advocacy

64.4

I play a silly game in the car on my morning commute: Without making a traffic hazard of myself, how far up can I push the gas mileage? (3 minute minimum duration.)

64.4 mpg on the commute this morning…

#ifIcantbeonabike

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Interesting developments a link dump (some HTML5, some nosql, some Rails, some Agile, some Redis, a touch of Scala, etc., etc.)

I should try and not let these lists get so long. This is some of the stuff I’ve been looking into at work as we prepare for the next set of projects, and to help clean up some of the current work. Looks like it’ll be a fun year on the web.

What the iPad changed

Not that long a go a “workstation” implied an integrated effort. Hardware and Operating System engineered by the same company which ensured a more seamless experience. There have been many companies that have produced these integrated efforts including Sun and Apple.

Certainly the out of box experience of Lisa’s iMac was exceptional The unit was unboxed. The power cord was attached to the back and the wall. The power button was pushed. The computer suggested putting the batteries in to the wireless mouse and keyboard and connected them to the system when that was complete, and a few clicks later Lisa was ready to get to work. One wire. If only Shipstone existed outside of Heinlein books.

That experience, as great as it is diminishes over time. Why? Because after all that is over, it’s still a computer. You have apps to install, files in a file system, bookmarks in multiple browsers etc. Essentially, all the baggage of computing that has accrued over the last 25 years or so.

The iPad is yet another step along the path of washing all that away. Many of us are used to a near continuous connection to the nets. Many of us have storage “in the cloud” that makes our work available where ever, whenever. The IPad hides the OS, it hides the file system, it hides the computer. It make software as much of an appliance as the hardware has become. It seems, while you use it, do only do one thing. As if at that moment it’s nothing more than a email device. Or a “todo” list. Or a spreadsheet.

Once again it’s about simplicity. It’s about making choices as a designer, having an opinion about what’s needed, for whom and when. Will it be all things to all people? Of course, not. But it could well be a device for many people for much of the time. And easier and more convenient to use than a laptop or desktop computer. We’ll see.

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Frame source

When most people think of snow and bikes it looks like this:


Or maybe even as below for some very dedicated folks who love biking and winter.

But for Mike Curiak, it looks like this:

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There’s a lot about this very special bike that you can’t know from first glance. For example, the frame tubes attach to a “gas can” to fuel a stove. You can see the “tank” with the Moots gator on it over the cranks. Lots of other cool stuff. Why? Because Mike doesn’t just go for a ride in the snow. Mike is a legend in endurance biking circles.

He has competed in the Iditabike for the past 10 years, winning the 350 mile version once and the 1,100 mile race twice. He holds the course record for the northern route (the race alternates between two different routes every year). He also holds the record for the Great Divide Race from Canada to Mexico along the Continental Divide. Until last year, he was the record-holder for the Kokepelli Trail Race, pedaling between Moab and Grand Junction in just under 14 hours.

Back in 2007 of the Iditarod Train Invitational he said “Last year was brutal — the highest temperature I saw during the entire race was 26 below.” High of 26 below? Hmmm. That takes preparation. This isn’t the time to discuss unsupported wilderness adventure, backwoods riding, or long distance riding. Suffice it to say that Mike knows a thing or two about it.

Here’s a video of his tour of the Iditarod Trail, Knik Lake to McGrath in early March 2009. and ova heya is timeline of his snow bikes and their evolution so far. [An aside: Eric Parsons designs and sews the gear you see on the snow bikes. Eric adventures pretty hard as well but when not he runs Epic Designs. You can custom order stuff with measurements, or go with stock stuff, or design whatever you need for your adventures. I haven;t ordered from Eric, although we’ve talked about a few things. Another excellent choice is Jeff Boatman’s Carousel Design Works. I have one of Jeff’s Escape Pods. Bomb proof. One of the great features of all three gents is that the designs are informed by doing. In their own adventures they depend on the stuff they design and in the cases of the bags sew and build. Rubber to the road people, rubber to the road.]

And while he doesn’t sew bags when he’s not out adventuring Mike runs a shop called Big Wheels where he specializes in hand built wheels for your 29er. He’s thorough, has no need to build “boutique” wheels to help you spend money (but can if you wish), and will recommend rims, hubs, spokes that match what you tell him about your riding, what you plan for the wheels, your weight etc. Go order a set. You’ll be happy as a clam I tell you what.

