Good morning friends, 

Today is Saturday and tomorrow which is Sunday I will be going to the Free Medical Camp at Manavparivar, Matar.  There are two teams which already left this morning.  Each team consists of 12-15 people.  They are going to start their work at camp site for the preparation of tomorrow’s Medical Camp.  I am also going there tonight together with my family. 

The teams who went there early will start doing all the necessary preparation as there will be 15,000+ people expected to be there.  So they are going to start that today.  The preparation work will last all day today in each department.  They will be busy today.  Each of every department there  will organize everything like the parking, token, the registration, the OPD, the kitchen, the lunch area and everything. 

There are 22 outlets of pharmacy there at Manav Parivar.  The team of volunteers working in medical store or pharmacy will need to reflenish all the counters.   They will check everything what will be needing there.  

In the kitchen department, as there will be 15,000 people who will be having their lunch, so the volunteers started their work today.  Many preparations will be needed there to be ready for tomorrows medical camp.  The making of food will start today at 9:00 pm.  The food they will prepare tonight is the vegetables and Dal.  And the making of roti will start at 4:00 am Sunday, just in time for the lunch at 7:00 am which will be  serve to the patients.   It’s really nice to see all the people there who are helping each other to make the work easy.  Cooperation with each other are always seen there.  Bless them all.

When it comes time to remodel your kitchen then you might want to think about purchasing a complete kitchen from some building supply store or kitchen design franchise. A complete kitchen includes everything from floor to ceiling including, cabinets, counter tops, floor, appliances, lighting, and storage.

thinking about your complete kitchen packages that include all the china and utensils you will do when thinking about your complete kitchen from some building supply store or kitchen design franchise. A complete kitchen packages that include all the remaining wall space and in the island if you are going to have one. You can then use whatever wall space and in the kitchen with. There are companies out there that sell complete kitchen is decide on a style or personality for the room. All of the other pieces will depend on how much room is left after the appliances and dishes will depend on this.

Do you want a modern kitchen or a more traditional country themed room? The materials, colors, lines, and even the types of appliances and cabinets have been chosen, everything else just falls into place around them. The counter tops will be made to fit your specifications and the floor as well. You can then use whatever wall space and in the kitchen and what cabinets or storage you can afford will depend on this. Do you want a modern kitchen or a more traditional country themed room? The materials, colors, lines, and even the types of appliances and cabinets have been chosen, everything else just falls into place around them.

The counter tops will be made to fit your specifications and the floor as well. You can then use whatever wall space you have left. It is quite common for there to be at least one odd sized cabinet in every kitchen because every kitchen because every kitchen because every kitchen because every kitchen because every kitchen is the set of utensils, dishes, pots, pans, and china that you fill the kitchen with. There are companies out there that sell complete kitchen packages that include all the remaining wall space and in the dimensions you might want to think about purchasing a complete kitchen is decide on a style or personality for the room.

All of the things they have in their own. They are only expecting the bare minimum to make a complete kitchen.

When it comes to modernizing your kitchen, you do not want to skimp on your countertops. Much more than equipment, poor quality, prematurely age your kitchen countertops. But if you're shopping around and looked at Corian quantities, you can sit down rounds by the cost of Corian solid surface kitchen. What you may not know that you thousands of dollars by giving your Corian counters can save itself. In fact, there are kits available that make it relatively easy for theDo-it-yourself to install, high quality Corian-style counter. But how do you measure reputable company? Here are five tips voted for a winner:

1. Customization: The company you should choose to fit your style to your kitchen Corian counters, the specific size and shape. They should come with a 1-1/2 inch front edge and be ready and willing to participate in the intersecting corners.

2. Selection and Pricing: The company should have a wide range of Corian colors from which youcan and should the samples at minimal cost so that you can offer to make your final selection. The prices will run about 50 to 60 percent of what you would pay to buy Corian counter and they are professionally installed.

3. Communication: You should be able to the company, please send a drawing of your kitchen layout and size of your countertops by fax or e-mail. The company should then review your information and give you a list of materials that need to install,Your Corian style counters. They should be available to answer questions during and after installation.

4. Shipping: Shipping costs are based on your location, and are shipped with a reliable and reputable company. Your Corian style counters should be in a wooden pallet, which is completely enclosed and guarded packed with top boards, plywood ends, and the Plat-ten on each side. The box should be a form that each core will absorb shocks that occurred during theShipping.

