Posted by: schofiel
I love Sweden - 06/08/2003 15:01
Any place that allows this has to be one pretty cool place to live (pun intended, given the current Euro heatware).
I love Sweden
Posted by: tfabris
Re: I love Sweden - 06/08/2003 15:13
He asked his boss whether he could wear shorts for comfort as temperatures hit 25C (77F).Oh, boo-hoo! Poor guy, 77 degrees! How sweltering hot! Such torture!!
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: I love Sweden - 06/08/2003 16:41
"The Scottish are very lucky to be able to wear kilts all the time," he saidYup. Nothing quite as cooling as layers of heavy wool.
Posted by: mtempsch
Re: I love Sweden - 06/08/2003 21:54
Oh, boo-hoo! Poor guy, 77 degrees! How sweltering hot! Such torture!!
Well, that is the outside shade temp. Inside that big piece of glass with the sun beating down on it and no AC it gets a lot hotter than 25C/77F...
/Michael - Swede...
Well, that is the outside shade temp. Inside that big piece of glass with the sun beating down on it and no AC it gets a lot hotter than 25C/77F...
/Michael - Swede...
Posted by: andy
Re: I love Sweden - 06/08/2003 22:10
Good point, I think some of the guys in the US are probably not aware that most buses and similar vehicles in Northern Europe don't have AC. We are just not used to these type of temperatures.
It nearly reached 100 degrees F here in the UK yesterday and it has been the major news story for the last three days (since they forecasted we would beat the UK record and cross the 100 degree mark). In the end we didn't cross the 100 degree F mark, so the UK record stood. London did have it's hottest day in recorded history though.
On a related point the last couple of days have been a good test for my "server room" (the roof space above my garage). While it got hot in there yesterday it stayed cooler than the outside temperature and cooler than my office used to get with the servers in there.
http://dipsy.norman.cx/mrtg/temp.html
My server room peaked at 34 degrees C, my office used to get closer to 40 degrees C. I know these still aren't ideal temperatures for PCs, but without AC it is the best I can do. At least most of the rest of the year they spend their time at 10 degrees C...
It nearly reached 100 degrees F here in the UK yesterday and it has been the major news story for the last three days (since they forecasted we would beat the UK record and cross the 100 degree mark). In the end we didn't cross the 100 degree F mark, so the UK record stood. London did have it's hottest day in recorded history though.
On a related point the last couple of days have been a good test for my "server room" (the roof space above my garage). While it got hot in there yesterday it stayed cooler than the outside temperature and cooler than my office used to get with the servers in there.
http://dipsy.norman.cx/mrtg/temp.html
My server room peaked at 34 degrees C, my office used to get closer to 40 degrees C. I know these still aren't ideal temperatures for PCs, but without AC it is the best I can do. At least most of the rest of the year they spend their time at 10 degrees C...
Posted by: 303
Re: I love Sweden - 06/08/2003 22:54
what about a build in fan?
we did it with the empeg!!!
we did it with the empeg!!!
Posted by: peter
Re: I love Sweden - 07/08/2003 01:56
In the end we didn't cross the 100 degree F mark, so the UK record stood.It's a shame the Cambridge AT&T automatic weather centre isn't an official Met Office one. For much of yesterday afternoon it was reading 38.3C (101F). It's never previously read more than 35C.
Peter
Posted by: TigerJimmy
Re: I love Sweden - 07/08/2003 02:53
Andy,
What hardware are you using to get the temperature data? Did you write the software that records it? Care to share it?
Jim
What hardware are you using to get the temperature data? Did you write the software that records it? Care to share it?
Jim
Posted by: Dignan
Re: I love Sweden - 07/08/2003 06:12
I'd kill for summer temps of 77. It gets so humid in the DC area that it hurts to breathe outside, especially combined with 95+ degree temps (and all the car exhaust). And I'm sure there are other places that are worse.
Now, at that 100 degree mark, then you have my sympathy. I feel for you there. But at 77, no way. I always open my car windows at anything between 65 and 85.
