You know it was a great holiday. My family came to visit and we cooked a feast, played games, saw movies, etc. Actually, it brings me back to the need to pay attention. My brother-in-Law and I were record shopping when he saw that a local nigh club had one of his kid’s favorite bands playing. So, in addition to everything else we did, they got to see a concert (and meet the band). I’m serious when I say you need to pay attention to the world around you!
But now, thanksgiving is done – a mountain of bench work and hundreds of emails await my attention. But in the spirit of the holiday past, I thought I’d like to take a moment and say thank you for the reception the new products are getting. Interest has been good and sales are starting to come in.
(And hey if you have a hunter or sportsman in your life check out our products page. http://www.anevalinc.com/buyproductsandformulae/sportingandhunting.html And hunters, while you’re away in the woods why not get leave your wives some luxury to enjoy while you were away. http://www.anevalinc.com/buyproductsandformulae/massageandbathtreats.html
Ok back to work with me.
Until Later
Charles
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Me, William and A Gel Lifter Part 2,
By way of reminder, back in August my eldest nephew William and I were playing with a way of increasing resolution of gel lifters with the Axis Inversion Dyes.
Well, the first few trials were miserable failures. The heat needed to activate the dyes distorted or outright melted the gel. However, as the wizard said said, 99% perspiration etc… So, the work continued to the point today whereby incorporating the dye into a fuming cartridge the heat needed for sublimation does not impact the lifter.
Essentially what we have come up with is this: the dye colors the gel, but where the gel has picked up residue, the dye is blocked from entry. The result is a yellowing of the gel -- up to a few shade units -- without coloring the impression. (See the top picture.)
So who cares you may ask? Well I do, (and possibly others … possibly people who use gel lifters) because, the result is a net bluing of the impression making it easier to view. (Blue and yellow are diametrically opposed on the visual axis. So if the background is yellower the foreground is defacto bluer.)
To be honest, in most cases while we are able to increase the contrast of the image, we weren’t able to achieve an image that couldn’t also be obtained with oblique lighting and optical filters. But, there were cases where the increase in contrast pushed the image just enough to resolve detail that weren’t achievable by conventional means. (See the bottom Picture)
Obviously, this is very preliminary. I may work it into a study if there is time in 2012, who knows, maybe I can get my nephew to work with me on a validation project.
But for now, I am simply content to have figured finished the proof of concept steps begun with William.
But it is Sunday, and I think I have put enough time in the lab tonight so with that …
Until Later
Charles
Well, the first few trials were miserable failures. The heat needed to activate the dyes distorted or outright melted the gel. However, as the wizard said said, 99% perspiration etc… So, the work continued to the point today whereby incorporating the dye into a fuming cartridge the heat needed for sublimation does not impact the lifter.
Essentially what we have come up with is this: the dye colors the gel, but where the gel has picked up residue, the dye is blocked from entry. The result is a yellowing of the gel -- up to a few shade units -- without coloring the impression. (See the top picture.)
So who cares you may ask? Well I do, (and possibly others … possibly people who use gel lifters) because, the result is a net bluing of the impression making it easier to view. (Blue and yellow are diametrically opposed on the visual axis. So if the background is yellower the foreground is defacto bluer.)
To be honest, in most cases while we are able to increase the contrast of the image, we weren’t able to achieve an image that couldn’t also be obtained with oblique lighting and optical filters. But, there were cases where the increase in contrast pushed the image just enough to resolve detail that weren’t achievable by conventional means. (See the bottom Picture)
Obviously, this is very preliminary. I may work it into a study if there is time in 2012, who knows, maybe I can get my nephew to work with me on a validation project.
But for now, I am simply content to have figured finished the proof of concept steps begun with William.
But it is Sunday, and I think I have put enough time in the lab tonight so with that …
Until Later
Charles
Monday, October 17, 2011
Inspiration
Inspiration is an interesting thing, which may be why I keep coming back to it. But it also plays a key part in my life. Obviously, the more fully I can understand and exploit the tools of creativity, the better I will be as a scientist, artist, writer … cook … and the list goes on. So, in my spare time I study writers, lyricists, painters, scientists and so on. And a few constant elements jump out at me.
The first is that inspiration comes from awareness. You have to look, think, strive to understand. And, for the record it doesn’t matter if you’re ideas come from watching a fingerprint form faster when its cold out, or the heavens opening up and hearing the voice of God. You have to be paying attention.
The second was said best by Pasteur: “…chance favors only the prepared mind (Dec 7 1854). You may be sitting in an empty house in Forest Hill or flying down Highway 74 and be struck with the images for an iconic song, but if you haven’t learned how to do it, the song will never be penned.
