Base 2 (binary) means we count by twos by the power of two. I will draw you a table in a moment, but first lets get the base two counting down first. 1,2,4,8,16,32,64, and 128 are the numbers we will use. We start at one just like normal (0 doesn’t come into play until later). Then we go: 1×2=2; 2×2=4; 2×4=8; 2×8=16; 2×16=32; 2×32=64; 2×64=128; To use binary in networking and computing, there are only 8 slots or places. More on that in a minute.

In binary we only use two numbers (0 and 1) because a bit of information is either represented as 0 or 1. In electrical/magnetic terms that is either positive or negative (0=negative; 1=positive). There are 8 bits in 1 byte of information and each of these “slots” equals one bit of information. Hence the reason for the 8 slots or places.

Now it’s time for the chart. It may help you to draw a chart of your own as we do this so you get a real understanding of what’s going on. Start from 128 on the left and move right:

This is what your chart should look like, two rows with the top row filled with the place value digits. Now you can see the “place value” thing come into play here. Just like when you would do this in grade-school with the decimal system. Now comes the fun part.

Keep in mind, all the slots have to either contain a 0 or a 1. Now, we write 0s under the numbers not in use and 1s under the numbers in use. Let me explain by making the number 1:

The above example means we will only need to represent the number one, so we don’t need 128, 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, or 2, but we do need the 1. So, there is a "positive" mark under the number 1 and a "negative" mark under the rest of the numbers. Now lets step it up and make a number 6:

Now we have negative marks under all the numbers that do not make up the number six and positive marks under the numbers that do make up the number six, i.e. 2+4=6; Hence the reason for marking off 2 and 4. This is how binary is accomplished. You merely add up the numbers needed to get the number desired. Make sense? Just to make sure, we will do one more equation to clarify. We need the number 208:

128+64+16=208; Now that we have made numbers with binary, let’s make binary out of numbers. This requires a bit more calculation, but it is still easy none the less. Let’s take the afore mentioned number of 208. How do we make binary out of the number?

1. We take the largest and closest number to 208 out of it, i.e. 128 is the largest and the closest, so 208-128=80
2. On your chart, you would mark down a one under the 128 slot.
3. Now you take 80 and find the closest number which is 64. 80-64=16
4. On your chart, you would mark down a one under the 64 slot.
5. Now you take 16 and find the closest number which is obviously 16, so you mark a one under the 16 and a zero under all the other numbers.

You now know how to convert decimal digits into binary and binary into decimal digits. How’s that for cool? Feel free to boast to people that you know binary! It sounds cool and “techy” doesn’t it? Just make sure you tell them you know binary in a cool techy voice. Think Patrick Warburton as you say, "Yea … that’s right. I know," flexing a little, "Binary code. Yea, most us techs know that sort of thing. Kinda comes with the job if you know what I mean." NOTE: If you are a male, I encourage you to practice the deep voice and the cool look – time for us techs to break the "so-uncool mold"

… Laughter is so important in life …

To download the cheat chart so you always have something to refer back to, click on the link (you will need a spreadsheet program like MS Excel to open it): Code Cheat Sheet (17KB)

More Binary Help Sites:

• Binary – So Simple a Computer Can Do It
• Wikipedia: Binary
• Binary Numbers For Dummies
• Wikipedia: Binary-Coded Decimal

Was this article helpful to you? Do you have any suggestions or corrections that you would like to see here? If so, please post a comment and let me know.

For this project, we were supposed to create textures only using the Photo Shop program. We were to first choose a word from the following selection:

• wrinkled
• rusty
• peeling
• weathered
• pitted
• woven
• pebbly
• scratched

I chose the word “scratched” first. This is my first picture and I am rather proud of it as I created the disc entirely in Photo Shop and then applied the scratches using a tutorial on the Net called: Big Scratch

The scratches didn’t quite turn out as good as I wanted them to though.