It's odd, because this seems to be a fairly cool summer in DC (only relatively), but apparently you guys are having a heatwave. Meanwhile it's hard to find a day over here that isn't overcast, gloomy, humid, and just plain gross. Not sure what it is about this summer. This morning is fairly nice. It's 78 degrees and with only 87% humidity
Now, at that 100 degree mark, then you have my sympathy. I feel for you there. But at 77, no way. I always open my car windows at anything between 65 and 85.
It's odd, because this seems to be a fairly cool summer in DC (only relatively), but apparently you guys are having a heatwave. Meanwhile it's hard to find a day over here that isn't overcast, gloomy, humid, and just plain gross. Not sure what it is about this summer. This morning is fairly nice. It's 78 degrees and with only 87% humidity
Posted by: blitz
Re: I love Sweden - 07/08/2003 06:16
Oh, boo-hoo! Poor guy, 77 degrees! How sweltering hot! Such torture!!
That's what I thought... besides assuming and hoping the dash of his bus was above waist high.
Our forecast for the next 2 days:
Today
Sunny and hot. Highs near 105. Light winds.
Tonight
Clear. Lows in the mid 70s. Light winds.
Friday
Mostly sunny. Highs near 105. East winds 5 to 10 mph.
8/2 101
8/3 101
8/4 103
8/5 95
8/6 104
That's what I thought... besides assuming and hoping the dash of his bus was above waist high.
Our forecast for the next 2 days:
Today
Sunny and hot. Highs near 105. Light winds.
Tonight
Clear. Lows in the mid 70s. Light winds.
Friday
Mostly sunny. Highs near 105. East winds 5 to 10 mph.
8/2 101
8/3 101
8/4 103
8/5 95
8/6 104
Posted by: andy
Re: I love Sweden - 07/08/2003 12:09
The hardware is the kit from this page:
http://www.qkits.com/serv/qkits/diy/pages/QK145.asp
It is very quick and easy to build and plugs straight into the serial port. I had mine built and taking readings in about an hour and I'm hopeless with a soldering iron.
Reading values from it is very easy, just read from the serial port and you get:
The first line is just a version number of the eeprom code. You then get one line for each sensor (I only have one plugged in at the moment).
I have the following (very) simple shell script to read a single reading:
I use MRTG to plot the graph. Unfortunately MRTG only knows about whole numbers so I have to times the temperature reading by 100 and plot that. The script that I point MRTG at looks like this:
Probably horrible, but I'm no shell script expert...
Finally, the chunk from my MRTG config file looks like this:
I must get round to connecting the other sensors, one for outside temperature and the other two for inside my two servers.
P.S. I should be using RRDTool instead of MRTG as it knows about fractional numbers and does better graphs. Whenever I look at it I can't work it out though. I think I'm getting old and stuck in my ways...
http://www.qkits.com/serv/qkits/diy/pages/QK145.asp
It is very quick and easy to build and plugs straight into the serial port. I had mine built and taking readings in about an hour and I'm hopeless with a soldering iron.
Reading values from it is very easy, just read from the serial port and you get:
R V1.0 2001-10-13 11:56:11 C
1 0026.75
The first line is just a version number of the eeprom code. You then get one line for each sensor (I only have one plugged in at the moment).
I have the following (very) simple shell script to read a single reading:
#!/bin/bash
echo `head -n 3 /dev/ttyS0 | tail -n 1`
I use MRTG to plot the graph. Unfortunately MRTG only knows about whole numbers so I have to times the temperature reading by 100 and plot that. The script that I point MRTG at looks like this:
echo "`/usr/local/bin/tempread |cut -c 5-9` * 100" | bc | sed s/.00$//
echo "0"
echo "0"
echo "0"
Probably horrible, but I'm no shell script expert...
