The Blog of Sheltron http://www.sheltron.net Anway, back to me... Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:00:41 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 I Had A Plan To Make Loads Of Cash By Recycling Car Batteries http://www.sheltron.net/2010/07/i-had-a-plan-to-make-loads-of-cash-by-recycling-car-batteries/ http://www.sheltron.net/2010/07/i-had-a-plan-to-make-loads-of-cash-by-recycling-car-batteries/#comments Wed, 30 Jun 2010 19:00:41 +0000 sheltron http://www.sheltron.net/?p=403
  • Can I Recycle My AA Batteries In New Zealand? I’m not talking about car batteries – those you can...
  • We Have AA Batteries, C Batteries, D Batteries, But Where Are The B Batteries? I thought the answer would be interesting. But it isn’t....
    • Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]>     This one time I left my car door open overnight and the battery went flat. When the AA came and started it for me in the morning he told me my battery was old and needed replacing that day.

    The previous year I had taken an old car battery to the metal recylers I knew that they were worth about $5 each, and just a week previous I had noticed a really big old car battery under the house left here by the previous owner.

    I went to the dump the next day, and what do you know, there were 2 more car batteries sitting right beside the pit!  So I put them in the car and took them home (one leaked a bit of acid and burnt a whole in the concrete in my garage).

    I now had 4 batteries – about $20 worth!

    With a smug look on my face, I drove to work the next day with the batteries in the back of the car, and took them in during my lunch break.

    How much did I get?

    $8.

    Not $8 each. $8 total!

    Despite the increase in lead price over the last few years (driven by an increase in demand for motorbikes and cars  in China), the metal recyclers had decided to decrease their payout.

    $20 is a decent bit of cash, but $8 was an insult for all the time and effort I had put into this project.

    Next time, I just bury my old car battery in the garden.

    Related posts:

    1. Can I Recycle My AA Batteries In New Zealand? I’m not talking about car batteries – those you can...
    2. We Have AA Batteries, C Batteries, D Batteries, But Where Are The B Batteries? I thought the answer would be interesting. But it isn’t....

    Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

    ]]>     http://www.sheltron.net/2010/07/i-had-a-plan-to-make-loads-of-cash-by-recycling-car-batteries/feed/ 0     I Drove Over The Top Of My Uncles Orange Tree http://www.sheltron.net/2010/06/i-drove-over-the-top-of-my-uncles-orange-tree/ http://www.sheltron.net/2010/06/i-drove-over-the-top-of-my-uncles-orange-tree/#comments Mon, 31 May 2010 19:00:59 +0000 sheltron http://www.sheltron.net/?p=400 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> This one time when I was 13 years old, my uncle let me drive his 1984 Isuzu 4 ton truck in his citrus orchard.

    That was a mistake on his part.

    I misjudged my approach on a corner and completely flattened one of his orange trees.

    Oops.

    He had a good laugh though.

    No related posts.

    Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

    ]]>     http://www.sheltron.net/2010/06/i-drove-over-the-top-of-my-uncles-orange-tree/feed/ 0     I Locked My Self In A Locker. It Was Unpleasant. http://www.sheltron.net/2010/05/i-locked-my-self-in-a-locker-it-was-unpleasant/ http://www.sheltron.net/2010/05/i-locked-my-self-in-a-locker-it-was-unpleasant/#comments Fri, 30 Apr 2010 20:00:13 +0000 sheltron http://www.sheltron.net/?p=335 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> This one time I thought it would be fun if I climbed inside a locker at The Geyserland Hotel in Rotorua.

    There was barely enough room for me. I basically had to contort to fit in there.

    The locking mechanism was completely exposed, I was confident there would be no problem opening it once I got inside.

    I crammed myself in there and closed the door, and peaked out through the tiny vent and felt very proud of myself.

    After a few moments I decided I had enough and tried to turn the latch.

    It wouldn’t budge!

    To my dismay it became evident that it wouldn’t move without the key!

    I started to panic.  It got hot in there very quickly and since I was half way between sitting and standing it was terribly uncomfortable.

    I started yelling for help but no-one came.

    I kept screaming until someone finally came running in.

    It took him a while to find out where I was.

    “In here! In here!” I was yelling.

    “Where? Where?” he yelled back and I could see him running around the room.

    He found my locker at last and tried the handle but it wouldn’t move.

    “Where’s the key?” he asked.

    “Here” I sobbed and tried to poke the key with it’s huge keyring through the tiny ventilation slots, but it wouldn’t fit.

    “I’ll go and get a manager with a master key!”

    “Hurry!” I yelled as he left.

    Finally a manager came to let me out. I was drenched in sweat, shaking and whimpering, but I survived.

    I’ve been mildly claustrophobic ever since.

    No related posts.

    Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

    ]]>     http://www.sheltron.net/2010/05/i-locked-my-self-in-a-locker-it-was-unpleasant/feed/ 2     I Helped Light A Friends Fart And Burnt His Nut Sack http://www.sheltron.net/2010/04/i-helped-light-a-friends-fart-and-burnt-his-nut-sack/ http://www.sheltron.net/2010/04/i-helped-light-a-friends-fart-and-burnt-his-nut-sack/#comments Wed, 31 Mar 2010 20:00:33 +0000 sheltron http://www.sheltron.net/?p=333
  • I Had A Huge Bottle Rocket Fight With Some Friends On School Property This one time, in our last year of high school...
    • Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]>     This one time at school camp in a hut on Mount Tongariro, 2 mates and I thought it would be good fun to light our farts.

    One mate announced he was ready and got into position with just his undies on.

    My job was to hold the lighter in position, but I got too close and burnt a hole in his undies and singed his nut sack.

    He howled in pain while we howled with laughter.

    Good times. :)

    Want to see some video footage of people lighting their farts?

    Related posts:

    1. I Had A Huge Bottle Rocket Fight With Some Friends On School Property This one time, in our last year of high school...

    Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

    ]]>     http://www.sheltron.net/2010/04/i-helped-light-a-friends-fart-and-burnt-his-nut-sack/feed/ 0     How Long Will It Take For Gmail To Reach 10GB Of Storage? http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/how-long-will-it-take-for-gmail-to-reach-10gb-of-storage/ http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/how-long-will-it-take-for-gmail-to-reach-10gb-of-storage/#comments Tue, 30 Mar 2010 04:33:01 +0000 sheltron http://www.sheltron.net/?p=414 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> Did you notice that last year the rate of increase on the Gmail homepage slowed considerably?

    In fact, the current rate increases storage by just 4 bytes per second with is only 345.6 Kb per day. Equivalent to one unoptimised photo from your digital camera.

    So how long will it take for online storage to grow from today’s 7.3GB to 10GB?

    • 4 bytes per second growth
    • 7438.721503: Current MB
    • 7438721503: Current bytes
    • 10000: Target MB
    • 10000000000: Target bytes
    • 2561278497: Shortfall in bytes
    • 640319624.3: Seconds to get there
    • 7411.106762: Days
    • 20.30440209: Years

    20 more years until Gmail online storage grows to 10GB!

    No related posts.

    Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

    ]]>     http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/how-long-will-it-take-for-gmail-to-reach-10gb-of-storage/feed/ 0     We Have AA Batteries, C Batteries, D Batteries, But Where Are The B Batteries? http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/we-have-aa-batteries-c-batteries-d-batteries-but-where-are-the-b-batteries/ http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/we-have-aa-batteries-c-batteries-d-batteries-but-where-are-the-b-batteries/#comments Fri, 26 Mar 2010 19:00:13 +0000 sheltron http://www.sheltron.net/?p=408
  • My Favourite Authors Non-Fiction John Grisham You can’t go wrong Ken Follet You...
  • Can I Recycle My AA Batteries In New Zealand? I’m not talking about car batteries – those you can...
    • Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]>     I thought the answer would be interesting.

    But it isn’t. It’s boring.

    Read it for yourself on Wikipedia if you don’t believe me.

    Related posts:

    1. My Favourite Authors Non-Fiction John Grisham You can’t go wrong Ken Follet You...
    2. Can I Recycle My AA Batteries In New Zealand? I’m not talking about car batteries – those you can...

    Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

    ]]>     http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/we-have-aa-batteries-c-batteries-d-batteries-but-where-are-the-b-batteries/feed/ 0     4 Reasons Why The Internet Hasn’t Made TV Redundant Yet (And Never Will) http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/4-reasons-why-the-internet-hasnt-made-tv-redundant-yet-and-never-will/ http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/4-reasons-why-the-internet-hasnt-made-tv-redundant-yet-and-never-will/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 19:30:34 +0000 sheltron http://www.sheltron.net/?p=396 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> What will happen
    • The internet will take an ever increasing share of advertising expenditure
    • The quality of TV programming may reduce because of less advertising dollars sponsoring development
    • The audience will continue to fragment between an ever increasing number of channels

    But TV won’t become redundant.

    Why?

    4 Reasons Why The Internet Hasn’t Made TV Redundant Yet (And Never Will)

    1. Watching TV Requires Less Equipment

    To watch TV you just need 3 things: a TV, a remote control and some potato chips.

    To watch videos on the internet you need keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, computer (or a laptop with all this build in), internet connection, desk (or a lap).

    2. You Can Sit On The Couch When You Watch TV

    That is more comfortable and more social than sitting on an office chair in the spare room.

    And TV’s are big.

    Who has a TV that is smaller than their computer monitor?

    No one,  that’s who.

    3. TV Content Is Always Playing

    Just change the channel to change the content. One press of a button is all you need.  The channels are running 24 hours a day, you don’t have to click the “Play” button.