(Click the image to make it larger)

Scratched Optical Disc

I then moved on and chose another word, “pebbly”, and followed a tutorial called: Fantastic Stone Textures

I followed this, but didn’t like the black background, so I got rid of it and replaced it with a sand background. This looks more natural, but I found the image still looked odd, more like a stone wall rather than a bunch of pebbles on the ground. After adding some water, things looked better, but as it turned out, this was not the favorite pick for the project.

(Click the image to make it larger)

Pebbly - Pebbles Under Water

The final choice was the word "weathered" and I thought of weathered wood as a good example. I had just finished reading Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and the idea of doing the "Admiral Benbo" sign came into mind. Of course, I had to put my own twist on it. For the wood texture, I used the Ultimate Wood Texture Tutorial. For the rust texture, I used the Easy Rusted Text tutorial. After getting the textures, I found I liked the look of a raised carving for the letters and image. I was able to “weather” the carving by loading a channel selection of wood grain and then erasing little bits from the wording and figure as if it was chipped and eroded with time. After making the sign the way I liked it, I turned to the hinges, chain, and sign post. These I made using the rust text tutorial. The chain is made out of “U’s” and “O’s”. The sign post is made out of an extended “J”. · The Admiral was taken from a Monkey Island Fan Site where they offer art work for free.

(Click the image to make it larger)

Weathered Sign

Let me know what you think by posting your comments at the bottom of the page. Thanks for looking!

I give my sister credit for all the pictures except the sign, alley, and the city scene. Those three were taken from a card program, a WordPress theme, and from a free photo site.

A Word On Doodles

Doodles are things that just happen. It’s something that suddenly takes shape or something that just flashes in the mind and ends up as fun on the paper.

• Plan and do research before major projects
• When entering unfamiliar ground, do not rush in blindly.

Journal Story

One of my accounts entails me caring for a family with disabled young people. For years I have serviced and maintained their computers as well as serving as their hands and even eyes when they are no longer able to use their computers by themselves. Both children (who are now young adults), own a computer and there is a computer for the mother, father, and other normal siblings as well. My primary job over the years has been to browse the Internet for information that they seek and then turn the information into text for a text-reading program. However, with so many computers in the house, the task of maintenance and fixing problems falls to me.  On one such occasion, I was doing general maintenance when I noticed that the heat sink of the father’s computer was so clogged with dust bunnies that the fan seemed to be laboring to keep things cool.

“I know!” I thought, “Why not clean the inside of the computer as well?” I would go the extra mile! I would receive the gratitude of my employer! He would pat me on the head and say, “Good boy! You are indeed a faithful servant.” Yes sir, I would clean this computer and have it sparkling before he came home. Please note, this was before I had ever really messed with processors and their components, so it was a case of fools rushing in as I decided to remove the fan and heat sink unit in order to properly clean it. This I did without any problems, though I noticed this sticky white paste that I somehow got on my hands when handling the heat sink. Pesky stuff! After cleaning, I was just replacing the unit as the father came into the house and over to his computer, where he watched me finish installing everything. I smiled triumphantly as I pushed the power button and the squeaky-clean computer started with renewed vigor … and then ten seconds later suddenly turned off. My smile was whisked off my face as if it was a line in the sand that a strong wind had just erased. Trying to be confident, but sweating and offering up prayers of deliverance, I pushed the button again. Ah! The sweet sound of the computer starting up … until it turned off again. The man quietly stood there as I explained I must not have tightened down the heat sink enough. After unplugging the unit, I popped the panel off and reseated the heat sink, making sure I tightened everything down enough. With a quivering finger I pushed the power button, held my breath, said another prayer, and waited. The computer started. So far so good. Soon ten seconds were past, then twenty, and then thirty. Oh what an eternity before Windows loaded and a full five minutes went by with the machine still making every healthy noise a computer makes. Still trying to look confident, I stood up and said, “Yep. That was it. I just didn’t tighten down the cooling unit enough after cleaning your whole computer.”

My employer smiled, knowing I had gone the second mile and knowing I had almost botched it, said, “No good deed goes unpunished.”

I smiled and walked away as I offered many praises to the Lord for delivering this computer fool once again.

