Need I say more?
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Friday, August 29, 2008
Calorie Restriction: Genius!
I have long been opposed to diets. They come in many flavors (no pun intended). Most diets are fads which start with celebrity endorsement, great testimonials, and loose application of facts. Most of the diets never really work for the masses or are downright dangerous. My advice has always been rooted in a scientific approach. If you want to lose weight do the math. Calories are a easy and convenient way to measure energy. If you want to lose weight then reduce your intake. One pound is equal to 3500 calories. Do the math and you can eat whatever you want granted that you stay within your calorie budget.
Today, as I saw a headline about calorie restriction diets I was drawn in. I have heard that in rat lifespan can be increased by reducing caloric intake, but I never looked into it. As it turns out there have been numerous studies on different species including humans. There is even a calorie restriction (CR) society. Preliminary findings indicated longer lifespan, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, resistance to some genetic diseases, and slower physical aging. there does appears to be at least two catches though. First, you have to eat 10-15% less than the average western omnivore. And, you have unsure you get all of the necessary vitamins and minerals daily.
Who doesn't want to healthier and live longer? Maybe all of those anorexic girls are on to something after all. Should we praise them and refer to them as extreme CRers? Does this also explain why women generally live longer than men? I say it is time to live healthier and level our insurance premiums. Men, stand up and leave the table. Let us all stop eating for the good of ourselves and the good of our nation. Science and especially the Internet never lies. The secret to life is not eating.
http://biosingularity.wordpress.com/2006/06/04/calorie-restriction-appears-better-than-exercise-at-slowing-primary-aging/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/06/05/calorie-restriction-part-one.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie_restriction
Today, as I saw a headline about calorie restriction diets I was drawn in. I have heard that in rat lifespan can be increased by reducing caloric intake, but I never looked into it. As it turns out there have been numerous studies on different species including humans. There is even a calorie restriction (CR) society. Preliminary findings indicated longer lifespan, lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure, resistance to some genetic diseases, and slower physical aging. there does appears to be at least two catches though. First, you have to eat 10-15% less than the average western omnivore. And, you have unsure you get all of the necessary vitamins and minerals daily.
Who doesn't want to healthier and live longer? Maybe all of those anorexic girls are on to something after all. Should we praise them and refer to them as extreme CRers? Does this also explain why women generally live longer than men? I say it is time to live healthier and level our insurance premiums. Men, stand up and leave the table. Let us all stop eating for the good of ourselves and the good of our nation. Science and especially the Internet never lies. The secret to life is not eating.
http://biosingularity.wordpress.com/2006/06/04/calorie-restriction-appears-better-than-exercise-at-slowing-primary-aging/
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2002/06/05/calorie-restriction-part-one.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calorie_restriction
Tall Bike Build: Day 3
The least eventful and most productive session unfolded on the day 3. I set out with a mission to fully affix the second frame to the first, attach a steering tube, and maintain excellent geometry. All goals were reached.
The first step was to create a steering tube so that the frames could be properly aligned. To do so I welded two desk legs together. This created a longer than necessary tube that was almost exactly the same diameter as the original tube attached to the forks. Placing part of a smaller tube, taken from a broom, I was able to align the tube through the head tubes on both frames. As I slid the top frame down the steering tube I temporarily affixed it into place just as it came in contact with the lower frame. This connection roughly an intersection the pedal assembly on the top frame and the seat tube is on the lower frame. It is not a perfect match, as I suspected. There is just about half an inch of connection because the top frame sits slightly forward of the lower frame's seat tube. I tacked the frames in place and added a small bracket to the back of the petal assembly area on the top frame make the connection more rigid.
I was so excited that I forgot it had two flat tires so I had to inflate the tires. Surprisingly they seemed to hold pressure. Next, I walked the bike through the house and out the front door so I could lean it against my truck. I hoped on top and pushed myself away. I was pretty nervous about the handlebar tack welds breaking, but they sufficed. It was dark, and the neighbors were looking wide eyed as I took a few coasts on the bike. It was an invigorating feeling. Tallbikes are awesome.
The first step was to create a steering tube so that the frames could be properly aligned. To do so I welded two desk legs together. This created a longer than necessary tube that was almost exactly the same diameter as the original tube attached to the forks. Placing part of a smaller tube, taken from a broom, I was able to align the tube through the head tubes on both frames. As I slid the top frame down the steering tube I temporarily affixed it into place just as it came in contact with the lower frame. This connection roughly an intersection the pedal assembly on the top frame and the seat tube is on the lower frame. It is not a perfect match, as I suspected. There is just about half an inch of connection because the top frame sits slightly forward of the lower frame's seat tube. I tacked the frames in place and added a small bracket to the back of the petal assembly area on the top frame make the connection more rigid.
