2008

There were 303 posts published in 2008 (this is page 15 of 16).

Payton vs Eli Manning

Aerva, the software company where I am employed, has created software called AerChannel, which provides its customers with the ability to create and manage content on their own digital signage network. An added bonus to AerChannel is Aerva's MoApp technology which enables viewers to interact with the screen by sending SMS text messages.

One of our customers, BarCast, has screens in several bars around the Boston area. As you can see from the screenshot above, they have created a poll to allow viewers to vote who they hate more, Payton Manning or Eli Manning.

Luckily, I can vote for both.

MacBook Pro gets a Smaller Power Supply

For the past few weeks, my local Microcenter has been out of power supply's for the MacBook Pro. They did, however, have plenty of power supply's for the 13" MacBook (which just so happened to be packaged in the exact same box as the MacBook Pro power supply's).

I finally gave up waiting for them and called a local MacEdge store. They said they had some in-stock, so I picked one up last night. Apparently the MacBook Pro power supply's got an update because the new power supply is a lot smaller (which partly explains why Microcenter was out of them for so long). In fact, the new power supply reminds me a lot of the old PowerBook G4 power supply!

If you're in the market for a new power supply for your MacBook Pro and you want to make sure you get the new size, you might want to take a peek at the label on my box and try to match the serial numbers or model number. I haven't figured out exactly how to differentiate between the two, but if you know what to look for please let me know!

Now before you ask why I'm buying another power supply, let me explain. I have been asked dozens of times by fellow customers AND store clerks, so it wouldn't surprise me at all if you're wondering the same thing. It's mainly because I abused my first one a little too much and it started to show major signs of wear (you can see where the wire is becoming exposed if you enlarge the picture). It's also because I realized how convenient it must be for David (my co-worker at Aerva) to leave his power supply at work when he goes home.

Now I not only have a new power supply to lug around with me, but its a smaller power supply. 🙂

Tempeh & Chinese Broccoli

I had about a cup and a half of leftover brown rice that had been sitting in my refrigerator for the past few days and I needed something to eat it with for lunch today. So this morning I spontaneously whipped together something on the stove:

1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon of peanut oil
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 a package of soy tempeh
2-3 leafs of steamed Chinese broccoli

After sautéing the first three ingredients for a few minutes I added the tempeh and turmeric, splashing in a few tablespoons of water to keep things from drying out. In a separate pan I steamed the Chinese broccoli, stems and all, until they were soft (but not soggy). I then drained and added the vegetable to the tempeh and let it cook for a few more minutes. Towards the end I sprayed on a few squirts of Bragg Liquid Aminos (very similar to soy sauce) which really added flavor to the whole thing.

It turned out great and only took me about 15-20 minutes. When you add in the brown rice it's a very tasty and nutritious meal!

Typing on Non-Editable PDFs

Have you ever wished you could fill out non-editable PDF forms on the computer, instead of being forced to print and fill them out by hand (while trying to squeeze the information into incredibly small areas)? Some PDF forms are designed with editable fields to allow you to fill them out from the computer, however many of the forms are simply in PDF format to make it easier for you to print and fill out by hand. Take this form for example:

If you've come across this problem before and looked for a solution, you may have discovered that many solutions require you to buy some PDF editing software. There is, however, a free solution which allows you to type text anywhere, on any PDF.

FoxIt Reader is a great lightweight Windows PDF reader. It launches extremely fast, so there is no more waiting 10 minutes for Acrobat to load when you accidentally click on a link to a PDF file. The only catch to this free solution is that you cannot save the edited PDF without FoxIt Reader adding an evaluation mark to it. However you can print the edited PDF without any evaluation marks, which is perfect if you're just filling out a form to mail or fax somewhere.

After you download and install FoxIt Reader, open the PDF you want to edit. From the menu, choose Tools -> Commenting Tools -> Typewriter Tool or simply press Alt+8. This should open a nice font tool bar and allow you to place text anywhere on your PDF!