And for the third I turn to the Wizard of Menlo Park: “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration." The path from idea to finished creation is a long one and takes effort.
This is a short post today because I have a flash of inspiration and therefore have a lot of work to do.
Until Later
Charles
The first is that inspiration comes from awareness. You have to look, think, strive to understand. And, for the record it doesn’t matter if you’re ideas come from watching a fingerprint form faster when its cold out, or the heavens opening up and hearing the voice of God. You have to be paying attention.
The second was said best by Pasteur: “…chance favors only the prepared mind (Dec 7 1854). You may be sitting in an empty house in Forest Hill or flying down Highway 74 and be struck with the images for an iconic song, but if you haven’t learned how to do it, the song will never be penned.
And for the third I turn to the Wizard of Menlo Park: “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent perspiration." The path from idea to finished creation is a long one and takes effort.
This is a short post today because I have a flash of inspiration and therefore have a lot of work to do.
Until Later
Charles
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Saints, Beer and Hard Work
Sorry it’s been busy and I haven’t had time to indulge in blogging. But I promised: Saint’s Beer and Hard Work. So here goes.
One Saturday afternoon, I was out with a friend looking for a drum which now sits gathering dust in a corner across from the partially played training DVD. But this is not about the drum.
Our trek took us to a music shop near where I used to work, so I stopped in a bar I used to frequent for lunch. Sadly, the place had changed hands. And the new owners had changed some of the menu and the tone of the place was more dour than I recall. But still, the food wasn’t bad, and the new owner was friendly. But the funny thing was that they had a statue of a saint up among the beer bottles.
So I asked about this. And the owner told me that he was saint Raymond, the patron saint of new business. And then she outlined the “ceremony” she said she was told to perform to gain his favor.
Now, as a Roman Catholic, I will admit that we have a lot of rituals, but we do not practice witchcraft. And what she outlined was a fertility ceremony. Which was actually not inappropriate as the Saint Raymond is actually the patron of quite labor for pregnant women (and freedom for prisoners). But the statue was actually someone else. (not sure who).
But I digress. I kind of had to laugh. I suppose its one thing to look for the short cut. And we all cross our fingers and hope for luck, so I guess looking for mystical help isn’t so far out there.
And, I’m not saying that the new owner is lazy. But I would think if you were going to trust on magic rather than hard work, you’d at least put in the effort to learn the right spell. Make sure you’re praying to the right person.
But it all goes back to what I was saying before. People don’t want to put in the effort; even the effort to take the right short-cut. They want to be at the end point and have been told that the desire is as good as the effort.
You cannot invent without effort. You cannot build a successful business without effort. You cannot do more than just beat on the drum without effort.
Things don’t just happening. So with that said I go back to work now.
Until Later,
Charles
And for the record the patron of New Business is Homobonus.
One Saturday afternoon, I was out with a friend looking for a drum which now sits gathering dust in a corner across from the partially played training DVD. But this is not about the drum.
Our trek took us to a music shop near where I used to work, so I stopped in a bar I used to frequent for lunch. Sadly, the place had changed hands. And the new owners had changed some of the menu and the tone of the place was more dour than I recall. But still, the food wasn’t bad, and the new owner was friendly. But the funny thing was that they had a statue of a saint up among the beer bottles.
So I asked about this. And the owner told me that he was saint Raymond, the patron saint of new business. And then she outlined the “ceremony” she said she was told to perform to gain his favor.
Now, as a Roman Catholic, I will admit that we have a lot of rituals, but we do not practice witchcraft. And what she outlined was a fertility ceremony. Which was actually not inappropriate as the Saint Raymond is actually the patron of quite labor for pregnant women (and freedom for prisoners). But the statue was actually someone else. (not sure who).
But I digress. I kind of had to laugh. I suppose its one thing to look for the short cut. And we all cross our fingers and hope for luck, so I guess looking for mystical help isn’t so far out there.
And, I’m not saying that the new owner is lazy. But I would think if you were going to trust on magic rather than hard work, you’d at least put in the effort to learn the right spell. Make sure you’re praying to the right person.
But it all goes back to what I was saying before. People don’t want to put in the effort; even the effort to take the right short-cut. They want to be at the end point and have been told that the desire is as good as the effort.
You cannot invent without effort. You cannot build a successful business without effort. You cannot do more than just beat on the drum without effort.
Things don’t just happening. So with that said I go back to work now.
Until Later,
Charles
And for the record the patron of New Business is Homobonus.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Seeing a Need is Not Inventing
So it’s been awhile since I had a chance to blog. But the last time my topic was on scams and conmen. But I realize when I woke up this morning that the last 12 months have literally bookended with finding out that one man had been taking credit for my inventions and another is trying to take credit for my research. In between, I’ve lost count of how many times this year people have taken credit for my work or improperly tried to attach my name to theirs.