You might recall that I said I was perusing someone’s blog and they started posting pictures of a new bike they built. So clearly that person was Mike. And it actually starts a bit further back than that. The bike was delivered on Friday Nov. 2nd 2007. And the first ride pics the following Tuesday. But those pics weren’t really enough to peak my attention. The pictures of the built bike however inspired me to write to Mike and ask some questions. That was in February. And it wasn’t too much longer before there were ride pictures. Oh my.

So this frame sits in a work stand ready to be built. I have two sets of Mike’s wheels and a set of Billy’s wheels to choose from (at the moment they’re rubbered as fat, middle, road). Next week I’ll order the missing parts and get busy. That’ll be the next installment.

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Lastly, since many of you do ride in the winter, and a common discussion is cold feet and footwear. Have a look at what Mike’s system: Warm feet are happy feet.

This year’s favorite things

In the tech category, Rails 2.3, Redis, and the Engine Yard Cloud. offerings have got to top the list of things that improved our ability to deliver products and simplified solutions for us. Github also tops my list of services that have become a way of life. The tech world spins quickly though. Curious to see what’s next. In all cases though, it’s not the tech or the code but the people. All these projects or companies have seriously dedicated people working on them. *That* is what makes these things go. Rock on people.

Quoc Pham fixed shoes
Rapha scarf, Patagonia Nano Puff Pullover
Outlier Black Empire Tee
Stormy Kromer shirt
Rapha Lightweight Softshell
Panache Cycling Houndtooth socks
Outlier hoodie
dogfishhead 90 minute IPA
jeff jones silver headbadge
hed ardennes
king cages ti water bottle cages
harriman local loop
Chris King ISO Hubs
Starting line with Team Fatty at the Livestrong Challenge Philly
Fall riding rocks
Mad Alchemy Mango Love
Taza Chocolate Mexicana helping the dev team persevere
Laying down some fresh tracks in the snow

There might be a few more… time will tell.

New FTC Guidelines Governing Blogs Featuring Products

New FTC Guidelines Governing Blogs Featuring Products:

We thought you should know that the Federal Trade Commission just published new guidelines about – among other things – blogs that feature product endorsements.

That sure caught my attention.

The Guides, which have been around since 1980, have been freshened up to “specify that while decisions will be reached on a case-by-case basis, the post of a blogger who receives cash or in-kind payment to review a product is considered an endorsement. Thus, bloggers who make an endorsement must disclose the material connections they share with the seller of the product or service.”

Then I breathed a huge sigh of relief.

See, there’s a seedy underbelly to media where some journalists – crappy, amoral journalists for sure (there are many names for these people: swag hags, freebie queens, whores, shills) – but still journalists, who too enthusiastically accept gifts (like bikes and components), giveaways, expensive meals, all-expenses-paid trips and the like in exchange for editorial coverage. If you’re a keen reader, you can probably already spot this perversion, aptly called “advertorial.” So far it has flown silently under the radar because the FTC has no authority to regulate speech unless it’s specifically commercial speech.

The new guidelines surfaced due to a recent spate of bloggers trumpeting the virtues of a product that they were either given or were paid to endorse.

[Just to be clear… anything I write about is something that either I purchased or a friend purchased and I’ve used. The exception that comes to mind is stuff donated to QuietlyHelping.org but I will include in the context of the piece that it was donated. I’ll happily except stuff for review, as I already do with books, and occasionally other stuff, but if it appears here, you will know when I was given something. Otherwise you can safely assume I hauled out my wallet.]
Source: Speedgoat Blog

Vaccines

Brent on his piece on vaccines:

An interesting link on Daring Fireball today has me thinking about vaccines.

I’m still living with the effects of the chicken pox I had in third grade.

As a parent this is a complicated issue. I’ll get back to that.

It was the in thing when I was just a wee lad to expose your kids to Chicken Pox when the neighborhood kids etc. got it, because it was usually a fairly benign thing, and it was thought to better get it over with now, and then they’ll be done with it. As Brent points out, that’s not always the case.

