Jason's Log

DIY Low Cost NNTP WiFi Digital Wall Clock

Living out on the west coast in a home with all kinds of RF interference, I've had problems getting 'atomic clock' time signals to reliably keep my wall clock properly synchronized. I searched the net for WiFi enabled digital wall clocks that could be configured to use a reliable NTTP server for synchronization, and quickly learned that most such devices were prohibitely expensive. The same can be said for GPS-enabled clocks.

I then glanced down at my desk, where my old Motorola Droid (without mobile service, rooted and upgraded to Android 2.3 via Cyanogenmod) had been sitting for months. It has WiFi of course, so I decided to go looking for a few essential ingredients: An NNTP synchonization application, and an easily readable digital clock app. I found both, and managed to mount the droid near an AC power source:

I've got a carpenter/handyman coming out to make the mounting look nice, but here is the list of ingredients:

• Rooted Motorola Droid without mobile service
• Digital Clock by Notes
• Clock Sync by Sergey Baranov
• Ultimate Rotation Control by FaMe IT (with license)

The configuration:

I installed all of the above applications. I configured Clock Sync to use the default 'pool.nntp.org' server name. I configured Digital Clock to always keep the screen on (prevent screen timeouts), and selected a nice pale orange text color. I configured Ultimate Rotation Control to lock the screen into the orientation I wanted.

I then enabled WiFi on the device, made sure it connected to my home WiFi network, and attached it to the ceiling. This could easily be adapted to work on a desktop or wall.

So I now have a WiFi enabled, NTTP synchronized digital wall clock. Total cost (not including original Droid purchase): $2.99

How unlimited is Verizon's Unlimited Wireless Data Plan?

I've been a Verizon Wireless subscriber for about 10 years now. I signed up for what was called their "450 minutes + unlimted web & email" plan many moons ago.

After upgrading my phone to a shiny new Samsung Galaxy Nexus (SGN), I started watching old episodes of "Heroes" while slogging out my cardio workouts at the gym. About a week later, a data usage warning indicator appeared in the notification area of the phone. I opened up the data usage stats to see that I'd already consumed over 1GB of mobile network data traffic.  Actually, 1.59GB between Dec 27th and Jan 3rd:

Just to be sure this wasn't going to get me into trouble, I sent an email to Verizon Wireless support and in reply I got the following voice mail. The short version: My grandfathered account is in fact as unlimited as unlimited can be. No cap, no additional charges. 

Listen: 

Voicemail_2012_01_03-121437PM

Luke, I am your Mailbox

The Quest for a Darth Vader Mailbox

List of ingredients:

• Darth Vader Mask: http://amzn.com/B000ZQ667A - $26.00
• Small black stainless steel standard, from Lowe's - $35.00

The Procedure

My old mailbox had seen better days. It was too small to fit most magazines, and had literally burst at the seams in a few places. When the decision came that it was time for a new mailbox, I decided that I wanted to try something a bit different. Darth Vader was the first idea that came to mind, after seeing these US Postal Service official R2D2 mailboxes.

I began searching Google for pre-made "Darth Vader Mailbox", but there was nothing. I did a quick search on Amazon for Darth Vader and found a wide selection of masks. They were reasonably priced, so I ordered one of the less expensive models.

After the mask arrived, I headed over the Lowe's to find a standard USPS approved mailbox. I assembled all of the major pieces on the dining room construction table.

The plan was to mount the mailbox vertically, with Darth's head taking the place of the mailbox door. So I first removed the door and the 'mail waiting' flag.

Next, un-velcro'd the front and rear parts of the mask in order to figure out exactly how to mount the mask on the mailbox. After a bit of fiddling, and a few pieces of double-sided velcro positioned behind Darth's cheeks and temples, I was able to get the front portion of the mask to rest nicely atop the mailbox.

I then cut a portion of Darth's skull out in order to allow for the insertion/removal of mail. I used a pair of plastic zip ties and some plastic epoxy to attach the front and rear portions of the mask.