As an intermission, there was a knock at the door. Let me interject that I am currently wearing a grey leather jacket, gloves with the fingers cut off, dirty jeans, and white tennis shoes. Welding in flip flops and shorts wasn't working too well so I decided to gear up even though it was 80 degrees outside. So instead of answering the door I stuck my head out the window. There were two spindly guys with glasses and an awkward girl with a backpack. They wanted to know if my roommate lived here. My immediate response was, "Why?" They explained they were supposed to meet up with him to buy a linksys router. Long story short, I sold the geeky trio a router for 40 bucks and my roommate strolled in 45 minutes later. He had a friend with him and she did not seem to understand my tallbike endeavor. She wanted to know why I was making a tall bike. I just grinned and said, "because tallbikes are awesome." I don't think she will ever get it.
I was so excited that I forgot it had two flat tires so I had to inflate the tires. Surprisingly they seemed to hold pressure. Next, I walked the bike through the house and out the front door so I could lean it against my truck. I hoped on top and pushed myself away. I was pretty nervous about the handlebar tack welds breaking, but they sufficed. It was dark, and the neighbors were looking wide eyed as I took a few coasts on the bike. It was an invigorating feeling. Tallbikes are awesome.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Our Phony Economy
Even though I am a junkie for economic theory and mathematics, this struck me as a refreshing depiction of our economy today.
The article excerpt and link are far below (look for italics). The following is just my rambling.
In my opinion, we have been riding a bubble of sorts. While I avoid branded items, most unnecessary expenses, and popular culture I realize that most of America thinks I am weird. To them, and you, I say thank you. You have fueled an economic bubble that has made it easier for me to live on the cheap. While you are stuffing your face with McDonald's, wearing Abercrombie & Fitch, and maxing out your MasterCard--I am stacking my cash and frequenting thrift stores. My salary is in line with yours, but I am not in line with you at Starbucks. I am winning, for now.
I long wondered how you afforded to consume so many products. The numbers didn't seem to add up, and now I know they truly do not. You are addicted to products. In order to get products you need money. Hmm.. this sounds like a drug. And your dealer is the credit industry. Unfortunately your dealer seems to be cutting your supply after years of endless offers.
Putting it all together, I am taking some of the blame off of the financial sector for the economics problems we currently see. Let us give some blame back to the people who failed to read their financial contracts and devise repayment plans and strategies. We do not fault casinos for playing unfairly. Why is it we think banks and lenders are supposed to do us favors? They are all in the business of making money.
By the standard of the GDP, the worst families in America are those that actually function as families–that cook their own meals, take walks after dinner, and talk together instead of just farming the kids out to the commercial culture. Cooking at home, talking with kids, walking instead of driving, involve less expenditure of money than do their commercial counterparts. Solid marriages involve less expenditure for counseling and divorce. Thus they are threats to the economy as portrayed in the GDP. By that standard, the best kids are the ones who eat the most junk food and exercise the least, because they will run up the biggest medical bills for obesity and diabetes.
http://harpers.org/archive/2008/06/0082042
The article excerpt and link are far below (look for italics). The following is just my rambling.
In my opinion, we have been riding a bubble of sorts. While I avoid branded items, most unnecessary expenses, and popular culture I realize that most of America thinks I am weird. To them, and you, I say thank you. You have fueled an economic bubble that has made it easier for me to live on the cheap. While you are stuffing your face with McDonald's, wearing Abercrombie & Fitch, and maxing out your MasterCard--I am stacking my cash and frequenting thrift stores. My salary is in line with yours, but I am not in line with you at Starbucks. I am winning, for now.
I long wondered how you afforded to consume so many products. The numbers didn't seem to add up, and now I know they truly do not. You are addicted to products. In order to get products you need money. Hmm.. this sounds like a drug. And your dealer is the credit industry. Unfortunately your dealer seems to be cutting your supply after years of endless offers.
Putting it all together, I am taking some of the blame off of the financial sector for the economics problems we currently see. Let us give some blame back to the people who failed to read their financial contracts and devise repayment plans and strategies. We do not fault casinos for playing unfairly. Why is it we think banks and lenders are supposed to do us favors? They are all in the business of making money.