Point(s) to Remember:

• If something doesn’t give, do not force it
• Think things through
• Plan and do research before major projects

Journal Story
I had saved up for it for some time and had done much research before finally purchasing a new laptop a couple of years ago. I try my best to keep this computer in top condition, as it is my workhorse usually always being in the field with me. Things have run well, but after two years of use, I started noticing that the large programs I had installed on it were sucking my system memory and were causing intensive use of the virtual memory (a section of the hard drive that is devoted to acting as RAM). So, I did the research, bit the bullet, and purchased bigger RAM. I had also noticed that the cooling fan was constantly running, even when the computer was not being used and the computer surface around the touch-pad was very hot. I also noticed the vents on the back were clogged with dust-bunnies, so I figured I would clean the inside of dust when I replaced the RAM.

The day when the RAM came was an exciting day! I had purchased some new computer tools as well, so I was doubly excited. When I finally got a free day, I downloaded the repair manual for my model, got my tools in order like a surgeon, and started in to reading and following the removal instructions. Unfortunately with a laptop, in order to get to the mainboard at the bottom of the computer where the dust has collected, every piece on top has to be removed – we’re talking the keyboard, the monitor, the various top plates, optical drive (DVD/CD drive), touch-pad, speakers, etc. That’s what the repair manual is for.

Each laptop, even laptops within the same manufacture family, are different in their screw placement and part configuration. And talk about screws! Each time I open a laptop for repairs, I marvel at the amount of screws that come out of it. When the manufacturer gives the unit’s weight, you can bet that half of the weight is in screws! Each group of screws that tighten down various parts are often different in size as well. This is an important fact to remember because some are short and some are long of the same diameter. If you were to put a long screw in a short screw hole, you could puncture the mainboard. Keeping track of the screws, their size, name, and where they came from is very important. Thankfully, I have torn into enough laptops to be fairly comfortable and organized (I have even taken pictures of my dissecting in order to help keep track). I have also learned, no matter what the manual says, if something is resistant to being pried loose … DO NOT FORCE IT! Thankfully I remembered this.

It seems I had downloaded the correct manual, but for some reason, it didn’t give all the information I needed to know. For instance, it said there was a screw where there was no screw (this was my first clue) and then it didn’t mention two main screws that were quietly holding the mainboard in place. I had noticed these two spacers or standoff screws before and didn’t think much of them as this type of screw is used for providing space between the mainboard and the frame of the computer. They are usually short stemmed and have a head that is about ¼” thick and resemble a nut with an octagonal shape. What made these two standoff screws stand out is the little plastic part of the computer frame next to them. On it was engraved a couple of arrows and the word, “Remove”.
Now, you are probably thinking, “Well yea! That should have clued you in a little!”

But also under the arrows were the RAM memory modules. So, I thought the arrows were pointing to the modules so they would be removed before any major work on the mainboard. I followed the repair manual until I got to the part where they said to remove one screw and then pop the top end of the last top plate away from the frame. I removed the screw and then began to pull on the top plate … nothing but flex. I wasn’t exerting a lot of force, so I thought, “Well, I guess I could pull a little harder.” With timidity I began to pull on the top edge of the plate just like the manual said. Still nothing. This was making me nervous because I could feel the mainboard just under the plate and it felt like it was flexing with the plate. I could just imagine myself putting a screwdriver under the plate and using it as leverage. Ah yea! I’ll pop that baby off there! Of course I would end up with part of the mainboard still stuck to the plate like a bit of white goop from an Oreo when the two parts are separated.

So, carefully I lifted the plate about an eighth inch and shone a light in between. There they were, two big shiny screw shafts coming up through the mainboard. I shook my head and removed the two standoff screws and the plate popped off with barely any force. The rest was easy and I was able to thoroughly clean all the dust bunnies that had collected around the fan and the heat sink. Putting the unit back together was just a matter of retracing my steps. I also installed the new RAM and am happy to report that my laptop not only stays nice and cool, but is able to handle the workload now.