It seems so strange but I realize that this is very common place. So I ask: Are people intrinsically dishonest, or do they actually believe they contributed?
If two men see a sign fall off a wall. Man #1 says “They should make a bracket that hold better.” Man #2 seems to say something like “I was just thinking that.”
In my experience Man #2, really thinks: “I thought of that before he said it…” And therefore man #2 believes it is really his idea.
So then, if man #1 then invents the better bracket man #2 either thinks “he sole my idea” or believe he’s the co-inventor and somehow deserves a share of the profits.
Now I have found it doesn’t matter if man #2 has the ability to design a bracket or even the desire to attempt to do so. He still feels that he is some how responsible. And usually he thinks he is the main person responsible so that the invention would not be with out him.
So I have decided that today’s rant is directed at all of the man #2’s out there. Seeing a need is not inventing. Wanting to research is not the same as doing research. And most importantly, knowing the inventor does not entitle you to equal credit.
But I think this part of a more global problem. We went from the little engine that though it could to telling people they want to be so they are. You can call yourself a poet if you string some words together with a few expletives. A painter because you splash some color on a canvas. But we ignore that these disciplines take training. Title mean nothing. You can be what ever you want just because you want… weather or not you are actually trained.
We have been so burdened worrying about everyone’s self-esteem that we no longer tell anyone they are wrong or make them do what they should. As a result we have people who actually think they are poets, painters and inventors, simply because they want to be.
So in the name of science, art and the sphere of knowledge in general let me say that everything worth doing requires effort. You must strive to learn and study and be the best you can.
I’ll pick this up later… Next up: Saints, Beer and hard work…
It seems so strange but I realize that this is very common place. So I ask: Are people intrinsically dishonest, or do they actually believe they contributed?
If two men see a sign fall off a wall. Man #1 says “They should make a bracket that hold better.” Man #2 seems to say something like “I was just thinking that.”
In my experience Man #2, really thinks: “I thought of that before he said it…” And therefore man #2 believes it is really his idea.
So then, if man #1 then invents the better bracket man #2 either thinks “he sole my idea” or believe he’s the co-inventor and somehow deserves a share of the profits.
Now I have found it doesn’t matter if man #2 has the ability to design a bracket or even the desire to attempt to do so. He still feels that he is some how responsible. And usually he thinks he is the main person responsible so that the invention would not be with out him.
So I have decided that today’s rant is directed at all of the man #2’s out there. Seeing a need is not inventing. Wanting to research is not the same as doing research. And most importantly, knowing the inventor does not entitle you to equal credit.
But I think this part of a more global problem. We went from the little engine that though it could to telling people they want to be so they are. You can call yourself a poet if you string some words together with a few expletives. A painter because you splash some color on a canvas. But we ignore that these disciplines take training. Title mean nothing. You can be what ever you want just because you want… weather or not you are actually trained.
We have been so burdened worrying about everyone’s self-esteem that we no longer tell anyone they are wrong or make them do what they should. As a result we have people who actually think they are poets, painters and inventors, simply because they want to be.
So in the name of science, art and the sphere of knowledge in general let me say that everything worth doing requires effort. You must strive to learn and study and be the best you can.
I’ll pick this up later… Next up: Saints, Beer and hard work…
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Honest deals stand scrutiny
I’m slipping. A proposal came in and I couldn’t figure out the scam. I knew it was something, but couldn’t see it. Looked like a perfectly legit offer to buy as part of a government initiative. So I blew up the attached government document. And the official seal was cut pasted to the document. Had to do a 5x blow up - but it’s out of focus to the rest of the document at that level. So it was scanned or photographed and imported. Not printed and not from an original image file.
But as I say I am slipping, the telephone exchange is form Togo… should have seen that right away. Well anyway, it’s not a sale but at least I seem to have another conman to play with for awhile. It’s like finding a toy in the cereal box.
Except that I’m too busy to play with the conmen today. I have real dealers and customers to contact. So it’s like finding a toy and having your mother put it on the counter until you’re done with your homework.
None the less, I responded and asked for some proof of validity. A contact at the government agency... something. And I got a fairly rude response: “If you are interested to secure and execute the contract, you then comply. How ever, if you are not interested, you then decline.”
Rude conmen? Really that’s just lazy. I mean come on. Woo me a little. Sigh… no one wants to put the effort in anymore. At least the folks working the “lost dog” scam a few months ago had some pride in their work.
