Friday, June 29, 2012
What is the price of your data?
OK, so I've lost my backup drive again, and it will cost $1800 to get the data back, maybe. I've never been able to keep anything until about 2005. Now I've got a lot of paper stuff, but nothing electronic type of data. Is there any reason to keep anything? I heard the other day that people in the fires are taking there pictures, paintings, photo albums, Bibles, family keepsakes, not to mention pets and children. This though is making me sick. I'm not ready to give it up yet.
This is a questions that people don't want to talk about. Nor do they even want to think about it. I've got a friend that has been scanning all of his paper document and storing them electronically. NO PAPER. But how do you go about keeping this?
I've been told and I've preached, if you don't have your data backed up on at least two different drives, and one of them off site, then there's a good chance of losing your data. I've had at least three of these drives fail. And two of them at the same time. And now I'm doing the dance again of getting my data back. When will I ever learn? Most of this data is just pictures. Could I do without it, why of course. But why would I want to be without it?
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Speaking of CAD...
Sunday, June 20, 2010
What make me think I know better?
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Are you seeing what you want to see?
Who care about a father and son arguing and wasting time on showing how to do anything. Reality sucks. Did say that before? I watch TV to learn something like woodworking show or technology. Finding these type of show are limited to video podcast. Searching for them is getting harder.
I found out that I got something a friend want me to build. Problem, the shop is not any way shape or form getting anything done. With the South wall torn apart and everything shoved into the table saw and there isn't away to move around. Half the lights are down and no electric on the south wall. My radial arm saw is hanging off the engine hoist. There isn't anything working. At least no room to work.
But like I said there isn't anything worth watching on TV. And the Internet has some good stuff, but then again there is some garbage in with the good stuff. It has caused me to start looking for some workshops or seminars that are near by. Nothing seems to come out near me. New Mexico is the land enchantment yet nothing appears down here. Got to look else where.
I you know of something that is going on around here please let me know. I am struggling here.
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
A reason I don't like rain.
All was well and good up until last week. I had seen a stain on the floor for a long time but I figured it was leaking under the overhead doors. I guess it wasn't. I haven't found anyplace where it leaks except for those vents. Besides, on the inside that where the water appears the greatest. I just hope not much as gotten into the ceiling insulation. That would be unreal to fix.
I had a sheet metal shop make some deflectors. Hopefully that will take care of the water.
I have to remove all of the stuff on the wall to get access to the insulation. Boy is it wet. and there is some white mold growing in at least one of the cavity. I don't know what it is yet, got to find somebody to tell me what it is. As for the fiberglass I think it is ruined. I am really worried what is the long term of this damage.The worst part of this is moving things that I had on the south wall and trying find a place to put it. If I didn't have the Triumph in there, it would be so bad. I never thought this would ever happen to me. This is one of the worst things that could have happened. I have so many projects on hold because of this it is insane. I have other things better to do than this. I'm getting to old to climb a ladder and these sheets of OSB is heaver with a little water soak in.
Help, who would want to. This is drive me crazy. I don't know what else to say.
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Friday, February 5, 2010
What going on with my life, nothing.
So I have been unable to do much that takes hand-eye-coordination. So I have worked on that '70 Triumph getting it read for the sand blaster. The engine stand that I built out of wood failed and I made one out of steel. Not real happy with the bolting locations. We'll see. I still haven't decided what to do about the engine. One cylinder doesn't have good compression. Not sure why, something i have to look into.
I made a boboo. While using a air chisel I cut some of the floor pan. The distance between the edge of the body is impossible to reach with a Hammer & Dolly. So I build a holder to hold a sledge hammer. I uses an 1 1/4" threaded rod because I need it adjustable in height. Oh it looks nice all right, but wait and see.
Whaile all of this have been going on it started snowing here and we got about 3". OK, but that just made mud and makes it next to impossible to walk to the shop. That would have been it but it started raining for three days and now it has gotten worst. The road in front of the house, the gravel as gone down into the mud. It is a mess at this minute.
That's not the worst part at this time, the rain has leaked into the south wall of the shop and gotten the blown fiberglass insulation wet. Now I have to take the OSB down so it can dry out. I called the guy that built the shop and told him, 'that I noticed stains on the floor, but I though it was coming under the overhead door.' It appears that where I caulked might have keep the water from draining out.
Boy am I heart broken.
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Sunday, January 3, 2010
I wouldn't be what I am without the job I had.
I have another question. What if the Big Three didn't try to build car volumes per car demands. What if the just build to there limit, and not push the limits of there quality. Look, Rolls Royce has a backlog of orders and don't hire because of the demand. Look what has happened to Toyota, there problem with the floor mats.