One thing I discovered is that it's a lot easier to create the line of text near where its supposed to go and then move the text box into position. Trying to get the Typewriter cursor to start in the correct spot is very time consuming. When you're done filling out the form, simply choose File -> Print and the PDF will print with your changes.

I use this solution a lot to fill out forms that I would otherwise need to fill out by hand. Not only does it make the form look more professional, but it also reduces the likelihood of the processor misspelling your name or reading your address incorrectly.

Red Bell Peppers

As I was cutting these red bell peppers this morning, I was surprised when an open cut on my hand started stinging really bad -- as if I had been cutting onions or hot peppers! I knew it wasn't the water on the peppers because I just took a shower and I had washed my hands without feeling any pain at all. I'm guessing the pain was caused by the trace amounts of capsaicin found inside the bell peppers.

Red bell peppers, like their close relatives the hot peppers, contain capsaicin. Capsaicin is what makes peppers hot, however the bell peppers have a recessive gene that eliminates the capsaicin and allows us to eat an entire pepper without our mouth catching on fire.

Red bell peppers are an amazing food and contain a huge array of vitamins and minerals. They are very high in vitamin C (higher than oranges!), contain high levels of antioxidants, and have more beta-carotene than green or yellow peppers.

Verizon FiOS Installed

Yesterday Verizon FiOS was installed in my apartment. I had to install an outlet near the breaker box to power the unit so I'm lucky I keep spare parts in my truck. The outlet I used was something I picked up out of the trash several months ago. I knew it would be useful somewhere.

The wireless router came configured with a 64 bit WEP key, but for some reason my Mac didn't like that and refused to get an IP address. When I reconfigured the router to use a 128 bit hex key, everything worked beautifully.

As this speed test demonstrates, I now have a blazingly fast, 20/20 (mbps) connection. I was a bit surprised that the fiber only runs to the box in the basement. From there, a standard coax cable runs to the router -- exactly like a cable modem.

Going from fiber to coax definitely creates a bottleneck the maximum speed, which is probably why Verizon only offers up to a 20/20 connection. It makes sense though; this allows Verizon to use the existing wiring in the house instead of running extra CAT5 or Fiber lines. Technically, this is fiber-to-the-door, not fiber-to-the-computer. But for $60 a month I'll take it!

Verizon Fiber Installed on Pole

My Verizon FiOS installation is scheduled for tomorrow. Earlier this morning a Verizon truck came by and hooked up a spool of fiber, leaving the extra bit wound up and wire-tied to the pole. I assume the tech who comes tomorrow will run that wire to the house and connect it to whatever else he installs.

It also appears that of all my neighbors I'm the first to get FiOS. You can see the new connector the Verizon tech installed today only has my new fiber wire plugged into it.

I'll take pictures of the install tomorrow and post them here.

A Lesson in Social Engineering

In this post I will explain how I was able to social engineer a local sporting goods store employee to give me a store credit for something that I should not have been able to get credit for. Why did I do it? Partly to prove I could and partly to make a point. Please read the entire thing before drawing any conclusions. I encourage you to post your opinion in the comments section.

The Prerequisites

About a year ago I bought a jacket for about $130. I probably bought it on sale in the spring or early summer. The jacket was definitely comfortable, but when I finally started wearing it in cold windy weather I discovered that it did a terrible job of keeping out the wind. It practically felt like I was wearing a jacket full of holes.

I keep everything I own in as new condition as possible and this jacket was no exception. When I was looking at new jackets in a local sporting goods store, I realized that buying a new jacket would mean my old one would never be used again. That seemed like a big waste. I noticed the sporting goods store was selling the same design jacket, but with a few slight differences (maybe better wind-proofing). This gave me an idea. What follows is the story of how I received a $165 credit for a year old jacket. The jacket brands and store names have been left out to protect myself from incriminating myself. 😉

A Social Hack, 1st Attempt

When I arrived at the local sporting goods store with my used jacket I went straight to the counter and gave the jacket to a cashier. I immediately noticed that she looked like a new employee.

