EOS and Zcash

An article on Coindesk mentioned EOS in reference to a Wikipedia competitor.  I still need to read their other article on EOS.

Zcash also looks interesting, especially when promoted by Snowden.

Ethereum Mining

It's been a quarter since my last post.  Bitcoin is up over $16k, and other cryptos are up too.  Apparently making regular buys via ACH is destined to not be easy, so mining is looking attractive again.  Well, if it's break-even with zero profit, I'm still interested, for that reason.  (Not interested in "cloud mining contracts" because I don't trust code running on someone else's computer.)

Recently I was looking at mining Ethereum because it's still profitable with GPUs.  Bitcoin and Litecoin both have ASICs available, making it a hardware arms race.  Based on several articles (Cryptocompare on hashrate, TechSpot on hashrate, Tom's Hardware on ETH's effect on card prices) it appears that the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 is the best balance of cost and hashrate.  ~18 MH/s in 120W for $280 times three should pay for the GPUs in under a year's time, especially if the price of ETH keeps going up.  Of course, there's the cost of the mobo, processor, memory, and OS (if I don't use Linux).  I have an NOS Soldam case lying around, although I'll have to check if the power supply is sufficient.

Klug

The local Linux group's website: K-LUG.  Funny, I've been on their mailing list for a couple years, but have never made it to a meeting....

Beekeeping Link Dump

The accumulation of this detritus is getting out of hand!

• Removing hardened latex paint from brushes -- well...it happens, when painting hives....
• Ulster observation hive design
• Funky beehive hardware at Eco Bee Box
• UofM beehive equipment plans
• Handhold jigs: Beesource (Hogan's jig, circular saw), Korschgen (YT video, drill press)
• YT video on how to make your own dado set -- good stuff
• How to start a queen in a 2-frame nuc (HoneyBeeSuite) -- explanation of using a "queen castle"
• Using queen cages to hatch multiple queens in the same hive, thus preventing one from killing the others (Facebook)

So much info, so little time.

Gabees Honey

From several months ago, a discussion at Patrick's cafe regarding a bee-related project.

• The parked site, gabeeshoney.com
• Connecting a domain to the Wix-hosted site
• Generating a QR code for the URL to put on the business card

Apparently the lady's gone to Argentina to look for bulk honey....

Kosciuszko the Abolitionist, and Jefferson's Weakness

This post deserves its own entry, for it shows Thomas Jefferson's weakness, and the unwavering devotion to freedom of one Thadeus Kosciuszko.  From the article:

I beg Mr. Jefferson that in the case I should die without will or testament he should bye out of my money So many Negroes and free them, that the restante [remaining] sums should be Sufficient to give them aducation and provide for thier maintenance, that . . . each should know before, the duty of a Cytyzen in the free Government, that he must defend his country against foreign as well as internal Enemies who would wish to change the Constitution for the worst to inslave them by degree afterwards, to have good and human heart Sensible for the Sufferings of others, each must be married and have 100 Ackres of land, wyth instruments, Cattle for tillage and know how to manage and Gouvern it well as well to know [how to] behave to neyboughs [neighbors], always wyth Kindnes and ready to help them . . . . T. Kościuszko.

Too bad the former President couldn't honor his promise to his friend.

Yet Another Link Dump

Hell, I have too many tabs open on my phone!!

• Mike Longo Trio, Only Time Will Tell -- I don't recall why I had this open....
• Raynor DuraGrille security grille -- I think I was looking for roll-up shutters for house security; or perhaps it was for a shed?
• Joel Anderson's World Coins -- WWII silver
• Isabel Leonard -- operatic beauty
• Setting up a Go-To AR-15 -- for a car gun?
• Odd Squad soundtrack Stop the Music
• Minnesota Judicial Branch Case Records site
• Norah Jones On Piano Jazz -- nice NPR session with Marian McPartland
• For All We Know lyrics -- from the above Norah Jones set

Actually, this is only a third of them, but it gets unwieldy with too many links....

Honey Bee Forage Species

Someone on Facebook (I think it was RJS) had kindly posted this list, from NASA no less, on honey bee forage species.  Minnesota has four main sources, apparently: alfalfa, sweet clover, dutch clover, and basswood.  Apparently some folks at NASA have the beek habit as well.

AudioStation Lyrics Plugin

I have no idea why Synology even bothered with the lyrics plugin for AudioStation when it only displays the first few lines.  Apparently there's an alternate plugin called SynologyLyric that gets around that problem.

Another Dated Link Dump

The terrible thing is, often times I never go back to review the link dump....

• How to Build a Worm Tower
• Retractable PVC Hoop House
• How not to get caught in a mass-surveillance world
• 10 corporations control almost everything you buy
• Lifestyle garage screens
• Ocumetics Bionic Lens
• Building a Tin Can WiFi Waveguide Antenna
• Why Young Men Go to War
• FedBizOpps
• Vanity Fair interview with Ed Snowden

I just have too many tabs open....

Cherry Blossoms

Perhaps I need to get the wife some Yoshino Cherry trees.  The JNTO map says there are some in Hokkaido.  And there's some indication that they'll survive in Minneapolis...?!

Kenneth Minogue

I recently revisited a clipping from the WSJ I had on my desk.

"Most Western governments hate me smoking, or eating the wrong kind of food, or hunting foxes, or drinking too much, and these are merely the surface disapprovals, the ones that provoke legislation or public campaigns. We also borrow too much money for our personal pleasures, and many of us are very bad parents. Ministers of state have been known to instruct us in elementary matters, such as the importance of reading stories to our children. Again, many of us have unsound views about people of other races, cultures, or religions, and the distribution of our friends does not always correspond, as governments think that it ought, to the cultural diversity of our society. We must face up to the grim fact that the rulers we elect are losing patience with us. . . . Some may forgive these intrusions because they are so well intentioned. Who would defend prejudice, debt, or excessive drinking? The point, however, is that our rulers have no business telling us how to live. . . . We might perhaps be more tolerant of rulers turning preachers if they were moral giants. But what citizen looks at the government today thinking how wise and virtuous it is?"

So I looked for the full piece, and found it.  I also learned that Mr. Minogue passed away in 2013.  Impermanence.

Orchid Advisors

I can't recall how I ran into their site, but apparently Orchid Advisors provide help for FFLs on dealing with the ATF.  That could be useful for later.

More Good Advice

Sometimes it seems like good advice is a dime a dozen, but this seems legit.  I came across a useful Quora post that I'm saving here.

1. Decide what’s important because in 5 years, 80% of what you do today will not turn into anything. It’s just busywork, no useful outcome.
2. Sleep, food and exercise can help you triple your outcome, because they increase focus, motivation and energy levels.
3. The 2-minute rule: if you can do something (like replying to an email, or a house chore) in 2 minutes, do it now. Planning it for later, remembering it, doing it in the future will take 5 minutes or more.
4. The 5-minute rule: the biggest cure against procrastination is to set your goal not to finish a scary big hairy task, but to just work 5 minutes on it. You’ll find out that most times it continues well beyond the 5 minutes, as you enter a flow state.
5. Seinfeld’s productivity chain: if you want to be good at something, do it every day. Including on Christmas, Easter and Judgement Day. No exceptions.
6. Tiny habits, highly linked with the 5-minute rule, helps you create good habits quickly. It works, I tested it.
7. Your memory sucks. Get everything out of your head, even if you’re a genius. Write it down in a notebook, put it in your todo-list app, on your phone, talk to Siri, I don’t care.
8. As few tools as possible. I’ve tested most of the todo managers and finally stayed with Cultured Code‘s Things app and Google Calendar (iCal is ok, but Google Calendar integrates well with Gmail, my default client). It doesn’t matter what you use (pen & paper are fine) if you understand the next rule.
9. Routine beats tools. You need discipline, and this means for me two things: I plan my day first thing in the morning, and I write a short daily log every day. This helps me stay sane, prioritize well, scrap useless tasks, and do what matters. This saves me hours.
10. Pomodoros. That’s timeboxing—for 30 minutes do only the task at hand. Nothing else: no phones, email, talking to people, Facebook, running out of the building in case of fire. Nothing else.
11. Always wear your headphones. You don’t have to listen to music, but it will discourage people to approach you.
12. Email scheduling and inbox zero. Don’t read your email first thing in the day, don’t read it in the evening (it ruined many evenings for me), and try to do it only 3 times a day: at 11am, 2pm and 5pm. And your email inbox is not a todo list. Clear it: every message should be an actionable task (link it from the todo app), a reference document (send to Evernote or archive), or should be deleted now.
13. Same thing for phone calls. Don’t be always available. I always keep my phone on silent, and return calls in batches.
14. Batch small tasks. Like mail, phones, Facebook etc.
15. MI3. Most important three tasks (or the alternative 1 must – 3 should – 5 could). Start with the most important first thing in the morning.
16. Willpower is limited. Don’t think that willpower will help you when you get in trouble. Make important decisions in the morning and automate everything possible (delegate, batch etc.). US presidents don’t have to choose their menu or suit color everyday—otherwise their willpower will be depleted at that late hour when they should push (or not push) the red button).
17. The most powerful thing. Always ask yourself what is the most powerful thing you can do right now. Then apply rule #4.
18. Ship often. Don’t polish it too much—as they say in the startup world, “if you’re not ashamed of your product, you’ve launched too late’!
19. Pressure can do wonders. Use rewards or social commitment. We’ve recently done this with the new Grapefruit website. The previous one took 2.5 years to launch. The new one took 2.5 days and we did it over one hackathon weekend (+Monday).
20. Scheduled procrastination. Your brain needs some rest, and sometimes that new episode from Arrow can do wonders that the smartest TED talk won’t.
21. Delete. Say No. Ignore. Don’t commit to schedules. I love the last one, it’s from Marc Andreessen, because it allows him to meet whomever he wants on the spot. A lot of people will hate you for this, but you’ll have time to do relevant stuff. Do you think you’ll regret that in 20 years, or doing something for someone you don’t really care about, just to be superficially appreciated.
22. Fake incompetence. It’s a diplomatic way to apply the previous rule.

