Done Since 2022-04-24

[mdlbear]

Not too bad of a week; parts of it were excellent. Parts of it were crappy -- literally: the house on Whidbey Island had (and probably still has) plumbing problems, and needed to have its septic tank pumped. The excellent parts were a good practice session with m and N (m, who has had the most voice training, led us in a series of warm-up exercises), and (finally!) getting a new battery installed in Molly. You may remember that there's been a recall out on Chevrolet Bolts for the last year or two, with the ominous title "battery may explode".

In other news I determined by experimentation that I can charge Sable (and by extension other Thinkpad X230s) from a USB-C. There are two cable possibilities: a USB-C to Thinkpad barrel connector cable, and a regular USB-C cable with a Thinkpad adapter. The latter works with a 65W charger, as long as you use a 3-amp cable. The former requires a 100W charger. USB-C is weird -- cables know their current rating. But now I have a tiny USB-C wall wart (pimple?) to keep in my backpack instead of a heavier power brick. My back will appreciate that.

Notes & links:
0424Su  * litter boxen 
  * up 6:55; S=6:17; shower
  @ California Man Arrested and Charged with Making Threats Against LGBTQ Community
  @ DNA Lounge:
    19-Apr-2022 (Tue): Wherein we surrender unconditionally to the coronavirus.
  : another fscking toilet leak.  Maybe underneath, this time.  Shit.  As it were.
    ~ water orchids
  * pack: allen wrenches, binder clips, staple-less fastener
  @ DuckDuckGo and Brave Move to Bypass Google AMP Pages by Default – WP Tavern
    De-AMP: Cutting Out Google and Enhancing Privacy | Brave Browser
  : 2:52 Ticia brought me a crinkle-ball.  First in several weeks, IIRC
  % really having trouble with motivation right now
  * ~3pm come back down to RS to be available Monday morning
  : Sable's usb being weird again.  It's not seeing the two USB-3 ports.  again.
  % 10pm hip pain (left) -> meloxicam, heat
  ~ s4s Cicero (wordpress, npm, ...) start curmudgeon post: trouble-with-wordpress.html

0425Mo  Anzac Day
  * up 6:15; S=7:05;
  % prunes, fiber cookies
  * 7am get moving for...
  * 8:15 be up early for going with N to drop kids off
  * noonish pick up m (will call or text)
  : The USB-C to Thinkpad cable doesn't work, at least not with the Anker nano charger.  I
    need to see whether another adapter will work or if I need a different charger.  The
    multi-tip cable set won't work because it doesn't appear to have the right tip.  I
    missed that when I was ordering.  Might work with Delta, though.
  $ checked transactions in the UB account and verified that my tax refund had arrived
  * spent most of the day looking for photos for tomorrow's GS post.  Also correcting
    tenses, since it was written _before_ the Africa trip.  Mix of stock and own photos

0426Tu
  & awake 3:15; S=3:59;  -> down 4am.  -> don't appear to have slept.
    % anxiety (or whatever it is) attack.
  * up 5:15; S=4:57;
    % back pain, so naproxen ~7am
    % left phone in the studio again.  Need a more consistent morning routine
  : Can't get !#$% wordpress to crop an image.  I did it once...
  * 10am Healing Center Memory Keepers group
  & k needs a computer; determine that Panther is a total flake; so give it Delta
    It's Ubuntu 20.04, so the current desktop is Ubuntu's take on Gnome 3.
    -> this, of course, leaves me with only Sable and Panther in the house.  So I'll take
       Panther out and see whether I have better luck with it.
    -> seems stable as long as it's sitting on the desk.  How it will do in my lap is
       anybody's guess.
  @ The War in Ukraine Has Unleashed a New Word - The New York Times “рашизм”
  % naproxen with pm drugs.  Headache.  Sleepy, which shouldn't be a surprise.

