Walt's Ruminations

Will Toll-Free Phone Numbers Die Out?

Walt — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:37:22 +0000

While this is seemingly a random thought, there is reason to it. Eating lunch today, I looked at a billboard for an insurance agent up the road several counties away (this is an area with thin counties so you can pass through three or four counties in a matter of 30 miles) and noticed that while the number posted would be long distance and no toll-free number was listed. Thinking about this agent four counties over, I started wondering if the lack of a toll-free number would hurt her business any.

I came to the conclusion that for those she is targeting as customers, they would either have cellular phones or home phone accounts that included unlimited long distance.

I haven’t seen any statistics supporting this, but wonder if the day is coming that the uptake of new toll-free numbers is coming to an end… At least in some markets as I am sure not everybody will be able to afford phone accounts that include everything including long distance and the kitchen sink.

Opened a Twitter Account for Site News

Walt — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 23:27:40 +0000

After loving to make fun of Twitterers (?!), after both this and my Linux sites going down for several hours last night, I decided to open a Twitter account for anybody interested in bookmarking or following in case the sites are down.

The Twitter page is twitter.com/n3mtj and will also serve my Linux and Open Source site.

I will most likely not tweet much unless the sites go down, or I want to get some news out right away. I have a life so I will not be tweeting the fact that the dog stretched and fell out of his favorite chair for the umpteenth time.

EDITED to say that I will likely tweet tech related news that I find extra interesting and want to share.

Thelonious is Here!

Walt — Fri, 18 Jun 2010 01:26:40 +0000

The 13th version of WordPress has hit the servers for everyday use.

Check out their blog entry announcing the release and exciting news about the future of WordPress. Instead of rushing to develop a 3.x release, they will be working on the whole “WordPress experience” as WordPress is much more than the open source blogging application that it started out as years ago.

Photographic Flashback

Walt — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 01:36:19 +0000

I was just looking at the remaining picture count on the memory card currently in my digital camera and had a flashback to the days of film when we had to ration our shots more than today. Electronic storage has sure changed things! As long as you don’t fill up your memory card/stick/whatever, you can snap away at tons of things and later review your photos and delete the ones that you don’t like.

I have more or less accidentally taken some super shots this way.

Looking back at the slides I took while stationed in Germany (over a thousand!), I remember grudging many super shots not knowing if it would turn out any good and many that I thought couldn’t miss – that did…..miss, that is.

Of course, being able to punch up the color or brightness (or reduce them) is a welcome feature I have taken for granted for a long time now!

One hint: if you want to punch the color or contrast a bit, use a program that lets you use layers. Simply copy a new layer right on top of the background layer (your bottom layer). Then using the top layer, really punch things up and then play with the transparency of that layer. You can punch up contrast or color saturation and still keep things looking natural.

Be sure to not overwrite the original file!!!!!! Copy the picture you want to work with to another directory and change its name. Do your work in the native editor file format (this keeps the layers and adjustments separate and does not compress the file as JPEG(jpg) is a lossy compression where you lose a bit of your picture each time you open and then re-save it) After you get it to where you like it, then Save-As a JPEG, keeping the working copy in case you want to tweak it later.

Use a different layer for each correction/effect you want. Play with putting one adjusted layer above or under the other (remember the background layer stays on the bottom; it won’t move) as this will affect the outcome. My favorite method for not over doing things is to bring it up to the point where any more is too much, while feeling that you might be able to get away with just a little more (but resisting the urge to add any more tweaking).

The best way to learn how to do things right is to do them wrong and learn what doesn’t work! I have found some of my favorite tweaks this way, just having to tone them down a bit.

Most importantly, have fun.

La Niña on Forecast, Oh, also a Word on Readiness

Walt — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 21:52:43 +0000

The Climate Prediction Center has determined that El Niño dissipated during May, so we are looking at cooler Pacific waters now. This could be the beginnings of a La Niña which could mean the Atlantic hurricane season could be more severe.

Whichever way the hurricane season turns out, spring and summer are times of high risk for severe storms. As I post this, NOAA‘s NWS has severe thunderstorm warnings out for several states and several tornado warnings active, so hurricanes are not the only reason people should stay prepared.

