The usual Wednesday stuff

[altivo]

By now everyone knows that the US markets are sliding rapidly again, companies are announcing intentions to lay off thousands more, etc. As I pointed out to someone today, it is incorrect to blame the rotten economic situation on politicians who haven't yet been elected, so if Obama becomes president, do not try to blame this recession on him. Speaking of recessions, it's also high time for everyone to stop referring to "the possible recession" and admit that we are in a recession and have been for a while now.

I read in one spot this afternoon a statement that the S&P 500 has declined by 6% or more in a single day only 36 times, and 32 of those declines happened between 1929 and 1933. Today it declined by 6.5%. Draw your own conclusions if you care to do so.

It is no surprise that oil prices are dropping as the demand declines. Things are seriously slowing down. Even agricultural futures have been declining, though oddly enough the price of food keeps rising at an inflationary rate.

The crazy heating system here in the library is totally off its rocker today. In one zone, it is running both cooling and air conditioning simultaneously, and reports that the output air being pumped into that region is at a temperature of 113F. Yes, it's warm there. Supposedly the heat is off, but it's taking in air at 84F and putting it out at 113F. In the area where I work, the temperature is 69F. The heat is supposedly on, but the system is taking in air at 69F and putting it back out at 55F.

Of course, the computer that reports all this to us and supposedly monitors and adjusts the HVAC is running Windows ME so no real surprise. We called the company that services the system. They had someone here just yesterday and he adjusted valves somewhere. I suspect his "adjustment" has gone very much askew. He's coming back tomorrow. I'll bet they charge us $700 for the return visit, on top of $700 for yesterday, too.

I'm about to give up on the moving jaw for the fursuit, at least for now. I can't keep the teeth aligned when the mouth opens and shuts, and I don't have time to mess with it. So back to the fixed jaw for the time being. I must get ears and fur onto this guy.

Comments

[dakhun.livejournal.com]

Draw your own conclusions if you care to do so.

Because it was starting to look for a day or two that the market was finally stabilizing?
So, it had to move to fix that particular problem. ;p

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Makes as much sense as any other reason offered.

[keeganfox.livejournal.com]

I always see these computer controlled HVAC systems... Maybe it's my steampunk bend showing, but whatever happened to a simple thermostat?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Well, with the design of our library building, you'd be talking about a dozen thermostats anyway, so it would hardly be less complicated. The concept of control in this case isn't a bad one, but the way in which it was implemented is absurd. The layout and design of the actual mechanical systems, on the other hand, is not good at all and should have been better. As so often happens with architects, the building was designed for appearance and not for practicality. It's an utter failure on energy efficiency and maintainability, in terms of heating, cooling, and lighting.

[farhoug.livejournal.com]

Wuffy needs braces? ;-)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Yeah, in a big way. It's those lovely white fangs of his.

I don't know why I'm feeling disappointed about this, because I hadn't originally planned on a moving jaw in any case. Last week though I found an explanation with diagrams that I could understand and thought I could do it. Turns out that I'm just not skilled enough at the mechanical fabrication part to get it done right in time, so I have to fall back to my original plan for a slightly open, smiling mouth. Eyes and vision are more critical and I must use my time for those.

[farhoug.livejournal.com]

I guess it's those pretty teeth that would make one to want to show them off a bit more. But yeah, proper mechanics are tricky, even if there's a good workshop with tools and material around for creative tinkering. Especially when on a deadline... maybe for the next revision of the wuff? :-)

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I hope there will be an Argos II, yes. Though I don't know really where I'll wear him.

[goldenstallion.livejournal.com]

Dear Rider.

The jaw alignment is a problem I considered when I made Steed's head and so made it using plastic canvas and actual nuts and bolts hinges so it would tend to open and close straight. I can force it to one side or the other but it normally closes just fine. Of course having flat, equine teeth helps since they would close anyway and, besides, there are no actual upper teeth (would never show so why bother) anyway.

Of course it would be fun to figure out a way (drawstrings perhaps) to curl lips back with wrinkly nose like equines often do and display upper incisors but nah, probably never do that due to too much work.

I still want to make the ears moveable with bearings but no time now to order the bearings (found some with narrow races and wide openings that would work perfect in a catalog at work). I do want the ear holes open for ventilation and, well never again gonna put a Bounce sheet inside since it has only now lost the nasty scent that was driving me nuts at MFF last year.

Nice thing about not having an operating, opening mouth is then you have noting to say and you do tend to be an opinionated rascal. *grin*

Impers who still wants to figure out a good way to make wings for an Imperator version.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how to make plastic canvas rigid enough for the jaw movement. I built an armature of stiff aluminum clothesline, but even it is too flexible. The teeth themselves are not heavy, but building enough rigidity to preserve the needed alignment seems to require something like flat aluminum bar stock bent to shape, with bolts or rivets to form the jaw hinge.

I ran across an example that shows how to set up a canine head so it can lip-curl for a snarl, though. Same techniques should work for equine flehmen.

http://www.fursuit.de/cms/index.php/En:Fursuit_building

[soanos.livejournal.com]

I can see it all so clearly in my head, but getting the materials... It would be a royal pain in the backside. :\

Oh, well. Maybe I will be able to be a disabled zebra one day :P

[altivo.livejournal.com]

Materials are easy enough here, and Gary has the tools. The problem is time. I procrastinated, so I'll have to do what I can and settle for that.

[saythename.livejournal.com]

I can do my own personal HVAC, but institutional
sized stuff...meh, hope they don't ream you
that 700 or more...@.@

As for the markets, well...to be honest, so
far I've seen no problems at all in my life,
in fact, with commadities (oil/gas/natural gas)
plummeting like a rock into a black hole, things
have gotten better here, not worse.

I live in a rust belt city though (future
"Info City" if the city fathers have
there way) so we never got on that rollar
coaster thats now making the riders scream
on the way down. And I can't retire for
another twenty five years so I'm not even
blinking about my pension.

[altivo.livejournal.com]

At least seven years for me, but that's darned close when you think about it. And Gary's already living off his former 401K so he's not happy at all.

Just think though, how the administration was so damned eager three or four years ago to shut down social security and turn all the money into private stock market investment accounts... This is why lots of people thought that was the stupidest idea since dog shit.

[cabcat.livejournal.com]

Did they charge you for the return visit?

[altivo.livejournal.com]

I'm sure they will. It takes them about a month to send out bills, so often we have to try to figure out what it was for.