After my Epson WorkForce WF-3620 became essentially unusable, I looked for explanations, since this would be the third printer I bought which got badly defective in 2½ years. One plausible explanation was that the printer head was clogged, even though I had tried automatic printer head cleaning. The prospect of searching for a new printer model, setting up a new printer and scrapping the old printer with its partially filled cartridges once more making me sick, I decided to try manual printer head cleaning.

The only way to do that which looked reasonably easy was to buy a cleaning kit. And unfortunately, the only way to get one for my printer model seemed to be to buy 118Ink.com's Printer Refresh Epson Blocked Printer Head Cleaning Kit, for £10, even though I am in Canada, which means paying a total £20 (36 CAD) to cover shipping. Even though 118ink features a big logo which pretends that delivery is free. My sickness convinced me to buy the kit anyway.

2-3 weeks later, the package arrived and I tried it. The first deception was that the kit shipped is not the one advertised. The syringe is different, the bottle is different (in fact, you get 2 small bottles), the gloves are different, even the instruction manual is different. The gloves are not large - it took some time to put them on without breaking them, even if my hands are not large. And unexpectedly, most importantly, the blotting paper is different - it's not pages of paper, but 2 or 4 strips. As 118Ink.com recommends 2 strips per cleaning, that means barely enough to clean 1 or 2 printer heads once, even though 118Ink.com also recommends cleaning all printer heads when you clean one. So the kit doesn't even provide enough blotting paper to clean 1 printer once!

So did it work?

Even though I only had problems with the black cartridge, I followed their recommendation and cleaned all cartridges. I did not expect the journey would be so complicated, so I did not fully document what I did from the start, and I can't remember everything I did, but I must have cleaned each head 2 or 3 times.

Initially, only the black cartridge was problematic.
At a later point, magenta remained perfect. Yellow was good, others were worthless.
Later that day, black and cyan were close to perfection, but magenta was worthless, and there was no yellow left at all.
The day after, magenta and yellow improved a bit.
After 3 automatic cleaning cycles, black was very close to perfection still, but all colors had become worthless.
After 2 more cleaning cycles, yellow and magenta got perfect, cyan was as close to perfection as possible, but black had gotten worthless.
2 days later, black was back to near-perfection, but all colors had become basically worthless.
3 days later, after the black, cyan and magenta cartridges had been replaced, cyan was good, magenta was bad, and yellow and black had gotten worthless.
After 1 automated cleaning of all cartridges, the situation remained unchanged.
After 1 more automatic cleaning of the black cartridge, the situation was mostly unchanged, but black got half-OK.
After 1 more automatic cleaning of the color cartridges, the situation was mostly unchanged, but magenta got good.
After 1 more automatic cleaning of the black cartridge, the situation was mostly unchanged, but black got nearly perfect.
After replacing the yellow cartridge, the situation was still black near-perfect, cyan almost perfect, magenta good, no yellow at all, so we seemed pretty close to the target.
I then manual cleaned the yellow cartridge. In the next test, yellow was still worthless, but magenta had gotten closer to cyan than magenta (!), and black had degraded a bit.
After 1 automatic cleaning of the color cartridges, the situation was unchanged, but magenta has degraded.

So, after all of this (and much more which I did not document), my black cartridge was printing OK, the yellow cartridge was not printing at all, the magenta cartridge was not printing magenta and the cyan cartridge was printing OK. And then, when we tried to actually print monochrome, there was no ink left after a few lines. And the printer started failing with the helpful error code 0x97 (actually, it started doing that a few days before, while I was trying to clean). The screen said to look at the manual or the website for more details. The manual obviously doesn't say a word about any error code, and Epson's website apparently doesn't even mention that error neither. Bravo, Epson. I found one source which claimed 0x97 was a symptom with many possible causes, one being clogged printer nozzles. But oddly enough, even though black seemed to be completely clogged initially, printing didn't trigger that error.

After I ran out of blotting paper, I tried using regular sheets of paper. That doesn't work well at all. You should rather follow 118Ink's suggestion to use kitchen roll.

During all of these cleaning attempts, we had to change all cartridges. Because as soon as 1 cartridge is considered empty, the printer simply refuses to print. It doesn't matter if what you print uses the empty cartridge or not, you just have to replace the cartridge. And automatic cleaning uses lots of ink! So we started with some levels of ink, and despite all these replacements, we ended with approximately the same levels of ink.