For those of you who are not familiar with the lost dog scam, it goes like this. Man and his dog (actually usually a stray) go into a bar or coffee shop or something and he asks… the man not the dog… if he can leave the dog for a while as he has a job interview and he has no where to leave the dog. He’s homeless, unemployed (again the man not the dog) or something like that and desperate. He can’t blow the interview.
So he leaves the dog. Then some one else comes in and sees the dog and asks if it’s for sale. It’s rare for breeding, the perfect look for a commercial… something.
The barman or barista will say they are just watching it so the stranger leaves their number and says “Have the owner call me I’ll pay x (where x is sufficiently large) dollars for this dog.”
Now at this point the honest person tells the down and outer… who by the way hasn’t gotten the job… that someone offered to buy his dog. The unscrupulous mark offers to but the dog himself. Of course for considerably less than x.
The man takes the money and when the mark calls the number he finds it isn’t real. It’s a nice scam … only works if the mark is scum willing to kick some one already down. You know the old saying may be wrong. You can cheat an honest man. But it’s much harder than cheating a crook.
Ok, that’s the classic. The modern variant is really not much different. A company calls looking for a chemical they need for say oil pipe line cleaning. They say that their vendor is overcharging them at $2.25 per pound for the several million pounds they need, because they know profits of the oil companies are high. So the want an agent who will keep a low profile and strike the deal at a fair price which they feel us $1.89 a pound.
Well, you look up the chemical and you find three companies (all set up in the last thirty days… if you bother to check) all selling this chemical for $0.93 per pound. So the honest agent arranges the deal and takes his commission. … actually he waits for a commission that never comes but at least he’s out nothing.
But the shiftier “business man” buys the stuff himself at $0.93 and sells it to his “client” for $1.89.
Except that the “client” pays on 90 days, while the domestic dealer requires payment at 40 days. So the mark has to pony up large sums of cash based on an invoice that will never be paid.
But they really put some effort into it. The chemical is a trade name… that they took the time to register… it really sells for $0.11 per pound. So no matter how much is bought, they can really sell the actual material which keeps the police out of it until the money paid to the domestic dealer is long gone. Real low value material changes hands – and usually lands at the marks warehouse. So they can sell it and recoup some of their investment. But the international contract falls through. Their payment doesn’t clear escrow.
The domestic dealers all disappear before the 90 days. And yes there are false identities and lots of fraud. But nothing actionable until it’s too late.
The honest company does due diligence and fairly represents their client, and doesn’t get stung because they don’t buy anything. Even the dishonest company with good business practices gets away unscathed because they research their vendors and the chemical.
This, like the original lost dog scam only targets the dishonest. And more importantly they put a lot of thought into the set up. They wooed their targets. Not like the rude man from Togo who wanted no doubt a quick and dirty over invoice scam. Sigh… just no pride in craftsmanship.
Still the lesson here is to always check out all aspects of customers and vendors. Know what you’re buying and selling. Honest deals are virtually never “decide right now” situations. Honest deals stand scrutiny. Honest business partners don’t mind providing proof.
And of course remember to forward the scam to the proper authorities. Their job is easier if they can get in front of the scam rather than follow after.
Until later
Charles
But as I say I am slipping, the telephone exchange is form Togo… should have seen that right away. Well anyway, it’s not a sale but at least I seem to have another conman to play with for awhile. It’s like finding a toy in the cereal box.
Except that I’m too busy to play with the conmen today. I have real dealers and customers to contact. So it’s like finding a toy and having your mother put it on the counter until you’re done with your homework.
None the less, I responded and asked for some proof of validity. A contact at the government agency... something. And I got a fairly rude response: “If you are interested to secure and execute the contract, you then comply. How ever, if you are not interested, you then decline.”
Rude conmen? Really that’s just lazy. I mean come on. Woo me a little. Sigh… no one wants to put the effort in anymore. At least the folks working the “lost dog” scam a few months ago had some pride in their work.
For those of you who are not familiar with the lost dog scam, it goes like this. Man and his dog (actually usually a stray) go into a bar or coffee shop or something and he asks… the man not the dog… if he can leave the dog for a while as he has a job interview and he has no where to leave the dog. He’s homeless, unemployed (again the man not the dog) or something like that and desperate. He can’t blow the interview.
So he leaves the dog. Then some one else comes in and sees the dog and asks if it’s for sale. It’s rare for breeding, the perfect look for a commercial… something.
The barman or barista will say they are just watching it so the stranger leaves their number and says “Have the owner call me I’ll pay x (where x is sufficiently large) dollars for this dog.”
