Obamacare

My brother had an interesting post the other day about why the Republicans are so desperate to make The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) a failure.  He does a good job explaining it, so I won't add anything to that discussion.  What I'm interested in talking about is the law itself - what it will do to people like me, and what it won't do.

When I first left my job at Lester Electrical in 2006, I bought a health insurance policy on my own.  The first year, it was a fairly straight-forward process - fill out a 6 page form, pay the money, and you're done.  About the only claim I made on it was when I tore a muscle in my leg climbing out of a ravine on the golf course (don't ask!).  I made a trip to the doctor, and they ran some tests to make sure I hadn't developed a blood clot.  No big deal, and in a month or two, I was back to normal - or as close to normal as I ever get.

Imagine my surprise when I attempted to renew my policy the next year!  I had about 10 phone calls asking about my accident - did I have a history of problems with my leg?  Was I still having problems?  Do I often tear muscles?  They didn't want to insure me, unless they excluded this type of injury.  Keep in mind, this was a one-time deal - kind of a freak accident.  After much discussion, they finally agreed to write me a policy, but it was a very near thing.  That opened my eyes - what do you suppose would have happened if I'd have been diagnosed with cancer or a heart condition?

Because of my experience with buying insurance, we added coverage for me on Theresa's group policy the following year - no questions about pre-existing conditions, no cancellation (unless, of course, you  lose your job).

Fast forward 6 years, and here we are - retired, one of us is disabled, and we both have pre-existing conditions that would make buying health insurance impossible or unaffordable.  Fortunately, Theresa's company has kept her on insurance for 6 months, so we have not yet had to deal with it.  That will end in November, leaving us only a month until most of the new health law kicks in on the first of January.

After January 1st, insurance companies are no longer allowed to refuse coverage or charge extra for pre-existing conditions - a huge issue for us.  In addition, the lifetime limits are gone, so you don't have to worry about a single catastrophic illness making you uninsurable.

There are a few other nice features about Obamacare - young people can more easily stay on their parent's insurance until they get on their feet, and most people will be required to buy insurance.  In addition, health policies must cover certain procedures - mainly preventative care and women's health screening.  Early reports indicate premiums are lower than expected, but we won't really know about that until early next year.  All-in-all, it's a nice, modest improvement that helps a lot of people have just a bit more security.  What is it not? It's NOT a "government takeover of health care".  It doesn't let the IRS determine your health care.  It's not the end of freedom in this country.  It's a nice, modest improvement.

Is the Affordable Care Act perfect?  Of course not.  It falls short of what I think needs to be done - a "single payer" system like that in almost every industrialized nation on Earth.  I hear conservatives bray about "our health care is the greatest in the world", and I agree - if you have unlimited funds.  If not, you may or may not get the care you need.  In this country, we spend more on health care than any other country, with only fair results.  We need true universal coverage.  Until we do, the Affordable Care Act is at least a step in the right direction.

The Heat - Movie Review

The weekend, we went to see the new Sandra Bullock - Melissa McCarthy movie, The Heat.  There's nothing new or ground breaking in this flick - it's a pretty standard "mis-matched buddy cop show".  Except it features two female cops, and McCarthy is totally over-the-top hilarious.

Bullock is the big star, of course, but in this film, she's the straight man to McCarthy's antics.  Her character, socially stunted FBI agent Ashburn, is uptight, unpopular, and very by the book.  McCarthy's Detective Mullins is the  polar opposite in every way - sloppy, crude, nasty - but a very effective cop.

It will come as no surprise that these two are forced to work together.  Naturally, there's a lot of conflict between the two, and eventually they bond and catch the bad guys.  If this description makes the movie sound very predictable, it should - you can know what's going to happen just by watching the trailer.  That doesn't make the movie bad - suspense isn't the point here.   It's plenty entertaining watching Bullock try to manage the foul-mouthed McCarthy, and the pratfalls and jokes are virtually non-stop.  I found myself laughing through the whole thing - from the opening to the final credits.

I'd talk about other performances, but there's not much to say.  The rest of the cast is fine, but no one really stands out.  McCarthy's on-screen family is funny, the bad guys are really slimy, and the cops are just kind of there.  The plot, such as it is, is fine, but this is not a plot-driven movie.  It's all about McCarthy, and she's just really funny in this one.

If you're looking for a fun, easy watching movie - and if you're not easily offended by bad language - check out The Heat.  It's certainly worth the price of a big bucket of popcorn!

Adding an Electrical Outlet

I've talked about making simple electrical repairs before, but this is a different case - if you need to add an additional outlet, there's a few other things you need to do to complete this task.

If you're inexperienced in working with electricity, take a few minutes to read my previous post.  Everything in there applies - you'll want to make sure you've killed the power before working on anything.  As always, if you're not comfortable doing the job yourself, consider asking for help from  some knowledgeable person, or hiring an electrician.

In my case, I needed to install an outlet next to the dryer which would provide power to charge a small battery-powered vacuum.  This was an easy project, since there was an existing outlet on the other side of the wall.  Regardless of where you're getting your power, the steps are the same:

• Make sure you've got your supplies.  At a minimum, you'll need a box, receptacle, wire, plate cover, and wire nuts.  Assuming you're installing the outlet in an existing wall, you'll want an "Old Work Box". 

