20130411

Spam and other meat-like products

Janet and I have been on a bit of a "spam" kick lately, but I normally buy brands other than "SPAM", so, in order to see what the differences were between the brands, we decided to do a blind taste test - and Janet would be the judge as to which "spam" was the best "spam"

I believe spam it's most spam appropriate to insert the most famous SPAM sketch here spam spam spam.

Right then.  

The spam was chilled, cut into odd sized pieces, and presented with tooth picks for Janet to try; it looked a little like this:


Brand name SPAM, and friends

Janet found the No-Name(tm) brand to be most pleasing of the four.  Second place was SPAM(tm).  Third place was Klik(tm).  Fourth place was Holiday(tm).


Our selection!

There were no complex score charts, no panels of judges, just Janet's discerning palate to choose between the canned meats. 

Interestingly, this almost matches up with the salt content - we discovered SPAM is by far the saltiest (almost twice as much sodium as the least - Holiday)  Klik is the 2nd saltiest, then No-Name, and finally Holiday.  I'm not sure we can call Holiday the "healthy" choice of luncheon meats, but it does have the least amount of salt.  This also matches the order of price - SPAM is normally the most expensive, and Holiday the least.

Yes, I did actually have Spam and Baked Beans for dinner, why?  :)

20130408

Experiments with Handbrake, x264 encoding, and Ubuntu

I've been having some frustration with my efforts to encode video with Handbrake and the x264 encoder, and wanted to document it for posterity. 

I have a small DVD collection that I have accumulated over the years.  Unfortunately, I  store them mostly in boxes as I don’t want to waste shelf space with DVDs that are never taken out of their cases.  When they were on the shelf, they just got dusty.  I've been infected by the MTV generation of instant gratification and don’t want to open the DVD cases, unless I really have to.  Being a technology guy, I knew there had to be a better way.  I'd thought of doing this sort of thing many years ago, when DeCSS was first released; when making a back-up of your DVD was a 10 step procedure of ripping audio separately from video, breaking decryption keys, picking codecs; it was a mess.  I didn’t have the stomach for it.  Thankfully, the process is now much easier, thanks to Handbrake.
Using Handbrake, you can copy an entire DVD's video and audio, synchronized, to a video file on your computer.  Perfect.
A few years ago I started to do so, but it takes hours to do each DVD, so it's a long project. I'd copied all our movies, but left the TV series' till the end.  As it turns out, they're much harder to slog through than the movies, because there can be anywhere from 3,4,5..9 DVDs per box set :|

I was originally ripping the DVDs using Handbrake 9.8.0, with the built in x264 encoder, on a Quad-Core AMD Phenom 9500 (2.2Ghz), using Ubuntu 12.04 LTS as my underlying OS.
Why Handbrake?
It's arguably the best, free, and allows command line scripting
Why x264?
It's also arguably the best, for quality
Why Ubuntu?
From snooping on the Handbrake web site, it seems they mention Ubuntu a lot, and my guess was that the authors either used it themselves, or had a preference for it somehow.  As I'm fluent in several versions and flavours of Unix/BSD/Linux, why not use what they'd want?  I was hoping for better support and performance.
Performance?
Once I had it all set up, I was getting ~35-40 fps (yes, frames per second) on ripping and encoding the video.  If we round off, you can then see that a 2 hour DVD will take about 2 hours to rip and encode... and I have months of video to encode... there's got to be a better way.
How do you make Handbrake go faster?
I'd heard that the power of the CPU on the video/graphics card (the GPU) could be leveraged to do complex math functions.  I looked into GPU acceleration of the encoding process.  Unfortunately, it's too immature, it isn't ready yet, and I don't have any kick-ass video cards (GPUs) that would take on the task anyway.
What about more computers?  Two heads are better than one!
I had some parts lying around... so I set to work assembling and purpose building them.  I had mixed results.


I had an old AMD K7 1.2Ghz CPU and motherboard kicking around, and some matching ram (768Mb), video card, hard drive, etc.. so voila, a tiny ripping workstation.  It would be slow, but how slow?
Well, I loaded  Ubuntu 12.04 (32bit), and Handbrake, and encoding using the same "High Profile" as I was using on the AMD Phenom 9500... I got ~1.5-2.0fps.  Umm.
It would take *days* to rip a single DVD.  The AMD K7 simply doesn’t have any video encoding instruction sets built in that would allow it to do the work with any efficiency, and the 1.2Ghz processor doesnt have any brute strength either.  Okay, that idea is dead.


I also had an old IBM xSeries 336 8837 with dual Intel Xeon 2.8Ghz processors (totalling 4 cores) - That should perform as well, or better, than my little quad-core AMD workstation class CPU, no?
I loaded it up with Ubuntu 12.04 (64bit), Handbrake, and was sorely disappointed.

