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My Geeky Home Security System

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Since we moved, we've been pestered by ADT salesmen. They offer to install a security system, then want to make you pay $30+ per month for "monitoring" service. I found that ridiculous, so decided to do it myself. I'm not worried about intruders while I'm home. That's what Smith & Wesson is for. I wanted a system I could customize, extend, and monitor remotely. After doing some research, I decided X10 was the way to go.

X10 has been around a long time. It's a standard protocol which sends signals across the electrical system. So, you have devices you set a "housecode" on like A5, B11, etc. Then the devices can receive "ON" and "OFF" signals when plugged in. Many X10 devices are Made-in-China components which can be bought for dirt cheap on eBay.

So, I drew it out and went X10 shopping on eBay:

  • 4 x motion detectors (MS16A) = $25
  • 3 x light switch modules (WS12A) = $30
  • 2 x remote keyfobs (KR19A) = $10
  • RF transceiver module (TM571) = $8
  • Lamp module, chime module = $15
  • Serial 2-way computer interface (CM11A) = $40
Now, here comes the magic. That last item, the CM11A, allows X10 signals to interface with a computer. With the right software and know-how... you can customize behavior with any rules and scripts you like. My first problem, however, was that I don't want to leave a desktop computer running 24/7/365 in order to have a home security system. 

Then I discovered this great little item: The SheevaPlug, $99. This is a self-contained linux computer, the size of 2 decks of cards, ready to plug in. It has an ethernet port and USB port, ready to login (via SSH) and configure remotely. It runs on just a few watts, so the idea is to leave this plugged in running all the time... controlling my X10 system (and whatever else I come up with later on).


The software I loaded on the SheevaPlug allows for advanced features ADT doesn't offer. I use a fantastic little free program called Heyu to handle all the CM11A X10 commands. Heyu allows you to set rules, conditions, and launch scripts. I also installed Apache web server, adding some simple CGI scripts to give me a remote interface, so I can check logs and control all home devices from my phone browser. One can use Linux cron schedules for house timers. I connected an old webcam I had lying around with a USB hub.... to add video monitoring and image capture to the security system.

My web interface:

There's a lot more detail to it... and of course some hair pulling involved troubleshooting, but I'm quite happy with how it's turned out. Of course, one must put a lock on the electrical breaker box with this type of approach. There is also some finesse involved with mounting ugly X10 motion detectors (I used PVC joiners to mount them adjustable, and painted them to match the background). Once past all the challenges of getting SheevaPlug configured... one can customize away. My wife and I can use the "keyfob" to arm/disarm the alarm system, and also to toggle the outside lights from motion-detection mode to timer mode (e.g. if we have guests). The chime and lamp modules are used as indicators when we arm/disarm. When the motion alarm is tripped... it will instantly text message both my wife and I, take a photo, and begin chiming and blinking lights inside and outside the house. We can check the motion logs and view the webcam image to investigate. There's more to it, and I'm sure I'll add more in the future. All in all, my system totaled somewhere over $200, which will pay for itself compared to ADT in a matter of months.
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Penal Thoughts About Gladiators

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That is the gayest title I've ever given a blog.

So, I just watched the movie Death Race, which was similar to Running Man. They are both about prison inmates playing deadly sport for televised entertainment. I think that is a great concept. Now, let's be clear on one matter first. Our prison system is f*cked up. They say public prisons cost nearly $50,000/year on average to incarcerate someone. The US has the highest incarceration rate because we lock up so many for non-violent offenses (e.g. drugs). Then there's the butt rape. The Supreme Court just ordered CA to release tens of thousands of prisoners due to "overcrowding". That is all f*cked up.

I blabbed on about this topic a while ago... saying that "justice" demands free-market labor camp prisons. Justice should be about reciprocation, debt, and contracts. For example, say a court/jury deems I have harmed another person's life or property, and therefore incurred a debt. I should pay for the damage (if accidental), and pay double the damage (if intentional). I am not freed until the debt is repaid. I also pay for my prison, and may choose my own prison. It could be a low-cost rent-a-shed with barbed wire, or one with amenities like our state prisons. Of course, the wait for freedom in an expensive prison would be long, as I strive to repay my debt on top of room/board. If the prison let's me escape, they are liable for all debts. Murderers can't repay their debt, so their fate is decided by the victim's next of kin: be it hard labor or death penalty. This is what a privatized penal system would look like in a society morally dedicated to free choice.