Finally, I drilled a trio of holes through the bottom of the mailbox just inside the opening. I used these holes to screw the mailbox in the vertical position to the wooden post just outside the front door.

For more photos, click here. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at jason@buberel.org.

Blood glucose, carbohydrates, and me

This story starts about two weeks ago with an early afternoon visit to my optometrist for an annual eye exam. I've been myopic in both eyes since the fifth grade, and have worn glasses full time since my freshman year in college. For the last 10 years, my prescription has remained relatively stable - about -3.25 diopters in my right eye and -4.25 diopters in my left.

As I am sitting in the exam chair on that Wednesday afternoon, the doctor configures the lens system for my current prescription, and asks me to read the letters projected on the wall. I can only read the largest row, and only barely. "Really?" he asks. "Really," I reply.

"That is your current prescription - that's what was used in the glasses you wear currently," said Dr. Froumis. I insisted the letters were quite blurry. After 10 minutes of adjusting, it was determined that each of my eyes had become one full diopter more myopic since my last visit.

"That rate of change, in both eyes, is what you might expect to see in a rapidly growing teenager, but not in an adult with a 10 year history of stable vision," he said. "Oh, and I see you have a family history of diabetes. That's not good."

As it turns out, high levels of circulating blood sugar are know to distend the lenses in the human eye, increasing the level of myopia. I insist that I am not currently diabetic (which I am not), and that I eat a rigorously - almost ridiculously - strict sugar and starch-less diet. Dr. Froumis recommended I see my primary care physician to have my blood glucose levels checked.

I managed to make a late morning appointment for the very next day. The nurse used a standard glucose meter to take a quick measurement in the office. The result was 98mg/dL, which was at the high end of the 'normal range' (70-100 is normal, 101-125 is elevated, fasting glucose above 125 is considered diabetic). The doctor insisted that I was not diabetic, but he could not think of another reason for the sudden change in vision.

Deciding to take matters into my own hands - which is exactly what you'd expect me to do - I ordered an Accu-Chek Aviva testing kit from Amazon.com (Blood glucose meter, lancets, test strips, and lancing device). It arrived on a Thursday.

When I woke up just after 6am on Friday, I took my first reading after 12 hours of no food: 96mg/dL. This is as close to a 'fasting blood glucose' level as I am likely to get.

This felt a bit high, but not dangerously high. So I got up, ate breakfast (3 eggs plust 60g of protein powder mix) - all protein and fat, zero carbohydrates, for a total calorie count just under 500kcal. I then went to the gym, came home for coffee and measured again at around 8:30am. This time, the value came back with 95mg/dL. It had actually decreased by 1 point.

After that it was off to the office. My lunch boxes for the day were 250kcals of steamed green beans and fresh spinach. No oil, no dressing, no nothing. Just veggies.

I ate the first veggie box at 12 noon on Friday. I then waited the recommended 1-2 hours, and measured again at 1:28pm. I was expecting to see only a slight rise, to perhaps 110 or 115mg/dL. The actual value? 138mg/dL.

At the same time, I measured two co-workers. One had a lunch of a burger, fries and coke. His reading? 110mg/dL. The other had a few slices of pizza and a coke. His reading? 105mg/dL. Me with my 250kcal portion of veggies? 138mg/dL.

WHAT THE FUCK?!

An hour and a half after the other portion of veggies - another 250kcal of green beans and spinach, and the reading was up to 122mg/dL.

And yet, the measurements continued. Just before dinner that evening at 6pm, I measured again - 104mg/dL. For dinner that night, it was all fat and protein again - 500kcal of eggs and protein powder. An hour and a half later? Down to 96mg/dL.

CONTROL MEASUREMENTS COMPLETE.

The real experimentation began on Saturday morning. Wanting to prove that it was the small amount of complex carbohydrates in my veggie boxes that had sent the value skyward on Friday, I decided to make Saturday a very high calorie, zero carbohydrate day.

Woke up at 6am. Reading was 108mg/dL. Ate 3 eggs, 80g protein powder mixed with a two fistfuls of brazil nuts and two tablespoons of coconut oil, with a dash of stevia. Went the gym. Measured again at 8:27am - 99mg/dL.