So the lesson learned, even when you’ve got the manual telling what to do, move slow and think about what you are doing. If something doesn’t seem right, approach even more cautiously and go by what you know to be right.

This is my first entry in my computer repair journal and my first attempt at putting my experience in a journal type format. Bear with me.

Point(s) to Remember:

• User Data is VERY important … Back it up before working or doing major diagnosis.
• Disconnect all drives from the power supply before testing for a faulty power supply.

Journal Story

One of the things the instructors stress in the computer repair business is, “Documentation!” The tech is supposed to log the incident, including the workstation (computer), the trouble, the diagnosis, and the solution. This enables the tech to be better prepared for the next disaster as he can refer back to his notes when the client isn’t looking and then hopefully dazzle the client by going right to the problem and fixing it, all the while giving the impression he really knows his stuff (I speak in the masculine tense as I happen to be a male, but please feel free to substitute the he/his for her/she). This attempt at logging my experience was a practice run while hopefully passing on some valuable information to the reader. If you have made it this far, I applaud you.

The Incident

I was called out to repair a computer “that wouldn’t turn on” for a client the other day. I make many house calls, as I am a traveling tech (I use the term tech loosely as I am not certified just yet – hoping, hoping!). The client is a sweet elderly lady who is partially blind and only uses her computer to play solitaire and send a few emails – no personal data.

After arriving on the scene, I participated in social interaction (kind of surprising for a computer nerd ain’t it?) while making my way toward the desktop computer that sat sullen on the floor next to the desk area, with only a little amber light glowing. After pleasantries were exchanged between the client and myself, I moved on to the old tech third-degree – What is the problem? What happened right before that? What did you try? etc.

I then tried turning the computer on myself by pushing the power button. Nothing. Checked cables and outlet (a little voice kept repeating – “Start from the wall and work out!”). All seemingly okay.

Tried holding the switch on the front for ten seconds to shut the computer off that way. The computer began to beep (computer cussing?) several times and then continued to stare sullenly at me. “Well,” I said to myself quietly, “It must have something wrong with the power supply.”

I unplugged all externals (monitor, mouse, etc.), turned the unit off from the back, unplugged it, and pulled the side panel off. I didn’t notice that this motherboard was an Enhanced ATX and used the P1 and the auxiliary power connector. I unplugged both.

I then plugged the power supply back into the wall outlet and flipped the switch on the back. All I can say is, it’s a good thing I still had hold of the power cord because if Robin were my sidekick, I would have heard something like, “Holy flaming hard drive Batman!” Yes sir. The one thing I forgot to unplug from the power supply was the hard drive. Being the mainboard was an EATX, it had kept the defunct power supply at bay and had not let it run it’s lethal power through the system. Genius that I am, I unplugged the only safety feature from the power supply and left everything else plugged in.

Yea baby! I like … he, he, … FLAMES!!!

The poor hard drive then took all the power that the power supply could give it and simply melted before my very eyes. Also before the eyes of my client. Praise the Lord I pulled the power cable before anyone had a chance to scream for the fire department. I then told the client how the power supply was bad (No! You think?) and that it could have fried more than the hard drive. She was very gracious and was thankful it didn’t burn up on her (all this while waving aside the smoke) and that she would wait to hear from me about any salvageable parts before pursuing a new computer (buying a new computer is a low priority for her, since she only used it for simple things).

I then brought the computer home to my workshop\one room apartment and ran it through some tests. I found that the mainboard seems to be working fine, the DVD drive still works, but the CD drive must have taken a jolt, with the fried hard drive and power supply.

The moral of this story:
If you suspect a bad power supply:

1. Unplug the hard drive from it after shutting everything down. That way, maybe some data can be saved. It would have been an absolute nightmare if the hard drive contained user data.
2. Keep your head if a fire breaks out.
3. Unplug the unit from the power source first as this is the cause of the fire (think arc welding) and could be sending electricity through the unit.
4. Then deal with the fire if it still is burning.
5. Brace your self for the possible client onslaught of, “What the FOUL FOUL do you think you’re doing? Don’t you FOUL know that FOUL fire can burn up the FOUL house? Of all the FOUL FOUL things …”
6. Last, remain calm, passive and positive.