Here's where we get to bringing back the gladiators! Let's put American Gladiators back on the air, but with swords and nunchucks instead of Nerf batons. It would be distasteful to many, but I'm sure there is a solid Pay-Per-View audience out there. As you could imagine, the salary would be huge... especially for champions in the arena. Some prisoners might strive to earn freedom quickly by fighting. There are probably even some macho-agro free dudes out there who would choose to fight just for fame. I don't know if I would choose to watch such a thing, but I do enjoy boxing. It would surely be less barbaric than our current penal system.
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Goodbye Downtown

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This will be my last week living in downtown Sacramento. We are moving to the 'burbs for more space and yard for the younglings. I've lived downtown for 6+ years, and will miss it. I thought I would capture some experiences that I look back at fondly (in no particular order):

  • Biking or cabbing it to bars.
  • Stumbling hungover to Waffle Square, or Fox & Goose (if the line wasn't too long).
  • Catching a band at Old Ironsides.
  • Walking to Old Sacramento and Downtown Plaza for some weekend shopping and snacking.
  • Walking to Friday Concerts at the Park during the summer.
  • Selecting a piece of torte from Rick's Dessert Diner (which is so delectable, it takes me two days to finish)
  • Going for strolls around Southside Park.
  • Seeing odd characters hanging out on my street (such as clowns, transvestites, and various others)
  • Walking and biking to various brew-fests and wine-fests (West Coast Brew Fest at Miller Park being my favorite).
  • Neighbors like Tony(80 y.o.) and Casey(RIP) who lived on my block for decades.
  • The delicious pie and plain service at Zelda's Pizza.
  • My corner store that always has a good variety of cold beer (and other groceries of course), cashiered by Tony... a deadpan asian guy with a mullet.
  • Making lots of cool friends at Dive Bar Connoisseurs.
  • Being close to everything, with so many great dining options.
  • Mooching free wine at 2nd Saturday Art Walks.
  • Hipsters at the supermarket.
  • A short commute.
  • Sunday walks to get lunch at Burgers and Brew, followed by some fro-yo next door.
  • Pulling Libby to the Southside Park playground on her train.
  • Big shade trees in the summer.
A few things I will not miss:
  • Big leafy trees in the fall.
  • Close encounters with the smelly, homeless kind
  • Dog shit on my front lawn
  • People stealing my stuff
  • The ridiculous Sacramento City Council
  • Fearing for my life anytime I walk down K Street Mall.
  • Stray cats
  • Rude party kids down the block up too late noisy.
  • Air quality
  • NIMBY's and communists in my neighborhood association.
  • Graffiti
  • Police helicopters with searchlights and loudspeakers.
So long downtown life...  It's time to for me to move on!
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Last Will & Testament

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Yeah, I don't plan to die right away and this topic sounds morbid, but hey I could get hit by a bus tomorrow, so never say 'never' right?  So here it is... my legally binding last will & testament, because I haven't gone to the trouble of doing the official lawyer-estate thing yet.

My organs go on eBay. Oh wait, that's not legal... okay so anyone who needs them can have them, if I haven't abused them too hard by the time I croak. If I wind up vegetable, fruit, or meatloaf (like the dude in Metallica "One")... call Dr. Kevorkian or just pull the plug. As for my remains... I don't want to be buried in the ground. That is just gross to be eaten by worms and bacteria. I choose cremation. Should anyone (e.g. family) choose to keep my ashes... I would prefer being stored in a container with a lid, so I don't spill on the floor. Tupperware is fine... I'm not picky. Just label me or slap my photo on there so I'm not accidentally baked into a casserole. If cupboard space is tight, I would prefer my ashes be planted under a tree or mailed to a socialist congressman in an unmarked envelope (haha, last laugh on me!).

As for ceremony arrangements, yeah I don't really care. If there is any kind of gathering, I just request that either Motley Crue "Home Sweet Home" or Guns 'n Roses "Knockin On Heavens Door" be played... because those are sweet ass tunes. It would also be great if some guns were fired in the air at some point - not in a military funeral way, but more of a jihad AK-47 kind of way. (Not kidding... consider it my last request dammit!) As for all my sh*t. I don't care, just keep my guns in the family. Also, somebody save off all my posts to disk...because I don't know what happens to them when people die.

If I have any choice in the matter, my last words will be "I WILL BE AVENGED!" Those are the baddest last words I can imagine... so if no one is around when I die, those were my last words - I'll make sure to say them as the last light fades. Just take my word for it. Rest in peace out biatches!!!

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The Golden Rule

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Everyone learned the Golden Rule as a child. It is the ethic of reciprocity. It may be worded different ways, but always means: "Treat others how you'd like others to treat you". It's called "golden" for the value in it's universality and simplicity. A child can understand it, because it captures all of humanity's virtues: fairness, equality, empathy, justice.

