Al's Blog-o-Sphere

I ordered a Google Nexus 7 tablet on Monday. It arrived today, Wednesday. Yes, they shipped it 2-day Air.

Why a tablet? I wanted something a bit smaller than a laptop for travel. I have an Acer Netbook, but it’s so underpowered it’s no fun to use. I’ve gotten so I can (and do) rely on my Android phone for many of the things I do while travelling, so maybe the Nexus 7 can replace it. Continue Reading…

I’ve been working on a new solar panel for the bike. The one I have now is long and narrow. It puts out 15 watts and hangs off the back of the trailer.

My goal is to replace it with one that fits it in the recess in the top of the plastic bin on my trailer so it doesn’t hang off at all. With more efficient cells it should be about 20 watts despite the smaller size.

Continue Reading…

I just saw a TV commercial that I found so offensive, that I have to write about it. What was it? A Chevy Volt commercial.

What if Gasoline was so inexpensive that you never considered it’s cost? What if it came out of a spigot on the side of your house and you could top off your car’s tank every day? What if you could drive to work and fill up on your employers spigot?

That’s exactly how they are getting people to think about electric/hybrid cars.

Who are they kidding? It “fills up” every time you plug it in!

And they are getting away with it because electricity is cheap enough, compared to gasoline, that people are willing to think that way.

Today. Continue Reading…

I’m remodeling a bathroom in my house. My daughter wants to use the room next to it as a bedroom, so it’s time to get working on it. I’m progressing slowly and trying to not get in over my head.

The facilities have not been used for some time. The sink and fixtures were quite old and had been leaking until they got so bad I shut them off. The shower/tub had been out of commission for a few years because the clean out on the drum trap had rusted out. I went into the basement one day to find water falling to the floor as my son was singing in the shower. A quick and dirty repair to try and fix it didn’t drain properly, so it’s been unused since.

Finally, the toilet started leaning to the side and I shut that off. The floor was rotting out and sagging.

Recently, I started working on it. The sink and vanity have been removed. They will be replaced with new ones. The toilet has been removed and the insides removed. I’ll rebuild it and reinstall it eventually. The toilet is not that old, maybe 15 years. Continue Reading…