security camera system - part 1

I have been wanting a security camera system a long time. Over the years I have monitor the progress of the improvements on those of consumer budget but have defer the purchase as I felt they are not good enough. I recently picked up this Night Owl 8-channel DVR with 4 HD analog cameras for only $250. I have a lot of reservation, especially the challenges of running the BNC/power cables between the DVR and the cameras. Upon inspecting the cable interconnect I decided to return it without evening opening up the rest of the system. I started researching on the newer generation of network video recorders (NVR).

windows computer went kaputt - again

It was only in 2014 my Windows desktop computer went kaputt. I managed to diagnosed to the system power supply, or as I thought but the root cause was not entirely clear even though I managed to repaired it. I swapped out the power supply with another PC that has an identical unit. Strangely the donor PC works just fine with the "bad" power supply. That left me wonder if the power supply as after all not the cause of the failure. Fast forward to a few weeks ago, my same Windows computer died all a sudden while resuming from sleep.

happiness is another small engine - part 2

It has been nearly a year since I decided to buy a 4-stroke leave blower against the common wisdom. Upon first receiving it I was very pleased with its performance, and especially how quiet it is. Even at full throttle I find it no need to wear any hearing protection. The other benefits are the cleaner exhaust and without having to deal with gasoline and oil mixture. I was also very impressed on how little fuel it consumes - until a few months into the ownership.

bed cover for isolde

I managed to maintained the upholstery in Isolde in pristine condition after 27 years. The secret is a layer of sacrificial material over the factory fabric. In recent years the fabric on the bed cover deteriorated and I have been challenged as what to do. The cover is a old fashion sleeping bag that has been modified in circa 26 years ago. Today these old fashion sleeping bags are few and far in between. I entertained replacing the worn fabric while keeping the insulation core of the sleeping bag. The problem is the retail cost of the fabric would cost more than the sleeping bag.