Rain X stuff

Recently, I got an offer from Rain X to try their new Latitude wipers. I don’t know if I actually needed new wiper blades, but I hadn’t changed them since I got my car in 2004, so I convinced my frugal side to give the Latitudes a try. They came as part of a kit along with Rain X glass cleaner, glass treatment (their claim-to-fame product), and a microfiber cleaning cloth.

The glass cleaner came in an aerosol can, rather than a typical blue stuff spray bottle. When you spay it on, it foams. I used the cleaner and microfiber cleaning cloth to clean all the windows of my car. Beforehand, they were dirty. Afterward, they were clean. I’m not sure that it worked any better than the blue stuff. I’d probably only buy it again if it’s cheaper, or is more environmentally friendly. I have no idea about either yet.

The microfiber cloth is actually quite nice. It has little pockets in the corners for your fingers so you can easily get the cloth into the nearly unreachable inside corners of your windshield.

The Latitude wipers are the newer “beam” style assembly, with a single curved, springy beam that is supposed to evenly distribute the wiper pressure across the windshield, as opposed to standard wipers which have several “pressure” points, according to the Rain X marketing department. The wipers have some weight to them, and feel like a quality product. They were fairly easy to install, although I had some trouble when trying the different adapters.

When I placed my order, their web site guided me to the correct driver and passenger wipers sizes for your year, make, and model, which was great. After I installed the Latitudes, I sprayed water on the windshield to test them. They completely missed a four inch wide, six inch long swath right in my field of vision. My first instinct was that I installed them incorrectly. A quick look at the instructions revealed that it was reversed, left to right. I couldn’t imagine how this would make a difference, based on the design, and sure enough after I fixed it, the wiper still missed the same large swath.

I decided to try the other adapter in hopes that it was a bit larger and would cause more pressure on the blade. It was a pain to change, and involved using a screwdriver to pry things. I can understand that, since you don’t want your wiper assembly flying off at high speed, but still overly tough. Unfortunately, neither adapter allowed the blade to contact the windshield fully in this one area. Since that pretty much defeated the purpose, I gave up and put my old wipers back on.

The Rain X glass treatment works pretty well. I had used it, or something similar (I think it was Rain X brand, but can’t remember for sure), about 8 years ago, and remember it working well.

At low speeds (under 30 mph) with light rain, water beads instantly, but you still need to use your wipers intermittently to clear the water. Heavy rain runs down and off the windshield at low speed, and amazingly enough, you can still see clearly and only use your wipers as needed. At higher speeds (over 40 mph), light and heavy rain are blown up and off the windshield. This higher speed effect is quite nifty to see, and works surprisingly well at keeping the windshield clear even in fairly hard rain. Of course, you should still use your wipers as needed.

There is a gray area between “low” and “high” speeds where the airflow over the windshield holds even larger water beads in place. I’ve had to use my wipers more in that gray area than at either low or high speed.

So far, the only downside I’ve found is that under very light rain, the glass treatment can leave a light haze on the windshield after clearing it with the wipers. It doesn’t hamper visibility, but it is definitely noticeable. I don’t know how long a single application of the glass treatment will last. I’ve heard 2-3 months. It only takes a few minutes to apply, so that’s probably long enough not to be annoying.

I’ve read in several places that PPG Aquapel is at least as good, and may last a good bit longer. If the Rain X doesn’t last 2-3 months, I may give the Aquapel a try later in the spring.

Thanks, JD

Last January, when I was unemployed for a while, doing the job search thing and driving to interviews almost every day, I got used to quickly backing my car out from the garage onto the carport, a space off to the side of our driveway where Lor parks her truck, and then taking off down the driveway. I got a little too accustomed to it, apparently, as I did the same routine while Lor was home, and the (old) truck was parked there. Imagine my surprise when the car came to a sudden, and fairly loud, halt as I backed square into the truck. It left a nice hole in my rear bumper, a nice bow in the left side of my trunk line at the seam, and several spots of chipped paint.

Better yet, Lor was in the car when it happened. Fortunately, it didn't really hurt the truck at all.

A few minutes later after the humiliation died down, it all became very funny, as those things usually do. We decided that since the car was still perfectly drivable, we would wait a while to get it fixed, at least until I had found a job, and we had finished the bathroom remodel.

So here we are one year later, and we finally got it fixed. This was our second dealing with JD Auto Body in Verona. The first was with my 2000 Jetta, which we guess was the victim of a toppled 4x4 post in the Home Depot parking lot. JD did an excellent job then, and so we went back.

