シースコッファー

 Or so it’s called in Japanese airsoft circles, although apparently it’s really called “Spezialkoffer”.  Some dork on Facebook imported one to try to stuff a real MP5K into it, but apparently it needs a shell deflector.  $600 for a replica?  Ouch.  Just searching for 「シースコッファー」 will turn up a bunch of hits.

Cultural Dimensions Test

Someone I know (KBL) posted their results to FB.  Here's a link the test for whenever I feel like I have the time for it: Cultural Dimensions Test

Ham BBS

 Another mini link dump...from RJS:

I was looking into Packet Radio BBS at one point, but never found the time to set things up. BPQ seems to be the common platform:

http://guardian.no-ip.org:81/ChatNetwork.htm

Robust Packet also has some BBS functionality, but looks like it is mostly used for other types of data transfer:

http://robust-packet.st/

Rob Richter ran the largest BBS in the area back in the '90s -- North Castle BBS. He has since been involved with amateur radio and emergency communications: https://web.archive.org/...//www.ncastle.com/album.html

Link Dump

 I can't he'p it!

• The Ultimate Guide to Chocolate Chip Cookies: The Cookie Calculator
• Grrilla grill tool
• Vienna Teng's Waking Hour (no link)
• Synology Drive ShareSync: to link up multiple Synology NAS boxes
• Covid Infographic "Datapack"
• Flaky Butter Pie Crust recipe from "num's the word" via Yummly
• Pistol Stabilizing Braces without Determination Letters via Ammoland
• The million-hour light bulb
• Japan's "Border measures to prevent the spread of novel coronavirus (COVID-19)" as of 2022.01.18

Analog

Well, being that I mostly work with the digital side of things and my professional exposure to analog electronics is minimal, I thought that I could fulfill that part of my experience via delving deeper into amateur radio.

Part of the problem with longer-distance radio communications is the need for lower frequencies (at least below VHF), which requires more expensive equipment and antennas.  Some people build their own antennas, but for the HF noob, perhaps pre-built ones are more accessible.  Buckmaster has an off-center-fed dipole antenna that covers seven bands, which may be where I should start.

One thing about ham radio is being able to find active frequencies.  To that end, I've poked at using Airspy with an RTL-SDR to find conversations to eavesdrop on.  Ultimately I'd like to get a portable, self-contained setup on a Raspberry Pi with a display to run all the time, or at least on a timer.  On that note, RPi projects for ham radio, I found a project site that has some useful information.

Lastly, while looking for SDRs, I found Analog Devices' learning toolkit for SDR, ADALM-PLUTO.  More interestingly, they have a 25 MHz oscilloscope device called the ADALM2000 that plugs into a USB port, for only $200, along with an analog electronics learning package.  That would sure be fun to poke at.

Antennas

 In keeping with a resurgence in ham radio concerns....

• Tri-band Smiley Antenna (telescoping UHF/VHF)
• Chameleon Antenna MPAS 2.0 (portable 6m - 160m)

Who knows if I'll ever get 'em, but hey.

Bonding/Grounding CSST

Structure Tech (home inspectors up in the 'Cities) post interesting info on Facebook, but they also have interesting articles.  The inspector for my place mentioned something about CSST bonding, which I need to review again.  In any case, ST posted a howto on bonding CSST.

Dinner

Yesterday’s dinner was chicken carbonara (the recipe was for tuna, but I had canned chicken) and roasted broccoli with ginger.  The recipes were good, but the execution lacking 😂

Adding WiFi to Ooma Device

I had an original Ooma device without WiFi built in.  There's an Ooma adapter available for an unreasonable sum: $35, although it also has Bluetooth capability.  I found a forum post that talks about how to use a generic USB WiFi adapter to turn the Ooma wireless.

The Netis WF2120 works and is only $7, but it needs some configuration.  Plug the Ooma into a computer with an Ethernet cable via the Home port, not the Internet port.  Then connect to http://172.27.35.1/ click on Wireless on the left and enter the wireless network's information.

Turns out my original Ooma is still alive, but the power brick died.  I figured it was time to retire the old one, but it seems like they last for a while.  The original unit I had for probably a decade.

Split: Divorce Through Kids' Eyes

 The UMN Extension parenting class linked to this short video about divorce from a kid's perspective.  Of course my ex wouldn't do the class....

Roblox Safety

The gremlin has been pestering me about access to Roblox, so I looked up [1][2] how to set it up to not be so wide-open to predators.  Well, I guess I forgot about it, because it's been over a year...oops.

TxTenna

The goTenna looked interesting for off-grid applications, but at $179 for two, it's hard to justify.  Well, TxTenna might be just the application to justify the hardware....

Inventor of the Honey Extractor

By happenstance, I came across mention of the inventor of the radial honey extractor, a Franz Hruschka, via the Beekeeping Hacks group on Facebook.  Apparently it was an important development in apiculture.

2012 Delegates to RNC from Minnesota

Found a historical interest piece on Political Graveyard, with many names that I recognize.  One for 2016 is elsewhere.