    For videos on the internet you have the additional hassle of searching for them. Exhausting.

    And then you have to click the “Play” button!

    And then you have the added hassle of wading through all the garbage before you find something funny. At least on TV another human has deemed the content of interest to most people, with YouTube videos you’ll get all sorts of pointless shit in your face. It feels like your life is draining away.

    4. TV Demands Your Attention Right Now Because Of The Schedule

    If you don’t watch the TV show now, you’ll miss it. (Yes, yes, I’ve heard of TiVo, but most of the time a show is interesting enough to sit and watch it right now, but not valuable enough to actually bother to record it)

    Videos on the internet are there forever, there’s no hurry.

    Do you agree? Do you disagree?

    Add your comments below, don’t just sit there like a passive vegetable, speak up!

    No related posts.

    Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

    ]]>     http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/4-reasons-why-the-internet-hasnt-made-tv-redundant-yet-and-never-will/feed/ 19     Why Isn’t The Opposite of “Fiction” “Faction”? http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/why-isnt-the-opposite-of-fiction-faction/ http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/why-isnt-the-opposite-of-fiction-faction/#comments Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:00:55 +0000 sheltron http://www.sheltron.net/?p=385 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> More eloquent than “non-fiction” don’t you think?

    No related posts.

    Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

    ]]>     http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/why-isnt-the-opposite-of-fiction-faction/feed/ 2     A Mobile Phone For Phone Calls And Text Messages – No Other Features Please! http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/a-mobile-phone-for-phone-calls-and-text-messages-no-other-features-please/ http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/a-mobile-phone-for-phone-calls-and-text-messages-no-other-features-please/#comments Sun, 14 Mar 2010 20:00:27 +0000 sheltron http://www.sheltron.net/?p=393
  • How Long Will It Take For Gmail To Reach 10GB Of Storage? Did you notice that last year the rate of increase...
    • Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]>     That’s all my dad wants in a cellphone.

    Just 2 functions:

    1. Phone Calls

    • Huge “Dial” and “Hang Up” buttons
    • Huge characters on screen so he can see his address book

    2. Text Messages

    • A mind reading interface would be good here because the current system with “every key makes 3 letters” nor a QWERTY keyboard are going to help

    So when is the cellphone manufacturers going to start taking away features rather than adding more on?

    Related posts:

    1. How Long Will It Take For Gmail To Reach 10GB Of Storage? Did you notice that last year the rate of increase...

    Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

    ]]>     http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/a-mobile-phone-for-phone-calls-and-text-messages-no-other-features-please/feed/ 1     Bicycle Running Costs: How Much Does Your Bike Cost To Run Per Kilometre? http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/bicycle-running-costs-how-much-does-your-bike-cost-to-run-per-kilometre/ http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/bicycle-running-costs-how-much-does-your-bike-cost-to-run-per-kilometre/#comments Sun, 07 Mar 2010 20:00:26 +0000 sheltron http://www.sheltron.net/?p=390
  • Growing Vegetables In Your Own BackYard, Does It Provide A Viable Return On Investment? I have felt guilty for a long time about having...
  • This One Time I Tried To Ride My Bike From Mount Maunganui To Morrinsiville And Failed This one time I tried to ride from home in...
    • Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]>     I have 2 bikes: a road bike that I used for triathlons in 2008/2009, and a mountain bike for commuting (with road slicks).

    Road Bike Costs (3 years)

    • Initial purchase (second hand): $600
    • Initial upgrades: $600
    • Servicing, tyres, cables, brakes, innertubes, puncture kits: $460
    • Residual cost: -$400
    • Total Costs: $1200

    Kilometres travelled:

    • 9 months x 100km/week = 4,000 km

    Cost per kilometre:

    • $1200/4000 = 30.0c/km

    Mountain Bike Costs (6 years)

    • Initial purchase (new): $500
    • Lights, night gear: $300
    • Tyres: $80 x 6 = $480
    • Innertubes, puncture kits: $10 x 16 = $160
    • Servicing, cables, brakes: $400
    • Residual cost: -$100
    • Total: $1440

    Kilometres travelled:

    • 3 years commuting = 50 weeks x 4 days/week x 15km/day = 3000km
    • 3 years casual = 150 weeks x 5 days/week x 6km/day = 4000km
    • Total: 7000km

    Cost per kilometre:

    • $1440/7000 = 20.6c/km

    Conclusion

    • The bicycle running costs overall are $2640/11,000 = 24c per kilometre

    Related posts:

    1. Growing Vegetables In Your Own BackYard, Does It Provide A Viable Return On Investment? I have felt guilty for a long time about having...
    2. This One Time I Tried To Ride My Bike From Mount Maunganui To Morrinsiville And Failed This one time I tried to ride from home in...

    Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

    ]]>     http://www.sheltron.net/2010/03/bicycle-running-costs-how-much-does-your-bike-cost-to-run-per-kilometre/feed/ 2