tried various Japanese instants and those found in the regular supermarket from Folgers and Maxwell. They are OK, but nothing great.
When I was in Europe I found these small coffee packets that held instant coffee for one cup. I really enjoyed them and had horded a few that I brought home. When I started searching on the net for how to get them in the US, I bumped into Java Juice. I started reading the site and was intrigued. I bought some and awaited it’s arrival to Cruft Manor.


I opened the box and was pleased with the package. Quite a departure from standard supermarket style, the canister had a good tactile feel and appears to be useful for other things once the coffee is gone.
The coffee is made from organic beans and is even kosher. They even mention that the benas are ‘fair trade’.

The coffee extract comes in a packet. It’s not powdered instant coffee, it’s a liquid. The idea is that it is easily mixed into anything.
Java Juice pitches their coffee as a product for people on the go, that want high quality coffee whether they are camping or at the office.

I open the package and poured the black gold out. A strong, delightful coffee aroma filled the air. I’m not sure exactly how they make it, but this is some serious coffee extract.

I add the hot water from the kettle. (Michele tried to clean the hot water dispenser with vinegar. It cleaned off the calcium deposits great, but the dispenser died. So we are back to heating water with a tea kettle until Michele decides on the new hot water dispenser.)

A little sugar and a little milk and we are ready. The taste? Pretty damn good. Much better than any regular instant coffee I’ve tried in the past. It’s strong and has a more ‘thick’ feel to it that some of the thin coffees you encounter.
Michele gave it a try and she liked it as well. It’s been offically added to the house staples.
Java Juice is great, but it ain’t cheap. A single serving is 75¢ to $1, depending on the quantity you buy. Like most things in life, you get what you pay for. I brought a packet to work today, added the hot water from the work kitchen and I had a great cup of coffee. Compared to my usual choice of crappy free machine coffee and expensive yucky Starbucks coffee, it’s well worth the price.

Time to learn

Zoe has been learning to play the Bass Guitar since January. I’ve been talking to my friend Paul about it and even discussed learning to play the guitar myself. Being a slacker, I’ve taken no action to actually move toward learning to play myself. Paul plays guitar and has mentioned it to me several times.
I was quite suprised this weekend when Paul presented me with my own starter guitar and amp.


This is an exceedingly generous gift and I’m quite excited to start playing.
I’ve been goofing around with it, but need to start learning. I searched on ‘learn to play guitar‘ on Google and was overwhlemed with sites. I have idea how to seperate the wheat from the chaff.
Any suggestions where to start would be appreciated!

12 Years

Twelve years ago, Michele Leah Keller and I were married in Ault Park, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Since then we’ve experience the joy of our children and the death of grandparents. We’ve lived in Venice Beach, San Francisco, Singapore, Glendale, and South Pasadena. We’ve sleep in tents under inches of snow and luxury hotels.
Through it all, my wife, a crazy artist who loves fabric in ways I cannot concieve, buys strange objects off of ebay routinely, and regularly attempts to get me to eat leafy green vegetables, has been a loving partner to me in everything.


Happy Aniversary Sweet Pea!

Orb

Several months ago, I started playing around with software called Orb. Orb is meant to run in your home, on the computer you store your media (think your music files) on.
Orb allows you to access your music and video files from anywhere on the internet. Orb Networks software, running on your home computer, talks to the main Orb web site. When you are away from home, you go to the Orb site and log in. Orb then connects you directly to your home computer and allows you to stream the media.
Basically, you can listen to your music and watch your videos from anywhere.


So if I get a hankering for the Beastie Boys, I just log in and decide which album to play.

Or, if I’m looking for something more specific, you can search. In this case, I did a search on the word ‘baby’.
There’s a ton more you can do with Orb if you use all the features. With a TV tuner card, you can watch TV remotely ala Slingbox. You can look at photos and even access you content via things like a PSP.
There are a few limitations. The quality of playback is directly tied to your upload bandwidth. The wider your pipe, the better quality the streams. You need to leave your computer running all the time, not a problem if you have a media server already, but for some a concern. Lastly, Orb seemed to crash a bit. You have the capability to restart Orb remotely, but it shouldn’t crash so often that it’s noticeable.
Orb is windows only, so Mac users are SOL. Too bad really. Any integration of Orb & iTunes would be pretty neat for getting at all that iTunes music you bought.
I think Orb is a great product and points to the future where access to media you own will be available anywhere on any device.