By the standard of the GDP, the worst families in America are those that actually function as families–that cook their own meals, take walks after dinner, and talk together instead of just farming the kids out to the commercial culture. Cooking at home, talking with kids, walking instead of driving, involve less expenditure of money than do their commercial counterparts. Solid marriages involve less expenditure for counseling and divorce. Thus they are threats to the economy as portrayed in the GDP. By that standard, the best kids are the ones who eat the most junk food and exercise the least, because they will run up the biggest medical bills for obesity and diabetes.
http://harpers.org/archive/2008/06/0082042
Tall Bike Build: Day 2
I ended up forfeiting 2 hours to the tallbike project last night. It is like a drug habit. It can euphoric and frustrating, it causes pain and joy, and inevitably I end up diving through a dumpster to support my habit. Last night was no different, I waited for the thrift store employee to finish her break--after smoking what must have been an entire pack of cheap cigarettes--before I ventured to the dumpster. I enlisted my roommates' help. Upon arrival, we noticed a man approaching. I greeted the man who was waving his hands strangely and approaching from the dirt road section of the alley. He told me to be quiet because the neighbors often call the cops due to noise. I realized this man has been to this dumpster before so I asked if he lived around here. He replied, "no." A bit confused and impressed, I asked how he knew about the police problem due to the neighbors. As he hurled his body up the nearly 10 foot wall of the giant dumpster He responded, "I come here to get stuff all the time," then his body disappeared into the dumpster. As we pulled some scrap metal from the adjacent dumpster, he reappeared with a glass aquarium. With an eloquent maneuver he slid down the dumpster with the aquarium in hand and slithered off down the alley just as quickly as he had appeared. We maneuvered our scrap metal through a hole in the barbed wire fence heading back home and reminisced about the short encounter we just had. My roommate at one point scolded me, "why didn't you get his number? That guy is a professional. We could have learned a lot about the local dumpster scene from that man."
Ahhh, well back to the bike. First order of business was to break the tack welds holding two frames together, in a less than desirable setup. I figured it would be easy, but apparently my tack welds were better than I suspected. A few minutes later I had two loose frames again. Based on my previous thought that the bike was not tall enough, I eyeballed another mountain bike lounging in my backyard. This one is a Trek bike with flat tires and a tall seat tube. There was no turning back. My mind was already made up. The tall bike is getting another frame.
The trek bike still had wheels on it, which made is convenient to work with. I stacked the girls mountain bike on top of the trek bike, which was seatless and without handlebars at that point. Looking around for something straight to line up the frames I saw some oars leaning against the house. I removed the blades from the three oars I found and attempted to use the remaining aluminum tubes from the oars to square up the bike frames. It seemed like this situation could use some zip ties. I yelled out to my roommate and he promptly dropped a bag of zip ties out the second story window to me. I zipped the oars to the two frames, stacked the third on top and zipped it in place. All of the sudden it started to look like a tallbike, and my neighbor came over to check it out.
30 minutes and a few conversations too devious to share with the general public, I was itching to press on. I began searching for a metal rod to line up the head tubes. My first attempt was to use a broom, but it had too small of a diameter and I was left unsatisfied with the alignment. At this point I went to the dumpster in the outing mentioned above. I then cut up a child's school desk and welded two of the legs together, using the the metal broomstick to hold them in alignment. After they were tacked together I tried to slip the broom shaft out from the chair legs. They were stuck so I started hitting it with a hammer. This approach is useful whenever frustrated. The top of it mushroomed, but I failed to see that until after I pulled on the shaft and cut my finger. The pain was minimal, but the blood was not. Looking at the mushroomed metal in bewilderment, blood ran down my hand and I saw the chunk of flesh that was no longer part of me still on the curled metal end. This wasn't a normal cut; in fact, it was like a small sharp ice cream scoop removed some flesh from my pinkie. To stop the bleeding I applied a bandage with sufficient force to nearly cut off circulation. It seemed like enough excitement for one night, so I switched back to studying for the actuarial exam, a safer and more productive activity, for the remainder of the evening.
Ahhh, well back to the bike. First order of business was to break the tack welds holding two frames together, in a less than desirable setup. I figured it would be easy, but apparently my tack welds were better than I suspected. A few minutes later I had two loose frames again. Based on my previous thought that the bike was not tall enough, I eyeballed another mountain bike lounging in my backyard. This one is a Trek bike with flat tires and a tall seat tube. There was no turning back. My mind was already made up. The tall bike is getting another frame.