They did an excellent job once again. The estimate was reasonable (they did estimates for both repairing and replacing the bumper), were able to get me on their schedule within a week, let me drop off and pick up when it was convenient for me, and were friendly the whole time.

To my admittedly untrained eye, they did a great job with the repairs. I had them fix some scratches and nicks on the front bumper in addition to repairing the rear. Both turned out looking brand new. The seam that they repaired between the trunk and the rear left panel is tighter and more aligned than the factory seam on the other side.

While I'm sure they had to wash the car to work with clean bumpers and to match the paint, they really washed it. Honestly, it is the cleanest it has been since we drove it off the lot back in 2004. It looks like a new car.

So, if your car needs body work, I highly recommend JD.

Praise the Lord in 25 words or less

December 18, 2007 Brian Cavalier music cd

Album: Praise the Lord- the Orthodox Sacred Music of the Late 19th and the Early 20th Centuries
Composer: S. Rachmaninov, P. Tchaikovsky, A. Grechaninov, P. Chesnokov, A. Lvov, A. Archangelsky, M. Balakirev, K. Shvedov
Artist: Chamber Choir KIEV
Conductor: Unknown

Rating: ★★★★★

Expressive singing, huge dynamic range, excellent Slavonic diction, and possibly the finest male voices I've heard make this a must-own.

0.3

Find it at Amazon.com | iTunes

This is an amazing collection of many Russian Orthodox "standards", and the choral performance itself certainly deserves 5 stars. There are also some less frequently heard selections, which is a very welcome bonus.

I waffled a bit on giving the CD 5 stars overall, though, so I figured I should mention the reasons briefly. First, I believe that some of the selections, while impeccably performed, seem slightly out of place sonically when listening to the overall sound of the album. Track 3, Rachmaninov's "To Thee We Sing", is an example. It doesn't seem to fit in the otherwise well-chosen flow of tracks 1 through 5. If you listen on random, you may never notice this kind of thing.

Second, there are some direction choices that do not make sense to my ears. As one example, on the final track, Tchaikovsky's "Praise the Lord from the Heavens", the second half of the Alleluia section is sung in double tempo (or at least significantly higher tempo). To my ears, it does not work, and is especially noticeable as the closing sound of the entire album.

I am, of course, picking nits. This album is the finest performance of Russian Orthodox master works in my collection.

Masses et Motets de la Renaissance in 25 words or less

Masses et Motets de la Renaissance - Musique Sacrée de la Renaissance - Century 8

July 19, 2007 Brian Cavalier music cd

Album: Masses et Motets de la Renaissance - Musique Sacrée de la Renaissance - Century 8
Composer: Byrd, Monteverde, Palestrina, Tallis, and others
Artist: Various
Conductor: Various

Rating: ★★★★☆

Light, beautiful countertenor and soprano voices shine, and are the reason for listening to this pleasing, if somewhat typical, tour of the genre.

0.3

Find it at Amazon.com | Liturgica.com

S. Rachmaninov: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in 25 words or less

Moscow Chamber Choir - S. Rachmaninov: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

May 18, 2007 Brian Cavalier music cd

Album: S. Rachmaninov: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
Composer: Sergei Rachmaninov
Artist: Moscow Chamber Choir
Conductor: Vladimir Minin

Rating: ★★★★★

A world-class performance. The dynamics, the blend, the balance! I was nearly brought to tears by “The Lord’s Prayer” the first time I listened.

0.3

Find it at Amazon.com

Taste the Fountain of Immortality in 25 words or less

Valaam Brotherhood Choir - Taste the Fountain of Immorality

April 16, 2007 Brian Cavalier music cd

Album: Taste the Fountain of Immortality
Composer: Traditional Valaam, Znamenny, and other Chants
Artist: Valaam Brotherhood Choir
Conductor: Unknown?

Rating: ★★★★★

Excellent musical settings, both simple and sophisticated, and extraordinarily pure, precise male voices create harmony that must be heard to be believed.

0.3

Find it at Liturgica.com

With the Voice of the Archangel in 25 words or less

Archangel Voices - With the Voice of the Archangel

Mar 19, 2007 Brian Cavalier music cd

Album: With the Voice of the Archangel
Composer: Bortniansky, Glagolev, Morosan, et. al.
Artist: Archangel Voices
Conductor: Vladimir Morosan

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Angelic female vocal blend, well-performed dynamics and expression, and prayerful mood coupled with excellent musical selections and settings show immense potential, despite some technique lapses.

