Author: matthew

So it turns out the local non-emergency lines spread misinformation; it wasn’t an explosion at Kennecott, it was a minor earthquake with an epicenter on their property.

A minor earthquake (earlier reported as an explosion) at or near the Kennecott Copper Mine or plant rocked the city of Salt Lake tonight at approximately 11:21 PM. Two jolts were felt in succession; in this location, it was sufficiently loud and concussive enough to make us think that our building had been hit by a large truck.

More news and links to follow as I get more information. The problem is, major news networks aren’t reporting anything about it yet since it’s the middle of the night here, and I suppose it’s a fairly minor event as far as major news networks are concerned. The only way I learned the cause of this shake was that our building security called the local non-emergency number to determine the source of the concussion and if we needed to take any action. The police dep’t said it was an explosion.

It sure shocked the heck out of us here in the valley, though. It felt about like a magnitude 4 earthquake (Note: This just goes to show how not having been in an earthquake for a very long time, I’ve lost my sense of perspective), two strong jolts which caused the entire building to move sideways and plaster and dust to fall from the ceiling and walls.

The Bingham Copper Mine, an open strip mine just a few miles east of my home on Tooele, is the single largest man-made object on the planet, and clearly visible from space.

First update: Data from the University of Utah Seismograph places this as a magnitude 2.6 earthquake.

Second update: Looking at the epicenter information, the Utah Geological Survey places the epicenter right northwest of downtown Magna, only about 4 miles from my building. If that’s the case, the earthquake was much more minor than I first thought. However, the UGS says the location information is only “fair”, meaning not fully triangulated, and could be off by a couple of miles. (later upgraded to “good”, moved one mile north).

Third update: A co-worker and I decided to go for a drive up towards the copper mine on our lunch break, and there are a bunch of fire engines up there around the “Little Valley” area on the north side of the mine. No exact location yet, but it looks like it wasn’t in the pit mine itself, but in one of the buildings further north. Given the time of night and the lack of any news coverage of this event, I’m guessing there were no fatalities. (Note: OK, so this was an earthquake, not an explosion, but why were there so many fire trucks up there last night?)

Fourth update: Conflicting reports now that daylight is arriving. Latest rumors say it was a micro-earthquake, and not an explosion at all. A micro-earthquake is a non-event, we get several every day in the mountains nearby. An explosion at the copper plant is a big event. Which one’s right?

Yeah. This commercial only makes sense if you’re in Utah, and this kind of thing happens way more often than you’d think!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ZrSZvABT58k&mode=related&search=

I just couldn’t pass this up:

Losin’ It: A Star Wars virgin sits through all six episodes of Star Wars.

About episode one, he opines, “The movie comes off as childish and vague, and the script is notably weak. But this is my first time, and nobody’s first time is perfect; there would inevitably be some bumps along the road.”

About all the episodes and how they hang together, “The worlds that Lucas created are certainly magical and wondrous. Thanks to the digital updates, the flow between the two trilogies was surprisingly seamless…”

Kinda’ fun to read the experience of someone who’s never seen the movies. Growing up with them, I didn’t expect some of his reactions, particularly regarding the shrinking size of the galaxy as the movie progressed.

And, of course, there’s commentary for this story on Slashdot.

I am normally not a fan of forwards, but I had to share these doozies.

One day I was walking down the beach with some friends when someone shouted….”Look at that dead bird!” Someone looked up at the sky and said…”where???”

While looking at a house, my brother asked the real-estate agent which direction was north because, he explained, he didn’t want the sun waking him up every morning. She asked, “Does the sun rise in the north?” When my brother explained that the sun rises in the east, and has for sometime, she shook her head and said, “Oh, I don’t keep up with that stuff.”

I used to work in technical support for a 24/7 call center. One day I got a call from an individual who asked what hours the call center was open. I told him, “The number you dialed is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” He responded, “Is that Eastern or Pacific time?” Wanting to end the call quickly, I said, “Uh, Pacific” . .

My colleague and I were eating our lunch in our cafeteria, when we overheard one of the administrative assistants talking about the sunburn she got on her weekend drive to the shore. She drove down in a convertible, but “didn’t think she’d get sunburned because the car was moving”.

My sister has a lifesaving tool in her car it’s designed to cut through a seat belt if she gets trapped. She keeps it in the trunk…

My friends and I were on a Pepsi run and noticed that the cases were discounted 10%. Since it was a big party, we bought 2 cases. The cashier multiplied 2 times 10% and gave us a 20% discount….