For better or worse in my case, it never worked anyway. I never caught them and neither did my brother or sister.

Cut to the end of my first year in college. I go to visit a friend for the weekend, and we in turn go to eat lunch at his brother’s apartment. After we get there, there’s whispering between the brothers, and my friend turns to me saying “You’ve had the chicken pox haven’t you?” Um, no. Too late now it would seem. And of course, I caught a case from that tiny little baby (where you couldn’t even really see the pox they were so tiny, and the case so weak (seemingly).

Unlike Brent, I did not get a horrible case. Oh yeah, I looked like hell, but it wasn’t that itchy, and the fever etc was really far worse than the pox in my case. The timing was bad, as I had a must not miss senior recital to play on Wednesday (The itching and breakout started Friday night), and the senior in question was panicking at the rehearsals I was missing, but other than that… I felt pretty good by Monday morning, and while I had some makeup on and felt weak I actually played in that recital. Thankfully that was before the time of the ubiquitous digital camera.

Unfortunately, my sister caught it from me, and her case was far, far, worse. She had pox in ears and throat etc. and was incredibly uncomfortable. I still feel bad about that, though there was nothing I could do. My brother never did catch them, and years later got the vaccine either when his kids got them or the vaccine I forget which.

Fortunately for all concerned, the worst of it is a pox mark reminder here or there. I’ve been marked worse from playing gigs in bars overall.

As a parent there’s a bunch of issues. One is the “are vaccines really the right approach for all diseases.” For example in the case of influenza which changes so rapidly is there any clear scientific proof that the shot you get actually helps you not get sick? With a thankfully strong immune system, I’ve had the flu once in my life (not that it was any fun). So despite my doctor “insisting” that I get a flu shot is it having any effect? And if it isn’t, is it worth the risk?

The same thinking applies to all the stuff that Noah gets. And further there are the issues surrounding Thiomersal(commonly known in the United States as thimerosal) which is almost 50% Mercury and is used in the multi-dose versions of all (almost all?) vaccines. And even if you think any tie to Autism is bunk, should it be risked? Fortunately, it is not contained in most regular childhood single dose vaccines, but you still need to check. And in the end, is it worth the risk? Thimerosal is known to be very toxic by inhalation, ingestion, and in contact with skin with a danger of cumulative effects. And I should have some portion of this injected into my baby? Seriously? SERIOUSLY? Don’t bother talking to me about micrograms…

Noah has had all his “shots” and we are careful to make sure that they are free of toxins etc as much as possible, and I consider it for myself and Lisa every time the Doc pushes a flu shot or some such. But every shot bring s a sleepless night or two. And how much Mercury has accumulated in my system between the shots and the tuna and who knows what else (Solder fumes anyone?) What’s the tipping point that turns me into the Mad Hatter?

This is not easy stuff, and I understand the concerns of both sides, but it is clear that the functioning of living organisms is not well understood by the medical community. No blame here, just a fact from my perspective. Sure they know a lot compared to 100 years ago, but do they really understand? C’mon. And with that being the case, it is hard to take their arguments seriously except from a statistical basis. If you treat people as numbers it works. But if you think of them as people, the “greater good” arguments get harder to listen to as I get older.

I don’t know what the right thing is for everyone, or anyone. But I think that everyone needs to consider issues like this and not blindly follow anyone else’s advice. That I can advocate with a clear conscience.

NY Bottle Deposit for ‘water drinks’ Starts On Halloween

Bottle Deposit Starts On Halloween: Starting this coming Saturday, bottled water drinks will be subject to a nickel deposit—and the NY State government will be able to collect millions from the unclaimed deposits. Governor Paterson said, “The expansion of this legislation not only provides our State with much-needed revenue, but will also help us to keep our neighborhoods and parks clean.”

The law was supposed to go into effect in June, but some bottlers had argued that it was going into effect too soon, especially since NY State requires bottles sold here to have a special UPC. Which means some distribution and logistical issues; Environmental Leader points out, "For instance, a distributor can’t simply restock New York shelves with product from a New Jersey warehouse unless it bears the unique code."

