Cop Car's Beat

Testing my luck

There were a couple of postings that I wrote that didn't make it online. The first, I lost due to the Beta version of TypePad's having a bad day. The second, due to loss of power in my computer. In Aren't Computers Fun, the genesis of my new computer (now my only computer) was laid out and a photo of the cute little critter posted. What I didn't write about, because I was not yet sure of the origin, was the occasional instantaneous shutdown of the little critter. The first instance occurred when it was about a week old, while I was still experiencing growing pains with getting software installed. Doing a diagnostic on restart, I was told that there was a problem with a software package. OK. I uninstalled that software package and worked without it for a few days when the little critter ups and dies on me, again. However, this time the diagnostics could find nothing to report.

Thus, things have continued. I went through the troubleshooting procedure online. The little critter died, again. I called HP about the issue, only to lose the IM connection that we had established. I kinda let it slide for a few weeks, having other things on my mind. It isn't a big thing to have a computer die once a week!

Night before last, the little critter died once more. I let it go until about 6:00 AM, yesterday. Within minutes, it died again. Again, I established IM with HP (in India, doubtlessly)--which connection was lost within a couple of minutes. Established IM with a second HP rep (also in India, doubtlessly). To speed up the process, I told "Wilson" that the online troubleshooting procedure had suggested that I check the power input setting to assure that it was set to the correct voltage. I couldn't find the setting switch! He ignored that comment. I asked him if there was a circuit breaker that might be faulty? No, he assured me, no circuit breaker problem. He asked if I had installed hardware and/or software. Well, of course, starting with the external modem. He assured me there is an internal modem. I assured him not--there is no port to which to plug in a phone line!

After a Q&A session, he sent me a link to a step-by-step procedure to follow. It was the one that I had already gone through. 

Wilson : So the issue occured due to some problem with your power supply box which is in your tower.

Cop Car: That has been my conclusion. At first, I assumed it was a software issue, but now I believe it to be a faulty circuit breaker.

Wilson : yes.

Wilson : Exactly.

Wilson : Don't worry now I will create a service ticket so that you will get a call from Hp inorder to replace the gone bad power supply box.

Wilson : Is that fine with you?

Cop Car: Who will install the power supply box? Computer is under warranty.

Wilson : You will get a call from Hp with in 2 business days inorder to replace the box.

It can't come too soon. The little critter lost power 6 times within 24 hours, yesterday! The only reason that I would rather not replace the power supply, myself, is to avoid negating the warranty.

As I have given up my old machine (after taking off all of my data files and emails) to Hunky Husband, and as he hasn't unloaded my old, old machine that he was using for a couple of programs that wouldn't run on his new (Fall 2007) computer, the little critter is now my only computer. If I suddenly drop off the radar screen, it will probably mean that my power supply has completely fried and that I am awaiting the new power supply. Cross your fingers for me!

Was ist das?

Das ist ein Sonnenuntergang. Treading on dangerous waters, I am, to attempt any Deutch considering that it has been 53 years since I last sat in a Scientific German class as a sophomore in college. Nevertheless, this is such an extraordinary photo of a sunset that I got carried away. The photo was taken in 2005 by one of the Mars Rovers. More recently, marking the 5th anniversary of the landing of Spirit (from which the photo was snapped) and Opportunity on the surface of Mars, NASA laid out their future plans for these intrepid explorers who have already multiplied their expected service life by a factor of 20. As the Science at NASA newsletter put it....

Mars Rover Update

03.26.2009

March 26, 2009:In January 2004, NASA landed two identical robotic rovers named Spirit and Opportunity on the surface of Mars. The twins were primed for a brief 3-month mission to tell us a story of water and possibly life itself in the planet's past. More than five years later, the dynamic duo are still roving the Red Planet, engaged in a saga of overachievement that has transformed Mars exploration. "Spirit and Opportunity helped invent a whole new discipline -- robotic field science," says Steve Squyres, principal investigator for the Mars Exploration Rover Mission. "They've taught us how to organize large teams of scientists and engineers to operate robotic rovers on a distant planet. We all had to learn to work together effectively year after year to squeeze the most possible science from the rovers." The teams are still squeezing. Among the remarkable findings from these solar-powered robots over the half-decade: Mars wasn't always as cold and dry as it is today. Maybe it didn't look like a set for The Sound of Music, but it had water and was warm enough for life. Mars Exploration Mission team members have also learned the perils of maneuvering robotic rovers located a hundred million kilometers away. They've gotten the vehicles stuck more than once. "We now know how to negotiate sand dunes and piles of rocks," says Squyres, "and perhaps more importantly – how to avoid them. We've translated five years of experience into new and improved maps and driving software that will help us in the remainder of our mission, and will also help future rovers."