I was blessed to have this experience with an elderly lady whom I’ve known for quite some time and who is very sweet. I was also blessed to have this happen on a hard drive that didn’t contain any user data. However, I wanted to pass this on to you so in case a similar thing happens, you will know to UNPLUG THE HARD DRIVE.


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Rick, fresh out of accounting school, went to a interview for a good paying job. The company boss asked various questions about him and his education, but then asked him, “What is three times seven?”

"22," Rick replied. After he left, he double-checked it on his calculator (he *knew* he should have taken it to the interview!) and realized he wouldn’t get the job.

About two weeks later, he got a letter that said he was hired for the job! He was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but was still very curious. The next day, he went in and asked why he got the job, even though he got such a simple question wrong. The boss shrugged and said, "Well, you were the closest."


]]> http://realsheep.wordpress.com/2009/10/28/joke-accounting-interview/feed/ 1 His Woolliest Man Counting On Fingers http://realsheep.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/a-little-humor-a-day/ http://realsheep.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/a-little-humor-a-day/#comments Mon, 21 Sep 2009 05:40:53 +0000 His Woolliest http://realsheep.wordpress.com/?p=96 ]]>

For those in need of a quick laugh:

Did you hear the one about the student?

During the beginning of the semester, the instructor had given the students a written test to complete. The students had 60 minutes to complete it and then the papers were to be brought to the desk for grading before the students left for the day. After the hour had passed, the students lined up to turn in their tests, all but one student who was conspicuously still at his desk. After the last student had turned in the test and had left the room, the instructor looked up to find the student still at his desk. The instructor cleared his throat and continued to stare at the student. A couple of minutes passed before the student finally arose and deposited the test on the desk and then began to quickly leave the room.

Stopping the student in his tracks, the instructor said, “Wait! I think I said that all students had one hour to finish the test or they would receive a mark against their grade. I also said students were to write their names on the test. You are ten minutes late and have not written you name on this test.”

The student turned and then sauntered over to the desk. “Do you know who I am?” he queried.

Raising an eyebrow, the instructor responded, “No. That’s partly why I want your name on the test.”

Looking surprised, the student asked again, “You mean you don’t know who I am?”

“No.” came the flat reply.

“I can’t believe this! You don’t know who I am!” said the student in a very arrogant and irritated voice before looking the instructor in the eye and saying again, “You can look me in the eye and tell me to my face that you have no idea who I am? Me? You don’t know who I am or my … my name?”

Becoming exasperated himself, the instructor said, “No! And quite frankly I don’t really care who you are mister!”

Suddenly smiling, the student said, “Oh.” and then preceded to write his name on the test and shove it in the middle of the stacked tests before walking out the door.


]]> http://realsheep.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/a-little-humor-a-day/feed/ 0 His Woolliest http://realsheep.wordpress.com/2009/08/30/going-blog-happy/ http://realsheep.wordpress.com/2009/08/30/going-blog-happy/#comments Sun, 30 Aug 2009 00:53:56 +0000 His Woolliest http://realsheep.wordpress.com/?p=27 ]]>

Here I am … I’m supposed to be working. No, I mean REALLY working. As in, catching up on the projects that are plaguing me outside the house, or on the website, or even on schoolwork – though my assignments are officially done – and here I sit with a lack of enthusiasm as I write a blog post. One would almost think I’m becoming addicted. But I’m not! Really! So I get the shakes when I don’t do my blogging, Facebook, or Skype! So what! Doesn’t everybody? I can quit anytime I want to. Really! I don’t have to sit here and put mindless stuff on my blog, I just wanted to … feel compelled to! … must blog! … must post something! … mind going numb! … must resist! … must! … can’t hold out much longer! …. insane laughing … Alright! I admit it! I love blogging!!! This is fun! Where has my life been without it? I had no life before blogging!! I feel so … so … ALIVE!! …


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