Highlights of 2006 Number 7: Health

In 2006 I began to take my own health and well-being more seriously than before. I’ve not exactly been leading a reckless lifestyle! Just that now I want to feel good all the time.

I’ve traditionally been averse to going to the doctor unless I was really sick. Now I don’t wait. Some infrequent but annoying health issues have driven me back to the doctor when in the past I would have toughed it out. Overall I feel great.

This spring saw me engage in a stretch of continuous exercise that I’d not had in a while. When it began to get light enough in the mornings, I would get up early and ride 5-6 miles around the greenways near my house. I would ride at least twice a week, sometimes more, and kept it up right until it got dark again in the mornings. It felt great to look up at the sun rising right in the middle of my ride. It was safe riding on the roads, too, at that time of day. It’s usually too early for drivers to be yapping on their cellphones.

I saw most of the same faces on the greenway path; people whom I’d look forward to seeing and miss when I didn’t. I also dodged a menagere of killer deer and assassin rabbits, who always waited until the last second to jump in front of me. And I lived to tell about it, something the rabbits may not be able to claim now that hawks have moved into the neighborhood.

On weekends, sometimes the whole family would join in. Nothing gets you in shape faster than doing the routine you always do but dragging 100 pounds behind you!

I do a lot of good thinking while riding. Sometimes I come up with innovative new product ideas.

Since its gotten dark in the mornings I haven’t been out. I miss it. My resting heart rate was in the 50s, prompting nurses to ask if I was an athlete. My heart rate is still in the low 60s and my blood pressure is good (122/70) but I don’t feel the same energy as I did when I was riding. I’d like to put myself into shape for riding one of the long local bike rides, like the MS 150.

I will rededicate myself to cycling (and other exercise) in 2007. This may be the year Kelly gets certified in scuba (and I get recertified).

Google’s Foothold in Chapel Hill

Looks like the mystery is now solved about the Google plane being spotted at RDU last year. Google has bought a Chapel Hill start-up called Skia.

It’s amazing how quiet this acquisition has been in the year since it occured. I guess when you’re a search engine company, you are well aware that what you say and write gets archived somewhere.

Kudos to Fred Stutzman for his work in putting the final pieces together. Continue reading →

Reading Meters

I spent one day out of the recent holidays taking measurements of our electric power usage at near-hourly intervals. This involved going outside and walking around to the meter to read whatever number was flashing at the time. While I got good data, obviously it isn’t convenient to step outside all the time. (And before you say it, yes I’m a hopeless geek. Deal with it!)

I know the meter can be queried via from the street, so I did some research on how this works. Apparently the meter (an Itron Centron) transmits as a Part 15 (i.e., unlicensed) device on the 900MHz band. It uses spread-spectrum frequency hopping over 50 channels, a fact that makes it somewhat difficult (but not impossible) to zero in on the data stream. However, the channels are published and span 909.6 Mhz through 921.8 MHz, well within the range of my scanner.

Thus, my idea of Do It Yourself Meter Reading (also described here)may be possible, after all. I haven’t found any description of the data stream, nor if its encrypted, so I do not know what information is available nor how to decode it. One step at a time, though.

Interestingly enough, the frequencies the electric meters use are right in the middle of the amateur radio 33cm band. Being licensed operators, hams thus have priority on these frequencies. I wonder how long it will be before reports surface about interference on this band?

Success Using Cups With Openslug

Warning: multiple buzzwords ahead! I don’t call this category X-Geek for nothing! 🙂

I finally got my NSLU2 running CUPS with Openslug!

I had to install the CUPS packages from the Unslung distribution. Then the battle was the SSL-fu needed to generate a certificate, since CUPS likes to use HTTPS connections for doing admin stuff.

The final hurdle, which just was overcome this morning, was adding a USB printer kernel module. I downloaded the Openslug sources last night and compiled the kernel module. Adding it this morning to my NSLU2 was all CUPS needed to see the printer.

The very, very last hurdle (actually) was adding the printer’s PPD file, so CUPS knew how to print to it. I dug that out of the printer’s install CD and installed it with little effort.

I’ve now turned my $80 Linksys NSLU2 network-attached-storage (NAS) device into not just an NAS but also a USB print server. Plus I learned a little about embedded Linux in the process, which is the best part of all. I’ve discovered you really can have a full-featured Linux server for less than 100 bucks.

Now to decide how else I can add to its usefullness. I’ve heard of an iTunes-compatible server running on the NSLU2, so maybe I need to explore that next.

King George Claims Right To Open Mail Without Warrant

While everyone else was enjoying their holidays, the Grinch … er, George W. Bush decided to expand his powers yet again, this time claiming the right to open mail without a warrant. He asserted this right with one of his dubious signing statements upon the signing of the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act.

“The [Bush] signing statement claims authority to open domestic mail without a warrant, and that would be new and quite alarming,” said Kate Martin, director of the Center for National Security Studies in Washington.

“You have to be concerned,” a senior U.S. official agreed. “It takes executive-branch authority beyond anything we’ve ever known.”

Bush is acting like a spoiled brat who, when told by his parents to do something, says “that’s fine, but I’m going to do it my way, anyway.” Apparently the law does not apply to him. I’m not sure I really want to see the nation bogged down in another presidential impeachment, but someone, somewhere needs to hold this idiot accountable.

Come to think about it, isn’t that what the Supreme Court is supposed to be doing? Why isn’t it doing its job?

Massive Traffic Enforcement Effort on I-540

Watch your speed on the Outer Loop this afternoon. I counted at least 6 Raleigh Police cruisers pulling people over left and right on the westbound lanes west of U.S. 70. There were at least four unlucky drivers being ticketed as I drove by.

Buckle up and drive safely, y’all.

Jimmy V

“To me, there are three things we all should do every day. We should do this every day of our lives. Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think. You should spend some time in thought. Number three is, you should have your emotions moved to tears, could be happiness or joy. But think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”

– Jim Valvano
Reynolds Coliseum
21 February 1993

Nifong Thumbs His Nose At Public

I thought that the light at the end of the tunnel was seen when troubled Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong dropped rape charges in the Duke Lacrosse case. I was going to give him credit for gaining some sense. Instead I learned he was forced to when his alleged victim, ,

Today Nifong was sworn in again as Durham DA, only the weasel did it behind closed doors before the courthouse opened. When I heard that, I couldn’t help but think this is Nifong thumbing his nose at the public he serves.

Take a look at his reasoning why:

“This was not a media event. This was an event that is required for us to do our jobs,” Nifong said. “The message we’re trying to send is: This is 2007. We’re here to do our jobs. We’re not here to help you guys sell newspapers or get press coverage.”

Oh, really? Gee, Mikey, you sure didn’t mind the publicity when you were dragging these students’ names through the mud. You sure didn’t mind it when the New York Times came calling when you told the local media – the eyes and ears of your constituents – you weren’t doing any interviews. I’m starting to wonder if your apparent dishonesty in the case is just par for the course. Do you lie all the time, sir?

What’s more, he still doesn’t own up to the disaster that’s largely his own making:

“I don’t feel I’m part of the problem. I feel that I have assisted in revealing the problem,” he said, referring to the community outrage the case has stoked. “Durham has some healing to do, and I need to be part of that healing process.”

You want to start the healing process, Mike? Either step aside on this case or dismiss it.

Otherwise the State Bar will begin the healing process for you.