Herculodge

The 10 Signs That It’s Time to Delete Your Facebook Account

(Re-post)

 

1. You start “sharing” increasing gradations of meaningless trivia with your “friends” like what kind of dog food you purchased, what kind of nail polish you’re using before vacationing in Maui, how taking Omega-3 fish oil capsules makes you burp, etc.
2. You’re spending 14 hours a day “managing” your friends’ comments ("No one has commented on my juicy entry that was posted almost 30 minutes ago. Damn them all!") and losing more perspective on what’s important in your life like getting out of the house, making real friends, and embarking on something truly creative.
3. You become paranoid as to why a “friend” deleted you from his or her friends list and start losing sleep over why more and more Facebook people are deleting you from their existence.
4. You become jealous and resentful when you see a “friend” commenting on someone’s “boring” post but that same person ignored your more “interesting” post.
5. You start competing with your other  Facebook “friends” for amassing more and more friends and comments.
6. You fret when none of your Facebook friends wish you Happy Birthday.
7. You obsess over the fact that one of your lifelong friends is engaging in more Facebook activity with a new Facebook acquaintance who has demoted your friendship ranking.
8. You lose Facebook friends because you don’t reciprocate their offers to play Bubble Shooter, Pokemon Tower Defense, Trollface Launch, Whack Your Boss, and other games that require too much time for anyone who is gainfully employed.
9. You become a Facebook snob, rejecting friend invitationsfrom people who have fewer than 300 Facebook friends.
10. You become a Facebook elitist only accepting friend invitations from people who have a bare minimum of a Masters Degree, share your political beliefs, and have published or produced a work of art that was reviewed by a major publication. 

 

 

'ITT Schaub-Lorenz Touring International103'' Reviewed by Jay Allen

 

 

Thanks, Vimal:

ITT Schaub-Lorenz Touring International103'' reviewed by Jay Allenhttp://radiojayallen.com/itt-schaub-lorenz-touring-103/

Any Tough Watch Recommendations?

In reference to a post about watches that are scratch-resistant, I asked Ulysses for some recommendations. He kindly answered:

I mentioned the Citizen "Duratect" because someone on WatchuSeek was crazy enough to attempt to scratch his DLC watch with a key, and all that happened was his key slowly grated away on the surface of the watch buckle. He even wrote his name onto it and the markings simply wiped off.

Seiko has similar treatments on certain models that are designed to look like steel - you might call this a "stealth" coating - this technology is called "Diashield" and makes titanium watches far less prone to scratches - again, i'm recalling many impressed owner reviews from WatchuSeek. Sadly, most of these are Japanese domestic models only. I guess most of the owners import these watches because Seiko/Citizen aren't considered premium brands in the West. I'd looks at lines like the Citizen Attessa, Casio Oceanus (very underrated) and Seiko Prospex. I'm sure there are plenty of European and American brands which use similar hardening methods, but i'd expect to pay through the nose for them.

In terms of ruggedness, they're pretty even. All the companies I mentioned have their own preferred formulae for titanium alloy treatments to strengthen their watches, and since they are in direct competition I would expect it to be a very close race; based on my research over the years that appears to be the case. As for your Seiko, I can't speak from personal experience since i've never owned a DLC watch (I tend to avoid them, since I love "honest" steel) but i'd be willing to bet it was more durable than the Nixon, simply because one of those companies has a consistent long history of supplying quality time-pieces and the other is a new-comer with different origins and priorities.

If you wish to restore the finish of your watch, it can actually be re-coated contrary to what you may have heard, although at significant expense.

So, having said all that, despite DLC being very hard it is still just a coating and there is always a risk that the coating could become disconnected from the underlying metal. This is more likely around areas where the metal has sharp bends such as the buckle, crown-guard and lugs. That, and the quality of DLC varies dramatically. Surface treatments obviously won't chip or flake off but don't look as cool as a black coating :D.

 

Zenith R7000-2 New in Box, Only $3,800

 

 Thanks, Paul:

Zenith R7000-2 new in box, only $3,800
http://cgi.ebay.com/300582719359

Manly Watch Sighting: H20 Kalmar DLC

 

Very bold and rugged looking H20 Kalmar DLC. 