0.3

Find it at Amazon | Liturgica.com | ArchangelVoices.com

From the moment I first heard this CD, I knew Archangel Voices were special. The spirituality was immediately apparent, and the talent is there. That raises the question of why only 3 stars?

On the technical side, there are some pitch and diction problems. These sound to me like they are mostly due to nervousness, lack of rehearsal time, or simply that, at the time the recording was made, the singers had not been together long enough to reach the necessary comfort level with one another. Still, I highly recommend this CD.

I also need to leave room (hint, hint) for rating their subsequent recordings, “Christ is Born!” and “Resurrection!”, both of which I’m planning to review sometime soon.

MBP Waterfield sleevecase

Here’s what I ordered:

• Horizontal Sleevecase, size 15-2
• flap (see below for the bonus)
• d-rings and suspension strap
• horizontal piggyback

The short version is that this thing is bullet-proof, carries just enough beyond the MBP itself to be useful as my sole commuting bag 90% of the time, and the attention to detail is impressive.

The first thing I can say that I liked about my new Waterfield sleevecase is that I ordered it on Monday and it arrived on Wednesday, and I didn’t have to pay for extravagant shipping. That was just USPS Priority, which was one of the lesser expensive shipping options (USPS Priority is underrated, IMHO, but that’s another blog post).

The overall design, and as far as I can tell, the materials, have not changed, and that is a good thing, as it should be as bullet-proof as my tibook sleevecase. The case fits my MBP like an Assos jersey. That’d probably be “like an Armani suit”, but since I’ve never actually worn one, I figured I’d go with the cycling reference. Once again, the interior neoprene suspension design is genius.

D-Rings

The d-rings, shoulder strap clips, and piggyback clips are all metal. The ones on the shoulder strap and sleevecase are quite beefy. The piggyback clips are less so. I’d bet money that they sturdier than equivalently sized plastic clips, though. They also have nice release levers to help you open them since they are so small—very nice attention to detail.

Shoulder Strap

The suspension strap is a very interesting design. I couldn’t find many pictures or a detailed description of it on the site before buying, but I decided to give it a go anyway, betting that if I wasn’t happy with it, I could try to exchange it for a regular strap.

The strap has 3 sections that are sewn together. The two ends where the clips are attached are standard heavy duty shoulder strap stuff. The key is the center section. The underside is made of a very soft and grippy rubber that really does keep it from sliding around. Second, the pad is stretchy, but has another strap sewn onto it that acts like a damper. That’s probably impossible to visualize, so think of the springs and shocks on your car. The first is for absorbing impact, the second for keeping the springs under control. It’s a clever design. I can’t really say how much it changes the dynamic of carrying the bag, but I can say that overall the shoulder strap is very comfortable.

It is also adjustable in two places, instead of just one, which allows you to position the pad correctly no matter how long or short you make the strap. Attention to detail.

Piggyback

The piggyback is my favorite part of the package. It lets me carry the extra bits that I need, which makes the sleevecase usable as my daily commuter. It clips to the same d-rings as the shoulder strap, and it holds more than I thought it would. I’ve carried the following without having to cram: MBP power brick, ipod and headphones, small moleskine and pen, cell phone charger, and a Balance Bar. The inside is lined with some super-soft alien material, and has one large main compartment and two smaller pockets. The zipper is metal (a good thing, imho) and has a zipper pull tab that I can easily grab while wearing gloves. The piggyback also has a small rain flap (details, I say!). It’s a lot of usefulness wrapped up into a svelte little package.

The shoulder strap can be attached to the piggyback, so you can carry just the piggyback by itself if you’re so inclined.

In my experience so far, the case and piggyback work together very well. I was afraid that the piggyback would bounce around while carrying the bag, but it doesn’t. The on problem I’ve found with using them together is that the piggyback actually covers the flap on the sleevecase in a way that makes it difficult to open the flap. This hasn’t been a big annoyance so far, and it might be possible to work around it by attaching the piggyback on the back side of the sleevecase and carrying the case with the flap facing toward your body. I may give that a try if the interference becomes annoying.

My only other gripe so far is that I wish the sleevecase had some sort of small carry handle (also one of my complaints about my Timbuk2 messenger), but I knew that before I bought it, so I can’t complain too much.

Bonus

One bonus that my previous sleevecase did not have is the slash pocket on the back. I’m guessing that you get this when you order the flap. Regardless, I’ve found it to be extremely useful so far. It is the perfect size for my aluminum clipboard, or any of several music books.