The trek bike still had wheels on it, which made is convenient to work with. I stacked the girls mountain bike on top of the trek bike, which was seatless and without handlebars at that point. Looking around for something straight to line up the frames I saw some oars leaning against the house. I removed the blades from the three oars I found and attempted to use the remaining aluminum tubes from the oars to square up the bike frames. It seemed like this situation could use some zip ties. I yelled out to my roommate and he promptly dropped a bag of zip ties out the second story window to me. I zipped the oars to the two frames, stacked the third on top and zipped it in place. All of the sudden it started to look like a tallbike, and my neighbor came over to check it out.
30 minutes and a few conversations too devious to share with the general public, I was itching to press on. I began searching for a metal rod to line up the head tubes. My first attempt was to use a broom, but it had too small of a diameter and I was left unsatisfied with the alignment. At this point I went to the dumpster in the outing mentioned above. I then cut up a child's school desk and welded two of the legs together, using the the metal broomstick to hold them in alignment. After they were tacked together I tried to slip the broom shaft out from the chair legs. They were stuck so I started hitting it with a hammer. This approach is useful whenever frustrated. The top of it mushroomed, but I failed to see that until after I pulled on the shaft and cut my finger. The pain was minimal, but the blood was not. Looking at the mushroomed metal in bewilderment, blood ran down my hand and I saw the chunk of flesh that was no longer part of me still on the curled metal end. This wasn't a normal cut; in fact, it was like a small sharp ice cream scoop removed some flesh from my pinkie. To stop the bleeding I applied a bandage with sufficient force to nearly cut off circulation. It seemed like enough excitement for one night, so I switched back to studying for the actuarial exam, a safer and more productive activity, for the remainder of the evening.
McCain's Police State
McCain is suggesting application of military tactics, which are questionable at times, in our neighborhoods. Scary...
As the election rolls forward, it is still unclear who will win (see the latest polls). I continue to be skeptical about the democrats ability to win--what should be--and easy election. I do not support McCain, but I do not underestimate the down home republicans and closet racists in this country. In short, don't be surprised when the government forcibly restricts you further in the freedom and safety.
On Friday at the National Urban League, McCain suggested he'd fight crime using "tactics somewhat like we use in the military."He went on to describe how it would work: "You go into neighborhoods, you clamp down, you provide a secure environment for the people that live there, and you make sure that the known criminals are kept under control," he said. "And you provide them with a stable environment and then they cooperate with law enforcement."
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/mccains-cure-al.html
As the election rolls forward, it is still unclear who will win (see the latest polls). I continue to be skeptical about the democrats ability to win--what should be--and easy election. I do not support McCain, but I do not underestimate the down home republicans and closet racists in this country. In short, don't be surprised when the government forcibly restricts you further in the freedom and safety.
On Friday at the National Urban League, McCain suggested he'd fight crime using "tactics somewhat like we use in the military."He went on to describe how it would work: "You go into neighborhoods, you clamp down, you provide a secure environment for the people that live there, and you make sure that the known criminals are kept under control," he said. "And you provide them with a stable environment and then they cooperate with law enforcement."
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/08/mccains-cure-al.html
Bushisms
"First of all, I don't see America having problems."--George W. Bush, interview with Bob Costas at the 2008 Olympics, Beijing, China, Aug. 10, 2008
This, among other impressive quotes from Dubya, can be found on the
Bushisms: Adventures in George W. Bushspeak website. Updates are added frequently.
The following comments are old, but still impressive. I have spared you the explanations, but included some of the links.
"They never stop thinking about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we."
"I don't think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees."
"A dictatorship would be a heck of a lot easier, there's no question about it."
America will never seek a permission slip to defend the security of our people.
I just want you to know that, when we talk about war, we're really talking about peace.
"It's clearly a budget. It's got a lot of numbers in it."
"We need an energy bill that encourages consumption."
"I know the human being and fish can coexist peacefully."
"I'm the master of low expectations."
"First, let me make it very clear - poor people aren't necessarily killers."
"The legislature's job is to write law. It's the executive branch's job to interpret law."
"You can fool some of the people all the time, and those are the ones you want to concentrate on."
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Tall Bike Build: Day 1
last night, I made the plunge. After a quick trip with Bubba to Harbor Freight I had a welder and and angle grinder. The thing to know about that place is that their prices are not exactly fixed. Always check their internet price. If you print it out they will always honor it; And, it is generally 20% lower. So following my own advice I checked online to find a welder that was $119. Then, having been dissapointed in the past, I called to find out if they had the model I wanted in stock. After a few minutes on hold, I learned that the last reamining model was out on the floor for display. To my good fortune, they were not going to sell me the floor model. Instead, I was offered the welder that was $199 in substitution. Free upgrade!