Finally, the chunk from my MRTG config file looks like this:
Target[temp]: `/usr/local/bin/tempmrtg`
MaxBytes[temp]: 4000
Factor[temp]: 0.01
Options[temp]: gauge, nopercent, noo, transparent
XSize[temp]: 600
YSize[temp]: 150
YLegend[temp]: Temp
ShortLegend[temp]: C
LegendO[temp]: Nowt:
LegendI[temp]: Temp C:
Title[temp]: Server room temp
PageTop[temp]: <H1>Server room Temperature
</H1>
<TABLE>
<TR><TD>System:</TD><TD>Server room temp</TD></TR>
</TABLE>
I must get round to connecting the other sensors, one for outside temperature and the other two for inside my two servers.
P.S. I should be using RRDTool instead of MRTG as it knows about fractional numbers and does better graphs. Whenever I look at it I can't work it out though. I think I'm getting old and stuck in my ways...
Posted by: julf
Re: I love Sweden - 07/08/2003 12:18
Hmm, Rob, I see much weirder stuff in Amsterdam on an almost daily basis . But right now I'm in Helsinki (using the WiFi Connection in my hotel room - too bad it doesn't quite cover the terrace bar on the top (14th) floor.... - and you can imagine the number of "swedish jokes" that story generated over here
. But right now I'm in Helsinki (using the WiFi Connection in my hotel room - too bad it doesn't quite cover the terrace bar on the top (14th) floor.... - and you can imagine the number of "swedish jokes" that story generated over here
Posted by: TigerJimmy
Re: I love Sweden - 09/08/2003 11:00
Cool. What a fun toy. Thanks for the info, Andy. I think I'll pick one of those up.
Jim
Jim
Posted by: julf
Re: I love Sweden - 09/08/2003 11:17
Posted by: lectric
Re: I love Sweden - 09/08/2003 11:49
Hmmmm... That's pretty cool. Not too terribly expensive to boot.
Posted by: Daria
Re: I love Sweden - 09/08/2003 12:58
They have some buyer affinity program, did you buy from them and want to have referred me if I buy?
Posted by: boxer
Re: I love Sweden - 09/08/2003 13:13
Of course, none of all this would be cause for comment in the Solomon Isles.
Posted by: lectric
Re: I love Sweden - 09/08/2003 19:05
Actually, not yet, but go ahead and post your ID, or PM it to me so that when the funds are available I'll be able to use it. I am definitely interested in getting one, just terribly broke at the moment.
Oh wait, nevermind... I just reread your post and got it backwards.... Well, the offer is now extended to you. Whoever buys it first can "recommend" the other.
Oh wait, nevermind... I just reread your post and got it backwards.... Well, the offer is now extended to you. Whoever buys it first can "recommend" the other.
Posted by: andy
Re: I love Sweden - 10/08/2003 07:13
It nearly reached 100 degrees F here in the UK yesterday and it has been the major news story for the last three days (since they forecasted we would beat the UK record and cross the 100 degree mark). In the end we didn't cross the 100 degree F mark, so the UK record stood. London did have it's hottest day in recorded history though.
Well, after the longest run of really hot days that I can ever remember in the UK, we finally crossed the 99F mark today. It looks like we'll probably make 100F by the end of the afternoon somewhere.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3138865.stm
I'm just praying for some cooler weather though, I really can't cope with these sorts of temperatures for more than a day or two.
Well, after the longest run of really hot days that I can ever remember in the UK, we finally crossed the 99F mark today. It looks like we'll probably make 100F by the end of the afternoon somewhere.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3138865.stm
I'm just praying for some cooler weather though, I really can't cope with these sorts of temperatures for more than a day or two.
Posted by: Dignan
Re: I love Sweden - 10/08/2003 07:52
Wow, I really think we must have traded weather this summer with you guys. We've had no really hot days this year (still really humid), and we've had more rain and gloomy days than I can remember.
Posted by: rob
Re: I love Sweden - 10/08/2003 15:25
We made it - hottest day ever in the UK (well, since records began in 1875).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3138865.stm
I spent most of the day rewiring gadgets inside a car. A very hot car.
Rob
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3138865.stm
I spent most of the day rewiring gadgets inside a car. A very hot car.
