Dishwasher repair

We started having problems with our dishwasher last week.  My wife noticed that the dishes were still wet even after the drying cycle was complete.  Most of the dishes seemed to be clean but we had to use a towel to dry off all of the water before putting the dishes away.

I started researching this problem and it seems that there can be several reasons why this can happen.  It can be a bad heating element, a bad thermostat, a bad motor for the steam vent, or a problem with the drainage system.  After looking into this, I suspected that it was a bad heating element.

To check this, I was going to get out my multimeter and run a continuity test on the heating element.  The problem was that I would have to disconnect the dishwasher and lay it down to gain access to the heating element connectors.  With this dishwasher, it takes a while for me to disconnect it since there is very little space to work in underneath.  So, I decided to visually inspect the heating element thoroughly first.

As it turns out, I was able to see right away that there was an issue with the heating element.  In these pictures, you can see the element had a burnt spot that didn't look like the rest of the metal.

I'm not sure how this happened.  It could have been when we had a plastic cooking utensil melt during a washing cycle after it fell from the rack onto the heating element.

Seeing this issue made me feel confident enough to order a replacement even without a continuity test first.  The new element arrived yesterday since I paid extra for priority shipping.  To get my money's worth out of the extra shipping cost, I went ahead and installed the new heating element on the same day.

Here's an image of the new element with the bad element removed.  The new heating element still has the sticker and packaging material.

With the bad heating removed, I was able to run a test on it to confirm that it was bad.  In the following picture, the needle on the multimeter should be close to 0 (the right side of the multimeter) to indicate a good test.  As you can see, the needle is on the left side of the multimeter which proves that there was a problem with the old heating element.

Even as I was handling the old heating element, I noticed that the metal was broken at the spot pictured above and it took only minimal force to split the element into two.  So, I guess I didn't really need to run a continuity test but it was just for good measure.

Cost of the repair: $17.95 (plus shipping)

Cost of a new dishwasher of equal value: approx $500

Father's day gift from my church

There are several reasons why I love my new church family.  However, they stole my heart in a new way this Sunday when they gave the fathers in attendance a bottle of hot sauce for a Father's day gift from the church.  Not only that, but the sauce that they gave actually has a bit of a kick to it.  Yum!

I'm glad I found a new church home that knows how to cater to this ChiliHead in their congregation. LOL!

Choosing a Bible translation

I've been researching English Bible translations because I was looking to purchase another translation.  I wanted to have a second translation to compliment the NIV which is the translation that I have at home.

During this process, I found out that merely going to the store and buying a version is not all there is to it.  There are various considerations that I never knew about: equivalence approach (i.e. word-for-word vs. phrase-for-phrase), lineage used for translation (i.e. previous translations vs Greek manuscripts), Greek transcripts used, gender-neutral language vs. masculine pronouns, and number of translators.

Out of this research, I've selected the NASB, ESV, HCSB, and NET for my final considerations.  The NASB is supposed to be the most literal translation of those options but may have readability issues.  The ESV and HCSB are less literal than the NASB but follow more closely to the word-for-word approach than the NIV.  The NET includes tons of translator notes with alternative translations which would seem to be a great study tool.

Here's the comparison chart that I've been using that shows where each translation appears on a line graph.

http://www.notjustanotherbook.com/biblecomparison.htm

Based on this research, I've come to believe that there is no single answer.  I'm of the impression that using multiple translations is the right approach.

Update:  I ended up selecting the ESV translation.  I found a version from Crossway that formats the scriptures in a single column which should greatly help readability.  It also includes a verse-by-verse line layout that provides for a quicker reference of scripture numbers.
http://www.crossway.org/bibles/esv-verse-by-verse-reference-bible-none-tru/

I plan to use this as my reading Bible and use other translations to help when I need to study certain scriptures in depth.  For that, I'll probably use online resources to reference the NASB and NET translations.

Planning to buy a BGE

I've been using an offset smoker for a while now but I've had some gripes about it.  I bought it at Walmart and had to modify the design of it even during the first week of ownership.  The smoke was leaking from the fire box and it was difficult to lock-in the temperature.  I've had this offset smoker for several years but I believe it is finally time to upgrade to a Big Green Egg.

I've been researching ceramic grills ever since I bought that offset smoker.  I used to subscribe to a pepper and BBQ magazine which would have advertisements for the Primo brand.  It seems that both Primo and Big Green Egg have a loyal following but I think there may be slightly higher following for the egg which means there are more resources online.  I think the biggest difference is just the shape.  The Primo brand is oval which should provide greater flexibility.  However, I really only envision cooking either direct or indirect during a single session so I won't need an oval design to allow for both at the same time.

Soon enough, I'll not only be a ChileHead but also an EggHead.