Now for a short lesson on welders. Welders are rated in several ways: amperage or current, voltage, and duty cycle. In my case, the original welder I was after had a duty cycle of 18% on low and 10% on high. Duty cycles translate into the amoutn of time you can use the welder in a 10 minute period (i.e. 10% = 1 minute of welding followed by 9 minutes of waiting). High duty cycles (up to 100%) are nice for personal use and essential for industrial application. In industry, if an employee who is welding has to stop and wait, then money is essentially being wasted . At home, it just gets frustrating to wait. Cutting to the chase, the welder I purchased in substitution has a duty cycle of 40% on low and 25% on high. Bottom line, I won.
So I hurried back to the dump--my backyard--and prepared to weld something. First order of business was the pesky cheese grater that needed a small spot weld. I blew a hole right trough it in about 3 seconds. Encore, was a knarly bead, surrounded by splatter and slag. Sweet. The grater is now customized and saved from a previously ineveitable trip to the dumpster. So far, total price to fix the cheese grater was roughly $150. That includes a welder, grinder, face shield, flux wire and electricity. If you need a cheese grater recycled do not hesitate to give me a call. I will make you a sweet deal. Just for my good friends I will fix their graters at a 75% discount. That is only $37.50 to restore your precious kitchen gadget. But, I digress.
Itching to bring a tall bike to life, I rapidly dismantled the extra mountain bike that I had in the back of my truck. This is a girls bike I found on the side of a road. The rear wheel is missing a spoke and the rear tube is 24" while the wheel is actually 26." Needless to say, this is a fine steed. Less than half an hour later--with the bike nearly dissasembled--I was implementing my hacksaw, which I pulled out of a dumpster, to cut the chain stay in order to remove the chain. This saw wasn't working well until I reversed the blade. Apparantly the yokel who threw this saw out didn't understand that the teeth are supposed to cut on the forward stroke. A long two minutes later, with a cramping the chain is off and still in one piece. Now to remove the last remaining problem. There were a number of cable guides on the bike. With an adjustable wrench I torque sideways on these buggers and they popped right off. Number of working bikes, aquired for free, now converted to a pile of parts: 2.
Being excited, and in a hurry, I flipped one bike frame over and stacked the other on top of it. Using a broomstick to line up the head tubes, I tacked the two frames together with some knarly welds. Then, I sat back a looked at it. I started to feel like it just wasn't lookign tall enough. I stared at is some more and it failed to impress me. It was 10:30pm and I had to get up at 6:00am the next morning, so I decided to give up for the night. Like most of my good ideas, the tallbike (1 word?) robbed me of sleep last night and took away ability to focus on other tasks today. Not really a problem. I enjoy it mostly. There is a certain look that creeps into my eyes. It warns you that I will stop at nothing to complete the task at hand.
Now for a short lesson on welders. Welders are rated in several ways: amperage or current, voltage, and duty cycle. In my case, the original welder I was after had a duty cycle of 18% on low and 10% on high. Duty cycles translate into the amoutn of time you can use the welder in a 10 minute period (i.e. 10% = 1 minute of welding followed by 9 minutes of waiting). High duty cycles (up to 100%) are nice for personal use and essential for industrial application. In industry, if an employee who is welding has to stop and wait, then money is essentially being wasted . At home, it just gets frustrating to wait. Cutting to the chase, the welder I purchased in substitution has a duty cycle of 40% on low and 25% on high. Bottom line, I won.
So I hurried back to the dump--my backyard--and prepared to weld something. First order of business was the pesky cheese grater that needed a small spot weld. I blew a hole right trough it in about 3 seconds. Encore, was a knarly bead, surrounded by splatter and slag. Sweet. The grater is now customized and saved from a previously ineveitable trip to the dumpster. So far, total price to fix the cheese grater was roughly $150. That includes a welder, grinder, face shield, flux wire and electricity. If you need a cheese grater recycled do not hesitate to give me a call. I will make you a sweet deal. Just for my good friends I will fix their graters at a 75% discount. That is only $37.50 to restore your precious kitchen gadget. But, I digress.