I was hanging out with a friend when we saw a woman with a nose ring attached to an earring by a chain. My friend said, “Wouldn’t the chain rip out every time she turned her head?” I had to explain that a person’s nose and ear remain the same distance apart no matter which way the head is turned…

While working at a pizza parlor I observed a man ordering a small pizza to go. He appeared to be alone and the cook asked him if he would like it cut into 4 pieces or 6. He thought about it for some time before responding. “Just cut it into 4 pieces; I don’t think I’m hungry enough to eat 6 pieces.

Scary. In keeping with the theme, for your diversion pleasure, I present “Stupid People Pages” in case you didn’t get enough of it from this entry today…

For those of you buried under a rock for the past two years, Guitar Hero and Guitar Hero 2 are taking the console video gaming world by storm much like Dance Dance Revolution did half a decade ago. What’s funny is that real-world rockers are, according to this Wall Street Journal article, spending massive amounts of time playing the game themselves. “Many professional rockers … say the game lets them act out a fantasy that their real lives don’t quite match. Sometimes, pretending to be a rock star for a few minutes can be more fun than being one.”

Other neat excerpts:

Michael Einziger, the 30-year-old guitarist for the hard-rock band Incubus, says he was “shocked at how hard it was” to play the videogame’s version of his song “Stellar.” He admits he was handily beaten by his then-14-year-old sister, Ruby Aldridge, when the two of them squared off earlier this year.

When the four members of the punk-pop band the Donnas got together to play Guitar Hero last week, guitarist Allison Robertson took some good-natured ribbing from her bandmates, says drummer Torry Castellano. That’s because Ms. Robertson had a hard time playing along with the band’s own song “Take It Off.” “Expectations for her are pretty high because she’s the guitar player and because she’s so good at videogames in general,” says Ms. Castellano.

From http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/11/08/D8L8N2IG0.html. I suppose she’d be a good candidate for the Darwin Award if she hadn’t already passed childbearing age. Yeah, I know I sound crass, but I have a hard time feeling sympathy for people who died due to their own stupidity. Should I go in similar fashion, laugh at me, please!

A woman who was bitten by a snake at a church that neighbors say practices serpent handling died of her wounds hours later, a newspaper reported.

Linda Long, 48, was bitten Sunday at East London Holiness Church, where neighbors said the reptiles are handled as part of religious services, The Lexington Herald-Leader reported Tuesday.

Long died at University of Kentucky Medical Center about four hours after being bitten, authorities told the newspaper.

“She said she was bitten by a snake at her church,” said Lt. Ed Sizemore of the Laurel County Sheriff’s Office.

Handling reptiles as part of religious services is illegal in Kentucky. Snake handling is a misdemeanor and punishable by a $50 to $100 fine.

Police said they had not received any reports of snake handling at the church.

Snake handling is based on a passage in the Bible that says a sign of a true believer is the power to “take up serpents” without being harmed.

Church officials could not be reached for comment.

Most of my friends know I’m into model aviation. And several of you have, or have had, cats.

Watch the results of a cat fighting a helicopter: Cat vs. The Helicopter

My wife and I have been using eBay for several years. We’ve bought and sold hundreds of items, and with one exception, we’ve had a positive experience. That one instance involved a purchase made by my wife, and not me. Overall, my experiences have been overwhelmingly positive.

But today, for the first time, I left negative feedback for an item I purchased. Here’s the dialog:

First off, here’s the item: Kyosho Concept 30 helicopter. Now, these helicopters are tough to find in “excellent” condition. They haven’t been manufactured for around five years, and parts are becoming increasingly rare. I wanted one because they’re quite smooth flyers and had some amazing body conversion kits made for them so that you can do scale bodies of various full-scale helicopters. I thought it would be a fun novelty for my hangar.

Description: You are bidding on a RARE Kyosho concept DX. Its RARE because it has a Thunder Tiger pro 39 engine. It was modified to swing wooden blades instead of the cheap foam ones. It also comes with 5 servos, A CSM 540 gyro,and switch. All you need is a reciever a battery and program it into your radio. It does not have blades. But like I said, with the pro 39 engine upgrading to wood wouldnt be a problem. No loss of power at all. I know that the motor is done right because I put it in myself and machined all the parts. It has only been hovered twice, never flown in forward flight. As you can see its in excellent shape. The buyer will pay actual shipping costs. Good luck! If any questions please ask. P.S. I do have the flybar for it also its just wasnt on at the time of the pic.

Accompanying this listing were several photographs. None of them show the back of the body of the heli clearly, nor the tail rotor hub. I’ve learned something from this transaction…

I just purchased your Kyosho Concept 30 helicopter, sans blades. I am located in Tooele, UT, 84074. Will you please inform me of the all-up price for the heli, including shipping?

