Dual Clutch Automatic vs Manual Gear Shift Transmission

Dual Clutch Automatic - is a manual transmission, without use of clutch.  The engaging/disengaging or gear change is controlled by computerized hydraulic system.  The time needed to make a gear change is very quick (milli-seconds).

Automatic - pressure plate is used to engage/disengage engine output/flywheel to transmission?? Nested gears are stacked concentrically.

Ford Focus maybe the least expensive vehicle equipped with dual clutch automatic transmission

Engineering Design Software

CAD/Drafting -

SolidWorks - PDM
AutoDesk Inventor
CATIA V5

Engineering Analysis
FEMAP, NASTRAN

Boeing BAC1517 Profile

SRM shows the BAC profile, but what does is it look like? Length, width, radius, flange etc.

Where is that BAC15xx part number? I can't file it in MyBoeingFleet, so where can I get that information?

Answer: Boeing Drafting Stand documentation -- D-590.

LG and Kenmore Refrigerators; Why Do You Want to BUY American?

LG and Kenmore Refrigerators, what do they have in common? LG make some of Kenmore refrigerator.  The differences, are small.  I found that Kenmore frigs tend to be priced higher than LG, but the once a while "big discount" bring it back inline with LG pricing.

What's the lesson about all of this?  Why buy American brand, when it is made oversea anyway, the store/distributor-Sears make the same money. If the both products are being equal, why do I have to wait for Kenmore to be marked down in price when I can get the LG anyday?

Current Most Valuable Used Office Printers

HP 8150DN -
Large toner capacity, decent speed, even with today's standard.  Ok speed with PDF document. Find one with extra paper trays.

Okidata Dot-matrix
I missed the dot-matrix printer- it's is still a very useful in many business applications. Triplicate copies, anyone?

Replacement Refrigerator

$2400, Kenmore, 27" French, Stainless
$2000 Kenmore 27" French Bottom, Satin


$2000 LG Stainless Steel 27.6 cu. ft. French-Door Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator ENERGY STAR®

$2065 Samsung Stainless 29.0 cu. ft. Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator (RFG297HD) ENERGY STAR®
NEW Item !| | Sears Item# 04681093000 | Model# RFG297HDRS

voip skype vonage magicjack quality comparison

Update: 2012.03.015

Usage/Application:






# # # # # #
Value:

Skype -computer or Wi-Fi (iphone apps, and netgear like device $100)
Vonage - conversion box via ethernet (simple $50, fancy $90)
Magic Jack - computer, or via ethernet (usb $20, ethernet $100)



# # # # #
Sound Quality:

Skype - Average, acceptable quality for international calls

Vonage - greatest service

MagicJack - Inconsistent, long delay over international calls

Cable phone - great service

Fast Meals for Large Group People

$100 for 20 people  ($5 per head)
============
$7 / 20 people
CHICKEN LEMON RICE SOUP: Rice (1/3 lb), chicken broth (1/2), rotisserie chicken (1/2), celery

$25 4 oz of rice/shrimp
SHRIMP PAELLA: 3 lb shrimp, rice (2/3 lb), chicken broth (1/2), frozen peas (1/2 lb)
$18 / 2.5 oz of beef
BEEF/ONION: 4 lb of chuck beef; green onion, 2 packs of special sauce, marinate in black vinegar.
$15 / 3 oz of chicken
ROTISSERIES CHICKENS: Costco rotisserie chickens (2 1/2), white gravy
$13 / 3 oz of veggie
SAUTE VEGETABLE: green onion, bean sprouts,water chestnuts,squash, celery, zucchini, mushroom

$12
ICE CREAM with Crushed Nuts: HEB/Blue Bell 2 of 1/2 gallon ice cream and crashed nuts

$10
Soda and water

Students vs Disciples

Students are to learn from teachers
Disciples are to follow the examples of teachers.

Pentaprism vs Pentamirror in a DSLR

Does it really make a difference to an average photographer? NO


Pentaprism is a five-sided reflecting prism, without inverting images.  The setup doesn't change the image's handedness.

Pentamirror - reverse images twice via reflex mirrors.

http://snapsort.com/

Fast PC? or Fast Hard Drive

2x73GB SCSI 10,000 RPM, RAID 0 - for Operating systems
   Drive << C >>  Part 80GB for OS/Apps,
   Folder Volume << xx >>Part 60GB for (daily, temp backup??)

3x500GB SATA - RAID 0
    Drive <> 350GB - Fast small files
    Drive <> 450GB - Media (pictures) Large reference data
    Drive <> 800GB - large files Videos, Music files, PodCast


1x500GB SATA - boot drive {{ backup }}

1x500GB SATA - {{ backup }}

-----

1 TB 2.5" USB - Offsite backup (rotation)
1 TB 2.5" USB - Off site backup (rotation)

64-bit or 32-bit Windows 7? Real Difference?

Well, Windows 7 64-bit or 32-bit OS?

Microsoft offered a Windows 7 upgrade 3 users license at a great discount price ($150). It was too hard to pass.  Well, 32-bit or 64-bit?  Some of the older computers, fast, but it is not designed to run on 64-bit, so 32-bit it goes.  But then picking 64-bit over a 32-bit version?  Many software will not run on 64-bit, is it worthwhile trade-off?

# # #

Gas cook tops are as good as electric cook tops

Most of us are sick of our gas cook tops, it doesn't heat up as quickly as electric stoves.  The truth comes from the BTU rating.  The most powerful/most BTU in the older cook top is about 10,000 to 12,000 BTU,  the new ones are in the 18,000 BTU range.  That's almost twice as powerful as the inferior units.