"Hello. I got this jacket for Christmas but I want to exchange it for something else." I said as I placed the jacket on the counter.

"Uhh..."

"I don't have the receipt and the tags were lost when it was wrapped."

"Ummm, hmmm..." she muttered, obviously very confused about how to handle the situation.

"I'm pretty sure you guys still sell this same jacket, so I'm just going to leave this jacket here and go find the same jacket with a tag, OK?"

"OK..." she replied, still sounding very unsure of herself.

I knew exactly where the similar jacket was and went straight to that section of the store. I found the similar jacket and also picked up the different brand jacket that I wanted to exchange it for so the cashier could do the transaction all at once.

When I got back to the register with the two jackets, a man in plain clothes was holding my used jacket and waved me over to a different register. I assumed he was a store manager, as everyone else was dressed in the store outfit.

"Can I ask the reason you're exchanging this?"

"Well I got it for Christmas and after wearing it a few times I discovered it just doesn't keep out the wind at all, so I just want to exchange it for something else."

"Do you have the receipt or the tags?"

"No, but this looks like the same jacket." I said, as I handed him the new similar jacket from the store.

"OK, how long ago did you say you bought this?"

I knew he was catching on to the fact that the jacket looked used, so I tried my best to rescue the situation. "I got it this past Christmas, so... a few weeks ago. I washed it a couple of times, so thats why it looks slightly worn."

"Well," he said inspecting the bottom side of the jacket, "this looks extremely worn. There is a tear here and these markings are from very regular usage."

"I told you I washed it once or twice, so it must have got caught in the dryer and thats how it was torn."

"The only way you could get these kind of using markings is if you wore this jacket 24 hours a day for the past few weeks." He looked very satisfied and sure of what he was saying. "I'm sorry, I cannot do the exchange. It just wouldn't be a fair exchange."

I said OK and left the register to put back the two jackets (the new similar one with the $165 price tag and the different brand jacket that I wanted to exchange it for). I then picked out a store brand jacket to buy (you'll see why later) and brought it back to the register where the manager rung me up. He placed the new jacket in a store branded bag. I left with the newly purchased store brand jacket and my used jacket.

A Social Hack, 2nd Attempt

I then drove about 35 minutes West to their only other store in this area. I walked in carrying the store brand bag I got from the first store. Inside was my used jacket. While I waited in line, I was happy to see there was only one cashier and that she was doing a return for someone else (this meant she knew how to do returns and wouldn't have to call someone else for help).

When it was my turn, I put the store brand bag down on the table. "My mom bought this jacket for me a few days ago," I said as I took the jacket out of the bag. I pointed to the tear in the jacket and continued. "I don't know why it was even for sale because it looks very used."

"Wow..", the cashier said, sounding as if she almost didn't believe what she was seeing.

To keep the story going and prevent any room for questions, I kept talking. "I don't know how she could have missed that, but it definitely looks like someone wore it for a long time. How could that have been put on the shelf?"

"Well, we wouldn't have put that back on the shelf, but sometimes when things are returned they are thrown into the wrong pile. Someone might have picked it up by accident when they were tagging and put it back on the shelf. Do you have the receipt?"

"No, she has a bad habit of not keeping her receipts."

"Hmmm..."

"And look, the tag is gone too. I couldn't find it anywhere."

"Well, is she a..."

"A member? No, but I'm a member. I know if she was a member you could look up the transaction that way, but I've been trying to get her to become a member for so long. My sister is a member. She's the one who convinced me to become one."

"Did your mom pay with a credit card?"

"Yes.", I replied, knowing she was going to suggest something that I could easily make an excuse for.

"Well, if you waited a month, the transaction would show up."

"I know, but she bought a bunch of things, so I doubt you'd be able to tell that way."

"Hmmm... because without the tag or receipt I really have no way of knowing what she paid for it..."