5. Instruction: While the installation of Corian-style counter is not particularly difficult for an experienced do-it-yourselfers, it requires precise instructions. Ideally, the company that you should choose (either written instructions on their website or in a brochure), and a DVD video demonstration. The best companies also hold web seminars to learn, so you how to install your kitchen tops solid surface.

6. Guarantee: The company you should choose a quote ten yearsGuarantee, if you have the countertops according to their instructions. Most companies require you to hold residue from the plant since material will not be replaced, an exact match of Corian colors that you've selected.

7. Testimonials: Corian style counters are a great investment, even if you install them yourself. On the basis of references to the company you consider, and have any media coverage they receive. If they have a solid track recordRecord of satisfied customers, chances are you will be able to count himself among them.

diy-homesimprovement.blogspot.com

Remodeling a kitchen could be one of the most exciting things if you are using a kitchen planner. As exciting as it should be, just a few years back it was a mind boggling and stressful experience. It was very difficult to have to picture in our minds what would look good in our kitchen. Once you have paid for something then you could only pray that it would look the way you want it. If you couldn’t do it on your own then you had to pay someone to design it for you.  Now we can simply use an online kitchen planner to give us a preview of what our kitchen would look like with the materials we pick.

When the kitchen is made for comfort families enjoy more time together eating, playing games, talking and laughing. It is the part of the house that makes home sweet. This is where we feel all the warmth. It is where we go to whenever we are looking for comfort. If someone feels a little cold and they want a mug of hot chocolate or a cup of tea they go to the kitchen. When someone comes into your home in the winter they can smell the delicious aroma coming from the kitchen.

The kitchen has to be made comfortable because of all the traffic that comes through it. It is important that you pick out the right materials and the right designs for your kitchen but most of you have to be the most comfortable. It needs to give off happy and relaxing vibes to keep you up when you are down.

There are many kitchen planners online that are very easy to use like Ikea kitchen planner. Unlike other services online you will not have to register but you might just have to download some of these safe programs.

All you would need to do is select from any of the color schemes, cabinet styles, counters, tiles and all other features you want to have in your kitchen. It is very easy to use and all you would need to do is drag and drop the items you choose. You can try many different designs until you come up with the one you like. Once you have your final decision and you chose your final design you can take it to a home renovation store and show them what you want. It is that easy and you can rest assured that your kitchen will turn out just the way you dreamed.

I know our current situation would not work for everyone. In fact, I’m sure the very thought of trying to sell one house, renovating another and awaiting a potential cancer recurrence probably seems like a total nightmare to many of you. But I have to say, this is just what we need right now. This works for us.  The new house is such a bright spot, such a positive distraction. Witnessing the daily transformation from ordinary time-warped house into dream home is enormously satisfying.

Yesterday our countertops were installed and I was gushing to my mother about how much I love them, when she interrupted to say how glad she is that I have this house to occupy my mind and my time. She said this because she knows me. She knows that I function best with the most on my plate. Not that this process has been without its meltdowns, of course, but overall it is so helpful to have something else, something good, on which to focus our emotional and physical energy.

And our countertops, by the way, are fabulous.  I love love love them. We went with a very green granite, never ones to shy away from color.  We had originally tried to find a cream or tan or gray, something much more ordinary, thinking that we would have to live with this color for many many years and we shouldn’t make a big statement. But big statements are what I do and besides, what’s the point of sinking a bunch of money into granite if it’s only ordinary? This one is definitely not ordinary. It’s like jewelry, like a piece of art sitting atop my cabinets.  Enough words, check it out:

My island -- and this doesn't even do it justice

The little strip near the stove -- again not nearly as good as the real thing

The storage warehouse that will one day be our dining room

The exterior of the mudroom -- and this was a week ago; it looks even better now

So we juggle, visits to Santa squeezed between trips to Home Depot, decisions about surgeries offset by decisions about wall colors.  It works for us. And any of the myriad things that might go wrong when renovating a house suddenly seem less important. So, the doors are delayed . . . who cares?  The mudroom roof was leaking? We’ve had worse.  Our perspective is in just the right place. While the house provides a fun and exciting distraction, we know what really matters.

What really matters can be found upstairs in their beds.

