Mars always takes preparation

Posted by Photonstopper on February 1, 2008
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Clouds on the Limb of Mars
Clouds on the Limb of Mars

It's been a busy and tiring week. Weather has been crazy waking me up frequently one night with 50 – 60 MPH wind gusts banging on the walls. I've been working hard on a big project at the office. And in my off hours I've been treading water on the publishing project, and  actively putting together a presentation about Mars. Actually, that last thing, while it was at first causing me anxiety, has been refreshing and fun. The announced title of the talk I'm to give is "The Great Mars Hoax." Our club's representative had to come up with something late last year when working out a schedule with the county park system. I quickly volunteered to be the speaker but, just as quickly, transmogrified the theme from "Mars Hoax" to Mars "MythUnderstanding." The talk is tomorrow night and, while it looks good for travel, the weather will not be good for a post-talk stargazing session. My show will be the only attraction! I hope the turnout is good… I've put a lot into preparation. Mars always takes a lot of preparation and often disappoints!

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Bill Gates last day at Microsoft

Posted by Photonstopper on January 27, 2008
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This video was a part of Bill Gates' farewell keynote speech at the 2008 Consumer Electronics Show. Longish but great self-effacing humor and loaded with familiar faces!

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Gmail spam recipes

Posted by Photonstopper on January 27, 2008
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I'm in the process of changing over my personal email account to Gmail. So far I'm loving the services from basic Web mail to the advanced IMAP. The system is also very good at catching spam messages before they reach my in-box. I do check the spam mail box occasionally since, rarely, a "legitimate" message gets directed there. Laughably, however, because Gmail is supported by advertising that is presented based upon the contents of the mail you are looking at, the spam mail box regularly presents cooking recipes using Spam. So now, thanks to Google, we know what to do with spam… eat it!

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U-verse arrives. Oh, joy!

Posted by Photonstopper on January 26, 2008
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They arrived as scheduled and worked all day Friday. The AT&T installers found our '70s condo was a bit difficult to work with. They were, however, open to suggestions, courteous, careful, and a pleasant pair of guys to have working in our house. By the end of the day I had emptied three closets and one bookcase to accommodate the new wiring: some of it coaxial cable and some of it cat. 5e. The upstairs and the main floor weren't very difficult, all things considered, once the old cable paths were figured out and partly replaced. The TV for the basement, however, was another matter. Thank goodness the U-verse system is network-based! The cat. 5e cable run I had put in between the second floor and the basement (with great difficulty) a few years ago was put to good use; it now carries data packets for our restored broadband Internet access and the set-top box for the TV down here. The guys arrived at about 9 AM and left after 4 PM. There was only one shortcoming which, for us, turned out all right: the head installer couldn't get our high-definition TV to display images via its component inputs — the highest quality outside of HDMI (which the TV doesn't have) and the only true high-def display it can give us. Hi-def TV via a regular composite video input isn't worth much! After they left, I explored the installation manual for the set-top box. I discovered the unit's output resolution could be safely changed because, much like a modern computer, it will test a setting before making that setting permanent. If the setting doesn't work, the unit safely returns to the one that did work. I changed the setting to 1080i and it looks very, very good.

Overall the image quality of the TV is very good. Standard "cable" channels look fine, better than we were experiencing with DirecTV satellite service, and high-definition channels look very good but not excellent. Local HDTV broadcasts, especially, suffer some loss of clarity. Whereas they were razor-sharp (you could see the actors' pores) viewing local HDTV shows via antenna, the local channel HD now is only a little better than standard definition. The color seems to have been shifted; we noticed so-so sharpness, garish colors, and marked red flesh tones watching The Ghost Whisperer on local HD Channel 19 via U-verse. Unpleasant, really. That is our only disappointment. We'll likely purchase an HD tuner to use in watching local broadcasts over-the-air to enjoy the incredible quality we know is available for free locally. Adjusting to the new array of channel numbers and the new remote controls, well, that's a learning process!

Internet access is, technically, the same speed as we had with our DSL. We selected the U-verse "Pro" access which is advertised as 3 Mbps download, 1 Mbps upload. This morning testing via the Speedtest.net site, I found we were getting 2.9 Mbps down and 943 Kbps up. Close enough to keep AT&T honest and, interestingly, noticeably faster than my recent experiences with DSL. I'm thinking it may be the higher-capacity "residential gateway" router AT&T installed in Her office. The gateway router provides all TV and network access to our house.

What exactly is AT&T's U-verse technology? Can't say. It does, in fact, come down our street and to the phone box on our house via POTS wiring, not, from what I can tell, over fiber. From the phone box it enters the house and the residential gateway (router) via coax cable. Inside the house it's cat. 5e to the set-top boxes and computers. The router has built-in Wi-Fi with WPA encryption … good signal strength in the house and very fast access. Whatever U-verse technology is, it is nice to have excellent TV quality available again. Oh, and to be saved from "dial-up h3ll." Trying to live without broadband Internet was, we believe, harder than living without 200 channels of TV.

Would we recommend U-verse? Yup! Except for the misunderstanding concerning DSL disconnection, the whole thing went as promised. Installers did what they needed to do while taking our needs and preferences into account. Video quality is very good. HD quality is mixed but not excellent (very good on "cable" HD channels, not-so-good on local HD channels). The price is right. We're happy!

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The tale of the ancient feline

Posted by Photonstopper on January 22, 2008
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As promised, Dr. B. called us Monday with the results of some fairly extensive blood work on Old Cat Missy. Turns out, by most measures, she's in very good shape. Test results show liver and kidney function to be good, within expected parameters for an elderly feline, blood cell counts generally good but with an elevated white count — 30 percent over normal. Blood sugar (see below) at 171 is considered under control but the glucosamine was virtually unchanged since the last test… not so good but Dr. B. did not recommend any change. Missy was presenting with some symptoms that concerned us (dehydration, lethargy, occasional vomiting) and one of the tests gave a possible explanation. She has been receiving medication for hyperthyroidism which is very common in old cats. Turns out dosing her, as prescribed, with the medication, methimazole, had driven her into hypothyroidism with measured level of .4. (Normal range coming…) Testing hadn't been done on thyroid levels since spring. So Dr. B. ordered her meds to be cut literally and figuratively in half (cut them little pills) and we're to watch and see how it goes and call him back in one week. So the tale of the ancient feline continues….

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A fairly fine day off

Posted by Photonstopper on January 19, 2008
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January Sunset
January Sunset

I'd noticed a brief phone outage on our line earlier today (no dial tone) and wondered if the the phone guys had pulled the final plugs on our old DSL service or were checking the line. To also get a better understanding of just why we couldn't get U-verse and its supposed non-DSL broadband Internet access installed while DSL was "officially" still connected, I called AT&T again this afternoon. I am so glad I did!  Speaking with a very pleasant and helpful woman named "Kimberly," I learned that yes, indeed, the DSL was "clearing" today and that we could re-order our service! We went through all of the ordering steps (after Kimberly spoke with her manager to make absolutely sure it would stick this time) and we should be getting our service installed Friday, January 25… just a few days later than our initial order had promised. Whoo-hooo! Oh, and Sweet Kimberly told me it wasn't for technical reasons that our DSL connection had to be completely cleared, it was to meet regulatory requirements. Right or not, I'm glad it's done. When She Who Must Be Obeyed arrived home we had a simple evening out with dinner at The Olive Garden, not fully in celebration but it was on our minds.

Missy, our old cat, visited the vet today for blood sugar tests. Dr. B. also ordered follow-up tests to check her hyperthyroid condition. He noticed that, even though her weight was up a smidge more, she was a bit dehydrated again. While we were there, they pumped a bunch of saline under her skin. She came home looking like a strange little cat hunchback –leaking a little– but otherwise bright-eyed and happy to be here. We're supposed to get the full test results Monday but blood glucose –tested at 171– looked to be under control.