Apparently this is from a site called Thought Catalog.

Wood Sealant

So I'm trying to figure out if I should seal the beehive woodenware or not.  The boxes I built and painted seemed to be in pretty sad shape after one winter, despite using two coats of exterior latex paint.  One article I read claimed that the moisture from the bees during the winter migrates through the wood and causes the paint to peel on the outside.  Seems possible.

However, finding something non-toxic / food-grade is an exercise.  One problem is that I want to paint over the sealer, and not all of them are paintable.  I was considering boiled linseed oil--but then I found out that the commercially available stuff uses metal salts to accelerate drying, and it's really raw linseed, not boiled.  No dice.  An article on natural wood sealers and another on non-toxic paints gave me a list of things to check, but the one I found was via a source I don't remember.

AgraLife makes a couple different products, Lumber-Seal and Hive-Seal.  The former is available at Home Depot and is supposedly food-safe.  The MSDS for Lumber-Seal notes that "All Products except Hive-Seal contain 1% Zinc Oxide/Borate for film protection and are not considered hazardous by EPA."  However, the actual composition is noted as a "trade secret," which makes me somewhat suspect.  What I don't know for sure is if the stuff is paintable or not.  Perhaps it'll say on the can.

Perhaps I'll pick up some Lumber-Seal for the pressure-treated base and hive stand, and do the outside of the woodenware for now.  I could always apply Hive-Seal to the interior when I'm able to obtain it.

Another interesting product I found was Seal-Once Marine Waterproofer, which is paintable.  It doesn't show as food-safe, but if I were sealing a deck or something it appears like a good candidate.  Actually, I might try their Concrete Rust Remover on a couple spots on my driveway and garage floor.

There was one more that intrigued me because it's linseed oil, but there wasn't much info about how it was produced: Earthpaint's "Special Linseed Oil."  It's back to where I originally started looking as far as wood sealers go.  On the other hand, it's twice the price of Lumber-Seal ($66/gal vs $35/gal), plus S&H ($22+ for the gallon container).

Do What Contributes

Digging through some of my old public posts on FB, I found a post with Marc Andreessen's tweeted career advice; briefly, "do what contributes" not "do what you love".  The article linked to a Navy SEAL's commencement speech, which gave some interesting life advice.

I put this here, since I'm currently considering, "now what?"

Update [2017.04.06]:
I'm adding the list here in case something happens to the article.

1. Thesis: "Do what you love" / "Follow your passion" is dangerous and destructive career advice.
2. We tend to hear it from (a) Highly successful people who (b) Have become successful doing what they love.
3. The problem is that we do NOT hear from people who have failed to become successful by doing what they love.
4. Particularly pernicious problem in tournament-style fields with a few big winners & lots of losers: media, athletics, startups.
5. Better career advice may be "Do what contributes" -- focus on the beneficial value created for other people vs just one's own ego.
6. People who contribute the most are often the most satisfied with what they do -- and in fields with high renumeration, make the most $.
7. Perhaps difficult advice since requires focus on others vs oneself -- perhaps bad fit with endemic narcissism in modern culture?
8. Requires delayed gratification -- may toil for many years to get the payoff of contributing value to the world, vs short-term happiness.

I do find it amusing that Andreessen misspelled remuneration, though.