High-Quality Watches Use DLC Coating Such As My Beloved Citizen Professional Diver

 

 

My gunmetal Nixon 51-30 (shown below my Citizen Professional Diver) has only been worn a dozen times and already has a couple of scuffs which can't be removed because of the coating. In response to this post, Ulysses writes:

You need to buy a better watch that has a durable DLC coating on it. Those manufacturers trying to climb up from "fashion brand" status tend to use lower-quality coatings just to look cool but with little thought to durability. Citizen watches use a version of DLC that won't scratch even against steel. A patina is a tarnish that forms on metal due to some sort of chemical reaction; it isn't an accumulation of light scratches. At the end of the day, you get what you pay for.

A good post on DLC (Diamond-Like Coating)

 

Note to Ulysses:

Can you please give us a list of other high-quality watches that have DLC coating. What about my Seiko Black Monster, for example? 

Also, how does titanium stand up to DLC coating in terms of ruggedness? 

Ed Reviews the Panasonic RF-1115 and Confirms What the Radiopassionata Have Known All Along

 

(Re-post)

Although recent ebay sales of this RF-1115 model have fetched up to $200, I got this one in excellent condition for just $52. It has been compared on this blog to the RF-2200. I'd say it is  "almost" as good ...it's got most (85%?) of the big-brother 2200's performance in a a smaller package, sans a few bells and whistles. The family resemblance to the RF-2200 is clear, in cosmetics and performance. However, it is a smaller portable than the RF-2200, and instead of Shortwave it has a UHF band (450-512 MHz) and a  "PSB High" band (136 - 174MHz) which includes the Weather Band.

I find the UHF and PSB bands to be the most interesting features. I don't own another radio that has both bands. There are local repeaters in my LA area (2 meter hams) and also some police and fire frequencies are active. It is missing a plug-in circular loop UHF antenna, but seems to pick up stations OK without it. Tuning is easy, and the Squelch Control works well to cut out the  inter-transmission static.

On AM, it is very sensitive, perhaps TOO sensitive, in fact,---and unlike the RF2200---it does not have an RF Gain Control, so there is some imaging from the strongest station into other frequencies (ie, 1070 into 1150).

It uses 4 "C" cells and and can also be powered from AC, so it should have good battery life.  While the 3" or so speaker cannot produce wide-range sound, it is augmented in the low end by a "Loudness" boost switch, much like that on the RF-888. But overall the sound is on the crisp, bright side, which can be tamed somewhat with the single Tone control. But it is not as quiet as the RF2200. The Tuning meter is easy to use for that old sweet-spot analog tuning, maybe better in acttion than the 2200's, and it has a Dial light. The brushed-aluminum faceplate, the flip switches, and the  chrome and black plastic parts are solid, very exemplary of high quality 1970's Japanese design.

For the non-shortwavers among you, who still like a taste of secret and clandestine transmissions on the UHF and PSB bands, the 1115 may be for you. You could save a lot over a 2200, which commonly sells for $200-250, and still enjoy most of its legendary performance on its little brother, the RF-1115.

 

 

Does Having a Slightly Lower IQ Help Social Adaptability?

 

Are the super IQ people of the world too wrapped in their ego to adapt to different environments? Carlos contemplates this possibility in response to my post about never assuming I should expect the same treatment in different situations. He writes:

"One thing I take from this: Never assume the way you’re being treated in one environment applies to all environments. Every situation has its own set of rules and you must adapt to each one accordingly."

It bears mentioning that 98s tend to be either unwilling or unable to abide by this tenet of good behavior. 98s accustomed to being treated as 98s - especially physicians and academics (though 98s tend to choose more lucrative occupations than academia these days) - seem to possess ossified and unadaptable personalities. They regard the whole world other than theirs as a huge intellectual gaffe.

On the other hand, 92s sympathize with mediocrity just enough, that they won't necessarily stick out at or be affronted by the mundane humanity of, say, a mall food court or the post office. 92s I think are much more adept at being social chameleons - unless, of course, they find themselves in the awkward situation of being surrounded by 98s.

 

Nice Looking Panasonic RF-888 Bidding Today

The bidding is low so far for this nice looking Panasonic RF-888. You have to hear this one to believe it. Amazing speaker. 

Any Watch Other Than Stainless Steel Cannot be Polished for Scuff Removal

 

 

The good people at Watch City (at the Torrance Del Amo Mall) just explained that they cannot remove the tiny scuffs (so tiny that most people won't notice them; however, I'm anal-retentive about most things) from my gunmetal Nixon 51-30.

Any watch other than stainless steel, that includes, black, gunmetal, gold, etc., has a coating and such scuffs are categorized as "normal wear and tear."

Normal, maybe. But I'll think twice before buying a coated watch again.