Filed under: sport
An Open Letter to Bruce Arena, Head Coach, US Soccer,
I know we’ve gotten the short end of the penalties stick, but. If we can’t win with this team, who can we win with? Where’s the attack?
Saddened,
US Soccer Fan.
Filed under: bike
I saw this link today on one of my cycle-centric web fedds, and I just had to share it. Some of the ideas, like raised bike-only lanes on city street sound like a dream come true. Boston should consider these ideas. Interestingly in the report, the City of Chicago cites some best practices from the City of Cambridge, MA.
Check it out!
Filed under: web
I read a blog entry today, Introducing Flock Beta 1 which, oddly, translates to Flock 0.7.
Flock was unveiled last year to much fanfare, finally a browser that got the “Web 2.0.”
That was all well and good, until the beta showed there was much work to be done, much promise to be fulfilled. I left Flock after one use. That said, after reading the above blog entry, I was willing to take another look. Direct blogging within the app, direct uploading to Flickr and bookmark sync with del.icio.us… and coincidentally, integrated Yahoo! search… if you’re not up on business in the valley… all three of those entities are owned by Yahoo! Never the less, Flickr and del.icio.us are both best of breed apps, so Yahoo knows how to pick them.
People keep talking about Google secretly building a browser… and here’s a browser built by a private, for-profit company… for Yahoo! Yes, I’m sure Y! has kicked some cash to the Flock kids, too.
This post is coming from the built-in blogging client, which allowed me to enter my WordPress credentials and elegantly hooked me up with instant blogging. You can control-click any page and get a menu option to blog the page’s link… which pulls up the page’s title auto-hyperlinked. Since my WP blog isn’t my tech blog, I will transfer this post to there, too.
The blogging app is just like the one embedded in the WordPress post entry page, if you’re using a Mozilla/Gecko browser. Or, if you’ve used a web forum based upon vBulletin, it’s like the “advanced” composer. I think it’s a little awkward… like a hybrid web-desktop app. I think it’s great on a webpage, but weak since it is a desktop app. Especially, one I’m using on Mac OS X, since the Mac OS provides so many amazing tools for apps to use for free. the best of these, is the automatic text fields… gives a developer/user all the cool things TextEdit can, the best of which is the built-in spell checking as you type and dictionary+thesaurus services, powered by the Oxford Dictionary. All of which are of utmost use to bloggers. There is a spell check option in the blogging client, but it’s average. I mention all this because simply blogging via webpage form has all these great features when you do so from Safari. This app It could really use a keyboard shortcut for hyperlinking. And of course, now a geeky request that will never be answered (unless someone could write a Flock extension to accomplish it?)… I would prefer to use Textile for markup, instead of HTML or WYSIWYG buttons.
The photo section is impressive. The icon image at the beginning of this post is a product of the Flickr uploader built right in to the app. Worked great looked great. Some of the best UI design (visual and usability) in the app.
The overall app is pretty for Windows, beautiful for Linux, it’s only ho-hum for Mac OS X. These guys should hire the Camino crew for their Mac development. It certainly looks better than regular Firefox, though.
[Edit: post post-mortum: I forgot to spell check. Word "blog" (and all derivitives) not in dictionary. If that's not a goddamn bug in a blog entry app, I don't know what the hell is. Lame! It also didn't recognize "Flickr" "del.icio" "Google" "WordPress" "Mozilla." I'm thinking they should add most of those, just out of blogger pride. I selected "add "blogged from Flock" at the bottom of the post, to see what would happen. I also asked to be taken to the post automatically after posting, which didn't happen. I also moved the top image, because dropped it in the wrong place. Here we go with take two.]
Filed under: sport
Excellent day for a day off… an absolutely perfect day outside. Sadly, I won't see much of it. I'm under house arrest thanks to an HD TV and the World Cup. Just now the US has begun its first match of the tournament.
I had a short trip up the street since we have zero food, and I needed some breakfast and lunch. A trip to the coffee shop for some chai and a scone (breakfast) and the sub shop for lunch, and I'm stocked for the next few hours.
In Jess’s last post, she laments the college lifestyle that is now just a memory…
I ask my college friends if they long for Wednesday night 3 am bedtimes, dining hall food, and people watching on the quad, and they look at me like I have three heads. Why do I miss that life so much? Am I the only one?
I’d have to agree. Although I’m only a five or so years removed from college, I must say that living in the dorms with your friends, infinite social and recreational activities (and intramural sports) and having a dining hall are probably about as good as it gets.
