Yesterday evening the belt broke on my 15 year old Maytag dryer. At least, that's what it sounded like. You never know, it could have been an idler pulley finally popping off its shaft or any number of inconvenient, expensive parts giving up the ghost. Fifteen years of hard labor, that's long enough for one dryer to last. A service call would probably run $100+ and a half-day of my vacation time. Was this old dryer worth that kind of investment, or would I be throwing good money after bad? So off I went web-surfing some of the local supplier's sites, found a "bargain" of $500, reduced to a sale price of $400, sale ending... fifteen minutes ago, when the store closed. So I hung out my half-dried pants load, and slept on the problem. As if on cue a likely solution occurred as I was waking up. Youtube. Now, the last time I'd had a belt break, when this dryer was a 5 year old pup, the answer was clear: replace the belt. Co-workers had waved me off of it as a DIY project, assuring me that modern dryers are Lovecraftian nests of spring-loaded finger removers. But now in our modern era of downloaded web mind-meld knowledge, things are different. Turns out, it is a very simple job:
Now, your dryer, or Mi-Go finger puller, or whatever mechanical household horror you need to fix may be very different, so naturally you'll want to type the model name and problem into the youtube search bar. But the principle is the same. The Arcane Knowledge isn't quite so arcane these days. BTW, the new belt cost a grand total of $8.54, tax included.
Last week while trying out different modes on HF, I mentioned the ARRL's Considerate Operator's Frequency Guide to a friend. It goes way beyond the FCC-allocated band plan, in that it suggests – merely suggests, not regulates – agreed-upon frequencies within the bands for calling frequencies, QRP operations, DX windows, slow-scan TV and the like. It's brief, just over half a page. For future reference, here is a link to the guide. For the truly perplexed, here's the full band allocation plan in several formats, both in full color or in B&W photocopy-iable.
Before seeing Saturday's movie, we went to Peche for lunch. Had a vermillion snapper, grilled. Prepared, it pretty much looked like this, except it was a snapper, not a grouper:
That may well have been the single best fish I've ever eaten. Here is their web site, it has all the details, menus, and maps.
Nothing spooky, just straightforward orbital mechanics resulting in some nice sky-scenery tonight. Unfortunately the local weather may not cooperate, but I'm still going to go outside and take a look. ps: Looked, saw nothing but clouds. pps: You want a sure cosmic sign of approaching doom? I bought a Windows laptop this morning. OK, now you can go freak out. Expect a report, including a part on "why?," on this upcoming fiasco in a couple of weeks.
How many times can Jonny Depp blow somebody's brains out in one damn flick? Based on the exploits of James "Whitey" Bulger in Boston from the mid-70's thru the mid-80's, we see him manipulate and brutalize his way to the top of the crime heap. What makes this story stand out is how several FBI agents were being manipulated as well. Who watches the watchmen? In this case, the watchers were asleep at the switch. So that's the story, how's the movie? Very well done is how. Depp is back in top form as Bulger, and the supporting cast is outstanding. Plemons is particularly effective as young thug Weeks. You can just believe that this guy spend a childhood trading punches with the neighborhood bullies, then naturally progressed into crime on reaching adulthood. After that... there are no slouches in the casting. The cinematography is good, as well as unobtrusive. The ugliness of crime is portrayed unflinchingly. Speaking of crime... there is remarkably little time spent on the Winter Hill Gang's money making ventures in this film. Far more time is spent on the inter-gang warfare and machinations within the FBI. So, if anything, that part doesn't feel fleshed out. Oh well, it's probably just boring business details anyway. Back to the on-screen murders... Bottom line: 3 stars out of 4. If not a true documentary, if not a great crime film for the ages, it is at very least an engaging depiction of gang warfare and and several FBI agents who let an investigation get the better of their moral compasses.
And the music's not bad either. Bob Dylan staring in The Night We Called It a Day. Just click through to youtube and embiggen to full screen. Mini film? Music video? I guess it's technically the latter, but it's so good that I'll call it the former.
Yes, another quick post today: The Early Exploits of Neil Armstrong at the BBC. I promise, content in the near future. Been listening to Morgan James and Public Service Broadcasting (the band, not the UK equivalent of PBS), will write up some comments on them in the next few days.