0427We  DW blog created on 2010-04-27 15:17:34
  * up 5am; S=6:01, BP=129/79, P=65;  naproxen
  @ No, you can’t save £30 per year by switching off your “standby” devices
    Vampire electronics on standby cost households £147 a year? Not so fast. - BB
    " Did you spot the problem? The BBC's sole source is British Gas, a national energy
      giant, a company deeply interested in everyday consumers seeing themselves as the
      problem. "
  @ 75% of US children have now had COVID, up from 44%, due to omicron | Ars Technica
  % fiber cookies, prunes
  * 10am take Molly to Bill Pierre -- available afternoon Thursday
  : The 100W USB-C charger works with Sable.  Unfortunately it's pretty heavy.  14oz.
    Have to find a GaN one for the backpack.  Anker has one, but it sold out before I
    could order it.
  : posts are missing from dw-post-archive because I -sometimes- _often_ forget to update
    git when I change machines.
  * Music practice. Vocal warmups with m (leading) and N; then guitar around half
    speed:  bad guys, intro to Millenium's Dawn, talking blues.
  : The 65W adapter works perfectly with Sable ... and a 3A cable from my Pixel Presumably
    the cable with the barrel end is chipped as 5A, so the laptop tries to suck 5A from
    it and gets shut down by the charger.
  % naproxen with pm drugs.

0418Th
  * up 6:15; S=7:30; naproxen
  @ A Web Renaissance
    " So if we have the tech, then why hasn’t it happened already? The biggest thing that
      may be missing is just awareness of the modern web’s potential. Unlike the Facebooks
      and Googles of the world, the open, creative web doesn’t have a billion-dollar
      budget for promoting itself. "
  * tested 65W charger with Sable at ~60% -- so now known to work while actively charging
  % bored, slightly out of it, procrastinating making Dr. appointment, not writing.
    -> Read the latest issue of American Scientist
  * any time after 2pm pick up Molly at Bill's  -> ~4 (with G)
  % naproxen pm

0429Fr
  * up 6ish; S=6:43; 300mg docusate
  : c is having plumbing problems.  Most likely septic tank needs to be pumped; maybe
    other drain problems as well.  Last pumped 2019
    -> Gabelein Bros. called for pumping.
  @ WordPress Themes | Explore Block Theme Styles
    Ona | A WordPress Theme Built For Full-Site Editing also see Ona Creative, which
    has a highlight color that's just about perfect, and Ona Minimal
  @ Bach - Toccata and Fugue D Minor | Bandura & Accordion Cover - YouTube
  * did an upgrade on Sable, rebooted, and now the USB-3 ports are back in operation  :P
  @ posted: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway - GoingSideways.blog 
  * make appointment with a PCP -> Aug 17
    : UW primary/geriatric: https://www.uwmedicine.org/bios/emily-hilderman ARNP Northgate
  : 5ish septic tank: clogged filter, fallen baffle on the inlet, and in need of pumping.
    -> Did not, however, fix the slow-draining tub.  Bio-One directions say for slow
       drains put in 2oz every day for 5 days.  Preferably when water use is minimal
    -> If necessary, call Andy at Apollo 
  % I have a lot of problems with balance when standing up from a squatting position
  % ... and left my med sorters down at RS.  That's why I have spares.
  % sleepy

0430Sa  * litter boxen
  * up 7:15ish; S=6:41; cuddles from both cats; shower
    % 300mg docusate, naproxen with am drugs
  * laundry
  * grocery shopping with c
  * remind c that jacket is in Molly and lights are in blue backpack
  % spent most of the day going down rabbit holes.
  * guitar: various.  Bad Guys, Wheelin', Millennium's Dawn, The Band Played Waltzing
    Mathilda.
  & swapped pictures with c
  @ What the Fitness Industry Doesn’t Understand - The Atlantic
    " As it turns out, you can’t just teach millions of children that exercise is painful,
      humiliating, or a punishment for their failures and expect them to swan into
      adulthood with healthy, moderate beliefs about their bodies. Instead, they follow
      the lessons they’ve learned about themselves, and about exercise: Some people avoid
      ever entering a gym again and shy away from activities that might draw attention to
      their physical capabilities, such as hiking or dancing. "

Comments

USB charging

[texxgadget]

I believe this to be true of ALL the USB plugs:
The first pin is +5 and the last is ground.
This means that you can run SMALL loads (1 amp MAX!) off your USB port and if you are able to solder small things, you can make your own USB charging cables.

Im good on USB A, USB B, USB mini.
I havent tries micro or C yet.
I found the plugs on the net and have managed to repair a couple failed charging cables.

Re: USB charging

[mdlbear]

USB-C cables have chips in the connectors that tell the charger how much current the cable can handle. So they come in 3A and 5A varieties. There's no standard way that I know of to tell them apart.