All settings remaining equal, between the quad-core AMD and the quad-core Xeon, I can only get half the FPS out of the Xeons... Why?
Well, I'm guessing, but I think the x264 encoder has better built-in multimedia instruction sets to draw on in the AMD Phenom over the Intel Xeon which probably blows it away in other areas; just not video encoding.  I am getting consistently 15-20fps on the x336 - which is very disappointing.  Considering the redundant power supplies and heat from the CPUs are heating the room which it is sitting in, I don't think I'll keep it on much longer.


The Handbrake GUI is quite friendly and more than adequate if you're looking to rip one thing, but for multiple, and doing so with repeatable accuracy, I use the command line.
Here is the command line I've put together based on other people's input from forums regarding how to rip ALL the video content from a DVD (not just the main feature) to a high quality MPEG4 file/container.

$> for i in `seq 99`; do HandBrakeCLI -i /dev/dvd -t $i --preset "High Profile" -o NameOfTheThingYoureRipping-$i.m4v; done 

The above script will repeat for track 1, 2, 3.. 99 and rip each video track to a separate appropriately named (-$i) m4v file.  Handy for compilation DVDs!

NB
Throughout this experiment I've been very impressed regarding how well Ubuntu has worked, and the hardware support for the oddball pieces was shockingly good too.
 

References:
http://www.videolan.org/developers/x264.html
http://handbrake.fr/details.php
http://www.ubuntu.com/project

20130311

Compact Fluorescent Lamps - Blessing and Curse

Sylvania 29733 (CF4EL/SUPER/827/RP)
Tiny, and puts out the equivalent of a 25W light bulb - and only burns 4W of power!
This is my little light bulb power conservation rant.

Domestic incandescent light bulbs range from the low end of ~40W to the high end of 150W, more or less. There are higher and lower, but with little effort you can find 40-150W sizes, and lots of them in between, on the shelf at grocery stores and hardware stores. Clearly using that much power to produce light is wasteful, in light (har har) of new technological advances.

Compact Florescent light bulbs use a fraction of the power their incandescent cousins use, and can usually be found in 60W equivalent and 100W equivalent sizes - I presume this is becase people know how bright a 60W and 100W bulb is, and there is a retail demand for them.

Well here's the thing; there are CFLs which come in smaller sizes - not as many, but they're there if you look!  I get the impression 60W equivalent CFL bulbs are being used, and only burning up ~15W, where even less could be used.  If you want to be dramatic, you could say "SAVE 50%" and it would be true, but it's less of a drop in energy use from switching to CFLs from incandescents to start with.


CFLs are not "new" anymore, but this post was triggered by finding something new-to-me.  I found 25W equivalent and 40W equivalent Sylvania CFL bulbs at Canada's Superstore today, and after installing them, I'm quite pleased. Their temperature is 2700K, and the light output is enough to provide a significant amount of light for the space which I am lighting. I am going to make an effort to get more 40W and 25W equivalent bulbs since 60W and 100W equivalent light outputs are sometimes too much for a hallway or other confined space - especially if the fixture takes multiple bulbs.

To give you some quick numbers;
a 60W incandescent bulb can be replaced by a 13W-15W CFL with equivalent lumen output
a 40W incandescent bulb can be replaced by a ~10W CFL with equivalent lumen output
a 25W incandescent bulb can be replaced by a ~4W CFL with equivalent lumen output

How much light do you need?  Re-evaluate how much light is necessary in multiple bulb light fixtures in (for example) your TV room; you could save a significant amount of power. In our living room we have two table-standing lamps, and one fixture suspended from the ceiling. That's 5 bulbs; 4 60W bulbs and one 40W bulb. We're now using 3 40W equivalents, 1 25W equivalent, and 1 60W equivalent. The best part is, because the bulb's light is outputted at ~2700K, they look "warm" and not the cold green colour that 3100K lights put out.

Don't get me wrong, this isn't a new found love affair in CFLs, I still think they're terrible - but this is a bridge until LED light bulbs become popular.

There are two problems I have with CFLs;
- The colour temperature on so many is green, and looks terrible.
- They have mercury, which if you weren't paying attention is bad for everything and everyone if the mercury escapes... which it will if you break one.

Why do we have light bulbs being sold on the shelf that require a HAZMAT team to clean up if they break?

I think CFLs are an environmental disaster as the minority of people properly dispose of them. I'm eagerly awaiting LED light bulbs to get the bugs worked out and take over from he CFL market. Until then, I'll use CFLs and dispose of them properly. I can only hope they really DO get disposed of properly; after all, all I can do is drop them at the right location for recycling!