At that point, I was forced to conclude I had failed. I had started with a printer which "only" had problems printing monochrome, and after paying 30 CAD for a kit which I waited for weeks, replacing all cartridges with original Epson cartridges, manually cleaning each printhead several times, letting the fluid in some heads for hours, and at least 10 automatic cleaning cycles, I was left with an even less usable printer.

Conclusion

The steps I tried clearly had an effect. Just not the effect I was looking for. Overall, the situation seems to "evolve" approximately randomly. Either:

1. The kit is hard to use, or the instructions are incomplete.
2. The kit is not designed for the WF-3620, even though there is no indication to that effect.
3. My printer's problem was not clogged printer heads, which I doubt very much considering the effect cleaning has had.

Ignore 118Ink's marketing. 118Ink does charge for shipping. And despite the "90 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE", 118Ink requires notification within 7 days of receiving items.

If your WF-3620 is in a situation similar to mine, and if you're not looking forward to an investment which will require more work than replacing your printer, over a longer period of time than replacing your printer, which will cost you more than replacing your printer, and end up with a printer which prints even less, having to scrap not only the printer but a cleaning kit somewhat specific to that printer, then, rather than buying 118Ink.com's Epson Blocked Printer Head Cleaning Kit, just replace your printer. That advice is probably true for other Epson printers too.

If you try using the kit anyway, you'll notice that the liquid bottle will float in the hot water container. I suggest you attach something heavy to it to stabilize it.

Update 2020-01-22: A comment below suggest an "ink flush" would help. I have no idea if the WF-3620 has such a feature.

The other weekend I went to a local sports shop and asked a nice merchant who daily commutes to work on bike even during winter about their helmets for winter sports. The guy had a Marker helmet and was satisfied with it. He offered me a ¼ price discount and convinced me to buy a Marker Consort 2.0 helmet for 105 CAD, to replace my usual bike helmet during winters.

While I'm happy I satisfied my curiosity and must say the helmet has interesting features, I returned it after trying it for a few days. The dealer highlighted these advantages:

1. Quick clipping/unclipping thanks to magnets, with no risk of skin squeezing
2. Better protection
3. Temperature
4. Visibility - attachment for goggles

Disadvantages

The main disadvantage I saw was the lack of built-in position lights, particularly useful during winter, and the incompatibility with Mountain Equipment Coop's Turtle LED lights (which I already owned).

Unfortunately, after buying, I confirmed there is really no way to install Turtle lights on the Consort. Moreover, at least in my use case, which is often using my bike to reach a station where a bus brings me to the office, there are quite a few more small issues:

1. While carrying the helmet in the bus, it is heavier and bigger. It is also a lot warmer, so it's not necessarily comfortable to keep it on your head in the bus.
2. At destination, the risk of having the helmet stolen increases. It's more costly to replace, and it's more attractive for thieves.

Finally, the cyclist who sold me the helmet said the only disadvantage he saw was reduced hearing. While I can confirm that the helmet obviously makes it harder to hear traffic when ear isolation is maximal than in the summer, I did not use it enough to compare to the effect of the other headwear one would use with a regular helmet.

Not-so-great advantages

Additionally, even if I don't need to wear a tuque while I use the helmet, I still need to carry one for cases when I go out on foot at destination. And the attachment for goggles is imperfect; there is one attachment at the rear. That ensures the goggles stay attached to the helmet, but is insufficient to ensure the goggles stay on the helmet. While there are small dents intended to help hold the goggles, if you're used to putting your helmet upside down, the goggles won't stay on for long, unless - perhaps - you have compatible expensive Marker goggles. So unless you put them back often, the goggles will flap.

Another claimed advantage which is not that useful is the cold protection, which only helps with the top and back of the head, while the coldest part is the front.

As for advantage #1, clipping and unclipping were still not instant for me. I suppose you get quicker after a while, but clipping would still be complicated by a moving band for chin comfort which can easily get between the 2 parts.

This leaves better protection as the most interesting advantage. When I returned the helmet, my logic was that if a regular bike helmet is safe enough during summer, it should be good enough for winter too. After more thought though, this logic is significantly wrong because:

1. The tuque or other headwear change the helmet's position, so sides are less protected. Unfortunately, I did not see any evidence supporting that (although I did not research).
2. The risk of falling during winter is way higher.