It appears that Hyundai has many more hot car designs than the Big Three has had since the 50's and 60's. And don't even got to the point that all cars are starting to looking alike. Who cares?
What do you care about? Stop and think it through to see if it can come back and slap you in the face. Is your wants bigger than your needs? All I am wanting anymore is a car the size of the 50's models and around 200 to 250 hp. As for gas milage, well is it gasoline, batteries, or something else.
All I know now cars last a lot longer than they did in the past. Also, I heard, the internal combustion engine isn't about to die in your lifetime. I believe that most of the latest downfall to the auto industry is because of some bad judgmental calls back in the 70's. They have lost track to what the American want in the way of an automobile.
A lot of good people have move on and the ones who have caused the problems are still there. Something like Washington.
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
I must be jinksed.
OK, that the way I see today. Now lets move on to the my desktop computer. It's motherboard and power supply failed. So I replace the power supply, no problem. And I got a motherboard of Gigabyte. The one I purchased would utilize my processor and RAM. Good, right? Got it and installed it. Seems OK. When to reinstall Windows XP Pro, from my OEM's pristine copy, it failed every time. It skipped the installation for any Network stuff. So I took the CD back to the OEM here and he burnt a new copy. It worked. Fine, right? Booting. Wait, where it the NUM Lock switch in the BIOS? That was like trying to pull hens teeth. After several phone calls to Gigabyte's help desk, the finally told me how to get it. It's not in the manual.
After all of that you would think everything else should be running. Well it was for the shorts time. The on-board sound quit. It's under a three warranty, right? Right. The has no problem setting up with a return label and everything. Fine, except time. Two weeks before the Thanksgiving. It comes back the day after and I am sick. For six days I am flat on my back and didn't eat for four days. No fever, no running nose, no sore throat, no chills, but a small cough.
Let's not go into the local clinic here. Thank you very much. But after a few days of felling better, I reinstalled that motherboard back into my box. The weather out hasn't been that nice to get out anyway. Booted it up and an error message, 'SCSI card not seated.' OK, reseated it. Nope. OK, put it in the other slot. Naw, that didn't work either.
So now you are up to date. And I haven't left the house yet.
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Somethings are better, yet others got worst.
I was scared because I was just sure I would lose my site. Well I didn't and I feel much better because of that. But like I said, 'I can't see to read'. So if I miss spell, well that is the price of reading my work. At least you'll be lucky to read anything I write.
Now just waiting for the left eye.
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Monday, October 12, 2009
You haven't seen an improvment?
So there is the other thing that is either stupid or unreal. This woman was arrested because she poked another woman on Facebook. It appears that a woman got an injunction against the first woman from any communication. So is the first woman naive or just plain stupid. She has little respect for anyone but herself. How many other people fit in this league?
Another think that has caught the eye of the public, Ralph Lauren advertisement of a woman who appears very skinny. Unreal skinny. So a blogger posted the picture and talked about how skinny she was and the possibility of why Ralph Lauren group would even consider using this photo. Ralph Lauren legal group decided to sue the blogger for copyright infringement. But as people discovered that the photo was photoshoped. Therefore, the advertisement wasn't real. So the Ralph Lauren dropped there suit.
So what else could take up my time? How about the Science Channel. Time. It takes time to watch.
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
What if you don't feel like it?
So what else could happen? How about the sound card quit on my desktop. It is the one that I watch about two hours of internet per day. So I download the files, and they play them over the network with my laptop. Two days later the motherboard dies. It is just two months our of warranty. My luck.
So next I decided I would do a little Photoshoping. Found these plug-in, and it looks like painting. Right? Well is something I shot off the front porch. Amazing what I can do. Now I have to consider purchasing those plug-ins. What do you think?I managed to pickup a couple of outdoor lamp shades. I want to put two lights in the front yard and one in the back. But running the wire will require more than I think I can do because of the digging. Plus the backyard light needs to come off a three-way-switch. I just hope the wire runs that way. You see this house is a penalized construction. The outside walls have Styrofoam between two sheets of OSB. And on top of that I will have to go into the crawl way and poke a hole into the foundation to put the wire through.
Also I need to run conditioned water out to the workshop so I can put in a bathroom. I even put a pump on the water heater because the hot water takes for ever to get warm in the far bathroom. There isn't any insulation or heating loop.
Oh speaking of the TR6, the frame is stripped and sitting in the back. Maybe the crows will eat the crap off the frame and I won't have to have it blasted. Too much to ask.
There is probably more stuff that needs to get done, but why bother?
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Monday, September 7, 2009
What a vacation I had.