Rob
Posted by: lectric
Re: I love Sweden - 10/08/2003 20:20
At Bournemouth in Dorset, the coastline was crammed to capacity with about 100,000 sun lovers and "no spare sand".
That's sand? Looks more like rocks from that pic. This is more what I'm used to.
Posted by: genixia
Re: I love Sweden - 10/08/2003 21:59
Brighton beach was crowded and chaotic
Pebbles.
Posted by: tfabris
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 00:54
Not only that, but from the photo, their idea of "no spare sand" is ten feet between beach towels. On certain California beaches, "no spare sand" is ten millimeters betwen beach towels.
The caption said "crowded and chaotic", but to me, that looks like a slow day for some of the beaches I've been to.
The caption said "crowded and chaotic", but to me, that looks like a slow day for some of the beaches I've been to.
Posted by: andy
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 01:01
Not only that, but from the photo, their idea of "no spare sand" is ten feet between beach towels.
You must know by now us Brits don't like getting too close to strangers, or talking to people on the train/bus, or queue jumpers, or hot weather, or cold weather...
Posted by: tfabris
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 01:12
I know you're just kidding, but I wanted it on record that all the people we met during our time in London and Cambridge were friendly and nice. I didn't get those antisocial impressions at all.
Posted by: andy
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 01:22
Oddly though I'm not really kidding about much of that stuff. Yes we are mostly friendly, but there are certain rules that have to be observed...
I missed one important thing off of the list; we don't complain about bad customer service (which probably explains the lack of customer service we have in the first place).
I missed one important thing off of the list; we don't complain about bad customer service (which probably explains the lack of customer service we have in the first place).
Posted by: rob
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 01:34
Yeah Bournemouth has a proper beach, the photo was of Brighton which is pebbles. Brighton makes up for this with the best night life in the south east. Besides, who wants to get sand in their clothes?
Rob
Rob
Posted by: boxer
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 01:35
I spent most of the day rewiring gadgets inside a car. A very hot car.
I for my part repaired the bed, which has been propped up on a heap of "Railway Modeller's" these last few months and decided that it would be a good day to finally load up all my wife's CD's for the Rio Receiver, wot I won at the meet, - after all, it keeps you away from people.
We decided that it would be a real space saver in the kitchen .
My wife picks up "best of" albums at Sainsbury's checkout, when she's shopping. Statistics:
7 copies of a whiter shade of pale on different CD's
3 Cd's repeated, same content, different names, different record labels.
Yes, we have Terry Jacks
Rio-Receiver recognises Abba and the BeeGees as albums, but not as artists - is this a matter of taste or a glitch in the software? I may post in the appropriate place, later.
The music stops when the microwave starts, I've got a wireless network.
Posted by: frog51
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 02:18
Got to love Bedford during this hot weather. Or more specifically wearing full racing overalls and a helmet, being strapped into a small compartment attached to a very hot thing and driving very fast round black tarmac at Bedford Autodrome.
Whoooohooo - what a day! Got to drive the Caterham 7, Evo VI, Vauxhall VX220 turbo, Jaguar JP1, Renaultsport Clio, go-karts, offroady things and a (slightly) restricted Formula Palmer Audi single seater!
I have never got so dehydrated in my life, although I was drinking stacks of water at every break. Some of those cars are just toasty, though - the Caterhams, especially, with their wonderful foot-warming thin aluminium bulkheads.
I never realised how good the VX220 was. Calling it a Vauxhall gives you the wrong impression. It should be called a Lotus
Whoooohooo - what a day! Got to drive the Caterham 7, Evo VI, Vauxhall VX220 turbo, Jaguar JP1, Renaultsport Clio, go-karts, offroady things and a (slightly) restricted Formula Palmer Audi single seater!
I have never got so dehydrated in my life, although I was drinking stacks of water at every break. Some of those cars are just toasty, though - the Caterhams, especially, with their wonderful foot-warming thin aluminium bulkheads.