Conclusion

Overall, Marker's Consort 2.0 is not a bad winter sport helmet. I wasn't convinced enough to use it instead of a regular helmet in my use case (which does not include any activity other than cycling), but it will surely be worth its price for others. If it had integrated lights, I would buy it.

I was just reflecting on how I could promote proportional representation in governments using FPTP. My provincial reform movement unfortunately does not sell any gear. I was thinking a T-shirt picturing dis-proportionality could easily catch attention. It would be great to have a picture of my face with proportions changed so one size is 50% bigger than the other side on the front, and on the back, "Proportions matter - Visit democratienouvelle.ca".

I was then thinking it would be terrific to produce a short promotional video showing 2 voters inserting their ballot in a booth. A third voter arrives saying the path was icy, but the travel was worth it. The old lady is welcomed by the same 2 tellers, with the same authentic smiles, who invite her to "insert" her ballot in a trash bin. "Thank you madam, we value your opinion.", one teller says on an optimistic tone. "Be safe on your way back home.", says the other. The advertisement could conclude "If you are part of the numerous people who did not care to vote in the previous election, this time, consider voting for a change."

Meanwhile, the French-language "Rose nanane" video produced by Quebec's Mouvement pour une démocratie nouvelle will remain one of my favorite advertisements.

Last year I started working for an organization more than 10 km away from home. After asking my local dealer about the hybrid bike I had bought second-hand a decade earlier and being told it wasn't worth 100 CAD, I decided it was time for me to buy a new bike.

After much research, I settled on the first proposal from the dealer, a Marin Fairfax SC1. With a 489 USD MSRP, the model is inexpensive, but Wirecutter's review of performance hybrid bicycles convinced me it was a great choice.

The SC1 is a clear upgrade over my previous hybrid. For commuting, the worst problem was the quick release wheels and seatpost. I managed to get these replaced with attachments needing a hexagonal key for 15 CAD (not quite secure, but getting true protection was not affordable). I got Evo mudguards which cover plenty from the local dealer for 32 CAD and a new kickstand since this bike won't fit the usual model attached on the wheel's axis.

After a few months of usage, I was about to write I couldn't find any flaw in the SC1 when the rear brakes degraded. The same local dealer who had sold me the bike told me the brake pads needed replacing. I didn't get new pads yet, but the pads do look used, and I'm a little annoyed to be told I should replace these after less than 5 months of non-continuous usage, with well under a megameter traveled. In the end, the 1 weak point mentioned by the Wirecutter, brakes, which I thought wouldn't really matter, seems to constitute a significant con indeed.

But I remain very satisfied, and I must thank Wirecutter for its incredibly comprehensive and high quality guide.

In 2016, Don't Quit Your Day Job... asked Start with us: how do you know you can trust DQYDJ?

In October 2017, I searched for historical data on ROI to convince my mother to be less conservative in her investment. The most interesting tool I found was DQYDJ's S&P 500 Historical Return Calculator.

When I presented the data to my mother, I realized the data did not make sense. I apologized, stopped, then looked at the data again with much focus. Eventually, I understood what the results mean. In fact, the statistics are even more useful than my initial understanding. But unfortunately, nothing in the tables nor in the accompanying text invalidates my initial interpretation.

I then showed the calculator to a brilliant friend who knows personal finance at least as well as I do, and asked him to explain his understanding of the results, without directing his answer. His interpretation was the same as the one I made initially. Undoubtedly, the calculator is misleading. And badly misleading. If the -6% 10-year minimum return is understood as the return of the worst year from 2008 to 2018, it is very far from the reality, which is -38% (2008). Making financial decisions based on this bad interpretation could easily lead to bankruptcy.

So I scrolled through the comments at the bottom of the page and found none reporting this issue. I was about to write one when I realized that the page did not allow new comments. In fact, it seems impossible to comment most DQYDJ pages.

So I went to the Contact Us page, which offered a form to send a message. I informed DQYDJ of their issue with comments through that form. Months later, the calculator remains misleading, and DQYDJ did not even reply to my message. And guess what - DQYDJ has been posting numerous new articles meanwhile.

I am sure that DQYDJ is actually trying to help its readers. This issue is clearly unintended. Unfortunately, finance is not a simple topic, and trying to help someone with finances can easily have the opposite effect in the end. DQYDJ's calculator is not wrong. If DQYDJ was targeted at economists, I would not be denouncing. But DQYDJ claims its audience includes beginners, and its calculator has the "Personal Finance" tag.