For flashlights, I recommend the new LED style lights. They are so much easier on batteries, and the LEDs don’t burn out like the older incandescent bulbs. They come in varieties from similar to “regular” flashlights to lanterns to light entire rooms. I also recommend getting the ones that take regular flashlight type batteries (AAA, AA, C, or D). Remember that you will need electricity to recharge rechargeable batteries (duh) so for long term use, replaceable batteries are the best. The rechargeable ones are OK if the power is out for a few to several hours, but you will be running out of power after a few days if you cannot recharge the batteries.

Don’t forget battery operated radios (with fresh and replacement batteries) as well as fresh water and food that stores well for long periods of time and does not require cooking (be sure the food is something you can open without electricity!).

If you live in a mobile home, a low spot, or any other high risk area, be prepared to leave right away if told to do so.

Follow directions about staying away from windows and finding a safe place to stay while severe weather is nearby.

Here is the link from the NWS site to get your information about what you need and what to do. Following the directions could save your life or the life of a loved one.

New Linux Forum and Blog

Walt — Sat, 22 May 2010 01:55:45 +0000

For those interested in Linux and Open Source, I have started a new forum and blog at http://n3mtjlinux.net/forum and http://n3mtjlinux.net/blog.

These are dedicated to Linux and Open Source software and everybody is welcome to check them out.

Arc Gremlin Beside my Front Door

Walt — Tue, 18 May 2010 01:42:02 +0000

Sunday, I was prepared to replace the switch that controlled my front outdoor light. It had stuck in the “on” position and having a couple fail in the same way, I pulled the three-gang switch plate off and found a mess. Rather a mess that made my heart miss a few beats. I forgot to take pictures of the burned wiring inside the box, but saved the switch to photograph.

Looks like a catastrophic failure to me; at first I had blamed it on a poor connection until I saw the flash marks.

The fracture was not caused by removing the switch, it was already there. You can also see remnants of melted insulation on the back of the switch.

I an sure it ejected some flame here when it happened. I was unable to get a good inside picture of the backside of the handle. I’ll update later if I do get one. The screw looks corroded, but I found no sign of water having been anywhere near the switch.

From what I can tell, the flash incident went unnoticed. We rarely switched the automatic outdoor light off. One night I noticed that the light was staying on (it is a motion light), so I went to turn it off and found the switch stuck “on”. I did not notice the melted plastic for several days until after I went to replace the switch. It seems that the line from the breaker entered the quick connect hole (I hate those things!) and the rest daisy chained off the screw terminal to the other two switches in the box, and the rest of the circuit and overheated, melting the insulation. The melted insulation pattern was not consistent with a single flash incident. I have seen insulation blown off of wires and stuck to other objects inside the box, where the bulk of the missing insulation here was obviously split away from the conductor.

The frightening thing is that we have a coat rack right next to the switch box that could have easily caught fire if a coat was covering the switch. Any guesses as to my next project? Hint: The coats are moving to a different location!

Expanding into Open Source Software – New Blog

Walt — Sat, 15 May 2010 23:22:21 +0000

I have started a new website dedicated to Open Source software, including Linux, Firefox, Open Office, and other various Open Source applications.

The URL to the blog which is up and running, but I have no posts there yet is this: n3mtjlinux.net

I will also have a dedicated forum there and eventually a full site if all goes well.

Hopefully this will be a place to dispel myths and untruths about Open Source as well as a learning place for those interested in giving it a try.

Note that I will try to keep this in the realm of education instead of bashing the other operating systems.

Been Fiddling with Blog Again

Walt — Mon, 10 May 2010 02:35:29 +0000

It is not your imagination; the blog does look different! I switched to the Straight Blue theme, and am making modifications to personalize it.

For the next few days, please excuse the picture to the left of the Search area as I will be tweaking it to remove the white borders and jaggies. They show up nice and plain when not against the brighter background I had intended to use with another theme! The entire theme may change a little as I tweak it, too.

I guess it may or may not be easy to see that I love playing with the site as time allows. Hopefully things will settle down enough that I can do a lot more here.

Understanding Doppler RADAR – NWS Style

Walt — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 01:22:44 +0000

While on the subject of weather technology, here is a link to an easy online course by The National Weather Service about their WSR-88D Doppler RADAR system.

It is informative, yet easy to understand. It covers the basics of how they use Doppler for weather purposes.

There is an easy quiz at the end if you wish to take to receive a certificate of completion. If you are not interested in the certificate, at least you will understand what the colors mean and just what the whole picture is telling you.

If you wish, here is a boiled down version minus the questions and certificate.

Oh, and have fun!!