20 Jan 12 Slavoj Žižek thoughts on Occupy Wall St at St. Mark’s Bookshop Oct 26 2011
Recorded October 26, 2011, 7pm. Slavoj Zizek –at a book signing event at St. Mark’s Bookshop in the East Village–gives a lengthy talk using the Occupy Wall Street movement as an example that now is time for slow, careful “thinking”, and not simply be trapped the movement’s carnival-like atmosphere, or ” hip pragmatism ” (37:20); don’t be mired in ” leftist melancholy ” (45:10) the real 99%? the wall street protesters, or the starving poor in America and around the world? (34:00) the true lost object in melancholy is this desire (5:59) also… at the end of the talk he inquires into the status of st marks bookshop, in danger of closing due to high rent. www.youtube.com closed captioned caption english subtitles philosophy philospher lecture talk book signing social theorist theory nervous
Tags: Bookshop, Connemara, iek, Ireland, Marks, Motorcycle, Occupy, Slavoj, Thoughts
17 Jan 12 Choosing the Best Carpet Shampoo For Your Home
Finding the most effective carpet shampoo for your needs depends upon a few different factors. You’ll want to take into consideration the size of your carpet, the type of dirt or stains that you need to remove, and what kind of carpet cleaning machine or carpet shampooer you’ll be using in conjunction. Read on to learn more about the different types of carpet shampoo out there, and which one will work the best for you and your home cleaning needs.
When it comes to removing dirt or stains from a specific area of your rug or carpet, versus an overall carpet cleaning and refreshing, the best type of carpet shampoo will be a concentrated spot or stain remover. These are usually packaged in aerosol spray cans, and the contents are applied directly to the area of your carpet where the stain or spill is found. This is a great way to clean up recent stains and spills without having to rent or purchase a carpet shampooer, since the stain is only in a small area. This is an easy method of cleaning your carpets quickly and efficiently, with the least amount of hassle.
For rugs or carpets that need an overall clean and freshening, dry carpet shampoo is a great place to start, because it does not require the use of a carpet shampooer. Instead, the powder is sprinkled all over the area of your carpet that you’d like to clean, and then once it sits for a specified duration, you simply vacuum up the residue using a regular upright vacuum. The powder is essentially magnetized to the dirt and dinginess in your carpet, which makes it effective – but it does not necessarily have the cleansing power of a shampoo that is used in conjunction with a carpet shampooer.
A liquid carpet shampoo or detergent, when combined with a high-powered carpet shampooer, can be one of the most effective ways of deep cleaning your carpet and truly bringing it back to life. Although you can certainly purchase a carpet shampooer at a hardware or home improvement store, you also have the option of renting one, which is an economical way of cleaning your rugs and carpets without investing the hundreds of dollars that’s most carpet cleaning machines are priced at.
12 Jan 12 A DIY Guide for Vacuum Cleaner Repair
It always seems that your vacuum will malfunction right before company is set to arrive. What do you do if your vacuum is not working correctly? Many people will simply throw away their vacuum and purchase a new one. However, did you know that it is quite easy to repair a vacuum cleaner?
You can find a lot of great information by checking out the website of the manufacturer who made your vacuum. For instance, if you have a Hoover vacuum, you can learn specifically about Hoover parts and how they work.
In order to repair the problem, you first need to determine what is wrong with your vacuum cleaner.
There are actually not a lot of vacuum parts which malfunction. The most common problem is a belt malfunction. To check out the vacuum cleaner belt, you will want to flip the vacuum on its front so that the brush is facing you. You will notice a small plate around the brush. Unscrew this. Check the belt. It is possible that it has snapped or has wrapped itself around a portion of the brush. If it is broken, you will want to take the belt with you to a store to purchase a new one. Many stores carry vacuum cleaner parts, including stores like Walmart and Target. You should be able to identify the proper size belt and many times a package will contain several size belts making it easier to insure you have the right one. Vacuum cleaner belts are not expensive at all.
You also will want to check the vacuum agitator brush. Sometimes it can become tangled with hair, pieces of carpet or string. You should use a pair of scissors to cut all of that out. Once it is clean, you can simply replace the belt and screw the plate back on the front.
If your vacuum is having poor suction, you might have something blocking one of the hoses. Remove the hoses one at a time, consulting your owner’s manual if needed. If you have trouble reaching the blockage you can use the end of a mop or broomstick to push the obstruction through.
