2011 (2)
Here’s an update on some of this year’s objectives.
1. Running
I resumed running in March. My intent was to run six days a week, but the weather and other circumstances dictated a few extra days off, so it was more like five days a week. Still, I logged about 110 miles over the course of the month. That works out to about 27 miles a week. To put things in perspective, a marathon is 26.2 miles. Later this year I intend to run in a few hours what I currently run in a few days.
Today I did an interval workout on the track with my friend and running mentor Pre. It was difficult, but fun to run fast. (Most of my daily runs have been at a pretty relaxed pace.) In post-run conversation, it was decided I will bump up my weekly mileage quite a bit in April.
The plan is to run this November marathon, not just survive it.
2. Brick Blueprint (LEGO instruction store)
All the technical pieces are in place for this endeavor. Now just I need to get my rear in gear if I want to make it happen!
In semi-related news, I placed my first Bricklink order today. It’s like eBay for LEGO. With prices for most elements in the couple-of-cents range, I see the temptation that leads some hobbyists from creativity to collection. Anyway, my order was actually inspired by a request I received to model a new part, similar to what I described in this section of my last update. Three bucks for a bunch of novelty parts.
3. Bikes
I pulled the trigger on parts for a new touring bike last week. I did consider some nice name-brand bikes (I looked at a 2009 Jamis Aurora Elite, a KHS TR-101, and a Cannondale T-2 locally, as well as many other models such as the Surly Long Haul Trucker online), but ultimately I decided to assemble something myself, mainly so that I can make the claim of “and I built it meself!” once I ride it somewhere. With a frugal mix of parts, I’m coming in under the cost of most commercial alternatives, too (but I will be paying higher in total once you factor in time and effort).
Of course, this was a bit of a gamble, especially since not every dimension is documented online as well as I might like (generally, though, the attention to detail among part vendors is high). Now that most of the parts have arrived, it turns out that I seem to have done my homework – everything fits good! Well, one thing doesn’t fit – the rear brake hangar – but that’s a $3 doodad. Also, the nice brake levers I got from Velo-Orange fit well, but I realize I would prefer to route the cables under the handlebar tape, for reasons to be documented in future updates, which requires a different lever housing design. I also forgot to order a headset (ironic, after learning all about them). So, back to the drawing board on a few fronts.
Some basic specs for any bike nerds in the audience: 56cm aluminum frame, green; hardy 36-spoke wheels; 2 x 9 speed drivetrain (ensuring those parts cooperate will have to wait until assembled); cantilever brakes; bar-end shifters; platform pedals. Progress photos will surely show up on Flickr once I start assembling things.
4. Career
Bit by bit, I’m studying and brushing up on some remote sensing topics with the intent to create a competitive portfolio of image analysis skills. Topics include DEM extraction, mosaicking, and land cover/vegetation classification. I have not yet collapsed the portfolio wave function to a single objective; conceptually, it still exists in a superposition of ecological interests (content focus) and commercial image acquisition/processing (technique focus).
I have a meeting this week to discuss Long Term Plans with the boss-man. My present position is potentially as good a launch pad as any for the first option, especially given the fledgling “urban ecology” focus in the biology department where I work. On the other hand, my interest in launch pads is not wholly metaphorical: I’m resigned to the fact that I probably won’t ever pilot my own starship – but imaging satellites are real!
Posted on Sunday, April 3rd, 2011. Tags: bike, running.
Art on Anarres
This quote from Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Dispossessed
“No distinction was drawn between the arts and the crafts; art was not considered as having a place in life, but as being a basic technique of life, like speech.”
(As with art, so with science.)
The quote is an excerpt from a description of the egalitarian culture of the protagonist’s homeland.
The book is a dialectical dissection of ideas about culture and society and belonging and belongings, told through the device of the main character’s attempt to bridge two very different but intimately related worlds. From my vantage point halfway through the book, the central question is whether the two peoples will be reunited – or whether the reuniter will ultimately find himself without a people. The title underscores that risk, and reminds me of the challenges faced by all who would seek compromise.
Posted on Sunday, April 3rd, 2011. Tags: art, books, quotes, reviews.
McReadability updated
Readability was a bookmarklet developed by Arc90 Lab that would conceal distractions and reformat article text in a consistent manner. I created a modified stylesheet (“McReadability”) that presented the article text in multiple columns, like a newspaper. Readability has since been relaunched and rebranded as a paid service. It still performs the same basic function – it makes web pages nicer to read – but now also offers financial support for article authors and publishers. This is a commendable alternative to the annoying advertising-driven segmentation of articles into multiple pages that is so common on the web. (Web advertising is often paid per page view – thus there is incentive to spread “content” across as many pages as possible. That’s why you see those “Page 1 of 4” links at the bottom of every online newspaper article. It’s not like web pages run out of paper at the bottom.)
Anyway, my multi-column version of Readability relied on some regular Readability code hosted at Arc90. This dependency broke shortly after the introduction of the revamped service. Fortunately, the original Readability code is open source, so I have updated the McReadability bookmarklet maker to be self-contained. The McReadability bookmarklets now use a copy of the article-cleansing code hosted here at anoved.net. If your McReadability bookmarklet recently stopped working, I encourage you to update it.
Besides this fix, McReadability remains unchanged – although now that is independent of Readability proper, I may customize it more in the future.
Posted on Sunday, March 6th, 2011. Tags: code, readability.
Hooptie Utility Bike 2.0
I recently completed an overhaul of my primary ride. I replaced the original suspension fork with a sleek rigid fork better suited to the routes I ride. I also installed new brake calipers, for finer adjustment and modulation, as well as a pair of red-sidewalled winter tires, for sassy good looks. Learning about headset assembly was fun and rewarding!
Posted on Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011. Tags: bike.