Delegation chair: Marianne Stebbins

Delegates
At-Large: Scott Andersen, Bayport - Michele Bachmann, Stillwater - Kurt Bills, Rosemount - Kimlinh Bui, Eden Prairie - Gene Dornink, Hayfield - Patricia Anderson Gallwas, Dellwood - Eric Goodrich, Eagan - Jeff Johnson, Plymouth - Branden Petersen, Andover - Josh Regnier, St. Paul - Mark Santelman, Winthrop - Pat Shortridge, Lino Lakes - Marianne Stebbins, Excelsior - Rudy Takala, Pine City - John Trojack, Mendota Heights - Craig Westover, Afton
1st District: Bill Paulsen, Lonsdale - Steven L. Perkins, Luverne - Josh Wilkening, New Ulm
2nd District: Ted Anderson, Rosemount - Tom Dippel, Cottage Grove - Greg O'Connor, Inver Grove Heights
3rd District: Marge Beard, Plymouth - Gary Heyer, Chaska - Kevin Masrud, Chaska
4th District: John Kossett, Vadnais Heights - Nate Waldron, St. Paul - Mark Zasadny, Roseville
5th District: Russ Hilk, Minneapolis - Mark Johnson, Minneapolis - Juliette Jordal, Minneapolis
6th District: Ben Barringer, Elk River - Stacy Morse, Monticello - Christi Scherber, Richmond
7th District: Bill Batchelder, Bemidji - Raymond Rivera, Redwood Falls - Bonnie Wilhelm, Willmar
8th District: Kevin Erickson, Mountain Iron - Bea Kehr, Duluth - Charlie Strickland, Jr., Ogilvie

Alternates
At-Large: Sonia Evans, Coon Rapids - Derek Flom, Chaska - Steven Grotting, Independence - Daniel Gustafson, Delano - Karl Hanson, Medina - Dan Johanneck, Wabasso - Jennifer VanDerHorst Larson, Orono - Ken Lucier, Moorhead - Neil Lynch, Maple Grove - Adam Pace, Winona - Brian Paukert, Faribault - Melissa Valeriano, Rochester - Yelena Vorobyov-Grisham, Apple Valley
1st District: Bill Fisher, Chatfield - Jen Jacobson, Austin - Duane Quam, Byron
2nd District: John Myser, Mendota Heights - Tiana Wells, Dundas - Mark Westpfahl, Inver Grove Heights
3rd District: Rolf Erickson, Plymouth - Jake Severance, Loretto - Dave Wahlstedt, Excelsior
4th District: MaryAnn Andersen, Bayport - Wayde Brooks, St. Paul - Doug Meyer, Stillwater
5th District: Jon Hartung, Minneapolis - Joel Lemke, Minneapolis - Corey Sax, Minneapolis
6th District: Jim Bendtsen, Ramsey - Steve King, Centerville - Adam Motzko, Delano
7th District: Andrew Plowman, Willmar - Karen Prischmann, Fergus Falls - Patty Seifert, Grey Eagle
8th District: Kurt Daudt, Zimmerman - Becky Hall, Duluth - Barbara Haney, Brainerd

Powder Substitutes

Normally, when referring to “powder”, I’m talking smokeless gun powder.  Since I've been cooking more lately, I have to find substitutions for certain things I don't have.

• Taco seasoning: 1 tbsp chili powder, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp onion powder, 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, 1/4 tsp dried oregano, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1-1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp black pepper
• Chili powder: 1 tsp paprika, 2 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp oregano, 2 tsp garlic powder

If the chili powder recipe is legit, then the taco seasoning recipe could be restated by increasing the proportions of the constituent spices....

Another one that'd be useful is tomato sauce: I sure have a lot of tomato paste, just not the sauce!

空き家

One of the BRCM guys mentioned that he was looking into akiya in Japan partly because his niece was married to a Japanese guy (ironically he wants to stay in the U.S. and she wants to live in Japan).  Anyway, he sent me a link regarding akiya and the potential issues with buying such property.

Science Experiments

Kid#1 has a science experiment assignment for school, and the teacher linked several sites [example] with ideas.  Personally, I liked the electromagnet, but she wanted to do the one involving combustion....

Precious Metals Clay

So I've got this Mitsubishi PMC3 kit from 15 years ago that I'd bought for KMP/T since she did jewelry at one point.  Before I could get it to her, she moved to Kansai, which I rarely go to, and since the package is fragile, didn't want to mail it.  Now as an assistant prof with two kids, she doesn't have time to mess.  It occurred to me to give the kit to JFJ's daughter, but 1) the instructions are in Japanese, and 2) the fuel disks are hard to come by in the U.S.  There's another "hot pot" kit that uses a clay pot filled with some sort of liquid fuel, but I can't find that for sale.  Things always get more complicated than I otherwise think they should be.