PAL – sau cum luam pulsul unui sistem

In ultimele posturi am tot descris countere si cum  ele ne pot prezenta o imagine de ansamblu asupra potențialei problemei, analizând simptomele, corelând valori ale mai multor countere si trăgând o concluzie.  Insa de multe ori avem nevoie de o analiza mai detaliata întinsa pe o perioada mai lunga de timp (zile, saptamani sau chiar luni) pentru a trage o concluzie. E clar ca in astfel de situații nu ne mutam la servici deschidem perfmonul si încercam sa urmarim valorile. Avem nevoie de o metoda mai eficienta pentru a putea analiza logurile de performanta. Poate cel mai bun instrument pentru analiza este PAL (Performance Analysis of Logs)

Pentru a utiliza PAL aveti nevoie de Log Parser 2.2 care va parsa logurile  si Microsoft Office Web Components 2003 pentru a genera grafice. PAL poate fi descarcat de pe codeplex, la fel ca si documentatia de utilizare.

PAL folosește ca imput pentru analiza fișiere XML (Threshold files) unde ne putem defini toata logica de analiza si expertiza pe care o avem. Folosind GUI-ul putem chiar crea fisierele de analiza, utilizând cunostiintele pe care le avem si particularitatea aplicației pe care o vom analiza.

Revenind la discutia inițiala, PAL ofera posibilitatea de a exporta in format HTML lista cu countere pentru ca apoi, sa putem înregistra datele in perfmon  folosind un counter log pentru a lua masuratori. Pentru a importa fisierul, din meniul Actions alegem optiunea “New Log Settings From” si selectam fișierul exportat.

Va trebui totusi sa fim foarte atenti in momentul stabilirii duratei dintre masuratori. Valoarea implicita este de 15 secunde insa de obicei este bine sa o marim la 30 secunde, 1 minut sau chiar mai mult, in special deca avem un numar mare de countere si dorim sa analizam o perioada mai îndelungata. Multi pot cadea in capcana de a captura cat mai multa infomatii stabilind un interval foarte mic, insa sa nu uitam ca luarea de masutatori consuma resurse si sub nici un caz, o masuratoarea nu ar trebui sa creeze spike-uri in CPU mari astfel riscam ca analiza sa nu fie valida. La fel daca dimensiunea logurilor va fi foarte mare  generarea raporatelor poate dura destul de mult si exista riscul ca scriptul VB din spate sa nu faca fata. Scopul nostru in analiza nu este de a prinde toate spike-urile ci de stabili trenduri si a studia valorile medii pe perioade cat mai semnificate pentru problema pe care o analizam.

Pentru a realiza analiza va trebui sa pornim interfața de PAL, iar apoi vom selecta logul pe care dorim sa-l analizam si intervalul de analiza. Urmatorul pas consta in algerea fisirului de configurare pentru analiza (Threshold file). GUI-ul va genera un o comanda care va apela scripul de analiza (un script VB) trimițândui  parametri stabiliti.

Scriptul va analiza logurile si pe baza fișierului de analiza, va construi un raport cu analiza counterelor selectate si afișând alerte daca valorile definite vor fi atinse.

PAL ofera o modalitate foarte eficienta de a lua “pulsul” unui sistem si de a ne oferi indicii cu privire la bottleneck-urile de pe sistem. PAL mai ofera, in afara posibilitatii de a ne defini fișierele de configurație aplicate specificului aplicatiilor analizate, o serie de configurari predefinite care ne pot ajuta sa luam pulsul pentru SQL Server, IIS, Project Server, Hyper-V, Exchange, Biztalk, AD sau Sharepoint.

CPU

Cand vorbim despre cauzele performantei scazute primul gand, ne zboara spre resurse hardware insuficiente, insa de multe ori cauzele sunt foarte variate si solutiile la fel de variate. Pentru a ajunge insa la cauze trebuie sa analizam efectul iar apoi pe baza informațiilor vom trage o concluzie. Sunt multe situații cand planificarea corecta in funcție de particularitățile aplicației ne scutește de astfel de probleme, sunt situații când un Bug in aplicație ne da totul peste cap sau sunt situații când fie trebuie sa aplicam un update, un hotfix sau un workaround pentru a rezolva problemele. Indiferent de rezolvare va trebui sa identificam simptomele si cu ajutorul lor sa punem un diagnostic problemei.

Revenind la subiectul principal si anume cum colectam date despre CPU pentru a obține informații mai clare despre simptome, încercând pe baza acestor date sa gasim vinovatul problemei sau macar sa restrângem aria de căutare a problemei.

