Tag: head

Anatomy of an IDE Hard Disk Drive: Autopsy

Western Digital WD1200 IDE 3.5 inch 120G disk drive, for a desktop, circa 2002, Made in Malaysia. The outer aluminum shell and cover. Besides the 6 perimeter screws remember the two screws hidden under the label. Photo 2 by Don Tai.

Western Digital WD1200 IDE 3.5 inch 120G disk drive, for a desktop, circa 2002, Made in Malaysia. The outer aluminum shell and cover. Besides the 6 perimeter screws remember the two screws hidden under the label. Photo 2 by Don Tai.

This IDE Western Digital WD1200 hard disk drive, we have had, for a very long time. I do not even think it was mine, passed down by a well intended soul with a “Could you get it to work?”. Well, no. It dates back to 2002 and at 120G, made in Malaysia, was large at the time. Alas there was a clicking noise from the disk and it stopped working. All data was lost. I thought that Little Weed and I would do a father and son device autopsy, just for fun.

Spanner Slotted Screw Head: Hard to Remove and Unnecessary

These spanner slotted screw heads are a pain in the butt. My broken Black and Decker VS200 Heat Sealer used 2 of 9 screws as spanner slotted, the rest were philips. Why go non-standard? photo by Don Tai

These spanner slotted screw heads are a pain in the butt. My broken Black and Decker VS200 Heat Sealer used 2 of 9 screws as spanner slotted, the rest were philips. Why go non-standard? photo by Don Tai

Heat sealing some frozen corn with my Black and Decker VS200 heat sealer, from a 2 kg bag down to 0.5kg bags, I heard a pop, and then noticed the heat strip of my heat sealer was no longer hot. Damn, we are going to need a repair.

Eating Bugs: Worm Larvets

From a practical point of view, eating bugs should be a given. However here in Toronto, Canada, we as a society are squeamish about the subject. Recently I had the opportunity to try some worm larvets for myself. They really were not bad but not tasty, really. They actually had no taste at all. What is the point? Bugs really rule the world and are a good source of protein. If we ate more bugs we would reduce the dependence on red and chicken meat, which requires lots of the earth’s resources. We could be kinds to the earth by eating more bugs. The Little Weed tried one for shock value and also said there was very little taste.

Dinosaur in our Living Room (1)

Midland Painted Turtle, head and right front claw: macro, Toronto, ON, Canada

Midland Painted Turtle, head and right front claw: macro, Toronto, ON, Canada

Midland Painted Turtle: Neck, Toronto, ON, Canada

Midland Painted Turtle: Neck, Toronto, ON, Canada

Midland Painted Turtle: front left claw, Toronto, ON, Canada

Midland Painted Turtle: front left claw, Toronto, ON, Canada

Midland Painted Turtle: front right claw, Toronto, ON, Canada

Midland Painted Turtle: front right claw, Toronto, ON, Canada

Midland Painted Turtle, rear left shell segment, Toronto, ON, Canada

Midland Painted Turtle, rear left shell segment, Toronto, ON, Canada

Midland Painted Turtle, Head, Toronto, ON, Canada

Midland Painted Turtle, Head, Toronto, ON, Canada

Links: 15 million years old, Painted Turtle, Turtle Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Testudines
Family: Emydidae
Subfamily: Deirochelyinae
Genus: Chrysemys, Gray, 1844
Species: C. picta
Subspecies: C. p. marginata

Ibanez RB800 Roadstar II Bass: Identification

Ibanez Roadstar II RB800 electric bass, 1987: body finishes were black, pearl, red, fountain blue

Ibanez Roadstar II RB800 electric bass, 1987: body finishes were black, pearl, red, fountain blue

Ibanez basses are difficult to identify. They often have no specific model numbers written on the bass. After heavy use these model markings can wear off, making identification of vintage models difficult. Many sellers using Craigslist and Kijiji will also post poor photos of basses, making ID very difficult. This post will positively identify the Ibanez Roadstar II RB800 electric bass, as well as provide related internet links. There is actually very little information about this Made in Japan, Fugigen factory 1987 model on the internet, so every little bit helps.