Conclusion

All in all, I am very happy with my purchase, and I think it’s gonna just right for my daily commute. It’s more streamlined than my Timbuk2, and still holds the few extra things I need.

Timbuk2 messenger bag

Since I mentioned them when I blogged about Waterfield, I figured it’s only right to give props to Timbuk2. I’ve had my Timbuk2 messenger for at least 10 years now, and aside from having a few spots of ground-in dirt and grime, the thing is still in great condition. I’ve biked with it in torrential downpours, snow, and hail. I’ve crashed with it. It’s been beaten up in many airport checkpoints and smashed into airplane overhead bins and car trunks. It’s even survived an alien attack. Ok, maybe not that last one, but I’ve beaten the thing up in nearly every other way you can imagine, and not a single stitch has come loose.

Amazingly, the velcro still works after 10 years, too.

Like just about everything, there are a few minor things about the bag that could be improved. In fact, Timbuk2 has made several improvements over the past 10 years that solve my main gripes. My biggest ones are the lack of a carry handle, which you can now get in a custom build, and the layout of the interior pockets, which has also been revised.

If I ever need to retire mine, a custom Timbuk2 messenger will certainly be at the top of my list of replacement candidates.

Waterfield

I've had a Waterfield sleevecase for my aging tibook for nearly six years now. The case still looks like it did the day I received it, even though it's been all over the US, and in and out of my Timbukt2 messenger (another product that I'll probably buy again when the time comes) more times that I can count. The thing is darn near indestructible. I have no doubt that my tibook is still in working order without major dents and gauges because of that sleevecase. The outside “shell” is ballistic nylon, and the inside is a magically suspended neoprene pouch that holds the laptop and acts like a shock absorber. Subtle, but ingenious and effective.

Now that I have a brand new MacBook Pro for work, I needed to get a case for it. The tibook sized sleevecase doesn't quite fit. After looking around at a few others and comparing features and prices, I decided to go with another Waterfield sleevecase. I wanted to be able to carry it as my sole commuting bag this time, so I went with the full deal: flap, strap, and piggyback.

After I ordered it, I was reminded of another reason that I like Waterfield so much: customer service. I got a personal email from Gary. In the email he asked how I found out about Waterfield, so I responded telling him about my experience with the tibook sleeve, and he responded with another personal email. It's pretty clear that not only do they make great stuff, they actually care about it. I feel very confident that if I have a problem with the new case, they'll make it right. That goes a long way to making me want to be a repeat customer in the future.

The case should be here this week, so I'll probably post a bit more about the it then.

The Essential Tallis Scholars in 25 words or less

Tallis Scholars - The Essential Tallis Scholars

Mar 5, 2007 Brian Cavalier music cd

Album: The Essential Tallis Scholars (2 Disc Set)
Composer: Gregorio Allegri, Antoine Brumel, William Byrd, Clemens non Papa (Jacob Clement), William Cornysh, et al.
Artist: Tallis Scholars
Conductor: Peter Phillips

Rating: ★★★★★

Phenomenal compilation that is near perfect technically, yet still warm and enjoyable. A must-listen for all choir singers and conductors.

0.3

Find it at Amazon

The music on this CD is not Orthodox. Most of it is Christian in origin, however, from the Renaissance period, and is performed in Latin. Please do not let that dissuade you. While it does lack that certain spirituality many find unique to Orthodox music, this is certainly one of the most amazing compilations in my collection. The selection of pieces is excellent, the performances are near-perfect, and the recording and CD production quality are top-notch.

The Akáthistos Hymn in 25 words or less

Cappella Romana - The Akáthistos Hymn

Mar 1, 2007 Brian Cavalier music cd

Album: The Akáthistos Hymn (2 Disc Set)
Composer: Ivan Moody
Artist: Cappella Romana
Conductor: Alexander Lingas

Rating: ★★★★☆

Moody's epic composition combines powerful, creative, yet authentic Byzantine melodies with beautiful harmonies. Cappella Romana is bright and balanced, but diction suffers slightly at times.

0.3

Find it at Amazon

PL Premium Polyurethane Construction Adhesive

PL Premium Polyurethane Construction Adhesive is really good stuff. PL’s website claims it is “3 times stronger than ordinary adhesives.” I don’t really know what they consider to be “ordinary”, but this stuff has been plenty strong for anything we’ve used it for, even in high heat areas (like our fireplace). Our carpenter friend swears by the stuff, and has given up Liquid Nails altogether.