I never realised how good the VX220 was. Calling it a Vauxhall gives you the wrong impression. It should be called a Lotus
Posted by: andy
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 02:31
Got to drive the Caterham 7, Evo VI, Vauxhall VX220 turbo, Jaguar JP1, Renaultsport Clio, go-karts, offroady things and a (slightly) restricted Formula Palmer Audi single seater!
That sounds like fun. In October I'm off to Wigan to drive a Formula Ford for a day, which I'm really looking forward to. I expect I'll be dealing with different extremes of weather by then though...
P.S. for some reason the car that they take you out in to teach you the circuit and guage your abilities is a MG-ZR (the Rover 25 based one) which seems odd. Take someone out in a front-wheel drive car and then throw them at a rear wheel drive racing car. I guess it comes down to cost.
Posted by: peter
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 03:18
I know you're just kidding, but I wanted it on record that all the people we met during our time in London and Cambridge were friendly and nice. I didn't get those antisocial impressions at all.I don't think it's really viewed as anti-social. Brits (in general, not universally) don't strike up conversations with other Brits because they don't much like other Brits striking up conversations with them. Most of those same Brits, though, will behave differently to foreigners, cheerfully engaging them in conversations. I don't know whether this is because we think foreigners (and particularly Americans) naturally appreciate a nice chat with a complete stranger more than Brits do, or because we think people visiting foreign countries will appreciate being put at ease or offered advice or assistance... actually it must be the latter, because the only time you're guaranteed to see British strangers engaging each other in conversation is when both are overseas...
Peter
Posted by: andy
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 04:03
Spot on Peter. During my three week trip to Seattle I was gabbing away to every stranger who would listen, back home I avoid talking to strangers whenever possible.
Posted by: frog51
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 04:09
It was a top day out, and they have it organised so you don't sit around much all day! That Jonathan Palmer bloke - got his head screwed on pretty well - knows how to do corporate entertainment.
The amusing thing is the way the cars handle - drove them in pretty much the order described which was kind of weird. The Caterham really showed up my driving style (hard on the brakes to loosen up the back end, and then hard out of the corner), because I managed to spin 7 times in 4 laps! Was getting a bit disheartened till we got to all the other cars which do respond well to turning in late and booting power from just before the apex.
The Palmer Audis are just like a computer game though - no sliding at all, just point and you turn on rails (although I understand it can be a bit different in the wet!)
But the best fun of the day had to be the Clios. I had a nutter instructor. All the other folks were told to back off and change down to 4th for the small chicane in the middle of the long straight. Mine kept shouting at me to get it up to 6th - I usually came out of the chicane a bit sideways and laughing hysterically. It is an awesome car.
Mind you, for pure sideways-ness, the track they have set up for the Evos is mad, two concentric laps to confuse you. The inner one needs some careful steering, but then you come round at top whack, sideways, on wet tarmac trying to aim for a huge yump!!!!
You guys have got to try it Bedford Autodrome - if you are in the UK.
The amusing thing is the way the cars handle - drove them in pretty much the order described which was kind of weird. The Caterham really showed up my driving style (hard on the brakes to loosen up the back end, and then hard out of the corner), because I managed to spin 7 times in 4 laps! Was getting a bit disheartened till we got to all the other cars which do respond well to turning in late and booting power from just before the apex.
The Palmer Audis are just like a computer game though - no sliding at all, just point and you turn on rails (although I understand it can be a bit different in the wet!)
But the best fun of the day had to be the Clios. I had a nutter instructor. All the other folks were told to back off and change down to 4th for the small chicane in the middle of the long straight. Mine kept shouting at me to get it up to 6th - I usually came out of the chicane a bit sideways and laughing hysterically. It is an awesome car.
Mind you, for pure sideways-ness, the track they have set up for the Evos is mad, two concentric laps to confuse you. The inner one needs some careful steering, but then you come round at top whack, sideways, on wet tarmac trying to aim for a huge yump!!!!
You guys have got to try it Bedford Autodrome - if you are in the UK.
Posted by: frog51
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 04:13
Aye - when going out first footing at New Year, the kilt is de rigeur dress. Even when there is snow and blizzard conditions. And it is always warm - it would be way too hot if you had to wear anything underneath it as well!!!
