#c-bus

What you need to go from no C-Bus in openHAB... to having amazing automatic lights flashing obnoxiously to wake you up in the morning!

If you haven't already, install openHAB. Here's my raspberry pi instructions or here's the openHAB wiki pages.

Install an MQTT server somewhere. I use Mosquitto.

Set up C-Gate and connect it to your C-Bus CNI or PCI module. Here are my instructions for the raspberry pi

Set up cgateweb, which bridges the C-Gate - MQTT gap. My instructions are here.

After everything is set up, you just need to create some openHAB items. Here are a couple of samples:

Switch random_light "So Random" {mqtt=">[mosquitto:cbus/write/254/56/1/switch:command:*:REGEX((.*))],<[mosquitto:cbus/read/254/56/1/state:state:REGEX((.*))]"}

This is an on/off item, you can use these on dimmable or non-dimmable lights. You set the group address as part of the MQTT topic and it sends/listens for on/off commands.

Dimmer other_light "Maybe not as random? [%.0f]" {mqtt="<[mosquitto:cbus/read/254/56/37/level:state:REGEX((.*))],>[mosquitto:cbus/write/254/56/37/ramp:command:*:default]"}

This is how I set it up on my raspberry pi running raspbian.

So believe it or not, I haven’t spent a lot of time online this past week, so I don’t have a lot of cool stuff lined up for today’s post. However, my topic today deserves to stand on its own:

A monumental and historic event happened on Friday. The…

I'm sure none of you have to be reminded that i'm a hyper-liberal hippie, but i'm going to try to keep this information factual and accurate. i of course want to make it clear who i believe is the ideal candidate, but i will at least attempt to make it as balanced as possible.

Here are the people and issues up for the ballot on Tuesday, November 6th that have an impact on Franklin County:

U.S. Senator: Ohio

Incumbent Sharrod Brown is facing current Ohio State Treasurer Josh Mandel for Ohio's open senate seat. This race is one of the most contentious senate races in the country for the 2012 Election. 

Mandel says that The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) "must be repealed by congress,"[1] and is against investing in clean energy, instead supporting the use of "abundant natural resources beneath our country, including oil, coal, and natural gas."[2] Mandel recently said of Richard Mourdock, (who said, "even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that is something that God intended to happen,") that "[Mourdock]'s a gentleman. He's a class act." it is important to note that The Columbus Dispatch, a typically conservative publication, says that Mandel is "The Candidate of the Big Lie."[3] 

Brown supports the Affordable Care Act, voting to block an amendment that would allow employers and insurers to refuse to cover birth control if it violates their religious beliefs.[4] i would also like to add that when i was applying for a passport three years ago, i was told that there was a six-week waiting period between applying and getting a passport. after i called Sharrod Brown's office, my passport arrived in my mailbox two weeks after i applied for it. That's really not important for this election. but whatever.

U.S. Representative: 15th District (southern/western Franklin County, as well as Union and Madison Counties.)

Incumbent Steve Stivers is up against Pat Lang for Ohio's District 15 US Rep seat. 

Stivers voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act. full stop, new paragraph. Stivers wanted Obamacare gone.[5] His positions on Energy are generally pro-fossil. he believes we should be using all of our options for generating energy (not just fossil fuels) and also supports tax credits for renewable energy; however, he also supports offshore drilling, and voted to prevent the EPA from regulating greenhouse gasses.[6] 

Lang is extremely pro-education.[7] He believes that fossil fuels should only be a short-term energy source, and that clean or renewable energy sources should be the long-term goal.[8] Lang also supports equal pay for women, and "support[s] a woman's right to make her own decisions about her body and her family."[9] 

U.S. Representative: 12th District (northeast Franklin County, northwest Licking county, and Delaware County)

Incumbent Pat Tiberi is up against Jim Reese for Ohio's District 12 US Rep seat. 

I can't find much information on either candidate's stances on the issues, to be honest. Tiberi's votes have roughly coincided with Representative Stivers, particularly in that he voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act.[10] Jim Reese is extremely vocal about the need for a revival of American jobs and manufacturing. [11] apart from that, the candidates don't seem to have easily-accessible information online about their stances. I'm also in district 15, so most of the information around me is focused on the Stivers/Lang race. hopefully those of you in District 12 have access to more pertinent information on the candidates to make an informed decision on who to vote for. 

Ohio State Senate: District 16

Jim Hughes is running unopposed in Franklin County's only open Senate Race. so i guess i could go into his stances on local policy, but it's not going to matter because he's the only option. MAN, WHAT A BORING SENATE RACE.

Ohio State Representative: District 18

Mike Stinziano and Bill Colgan are both in an open race for State Rep seat in the new 18th district. 

Colgan doesn't have a whole lot of stances up on his website. it tells his story as a working-class Ohioan, and seems to just be conveying his connection to the people he wants to represent. Since he hasn't held public office, and doesn't seem to have sent any information to the electorate by mail, i don't know his stances on many issues on the local level. I do know that he worked for Honda. My friend Jeff also worked for Honda, and from that, i know that Honda will basically hire anyone and it's not a very good judge of political character. 

Stinziano wants to make sure that the Students that come out of the several local colleges and universities stay here, growing the local economy and stopping the "brain drain." he also focuses on community safety and making sure he's in touch with his constituents.[12] I've met him, and had a short discussion with him about his stances on a few issues. he's pro-choice, and wants to fight against the recent push to defund Planned Parenthood and other family-planning services. 

I think the biggest issue of this race is that Stinziano has a political record, and Colgan doesn't.

Ballot Issues

Issue 1: Constitutional Convention

Issue 1 is an automatic ballot initiative, which is put on the ballot every 20 years regardless of whether or not it's pertinent. every publication i've seen urges a "no" vote on Issue 1 regardless of party affiliation. I'm voting "yes" anyway, because The Constitution of Ohio currently states, in Art. XV, §11: 

Marriage

Only a union between one man and one woman may be a marriage valid in or recognized by this state and its political subdivisions. This state and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status for relationships of unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance or effect of marriage.  (2004)

And quite frankly, until that amendment is removed from our state constitution, i will be ashamed to call myself an Ohioan, and will vote "yes" on Issue 1 and every one of its incarnations every 20 years that i still live here, until hate is no longer written into our constitution.

Issue 2: Redistricting Amendment