This is a typical old work box

• Choose the outlet you're going to use for power.  Make sure it has adequate capacity, and that it is not controlled by a switch. 
• Plan how you're going to route the cable to your new outlet.  In my case, it was easy, since I was just going through the wall.  In some cases, it will be difficult or impossible to avoid running the wire on the surface of a wall - if that's true in your case, you'll need to enclose your wire or cable into conduit.
• Verify that the power is off at the outlet from which you're pulling the power.
• Remove the existing outlet.  Disconnect the wires, making note of which wires go to the brass (hot) side.  This should be the black wire, with the white wire going to the silver screws.  If it isn't correct, verify with your meter which wire is hot, and mark it with black electrical tape.
• Mark out the outline of your box in the desired location, making sure you'll miss studs, pipes, or electrical cables.
• Cut the hole in the drywall, using a hand saw or oscillating multi-tool.  Check to make sure the box fits the hole.
• Route your wire from the source to your new outlet hole.  In my case, it was easy to push the wire through.  If you have a long run, you may need to use a fish tape reel to route the wire.
• Connect your wires at the source - hot to black, neutral to white.  Connect a third small wire ("pigtail" about 6" long to each, to hook back up to the outlet you removed in the earlier step.
  
• Connect the old outlet (hot to brass screw, neutral to silver screw), and re-install it in the outlet box.
• Route the cable through your new box, and install it in the hole you cut in the wall.  Strip about 6" off the end of the cable jacket, and hook up the receptacle (once again, making sure you put the black, or hot, wire on the brass screw).
• Install the receptacle in the box, install the outlet covers, and turn the power on.  Check to make sure you've got power at both outlets, and you're done!

  

  Wire pulled through, ready for the outlet.

  
  

  

  All done!

This is an easy do-it-yourself job - the hard part is routing the wire.  If you've got power close, like I did, it takes only a few minutes.  After rounding up all the parts, this job took me about a half hour to complete.

My Busy Week

A few of weeks ago, I got called by a former client, who was ready to sell the home I'd sold them a few years before.  It's always gratifying to get a call like that - after all, if they didn't think I did a good job for them when they bought their house, they'd hardly call me to sell it, right?  To make it even better, they told me they had decided when they bought their home that they'd call me when they wanted to sell.

The odd thing about this call was, it was the THIRD call from a former client I received THAT Day!  That's right, three people who bought homes from between 2007 and 2009 called me on the same day.  I made arrangements with each of them to go look at their house and give them advice on pricing, as well as how best to market their home. As it turns out, all of them needed a bit of time to get their house ready for market - they all worked like crazy over the weekend, and I listed all three last Monday.

The Lincoln real estate market is strong right now - there is a shortage of quality listings on the market, and buyers are active.  By Friday night, all three of my new listings were sold, and one of my sellers had already written up a contract on a new home.  A second seller is still looking, but will probably buy a home in the next week or two.  In addition, I sold two lots, which will turn into a pair of town homes (one of which is already sold!), and listed another new construction town home that is just getting started.  All in all, my week was one of the best - and busiest - since I started selling real estate.

I know I'll never be this busy all the time - and who would want to?  I don't mind working late when I need to, but I certainly don't want to do that every day.  When it happens once in a while, it's great fun.  Now, I'm taking a week off.  I don't need to feel guilty - I got enough done this week!

"They're Not Gonna Catch Him!"

The Spring Game was last Saturday.  The Huskers, as usual, have some talent - they won't win the national championship, but they'll have a decent team, I suspect.  Often, one or two relatively unknown player will step up and be the star of the intra-squad scrimmage, and it happened in a big way last weekend!

Jack Hoffman didn't play until late in the game.  On 4th down, he carried for the first - and probably last - time as a Husker.  The result was incredible.  Even if you're not interested in football, check out the video clip.  I suspect you'll be impressed with Jack, as well as the rest of the team.

Jack, by the way, is a 7 year old pediatric brain cancer patient.  He was befriended by former Husker running back Rex Burkhead, and has become close to a number of players on the team, and one of the players came up with the idea to put him in the game.  With this run, he goes into the record books as the leading rusher in the spring game, and his touchdown gave the Red team the win in the annual scrimmage that marks the end of spring practice.  I love the play by play guys calling the play ("He's got another gear!"), and it's quite touching to see all the players gathering around Jack.

One way to look at this is that this game doesn't count - it's just a practice, after all.  As I said before, often players will look like stars in this game, only to fall back into obscurity by fall.  In this case, I think this game does count.  This play may not mean much to football fans across the country, but it meant a lot to one little boy.  Twenty years from now, no one will remember who scored first in this spring game.  I bet we'll all remember who scored last.

Blown Away

Many years ago, I owned several guns - a couple of shotguns and a .22 rifle.  I didn't hunt or shoot a lot, but on occasion I'd get out and use them a bit.  My father had a .22 pistol that I had fired a few times, but I've never owned a hand gun.

After having kids, my hunting and shooting got put on the back burner - I didn't fire a gun for over 25 years.  My guns were sitting dusty and rusting in the closet, so I eventually just got rid of them.

A week or so ago, we were out to dinner with my son and daughter-in-law, and they mentioned that there was a new indoor shooting range that had opened in Lincoln.  When they said they were planning to go, Theresa said, "I'd love to go shoot a gun!"  Once I got over the shock, I reluctantly agreed to go and give it a shot (pun intended).