Of course I took my camera. I take pictures of what I like. One of the things that my brother-in-law and my wife's niece wanted to do was drive some go-karts. So I took pictures, but something I did caused them to be over-exposed/trashed. Can't figure what I did wrong. But if it is possible, I can do it. Anyway, most everything else came out OK.
After that karting thing, we went up Pikes Peak on the COG Railroad. Nice ride. Are you aware of how cold it is up there. About 30 degrees colder, and windy. That is when I discovered a lack of oxygen. It is a fun place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there.
For some reason my brother-in-law always wants to eat or stay at least one night at one of the most expensive restaurant or hotel. The Broadmore is out there. So we had dinner there and a $150 bottle of champagne from New Mexico. Who would have though anything from New Mexico would cost that much?
Well anyway, they were on there way to the airport and the return car rental company, so they had to fill up with gas. For what ever reason, the driver left the keys in the ignition. Went to the bathroom and the car locked its doors. Took for ever for the rental car company to get there. Then just as they got to the ariport, brother-in-law realized he left his cell phone in the rental car. Back they went to get it.
You guess it, the plane left without them. So there next choice was a flight to somewhere and connect to their finial destination. They got home six hours latter than scheduled.
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Saturday, August 8, 2009
I am have...
Now why isn't the place to invest money the same? Why are houses costing so much even when they have been foreclosed? I would think that only the money the bank was losing would be the worth of the house, especially since people aren't buying houses. Anything to get there money back isn't the same as it was when I was younger.
People aren't watching where there money goes. They buy things that sends the money overseas, and that money really returns. But we have few choices since all we want is to save money. To save money, you got to put it someplace where you can get it back. Overseas isn't an answer.
I have had this overseas problem for years. As an autoworker, I would operate machines that came from overseas, because they were cheaper than American made machines. I remember getting laid-off in the 60's and I kidded people that the workers laid-off before me got jobs driving cars off boats from Japan. I don't think I was kidding that much.
What do I do now? I am retired and have nothing in site that I think would help. What do I have that would change this trend?
Buy what you build. Buy your neighbor's products. Invest in America. Invest in yourself.
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Not having to think about is wonderful.
I have had a few failures lately that is causing me some turmoil. I have finished replacing my fence, with the help of my wife and neighbor, who redrilled the post-holes. Too a lot longer than I would have though. After each section I would come in and get a drink and relax. It was hot out there. Now that the fence is done, what do I do with the leftovers? I have another idea. You'll have to wait for that one.
Just after the fence was done, my garage door opener died. Can't just get a replacement, but change everything but the track. Switches, sensors, and all remote openers. That sucks.
I have several tools that require tuning up. Some of it requires a machine to do the work, while other just a little tweaking by hand.
With all of that in mind, I need to get ride of the gravel around this house. It sucks but keeps you from walking in the mud when it rains. Problem with that, it allows weeds to grow. Unless the ground is lightly moist the weed are next to impossible to pull.
Therefore, I have been thinking about a machine that would scrape the ground up, run the dirt/weeds/gravel over a screen of sorts which would allow the dirt to drop out and the rest would collect into a bucket or something like that. Problem, what do I get to pull this little machine? How wide to make it? How much do I need to mechanization do I need to come up with? You get the idea, don't you?
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Is my data worth it?
Good luck. I don't have any good luck left. I have had so much bad luck that nothing would even think about going right. So much trying to get back the data easily. It appears not.
Ok, first let me say that the Maxtor Central Axis in a 1TB Seagate drive. First I called Maxtor to find where to send the drive back for warranty replacement. I asked about getting the data back and was told take it to a third party, have them give you a receipt and send it with the drive back to them and all would be well.
Funny how things work. The place where warranty isn't the same company that deals with data recovery. Go figure. I have been trying for two weeks to get the data back and just now I am being told, if they can get the data off the drive, they are going to have some place to put it. So they said that they would contact the warranty place, get another drive to put the data on and send me that one.
That would save some steps with the warranty location.
I have since purchase another Maxtor Central Axis and am using it for my current backups. I will use the other that the data recovery company is putting the data on as a second backup that will be stored off-site. Note: if you don't have your data backed up in more that two locations your data isn't backed up. Trust me on that.
You know all of those documents/taxes/forms/receipts and other letters that you have in filing cabinets, what would if you lose them? You only have that one copy. What would you do if you lost your documents? Think about.
I did hear from on of the guys that I worked with, he was scanning all of his documents.
I hope my data is worth it.
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Friday, April 10, 2009
I am not the only one who off.