Sometimes, we take simple things for granted. We've got religions with commandments and thousands of laws written, yet consistently applying the ethic of reciprocity would encapsulate all of that. Whether you raise your child christian, pagan, or atheist... teaching a child the Golden Rule would be the only moral compass needed to see how being a cheat, hypocrite, killer, or thief is wrong.

This discussion gets interesting when you bring it into the adult world where money, power, and politics enter the equation for individual decisions. Crafty adults bend a "do unto others" justification around what they seek for personal gain. These explanations always bastardize the Golden Rule, ignoring the fact that preferences aren't universal. All people are different. For this reason, the Golden Rule is first and foremost an ethic of individual rights.

Consider examples:
  • A drug prohibitionist says "Make drugs illegal because I'd want people to stop me from doing drugs.". What does the drug prohibitionist say when his cheeseburgers are restricted by a vegan?
  • A socialist who says "We need to take from the rich, and give to the poor". What does the socialist say when his home is robbed by someone poorer than them?
  • A neo-conservative says "We need to occupy Iraq, because ...". What does the neo-conservative say when his homeland is invaded and occupied by another country?
Perhaps in each case, the advocate for "doing unto others" would attempt to justify 'indirect consequences'... such as drugs lead to violence, or a hundred other complicated reasons. The simple hypocrisy remains in each example... they wouldn't like an analogous choice being forced upon them. The Golden Rule prescribes not just 'doing unto others' but 'leaving others alone'. Some may have heard the joke "The Golden Rule = He who has the gold makes the rules". It could be retorted "He who makes the rules, takes the gold". In both cases, the real Golden Rule is being broken.
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My Bug-Out Bag

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I've started putting together a "bug-out bag". I am an Eagle Scout... and you know what they say: "Be Prepared.". A bug-out bag is something you pack for an emergency, when the shit really hits the fan. Whether it's an earthquake, flood, tsunami, mega-volcano, zombie outbreak, alien attack, electromagnetic pulse, meteor, nuclear or civil war - you don't want to be waiting in line at REI when it happens. You want to have the basics ready to take with you, then get you and your family 'out of Dodge!'. Before having wife+kids, I'd figure if Armageddon came I would find the nearest weapon and fend for myself. Perhaps I've started this project now that there are little ones, but it's probably also due to watching The Road with Viggo Mortensen. (a well-done, yet disturbing film)

This is actually quite an intriguing project. It will force oneself to confront the humbling realization that we human animals are so domesticated, most of us wouldn't survive in the wild. One may develop a new sense of respect for Davy Crockett and, if you're like me, explore a whole new world of YouTube survivalist videos such as "How to set a snare trap". I have begun collecting the items for my Bug-Out Bag after reading up on survivalist articles and blogs. I will be hitting up Army Surplus stores, Wal-Mart, REI, and internet purchases... in that order. The key is having things on-hand, and not having to hit the store when it's too late.

Here is my list:

Food/Water
Shelter/Safety
Tools
To top it all off, I will make sure to bring my hardback rubber-bound copy of "How to Stay Alive in the Woods", which I picked up at a bookstore a few years ago. I hope I never have to use my Bug-Out Bag, but I'll sleep a wink better knowing I have it...
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Ready... Set.... Beard!

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I put the shaving cream away this morning. The plan is to go full beard, and then trim back to "friendly mutton chops". My father had facial hair all my life until a few years ago, alternating between phases of a Sonny Bono moustache and Chuck Norris beard. Maybe I will carry on the legacy, or just put on a winter coat... I'm not sure yet.

I expect it should fill in nicely. In my high school yearbook, they asked "How have you changed since freshman year?" I was quoted as answering "Facial hair." I grew a respectable beard over a few weeks on my high school graduation trip. I dabbled with goatees in college.  I can get a 5 o' clock shadow. I am armed with manly facial follicles. It's about damn time I harness these powers.

I remember reading recently that beards are indicators of trustworthiness (Journal of Marketing Communications). That is interesting... what is it about beards? Could it be that people with beards are perceived as more "granola", and not caring about superficiality? Are they deemed wiser? I mean Santa Claus, God and Jesus all have beards. That's pretty good company. However, the Uni-bomber, Karl Marx, and Fidel Castro had to go ruin it for bearded people. Goatees are the opposite. You've got goatee Satan and Lenin. Plus, everyone knows that your evil parallel universe self has a goatee, like evil Spock. That's why I like Friendly Mutton Chops. It's got that friendly bearded fullness, but then throws a you with the shaved chin. Did he shave the chin to keep food out of his beard? Or does he ride with biker gangs on the weekend? Why didn't he shave the whole thing? It's so mysterious! So many choices. Who knows where this follicular adventure will take me...

(Whoa, random aside... I just image-googled 'Friendly Mutton Chops' and saw a photo of my friend Jim down the page. Small world!)
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