BigShots Indoor Range is a nice place, located just off of West O Street in Lincoln.  The owners are very friendly, and they seem to be quite safety-conscious.  Since we hadn't been to their range (or, in Theresa and my case, any range) we were required to view a short video on gun safety before we could shoot.  Although they are experienced shooters, Matthew and Mitzi also had to watch the video.  The woman who set this up - "Terry" - was nice, and didn't look down on the neophytes in our group.

Theresa and I don't own a gun, but Matthew and Mitzi have a .357 Magnum revolver, and some very nice friends of theirs (Joe and Audra) let us borrow a .22 pistol.  BigShots has rental guns, but you must have a county handgun purchase permit to rent.  If you don't have a record, the permit is easy to get - it costs $5.

We rented hearing and eye protection (required), and went to the range.

If you go, the first thing you'll notice is that some guns are LOUD!  Some guy was shooting something about the size of a bazooka - we all jumped about a foot off the ground the first time it went off.  Standing in the booth next to it, you could feel the concussion every time he fired.  The .357 was fairly loud as well, making the .22 sound like a cap gun in comparison.  Joe gave us some instruction on how to safely operate his .22 semi-automatic pistol, and Theresa blazed away.

The targets at the range are on a track, and can be moved to any distance desired.  I'm not sure of the maximum distance, but it's enough that most of us wouldn't be able to hit the target at that range.  We were typically shooting at targets in the 5 to 10 yard range.  Surprisingly, both Theresa and I were able to group shots within about a 6 inch range at these relatively short distances.  Not surprisingly, the .22 was much easier to shoot accurately, although both Theresa and I were OK with the .357.  After a bit of practice, I improved quite a bit with the .22. Matthew and Mitzi were, of course,  better.  John and Audra were quite good, from my perspective - Audra had some really great groupings with the bigger gun.

All in all, it was a lot of fun.  Friday nights are "Date Night", so the range fee was $20 for the two of us.  While ammunition for larger caliber guns is expensive, .22 ammo is still relatively cheap, so, if you own a gun, this isn't the most expensive night out you can imagine.  Gun rental would add a bit to that, but it's still affordable.

A couple of weeks ago, I'd have told you I'd never fire a gun again.  I'd also have been pretty sure I'd never own a hand gun.  Even more surprising, Theresa had a great time!  After going to the range, I find myself thinking about buying a pistol, and making the range a more or less regular outing. 

Our Tile Job - or Why I'm Never Getting on My Knees Again

When we moved into our new home, we had a lot of work done.  The thing we didn't change at that time was the flooring in the kitchen and dining room.  The previous owners had installed laminate flooring - an inexpensive material typically made of fiber board, with the appearance of wood.  Although there are some relatively high quality laminates available, much of it is cheap.  Our floor was not the good stuff, but it looked OK, and we thought we could live with it for a while.  As it turns out, "a while" was about 6 months!

This was our floor before we did any work.  As you can see, it looks nice at first glance.

Laminate floors are "floating" - meaning they are not attached to the sub floor.  They typically have an underlayment of foam, so there's a good deal of give when you walk on them.  We didn't care for the feel of it, and really didn't like the sound the dogs made when they walked on it - kind of a hollow, clicking sound.  In addition, since it's not attached, some of the seams had a tendency to separate, leaving 1/8" gaps at some of the seams.

Laminate floors can be extremely durable - they'll likely last longer than a wood finish under heavy traffic - but most don't handle moisture well.  We had a small leak in the kitchen, causing the floor to swell and warp unacceptably, so we had to make  some repairs, even if we didn't replace the whole floor.

 Since we didn't like the floor anyway, we decided to pull it up and replace it with tile.  We choose tile for durability and ease of maintenance reasons, after thinking seriously about a wood floor.  In the end, I think we made a good decision.

The first step was to pull up the old flooring, down to the sub floor.  Laminate floor is easy to remove - just remove the base trim in the room, and start at one end.  The pieces are about 3' long, and 6 or 8 inches wide.  There's a locking tongue that fits a matching groove along the edge of each piece, so once you get the first section out, the rest comes apart easily.  If you're careful, you can do it without damaging the pieces.  In our case, we weren't going to reuse them anyway, so I just ripped it out, along with the pad underlayment.

The black layer is the underlayment pad - it's just stapled to the OSB sub floor.



All the old flooring is removed, down to the sub floor.

If you're installing tile, you need to make sure your structure is adequate for the load.  Generally speaking, you'll want to make sure your floor joists are rigid enough, and that your sub floor is strong enough to limit the deflection to an acceptable level.  If you have 2 X 10 floor joists  on 16" centers with a span of less than 12 feet or so, you're probably OK.  If you're not sure, use the "Deflectometer" on the John Bridge Tile Forum.  If your joists are OK, you may still need to add to the sub floor.  In our case, we had 3/4" OSB, which is adequate for the type of tile we were installing.

Regardless of your sub floor, you'll probably need to put something down before you lay your tile.  Traditionally, tile is installed on top of cement board which has been set in a bed of thin set mortar and screwed to the sub floor.  This cement board serves to give a good surface to which the tile can adhere, as well as to isolate the tile against some movement in the substrate.  In our case, I decided to use a newer product, an isolation membrane called Ditra.  This orange membrane is flexible, with a waffle pattern that holds mortar.  Ditra is more expensive than traditional cement board, but is thinner, allowing your finished floor to be closer to the height of carpet.  It is also reported to be a better solution to some types of movement in the sub floor.  My main purpose in using it was to minimize height, so the base trim would be in approximately the same spot as before.