There’s good news… we’ll obtain that life again… when we get to the old-folks home. Until then, I guess we’ll just have to make due with the “real world.”
One alternative to the real world can bring some of the benefits of the college social experience, if you have a few good friends that want to live near you. This is something that’s been ruminating in my head over the last year or so. Living in an urban setting as I have for the past few years has its benefits and frustrations alike. Amanda and I have decided that we are probably not city people for the long haul and will need to move out to more open spaces to grow our family.
One thing that has bothered us is that much of the open spaces that have been important to our landscape have more and more frequently been carved up and sold to developers. The classic example of this would be the New England small (and usually family) farm. They soon become housing developments with cute street names that usually refer to what was bulldozed to put the asphalt down and the micro-McMansions up.
My idea was to gather a group of open-and like-minded friends who are looking to find a good place for their family and buy one of these closed farms before a developer can swoop in. Now, we’re no farmers, and we don’t intend to be any either.
The idea is to preserve the open space, and to be its preserver. The idea I think would take three or four families. They would come together to form a cooperative, non-profit land owning entity. They would pool their resources to purchase the land. They would assess the property to see if existing structures can be reused in any way (via a remodel, or a dismantling and reuse of materials). They would then assess the land to see how to erect houses for all the families in a way that has the least impact on the land, minimal removal of natural features etc. In my head, I see the houses being spread apart along the periphery of the property, and thus having maximum privacy and maximum open surrounding lands. The houses would be accessed by gravel farm-style roads.
The land in the middle would be used appropriately. If there are farmers who could use the land, perhaps a corn field or Apple orchard would be the central feature, rented by local farmers. Organic, of course. If the land was not farmed using organic techniques before, it would be rehabilitated, first. Of course the smell of natural fertilizer would take getting used to. Also, in my head this place would not be a livestock farm, just agricultural.
In addition, a few more common elements would benefit the inhabitants of the land. Each house would make maximum use of renewable resources. Each house being equipped with solar (and perhaps wind, if appropriate) equipment the coop could wire their houses together for maximum efficiency – so if one house was over drawing its resources, they could pull on another’s unused resources. Traditionally, with these types of electrical setups, the house would traditionally buy that excess from the utility company… but instead they can count on their neighbor. We’d still maintain the ability to pull from the local grid, and when we create excess power than can not be used with in the coop, it would be sold to the local utility. Local utilities already have this capability. The only difference is that we’d pull from each other first.
Second common benefit would be internet and media access. Since internet providers generally object to sharing household connections, we would pool our resources and purchase one business line (at minimum, one T1) to be shared within the farm. A central server and router would distrubute everything, a copper or fiber backbone would connect the houses so that they might share media, etc. Interfamily movie night? Pull the video from the server! Television over IP (or satellite if IPTV is not available) and Voice over IP (VoIP) would also be a perfect compliment. Lastly, wireless access across the farm would go without saying. 
Even with the common area possibly being used for agriculture, there would also be an interfamily garden. Cheap and plentiful vegetables. Less work since we have many times the hands. Perhaps if there’s a lot of excess, beyond canning, etc, a farm-stand for the kids to run in the summer. Speaking of kids, if all families had kids of common ages, the family could buy into common day care / after-school care. It would benefit both the families by reducing this very pricey expense, and benefit a nannying professional (I think I just made that professional title up?) by pooling a couple of families children and thus getting paid more without a ton more work… a founding principal of this dream is that children should have open spaces to roam when growing up. Space to ride a bike away from busy roads is important. A swing hanging from a large tree. Amanda and I both had this advantage (although her, more than I). If we had some single friends who wanted in, but don’t foresee married life, they could possibly buy into a common residence. This environment would also be healthy for pets, too.
Some people will read all of the above and thing I’m some sort of communist. I just see this as a way of working together, without really infringing on the private lives of the families. Hopefully, the inhabitants would be good friends and want to gather for the occasional interfamily meal, carpools, etc… but for the libertarian in me, there would be plenty of built in processes for keeping the families privacy in the forefront. There would be pre-proscribed ways to sell your stake in the land back to the coop or to a third-party if certain conditions were met. Essentially, a prenuptial agreement among the parties. If all get along great, then it will be all the better for all involved. It would be the embodiment of the saying “it takes a village.”