It also makes sense to do some routine maintenance on your vacuum. You will want to check the vacuum filter frequently to insure that it is not too dirty or blocked. The vacuum filter can affect the performanace of your machine. Also check the cord of your vacuum to make sure that it hasn’t become frayed. Vacuum cords can often become damaged when they are run over by the vacuum.
Most of the problems you have with your vacuum will be related to either the agitator brush, the belt, or a blockage. You can save yourself a lot of time and money if you do the repairs yourself. You will be surprised how easy it is.
Sometimes a vacuum has electrical problems and those are a lot more difficult to fix on your own. In that case it is probably better to take it to someone who knows how to repair vacuums or make the move to a new machine.
Next time you have vacuum trouble, try these simple tricks. They might just breathe new life back into your vacuum!
06 Jan 12 Greek Mythology Hercules – The Mortal Who Became a God
When Hercules was born to Alcmene, she named him Herakles. But in Roman, Herakles is pronounced Hercules, which is the name we use for Hercules to this day. Hercules in Greek mythology is a great figure of valor and muscle strength. Hercules bravery earned him a place among the gods. After he left the mortal world, he found a position on Mount Olympus, the gods’ dwelling place.
Zeus, the King of the gods was an unfaithful husband. He had a weakness for worldly pleasures. He fell in love with Alcmene, the wife of Amphitryon. In a short time, Alcmene conceived Hercules. This angered Hera and she tried to kill Hercules. Hercules survived his first fatal assault with a miracle.
When Hercules reached adulthood he became a famous warrior. He also fell in love with a beautiful woman called Megara. Megara became the mother of Hercules’ children and together they made a happy family. However, things were to be different. Hera took a vow to irritate Hercules during his lifetime. She tricked Hercules into a wild rage. In his rage, the mortal god Hercules killed his family. This was exactly what Hera wanted!
When Hercules returned to his normal state of mind, he saw things were beyond remedy. He prayed to Apollo to get rid of his crime. Apollo was the sun god who could read into the future. We find in Greek Mythology that Hercules requested his advice. Apollo assigned him ten important tasks (later it was turned to twelve) as the way of purifying his soul.
The Delphic oracle sent him to Tiryns where the king Eurystheus ruled. Hercules was expected to serve him as laborer for twelve years of his life. However, the difficult service was not fruitless. Apollo promised him immortality. He was to become a god. However, the great Hercules of greek mythology had one problem, Hera. She actually kept her promise to make Hercules’ life as wretched as she could. Nevertheless, with the assistance of Hermes and Athena, Hercules pulled off his term of twelve years with excellence. In addition, he became the greatest mortal on the earth to become a god.
Hercules In Greek Mythology – What Made Him So Special?
The honorable penance of Hercules and his eventual success is what makes him so special. His success brought him immortality, which would have been unthinkable for ordinary mortals. Hercules’ first task was to peel off the skin of the horrifying Nemean Lion after capturing one. His next task was to kill The Lernean Hydra. The Lernean Hydra was a serpent with nine heads, which never gave peace to the lives of those around it. The third task for him was to bring a Hind (a sacred red deer) from Ceryneia to the king. The deer was the pet of Diana, the Moon goddess.
The fourth task for Hercules was to bring a live Erymanthian Boar. It was very dangerous to men and animals living around the mountain Erymanthus. Then Hercules was asked to clean up King Augeas’ stables in one day. Are you thinking what is so great about it? King Augeas had an awesome amount of cattle of cows, bulls, goats, sheep and horses. Hercules proposed to King Augeas that he would clean the stable only if he rewarded Hercules with a tenth of his cattle.
After this success, Eurystheus was planning to make something tougher for Hercules. He commanded Hercules to force out an enormous flock of birds, which assembled at a lake near the town of Stymphalos. Goddess Athena helped him with a pair of bronze krotala, an item similiar to castanets. The Cretan Bull was an easy task for Hercules. Hercules wrestled the bull, and then delivered it back to King Eurystheus.
The eighth task was to bring the Man-Eating Horses of Diomedes. It was followed by the battle against the Amazonian female army to get the belt of Hippolyte, the queen. The tenth labor was an awesome one. Hercules had to go around the world, to bring the cattle of the Monster Geryon. It had three heads and three sets of legs all attached at the waist.
The tricky assignment was the eleventh one. Eurystheus asked Hercules to get the Apples of the Hesperides. These were the golden apples gifted by Hera to Zeus. These apples were strictly guarded by a hundred-headed dragon, named Ladon, and also by Hesperides, daughters of Atlas. The other obstacle was that Hercules had no idea where these apples of Hesperides were located. Eventually, Hercules found the location from Nereus whom he seized until Nereus gave him the location of the apples of Hesperides.
