Monday, November 27, 2006
Thanksgiving
This weekend, I went back to MO to hang out with my family. All 7
siblings, 3 sig. others, and 2 grandkids made it there. It was cool
to see everyone, and the weather was pretty much the best it could
possibly be.
I came back, and found my house slightly different from when I left.
I didn't notice until this morning, but the heap of dirty dishes had
transformed into a clean sink. So, thank you to who ever it was!
Sorry the place was so unsanitary. Yep, that's pretty much typical.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Now I just need some fish
Here's device that allows me to view and photocopy microfich. I got it some time ago a the surplus store, but didn't ever try it out. So, today I cleaned it off and fired it up.
It worked pretty well, but I didn't have any microfich, so I used some photograph negatives. I was thinking that maybe I could use it as a sort of microscope---the highest magnification is 50x.
Here is a shot of my sink, as displayed by the device.
Below is a close-up of the stage and lens assembly.
I'm not sure what to do with it. Seems there should be some use for a device that displays and prints out anything thin and partially transparent. It could also be reworked to capture any light projected into it. I could use it for its normal purpose, if I had some microfich.
It worked pretty well, but I didn't have any microfich, so I used some photograph negatives. I was thinking that maybe I could use it as a sort of microscope---the highest magnification is 50x.
Here is a shot of my sink, as displayed by the device.
Below is a close-up of the stage and lens assembly.
I'm not sure what to do with it. Seems there should be some use for a device that displays and prints out anything thin and partially transparent. It could also be reworked to capture any light projected into it. I could use it for its normal purpose, if I had some microfich.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
The Shampoo Bottle has Changed
Yesterday I ran out of shampoo, so this evening I went and bought some more of the traditional shampoo that I have been using off and on for several years. Imagine my surprise when the bottle was a different shape!
It immediately becomes apparent why the change was made. Most obvious is the complex, interesting shape they have added to the bottle. Rather than being a cylinder with rounded edges, it now has flattened sides to give it a sort of grip, a set of creases that are reminiscent of the logo, and a smoother transition to the cap. The motivation behind the changes to the cap aren't quite as obvious. They moved from a screw-on lid to a snap-on lid, and dropped the butterfly valve for a simple flip-top. This of course drops the parts count (one piece rather than two) and it makes the molding process simpler, and therefore faster. Now they don't have to unscrew the cap off the mold, and they don't have to assemble the lid after molding it---the flip-cap is one piece with the lid. The lack of threads makes the bottle mold easier and cheaper too.
It's not all roses, however. The new design doesn't have quite as good a seal. The flip-top seals pretty well, but the bottle-to-cap interface isn't as good as the screw-on method. If I squeeze the bottle, it doesn't leak much, but air can escape if I wiggle the cap. On the other hand, how sealed does a bottle of shampoo have to be? It might be helpful for a little air to move in and out---that will accommodate temperature and pressure changes.
One thing that didn't change is the volume; surprisingly, it is still 22.5 fluid ounces, just like before.
It immediately becomes apparent why the change was made. Most obvious is the complex, interesting shape they have added to the bottle. Rather than being a cylinder with rounded edges, it now has flattened sides to give it a sort of grip, a set of creases that are reminiscent of the logo, and a smoother transition to the cap. The motivation behind the changes to the cap aren't quite as obvious. They moved from a screw-on lid to a snap-on lid, and dropped the butterfly valve for a simple flip-top. This of course drops the parts count (one piece rather than two) and it makes the molding process simpler, and therefore faster. Now they don't have to unscrew the cap off the mold, and they don't have to assemble the lid after molding it---the flip-cap is one piece with the lid. The lack of threads makes the bottle mold easier and cheaper too.
It's not all roses, however. The new design doesn't have quite as good a seal. The flip-top seals pretty well, but the bottle-to-cap interface isn't as good as the screw-on method. If I squeeze the bottle, it doesn't leak much, but air can escape if I wiggle the cap. On the other hand, how sealed does a bottle of shampoo have to be? It might be helpful for a little air to move in and out---that will accommodate temperature and pressure changes.
One thing that didn't change is the volume; surprisingly, it is still 22.5 fluid ounces, just like before.
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Whiteboard!
Well, I have yet another artifact in my living room. This time it is a whiteboard, with a huge-format scanner attached that prints out what is written on the board.
You can see the scanner head part way across the board. And down to the right is the printer unit
Not only does it print, this whiteboard also can be flipped over, and you have a whole new side. There is also a grid ghost-printed onto the board.
Now, I just need to figure out where to get more heat-sensitive paper for when I run out...
You can see the scanner head part way across the board. And down to the right is the printer unit
Not only does it print, this whiteboard also can be flipped over, and you have a whole new side. There is also a grid ghost-printed onto the board.
Now, I just need to figure out where to get more heat-sensitive paper for when I run out...