Continued measuring every two hours throughout the day on Saturday. The value never went above 99mg/dL, and by 7:30pm it had fallen back to 96mg/dL. Over the course of the day I had consumed at least 3500kcal of fat and protein. Nary a drop of carbohydrate. The blood glucose remained remarkably constant.

What does this mean for me?

I am fairly sure that my genetic predisposition to Type 2 diabetes (runs in the family, very strongly, on my Mom's side) has resulted in either a loss of insulin production (causing blood sugars to accumulate and remain in the blood longer then they ought to) or a lack of sensitivity to insulin (causing the same symptoms).

To be honest, I'm not sure what the long term plan is. I suppose I could transition to a very low-carbohydrate diet in order to prevent my glucose levels from ever spiking into the danger zone. Or I could talk to my doctor about long-term medications, which I am very reluctant to consider.

Or perhaps my genetics will get the better of me in the end. Perhaps I should just resign myself to the inevitable onset of Type 2 diabetes, and enjoy all the sugary snacks I can before the onset. Probably not a wise choice.

 Conclusions?

First, this may help to explain the sudden change in vision. I had visited the optometrist at 1:15pm - just after eating one of my 250kcal steamed veggie boxes consisting primarily of carrots and sugar snap peas. Given my reaction (95 to 138) to green beans and spinach, I suspect the lunch I had eaten just prior to that visit had my glucose levels well above 140mg/dL. Blood sugar levels need to be very high to cause myopia according to this article, but this may be a possible explanation.

My plan it to schedule a follow-up visit to the optometrist at around 9/10am after my protein/fat-only breakfast. If my hypothesis is correct, my vision should be back to normal.

I'll post those results as soon as I have them.

Tracking changes in percent body fat over time

I am a strong proponent of measuring percent bodyfat instead of body weight for tracking progress towards fitness and body shape goals. Although there are many different techniques for measuring body fat - each with its own benefits and limitations - it can be cumbersome to track progress over time.

For measurements at home, which I do once per week, I use an Accu-Measure caliper. Although I have a fairly good memory, it can be tough to remember the exact measurement value from the previous week. So today it dawned on me that this could be made much easier by just taking a photo of the calipers immediately after measuring using my phone.

First, I installed the DropBox app for Android (available for iPhone too) on my phone. I created a new folder on my dropbox account named 'bodyfat'.

I then took a quick photo of the current measurement. Once I had a good (clear/focused) photo, I pressed the 'Share' button on the phone. I selected the 'Dropbox' option on the sharing menu, and saved the photo to my 'bodyfat' folder.

The photos are all tagged with the date/time automatically when you take the picture, so you can easily review the history of changes. Here is the photo from my measurement this morning:

I don't really care what the actual values are, as long as they are going in the right direction - not up - and by keeping a photo log of each measurement, I can quickly tell where the numers are headed.

 

Taylor the Lab - September 1st, 1996 to September 10th, 2011

2010 Honda Fit Owners Manual PDF

I had a hell of a time finding this online, so thought I'd repost here:

Download 2010-honda-fit-owners-manual

Workout Problems: Slow repetitions are easier with a metronome

In my resistance training workouts, I've always struggled when it comes to complying with 'slow repetition rules' that accompany many routines. Whether it is '4 second contraction, 3 second relax' or '5 second concentric phase and 5 second eccentric phase', I've never been able to consistently go slow enough. Towards the end of any set, I get so focused on just finishing I tend to ignore everything else.

So earlier this week I tried a new trick, with the help of my handy smartphone: Using a metronome application to help me keep a steady pace. In my case, I downloaded and installed Mobile Metronome Plus from the Android market (there are many similar apps available from the iPhone AppStore as well). 

Although this app was really intended for use by musicians, I was able to configure it to 'chime' at a rate of 12 beats per minute (1 beat every 5 seconds) with a 20/4 time signature (4 sub-beats per 5-second beat). This resulted in a repeating pattern of 'tick-tick-tick-tick-tock'. With my headphones on, and this rhythm being piped into my ears, it was suddenly very easy to maintain a '5 second concentric phase, 5 second eccentric phase'.