If you use Ditra, read the instructions.  You must use a "Modified" thin set mortar to install the membrane to a wood sub floor, and an "Unmodified" mortar to attache the tiles to the top of the membrane.  If you're installing on a concrete slab, make sure to read the instructions and do it right.

To install the Ditra membrane, mix the mortar a little thinner than you do to set tile.  Think "Milkshake" for the membrane, "Peanut Butter" for the tile.  You spread your mortar on the floor using a small notched trowel (they sell one specifically for the job), then press the membrane into it.  I used a roller designed for installing vinyl sheet flooring to roll it out, squeezing excess out of the edges.  I soon discovered it was much easier to handle it in smaller (5'-6') pieces, rather than trying to go across the room in one shot.

The orange Ditra only adds about 1/8" to the height of the floor.  Kodak isn't convinced he likes this floor yet!

Once the Ditra is installed, you're ready to start laying tile.  Note Carter is starting near the center of a room.

You should do a little planning before you start to lay tile.  Since you don't want to end up with a tiny sliver at one end, lay it out so you have about a half tile at each end.  Starting in the center of the room gives you a little more leeway, so getting a little crooked isn't so noticeable.  In our case, we had to start at the edge of the kitchen, then work around the room so we weren't trapped in there.  Once that was done, we could just work our way to the far end of the room.

Note the pattern - we used 6" and 12" tile.  The spacers between tiles help to keep the grout lines straight (although with this pattern, it's hard to see if one's a little crooked!

The kitchen is about done - after grouting, we'll be able to move the appliances back in.

Lizzie and Carter came to help, so, as usual, Carter laid all the tile (actually, Liz did a few of them).  I put down most of the Ditra, and cut tile, while Liz helped on both tasks.  A big job like this is much easier with two, and three is even better.  In our case, we also had 4 dogs in the house, so one of us frequently had to deal with canine issues.

We had a cheerful crew working on the job, at least at the beginning!

Not everyone was working - Alex had a pretty good view of the project.

I really liked the pattern, but it added quite a bit of labor to the job.  Although the total square footage of this job was only a little more than what we did in our lake project, this was a lot tougher job.  Not only did we - meaning Carter - have to deal with the pattern, we also had many more nooks and crannies to tile, so there was a lot more measuring and cutting involved.  Also, unlike at the lake, we had to move furniture and appliances around, as well as deal with a whole pack of dogs!  In any case, eventually the tile was down.

Once the tile had a chance to set, we were ready for grout.  Applying the grout isn't rocket science, but it's hard work.  Just as hard is washing it down afterword - you're on your knees, wiping and scrubbing like crazy.  Fortunately, Liz and Carter were in better shape than I was, so they were able to finish this job when my arms, back, and knees gave out.

We grouted the kitchen before finishing the tile in the other room so we could move the appliances back in.

I really like the pattern - it adds to the look of the floor.

The tile is still damp from washing - it's not this high gloss when dry.

Carter's knees must be sore - she's bending over to clean this section.

All clean!

This is how it looks when dry!

Ready to re-install the trim.

Once the tile was done, all that was left was to re-install the base trim.  Since the floor was a little higher than the old one, I trimmed about 1/4" from the bottom of each piece on my table saw before nailing it back on.

After working on a couple of tile jobs, I can tell you it's not something I'd want to do for a living.  Everything is heavy, and you spend all day kneeling and bending over - I suppose a person might get used to it, but who would want to?  On the bright side, the entire project cost under $2,000 - a much smaller number than you could expect if you hired it done.  I might tackle a very small tile job myself, but I'd never want to do this alone - Carter and Liz were very much appreciated!  If you decide to do this kind of job yourself, try to get someone with experience to guide the job.

In any case, we now have a great new floor - a big improvement to our home!

Bacon!

My brother has had a life-long love affair with bacon - his one true love.  I created this post a while ago, but decided to save it for his birthday.

Besides eating bacon, Bill spends most of his time gaming, working in his yard, or writing posts for his blog. He's 62 today - he might want to cut down on the bacon a bit if he wants to see 63.

Happy Birthday, Bill!

Mila Kunis Interview

I don't normally post interviews, but this one struck me as really funny - Mila Kunis being interviewed by Chris Stark.  Stark is smitten, and has a hard time staying on topic.

Kunis, perhaps best known for the sitcom "That 70's Show", comes across as a good sport, and a lot of fun.   She's a competent actress, at least.  I hadn't planned on seeing "Oz, the Great and Powerful", but I may have to check it out.

A Good Day to Die Hard - Movie Review

I hadn't heard from my estranged son for a couple of years, so I had a cop buddy run a search for him.  Turns out he was in a Russian prison, charged with killing a government official.  Since this could be it for him, I decided to go see him at his trial.

As I'm waiting at the court house, there's a huge explosion, and who do I see escaping in the confusion?  You got it - my son, along with a Russian dissident!  I steal a truck, and follow the gang of thugs who are trying to kill him.  After crashing into about a thousand other cars and stealing another vehicle, I save him from the bad guys.  As I'm giving him hell, I discover he's not really a criminal - he's CIA!

Of course, the bad guys crash our safe house, somehow miraculously missing us with all the machine guns, and we make our escape.  After some close calls, we steal another car and catch the bad guys, foiling their nefarious plot.  My son and I trade wisecracks throughout, and bond between dodging bullets.  The world is once again safe for democracy!