Itching to bring a tall bike to life, I rapidly dismantled the extra mountain bike that I had in the back of my truck. This is a girls bike I found on the side of a road. The rear wheel is missing a spoke and the rear tube is 24" while the wheel is actually 26." Needless to say, this is a fine steed. Less than half an hour later--with the bike nearly dissasembled--I was implementing my hacksaw, which I pulled out of a dumpster, to cut the chain stay in order to remove the chain. This saw wasn't working well until I reversed the blade. Apparantly the yokel who threw this saw out didn't understand that the teeth are supposed to cut on the forward stroke. A long two minutes later, with a cramping the chain is off and still in one piece. Now to remove the last remaining problem. There were a number of cable guides on the bike. With an adjustable wrench I torque sideways on these buggers and they popped right off. Number of working bikes, aquired for free, now converted to a pile of parts: 2.
Being excited, and in a hurry, I flipped one bike frame over and stacked the other on top of it. Using a broomstick to line up the head tubes, I tacked the two frames together with some knarly welds. Then, I sat back a looked at it. I started to feel like it just wasn't lookign tall enough. I stared at is some more and it failed to impress me. It was 10:30pm and I had to get up at 6:00am the next morning, so I decided to give up for the night. Like most of my good ideas, the tallbike (1 word?) robbed me of sleep last night and took away ability to focus on other tasks today. Not really a problem. I enjoy it mostly. There is a certain look that creeps into my eyes. It warns you that I will stop at nothing to complete the task at hand.
So, I spend this morning daydreaming, reading, and calculating. 1 spreadsheet, 2 digital image drawings, and a few sheets of paper later I am ready to tear the two frames apart and try a different design. Using my calculations and bits of knowledge gleaned from a variety of websites, I can now explain why my origin plan yielded a bike that was shorter than my new option. The new version will be 15% taller using the same two frames. See the picture for the layman's explanation. Along the way, I learned the proper names for the various tubes that the frame is comprised of and how to measure their lengths and relative angles. Using excel, I created a spreadsheat that can project maximum safe saddle height--relative to the ground--and seat tube height based on chain stay run (horizontal length) and seat tube angle. In the end, it turns out that flipping the lower frame is not a good idea if you are trying to maximize the bike height. The downside is the seat seats further back from the center of gravity. Jsut a side note, I set the max height equation in a way to limit the furthest back saddle position to be directly above the rear hub. It seems like a bad idea to position my body behind the center of the wheel, although it would be interesting. Maybe, I could weld on a smaller wheel to be used as a wheelie bar...
Wothahellizat : Winnebago meets Mad Max
This vehicle was a steal at 175,000 AUD, but unfortunately it is no longer for sale. If only I had accepted all those credit card offers and used them to purchase this amazing machine $500 at a time...
"Wothahellizat was Australia's largest, weirdest and best-known off-road motorhome. We lived in it for six years and loved just about everything about it, but times have changed and so have our requirements for a motorhome."
http://www.robgray.com/index_files/index_wot.php
"Wothahellizat was Australia's largest, weirdest and best-known off-road motorhome. We lived in it for six years and loved just about everything about it, but times have changed and so have our requirements for a motorhome."
http://www.robgray.com/index_files/index_wot.php
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Custom Bikes
Now that I am reading everything I can find on custom bike construction, I have found some really awesome builds. This one is local to Portland--as most of them seem to be--and was tested under the Hawthorne bridge. I think this is an omen. It means I need to stop complaining about the cost and get a welder asap. Besides, my friend is tempting me to build my tall bike already and take it on the Tour-de-Lab with him.
http://www.tourdelab.com/tour-de-lab-ride.html
http://chunk666lab.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html
http://www.tourdelab.com/tour-de-lab-ride.html
http://chunk666lab.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html
Dumpster Diving
In preface, over the last few weeks I have gleaned some remarkable trasures. Coincidentally, all but a few of these treasures came from a large metal container behind a thrift store. So far the list includes: 6 bikes, 1 wheel chair, 2 mirrors, 3 crab traps, 1 aquarium, 1 pair of dress pants, a kayak spray skirt, a dish rack, a dresser, a coffee table, and a few other odds and ends.
First, here is a nice How To on dumpster diving
http://www.wikihow.com/Dumpster-Dive
Second, I am not convinced that dumpster diving is illegal, but this blog cites some relevent law.