If you're following a workout that requires the use of slow/timed repititions, give this a try.

Knee and Hip Pain: Exercise vs. Heel Strike

A few weeks ago, I made a few changes to my exercise routine - switching from primarily single-muscle focus to a whole-body workout produced by Roman Fitness Systems. This switch had been a long time coming, and I could not be happier with results. 

In fact, I was so happy with the results, that I decided to go a bit overboard and increase the workouts per week from the prescribed 4 to 6, leaving only Sundays for rest. In retrospect, I realize how bad of an idea this was, but at the time I had deluded myself with the 'more of a good thing is always better' fallacy.

After about 3 weeks of 6-days/week workouts, I began developing a noticable soreness in my left knee and hip. I've had intermittent issues with both of these joints since the age of 20, so this was not a new injury. Generally speaking, it caused by excessive use and too little rest.

However, this time around there was one complicating factor: I had been using/wearing Vibram Five Fingers shoes during the entire time. In fact, I'd been wearing them all the time - during workouts, at the office and at home. One of the obvious differences with these shoes is that they offer no padding at all.

This started to look like a problem of 'too many variables' - was my knee/hip pain caused by the extra workouts or the Vibram Five Fingers shoes? So I decided to be a good little scientist and performed a simple experiment:

• For two weeks, wear only my heavily cushioned New Balance 1220's during workouts and while walking around the neighborhood, while continuing the 6-days/week workouts.
• For two weeks, wear only the Vibram Five Fingers for 6-days/week workouts, but change my walking stride at all other times to specifically prevent/avoid all heel strike impacts.
• For two weeks, reduce the workouts to the recommended 4-days/week, while only wearing the Vibram Five Fingers.

The results were very clear: The extra cushioning from the New Balance 1220s did not reduce the level of knee and hip soreness. In addition, my attempts to completely avoid heel strike impacts while wearing the Five Fingers by decreasing my stride length and focusing on fore-foot shock absorbing did not fix the problem.

The excessive workouts and too little recovery time was the culprit. Reducing my workouts to 4-days/week, even while wearing the Five Fingers (and paying no attention to the level of heel strike force in my stride) led to a very quick disappearance of the symptoms.

Governments do not create jobs - but product demand does

With the release of the dismal May 2011 jobs and unemployment report, the news has been filled lately with stories asking the question "What has/can/should the government do to create jobs?"

Some suggestions that I've seen mentioned:

• An employer payroll tax reduction or holiday
• Reduced corporate income tax rates
• Corporate hiring vouchers or other incentives

One of the best answers to this question came from a recent Planet Money Podcast: "How many jobs has Scott Walker created?" The answer was "It is almost impossible to tell."

As the owner of a technology company, I wanted to comment on the one and only factor that will ever factor into my decision to hire a new employee:

• Demand for my product (or service) is likely to grow in the near future, and the business will need additional employees in order to meet that demand.

That's it. No amount of reduced payroll taxes, vouchers, incentives, or decreased regulations will be the deciding factor in my hiring decision. Those programs may make it easier, simpler or less expensive for me to add a new employee, but only after I have made the decision that I need to hire based on an increase in product/service demand.

The only direct impact that a government agency could have on my decision to hire would be to buy my product. The only indirect impact the government could have would be to induce my customers to buy more of my product (a bit like health insurance companies and the individual mandate).

So if the hiring decisions are driven by product demand, can the government do anything to impact that across the economy? Probably. Anything that puts more disposable cash (not debt) into the hands of a large number of US consumers would likely lead to increased product/service demand, and thus to increased hiring.  

But businesses won't hire unless they believe the increase in demand will persist for more then the moment/month/season. We need to be sure that the increase is sustainable over the long term. 

The only federal-level change that I could imagine meeting these requirements would be a multiyear decrease in the tax or SS/Medicare contribution rates for the largest possible number of consumers.