The Post-Standard explains, “For consumers, the change is simple enough. Beginning at 12 a.m. Saturday, they will pay a nickel deposit on bottles of water, just as they do for soda and beer. They will get the deposits back when they return the bottles to the store or to a redemption center. Deposits will not be required on water that has sugar added, or on containers of 1 gallon or more.”

Distributors will have to give NY State 80% of all unclaimed deposits.

[This one is simple. Bottled water is bad idea. It always has been. I’ll admit that there a few times when bottled water makes sense. A few very special cases. Most of the time, tap water is fine. If you’re really super finicky, filter that as well. But by far most of the time plain old tap water carried in a reusable and hopefully recyclable or upcyclable container is the way to go. Lately the word is to watch out for BPA and linings made with BPA (metal cans, and some metal water bottles. Anyway… stop pretending that bottled water is worth the environmental impact of shipping this expensive and heavy item anywhere. We’re lucky that in most places in the US water is clean, healthy, and abundant. And save yourself needless tithing to the State. My disclaimer here is that as a hiker I’ve pulled water from sources that would make city folk vomit, although I did carry a filter and stuff (which never improves (ahem) brackish water), but did seem to keep me safe.]
Source: Gothamist

The Footwear Chronicles

The Footwear Chronicles is following along from The Houndstooth Chronicles, The Craft Brew Chronicles etc. Regardless of topic or expertise I will chronicle my choices. (The Chronicles will be made clearer and given their own page… Real Soon Now™)

Earlier editions have mentioned my Camp Fours, Guide Tennies and Thermo 6’s.

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But since I’m getting more organized about my footwear choices… here’s the first footwear that I read about and said to myself… yeah, that sounds right. I was 9 or 10 years old at the time.

We were on a summer vacation in the White Mountains of NH, and in a basket under a small table in the porch of the cabin was a stack of magazines. It was that worn time of day after hiking and swimming and playin’ around when all parents are searching for some quiet time, and no doubt my mom was preparing dinner, or thinking about it anyway.

It was a little too stuffy in the cabin so I grabbed a jacket and plopped myself down on the chair and looked for something to read. The magazine came to hand and as I flipped through came across an article about hiking in the area, and a sidebar on Limmer Boots. It included a brief recount of Peter Limmer Sr. and how he “moved his family from the Boston area up to the White Mountains of New Hampshire because it reminded him of his home in Bavaria.”

I’ve never known why the White Mountains appealed to my grandfather, but I always suspected his being from Germany played a role.

And the article continued to talk about the custom hiking boots, and I decided that it would be a delicious thing to have some boots made to the shape of my foot. It was a recognition in myself of a love of things that are “custom made” or “bespoke” that I can rarely afford to indulge.

So cut to many, many years later, and I drop by the shop to order custom boots, learn that they now make stock boots, and pick up a pair.

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See those boots over on the left? That’s what they looked like. They’re beautiful and solid, and supported my then very heavy body through quite a few miles. the wait list caught up to me shortly after September 11th and it seemed silly to indulge in custom boots at that point, with no big hikes or anything on my list of things to do. I passed on the chance. Years later, having walked off quite a few of those pounds the boots I had were too heavy for the kind of hiking I was doing and they no longer fit properly. So I dropped them off at the shop to be consigned, and picked up a new pair of the Lightweight Hikers… and have been happy ever since.

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Yes, I do believe in going light when I hike. And sometimes that definitely means something lighter than even a lightweight leather boot. But’s there’s lots of times when I’ve been happy to have the support and protection. It’s one of those things that either works for you or doesn’t. Caveat Emptor. But that’s about hiking (wilderness, packs, miles to go before you sleep sort of hiking). They’re more than capable of handling the chores around the house or barn, weekends playing in the outdoors, hunting, fishing, etc. if you do those sorts of things.

All of us have things that make us smile when we see them. These are one of those things for me. Lisa loves hers as well, saying “nothing fits me like my Limmers.” As a 10 year old, I never could have envisioned the life that has filled the 35 years between then and now. But I could picture my feet up in pair of Limmers, and the picture above tells that story better than I.

[Socks? My go-to in this case is Bridgedale. They never seem to wear out. Cushy, but not too thick. They no longer seem to make the model I have, but since they would appear to be years away from wearing out, I don’t know what to tell you. Use whatever works for you…]