Additionally, will there be any spare parts included, or just what is on the bird itself? It’s getting tougher to find parts for these old Concepts these days, but they are smooth flyers. Thanks.

–Matt Barnson

I will put any spare parts that I have in the box. I may have the original 32 engine for it. I am not sure. I will get it boxed up and get a total price for you this afternoon.

I have not yet received a quote from you regarding shipping on this item. Please let me know as soon as is practical. If you haven’t been able to get the shipping priced yet, will it happen Monday, or at some point afterward? Thanks, –Matt B.

I must have sent it to the wrong email. I sent it through the one that you send to my aol account. Anyway, Its 20 dollars for ups ground and 40 dollars for 3 day delivery. I didnt find the extra motor and the parts that I do have a re worn out and not worth sending. Thanks and sorry about that.

OK, red-flag here… when he said he had parts which were “worn out” for this helicopter which was advertised as in “excellent condition”, I should have taken notice…

Has this item been shipped yet? If so, please provide the tracking number or waybill number so I can watch it inch its way across the States 🙂

Thanks, Matthew P. Barnson

I am waiting for the money to clear paypal. As sson as I get confirmation It will be sent and I will provide a tracking#. Thanks.

So far, all above-board and proceeding like a fairly normal eBay transaction.

PP withdrew it yesterday. I tell you what, I think they skim money on the margin by letting it stew for a couple of days!

All righty, I’ll be patient 🙂 I’m just excited to put her in the air! I have a pair of new blades coming down from Idaho for her. Thanks for your reply!

–Matt B.

here is the tracking # 1Z470X240305351600. I will leave positive feedback when you recieve it and everything is good. Hope you will enjoy. Thanks [Seller]

Now here is one of the weaknesses of the eBay system: most sellers only leave feedback for you after you leave feedback for them. In this way, if you leave negative feedback, they can ensure that you receive it, too. All else being equal, you hurt yourself just as much as you hurt them. Sellers and buyers with lots of feedback, though, can handle a little negative feedback and not affect their rating as much as a guy with a low feedback score. The law of averages…

Hello! I received the helicopter, thank you. In the ad, you said it was in excellent condition, but: – The ball links and bushings (particularly on the tail) are worn and have a lot of play. – The tail blades are heavily marred. It appears to have been in at least one major crash. – The tail grip is damaged, with over 1/8 inch of play on one grip. The grip is unsafe to fly in this imbalanced condition, and must be replaced. – The starter clutch is melted. – Quite a few bolts/nuts have been replaced or are missing. – The heli has obviously been flown more than twice. Did you in fact mean the new engine has only been flown twice? I own several helis, and was principally interested in this one for nostalgic reasons. Had I known about the substantial crash damage and starter abuse, however, I would have reconsidered bidding. That said, I strongly dislike leaving negative feedback. I would prefer to come to a mutually-agreeable accommodation. Do you have any suggestions?

An olive branch. If he offered me shipping back for selling me a helicopter with really obvious abuse (starter clutch melted into a slightly-conical blob by starter abuse), it would have been enough. If he’d accepted the item back, even if he required I pay for shipping, I’d have been satisfied. But, alas, no olive branch extended:

I did have pics with the auction. I dont know what you expect from a 20 year old model! I said that I have only hovered it twice ! I recieved it in trade from another gentleman. It hovered great. As for thing being worn out and not right then I geuss thats part of wear and tear over the years. It is in excellent condition compared to some of the crap out there I have seen. And for 150.00 with servos and gyro, Come on give me a break!

There’s a huge difference between “I have only hovered it twice” and the item’s description which said “it has only been hovered twice, never flown in forward flight.” If an item was purchased used and the current owner only used it twice before giving up on it, that’s one thing. If a ten-year-old helicopter has only been hovered twice, it should be in great condition with little wear. The description was misleading.

I’ve seen quite a few beautiful, clean-running Kyosho Concept 30 helicopters over the years. They’ve been out of production for five years, not twenty. If I wanted to purchase a 1965 Ford Mustang which was advertised as in “excellent” condition, I’d expect it to be in “excellent” condition, regardless of its age. If it instead arrived with all worn-out upholstery, a broken tailpipe, and doors which don’t open, that’s not “excellent”, that’s “poor”. The age of the item has little to do with how you describe its condition.

Reluctantly, I sent the following reply and left negative feedback. The item’s too cheap for me to be interested in going through the headache of arbitration; easier just to leave the negative feedback and get on with my life…

Regardless of the amount of money involved, I expect obvious crash and abuse damage to an item to be mentioned in the auction. It should also be featured in photos rather than studiously avoided by camera angles. Look at the photos again, and note that you can’t see the damage to the tail or starter clutch. Additionally, stating it has ‘only been hovered twice’ when you obtained it used without knowledge of its history is a misrepresentation.