Now at this point the honest person tells the down and outer… who by the way hasn’t gotten the job… that someone offered to buy his dog. The unscrupulous mark offers to but the dog himself. Of course for considerably less than x.
The man takes the money and when the mark calls the number he finds it isn’t real. It’s a nice scam … only works if the mark is scum willing to kick some one already down. You know the old saying may be wrong. You can cheat an honest man. But it’s much harder than cheating a crook.
Ok, that’s the classic. The modern variant is really not much different. A company calls looking for a chemical they need for say oil pipe line cleaning. They say that their vendor is overcharging them at $2.25 per pound for the several million pounds they need, because they know profits of the oil companies are high. So the want an agent who will keep a low profile and strike the deal at a fair price which they feel us $1.89 a pound.
Well, you look up the chemical and you find three companies (all set up in the last thirty days… if you bother to check) all selling this chemical for $0.93 per pound. So the honest agent arranges the deal and takes his commission. … actually he waits for a commission that never comes but at least he’s out nothing.
But the shiftier “business man” buys the stuff himself at $0.93 and sells it to his “client” for $1.89.
Except that the “client” pays on 90 days, while the domestic dealer requires payment at 40 days. So the mark has to pony up large sums of cash based on an invoice that will never be paid.
But they really put some effort into it. The chemical is a trade name… that they took the time to register… it really sells for $0.11 per pound. So no matter how much is bought, they can really sell the actual material which keeps the police out of it until the money paid to the domestic dealer is long gone. Real low value material changes hands – and usually lands at the marks warehouse. So they can sell it and recoup some of their investment. But the international contract falls through. Their payment doesn’t clear escrow.
The domestic dealers all disappear before the 90 days. And yes there are false identities and lots of fraud. But nothing actionable until it’s too late.
The honest company does due diligence and fairly represents their client, and doesn’t get stung because they don’t buy anything. Even the dishonest company with good business practices gets away unscathed because they research their vendors and the chemical.
This, like the original lost dog scam only targets the dishonest. And more importantly they put a lot of thought into the set up. They wooed their targets. Not like the rude man from Togo who wanted no doubt a quick and dirty over invoice scam. Sigh… just no pride in craftsmanship.
Still the lesson here is to always check out all aspects of customers and vendors. Know what you’re buying and selling. Honest deals are virtually never “decide right now” situations. Honest deals stand scrutiny. Honest business partners don’t mind providing proof.
And of course remember to forward the scam to the proper authorities. Their job is easier if they can get in front of the scam rather than follow after.
Until later
Charles
Friday, September 2, 2011
New Song
Last week I went to hear Dan Navarro and a small venue in the north suburbs. I’ll refrain from commenting one whether I thought he was better or worse without Lowen, but I’ll say that it was frankly a great show.
And is typical after really good music, I found myself up all night with my own guitar writing a song. A good one I think. Uplifting. I’m writing it for a band I haven’t met and we’ll see what happens.
But, I mention it because music is what cleanses my pallet. I spend a lot of time with my research and inventions. And music just helps me re-center. And I think that’s a critical part of science.
In fact most of the really great scientists and inventors I have known have been musicians or artist as well. Or both. But all had all parts of their mind fed: creative, analytical, philosophical.
I don’t think it’s important that we be great at everything we do. But I think if we are going to be great at anything we need to do a lot. You cannot create without experiences.
Preston’s World would not exist if I hadn’t worked at drug stores as a teenager. Blue Blood Tracker would not exist if John Fischer wasn’t a hunter in addition to being forensic analyst. And don’t get me started on my songs.
That’s about all I have to say this morning. Oh yea… one more thing I actually wrote the important lines of the new song at the concert itself. So let me just thank Mr. Navarro now.
Until Later
Charles
And is typical after really good music, I found myself up all night with my own guitar writing a song. A good one I think. Uplifting. I’m writing it for a band I haven’t met and we’ll see what happens.
But, I mention it because music is what cleanses my pallet. I spend a lot of time with my research and inventions. And music just helps me re-center. And I think that’s a critical part of science.
In fact most of the really great scientists and inventors I have known have been musicians or artist as well. Or both. But all had all parts of their mind fed: creative, analytical, philosophical.
I don’t think it’s important that we be great at everything we do. But I think if we are going to be great at anything we need to do a lot. You cannot create without experiences.
Preston’s World would not exist if I hadn’t worked at drug stores as a teenager. Blue Blood Tracker would not exist if John Fischer wasn’t a hunter in addition to being forensic analyst. And don’t get me started on my songs.
That’s about all I have to say this morning. Oh yea… one more thing I actually wrote the important lines of the new song at the concert itself. So let me just thank Mr. Navarro now.
Until Later
Charles
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