"Well, if I can find the same jacket in the store, can't you just use the price from that? You do still sell these jackets, right? I mean she only bought it a few days ago..."

"Yes, I'm sure we still sell them...."

"Then I'll just go find one with a tag, OK?"

"OK" she said, finally seeming to give in.

I went to the jackets section, hoping this store carried the similar jacket as the other store did. Sure enough, I found an entire rack of them. I picked out the same size jacket and brought it back to the register.

"This looks like the same jacket" I said, placing it on the table. She glanced at the two jackets and noticed they had different looking tags inside. She probably didn't say anything about it though because she knew my jacket shouldn't have gone back on the shelf in the first place. She began poking away at the register to make the exchange.

"It's the same size right?" I said, pretending to make sure my new jacket would fit me.

"Yup, they're both medium" the cashier said, continuing to make the exchange. She scanned the price tag on the new jacket; $165. She then voided that amount, placed the new jacket in a store brand bag and handed it to me.

"Thank you and have a nice day!"

"Thank you" I said, trying to keep a straight face.

Concluding the Hack

The following day I went back to the first store and brought in the new jacket with the $165 tag on it. I told them my brother bought the jacket yesterday but that he didn't have the receipt. Since the price tag was still on it, I was given a $165 store credit and was able to use it for the different brand jacket.

Unfortunately that store manager wasn't there this time. I would love to have seen his reaction if he did the exchange for me. 🙂

Reviewing the Hack

The only thing that could have foiled this was if the suspicious manager at the first store called the second store and told them about me. That was one of the reasons I bought a store brand jacket at the first store -- I wanted to make him feel guilty if he was to call the other store about me. If I actually spent some money while I was at the store, and spent money on store brand stuff, then he would be less likely to feel like I was trying to rip the store off.

I also made use of the managers observation that jacket looked used and decided to change my story when I went to the second store. The second time however, I didn't try to exchange my used jacket for a different brand jacket all together. Instead I exchanged it for a newer version of the same jacket... with a $165 price tag on it.

When the exchange was made, the cashier did not ask me for an ID and did not ask me to fill anything out. I made sure not to buy anything extra when I made the exchange, so there would be no credit card linking me to the exchange. I also made sure I didn't show them my membership card. The only way they can link me to the jacket I exchanged is by the security tapes in the store.

So, what's the social engineering lesson? If at first you fail, try, try again.

Unethical, Unmoral, Criminal?

I'm sure there will be many people who would consider what I've done unethical or even criminal. I beg to differ. What I did should not have been possible. The manager in the first store handled the situation exactly as I would have expected, but the failure came two ways: When information was not passed from one store to the other and when the employee in the second store was easily convinced of something that seemed very unlikely.

Should all clothing have unique ID tags that allow such attempts to be logged? Should stores never accept an exchange, return, or provide a store credit for something unless the receipt or product price tag is available? Until you remove the weak link (humans), those seem to be the only alternatives -- yet stores fail to implement such measures.

Businesses attempt to provide better customer service without having the necessary policies and technology in place to prevent unwanted social engineering. The very thing that drives businesses to save money by assuming people are generally good is what also drives people to find ways around normal procedures: greed. I was simply trying to save money and in doing so I discovered how I could.

What it really comes down to is trust. If someone writes you a personal check in return for purchasing something from you, do you just assume the check is good and give the item to the purchaser? No, of course not. You wait until the check has cleared your bank. You have no reason to trust the person who wrote you the check. (This delay in processing checks is one of the reasons Congress passed the Check 21 Act a few years ago.) When you accept payment with cash, you're saying that you trust the US Government to honor its promise that those dollar bills are worth their stated value.

If I can make a cashier believe something that isn't true, then that cashier should not be working as a cashier. Imagine if I was able to walk up to a bank teller and make that person believe that I just gave them $100. If the teller actually believed me and gave me $100, would I be stealing or would the teller?