Last Year’s Starfighters Are Today’s News
Here are a pair of LEGO starfighters I made last year.
These are both Vic Vipers, a popular design loosely based on the player ship from a classic video game. Vic Vipers are characterized by two forward prongs, two rear wings, and a single vertical tail fin. I’m not quite sure why they’re so popular in the LEGO-verse, but I think part of the reason is that the template provides a creative constraint, like painting with a limited palette or engineering on a budget.
Another creative constraint I like to employ when building models is to use pieces from only one or two sets. It helps you learn to see each piece as an elemental shape instead of a specific type of part with a fixed function. Draw what you see, not just a symbol for what you think you see.
Also, strive to rationalize your most indulgent hobby as a valuable exercise in mental elasticity.
Anyway, both ships were built in time for the annual “NoVVember” challenge. The second ship was built as a subtle but specific tribute to nnenn (Nate Nielson), a prolific and respected builder who died unexpectedly last year. The ship incorporates two instances of the funny quasi-part Nate used as his recognizable icon.
So what sort of creative constraints do you work with, intentionally or otherwise? Can a cage become a scaffolding?
Posted on Thursday, February 3rd, 2011. Tags: LEGO.
“Export to LDraw” plugin for Google SketchUp
As mentioned in my previous post, I recently drafted a new LDraw part in SketchUp. I converted that model to LDraw format with a script derived from su2ldraw. My version of the plugin is now available as ldraw_export.rb; you can get it here (now at GitHub). More details on installation and usage in the file itself.
Posted on Tuesday, February 1st, 2011. Tags: code, LDraw, LEGO, ruby, sketchup.
2011 (1)
Here is a progress report on some of my 2011 objectives, roughly a month in to the year. (But don’t expect this to become a regular thing. What do you think this is – some kind of blog?)
1. Running
Like a million other people, I went for a run on New Year’s Day.
Unlike most of them, I’ve continued running, in hardy defiance of the Dark and the Cold and the Wet. I ran in two January Freeze 10ks – my first races at the 10k length. As reported elsewhere, I even sustained minor flesh wounds in the second race. I’ll spare you photos, but it was rad.
Three weeks in, I got a cold. I took about a week off from running to let my damage repair crews immune system restore full respiratory function. Went back out for a jog today to shake the kinks out. Felt good to rev the jets up above idle again! A week off really sets you back, though.
Fitting a run into the daily schedule can be hard, especially in winter. For me, the hardest part is not coping with the cold or negotiating snowy paths (hell, that’s the fun part; see e.g. here) but just crossing the threshold from indoors to out. I find that focusing on getting outdoors by just putting on some running clothes before I’m entirely out of workday/errand mode helps make that happen. A little attitude helps, too. (“Yeah, it’s 16˚F out and I’m running. You’re not. I win.”)
What’s in store for this month? There’s a 5k coming up in a week or two I’d like to do. Otherwise, just get in the habit of running and work on a modest base to launch from once spring hits. My friend and running mentor Pre promises me it’s gonna be brutal.
2. Brick Blueprint
I enjoy fiddling with LEGO and LDraw software. Most of the models I build these days are built with pieces from specific sets. I started a Flickr group called LEGO Remix for these sort of creations, and it seems to have caught on. I’ve thought about combining these interests with a little modest capitalism for a few years. Now I’m going to give it a shot.
Brick Blueprint is the working name for an online store where you will be able to buy affordable high quality instructions for new models you can build with the LEGO sets you already have.
There are already some great sources out there for awesome custom models, such as Brickmania. Two things set Brick Blueprint apart, and will, I think, make it appealing to a broad market:
- The instructions are the only product. With no inventory of bricks to acquire, assort, or ship, low costs will result in low prices – on the order of a few dollars, rather than a few dozen or a few hundred.
- Cheap instructions are no use if you need a million bricks to build the model. By using the palette of parts available in existing sets, fans and parents can get instructions for new models that don’t require a huge collection or a separate part order.
There’s not much to report on the web site side of things, but a few pawns are in place. (Incidentally, the Brothers Brick posted an interview with four part resellers today – some of them full-time.)
If I’m going to design many models using parts from popular sets, I don’t want to be hung up by the absence of certain new or unusual parts in the LDraw part library. I’ll need to be able to draft them myself. Towards that end, I’ve modeled a newly-introduced canopy.
I used SketchUp to generate most of the shape, and a Ruby script based on Jim Foltz’ su2ldraw to export the SketchUp model to LDraw format. I intend to post my version of the script once I get a chance to clean it up a bit and add some more error handling.
More images documenting my part-authoring experiments are posted here. My canopy part is now in the library tracker and progressing towards certification. (That’s a lot of big talk for a digital model of a model toy, I know, but hey – geek cred where credit is due.)
3. Bicycles
Is announcing your intent to build something fun really much of a new year’s resolution? I guess this questions applies to objectives 2 and 3.
The goal of this project is to build a new bike for my stable. I already have a couple bikes, but I look forward to the process of picking out individual components and assembling a machine tailored for my needs and interests.
Earlier this week I was actually thinking about building two bikes – one city bike for errands and commuting, and one touring bike for trips and more recreational rides. Then I realized that duh, I already have a solid city bike. (Insert lesson about candy-shop greed here.)
A few repairs and additions (lighting and new brakes, for sure, and maybe a rebuilt/replaced rear hub) will bring the Schwinn up to the desired level of performance and reliability that lead me to think about a new city bike – for far less than the cost of a new bike. (When I say “city bike” I have the upright posture and relaxed handlebars of a cruiser in mind. It’s about comfort and everyday practicality.)
So, the new bike will fill the go-fast/go-far niche. It will be heavy by racing bike standards, but light and zippy compared to my cruiser or mountain-bike-hybrid-street-stomper. