This Blog has Super Cow Powers

Just thought I would let everybody know.

Make a Time-Lapse Video

In the past year or so I’ve made a few time-lapse videos and I thought I would share the very basic method in which I’ve created all of them using something as simple as Windows Movie Maker. I did use Photoshop as well in this tutorial to get the images to the right size and shape, but its not a requirement to making the video.

A word of warning, this tutorial goes VERY fast. Its designed to be more of an overview than a step by step guide. If you have any questions though feel free to ask in the comments below and I’ll see if I can add to this guide some with more video’s or explanation, but without further adieu:

Batch Convert Images Using Photoshop

The other day my boss asked me if it was possible to batch convert a whole bunch of images. He had a folder of TIFF images that needed to be converted to JPEG images at 100 DPI. Since I was already at home I quickly threw together this little video to outline how the process is done using Photoshop.

Look for more of these sub 5-min video tutorials in the future, as I think its a great way to express a task without boring the learner with paragraphs of text.

Driving Economy

The average driver puts about 12,000 miles on their odometer every year¹. In the past year (Jan 13, 2009 to Jan 19 2010) I’ve put 16,244 miles on the tC. I know the exact number, because for the past year I’ve been using an iPhone app called Road Trip Lite to track my fuel economy and since this marks the roughly one year anniversary of very diligent tracking I thought I would celebrate by both purchasing the full version of the app (here) and disclosing some fun stats and extrapolations.

First off, some fun stats. In the past year, I’ve been pretty consistent on my fuel economy, which was the main purpose of this data gathering, as you can see from the graph below I sit right at about 25 MPG. For the sake of comparison the EPA rating of the ‘05 Scion tC was 23/30 (city/highway) so I’m smack where I expect to be. Its hard to tell from the graph, but a close inspection shows an increase in fuel economy when I moved downtown in September.

Putting some of that into real dollars and useless ratios; I’ve pumped 655.65 gallons of gas in the last year at an average price of $2.686 per gallon for a sum total of $1,761.04. A little more number crunching and it looks like I spend a little under five bucks a day on gas, or more precisely I burn a little under $0.11 per mile, at 65 miles per hour that’s $7.15 per hour.

As interesting as it is (or isn’t) those numbers doesn’t really paint a full picture of the cost of owning and operating a car, there’s also the considerations of loan payments, insurance, maintenance and repairs to consider. Thanks to the miracle that is Mint.com, I can get those costs, and even put them in a fancy pie chart for your eye balls:

The small discrepancy between what Mint has for my fuel spending and what I’ve tracked is due mostly to using cash for fill-ups, I’ll be using my actual cost from the previous section for number crunching. The number for Service & Parts is also misleading; I put new rubber on the tC in January 2008 and it was no small expense ($837 for all four ties, mounted and balanced). Since I’m replacing the tires again in the next few weeks, I can conveniently say that the tires are an additional $418 per year.

So total cost for the year period (actually, its 372 days) is roughly $7,600 to own and operate my car. Going back through some of the previous calculations that’s $20 per day, or $0.47 per mile I drive.

So what’s the point? Why take such a close look at spending on one item? Truth be told, I did it mostly because I like working the numbers, but it really does give me an insight into some of my spending and points out the areas that can be trimmed to help save money.

There is no responsible way to reduce my auto payment short of selling the car and my auto insurance has actually gone down recently. Fuel, as well, isn’t really in my control other than keeping my foot free of lead.

What I can control then, should be rather obvious. Parking in the garage downtown is convenient, but at $100 per month its just not worth it. I’ve found that with my typical work schedule I can easily find parking on the street and at worst spend a buck on a parking meter (but usually I’m home well after 6pm). I already do all my own maintenance so I save a bucket load of money, but this tire situation is way out of control. Stock tires would be at least half the cost per year, saving me about $200 per year.

The final word? Park on the street, and get back on stock wheels and I’ll save myself $1,400 per year on auto expenses. Just one more way to get where I want to be financially. Better yet, if I could find a way to ditch the car completely …

So you think you have a Virus?

I would imagine you’ve come here looking for help in removing said virus? Perfect, because that’s exactly what I intend to help you do! I get this question many times a week and through literally years of trial and error there are some tricks I’ve learned that I’m very happy to share.

Step 1: A good defense is the best offense (yes, I know that’s backwards). I’m hesitant to just throw out numbers without any backup, but its my guess that 99.999% of viruses are self induced. Meaning you did something stupid to get it in the first place. UPS doesn’t send emails out with tracking numbers in a Zip file, your bank won’t ask you for your account information and P2P networks are more filth ridden than “K” street. If you do have anti-virus, know what its called and what its logo looks like. I’ve seen websites pop-up boxes claiming to be your anti-virus program trick people into downloading a virus and actually installing it under the guise of being an “update for your anti-virus”. In summary, be wary, if your not sure about something, stop and find somebody who does know.

Step 2: Get a safety net. Anti-virus programs have sorely disappointed me for years now, which is why I don’t consider it protection. Your anti-virus is nothing but a safety net, if you make a mistake the hope is that your anti-virus will catch you before you hit the ground. But just like a trapeze artist, if you don’t keep your anti-virus in good working order your asking for tragedy. Make sure you know how to update your software and if its sitting down there blinking at you, pay attention. Now is a good time though to re-iterate step 1: If you have “AVG Anti-Virus Free” (my personal recommendation) and a box pops up called “AntiVirus 2010″ telling you there is an update, ignore it, its a trick to get you to do something stupid.

Step 3: Banish the demon. So you boldly ignored step one, lapsed on step 2 and now you’ve got some gremlin inside your computer running a muck. Let me give you some tricks to try to get ride of the thing. Obviously I can’t lay out step-by-step instructions, there are simply too many types of infections and no one way to go about removal. GENERALLY the first thing to do is download and install “Malwarebytes Anti-Malware“. The name is a mouthful, but the software is free, easy to use and has a very good success rate. Just install the program, make sure you update it fully and run a full scan. Typically a full scan takes an hour or more, so go make a sandwich. When its done, click on ‘Show Results’ to see what it found, and don’t forget to click ‘Remove Selected’ to actually remove the infections. Very likely, you’ll have to restart your computer to finish the removal. Even if Malwarebytes doesn’t tell you to, do it anyway and then run another full scan, rinse and repeat until nothing shows up when you do the scan. If the same things keep showing up then you’ll probably want to skip to step 4.

Sometimes though, installing and/or running Malwarebytes is tricky. Below are some things to try (in order of ease to execute) to get the program installed.

• Rename the installer and/or the program (mbam.exe) to iexplorer.exe and try it again.
• Log in to the computer with a different user and try again.
• Start the computer in safe-mode (without networking if you can) and try again.
• If you are comfy at a command prompt, safe-mode with command prompt can be handy since explorer.exe never gets executed and can often mean that the viruses core never gets loaded.
• For advanced users only, check HKLM>Software>Microsoft>Windows>Current Version>Run for suspicious entries, delete them, restart and try again.

Step 4: Psalm 23. If you’ve run Malwarebytes over and over only to have the same viruses pop up then really your best choice is to make a backup of your data, format your computer and start over. This was the hardest lesson to learn for me, I don’t like to give up on something but frankly, there comes a point where you have to pull out the big guns and drop a nuke on civilization to get rid of a problem. If you have me come over (professionally or as a friend) to remove a virus, I’m going to spend not much more than an hour trying to get Malwarebytes to install and run, and If a virus isn’t gone in two scans I’ll ask you to backup your data. Its not worth anybody’s time to screw around with.

So that’s it folks, my 4-step virus protection and elimination plan. The goal is to never get to step 3, but if your reading this you’re probably already at step 4. My condolences.

Until next week!

Resolutions 2010

First off, Happy New Year. I hope you had a wonderful holiday with friends and family. I thoroughly enjoyed my holidays even though they were over too soon. I was happy to see the friends and family I did, and regret not taking the time to see those I didn’t.

I am generally opposed to setting resolutions, particularly “New Year Resolutions”. I feel that most people set themselves up for failure by listing broad resolutions without any plan and they never get started. A resolution by itself is too vague to have substance in most cases, it needs to be split into goals and sometimes further into smaller action items to make sure you don’t lose site of the bigger picture.

A good example that I see all the time is the infamous ‘I want to lose weight’ resolution. Unless you set goals (“I will weigh 175 by the end of the year”), and break that down to manageable pieces (“I will lose 2lbs per month”) you’ll likely lose interest within the first month. Make sure you answer Who, What, When, Why, and How when you set your resolution. Don’t skip ‘Why’, its arguably the most important question of all.

That all said, I have a few resolution of my own that I’ve decided to plans out and act on. I’m writing them down here for a few reasons; primarily that writing out goals is the best way I know of to commit to something. Also, by writing them down where all can see I become accountable to my goals; an important bit in my own self motivational needs.

Resolution #1: Write More

More specifically, write more consistently. This blog goes though periods of dead silence and stints of furious postings. I want people to to come to my blog on a regular basis and find interesting information every time [why]. I actually started this with the “Flavors of the Holidays” series between Thanksgiving and Christmas and really liked it.

The simple goal is that I [who] will have have a new post every Wednesday morning [what] for you to read, starting today for the entire year [when]. WordPress allows me to create a post well in advance, and schedule it to be posted Wednesday morning. this is the secret of how I plan on achieving the overall goal. And means that I don’t have to sit down every Tuesday night and write a post, instead I can write two or three in one sitting and schedule them out.

Resolution #2: Better Cash-flow

“Better Cash-flow” is much more vague than the previous resolution and involves a couple smaller goals (broken into even smaller pieces). This isn’t going to be something I can complete in one year, or cover in a single post so I’ll be breaking this resolution down in multiple posts over the first part of 2010. But in summary, my committed expenses (read here about committed expenses) are nearly 100% of my income, which means I’m cash broke all the time. The main contributing factors are reduced income (compared to previous years), lingering debt and increased living expenses (living on my own). I want to be able to go out with friends and not borrow cash, I want to be able to buy a new TV with cash to replace my aging panel and I want to stop giving money away to the banks.

So until next week, when we can go over things in more detail, thanks for reading.

Homemade Eggnog

This post is part of a series called ‘Flavors of The Holidays‘.

Its fall and the flavors and aromas of the holidays are upon us. Join me for the next few weeks as I reveal some of my favorite holiday dishes from family, friends and around the world. Check back every Wednesday for a new recipe until Christmas.

Eggnog, the love-it/hate-it drink of the holidays. Personally I love the stuff whether from a carton bought at the supermarket or made at home from scratch. But I challenge you to find ANYBODY who doesn’t absolutely love this homemade (and spiked!) version of the holiday cocktail.

Amazingly Good Eggnog
Cook Time: 10 min | Level: Advanced | Yield: 12 servings

“It’s taken me several years to perfect this recipe. Now everyone asks, ‘When are you making the eggnog?!!’ This uses cooked eggs for safety, and you can use more or less rum to taste. It’s a bit of work to make, but well worth it. You’ll never buy store-bought eggnog again! Enjoy!”

Ingredients

4 cups milk

5 whole cloves

2-½ teaspoon vanilla extract (divided)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

12 egg yolks

1-½ cups sugar

2-½ cups light rum

4 cups light cream

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Instructions

Combine milk, cloves, ½ teaspoon vanilla, and cinnamon in a saucepan, and heat over lowest setting for 5 minutes. Slowly bring milk mixture to a boil.

In a large bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Whisk together until fluffy. Whisk hot milk mixture slowly into the eggs. Pour mixture into saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, or until thick. Do not allow mixture to boil. Strain to remove cloves, and let cool for about an hour.

Stir in rum, cream, 2 teaspoon vanilla, and nutmeg. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

Chocolate Mousse Pie

This post is part of a series called ‘Flavors of The Holidays‘.

Its fall and the flavors and aromas of the holidays are upon us. Join me for the next few weeks as I reveal some of my favorite holiday dishes from family, friends and around the world. Check back every Wednesday for a new recipe until Christmas.

Sky-high and scrumptious, this fluffy chocolate delight is a huge step up from the basic JELL-O chocolate pie for only a little more work. This recipe is a modified version of one I found on the internet some time ago, its slightly simplified from the one I found but just as good.

Chocolate Mousse Pie
Cook Time: 20 min | Level: Basic | Yield: 8 servings

Make sure you get the whipped cream to room temperature (4 hours if frozen) before you start or you will not be able to fold it into the chocolate.

Ingredients

1 bag (12 ounce) milk chocolate chips

4 cups miniature marshmallows

1 Graham cracker or Oreo pie crust

1 cup milk

1 8oz tub prepared whipped cream (at room temp)

Instructions

In a heavy saucepan, heat the chocolate, marshmallows and milk over low heat until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly

Let cool for 10 minutes, fold in whipped cream and pour into pie crust

Refrigerate at least 3 hours or until set

Refrigerate leftovers

Happy Holidays!

I know I promised a new recipe today, but I didn’t want to miss this opportunity to wish all my friend, family and readers a very Merry Christmas, Hanuka, Kwanzaa and a happy new year. Check back next week for another recipe (trust me, its a good one).

This short clip is made in After Effects using a couple presets: “Distribute”, “Sure Target” and “Falloff”. Sure Target and Falloff handle the motion between text segments with minimal key-framing and Distribute is very useful for randomly distributing the text in 3D space without spending any time actually moving layers.

I plan on putting together a tutorial for this (or a similar) effect. By using the presets and being careful about your layer management you could animate a few hundred layers of text or images in minutes.

Lingonberry Stuffed Meatballs

This post is part of a series called ‘Flavors of The Holidays‘.

Its fall and the flavors and aromas of the holidays are upon us. Join me for the next few weeks as I reveal some of my favorite holiday dishes from family, friends and around the world. Check back every Wednesday for a new recipe until Christmas.

Other than having made it half a dozen times, I can’t take any credit for this recipe. I first had it at Christmas when my cousin Jason made it for the entire family, and he got it from the Food Network. It was served on a bead of creamy mashed potatoes and covered with a sweet pea & cream sauce which gives it a nice festive color too. I simply love this recipe though, it does take a bit of prep work and a couple ingredients you aren’t likely to have but once you serve it to your friends and they beg you for the recipe it’ll all be worth it.

Lingonberry Stuffed Meatballs
Cook Time: 30 min | Level: Intermediate | Yield: 6 servings

Best served on a bed of mashed potatoes with a mildly sweet sauce.

Ingredients

2 pounds ground beef

1 pound ground veal

1/2 cup minced yellow onion

3 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves stripped and coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons herbes de Provence

3 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons white pepper

5 eggs

3 cups panko (Japanese) bread crumbs

4 tablespoons lingonberries

Vegetable oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the ground beef, veal, onion, tarragon, herbes de Provence, salt and pepper into a large mixing bowl. Lightly beat the eggs and pour over the meat. Mix well using your hands (it’s the best way to make meatballs). Add 1 1/2 cups of the bread crumbs and mix well. Set aside.

Form the meat mixture into 12 balls. Make a hole in the center of each ball with your thumb and fill the hole with 1 teaspoon of the lingonberries. Push the meat back over the fruit, making sure to seal the hole well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (The meatballs can be made to this point 1 day in advance.)

Pour 3 inches of vegetable oil into a large deep sided skillet and place over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes. Test the oil by dropping a bread cube into it. If the cube browns quickly, the oil is ready. Remove the meatballs from the refrigerator and roll them in the remaining bread crumbs. Carefully place them into the skillet 4 at a time. Keep a close watch on them, making sure to turn them so they get golden brown on all sides. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a sheet of paper towels. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.

Put the meatballs on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove and serve immediately.

NOTE: Substitute cranberry sauce if you can’t find lingonberries

The first time I made this I couldn’t find ligonberries, so I substituted cranberry sauce. Recently though, I’ve found that IKEA sells a ligonberry sauce that could be used. In the end though, I frankly can’t tell the difference between the lingonberry sauce and cranberry sauce so it may just be easier to stick with cranberry.

Otherwise, I incourage you to make these WAY ahead of time (like the day before) and do the cooking right before you serve. Once you start the cooking process you can’t really stop so its very nice to be prepared ahead of time, and if they are cold they hold together better when you fry them. This makes an incredible alternative to traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners and is one of my all time favorite dishes.