What's that you say?  You aren't buying this story?  That's OK - I know you're shocked, but this didn't really happen.  I've just given you the plot to the latest of the "Die Hard" movies - A Good Day to Die Hard.

I'm not a big fan of violent movies, but this Bruce Willis series is fun - filled with plenty of cartoon-style smashups.  You always know John McClane (Willis) will be OK in the end.  There are plenty of dead bodies, but they're mostly bad guys, so who cares, right?  This one is typical of the series - McClane lives through beatings, car crashes, and gunfire that would kill any normal human.  Of course, the trademark wisecracks flow as swiftly as the bullets.

Does this movie sound silly and illogical?  Do you have trouble believing the McClanes can arrive at Chernobyl in their stolen car just moments after the Russian crooks in their helicopter?  Do you find it unlikely they'd be able to survive massive gunfire, and avoid local police?  Of course you do - this movie is not realistic in the slightest!  You know what else?  It doesn't have to be.  This is a fantasy - like any super hero story, you need to disconnect your disbelief and just enjoy the show.  John McClane, like Superman, Spiderman, or The Green Lantern, exists in another universe - where men can fly, walk on walls, or get the living hell beat out of them while cracking wise. 

As long as you're willing to accept the realities of his world, you'll find this to be an entertaining movie.  The plot, if you can call it that, is OK.  Willis is fun as the aging McClane.  Everybody else is forgettable.  There's no deeper meaning, no hidden message to it.  Good guys win, bad guys die, I eat popcorn and enjoy the action.  Yeah!

Warm Bodies - Movie Review

I like zombies.

Check that - I should say I like zombies in the movies and TV shows.  I don't personally know any zombies, so I 'm not sure what I would think of them if I met one in person.  I suspect I wouldn't like them much, but a new movie, Warm Bodies, is out that may change my mind.  I've watched a couple of entertaining and funny zombie flicks (Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead come to mind), but I had yet to see a zombie love story.  This move changes that!

"R" (Nicholas Hoult) is a zombie, and the story is told from his point of view.  We hear his inner monologue, which is much more eloquent than the grunts and growls he is able to express out loud.  R can't remember his name, and knows something is missing, but he just can't seem to get it out.  He and his "best friend" - played by veteran character actor Rob Corddry - can't communicate, but hang out together, making this one of the strangest buddy films of all time.

R knows something is missing, but just can't put his finger on it.  That all changes when he and a group of fellow zombies attack a scavenging party of survivors.  R kills and eats the brain of Perry (Dave Franco), gaining some of his memories in the process.  Perry's girlfriend, Julie (Teresa Palmer) is also there, and some of the residual feelings from Perry's brain cause R to save her from the other zombies.

Nothing that follows will surprise you, as R becomes more and more lifelike as he takes care of Julie.  There are some funny bits as R struggles to communicate, a confrontation with Julie's father (John Malkovich), and a climatic struggle between good and evil - just an ordinary day in the life of a zombie.

Warm Bodies isn't a great movie.  It's dumb, and the logic of it breaks down if you're paying attention, but this movie isn't about paying attention.  It's a unique concept, and has some really funny moments.  It's a great send up of movies like the Twilight series, which have humans romantically involved with vampires and werewolves.  If that can happen, why can't your daughter hook up with a zombie?

You could make a case that the zombies lovers represent same sex or mixed race couples, but really, if you're looking for deeper meaning here, you're missing the point.  This is a funny movie, more in the tradition of The Naked Gun than Guess Who's Coming To Dinner.  Don't expect to learn anything - just relax and enjoy the fun.

Russian Amerika - Book Review

Russian Amerika is an alternate history novel written by Stoney Compton.  This is the first book I've read by Compton, who apparently uses Alaska as the setting for most of his tales.  Sometimes, authors feel the need to set the stage for their alternate history stories by showing the exact divergence from our timeline.  Compton takes a different - and, I think, correct - tack by just presenting it as it is and not trying to fill in all details.  We know this world is different from our own, we just don't know exactly what happened.  That's OK with me - the world is described well enough to follow the action, so that's all I need.

In Russian Amerika, the Czar still rules in Russia, the United States lost the Civil War, and North America is split into 9 or 10 smaller entities.  The political situation isn't well defined by the book, but the United States and the Republic of California appear to be allies, and support the revolution that is trying to form the new republic in Alaska.

The action centers around Gregori (Grisha) Grogorievich, a former officer in the Russian equivalent to the French Foreign Legion, who is thrust into the middle of the conflict by circumstances.  What follows is a good adventure yarn, taking us through the revolution.

Technology in this universe is somewhat behind that of our world - late 1980's in the book feels more like 1940 - no jets, limited communications, less sophisticated military equipment.  Because of this, the rebels, led by Native Americans (the Dena) have some success against the Russian forces.

 Grisha is a good protagonist - tough and smart. Circumstances throw him together with the Dena, eventually leading to his important role in the revolution.  The Dena are superb woodsmen, fierce warriors,  and loyal friends, so it's easy to root for the revolutionaries.

I like Russian Amerika, but it's not perfect.  The characters are interesting, but quite black and white.  Every rebel is altruistic and heroic, while the Cossacks are universally evil, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.  Other Russians are mostly incompetent, except those who convert to the rebel's cause.  Speaking of turncoats, everyone - with one exception I can think of - who goes over to the rebel side is completely converted, and instantly becomes a trusted, valuable member of the revolt.  The Dena Indians are almost superhuman, possessing incredible fighting and tracking skills, and able to withstand torture without cracking.

The battle sequences are entertaining, but a bit hard to believe.  Small, ragtag bands of heroic guerrillas succeed by sabotage and subterfuge, not by fighting pitched battles with enemy infantry when they're badly outnumbered and outgunned.  To be fair, the rebels get some valuable help, which makes this a little easier to believe, but it still seems as though their success comes a little too easily.  To me, it would be a bit more believable if the technology level was lower - say about equal to that availble during our Civil War.  That would even up the playing field a little, and make the rebel's victory more plausible.

I'd also like to see more character development.  Grisha is a three-dimensional character, but many others are less fleshed out.  I'd like to see a sympathetic Cossack - not agreeing with his superior's methods, but powerless to do anything about it.  In any revolution, there are good and bad guys on both sides - I'd like to see a little more of that.

All that being said, this is still an entertaining yarn.  There are a lot of interesting characters, and the action certainly keeps your attention.  In many ways, it reminds me of Eric Flint's 1632 series (although that is a better book, IMHO), in that it presents an extremely optimistic view of the events.  That's OK - we know this isn't a history book, and who's to say it COULDN'T go like that?  If there's no great message behind this story, it's still fun to read.  There's at least one sequel, which has the potential to further develop characters and plot lines.  This is a simple book that tells an entertaining story - worth the time if you like an adventure story.

How to Install Your Dishwasher

When we moved, we had a lot of work done on the new house - remodeling virtually every room.  We bought all new appliances when we did the kitchen, but we have been very disappointed with our Frigidaire dishwasher.  Although it was supposed to be a quality unit, it didn't work as well as we expected - certainly not as well as the one in our old house.  In addition, it was awkward to load, and the shelf adjustment wasn't handy.  After fighting it for almost 6 months, we decided to cut our losses and get a new one.

The folks at Lowes were very helpful, giving Theresa a good deal on a high-end dishwasher - almost half price.  They delivered it while I was out of town for a couple of days, so I was ready to install it a week ago.

The easiest installation is like mine - when you're replacing an existing dishwasher, you've already got water, a drain line, and power available.  If you didn't have a dishwasher before, you'll need to do some prep work first:

• Determine your desired location.  Most of the time, you'll want to be close to the sink - that makes it easy to hook up your water and sewer lines, as well as making it handy to load dishes.  Often, you'll be able to remove a base cabinet to make room, or you may be able to install the dishwasher at the end of a row of cabinets.  If you don't have room to install a built-in dishwasher, you may want to consider a portable unit, so you can just wheel it in place when you want to use it.  If possible, install the built-in model - you'll like the performance and ease of use.
• Locate the nearest water and sewer lines available, and get connections set up.  In most cases, you can "T" off of your existing water supply line - making sure to add a shut off for the dishwasher.  You drain line will usually go into your disposal, if you have one (don't forget to knock the plug out of the inlet), or into a special inlet on the drain tail piece.  If your dishwasher is going to be more than 6 feet from your drain line, you may need to consult a plumber for installation.

If you don't have a disposal, you'll need this special tail piece with a side inlet - available at any hardware store.

 

• You'll need electrical power to the dishwasher, as well.  You should plan on having a circuit just for the dishwasher - if you don't have one, you'll need to add it (many homes have the dishwasher on a shared circuit, either with kitchen lights or the disposal, and it may work OK, but it's better to do it right and add the circuit).  If you're not comfortable with electrical work, hire an electrician to do it.  If you're pretty handy, a you should be able to handle it.

If, like me, you're just replacing an old dishwasher, you'll already have almost everything you need.  Plan on using a new water supply line (you'll also need a new drain hose, but that probably comes with the dishwasher).  Your power cord, water supply line, and drain hose should be long enough to reach the connections, and have a little slack so you can hook them up before installing the unit.  For most installations, you're ready to go:

• Turn off the power and water to the old dishwasher, and unhook them.  Unhook the drain hose underneath the sink, as well.
• Locate the screws holding the dishwasher into the cabinet (probably in the front of the unit, going into the counter top), and remove them.  Slide the dishwasher out of the way.
• Measure the opening height, and adjust the legs on the bottom of the new dishwasher so that it fits the opening.  You'll be able to adjust a little later, if necessary, but it's a lot easier to get it close now.  If your floor is very uneven, you'll need to fix that before proceeding - a small amount can be corrected with the feet on the bottom of the unit.
• Check your connections to the new dishwasher to make sure you've got everything you need. 
•  Hook up the water supply line, drain line, and electrical power (making absolutely certain that the power is still shut off at the breaker) to the dishwasher.
• Slide the unit partially into place, making sure to route the water and electrical lines as needed. 
• Hook up the water, drain, and electrical connections at the source, if you haven't already done so.
• Finish sliding the dishwasher in place.  Check to make sure it's level and raised up so it fits just under the counter top - adjust the feet on the bottom of the unit as needed.
• Secure the dishwasher to the counter top or cabinets using the included brackets and screws.   Make sure the screws are not too long, or they'll protrude through the counter top!
•  Turn on the water and electrical power, run a cycle, and check for leaks.

So far, our new dishwasher is working fine - it's a big improvement from the old one.  Installing it was pretty easy - the whole thing took about the same amount of time it took me to write this blog post (I'm pretty slow with both working and writing).  Your new dishwasher will come with installation instructions - read them and, if they differ from this post, follow the instructions that came with your machine.  This is an easy do-it-yourself project, well worth tackling yourself.



My WiFi Adventure

A long time ago - we're talking pre-Internet times - if you had a home computer, you probably had a modem in it.  A modem allowed your computer to communicate over phone lines with other computers.  You could, theoretically, transfer files to another modem-equipped computer, after making sure both were online and using complementary protocols.  More often, you could log on to "bulletin boards" and download shareware programs - games, utilities, etc. that you could try first, then pay for. 

Now, of course, virtually every computer is connected to the Internet.  Early on, most computers connected with a modem and phone line.  Later, wired broadband connections were the standard.  Today, your Internet connection is most likely delivered to your home via DSL or Cable, then made available to various devices (computers, printers, tablets, smart phones, video receivers, etc.) over a wireless network.

Modern devices search for wireless access, and automatically connect to known networks, assuming you've got your device set up to do so.  The whole thing works very well, and makes smart phones, tablets, and laptops truly portable.  Wifi networks are readily available - most restaurants have them - so you can be connected almost anywhere.

Most wireless networks are stable and secure.  Networks at public venues may not have security installed, so you may be slightly more susceptible to hackers - do your banking in secure locations.  My problem came with our home network.

We moved a few months ago.  In our old home, our router was located in my office in the basement.  Our main TV was also in the basement, where the Wii was connected - important because we needed the wireless for online gaming or movies using this gaming system.  The only connectivity issue we had was with a net book computer we used in the kitchen - the signal strength was weak, causing slow connection speeds.  Overall, that was a minor issue, since we weren't doing anything important on the small computer anyway.

In our new home, our main TV is on the main floor.  In addition to the Wii, we now have a Roku, with which we watch many old movies on Netflix or Hulu.  We've also both got iPads, so our data needs are increased significantly.  Since our router is located downstairs, in the corner of the basement opposite the living room, the weakest signal in our network was the room where most of our needs were.  As a result, we were experiencing a number of "drops" where we'd lose the network in the middle of whatever we were doing (most often watching a movie or TV show).  Clearly, a change was needed.

My first reaction was to buy a new router.  Our old one was a mid-level router, designed for average users.  I bought a higher end router - still not top-of-the-line, but better - designed for "medium to large homes with higher data needs".  This worked better, but after some time, we began experiencing the same issues as before.  Figuring we just didn't have enough signal strength, I bought a new, higher-end router, and  a range extender.  This would do it for sure, right?

I set up the new, hot shot, dual band, extended range router downstairs, then placed the range extender upstairs in our spare room, directly above the router.  After some fiddling around with the settings, I got connected, and everything looked great.  Then I walked into the living room!  My powerful signal from the bedroom was only marginally better than the downstairs signal, still weaker than what I needed.  I grabbed the extender and moved it out to the living room.  Now, I had it!  I was able to connect to the router, and the signal to my video devices was perfect.  The only issue was that the extender was sitting in the middle of the living room - not coordinating well with Theresa's decorating.

This was an easy problem to solve, right?  I just moved the extender a few feet over so it was sitting by the TV - hidden from casual view like all the other components.  Finally, we were ready to relax and enjoy a movie - and we did, for about 3 minutes.  At that point, the movie stopped to reload, running for a couple of minutes each time before pausing again.  What happened?

It turns out that moving the range extender just a few feet had put it on the edge of our network's range, causing a very slow connection.  It was confusing, because our Roku said the signal strength was "Excellent".  Engaging my brain - something to which I'm unaccustomed - led me to realize that the signal FROM the booster was strong, but the signal TO the booster was marginal.  This was like using a bucket to move a teaspoon of water - it works OK, but you don't really get anything accomplished.

Clearly, a new approach was needed.  I debated the purchase of another new router, this time going for a super high-end unit.  I suspect that would work - after all, many restaurants have a strong signal that will reach even into the parking lot.  After some thought, I decided to just run a network cable up behind the TV, and install a router there.  This wouldn't be difficult, since our basement isn't finished, and it would have the added advantage of allowing for a wired connection to devices, should that prove necessary.

Since I had our old router sitting around doing nothing, I decided to leave the new one in place, and add the old one upstairs.  We'd now have three wireless networks on our system - the original, now relocated upstairs, and two emanating from the dual band router in the basement.  I could have just moved the router up, but, since I've got a computer and printer downstairs, I figured it would be handy to have network access down there.

After the requisite false starts and screw-ups - during which I lost ALL connectivity throughout the house - the system was ready to go.  With relatively little trouble, I was able to connect all the devices upstairs to the network, and give it a try.

So far, everything seems to be working fine.  The wireless network is a bit slower than wired, but it's certainly within acceptable limits.  Watching TV and movies is easy - there are no objectionable delays.  My Wii has an Ethernet connection port, so I may experiment with a hard-wired connection there, to see if there is a big improvement in performance.  The Roku is wireless only, but similar devices are available with Ethernet connections, so if it looks like it's worth it, I can switch that out, as well.

I suspect wireless technology will continue to improve, so that Ethernet cable will be unnecessary in the future.  Indeed, I'm sure we'll one day have universal coverage, so that every device will be connected at all times.  Until then, we'll have to keep patching and improving our home networks to keep up with our ever-growing data needs.

Mike Johanns Responds to Me! (Kind Of)

A month ago or so, I posted about Nebraska's Mike Johanns and his vote against the U.N. Disabilities Treaty.  At the time, his justification for his cowardly vote was his supposed concern for the sovereignty of our country - a flimsy excuse at best.  I also noted that I had sent him a critical email, but didn't expect an apology, or even a response, from him.

I have to admit, I was wrong!  Checking the mail after the first of the year, I noticed a letter, addressed to me, explaining his vote.   I should note, the letter had my name on it, and it addressed my concerns, but it was a form letter.  Apparently, Johanns got enough complaints about his vote that a response was prepared.

In any case, reading the letter was enlightening.  I  now discover that his vote was not his fault - it was Harry Reid's fault!  Wow, Reid is something, isn't he?  He's such a scary character - you can just picture republicans all over the country scaring their kids with, "If you're not good, Harry Reid will get you"!  Johanns now says he voted against the treaty because he told Reid not to bring up any treaties before the end of the session, since there  wouldn't be time to read and study them adequately.  Riiiiight........ I'm certain that's the reason - it couldn't be that you're a cowardly hypocrite who doesn't have the guts to just come out and say you did what you did for purely political reasons.

In reality, the treaty had nothing to do with U.S. sovereignty, and everything to do with a Republican party playing to their base.  Voting against it had nothing to do with Harry Reid, and everything to do with avoiding a primary challenge from the right.  Mike Johanns should save the effort, and quit trying to convince me he's trying to do his job.

Blogsy test

This is a test post using Blogsy, a new blogging tool I'm trying for the iPad. If it works well enough for me to use it, I'll review it in a future post. For now, I'll just try some basic formatting, as well as some other features

You should be able to add links http://garthright.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-powerful-anecdote.html?showComment=1358655038091&m=1, but I don't know how to do it yet.

 

Posted with Blogsy

Jeanne Manford - 1920-2013

Jeanne Manford died last week.  This may not mean much to you, but you could argue that she has had a larger impact on our society in the last 40 years than many more famous and influential figures.  What did she do?  She stood up and  said she loved and supported her child - no big deal, except this was 1972, and her son happened to be gay.  Watch Rachel Maddow's tribute to her in the video clip below:

 

You may not think it takes courage to  publicly support a gay child - and it doesn't, today.  In the 70's, though, things were very different.  Jeanne's support of her son, in spite of what friends, neighbors, or family may have thought, helped to change this country.  While other parents were ignoring or even disowning their children, she stood up and said, "I'm proud of my son".  This attitude has helped fuel the remarkable advance of gay rights during the last couple of decades.  We are where we are today because of people like Jeanne Manford.  Jeanne was a co-founder of PFLAG, an organization that brings together people who have gay or lesbian loved ones.

Jeanne Manford, marching with her son, Morty, in 1972.

We'd all like to think we'd have stood up in support of our children, but, as I said, it was a different time. Unless you were in that situation in that time, you can't really know.  I do know that, because of people like Jeanne Manford, I don't have to face what she did.  Because of her, thousands of families love and support their gay and lesbian members.  I can't imagine a greater legacy.

Jack Reacher - Movie Review

Fans of the Jack Reacher novels were up in arms over the casting of Tom Cruise as the title character in the new movie - an understandable position, since the fictional Reacher is eight to ten inches taller and 80 pounds heavier than the vertically challenged actor.  I've read one of the books, but wasn't familiar enough with the character to have an opinion about it one way or the other.

Cruise's size didn't have an impact on my enjoyment of the movie - he's not a big guy, but he's in shape and pulls off the action sequences very well.  Good camera work - shooting from different angles and avoiding direct height comparisons - helps to keep the audience focused on the action, instead of the physical size of the actors.  In truth, the action is so fast and furious that you don't have time to worry about anything but keeping the story straight.

Jack Reacher is an ex-military cop, a drifter who has gone "off the grid".  He's a tough guy - basically indestructible - and isn't shy about dealing with evil doers.  This is an action flick, and there's not much for humor, but I did laugh when he warned the group of young toughs who intend to rough him up:  Reacher:"OK, but pay your bill first"  Tough Kid:"I'll pay later"  Reacher: "You won't be able to pay later". 

Reacher is involved when a sniper kills 5 people in an apparently senseless spree.  When caught, he tells the arresting detective to get Jack Reacher.  It turns out Reacher has a past with the guy, but they're "not friends".  Reacher reluctantly agrees to investigate the shooting for the accused's lawyer Helen, played by Rosamund Pike.  It wouldn't be much of a story if everything was just as it appears, and Reacher soon learns there's more to the story than meets the eye.

Jack Reacher is a violent character, but the bad guys in this movie would give criminals nightmares.  The baddest of the bad is "The Zec" (Werner Herzog).  The Zec never touches anyone, but he's about the creepiest character you've ever seen. 

Other characters are pretty standard fare - most of them don't last long enough to to be fully developed, but they fit the style of the film.  The plot is interesting, and there's enough of a twist to keep you interested right up until the end - but face it, this isn't a movie to provoke thought.  It's chock full of action, not particularly believable, and a whole lot of fun.  If you're in the mood to see a lot of action, a few interesting characters, and an entertaining story, check out Jack Reacher.  It's certainly worth the cost of the popcorn.