So with the end of the big communications crisis apparently in sight, my publishing project up-to-date, a clear sky (by day), a cat still hangin' in there, a beautiful sunset, and a nice evening meal with my sweetie, it turned out to be a fairly fine day off for me.

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Dial-up h3ll

Posted by Photonstopper on January 18, 2008
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Zoom USB modem
Zoom USB modem

We're in dial-up hell. Since the DSL was shut off the only Internet access we've had from home is via dial-up. She already had a modem in her computer. My newer desktop was purchased without one. So, after a trip to Best Buy, I came home with a nice optical mouse for my new notebook (which has a modem) and a Zoom USB dongle-style fax modem for the desktop (a very cool little device). Now I can cruise the Information Superhighway at a blazing 44 kilobits per second!  (Download speed on our DSL was 3 megabits per second.) Ugh, aaaaarrrrrrrrgggggg, and other sounds of frustration and that grinding noise typical of the gnashing of teeth. Those who were used to sending me email with attachments of from 800 K to (ulp!) 7 MB are now on my enemies list! Web sites (Vox included) that are rich in graphics, formatting –those darned CSSes–, and media are now painful to visit. Internet radio and downloading of netcasts ("podcasts") are right out. Fortunately Gmail is smart, detects a slow connection, and presents a simplified page! Thank you, Google! It's nice to have, at least, some access but this is torture! And so we writhe in hell, burning karma, awaiting salvation in the form of a 6 megabit-per-second fiber connection. I check every day to see if AT&T is ready to fish us out from our pit of suffering. Signing off (to free the phone line)….

I feel like such a primative!

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Bye-bye DirecTV!

Posted by Photonstopper on January 17, 2008
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When She tried to watch a little television at the end of a long, stupid day at the office yesterday, DirecTV wasn't delivering. It may have been the service's fault. It may be an equipment failure at our end. We had strong satellite signal but no programming. Whatever else it was, it was the last straw. I was making no calls to DirecTV's crap customer support. After many futile attempts to diagnose and fix the problem myself, I called DirecTV and officially terminated our service. Then I went online and ordered installation of AT&T's U-verse television service with high-speed Internet access. It was supposed to be installed January 22. We'd been with DirecTV for a long time and, by and large, liked their service. It cost less than cable with more programming per dollar, was reliable, and had top-notch customer service. Over time we watched it slide downward by every measure until now we part company. Bye-bye DirecTV!

So next I called EarthLink and ordered our DSL service terminated and EarthLink service rolled back to dial-up so we'd have at least some connectivity between DSL disconnection and AT&T installation. I hated to do it –EarthLink has been great all this time– but the broadband bundled with U-verse will cost a fraction of EarthLink's and  the savings will add up. The customer service person was easy to talk to, politely tried to keep me as a customer, and quickly complied with my requests. The EarthLink high-speed service cut took effect at midnight, last night: no high-speed access though the DSL modem was showing it had a signal (a "soft" disconnect). Gad! I'd forgotten how agonizing dial-up can be and it has gotten worse since most Web sites now assume you have broadband. Arrrrrgggggg!

In the mean time, AT&T is showing some flukes early on. Whilst online placing my order, the automated system told me it saw that we had DSL service and said it must be disconnected in order to have the U-verse service installed. I called AT&T and spoke with a live customer service person who said, no, that's not correct — the DSL can stay in place and even be operated at the same time as U-verse services. I received an email confirmation of my order this morning and thought everything was fine… we only had to suffer through one week of Internet and TV withdrawal. Of course tonight we receive a call (on voice mail) from AT&T saying our installation has been canceled because there is currently DSL* on our telephone line! The live customer service person's advice was incorrect. Thanks a lot AT&T. Time for a little more training of your customer service staff, don't you think?

Calling AT&T Technical Support got me connected with "Billing," of all departments, and the man there worked through our situation with me. Unfortunately we are at the mercy of the disconnect process and it will be seven to 10 days before we can place a new order. Ugh! At least I was given a direct-in phone number to call once we are sure of disconnection… maybe cutting some time off the process and definitely bypassing the phone answering system!