When I introduce friends to the pleasures of the dive, everyone will sooner or later ask is this really legal? I am, as the obligatory disclaimer goes, no lawyer, but to the best of my knowledge, the answer is Well, mostly, yes. Oregon state law prohibits the removal of recyclable materials from collection containers (ORS 459A.080), and recyclable material is defined as any material or group of materials that can be collected and sold for recycling at a net cost equal to or less than the cost of collection and disposal of the same material (ORS 459.005, paragraph 19). The intent of the law is clearly to keep scavengers from highgrading recyclables—from which the hauler can sometimes realize a profit—out of their presorted containers. Retrieving garbage, which costs money at all phases of disposal, would appear to be well outside the scope of this law. I'm not aware of any equivalent statute that applies to solid waste.
http://bodger.org/dumpster
And last, here are some people who want to go "skip diving" as well.
http://dumpsterdiving.meetup.com/cities/us/or/portland/
First, here is a nice How To on dumpster diving
http://www.wikihow.com/Dumpster-Dive
Second, I am not convinced that dumpster diving is illegal, but this blog cites some relevent law.
When I introduce friends to the pleasures of the dive, everyone will sooner or later ask is this really legal? I am, as the obligatory disclaimer goes, no lawyer, but to the best of my knowledge, the answer is Well, mostly, yes. Oregon state law prohibits the removal of recyclable materials from collection containers (ORS 459A.080), and recyclable material is defined as any material or group of materials that can be collected and sold for recycling at a net cost equal to or less than the cost of collection and disposal of the same material (ORS 459.005, paragraph 19). The intent of the law is clearly to keep scavengers from highgrading recyclables—from which the hauler can sometimes realize a profit—out of their presorted containers. Retrieving garbage, which costs money at all phases of disposal, would appear to be well outside the scope of this law. I'm not aware of any equivalent statute that applies to solid waste.
http://bodger.org/dumpster
And last, here are some people who want to go "skip diving" as well.
http://dumpsterdiving.meetup.com/cities/us/or/portland/
Monday, August 25, 2008
As If We Needed Another Reason...
place tea at home and my place of work to ensure that I am never left without something to steep. Anyhow, it is interesting to find ancillary health benefits associated with tea. I had never pondered the presence of fluoride in my tea.
http://www.portland-oregon-magazine.com/news/187/ARTICLE/1848/2007-03-14.html
http://www.portland-oregon-magazine.com/news/187/ARTICLE/1848/2007-03-14.html
Friday, August 22, 2008
Crying About Credit
While I believe the credit industry is underhanded, I have little sympathy for the victims. However, I do suggest watching the documentary Maxed Out: Hard Times, Easy Credit and the Era of Predatory Lenders (2006). From the article, Banks Warn Credit Card Legislation May Hurt, Not Help Consumers, I found one statement at the end profound and rudimentary.
``I've since decided to simply use cash and only use a credit card as a last resort,'' Chan said.
But, didn’t we already know that credit cards should be a last resort? Once again, I suggest we all move to strictly using cash on hand. Aside from the obvious individual costs, this current macroeconomic crisis–which is impacting us as a whole–is born out of the financial lending markets. These markets should serve a niche market or cease to exist at all, in my opinion. Unfortunately, citizens in want of immediate gratification–the majority of Americans–keep begging for more credit at almost any cost. This near inelastic relationship has opened the door for extortion and victimization. Instead of waiting for the government to create legislation to protect the stupid–most of us at this point–let's all stop buying the overpriced name brand clothing, purchasing large quantities of gasoline, and dining out with our plastic. Oh wait, did I just lose you? I think you misunderstood. I didn't say you shouldn't spend money on those items; that is your business, not mine. My point is at the tail of the sentence. Protect your own financial interests already. Lose the plastic.
``I've since decided to simply use cash and only use a credit card as a last resort,'' Chan said.
But, didn’t we already know that credit cards should be a last resort? Once again, I suggest we all move to strictly using cash on hand. Aside from the obvious individual costs, this current macroeconomic crisis–which is impacting us as a whole–is born out of the financial lending markets. These markets should serve a niche market or cease to exist at all, in my opinion. Unfortunately, citizens in want of immediate gratification–the majority of Americans–keep begging for more credit at almost any cost. This near inelastic relationship has opened the door for extortion and victimization. Instead of waiting for the government to create legislation to protect the stupid–most of us at this point–let's all stop buying the overpriced name brand clothing, purchasing large quantities of gasoline, and dining out with our plastic. Oh wait, did I just lose you? I think you misunderstood. I didn't say you shouldn't spend money on those items; that is your business, not mine. My point is at the tail of the sentence. Protect your own financial interests already. Lose the plastic.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Nobel Winners Expect Crisis to Further Weaken Growth
If you haven't heard of Scholes then look him up. He is particularly known for his work in developing the Black-Scholes PDE for valuation of derivative equities. You know, it’s the he model that was applied to Long Term Capital Management's bond arbitrage scheme. While LTCM did not manage to stay solvent, the ideas leveraged from the Black-Scholes PDE were critical to the excellent performance which spanned several years. Then, the Russian government defaulted on their bonds and undermined previous assumptions that large countries' governments do not default. This fueled a mass exodus from foreign currency investment which led to the demise of an overly leverage company known as LTCM. It is a great story with full of brilliant investor and mathematicians who got too greedy at just the wrong time. But, I digress.