For the whole story, either click on the above link to the Science@NASA web site or  Download "Plucky Rovers Roll Along". Either way, you will spend but a couple of minutes while learning the fascinating exploits of the Rovers and their handlers and seeing wondrous photos sent back by the Rovers. This story is a day-brightener for me!

By the way: The Plucky Rovers have their own home page (please click on the link to visit that page.)

Livin' the American Dream - Part 2

Referring to the picture window of the photo in the previous posting, Elder Brother and I could watch the scenery roll by from our vantage point. If Mom & Dad wanted us to notice something, whoever was driving would toot the horn. If we kids needed something, we could punch a doorbell button and the buzzer would sound inside the cab of the truck.

In 1942, when we started out on the great adventure of living within the little house that Dad had built on the back of his flatbed Ford truck, our only motor vehicle of the time, my grandfather stepped in and declared that our mother was not going to take "that baby" (my 6-month-old brother) on such a jaunt. He confiscated my brother and his diapers and Younger Brother spent the time with our maternal grandparents. The first  photo is of said grandfather and brother, taken at about the time we started out.    The house in the background was that of my maternal great grandparents, in Nevada MO. As I recall, my maternal great great grandmother, who had lived with my great grandparents had died a few months prior to the time of the photo.

Amarillo, Victoria, and Temple are a few of the places we stayed in Texas. There must have been military bases undergoing construction nearby those towns, because Dad worked at military bases as far as I recall. Cramped in the little truck bed, with no running water or bathing facilities, and in close quarters with others who were living in similar conditions, Elder Brother and I caught scabies (The "Itch") at one of our stops. How Mom (or Dad!) coped with all that is beyond me. She had a galvanized 5-gallon tub that she used for washing dishes, clothing, kids. I'll never forget the odoriferous lotion that she spread on our scabies patches. Phew!!! The second photo shows Mom with Elder Brother and me. The 1-year-old boy is, as in the previous posting photo, our cousin. You can see a bit of the side-view of our home. The part that extended over the cab of the truck was where we all slept. Dad & Mom had put mattresses, side-by-side to ease our sleep. (It appears that I may have gotten into trouble--again! I was an ornery little kid who grew up to be an ornery adult!)

The third photo shows all three of us kids, Elder Brother, Younger Brother, and me with two of our homes in the background. At the left of the photo, one can see the aft end of the home-made home while beyond us kids can be seen the new little house into which we were moving, in Tulsa OK (the house is oriented with the attached garage nearer to us than is the house). After we got moved in, Dad took the home-made house off of the truck bed and positioned it "this side of" (the South side of) the garage. We were to live in that house until October 1946 at which time we would move to Kansas City MO.

Livin' the American Dream - Part 1

As young marrieds, my folks had it made. They and their three surviving kids lived life large. Here are two of their kids (and their nephew) gaily giggling out the picture window of their bedroom/living room/kitchen. Does it look like they had a care in the world? Nope! From left to right, Cop Car at age 4, cousin (now deceased) at age 1, and Elder brother at age 6. The photo was probably taken in the Galveston area, as cousin and his family lived in Houston.

Dad was following construction work, as a day-laborer, all over Texas. (Correction: Aunt V tells me that Dad was already an electrician at that time and that the work he followed was as an electrician. Regardless – he was a hard-working man!)

Elder brother attended seven different schools, that year. After a year of traveling in our home-made home, we settled in a brand new, two-bedroom home in Tulsa. The home-made home became a home to chickens (in the main part) and rabbits (in the part that had projected out over the cab of the Ford truck. The roof of it became the launch pad for my first parachute jump (I pretended to have an umbrella which, in turn, I pretended to be a parachute). No broken bones--then, or in my whole life. Just call me lucky!