If you see a "25W" or "40W" compact florescent, I encourage you to give them a try somewhere you have a 60W or 100W bulb now; you might save a few bucks off your electric bill, and add better ambiance to the room at the same time.  They're much better than the CFLs from a decade ago, and if you haven't tried them in that long - you should!



    
Model Number: Sylvania 29733 (CF4EL/SUPER/827/RP)
Lamp Category: CFL Spiral
Energy Used: 4 watt
Light Output: 250 lumens
Volts: 120
Bulb Base: Medium Screw (E26)
Bulb Shape: n/a
Color/Finish: Warm White
Average Life: 8,000 hours
Color Temp: (kelvin) 2,700K
CRI: 82
Dimensions: 3.1 In. Length x 1.6 In. Width
http://www.superiorlighting.com/Sylvania_29733_CF4EL_SUPER_827_RP_Bulb_p/29733-syl.htm
Picture Credit: http://www.rona.ca/images/11275089_L.jpg

Model Number: Sylvania 29401 (CF10EL/MICRO/827/RP2)
Lamp Category: CFL Spiral
Energy Used: 10 watt
Light Output: 600 lumens
Volts: 120
Bulb Base: Medium Screw (E26)
Bulb Shape: n/a
Color/Finish: Warm White
Average Life: 12,000 hours
Color Temp: (kelvin) 2,700K
CRI: 82
Dimensions: 3.5 In. Length x 1.5 In. Width
Case Pack: (price per bulb not case:) 12
http://www.superiorlighting.com/Sylvania_29401_CF10EL_MICRO_827_RP2_Bulb_p/29401-syl.htm
Photo Credit: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31q90f5dLaL._SL500_SS500_.jpg

20121019

Cowboy Boots!

There was a fantastic sale at Amazon.com and I may have bought some amazing boots! These boots are handmade by Old Gringo in Mexico. They are the most beautiful boots I have ever owned. Ever.

In the photo from left to right, the boots on the far left are called "Sozey" and are rust coloured with genuine Swarovski crystals on them. They have a snipped pointed toe and a medium heel. They're totally hot!

The middle pair of booties is shorter with an angled cuff that comes to a point on the outstep of the boot. The cuff is beautifully embroidered with blue and silver thread and there's a zipper in the instep for easy on and off. The heel is also medium height on these boots and the have the exact same toe as the rust Sozey boots. These boots are called "Minisora" and are grey in colour even though it would be easy to mistake them for black.

The third pair of boots, on the right side are called "Tabetha" and are probably my favourite of the three. They have a different toe than the other two pair. The toe is called a southern toe and it's more squared and less pointy than the others. These boots have some beautiful embroidery and metal studding along with a bit of cutwork in the overlay. The boots are aqua in colour with a brass coloured (brown) overlay that is also embroidered and has some cutwork detailing that is lovely. These boots also have embroidery at the top near the side pulls making them very ornate. The heel is lower on these boots and the fit of the boot is a little less snug overall. I love the way the two-tones of leathers go so beautifully together. These boots rock!

To properly see the detail of these boots; including the leather lining, embroidery and crystals; you can just click on the photo to enlarge the image.

20120908

Irish Walking Cape

Steffan got me a new cape for my birthday (which was in the spring). It was being made for me in Ireland and so it was delayed in arriving until now. It was worth the wait. Look at this beautiful cape!

It's 100% Irish felted new wool and the colour is moss green with a tartan lining in red, green, black and a stripe of yellow. It's a very long cape that comes down almost to my ankles and should keep me very warm through the cold weather.

I tried the cape on and it was so soft and warm that I wondered what it was made from. It seemed like a fleece and was so soft that I figured there was no way it could be 100% wool! It is 100% wool and it's unbelievably soft. I am very impressed!

20120904

Boot Sale!

Softmoc has a boot sale on right now. So I got stocked up for winter. The short grey boots on the left are made by UGG and are super warm sheepskin boots with just the most fantastic fit and comfort level. They were about 20% off.

The tall mukluks are made by Sorel and have a full leather sleeve over the top of a thick rubber sole. The fur on the Sorels is fake. No bunnies or coyotes harmed! They were 50% off.

20120714

Black Sheep Wool Ruana

I just recently got this ruana for myself on sale. It's from the UK and made of 100% genuine Welsh Black Sheep wool. It even has a tag saying so!

Anyway, this beautifully woven ruana is warm and just so well-made. A ruana is an open cape that you wear as a wrap around your shoulders and body. They are surprisingly warm and very flattering. They also have a sort of romantic look to them like walking in a grassy field on a crisp fall day.