At ceilidhs, it is actually far too hot, but it looks so much better than a suit that it is not a difficult decision.
At ceilidhs, it is actually far too hot, but it looks so much better than a suit that it is not a difficult decision.
Posted by: andy
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 04:22
You guys have got to try it Bedford Autodrome - if you are in the UK
Were you on a corporate day, or did you go by ourself on a shared day. If the later, how much did it actually cost ?
Posted by: frog51
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 04:51
It was a corporate day, but I'm not sure how much it cost as I wangled in due to a drop out, so it was already paid for. Think it's about £450 - £500 each, but value wise it has to be the best I've seen, having been on various other track and rally dos where you pay £250 for an hour. This was pretty much driving from 9.30 until 5.
A few of us are pushing to see if we can get them to do a Clio day (they do Caterham days already) or even a JP1 or PA day where you get to stick with one car, because although you got a fair bit of time in each, you still didn't feel like you were nearing the limits of the car (your own limits, maybe) and I could let you know if we get success.
A few of us are pushing to see if we can get them to do a Clio day (they do Caterham days already) or even a JP1 or PA day where you get to stick with one car, because although you got a fair bit of time in each, you still didn't feel like you were nearing the limits of the car (your own limits, maybe) and I could let you know if we get success.
Posted by: lectric
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 10:01
Oddly though I'm not really kidding about much of that stuff. Yes we are mostly friendly, but there are certain rules that have to be observed...
I really wish I could find a clip from Douglas Adams' last book, The Salmon of Doubt. It's about he and a stranger waiting on a train, and it involves cookies... I'll try to find and post it later on when I get home. Very funny.
Posted by: tfabris
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 10:06
It's about he and a stranger waiting on a train, and it involves cookies...Yeah, he told that one on Letterman several years ago. Great little story. Apocryphal, but great.
(It's actually an old story that he's retelling. It's important when retelling a story like that, you have to say "it happened to you". Storyteller tradition and all.)
Posted by: peter
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 10:06
It's about he and a stranger waiting on a train, and it involves cookiesIf it's the one I'm thinking of, it's also in So Long And Thanks (happening to Arthur) and Don't Panic (happening to Adams).
Peter
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 10:10
Speaking of which (Don't Panic), did you realize that that was written by Neil Gaiman well before he was famous for other things? If your response to that is ``Neil who?'', then nevermind.
Posted by: peter
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 10:13
Speaking of which (Don't Panic), did you realize that that was written by Neil Gaiman well before he was famous for other things? If your response to that is ``Neil who?'', then nevermind.I'd already read Good Omens by the time I came across Don't Panic. I didn't realise until just now that the first edition of Don't Panic was in 1987...
Peter
Posted by: wfaulk
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 10:19
I got Don't Panic shortly after it was published, then went on to read Good Omens, and, before that, a lot of Sandman comics. One day I went back to my folks house, where DP was sitting on a shelf and it took a few seconds to reconcile why my folks had a comic book author's work there. My brain hurt for quite a while.
Posted by: tfabris
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 10:27
The only things I know about Neil are the references Tori makes in her lyrics. And most of those I don't understand.
Get me Neil on the line, no I can't hold
Have him read "Snow Glass Apples" where nothing is what it seems
"Little Sis you must crack this," he says to me,
"you must go in again. Carbon-made only wants to be unmade."
Blade to ice, it's Double Diamond time...
Posted by: pgrzelak
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 10:58
Greetings!
He and Tori are pretty close. She did the introduction for one of his comics (I think it was the first episode of the Death spinoff), and I think she was also (partially) the model for Delirium...
He and Tori are pretty close. She did the introduction for one of his comics (I think it was the first episode of the Death spinoff), and I think she was also (partially) the model for Delirium...
Posted by: lectric
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 13:16
Ah yes, Cookies.mp3.
Posted by: tfabris
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 13:22
Thank for that MP3! Cool!
Posted by: schofiel
Re: I love Sweden - 11/08/2003 15:30
Charles Atlas?