There’s a lot more to this of course, like finding land that fits the requirements, and none of this works if employment cannot be had locally. Working from home might be good for some. In our area, I think the rural-ish central Mass area near Worcester would be the best place currently for this type of arrangement. Close enough to a mid-major-metro area, close enough to a major-metro area. Enough access to services that would support the ideas provided here (small organic farmers, builders with knowledge of progressive techniques, high-tech broadband is readily available and technicians able to set up the networking).
Just a thought. Hopefully I’ll add to this idea in future posts.
What follows is the real-life story of a man and his beloved wife of five days…
First day back from our honeymoon, we decided we should go on Amanda's third trail ride, this time at our local haunt, the Middlesex Fells Reservation, only miles from our house. We knew a nice place to park near Winchester Hospital that was right on the Designated Mountain Bike Loop. When Amanda arrived home from work, I saddled up the car with the rack and bikes, loaded in our gear, and off we went.
However, we had no idea what we had gotten ourselves into
It was 90° 90% humidity. Chance of T-Storms.
My rear disc brake was nearly seized.
…and this was before we got on the bikes
So I went about fixing a disc brake: a) I've never, ever worked on a disc brake before and b) had no instructions. I did, however, have the proper tools.
Luckily, after about 5 mins I figured out how it functioned, and after about 7 I had the wheel spinning freely. then we set off on the designated mtb loop trail. We planned on just following this one loop (about 5 mi) so we didn't bring a map. Nice and simple.
As soon as we got on the trail, we found it was really, really technical: well beyond Amanda's limits as a newbie, and pushing mine as a recently un-retired rider. Lots of sharp rocks, exposed roots, loose rocks and sand… tight switchbacks surrounded by trees and boulders… It was about two minutes in that I heard "this is really tough, I don't like this."
"Don't worry dear, it'll get easier." Well, I had hoped it would, I was surprised to see this much…
Welp, it didn't get any easier. But at least we were able to stay on the trail. The other day we had to stop every two minutes to check the map to make sure we were still on track. This time we were stopping every two minutes to walk our bike through something. I was able to ride a good deal of it, but felt guilty, since I knew A would be dragging through it. She was getting upset with me, and was not enjoying herself. No amount of "Butt back, pedals flat" would get her down those tricky hills. She was rightly frightened of the terrain. Had this been her first ride, that would have been it. Luckily she'd had two prior positive experiences…
The story is just beginning.
Amanda's complaining she wants to go home, it's hot (but better under the canopy) , and we're dragging our bikes over damn-tough terrain. It felt like she was personally angry at me for having dragged her out there. It was my fault, but I didn't do it on purpose to punish her! She wasn't being too conversant. Highly experienced cyclists rode by a couple times – which was embarrassing to Amanda – I try to tell her that no one thinks less of her (or me) for walking – they appreciate that this stuff is hard. One guy passed by on a single speed! We hike on, for about a half an hour of on again, off again hike-a-bike. I'm becoming convinced that bike-hating hikers made this trail specifically to scare away new mountain bikers from the Fells. It was certainly working with Amanda (note: I will be called a sissy for saying this loop was tough, and I don't think those 1% of crazy, angry hikers represent the other 99% (the latter, of which I'm a part of)… just as the 1% of the irresponsible riders don't represent me and the other 99% of caring mountain bikers) Did I miss the 5-inch front and rear suspension requirement for the trail, perhaps?
We come to a few sections that are well within her abilities, but sooner than later we're walking again. Now it's getting to the point where I'm certain she's angry at me for bring her here… I had no idea it was going to be this tough.
We hit a section that's ridable, and we're off downhill… I have to slow down in a tough spot, but can't clear it – shit! – can't bail out of the clipless pedal fast enough! – and fall over…
I try to assess what's wrong – have I sprained my wrists? Cut my hands and legs? Why is my torso all cramped? My hip is not happy…
Ouch! I did a doozy on myself. I look up at Amanda who has no look on her face. No concern it seems. Just staring while I'm writhing in pain…
I'm in pain, get up and try to shake it off… everything seems to work… and the bike is OK, too. But I can't believe she didn't even ask, are you OK? Is she that mad at me that she couldn't even lay down her bike to check on me?
So I flip out, and swear at her… "How about a little empathy?"
Not a good move. She had apparently asked if I was OK, and was afraid that when she didn't get an answer, that if she asked again I'd yell something like "no, I'm not OK, can't you see?" Instead I yelled at her for not asking… I'm hurt physically, now she's hurt emotionally… that was an uncomfortable few minutes, how fast can we get out of here? Was one week of marriage is all we could take?