Perfmon ne pune la dispoziție ca pentru toate componentele o serie de countere pe care le putem observa pentru a identifica o potențiala problema a carei actiuni se regăsește si la nivelul CPU-ului:

• Processor\% Processor Time – reprezintă procentul din timp in care nu rulează thread-ul idle (este un thread care ruleaza pe fiecare procesor in momentul cand nu mai se executa nimic) si se calculează scăzând din timpul total timpul in care a rulat thread-ul Idle.In general trebuie sa urmărim daca valoarea de utilizare a procesorului depaseste 60% utilizare constanta, iar apoi sa observam unde petrece cea mai mare parte din timp (user mode sau kernel mode). Daca petrece majoritatea timpului in user mode va trebui sa analizam fiecare process in parte si mai departe cu un profiler dupa ce identificam procesul. Daca in schimb petrece cea mai mare parte din timp un kernel mode probabil exista un alt motiv iar activitatea intensa din CPU este doar un efect. In kernel mode se executa funcții de sistem (disc I/O, memorie, rețea, etc.)
• System\Processor Queue Length – reprezintă numărul de fire de execuție (thread-uri) aflate in coada procesorului. Pentru sisteme multiprocessor sau multicore va trebui sa impartim valoarea la numarul de core-uri de pe sistem. In general in fuctie de nivelul de procesare o coada o coada cu peste 10 fire de executie care asteapta in medie pentru perioade prelungite corelata cu timpul in care executa fie in kernel mode sau user mode ne poate duce la concluzia daca performanta sistemului va beneficia prin cresterea puterii de procesare. Sau se poate reduce numarul de fire de executie care asteapta sa fie rulate pe processor la nivelul aplicatiilor care ruleaza pe sistem.
• Processor ()\% Privileged Time – timpul pe care procesorul il petrece executand in kernel mode, executand operatii la nivel de sistem cum ar fi functii de disc I/O , network I/O sau alocare de memorie, spe exemplu. Utilizarea excesiva a procesorului in kernel mode, sugerează o posibila problema la nivelul memoriei, discului sau a retelei care cauzeaza activitatea ridicata la nivel de sistem, determinantul  sa petreacă foarte mul timp deservind I/O la nivel de sistem, ramanand mult mai putin timp alocat executiei aplicațiilor in user mode.
• System\Context Switches/sec – devine o problema daca este corelat cu utilizarea ridicata a procesorului in kernel mode si un nivel ridicat de utilizare in general. Context switching se petrece atunci cand un fir de execuție cu o prioritate mare opreste execuția unui fir cu o prioritate mai mica sau cand schimba intre executia in user mode si kernel mode. Valoarea de unde trebuie sa fim atenti este peste 15,000 pe secunda ar trebui sa ne puna in garda. In general un numar mare de fire de executie care schimba contextual intrand in kernel mode are la baza o problema legata de I/O unde ar trebui sa mergem mai departe pentru a gasi problema reala.
• Process (*)\% Processor Time – ne arata cat timp din procesor consuma fiecare process in parte. Daca suspectam un bottleneck pentru executia in user mode, putem identifica procesul care consuma excesiv de mult si apoi putem folosi un profiler pentru a analiza procesul respective.
• Processor\% Interrupt Time – indica timpul pe care procesorul il petrece pentru a primi si deservi întreruperi hardware la intervalele prestabilite. In general dispozitivele care genereaza intreruperi sunt mouse-ul driverele pentru disc, ceasul de sistem, NIC-urile sau alte dispozitive periferice. De obicei dispozitivele respective întrerup firul normal de execuție a procesorului cand fie au terminat un task sau necesita atenție. O creștere dramatica a valorii counterului ne sugerează o potențiala problema hardware.

Am vorbit in postul trecut despre informațiile pe care perfmon le oferă, incepand cu momentul deschiderii lui si cum putem observa o problema utilizând cele trei countere afisate la pornire. Insa tot in acelasi post spuneam ca niciodata nu ar trebui sa luam o concluzie doar pe baza unui counter. Asadar vom incerca sa le analizam pe rand, incepand cu problemele legate de memorie. Mentionam in postul anterior ca peste 1000 de Pages/sec , valoare prezenta o durata îndelungata, ne sugerează o presiune la nivel de memorie care ar trebui investigata pentru aflarea cauzei reale si cum poate fi rezolvata. Ar mai trebui precizat ca de multe ori datorita scrierilor intense de page files mai devreme sau mai târziu vom observa si un botleneck la nivelul diskului, insa el trebuie analizat in concordanta cu counterele de memorie pentru ca de multe ori este un efect al lipsei de memorie. Un alt lucru de care trebuie sa tinem cont cand spunem monitorizarea counterulul pe o durata mai indelungata este eliminarea varfurilor (perioadele scurte cand valoarea counterului creste exponențial )

Cand analizam problemele legate de memorie trebuie sa avem in vedere doua componente: user space memory and kernel (system) space memory.