Your unwillingness to admit fault suggests a similar unwillingness to reach a reasonable accommodation. I understand where you are coming from regarding the age of the model and price paid, but due to inaccuracy regarding model condition I’m forced to leave negative feedback regarding this transaction.

Regards, Matthew P. Barnson

There’s that age-old question: is it worth the hassle when you “got what you paid for”? The guy has a low feedback number (only 38 transactions), which is probably partially responsible for why the bid went for such a low amount. My maximum bid on this item was $300, which is what I expected to pay. I was extremely surprised that I got it for just $150.

Is a low price sufficient justification for concealing flaws or describing something as in a different condition than it is? I’m positive I’ll get negative feedback in turn from this seller; is such a system broken where you can receive retaliatory ratings when you’ve done nothing wrong?

I had a similar complaint about Garageband reviews some time ago. Their rating system was similarly flawed (they’ve fixed the most noteworthy problems there, though). If you expressed a correct but negative opinion about an artist, they could, in turn, rate you down as a reviewer because you thought their music stunk. The review may have been accurate, but the integrity of your reviews is called into question because you’re not glowingly positive.

Similarly, if you don’t rate someone as a “great ebayer”, despite you having held up your end of the bargain, they can — and almost always will — rate you down.

I wonder if an appropriate solution for such a conundrum would be a double-blind feedback system, where the feedback is unknown until you’ve submitted yours? Or is this the way it should be: insult the quality of a seller and they’ll insult your quality as a buyer?

Yesterday, Diebold (the major manufacturer of US electronic voting machines, though it represents a tiny fraction of their business) attempted to block HBO from airing a documentary entitled “Hacking Democracy”. The video documents the activities of Bev Harris — a whistleblower and former Diebold employee who runs BlackBoxVoting.org — as she attempted to call public attention to the inadequacies of the electronic voting system and have them addressed.

One-third of us will be voting using electronic voting systems this year. 33% of the vote is a big freaking number when the two most recent presidential elections were decided by extremely narrow margin. 80% of votes in the USA are tabulated via computer, even if the voting machines themselves are not electronic. In the 2000 election, an electronic voting machine in Florida tabulated a total of minus 16,022 votes for Al Gore. That’s right, negative votes. Whether a product of malicious tampering, mechanical failure, or engineering error, I simply don’t trust that closed-source software is free of defects.

I hope to find a way to view this film prior to the election, as I’ve had a long-standing concern over electronic voting. In my opinion, we absolutely must have a method of hand-recounts in case of a dispute, because electronic results can be — and are — tampered with. An electronic recount won’t do, and neither will a “receipt” which is illegible to the average voter.

The only solution I see is that the software which drives our voting machines must be open-source. That is, the source code is made publicly available to be inspected by any interested person, and every single vote must carry with it a checksum indicating that the vote was tabulated by a machine carrying a “blessed” (that is, publicly-approved and released) binary of the software.

In addition to the implications of insecure software tabulating our votes, there’s the political issue. Electronic voting, in many districts, was railroaded through on an irregular election day. Including mine. That is, incumbent politicians frequently managed to sneak the issue of electronic voting onto recent ballots on a day when they knew that most of those voting would be aligned with their interests. In our case, it was brought to the table on the day of our primaries two years ago, and now for this election, the incumbent politicians are sitting fat and happy with their Diebold machines out on the floor.

I’m sorry, but with several of these machines in Florida refusing to allow votes for Democrats, I’m concerned! I perceive an enormous anti-incumbent atmosphere in the US right now. Doesn’t matter whether that incumbent is Democrat or Republican. The incumbents are well-positioned to interfere with election results by greasing the right corporate palms at Diebold.

Note: Situations have changed. Pearlman’s Jewelers now charges a premium for man-made diamonds due to high demand by environmentally and politically-conscious consumers. So they are still 100% diamonds, still artificial, but no longer cheaper.

Yahoo provides a glowing review of Adia Diamonds, the new, laboratory-produced diamonds.

I see several reasons for purchasing these over traditional diamonds:

• They are identical to mined diamonds
• I’m not paying the artificially high price of De Beers cartel diamonds
• I’m no supporting the South African diamond-mine slave trade
• I’m not funding any wars against African tribes
• They are cheaper

Now, if I could only find a local retailer…

For more good reasons not to accept natural diamonds, check out the top ten reasons why you should never accept a diamond ring, and more information about how the De Beers corporations manufactures scarcity in Have You Ever Tried To Sell A Diamond?.