It is the job of the people employed by businesses to determine who they should trust and who they shouldn't. And it is the job of the employer to put the proper policies in place for those employees to follow. The only reason identify theft is so huge is because people are so gullible. With enough confidence and consistency, you can practically convince anyone of anything. That brings us back to the lesson:

If at first you fail, try, try again.

Cracked my BlackBerry Screen

I've dropped my Blackberry dozens and dozens of times onto concrete, brick, pavement, and even into puddles. Every time it drops, I can't help but wonder if my luck has finally run out and I'll find the device broken beyond repair -- but it always seems to survive. The worst that ever happens is I get a "SIM Card Error" message on the screen, which always goes away when I remove the battery and reseat the SIM card.

Yesterday my BlackBerry took one more step towards total destruction: the screen cracked when the phone fell off my bed onto the concrete basement floor. But the damn thing still works! I'm sure I'll have to be a lot more careful about getting water on the screen though, since any water inside would surely ruin it.

My experience with several different BlackBerry models has proven to me that they are built very well. Ruggedness in any product is a huge factor for me, as I always seem to get things dirty, drop them unexpectedly, or otherwise torture the hell out of them.

Hammering Nails Into My Lats

This morning I woke up to the worst pain I have ever experienced in my lats. I was unable to raise my elbows any higher than my chest without feeling extreme pain. It literally feels like someone is hammering nails into my lats every time I raise my arms. Here is the muscle in pain, the Latissimus Dorsi:

Then I realized that yesterday was my arm workout day -- a workout that I haven't done in almost a year. I did a total of 47 pull-ups and several other arm exercises, including the dumbbell decline triceps extension which also hits the lats. The pain is excruciating, but it tells me that my muscles are now in the recovery phase and that they will come back even stronger!

I decided to skip todays workout because I think at this point it will do more harm than good. You know I'm really in pain when I decide to cancel a workout. 🙂

Verizon Fiber Optic Cross Box

I ordered Verizon FiOS last week and this morning a Verizon technician came by an opened a gray box hanging from the pole outside my apartment. He was probably doing something in preparation for my FiOS install scheduled for next week. I was a bit surprised when he opened the box without a key, but maybe he had some type of RFID transmitter on him that unlocked the box some other way.

I've never seen fiber inside those boxes before so I grabbed my DSLR, put on the telephoto lens, and took some pictures from my window. The closest I could come to finding a name for these boxes is a "cross box". If anyone has more information on them, please leave a comment!

Getting Around the Netgear Setup Wizard

This information applies to the Netgear model WGR614 v6. It may also apply to other models, but I have only tested these steps with the WGR614 v6. If you discover this information applies to other Netgear models, I would appreciate it if you leave a comment about that model.

Update: Visitors have notified me that his solution also works with the following models:
WGR614 v7
DG834G v4

When you plug in and turn on the Netgear router for the first time, it is configured with an IP address of 192.168.1.1 and, as usual, DHCP is enabled. This allows you to plug in a computer and get an IP address from the router so you can connect to the web-based configuration interface.

When you open a web browser and visit http://192.168.1.1/ you are redirected to http://www.routerlogin.net/welcome.htm. A setup wizard is started. This wizard looks for an Internet Connection and if it doesn't find one, it will put you in an endless loop, bringing you back to the start of the wizard until you have an internet connection available. This is, to say the least, very annoying and very bad design.

To skip the setup wizard and go straight to the configuration interface, change the URL in your browser to http://192.168.1.1/basicsetting.htm. Now you will see the familiar setup page. There is however a catch. If you go ahead and make all your changes and close the browser, you'll be stuck! The changes you made wouldn't have taken effect and if you try to visit http://192.168.1.1/ to configure the router again, you will automatically be redirected to http://www.routerlogin.net/, which will fail to open. So how do you fix this?

Well, if you're already stuck in this endless loop, press the reset button to reset the router configuration to the defaults. Then follow the steps to get around the setup wizard and then follow these steps before anything else:

  1. Click Setup Wizard
  2. Choose "No, I want to configure the router myself."
  3. Click Next
  4. CLICK APPLY AT THE BOTTOM!