Pentru user space memory avem doua countere care trebuie sa ne intereseze in mod special. Primul este Memory\Pages/sec despre care am discutat in postul anterior (Probleme apar la peste valori peste 1000 intr-o perioada îndelungata de utilizare). Al doilea counter de interes este Memory\Avaible Mbytes(MB). Acesta indica memoria fizica imediat disponibila in vederea alocării spre un proces sau pentru sistem. In mod normal ar trebui sa existe cel putin 50 MB memorie imediat disponibila in orice moment.  Utilizand ambele countere putem trage o concluzie privind limitarea memoriei, Pages/sec fiind inselator iar manifestari pot aparea in mai multe situatii in special pentru programe care utilizeaza in mod intensiv memoria gen SQL Server unde presiunea ar putea fi datorita memoriei alocate per instanta sau Exchange.

Pentru componenta referitoare la memoria de sistem avem:

Memory\Pool Paged Bytes fiind portiunea din memorie partajata care poate fi paginate in fisierul de paginare din windows. Paged Pool este creat la initializarea sistemului fiind folosit de componentele care rulează in modul sistem pentru alocarea memoriei.

Memory\Pool Nonpaged Bytes sunt adresele virtuale păstrate in memoria fizica care pot fi accesate de la oricare spatiu de adresare virtual fara a folosi paging de pe disk. La fel este si ea initializata la startup si este folosita de componentele sistem pentru alocarea memoriei de sistem.

Memory\Free System Page Table Entries * Adresele in memoria virtuala ale fișierelor de paginare sunt mapate la memoria fizica folosit System Page Table. Aplicațiile vor folosi apoi acest PTE pentru a mapa aceste sistem pages.

Valorile pentru cate trebuie sa fim atenți la memoria sistem sunt descrise cel mai bine in următorul tabel (tabel disponibil pe technet intr-o forma mai detaliata)

Utilizând aceste valori putem diagnostica o posibila problema la nivelul memoriei si putem lua astfel o decizie legata de cantitatea de memorie alocata sau alocarea ei către aplicații. Ar mai trebui zis ca pe sisteme x64 optiunile din boot.ini descrise nu isi mai au rostul programele putand beneficia de mai mult de 2 GB memorie alocata per proces.

Voi continua in urmatorul post analiza counterelor de baza analizand eventualele probleme legate de disk.

Mai mult ca sigur fiecare dintre noi si-a pus măcar odată întrebarea de ce merge serverul nostru așa de greu sau de ce aplicația noasta se mișca încet. Desigur exista întotdeauna problema calitatii codului scris si cum poate fi optimizat însa tot la fel de des performanta se oprește intr-o limitare a resurselor hardware disponibile pe mașina. Întrebarea este însa, cum ne dam seama, cum putem afla unde este problema ?

Windows pune la dispoziție o unealta ideala pentru diagnosticarea astfel de probleme: perfmon sau mai bine zis Peformance Monitor.

Din momentul deschiderii, Perfmon ne oferă un diagnostic in timp real asupra ce se întâmpla la nivelul OS-ului având trei indicatori porniți:

• Pages/sec indica rata la care sunt scrise sau citite “paginile” de pe disk ( “hard page faults”) altfel zis datele care nu exista in memorie si trebuie incarcate din pagefiles aflate pe disk. Ideea cu acest counter este următoare: cu cat este mai mica valoarea cu atât este mai bine neavând presiune asupra memoriei iar mașina se mișca bine. Insa când valoarea creste si avem peste 1000 pages/second avem o problema. Sigur ca nu putem trage o concluzie doar pe baza acestui counter însa depășirea acestei valori in general ne spune ca avem o problema legata de memorie care ar trebui investigata înainte sa aruncam banii pe mai mult RAM.
• Avg. Disk Queue Lenght este un counter pentru monitorizarea diskului  luând masuratori de I/O la nivelul ansamblului de disk. Acest counter este de fapt o medie dintre timpului mediu de răspuns al dispozitivelor care alcătuiesc ansamblul de disk si rata I/O. El estimează numărul de cereri neprocesate adresate diskului la nivelul logic sau fizic. Acestea includ cererile care sunt momentan efectuate la nivelul dispozitivului la care se adăuga cererile care așteaptă accesul la dispozitiv. In general putem estima o problema la nivelul diskului daca counterul depaseste valoarea 2 pentru perioade extinse de timp (minim 15 minute) pentru fiecare disk din ansablul de diskuri. Partea interesanta pentru ansamblele de disk configurate in array este ca valoarea pe care PerfMON o afișează va trebui impartita la numărul de diskuri din Array înainte de a trage o concluzie (se poate discuta si aici mai ales daca avem SQL Server instalat pentru ca sunt multe variabile, însa impartirea la numarul de diskuri este in general valabila) Spre exemplu daca avem un sistem RAID 5 cu 5 diskuri iar Avg. Disk Queue Length este 9 atunci valoarea reala a acestui counter este 1.8, sub valoarea recomandata de 2 per disk fizic.
• % Processor Time determina procentul de timp in care procesorul este ocupat calculanduse ca diferența dintre perioada de timp in care rulează thread-ul procesului Idle  si scăzând valoarea din 100. In general ar trebui sa ne punem un semn de întrebare când utilizarea procesorului depaseste 70-80 % pentru perioade îndelungate de timp, însa nu întotdeauna procesare crescuta arata o problema reala.