Some of lesser expensive cook top (less than $600), have the highest burner rated as 11,000 BTU. Once the prices crossed over the $1000 range, the burner rating is in the upward 18,000 BTU, and the 2nd burner rating of 14,000 BTU and the slow heat burner rated at 5,000 btu.

Here are couples that are good for quick stir fry..


GE Appliances Black-on-Black 30'' Built-In Gas Cooktop with Sealed Burners JGP933 800
All-purpose: one 9,500 BTU nat./9,100 LP,High output: one 11,000 BTU nat./10,000 LP,High output: one 15,000 BTU nat./13,000 LP,Low output: one 5,000 BTU nat. /5,000 BTU LP

GE Appliances Stainless Steel w/Black 30'' Built-In Gas Cooktop with Sealed Burners JGP933 900
All-purpose: one 9,500 BTU nat./9,100 LP,High output: one 11,000 BTU nat./10,000 LP,High output: one 15,000 BTU nat./13,000 LP,Low output: one 5,000 BTU nat. /5,000 BTU LP



Electrolux Black 30'' Gas Cooktop EW30GC55G 1000
Low output: one 5,000 BTU nat./4,500 LP,High output: one 14,000 BTU nat./11,000 LP,High output: 18,000 BTU nat./ 16,000 LP,All-purpose: 1-9,500 BTU nat./ 8,000 LP

Electrolux Stainless Steel 30'' Gas Cooktop EW30GC55G 1100
Low output: one 5,000 BTU nat./4,500 LP,High output: one 14,000 BTU nat./11,000 LP,High output: 18,000 BTU nat./ 16,000 LP,All-purpose: 1-9,500 BTU nat./ 8,000 LP


Electrolux Stainless Steel 30'' Gas Cooktop EW30GC60I 1300
Low output: one 5,000 BTU nat./4,500 LP,All-purpose: 2- 9,500 BTU nat./ 8,000LP,High output: one 18,000 BTU nat./16,500 BTU LP,High output: one 12,000/9,500 BTU nat.

Traveling with Credit Cards - and Best Rebate Program

Rebates?
Most credit cards (without annual fee) offer three classes of rebate rates.
1. Gasoline 5%, 4% 3%
2. Travel 3% 2%
3. Restaurant 2% 1%
4. Everything else 1%

There are some 'business credit cards" -offer special rebate rate for office supplies, or something similar to business specific.  Airline credit cards offer - free bag check-in or free airport lounge passes.  But these offers tend to cut-back on the rebates rate on gasoline, travel, restaurant.

Most airline miles or points equates to 1 penny, or same as 1% rebate.  For traveling - the advertising says "double miles' - it is same as 2% rebate.

What is my top choice  (2012, February)
1 American Express Costco Business
  Gasoline 4%, Travel 2%, Restaurant 2%, Everything else 1%



# # # #

Need money fast?  Soon after clearing customs, there are ATM machines nearby to dispense local currency.  That works well to get the journey moving.


USAA - one of the very best ATM card (less fee than others)

Capital One - one of the very best credit card with foreign exchange rate (less fees than others)

The Hunt for Red October

Firing solution torpedo?? Firing solution is not about liquid solution/fuel, but it's about the parameters resulting from calculating torpedo travelling path/projection.

Cool HEUER-LAMBELET

Update:  The repair cost was $65 to fix a loose hands and some internal mechanical damages (the repairman said so)

# # # # 

 An on-line auction site offer a knock-off Heuer watch called Heuer-Lambelet. The asking price was $100, but the face dial, wrist bands are pretty than the real McCoy.  It couldn't track time correctly because the hands got stuck with each other, a bit of tapping loosen up the hands.  After 1 1/2 years, the hands were off the pivot pins.  Now what?  Who can fix the knock-off watch?MBELET Chronograph

Driveway, Circular That Is

Having a long driveway making getting out of house difficult.  It's either a way to turn around near the garage, or make a circular driveway to minimize backing up into something, like trees.

100 feet long driveway is a bit challenge when there are a fence and trees on both sides.  To complete a driveway, it appears to me that the costs tend to be proportional to the area, not so much of length.

A 150 ft x 10-12 ft driveway come out to be 1700 sq ft of concrete.  At a minimum of  $3.50 a sq ft, that's a $6,000 home improvement project.  It sounded cheap, comparing the the potential car repairs bills on those cars backed into trees.

Rimfire vs Centerfire

Rimfire (older) & Centerfire (newer) are cartridges styles

SMITH & WESSON SIGMA .40 PISTOL (less expensive $300 at local store)

SIG SAUER SP2022 9MM PISTOL ($500 at local store)

KISS

KISS aka keep it simple stupid.

KISS - keep it short and simple

KISS - keep it sweet and simple

KISS - keep it snappy and satisfying

KISS - keep it simple and sweet

KISS - keep it short and sweet

KISS - keep it short and sophisticated

KISS - keep it simple and sophisticated

Liberal vs Conservative, Man vs Woman

Man sees a slight overweight himself - as average,
Woman sees  a normal weight herself as - too fat

In other hand, men tend to be more confident than women, right?

# # #

Charles Krauthammer says

Conservatives see Liberals as "dumb", where as
Liberals see Conservatives as "evil".

# # #

In a parallel argument,
Conservatives believe helping other through individual effort, where as
Liberals sees helping other through collective mean (or tax payer's money)