Then Hercules found out through Prometheus, whom Hercules had helped, that he would have to have Atlas retrieve the apples. Hercules agreed to hold the sky and the earth while Atlas retrieved the apples. When Atlas returned with the apples, he told Hercules that if he would hold the sky and earth for the rest of time, that he would take them to Eurystheus himself. But Hercules fooled Atlas by asking him to hold the earth until he padded his shoulders. Atlas took Hercules place holding the earth, and Hercules picked up the apples and ran.
After making the great Hercules do all sorts of unbelievable errands, Eurystheus made sure that he did not succeed the last time. So, he ordered Hercules to abduct Cerberus, the underworld beast. Did you ever hear a living man visiting the Hades? However, Greek mythology tells us Hercules was no ordinary man. He was a hero.
He eventually did complete all the tasks, purified his soul and rescued the princess of Troy from a ravenous sea-monster. He also facilitated Zeus to beat the Giants in a great battle for the control of Olympus. He married again, to the charming Deianira. She presented him a cloak, which was coated with what she mistakenly thought to be a magic love potion. She was told that the balm would make the person love her forever.
Ironically, it was poison, which burned Hercules skin. Hercules, not being able to endure the pain asked his friends to kindle a fire. Then Hercules placed himself on the fire to be burned up alive. But the gods looked down, and Zeus thought that Hercules had suffered enough. So he asked Hera to end her anger toward Hercules, which she did. Then Hercules was brought to Olympus in Athena’s chariot by Zeus’ request.
This Greek mortal Hercules is undoubtedly the greatest hero of Greek Mythology. Hercules is still considered to be the perfect mythical character.
31 Dec 11 Marine Refrigeration
How does Marine refrigeration work? The major parts of a DC refrigeration system include the refrigerant, a compressor, and a condenser, a cooling system for condenser, and a plate or plates inside the refrigeration box.
The compressor is part of a closed loop pumping refrigerant through the system and through the evaporator plate in the ice box. The compressor has two sides the High side or discharge side. The discharge side pumps refrigerant under pressure to the condenser. The suction side or low side and sucks refrigerant after it passes thru the evaporator plate back to the compressor. The cold plates in the fridge space have either expansion valves or capillary tube that separate the low and high pressure sides of the refrigeration system.
The refrigerant in the compressor starts as a gas. The compressor compresses the refrigerant gas, from low pressure to high pressure between 100-150 psi. When the pressure is increased like this its temperature is raised dramatically. This hot high pressure refrigerant is then fed to a condenser, where it is cooled and turned into a liquid. The condenser is cooled by either air or water. The refrigerant is now a cool high pressure liquid and is fed to an evaporator plate inside the boats refrigerator box.
The evaporator plate takes the refrigerant from the condenser and here it boils rapidly & evaporates back to a gas, at a very low temperature. This change of state absorbs vast amounts of sensible heat from the evaporator which in turn removes heat from the insulated refrigeration box, thereby lowering its temperature. The BTU is the measurement of heat removed. From the evaporator plate the refrigerant is returned to the low side of the compressor, to start the process again.
Evaporator or Holding Plates
Marine refrigeration systems use either an evaporator plate or a holding plate in the boats refrigeration space or freezer space. Each type of plate works differently in drawing heat from the boats refrigerator and ice box space.
Marine Evaporator
Marine Evaporators are just like the ones found in household refrigerators. They can get quite cold (thermostat setting) and many evaporators have the ability to make ice next to the evaporator plate or inside the evaporator box. Evaporators come in several shapes and sizes; they can be horizontal plate’s vertical plates and rolled plates. Evaporators are constant cycling, or short cycle. Most use a Danfoss marine compressor with H134 refrigerant.
Thermostat controlled evaporator temperature. Turn to lower ice box temperature. Evaporator plates are less expensive, but need Constant power supply.
Marine Holding plates
Marine Refrigerator Holding Plates act like large blocks of ice and the cold temperature of the holding plate sucks heat out of the boats refrigeration box. Holding plates can keep ice boxes cold for long periods.
