I work in home automation, which is basically installing one central control system that in turn controls all the other systems in a house. Crestron is the main control system that the company I work for usually installs. There are many levels, from power-line communication systems, to Ethernet based systems, to systems specifically used for lighting control. Crestron has been around for a long time, and is fairly bullet-proof if the programmer is worth his (or her) weight.

Many times, there are security companies, or other self employed persons, who feel that the ability to pull some wires in a house gives them the knowledge to put together a control system. Sadly, especially for the homeowners, this turns out poorly. In some cases, though, our company benefits, as we can make some money when the homeowner gives up on the original installer. This brings its own set of unique problems: wires pulled to the wrong locations or not at all, the wrong equipment specified or installed, pissed off builders and homeowners, and a general bad feeling all around.

This most recent job really brought home an aspect that I always forget to consider going into this type of situation. When you follow incompetence it is easy to be a hero just by doing your job. This particular situation, the homeowner had a lighting system installed in his house from Lutron, but there was no programming done at all, which translates into no way to turn on or off lights other than with the breakers in the electrical panel. It did take a while to build the program from scratch, but basically in a day I had given him the ability to turn on and off lights.

I would recommend to anyone who wants to purchase a control system to do their homework. Don't use the lowest bid, you usually end up getting what you pay for, and while these systems start in the tens of thousands of dollars, and quickly get into the hundreds of thousands, it is not worth saving a few percent of the cost if you wind up having pretty looking buttons that don't do anything. There are lots of resources out there to get some information:

• Remote Central is a great place for reviews of all types of products and systems although you need to do a good search of the forums before you ask a question, they are really brutal to newbies,
• Going directly to some of the manufacturers sites (links above) can give you a good introduction to what the particular systems are capable (another thing I see is people being oversold, getting a system that does more than what the customer wanted or expected),
• Getting a list of preferred installers from the manufacturer you select is another good idea,
• But no matter who you choose for bids, make sure you talk to previous customers. Get a list of people you can choose to talk to, and even better would be to ask if there is a house or two you can visit, to actually work a system they have installed and programmed, see if the company actually understands the systems they sell and install.

No matter how much the control system costs, from the entry level system that just does some security lighting for a few thousand dollars, to the half a million dollar system that controls the whole house and practically does the dishes, no amount of saved money is worth the frustration of a system that does not work.

Overheard in Claremont, NC

I was working in a clients house this morning, and heard one of the "Good Ole Boy" "Small Town Values" contractors talking about the election. "Yeah, it's these blacks coming out of the woodwork that are gonna make it hard for McCain." ... I really don't know where to go with that. Especially when it is coming from a person who a few months ago asked me to a "Christian" Revival. I really wanted to say "Yeah, I mean what, do they think they actually have the RIGHT to vote?" What fucking century is this again? I know I was in the back woods of NC, but really.

Another example: I was in Atlanta a few weeks ago, and a contractor was talking about how much he "learned" from the right wing wacko AM radio shows (kind of like the mainstream liberal media...again I lament the lack of a specific font for sarcasm). He expressed his concern that if Obama loses, he will be pulled out of his truck by an angry black mob, so he just bought a gun. I personally am much more afraid that if Obama gets elected, HE will be KILLED by a crazy fucking white person, much more than I fear personally getting hurt by a black person if McCain wins. Are we all that stupid? Isn't it time to stop the ignorance?

Canadian Rockies

So it's only about 4 months late, almost 5...but a lot of stuff happened in between. Anyway, Banff, if you ever get the chance, is well worth the visit. I was there in February of this year, and am going to Calgary again in August, and hope to get some more pictures (greener this time?) of Banff.




Again, if you get the chance, take the trip.

Hiding a Factory?

If THIS was doable in WWII, to such great effect from the air, I wonder what they do now? I mean really, the more I learn about our Government's ability at "hiding" things, it's no wonder the world is a little scared of us. But are they able to keep up with ALL the information out there? We better hope they stay way behind...

Day Lily

 

This is one of the coolest flowers we have in the yard. I love it! It takes very little work, in fact we really haven't done anything to it since it was planted. (note the use of we...I really don't do any planting, the only yard work I can claim is cutting the grass and trimming.) Anyway, it is absolutely gorgeous, and they keep going for several weeks. The flowers are enormous too, and with the two stalks we have, there are two or three blooming constantly. Hope you enjoy the pic, wish you could smell them, because that is a whole other level of experience...

J

A Favorite Song

This is one of my favorite tunes right now. Its a Scottish band, the Old Blind Dogs, and a tune called "The Wisest Fool". It is a wee bit hard to understand, but the tune more than makes up for any stumbles in the lyrics. The brogue is especially thick on this tune, but it is an incredibly pretty melody. My wife and I both thought this one was a keeper when we first heard the tune start...

Smallest Shell in the World?

Okay, so I don't really think its the smallest shell in the world, but it is pretty darn small. I found this shell in Ireland, in 1983, while I was visiting with my parents. My Mom is from Trafrask, County Cork, Ireland, and we were walking on the coast, collecting shells. I found this one inside another small shell, and couldn't really believe I even saw it. I put it in a ziploc bag, and haven't opened it since. In fact I had forgotten about it completely until my wife found the bag in our document safe, and asked me about it. As soon as I saw my 13 year old chicken scratch on the makeshift masking tape label, the whole trip came back in vivid detail. My wife couldn't stop laughing at my proclamation on the label: "The SMALLEST Periwinkle shell in the world!!!" I actually used the caps and my exclamation points got progressively bigger. I was so sure I had a treasure when I found it. Little did I know the treasure would be the memories that would come flooding back when I found my little shell...

J