Black sheep wool is highly prized in the UK and all over the world for its beauty, warmth and superior length. The term "black sheep of the family" used to refer to someone who is an embarrassment to a family is completely misplaced. The farmer who had black sheep was considered to be very successful and respected due to his superior quality animals. In fact, black sheep wool is considered to be something of a rarity and highly sought after. If someone ever refers to you as the black sheep of the family, take it as a compliment...it means you're unique and should be treasured! :)

20120713

Japanese Food


We got some sushi tonight from MHK Sushi and it was delicious. With the hot weather we didn't feel like eating anything too warm and so this seemed like a nice choice. Sushi places in Ottawa seem to lose their quality after a while. I don't know what happens but we've found a lot of sushi places start out strong and then slowly kind of become mediocre and then eventually we get bad sushi from them and have to go someplace else. MHK seems to still be making excellent sushi even after being in business for a while. I hope they continue to do so.
After sushi, these frozen daifuku mochi were just the right thing. They taste like ice cream wrapped in a very light doughey pastry but are actually made from rice gluten and bean paste and all kinds of wonderful stuff! They go perfectly as a dessert for sushi.

Japanese food is fun!

20120611

Goodbye, My Friend.


I wasn't going to post this. I wasn't going to be one of those people who cried out all over the internet with my pain. I didn't think I needed that. I didn't think I needed to do something so public and so dramatic.

But here I am, typing this out. Crying all over my keyboard and trying to deal with the pain of loss. On Friday June 8 at 6:55 pm, I said goodbye to my best friend and companion, Gryffon. He was 13 years and 3 months old. He was the best thing that ever happened to me. I miss him so much.

Gryffon was not like every other dog. He didn't like everyone he met. He rarely paid much attention to other people except if he really liked them. Then he'd make a small fuss over them and let them know they were appreciated. But he loved me. I was his everything and he followed me around towards the end of his life as if just having me near him made him happy. Having him near me made me happy too. I wish I had told him that more...but he knew. I showed him my love every day.  And he did the same. Sometimes he could make everything okay just by being near me. I don't know how he did that.

When we have someone in our lives that anchors us and keeps us happy, we often forget what it was like before we had that anchor. I had become so accustomed to having Gryffon keep me happy that I had forgotten what it was like to feel alone. Now my days at home seem so pointless and long. He really gave me a lot of purpose and I never realized how being his mommy made me feel so needed and loved.

There's an old saying that you shouldn't cry because it's over, you should be thankful that it happened. But you know what? Old sayings don't mean much to me right now. As happy as I am that Gryffon graced my life, all I am left with is the feeling that my heart has been ripped in half and now half of me is missing. He lived his life with dignity and died with such peace. I wish I could honour him by being dignified in my grief but I cannot. It has ripped me apart inside and I wail and cry with all the self-pity of a child. Goodbye my friend, the only thing keeping me going right now is the thought that someday maybe we'll be reunited somehow. Run free until then. xo

20120520

Visitors...

 There have been a couple of visitors here over the past couple of days. I managed to get a photo of the red squirrel sunning himself on a rock.

He's a very verbose little dude! He likes to chirp at the dog or anyone outside. He seems outraged by most normal activities and believes that all bird feeders belong to him!

I should really come up with a name for him so that when he chirps at me I can yell back!
There were two beautiful does on the front lawn this morning. They were grazing on the shrubs and enjoying the sunny weather.

I love it when the deer come by and wish they'd do so more often!

20120415

Sugar Maple

Steffan planted a new tree in the hole of the old beech tree. Here's a photo of the new tree with a new garden bed. It's a sugar maple. Behind the house there's a beautiful red maple that has gorgeous fall foliage and so the sugar maple in front should go nicely with that...you know, eventually when it gets a little bit taller! 


We have to get a load of gravel to fix up the path a bit and to level out the rock step a bit more, however it really made me smile to look out and see this shiny new tree outside today!


Here you can see the new tree with the old tree in the fire pit off in behind and to the left of the photo. We're going to burn that bug-infested stump!

20120414

Handy Iltis!

Today Steffan pulled a dead tree out of the ground using his Iltis and the winch at the front of the Iltis. The tree was a beech tree (I think) that had been dying for years now but when I looked at it and noticed it was crawling with little black bugs it seemed like a good time to pull it out by the roots and get rid of it.


Stef is now cutting it up with a chainsaw and I'm hoping we'll have a big bonfire to get rid of it and some other dead wood that's piled up over the years. 

That tree was the tree we used to tie the dog's pulley system up to, so we'll have to tie him to the poplar tree from now on. I'd like to replace the tree with a maple tree like the one we have in behind the house. I think it's a red maple...or maybe a silver maple would be nice. Anyway the kind with nice smooth silver bark would look nice and kind of blend in with the house. Oh, and now we have a big hole in the front lawn! Stef's going to fill it in with some of the amazing soil we got from dredging the pond last fall, so that will work out nicely.