Investing its resources in creating new material while failing to give minimal care for existing material is an inexcusable management issue, and for that, my answer to DQYDJ's question is unfortunately that DQYDJ cannot be trusted.

En tant que propriétaire de 2 feux à DEL Turtle, j'ai publié une évaluation du feu arrière à DEL rouge Turtle de MEC sur MEC.CA.

J'ai ensuite reçu le courriel qui suit :

Désolé, Alex, mais si vous ne pouvez publier mon commentaire, je ne peux pas vous dire ce que je pense de votre réponse. Et je ne pourrai pas non plus continuer à aider vos employeurs au risque d'être à nouveau censuré par des gens appliquant des règlements sans discernement.

Le féminisme encourage généralement les femmes à se faire confiance, pour égaler les hommes. Si ce féminisme typique est bien vu, décourager les hommes serait sans doute exagéré.

C'est pourtant dans cette voie que nous amène la journaliste Noémi Merci en signant l'article « Vas-y, t'es capable! », publié dans le numéro de décembre 2017 du magazine L'Actualité, étude à l'appui.

Les inégalités entre sexes s'expliquent par de nombreux facteurs, mais si la disparité entre prétentions masculines et capacités en est un majeur, il faut maintenant se demander pourquoi l'allocation du pouvoir se laisse influencer par ces prétentions.

In the fall of 2018, British Columbia voters will be voting in a referendum on proportional representation. This is of course a threat for members of parties favored by FPTP. It is not a surprise that threatened parties oppose reform. What is surprising is to see them admit just how important disproportional representation is to them.

Not health care.
Not economic growth and prosperity.
Not the People. Nor its will.

J'ai pris connaissance de l'étude High intelligence: A risk factor for psychological and physiological overexcitabilities. Malgré les limites méthodologiques de cette étude préliminaire, je l'ai signalée à un ami extrêmement intelligent mais souffrant d'une grave allergie qui vit à l'autre bout du Canada, en lui écrivant un courriel par l'interface web de Gmail. En déclenchant l'envoi, j'ai été surpris de voir apparaître :

Curieux, j'ai relu mon message et rapidement compris que l'inquiétude de Google provenait de ma conclusion :

Philippe Cloutier wrote:

Prends ça du bon côté; bin vite on va pouvoir se fumer un gros joint ensemble légalement, question de retrouver un QI plus viable pour un p'tit bout

During fall 2015, I developed chest pain. In a matter of 2 or 3 days, pain went from null to highly disabling. I was then told I had developed costochondritis, which I had never heard about. Possibly as a result of strenuous exercise, or playing tennis.

At peak intensity, lying in the most comfortable position was painful if I didn't pay attention to my breathing. I then applied ice, took a couple sick days, NSAID, and about as fast as it had came, the pain went away.

Mostly. Unfortunately, ever since, I frequently experienced lesser pain on and around the affected rib, in particular when exercising, but also sometimes when doing everyday movements, unpredictably. This was worrying enough that I diminished/changed my exercises to avoid worsening the situation. Unfortunately, 3 months ago an acute costochondritis struck again (probably just a relapse).

This setback is quite frustrating, but on the positive side, I took it more seriously and it allowed me to study and understand what caused pain. Put simply, pain occurs when the breast is inflated. Which means that breathing is painful, but not if you breathe only with the belly. In the acute phase, breathing abdominally rather than apically will allow you to breathe without pain.

This is very simple to do once, but very hard to keep doing, since most of us don't breathe consciously. To force myself to stop breathing apically (with the top), I even strapped my chest with a lace, which can work.

Another source of pain is torsions. One thing which is very clear during the acute phase in the pain caused by rising and laying down, if you're used to doing so without using your hands (i.e., if you use your abdominals). An important lesson if you experience pain rising and lying down is that torsions are a lot less painful when your chest is deflated. But naturally, we tend to inflate the chest before rising or lying down. When you suffer from costochondritis, you should either switch positions without torsion, or go against that tendency and deflate your chest before rising or lying down.

If you exercise your abs, you should also expect pain, since most involve flexing the abdomen, and we tend to do that with the chest inflated. Exercising the abs while breathing abdominally is difficult or impossible. An alternative is to do the "plank" (static exercise on your forearms).

Good recovery