My point being, Scholes has a crisp understanding of the way the financial sector in America, and around the world, got far too "innovative." The turmoil sprung from sub-prime mortgages packaged as investment products-in the form of derivatives-is right up his alley mathematically. So, this week there was a conference for self important and likely wealthy people. They all gathered to listen to significantly distinguished scholars disperse their insights and predictions about the economy. Some blame Greenspan for letting the growth fire rage out of control, but that is another discussion altogether. The recession is here. If it hasn't arrived it will be coming to a town near your soon. In fact you may already feel it at the pump and in the driveway; if you still own one. You and I can see it. Our president and some in the media deny it, but we are all feeling the impact of a recession. Anyway, it doesn't take a Nobel laureate to figure out the worldwide economy is going to suffer, but he is correct.
``There will be a global recession,'' Scholes said in an interview today at a conference in Lindau, Germany, featuring 14 Nobel laureates in economics. Stiglitz forecast the world economy would continue to perform below its potential for some time, resulting in a ``social loss'' through weaker employment.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ap.AW9Y5rJ_A&refer=home
My point being, Scholes has a crisp understanding of the way the financial sector in America, and around the world, got far too "innovative." The turmoil sprung from sub-prime mortgages packaged as investment products-in the form of derivatives-is right up his alley mathematically. So, this week there was a conference for self important and likely wealthy people. They all gathered to listen to significantly distinguished scholars disperse their insights and predictions about the economy. Some blame Greenspan for letting the growth fire rage out of control, but that is another discussion altogether. The recession is here. If it hasn't arrived it will be coming to a town near your soon. In fact you may already feel it at the pump and in the driveway; if you still own one. You and I can see it. Our president and some in the media deny it, but we are all feeling the impact of a recession. Anyway, it doesn't take a Nobel laureate to figure out the worldwide economy is going to suffer, but he is correct.
``There will be a global recession,'' Scholes said in an interview today at a conference in Lindau, Germany, featuring 14 Nobel laureates in economics. Stiglitz forecast the world economy would continue to perform below its potential for some time, resulting in a ``social loss'' through weaker employment.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ap.AW9Y5rJ_A&refer=home
Monday, August 18, 2008
The Bridge Debate; When Will It End?
While I rarely cross the current I-5 bridge over the Columbia River, my opinion counts too.
For months the debate has raged over the proposed replacement of the interstate which connects Vancouver and Portland via I-5. With a sliding price, more accurately ascending, now estimated at $4.2 Billion, the project is projected to cost twice as much as originally thought.
As a gainfully employed taxpayer, I am scrutinizing this plan for significant personal and/or community benefit.
http://www.assmotax.org/Releases/AMCT%20release:%20building%20more%20roads%20relieves%20your%20wallet,%20not%20congestion.php
http://www.columbiarivercrossing.org/CurrentTopics/LPA.aspx
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1218947109273750.xml&coll=7
http://www.kgw.com/environment/stories/kgw_081608_news_I-5_bridge_impacts.4492c36.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Bridge
http://news.opb.org/article/2750-protesters-voice-opposition-new-bridge-lng-pipeline/
For months the debate has raged over the proposed replacement of the interstate which connects Vancouver and Portland via I-5. With a sliding price, more accurately ascending, now estimated at $4.2 Billion, the project is projected to cost twice as much as originally thought.
As a gainfully employed taxpayer, I am scrutinizing this plan for significant personal and/or community benefit.
http://www.assmotax.org/Releases/AMCT%20release:%20building%20more%20roads%20relieves%20your%20wallet,%20not%20congestion.php
http://www.columbiarivercrossing.org/CurrentTopics/LPA.aspx
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1218947109273750.xml&coll=7
http://www.kgw.com/environment/stories/kgw_081608_news_I-5_bridge_impacts.4492c36.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Bridge
http://news.opb.org/article/2750-protesters-voice-opposition-new-bridge-lng-pipeline/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