So now is the time to hang the door. Remember I said that were several inches, well the opening wasn't plumb nor was the 4x4s straight. The header was too low. After cutting off at least an inch, the door frame need a little room. Taking a saw and cutting the tight spots soon gave relief to get the door in the opening. I didn't have near enough shims so I left it nailed in place. I'll let him to get some shims and he can screw it home.
Speaking of using something in a little different manor. This same friend got a chance to get some aluminum storm windows from a house. These windows we installed on the inside of the house, and turned on there side. So the other day he placed two of these windows into a wall of his hothouse. The other day, he thought he had a micro-burst, because the windows glass was blown out of the wall. Now mind you the wall has no roof, or any other walls. This was a free standing wall and not all of the wall was covered. Just like hanging the windows from a clothesline is the best way I can explain it. This wind broke 3 out 4 glass windows. One screens was bent. I just can't explain what happened.
I have been working on different thing for weeks now and have gotten very little done. I hope that changes soon.
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Now what am I going to do?
So much for that and now for the real reason why I am written this one.
There are some things I can no longer get at any local, 'Brick and Mortar Store'. They aren't carrying products that I have been buying for a few years. Even the 'Store of Stores', Walmart, doesn't carry some of these items any more.
Ok, head to the net. Shop on line. Buy and have it shipped. But wait, shipping cost. Many of the on-line stores have a limit and if you spend enough money, shipping is free. How many items does it take to have free shipping? I won't be buy any shaving shop for a couple of months. Well maybe I should have bought other things and not all just one item. Can't wait to see how they package it.
I wander if I will see the day when many of the old product that we have bought over the years are no longer available to purchase locally. We even look for homes on-line. Build your car on-line. Find you spouse on-line. Babies?
I am living near a very small town, I have gone to the hardware store here and only found what I wanted six out of 40 times. What is the use to try to shop locally?
I remember where I live as a boy, we were only 30 miles from the big city and every body would travel up there because of the choices.
I am losing my choices. No wait, I have choices but it isn't going to be easy to kick the tires.
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Monday, March 9, 2009
Another reason why I don’t like WIRELESS.
I found an article that someone sent me about people using a wireless device that gets the ‘security code’ from a key fob that is used to lock and unlock your car door. Example, you are stopping at a rest stop along the highway, you get out of your car and use you key fob to lock your car. That sends a signal to you car to lock the doors. A person sitting at this rest stop with this wireless device captures that signal and then uses to unlock your car’s doors and steal valuables inside your car.
There is a way to avoid this, to lock your doors manually. Push the button on the door or use your key to unlock or lock the car. Is this new to you? That way the person with the wireless device might save the code to use it later. (Although, as I understand some cars change the code each time it is used. Don’t ask me; ask your car’s manufacture.)
Along these same lines, I have heard of a similar device that allow people to sit in areas like coffee shops and scan the area for ‘credit/debit cards’ that have RFID tags in them. Therefore, that can capture that information/data on the chip and use it to steal your identify. I don’t know if these wireless readers can change or corrupt the data on the chip, but that could cause other issues when people try to use them as they were meant to be used. Like opening doors or gates or something like that.
With that said I have a problem with people who use wireless devices these ways, and the people who condone their usage.
W. Kirk CrawfordTularosa, New Mexic0
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Sick and nothing to about it.
Would like to see something better, I would like for my wife just let me be. She always want me to take something. He heart is in the right place but for the wrong things.
You see there are somethings I don't like. One of they is taking liquids for colds or sore throat. It is something I have never like because I never so any good from the liquids. Another thing is lotions or ointments. To me it doesn't seem clean. The only thing that doesn't make sense is my body itch. If I scratch more than three strokes then I am liable to have a sore shortly. That is they only time I put on a lotions and only one that I got over eight years ago. It still works. Another lotion or ointment is a sun screen. Out here in New Mexico the sun will burn me in a heart beat. So I wear it. The bad part is the wind blows the dust or enchantment and that sticks to the ointment. Now that makes me fell dirty. Yuck.
OK, so now after eight days I am getting better but not to the point of doing anything. I have projects to do in the shop and I need to check on my fence materials. And that is well over due.
Do I need to say anything else. I have discovered that the base on my router is not concentric with the chuck. That has cause problems like you wouldn't believe. Why do I have to get all of these thing that aren't just right. Lucky I guess.
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Relax. Enjoy something different.
At the moment I am watching 'The Incredible Journey of the Butterflies Series'. It is truly amazing there life and where thay all end up for the winter. Other place is ted.com. This is really a cool place for me. Thinkers from all over give there talks about what they are doing. Everything imaginable it taking place all over the world. It just lift up my spirits and boy do I need that.
Take some time to rejuvenate your spirit.
W. Kirk Crawford
Tularosa, New Mexico