After a few minutes, tensions relaxed and we apologized. It looked like the car was right over the next ridge, and we could get out of there. Next time, if I hadn't totally beaten her new enthusiasm for biking out of her, we would plan better! I would prepare to go on simpler trails….
But our day was in reality, just beginning
So, off we travelled seemingly at the end of our journey, some nice simple trails and were newly made-up. Then we come to an 3-way intersection that was unmarked… which way should we go? We go down a little on one side and don't see any markers… then, we see a couple of riders… and ask them "hey, which way is the mtb loop?" "it runs this way…" and he motions… was he even on the loop? He seemingly came out of the woods… but indeed there was a trail there, and judging by his hand motions, that was the loop. We were terribly confused. No signs. We needed properly marked trails… there are a hundred unmarked trails through the Fells, and most of the "actual" trails are unmarked, or poorly marked at intersections. Nevertheless, we went up the trail he'd just come off of.
Trail was too kind of a word. Despite the fact I had seen him and his buddy come off this same trail, I'm now doubting I actually saw that happen. It was a rock and root infested hell. I wouldn't even care to hike this. We drag our bikes though un-ridable terrain… if he and his buddy rode this, they are not of this world… and his buddy was on a classic, unsuspended early 90s Ritchey.
we find a little terrain we can ride through, and I wind up going over a very narrow wooden bridge across a narrow ravine that was about 3ft deep. I got through OK, but there was a drop of about a foot when you got to the end, I pictured Amanda breaking herself…. and just after we'd made-up…
She gets up on the bridge… and teeters between trying to ride and trying to walk – indecision is the most dangerous thing in these situations – she needed to commit one way or the other…
miraculously she rolls off the bridge, and I'm fairly certain that without her front shocks and a huge dose of just plain luck, she would have endo'd right into the tree that laid directly two feet after the dismount. Phew!
After the bridge, more hike-a-bike awaited… and the trail was the worst of the day. It's getting late, we're not sure we're on the right trail and the trail is barely one.
We could see a park fire road paralleling the trail about ten yards through the bush… and we're certain its the one we just had pulled off of (it was lined with "no trespassing – water supply" signs)
We decide to cut over to it, and ride it in to the same direction… hope that in a just a few minutes, would be back at the car. We drag our bikes through the brush and push on a similar vector.
We continue to circle the reservoirs we no trail markers in sight. A half hour or so of this, and it's time to start worrying about remaining daylight. We meet a couple of other bikers… they don't seem to really know where they are, seemingly just riding the fire roads "Just keep following the roads, they all have to go somewhere, right?"
Follow we did. We knew the car was near Winchester Hospital, and near the extreme northwestern corner of North Reservoir. It had a brick pump house right near where we parked. These were our only land marks.
Finally, we see a pump house in the distance…
We pick up the pace and pass the house, near a water works facility, which we race up to the gate…
…dead end…
the gates are locked, and there is no one around. Only the ubiquitous "no trespassing signs" all around no side trails around, no vistas to at least see that we were on the right reservoir. This is what the Fells look like… see all the water? We were parked at the west most northern tip of the "North Reservoir" See all the trail intersections?
now we backtrack… doomed to simply try another road, try another, using the setting sun as a westerly guide, trying to keep the water on one side of us…
after about 15 minutes (of actually really pleasant riding) later… we hit a trail marker!
Willow Spring Path! But it's not just a marker… it's a marker to a trail I know… one whose terminus is our car… luckily I knew this trail, since it was the one we followed went we came here for our engagement photos, only a few weeks prior. Snakey but rideable singletrack… now with a purpose!
after about ten minutes, we run into a couple high school aged kids, and we ask if we're near the Hospital, and they confirm that I had indeed recognized the right trail name… we passed them and their trail of pot smoke and two minutes later we're sitting on the curb next to the Saab, sweaty, dirty, injured and bug-bitten. But alive, happy, and not rained on…
{Epilog} I read in my MTBing Near Boston book that the MTB Loop is "Intermittent to Difficult." Whoops. Next time, I promised A, I'll plot out an all-fireroad ride.
Luckily, we didn't flat on any of the many, many sharp rocks. I didn't have a patch kit, nor spare tubes– then it really would have been an ordeal. We'll have that next time, too. At least we had plenty of water in our Camelbaks.
Tune in next time when Brian attempts to scare off another prospective mountain biking wife with an ill conceived, poorly planned ride…
Filed under: General
Sorry… got a little side tracked with a wedding. Hey, I’m hitched! I’ve put up some photos on flickr so I guess I’ll start up the Flickr component of WordPress…