A single tube seems to go a long way, and is fairly easy to re-open by just pulling or cutting off the dried adhesive at the tip of the spout. It has pretty balanced open time and curing time. It has stayed malleable long enough for us to do what we need to do, but then seems to cure to rock hard within 24 hours. It’s also reasonably priced, and readily available at a Home Depot near you.

One tip on using the stuff, though. It can be darn near impossible to squeeze out, especially when it is cold, or even cool. Don’t kill yourself. Set the tube near (not on, for goodness sake!) a heating duct, heater, radiator, etc. to warm it slightly. Even so, it can still take some work to get the stuff out, so be prepared.

Russian Orthodox Music in 25 words or less

Tallis Scholars - Russian Orthodox Music

Feb 26, 2007 Brian Cavalier music cd

Album: Russian Orthodox Music
Composer:Stravinsky, Rachmaninov, Bortniansky, Tavener, various others
Artist: Tallis Scholars
Conductor: Peter Phillips

Rating: ★★★☆☆

Some styles may not please. Stunning performances of Stravinsky’s “Otce Nash”, Rachmaninov’s “Lord’s Prayer”, Tavener’s “Great Canon”, and Bortniansky’s “Mnogaya Lieta” will.

0.3

This had been an incredibly hard to find album, for whatever reason. Recently, it has appeared on Amazon.com and also appears to be available at CD Universe.

Lay Aside all Earthly Cares in 25 words or less

Cappella Romana - Lay Aside all Earthly Cares

Feb 22, 2007 Brian Cavaliermusiccd

Album: Lay Aside All Earthly Cares
Composer: Father Sergei Glagolev
Artist: Cappella Romana
Conductor: Alexander Lingas

Rating: ★★★★☆

A heavenly album of inspired compositions, excellently performed. New, yet ancient. Dynamic, yet practically singable. Exciting, yet absolutely prayerful.

0.3

A quick note about this review. The “25 words or less” part was inspired by my friend Jeff who posts 25 word or less movie reviews. I've been wanting to write Orthodox music reviews for a while, but always found myself being too wordy. I'm hoping that limiting myself will allow me to actually get some reviews done. Thanks, Jeff!

This review is also formatted as an hReview. I really like microformats, and was inspired by this review and this subsequent post by John Hicks to format my music reviews as hReviews. Thanks to those examples, it was easy to get an hReview up in Blogger.

Stuff that rocks: Pegasus Lighting

The latest chapter in our ongoing kitchen renovation has been the installation of new under-cabinet lighting. Like everything these days, there is a dizzying array of shapes, sizes, types, and manufacturers to choose from. We finally settled on Pegasus Associates’ low-voltage xenon task lights.

They rock. Let me count the ways:

1. Quality product: Their lights cost a bit more than others I looked at at Home Depot, but they are so nice. They are plug-in or direct wire, using standard Romex, they have tons of knockouts, and they have really easy to use push-in wiring connectors. The housings are mostly metal and very solid.

   The only suggestion I have for them in this department is better installation instructions, and some troubleshooting information. The instructions that come with the lights are almost nonexistent, and there is no troubleshooting info provided.

2. Quality light: One thing that really tipped the scale on these lights, was the various posts I found saying how good the light quality is. These lights have a wonderful, warm, incandescent-like light (slightly whiter, though) glow. The glass diffusers do a great job, too. You can still tell where the bulbs are by the lightwash on the backsplash, but it is much less noticeable than other lights that don’t have any diffusers. The diffuser also helps dissipate some of the heat, which so far, hasn’t been a problem at all for hands under the cabinets or inside the cabinets on the surface of the lower shelf.

3. Customer service: One of the lights I ordered flickered badly after installing it, so I called customer service for some troubleshooting help, and if necessary, an exchange. A real human answers the phone. Not only that, she was very pleasant and helpful, directing my call to yet another pleasant and helpful person in the support department. After checking and trying a few things suggested by the support department, they suggested I just send the light back, and they would send me a new one. That was Thursday afternoon. The new light arrived on Friday morning. I hadn’t even had time to mail the old light back to them!

4. Customer service: Now, I realize this is the same as #3, but in today’s world of abysmal customer service, this is worth mentioning more than once!

If you’re in the market for under-cabinet or task lights, I’d definitely recommend checking out Pegasus Associates. Even if you are in the market for some other lighting products, I’d recommend at least browsing their website to see what they have. Their customer service alone is enough for me to consider them for any future lighting projects.