40mm (and 20mm)

So I was looking for "sin stocks" to invest in this morning, and came across a link on a website for thematic investing (motif) that had National Presto Industries under "Guns & Ammunition".  Their site is for crockpots.  Well, it turns out from their investor info that one of their subsidiaries, AMTEC, manufactures ammunition for government contracts.  Apparently they also manufacture 20mm cartridge brass!  Information comes from the strangest places.

Walther PP

Info on the Walther forums: date codes, serial number ranges, etc.

The Mouse

At the end of last year, a lady named Wendy Byers posted on Nextdoor that she used to own The Mouse at Miracle Mile for 16 years.  According to an old post by a Post-Bulletin staff member, the store closed in December 2015.  Apparently Ms. Byers is now a realtor.

Too Much

Apparently I've been too busy to post much here in the past year.  I've got a bunch of tabs in my browsers open...so I need to do a link dump soon!

SurplusRifle.com

I recall reading this SurplusRifle.com guide back before I filed for my C&R FFL.  There's a PDF of the guide, accessible via The Wayback Machine.

Sabrina Nichole

Found an animated GIF of this gal on a Chive post.  Via Google image search, I found out it's a Playboy model, Sabrina Nichole.  Apparently the GIF is from a video ("Lathered Up") on Playboy Plus.  Nice.  TijuanaBoobs?  Her Instagram has various headshots at least.

AR308

In looking to SBR an AR-style 7.62 rifle, I needed to find 1) a DPMS-compatible rifle, and 2) one that was in stock.  That's been a challenge.  I almost picked up an Aero lower; fortunately I didn't because it was AR-10 style rather than DPMS.

One article I found comments on compatibility.

There's a spreadsheet that details some of the variants; however, it doesn't differentiate between DPMS gen 1 and 2, and the Aero Precision M5 is compatible with DPMS gen 1.

Brownells has a bunch of AR308 parts, of course.

Topical Black Rifle Stuff

A link dump, of sorts.

• San Tan Tactical's STT-15 lower receiver: I need this ambi receiver for my 2nd SBR.
• The Maxim Defense CQB stock looks like a good alternative to the MVB ARC stock, being 4 oz lighter, but 1/2" longer.
• Tennessee Arms Company has hybrid polymer lowers for cheap; featured in Firearms News along with the KAK Industry .358 Win barrel.  Also has 80% polymer lowers.
• Veriforce Tactical has M-Lok handguards, some in pistol size that cost under $100.  Sounds like a good deal for a car gun.
• The GunTec USA M-Lok handguards look almost identical, but were advertised in Firearms News.
• Thordsen Customs has a CAA stock saddle basically mounted on the buffer tube.  I think I prefer the KAK Industry Shockwave Blade, but this is kinda a cool look.
• And of course there's the Shockwave Blade: Not as bulky as the Sig brace, still counts as a pistol, but in a SHTF scenario, could be shouldered (illegally).  The .358 Win barrels pointed to by Firearms News are pretty cool.  Might have to build myself an AR-10-style rifle.

So many items, so little time.

Can Design

Some light reading this evening on silencer design:

• Rules of thumb for suppressor design (generalities)
• Beating a dead horse back to life (interesting Q&A, answers here)
• Pressing freeze plugs into M baffles (improvised tools)
• Omega baffles (wut.)
• .30-cal can design (lots of pictures of the cone baffle design) 

There was also a funky thread on .510 Whisper that's worth reading.

American Bags

So I've been looking for a decent pack for a 72-hr application.  Most of the items of non-domestic manufacture are of poor design, so I'm looking for domestic-made gear.

• Kifaru
• Triple Aught Design
• Mountain Ridge Gear
• Hill People Gear
• Sandpiper of California

I believe these are all U.S.-made, but I'll have to verify.  Also, Spec-Ops Brand seems to be domestic MFG.

HESCO MIL

Apparently the military uses this product for barriers.  It consists of a welded-wire frame and a fabric to retain native soil.  Could be used for a shooting range's berm....

gizmag

Links I found as a result of an article on Jet Capsule's floating ocean home.

• Tracked concept motorcycles
• Loft beds
• Manta saddle (I may need one, even at GBP125)

De gustibus non est disputandum

Latin for "In matters of taste, there can be no disputes" or "There is no accounting for taste".  Apparently.

Guns & Radio

MNGunTalk has a thread on free trusts mentioning Dakota Silencer, Ben Rust, and GOCRA.

qrz.com has a thread comparing the Kenwood TM-V71A and Yaesu FT-8900.