Mitsubishi has a page on the PMC series, but conspicuously don't mention any of the kits that they used to produce!  At least there's some English instructions on the page.  The Japanese page links to several other pages, including to a neat fan page, 「ギンダラケ倶楽部」.  Another site, silver-clay.com, has a number of the PMC materials for sale, as does Amazon.  It seems to be about 3x the cost of the base metal, at least for silver.  The only place I found online that sells the fuel tabs is "Best from Japan", which ships from Japan and doesn't have the item in stock.  Shipping is of course either SAL, with a huge lead time, or EMS, with a huge price tag.

DIY Firearms

https://www.diyfirearms.org/

Calyx Institute

A while back, RJS informed my about the existence of the Calyx Institute, and more importantly the membership benefit that gives unlimited data access to the Sprint network.

The Calyx Institute is an educational organization that develops frameworks, tools, and sets of best practices to promote privacy on the Internet and in the field of telecommunications. For the past few years, one of our goals has been to do research on to develop Internet access strategies that offer "Privacy by Design". 

Oxalic Dribble

I attempted an oxalic dribble in the fall on three hives.  Due to the light weight of the crystals, I had to use a gunpowder scale to get the right accuracy.

Scientific Beekeeping mentioned using a water-only base for the oxalic.  Another article suggests treating package bees initially.  This makes sense in that they’ll be carrying phoretic mites and the number can be drastically reduced if treated prior to the development of brood.

One paper describes using oxalic and thymol together.  I was more interested in the dosages mentioned.

Articles of Interest

Jet Set Fetish
Widow’s Heartbreak

Waffles and Spaghetti

Several years ago DV had shown me a comedy clip about how men’s and women’s brains differ.  Recently I was pointed at a book called Men are Like Waffles—Women are Like Spaghetti that seems to have largely the same premise.

蜜蜂

日本語での養蜂用語は知らなかったので調べてみた。特に解剖学の単語は一般的に日常生活に使わないと思われる。日本語だと割と普通だった。

• ミツバチの解剖学 の日本語訳
• 山田養蜂場ミツバチ研究支援サイト
• ミツバチQ&A
• 養蜂学 （近代養蜂の用語が載っている）
• 趣味養蜂
• 養蜂用語辞典

Beeswax Extruder

This beeswax extruder showed up in the Beekeeping Hacks group on FB in response to someone who wanted to fabricate drawn comb.  Since it's open-source, it'd be interesting to look into—if I ever make the time!

M61 Reloads

7.62 NATO AP projectiles (M61 pulldowns) can be had on Gunbroker.  A forum linked to a page showing reload recipes.

USE LAKE CITY BRASS, CCI LARGE RIFLE PRIMERS, "147"GR .30 AP BULLETS, AND 46.0 GRAINS OF HODGDON'S "VARGET". SEAT BULLET TO THE FIRST CANNELURE. VELOCITY MEASURED 2645 fps OUT OF A FAL. UNSCIENTIFIC TESTING AGAINST A STOUT ROAD BARRICADE (THAT IS KEEPING THE PEASANTS OUT OF "FEDERAL" LAND) SHOWED COMPLETE PENETRATION WHERE ALL OTHER BULLET STRIKES FROM CALIBERS UNKNOWN MERELY SCRATCHED THE PAINT. YOU CAN SUBSTITUE 44.3 GRAINS OF WC844 FOR A VELOCITY OF 2630. VELOCITIES COULD BE IMPROVED SOMEWHAT WITH THE VARGET POWDER; TESTING CONTINUES...

Moe Cason

At the Brownells 80th Anniversary event last weekend, there was a BBQ food truck by Moe Cason.  The guy next to me in line told me that they're award-winning, having placed at an international competition.  I can't recall if he said 1st or 3rd, but both are in Des Moines.  So next time I drive through Des Moines, I'll have to stop by.  And still hit Joe's in KC!

Packages via Mail

There are a number of places that still ship package bees via mail, either USPS or UPS.  3-lb packages, unless otherwise noted.

• Mountain Sweet Honey [GA] - Italian, $125-ish
• Kelley Beekeeping [KY] - Italian, Carniolan, or Saskatraz, $198-ish
• Gold Star Honeybees [GA/TN] - mixed-breed, winter hardened (supposedly), treatment-free, $185
• R Weaver Apiaries [TX] - Buckfast, clipped/marked, shipped via UPS, $175
• Winters Apiary [TN] - Caucasian, shipped via UPS, $140
• Roberts Bee Company (H&R Apiaries) [GA] - Italian?, $87 for 2-lb, $97 for 3-lb

It seems perhaps more economical to get a cheaper package initially, build up their numbers, and then introduce a queen of the desired type, since the queens are typically $30-40 each and could be used to split an established hive.

Food-Safe Filament

If planning to 3D-print items that would come in contact with food, it's wise to make sure it's food-safe.  The MakerGeeks store has a page listing a number of options.  t-glase filament I'd seen on Amazon as being food-safe.

VPN on Synology

Synology has a built-in VPN server, which is pretty nice.  Their knowledgebase details how to set it up.