If you don't follow those steps, the router assumes it has never been configured. Even if you took the time to configure and enable your wireless settings, the wireless won't be enabled and you might go crazy trying to figure out why (like I did).

A surge in auto GPS receivers?

Has anyone else noticed a sudden surge in the use of auto GPS receivers? It seems as if 1 out of every 10 cars I pass on the highway has a GPS receiver! They are easy to spot, especially at night when they look like a big glowing boxes mounted on the dashboard.

I don't like the idea of using GPS receivers to find my way around well defined routes. I think GPS receivers are more of a crutch than a useful tool for the average person. If you know how to read a map and follow signs, you shouldn't need a GPS receiver. For delivery drivers and anyone else who frequently travels to new places, I can understand the time saving ability of a GPS receiver, but for all you other drivers, learn to read a map!

If you're hiking a mountain or camping in unfamiliar or unmarked wilderness, I can see how having a GPS receiver could save your life. But trekking into such a situation without also knowing how to use a compass to find your way around is even more stupid than going unprepared all together.

Don't rely on electronics to do something you're capable of learning how to do. There is no electronic fix for human stupidity.

BEING HUMAN by Naima

I wonder if the sun debates dawn
some mornings
not wanting to rise
out of bed
from under the down-feather horizon

If the sky grows tired
of being everywhere at once
adapting to the mood swings of the weather

If the clouds drift off
trying to hold themselves together
make deals with gravity
to loiter a little longer

I wonder if rain is scared
of falling
if it has trouble letting go

If snow flakes get sick
of being perfect all the time
each one trying to be one-of-a-kind

I wonder if stars wish
upon themselves before the die
if they need to teach their young to shine

I wonder if shadows long
to once feel the sun
if they get lost in the shuffle
not knowing where they’re from

I wonder if sunrise and sunset
respect each other
even though they’ve never met

If volcanoes get stressed
If storms have regrets
If compost believes in life after death

I wonder if breath ever thinks
about suicide
I wonder if the wind just wants to sit
still sometimes
and watch the world pass by

If smoke was born knowing how to rise
If rainbows get shy back stage
not sure if their colors match right

I wonder if lightning sets an alarm clock
to know when to crack
If rivers ever stop
and think of turning back

If streams meet the wrong sea
and their whole lives run off-track
I wonder if the snow wants to be black

If the soil thinks she’s too dark
If butterflies want to cover up their marks
If rocks are self-conscious of their weight
If mountains are insecure of their strength

I wonder if waves get discouraged
crawling up the sand
only to be pulled back again
to where they began

I wonder if land feels stepped upon
If sand feels insignificant
If trees need to question their lovers
to know where they stand

If branches waver in the crossroads
unsure of which way to grow
If the leaves understand they’re replaceable
and still dance when the wind blows

I wonder where the moon goes
when she is hiding
I want to find her there
and watch the ocean
spin from a distance
Listen to her
stir in her sleep

effort give way to existence

This is an amazing poem. It makes me feel as though complaining about anything in life is not only a complete waste of time, but also an extremely selfish thing to do.

Check out the author's website for more amazing stuff.

Tired and Sore

My new workout regiment, and the changes I've made to my diet this week, are really having a draining effect. I used to get tired around one or two in the morning but now I find myself ready to collapse at eleven PM! It's now midnight and I'm still at the office--I just finished a 4 hour team discussion at work. I'm really looking forward to getting home and laying down on the hardwood floor of my new apartment.

So far this week I've been really good with sticking to my workout plan. I randomly picked one of the many workout routines I have saved in the memo list on my BlackBerry. I'll see if I can post it tomorrow. This week is mostly a warm-up to next week, which is when I plan to really get my workouts revved up.