The main advantage of a holding plate over an evaporator is that they only need to be recharged 1 or 2 times per day. This charging can coincide with attaching to shore power, running the engine and so the refrigerator does not rely on the battery bank. When incorporated into a properly designed system, holdover plates can significantly reduce average energy consumption. However DC holding plates are also possible. The holding plate is filled with a solution that has a freezing point below 23 degrees F. As the compressor runs, the refrigerant passes through the holding Plates coil, freezing the holding plate solution. The compressor turns of and as the holding plate thaws out, heat is removed from the box.
Powering the Compressor
The power supply to the compressor is one of the key elements of the boats refrigeration system. Refrigeration is one of the largest energy consumers onboard, so the power supply is an important element of the system. Power supplies to marine refrigeration systems include AC, DC, Shore Power, Engine power, and hybrid systems. Hybrids are combinations of say 12 volt and engine drive, or engine and shore power. The whole point in looking at power supply to your boats refrigerator is to couple it into onboard power requirements for all your boats marine systems. If you run a generator much of the time then adding on an AC refrigeration unit may make sense, but unless you do, you would be better at looking at 12 V, engine or shore power.
Power can be decided on how you use your boat. Are you tied up at a dock for much of the time and take days trips. Or do you cruise and spend large amounts of time at anchor. Finally are you Powerboating or Sailing will also influence power supply. Sailing means no charging of batteries or power from the engine. Here a solar panel or wind or towed generator can help replenish batteries. If you spend time at the dock, a DC system has plenty of time to recharge on shore power. If you spend time motoring and at the dock and engine drive with shore assist works well.
AC 110 volt marine refrigeration
These drop in refrigerators are like the one in your home and are commonly seen on larges boats with an abundance of AC power and space. The AC powers the marine compressor, and the condenser is typically air cooled. A reliable AC supply is needed in the form of a generator.
DC marine refrigeration with Evaporator plate
One of the cheapest marine refrigeration system and easiest to install is the 12 v or DC system. Air cooling is the simplest. The DC system combined with an evaporator plate that is thermostatically controlled gives flexibility over cooling requirements. Many 12 volt systems use the Danfoss compressor. With the increased efficiency of the Danfoss compressor, DC refrigeration onboard is getting more efficient, but is still power hungry.
For most boats with a small box, a single 12V compressor, air cooled condenser, with evaporator type plate will be about the cheapest option. The Adler Barbour Cold Machine has been around for around 25 years and provides great refrigeration for small to medium size ice boxes.
Shore powered marine refrigeration
Shore powered systems are made to maintain the boat’s ice box at set temperature when the boat is at the dock. They offer less power than direct from an engine drive but since you will be at the dock for a while that is not an issue.
If you use a holding plate and shore powered system you can keep the plate cool while away from the dock for 12 hours or so.
Engine powered marine refrigeration
The idea behind an engine driven compressor system is that the engine gets used anyway for at lest an hour or so. If you are Powerboating this makes sense, if you are sailing calculate how much time you use the engine.
If this is the case an engine drive with a holding plate can draw down the ice box in a short period and after that it can be left for 12 plus hours.
The compressor is run directly off the engine. Belt driven or direct compressor, There are two plates and you can add more, plus ad a separate freezer unit. This creates much power and fast cooling of the holding plate. More power than a 110 volt system. Larger systems and multiple plates are possible. Engine driven systems cost more and also involve a labor higher cost
Condenser Cooling
The marine refrigeration systems condenser needs cooling. This is how the refrigerant gets cooled and turned into a liquid. There are 3 ways to cool the condenser;
Air Cooled
Air cooling simplifies installation plus it does not rely on water or adding thru hulls. It is therefore the cheapest installation. For smaller units air cooling is OK, say 4 cu ft or under 6 cu ft you will get adequate performance. The air cooling unit needs a sufficient supply of re-circulated air for it to work. Ducting and space around the unit will help this.
When you cool by air flow you remove heat from the condenser and ad it to the ambient temperature. The temperature inside of the cabin only has enough capacity to disperse this heat.
Water cooled Condenser
Water cooled compressors will work better in higher ambient temperatures and are more efficient and can be 30% more efficient. Water cooling may be best and is better for larger installs especially if freezer is concerned. Water cooling needs a thru hull and a pump to get the water to the condenser. The most efficient way to cool the condenser
Keel cooler Condenser
The keel cooler or keel condenser requires no thru hull fitting and will not be subject to clogging. The keel cooler is a 3″ x 7″ bronze plate that mounts on the outside of the hull and it is the condenser heat exchanger. The bronze plates are connected direct to the compressor which is the only moving part in the system. The Keel Cooler is for a box up to a 15 cu ft refrigerator or 5 cu ft freezer. Since all the heat is passed into the water outside the boat it will does not heat up the interior. Since it works without a water pump there is never a pump or strainer to maintain and best of all it is nearly silent in operation.