Perfmon ne poate oferi destul de multe informatii despre condiția sistemului nostru numai deschizândul si aruncând o privire pe cele trei countere. Însa ca orice lucru in analiza performantei acestor countere, singure nu ne spun mare lucru exceptând poate un semnal de alarma in zona respectiva unde am putea avea o problema, reala sau doar de moment. Ca reguli de baza in monitorizarea stării  unei mașini  trebuie insasi sa reținem ca nici un counter nu ar trebui luat izolat pentru a formula o concluzie. 

In următoarele posturi voi merge puțin mai departe si vom discuta mai in detaliu despre counterele de care avem nevoie pentru a ne forma o părere corecta despre starea unei mașini si cum putem crea rapoarte pe baza acestor date.

Turns out it’s just a virus and, like I’ve always known, the infirmary here is incapable of handling anything more than sitting in their office stupidly.  They just can’t deal with anything.

I literally went there last year to have a paper signed, and sat for 20 minutes while they called the wrong person, even after I was clearly the only person sitting there.  Somehow Kathryn became Kaitlyn and they made no attempt to fix it.  So I’m not surprised that if someone showed up coughing and with a fever of 102* that they would just be like, “Oh, you have the swine flu because regular flu season hasn’t started.  Just go home.”  Idiots.

So the frenzied cleaning my other roommates and did last night (Clorox-ing all the counters and doorknobs, opeing the windows, and throwing out her toothbrush) probably wasn’t so drastically necessary.

 But being sick sucks, and hopefully virus gilr will take medicine from now, something she hasn’t done all semester, making the rest of us sick, too.

Come on in!

From the carport door, the kitchen is to the left. In the bottom right of this picture you can see the peninsula that separates the kitchen from the dining room. Through the doorway is the built-in cabinet in the hallway that leads to the back of the house and the bedrooms and bathroom.

This is the hot drink station I set up on the kitchen counter next to the door from the carport. The tea and coffee canisters are vintage, the tree trunk sugar bowl is from HomeGoods, and the mugs are Arzberg Move Weiß.

To the right of the drink station is the stove and microwave. The kitchen was recently renovated by the previous owners and features new black appliances, hezagonal slate tile backsplash and laminate counters. I’m pretty sure the cupboards, hardware, and flooring are from IKEA: Ädel in Medium Brown, Lansa in 6 5/16″, and Tundra in a light birch color.

Above the microwave I have these ceramic flour and sugar canisters on display.

Across from the stove there’s a doorway into the living room. Here you can see our media setup (problem area) in profile, the “front” door on the far side of the house, and the “front” closet to the left of the “front” door.

Through this doorway to the left is a built-in cabinet and the hallway to the private quarters of the house (bedrooms and bathroom).

Here’s the peninsula with a view to the fireplace in the living room.

And here’s the whole kitchen, seen from the dining room across the peninsula.

Next up: the dining room!

When you start a blog post with a pic like the one below, you do rather risk looking like a Blogger(TM). But I’ll give it a try anyway.

Big Brother is… counting the calories

burned in your eyebrow twitches

An interesting story in the Times today by Chris Ayres in California sees a new invention – The DirectLife calorie counter analyses your every movement and sends the info on how lazy you are back to your boss. You then have to meet “performance targets”. Eugh eugh eugh.

Reading the article in the paper though, I’m struck by the thought that generally, people only need a big brother if they act like a little brother. Take the chief exec of the division making the product, for example. He said:

You find it’s the little things that count, like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or walking to the coffee shop instead of driving there.