Ordered Verizon FiOS Internet and TV

Earlier today my brother-in-law messaged me and told me about the speed test he ran from home. He has the 15/2 Verizon FiOS package (thats 15mbps up, 2mbps down). Here are the speed test results he messaged me:

Download Speed: 15303 kbps (1912.9 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 1478 kbps (184.8 KB/sec transfer rate)

The conversation about Verizon FiOS suddenly made me realize that I hadn't checked if Verizon FiOS was available at my new apartment in Arlington. I quickly opened Verizon's Do I Qualify? page (which doesn't require a damn phone number) to see if I can get service. Not only is FiOS Internet available, but FiOS TV is also available (my brother-in-law can only get the FiOS Internet service).

I can get the 20/20 service (symmetrical 20mbps up and down) and the FiOS TV service for the same price I'm currently paying for Speakeasy's 3.0/768 DSL without TV service! I immediately placed an order and the install date has been scheduled for the 24th of this month.

Having a fiber optic connection directly to your house is an amazing thing. It wasn't too long ago when such a feat was a techies dream. It was something reserved for those lucky enough to be working a high position in a big data center. Now I'm going to have it straight to my apartment for $60 a month!

I will post my speed results and any notes on the installation process (an estimated 6 hours!) on or after the 24th.

Flames Shooting Out From Behind a Gas Stove

Last night I was driving to my parents house when one of my tenants called me. I knew something must have been wrong because we had already agreed on a time for me to pick up the rent, which meant he had no other reason to be calling me. Sure enough, he tells me that his mom just called him and said there was water coming down though the ceiling from the second floor. It's been very cold (close to 0 degrees) the past few days, so I feared the worst.

Luckily I happened to be very close to Bowers St and drove over there in a hurry. My truck was in the shop and I realized that I did not have the keys to the second floor on me -- I hoped someone was there and that I wouldn't have to break down the door. When I arrived, the second floor door was unlocked. There was 2" of water on the entire bathroom floor. There were no wet ceiling tiles on the second floor and I quickly ruled out a broken water pipe. When I went back downstairs, three guys from the fire department were there unplugging electrical stuff from around the wet areas. The tenant's mom called 911 after she called her son, not knowing that I would get there before the fire department did (how's that for response time!).

I couldn't figure out exactly what happened, but either the tub or the toilet overflowed. The tub had 3" of water in it and it wasn't draining out. The tenant that just moved into the second floor told me he took a shower a few hours earlier and noticed it wasn't draining. He said he tried using a plunger to unclog it, but when he was unsuccessful, he left it and went to work. Apparently, someone else must have used it after him and let it over flow.

After using a drain snake to try and unclog it, I discovered the problem: the trip lever and linkage system that holds up the plunger was gone. There was nothing holding up the plunger, so it was sitting at the bottom of the drain blocking it! By total luck, the drain snake caught onto part of the plunger and I was able to pull it out of the drain. Now the water drains perfectly.

If you've read this far, you're probably wondering where the "flames shooting out from behind a gas stove" comes in. Well, after cleaning up the water, I went downstairs and talked to the tenant's mom. She said she was sorry for calling 911 and that she didn't know I was going to get there so quick. She told me a story about how her previous landlord got angry at her for calling 911 when the old gas stove in her apartment caught on fire due to a gas leak (the landlord told her he would be there in 30 - 40 minutes, when he lived 10 minutes away). He replaced the stove with another used stove and told her he would hook it up himself (he didn't want to pay a licensed plumber). When he turned it on, the stove leaked gas and he was going to leave it that way. She threatened to sue and then he put a new stove in and had someone else hook it up.

That story made me realize why so many of my tenants appreciate having me as a landlord.

Chasing House Mice

I found these pictures of a camping trip I took with my dad back in 2005. I already posted pictures from that trip, but apparently I missed these pictures (I discovered them while poking around an external hard drive that I found while moving).

Using my Nikon D50, I took a bunch of close up pictures of a mouse we found in the cabin. He is a common House Mouse and they are indeed very common around here. Packs of them chewed through the half-inch wooden shutters trying to get inside; we spent a good thirty minutes chasing this one out.