Refrigeration Compressor & plate Combination
Before we pick a size of marine refrigerator we need to understand what factors are involved in keeping the refrigeration box cool. They are mainly box size, insulation and cooling water temperature, number of people aboard and the temperature you are setting the plates for.
Refrigerator Box Volume
This is obvious, the larger the box the more heat removal is necessary. A larger box will need more BTUs of heat removal. After this basic size issue we have things like, Front opening or top opening. Front opening lets cold air out quickly but does allow you to get to the bottom of the box. Drains, if you had a drain for you ice box plug it. You will not need to drain water out of the ice box and this will only let cold air out and heat in. Gaskets, these are a must and must be properly sealed. A trick to identify if there are gaps in the gasket is to put a piece of paper in between the lid or door and the cabinet and close it. Pull on the paper and you should feel some drag if the gaskets are sealing properly. It comes out easily there is a gap. Get new or better gasket material.
Insulation
Typical insulation to a fridge or freezer is foam insulation like Dow Blue board. The recommendation is for 3-4 inches for refrigeration and 4-6 inches for freezer for medium sized boxes. Foam has an R value of 5 per inch thickness, R being a thermal unit. This means in terms of thermal units 3-4 inches represents 15-20R value for the refrigeration unit, and 20-30 for the freezer.
There are manufacturers of vacuum panel thermal insulation. The Glacier bay Barrier Ultra-R super-insulation at R-50 per inch provides lots of insulation without taking up valuable volume. These panels are vacuum panels and are sealed to work. It is very important that you do not drill through or puncture these panels. These panels are custom made, so you would need to provide the manufacturer, exact sizes with locations for copper plate tubes to enter the box. These are built into the panels.
Water temperature
In the tropics water temperature is a lot warmer then northern climates. For every degree water temperature increases a corresponding 2 % increase in required BTU. If you are in the Atlantic portions of the east coast US, you have some cool sea water temps, but of you then cruise down to the Caribbean you may strain your refrigeration system.
Plate Thermostat
The evaporator plate temperature is set by the thermostat. Dial the box temperature down and the system will have to work harder.
Number of people aboard
More people means the box gets opened more and the heat build up from more people adds to the ambient temperature.
How big a Refrigeration System is required?
To calculate how big a refrigeration or marine freezing unit required, you will need to start with an estimation of the BTU requirements of the box. A simple rule of thumb for estimating the BTUs is based on the box volume.
These BTU estimations are based on these assumptions;
- Insulation has an R value of 30 no leaks.
- Water temperatures are tropical in the mid 80s F.
- 2 people aboard, for each extra person add an additional 1,000 daily BTU
- Top opening box, for a front opening door add 15 BTU/inch of door
BTU estimate on refrigeration volume;
Refrigerator daily heat load; 600 Btu per cu. ft.
Freezer daily heat load; 1200 Btu per cu. ft
Lets look at how this works for the 4 cu ft refrigeration system, using the above formula
4 cu. ft. times 600 = 2,400 Btu.
Two additional people on board = 2,000 Btu.
Total required per day = 4,400 Btu
Choosing 12 volt unit with Evaporator
Match this number to the compressor capabilities, and then calculate amps needed to power the system, and then work on the battery bank capability. Start by using the 4,400 BTU form the above example. The Adler Barbour Cold Machine uses the Danfoss BD50 Compressor is rated at 650BTU / hr based on 25F evaporator temp.
This is well above the 4,400/day we need for the 4 cu ft fridge, using only about 1/3 of the power. We could easily go down the Danfoss DB35.
Amps
To calculate how many amps the system will draw we start by converting BTUs to amps with this formula, using an assumption of 5 BTUs per watt hr of energy used. BTU/5/volts. so say we have 4400 BTUS and 12 volts, 4,400/5/12=74 amp hours/day.
Battery Bank
The Amps needed to power the compressor should be 1/4 of the capacity of the house bank. So for the above 74 amp hours needed multiply by 4 to get recommended house battery capacity = 296 amp hrs
Conclusion
These days being on the water means keeping food and drinks cold. 12 volt refrigeration units are becoming more popular with technological advances. Greater compressor efficiency and evaporator technology brings 12 volt cooling to the smallest of boats.
Beneficial Owner Koh Chang Thailand
Tags: Marine, Refrigeration
admin