Late in the evening I noticed the DSL signal light was dark on the DSL modem. That tells me there is now a "hard disconnect" of our service. Now… how long will it take for word of that disconnection to reach AT&T?

* Covad is likely the company that owns the connection in the AT&T central office that needs to be cut at EarthLink's request. So we have no service, but the physical connection is still in place preventing the new service installation.

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Beginning of a beautiful friendship

Posted by Photonstopper on January 13, 2008
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Satellite A215-S5818
Satellite A215-S5818

Just about the time I was beginning to seriously consider buying a notebook computer of my own, I received some gift money! Nice when it works out that way. She Who Must be Obeyed was cool with it and, rather than claim it as "family income" let me use it for shopping. She even wound up chipping in a bit more to help with the purchase! So, literally overnight, I went from casual shopping for cheap, even used, notebooks to buyer of a new modestly-priced modern wonder. I picked up a Toshiba Satellite A215-S5818 at a local big box electronics store. Actually we shopped one store after dinner out Friday but they were sold out. We wound up heading to another of the chain's stores much closer to our home where two computers were on hand. It came pre-loaded with Windows Vista Home Premium … not my first choice in OS but I figured I ought to use it as a learning opportunity because it's a M$ world and, before long, Vista is going to be the only choice. Anyway, the machine has loads of memory (2 GB), really good modern processor, and should suit my purposes just fine: telescope control and image capture, speaking engagements, and (rarely) on-the-road communication. And yeah, I really do need to learn Vista inside and out.

My out-of-the-box experiences with it might be as expected for an IT guy: look it over, remove all the crap software the manufacturer installed, establish network connectivity, run Microsoft Updates to get the OS patched, start installing my software. No fun stuff just yet, mostly utilities, but the fun* comes soon. My first impression is that the computer was an excellent buy and I'm pleased with what I'm seeing. It's fast and quiet, has a beautiful display, is light weight enough for me, and seems well built. Its Wi-Fi connectivity is fast. Vista will take getting used to for, as in previous OS introductions, the features are pretty much the same but accessing them has been changed… many things have been moved. First speaking engagement is Feb. 2 at a nearby nature center and is entitled, "The Great Mars Hoax." Title was someone else's idea but it's an interesting starting point and ought to be a lot of fun. I may name the machine "Louis," because what springs to mind is the final words from the classic film Casablanca when Rick and Louis are walking off into the foggy night at the airport. Rick says to police Captain Renault, "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

* Fun for me isn't gaming. The fun stuff will be astronomy and image processing software. I think the last game I played on a computer was solitaire and I've no interest in any games I've seen or heard about. I've just never been that kind of guy!

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Wow! What a night!

Posted by Photonstopper on January 13, 2008
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Thanks to a January 11 Page 1 story in the local daily newspaper about Mars with references to our January 12 Open Night, more than 184 visitors looked through the old scope at the observatory!!! We had lines out to the street! Of course the disappointing reality of Mars observation presented most folk with a pale featureless disk in the eyepiece –the night's sky was clear, but seeing was mostly not so good– still, there was a lot of excitement and interest. If you were good and lucky you could see a hint of shadow within the disk representing surface markings. If you were unlucky high cirrus clouds smeared even the disk. So many beautiful celestial objects to look at but the big draw is the Red Planet. That's the mystique of Mars for ya! I'd wanted to show off other objects but had to stay fixed on Mars until just before 10 PM (we were supposed to have closed at 9:00). Before the clouds began to close in I was able to give the last group a nice look at the Orion Nebula which was spectacular! I'm very sorry the majority of folks missed it. What a night!

Addendum: A friend, director of our club observatory located about 45 miles west of us, reported excellent seeing of Martian detail at about the same time we had only fair seeing. {Sigh!} That's the way it goes: different location and different instrument (he was using a 16-inch reflector — a fair bit larger than the old 9-inch refractor). Could've been the other way around.

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