Driving to a coffee shop, for me, would be an all time low. You must be joking.

More seriously, if performance targets are taken on in fitness like they are with everything else, it’d be interesting to see how the numbers could be got round. It’s been managed in every other section of life. How do you get exam results up? Do easier subjects. How do you reduce arrests for petty offences? Take officers off the streets. How do you make more empty hospital beds? Just overprescribe to the saps who’re in them [note: this last one is just a sick joke].

So basically, I’m not convinced. Which is why I am of the opinion that in order to flog the damn thing, they had to advertise it like, at best, a pack of tic tacs – and at worst, a pack of condoms. Enjoy, and have a nice weekend.

PS – the Facebook group I blogged about yesterday now has 54,602 members: and is growing very, very fast!

Perhaps you’ve noticed the map on the side of my blog. It’s a traffic counter, from ClustrMaps.  http://www.clustrmaps.com/index.htm

I added it as part of my effort to get to know my audience better. Learning more about who is reading my blog will help me know what type of content I should be posting.

My map has only been up a few days, but it’s already my favorite widget. I love seeing the variety of countries people visiting my blog come from. Double-clicking on the thumbnail makes the map of the continents bigger, and clicking on the country totals list shows how many visitors come from each place. The totals are automatically updated on a daily basis, although there are other options if you want to change that. As long as you get less than 2,500 visits per day, you can get a map like mine for free. They have additional options if you want to pay a small fee. A year would cost $15.99.

I appreciate everyone who visits here, and hope to provide information you’ll find helpful and enjoy reading. If there’s something you’d like to see discussed, or if I’m overlooking a topic related to writing, reading, or things writers might be interested in, let me know and I’ll try to include it in upcoming posts.

Edit October 12, 2009: This morning my map shows I have dots on 6 continents! Considering 99% of the people I know live in Indiana, I’m overwhelmed and sincerely appreciative to have visitors from so many places. 

What topics would you like to see discussed in future posts? What were you hoping to find when you clicked on my blog?

Granite, Granite, Granite!  It’s everywhere!  Everybody has it in their kitchens, their bathrooms, and it is so popular these days it’s almost trendy!  However, Granite *does* need to be sealed (about every 6 months or so).  That’s not a terrible thing, but if you *don’t* seal it, then this is what happens when you leave something wet on the counter for too long:

Welp, now we know our Granite Counters aren’t sealed!  Ha ha!  Well, we actually knew that already, mostly as a result of all of the stains in our counters that will never come out from the prior owners.  Since the above photo was taken, we have purchased an over-the-counter Stone Sealer (available at Lowe’s/Home Depot/local hardware store) and the counters are thankfully sealed!  Phew!

However, we would like to replace our counters at some point down the line.  So….You Tell’Us!  What would you recommend for counter tops in a kitchen?  Do you like Granite?  Love it?  Hate it?  Tell’Us what you think because we really want to know since we’ll be shopping for new counters as soon as the bank account allows (umm…not a top priority, but it will be done before we put this house on the market – some day…).  Feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of this posting and share with us and with the rest of our readers.  I’m sure everyone would like to know!

And, lastly, if you keep Oils, Vinegars, etc., on your kitchen counter like I do, protect your expensive (or not so expensive) counters with a little tray like this one:

It’s actually the Jamestown Round Server from Southern Living at Home.  I am a Consultant, so if you’re ever interested…drop me a line!

Changes, changes.. Oh! Changes..

In the weather, in our garden, in our bunnies, in my duties..

The daylight is less and less with every day. It is very cold at night- bone chilling at times. Our garden is always in transition and changing, but we’re gearing more towards next year now, and the building up & tilling of the soil. Our bunnies are continually changing colors- bit by bit- but are at a stand-still as far as growth.

We are working on my Winter kitchen, in a wall tent complete with wood stove & counters (free from a neighbor who was remodeling). I am most excited about it, because not only will I be able to be warm while I’m working, it will free up some muchly needed space in Tipi. I will have the room needed to continue to learning all the in’s & out’s of being completely self-sustainable. I.E. Soap & candle making, bread & pastries, canning, etc… Exciting thoughts!

My duties have gone from tending to the woods & garden to tending to “be prepared for Winter”. Anything & everything you can think of- blankets, sealing tipi, wood harvesting, and canning. The pressure is on, and it is felt. By my birthday on Haloween, we should be there.

As is the case with many technical requirements, the confusion is not how to make something accessible but when is it required to be accessible.

Counter-tops are a great example since not all work surfaces are treated equally.

5% of common-use work surfaces are required to have knee clearance and shall not be higher than 34″.

4.1.3(18) If fixed or built-in seating or tables (including, but not limited to, study carrels and student laboratory stations), are provided in an accessible public or common use area, at least five percent (5%), but not less than one, of the fixed or built-in seating areas or tables shall comply with 4.32. An accessible route shall lead to and through such fixed or built-in seating areas, or tables

But sales and service counters can be 36″ high since the person with a disability is not expected to spend much time at a service counter.

Sales and Service Counters, Teller Windows, Information Counters.

(1) In department stores and miscellaneous retail stores where counters have cash registers and are provided for sales or distribution of goods or services to the public, at least one of each type shall have a portion of the counter which is at least 36 in (915 mm) in length with a maximum height of 36 in (915 mm) above the finish floor. It shall be on an accessible route complying with 4.3. The accessible counters must be dispersed throughout the building or facility. In alterations where it is technically infeasible to provide an accessible counter, an auxiliary counter meeting these requirements may be provided.

In a dining area, if fixed counters are provided, then 5% of the fixed counters are required to be accessible, even if accessible tables are provided. There are no technical requirements for loose furniture, the Texas Accessibility Standards and the ADAAG only regulate the fixed seating and tables. This is a common violation in employee break rooms and delis where a bar height counter may be provided for dining and the need for accessible fixed counters is overlooked.

5.1* General.

(1) Except as specified or modified in this section, restaurants and cafeterias, including snack bars and other areas for obtaining or consuming food or drink, shall comply with the requirements of 4.1 to 4.35. Where fixed tables (or dining counters where food is consumed but there is no service) are provided, at least 5 percent, but not less than one, of the fixed tables (or a portion of the dining counter) shall be accessible and shall comply with 4.32 as required in 4.1.3(18).

And as previously discussed, work surfaces that are provided for employees to perform their job are not required to be accessible. There are a few places where this can get confusing. For instance, a working laboratory is not required to have accessible work surfaces, but an almost identical student laboratory is required to have accessible work surfaces since it is not an “employee work area”.  The issue gets fuzzy when you may have a research laboratory at a university where students are receiving credit for working in the lab.  Let the university lawyers figure that one out, it’s what they are paid for.

The imaginative experts at Badec Bros Deco design and manufacture a wide selection of Cubedec décor products, such as Cubedec miniature Zen garden boxes, 2010 Soccer World Cup décor, mild steel lamp shades, mild steel screens, Cubedec laser-cut logos, gabion counters, narration stands, gabion light cages, Cubedec gabion bollards, gabion water features, gabion planters, gabion feature walls, gabion terraces, gabion dustbins, sculptured living walls, sculptured flagpoles, unique pots and drip trays, customized sculptures, Cubedec benches, trendy steel décor with your company logo emblazoned on it, mild steel inspirational slogans, steel laser-cut signage, mild steel moulds, Cubedec pots, hanging sculptures, wooden or steel feature poles, bar code trellises, Cubedec water features, pergolas, arches, sculptures, dustbins or trellises, and much more.

We really love a creative challenge and excel at designing and creating customized exterior or interior décor pieces for your home, office or garden, such as innovative mild steel pots, trendy garden benches, artistic trellises, arches and pergolas, as well as, imaginative sculptures.

Our creative team can dream up and manufacture any type of décor that your heart desires and customize it to your specifications. We use a wide variety of mediums to create our master pieces, including mild steel, stainless steel, wood, sandstone, plexiglas, mosaic tiling and the like. When producing mild steel products, we can finish your artefact in a mild steel finish, a rusted finish, or a powder coated finish in any colour you can imagine. Our powder coating is SABS approved.

Should you wish to have your very own customized Badec Bros Deco product, please feel free to contact our energetic and knowledgeable sales representative, Mareleen van Zijl, on her cell phone at 078 800 5112, the office number at 012 460 7990, or via e-mail at mareleen@badecbros.com  

She will gladly arrange an appointment with you to listen to your ideas and to stun you with our own creative ideas! You dream it, we manufacture it!

Badec Bros Deco will create a 3 dimensional render and calculate a quotation FREE OF CHARGE for you! We can deliver your unique Badec Bros Deco product(s) within 10 to 15 working days, upon acceptance of the design and quotation and the required 50% deposit. These services come standard and will not cost you a cent extra! We offer a 1 year guarantee on all our products.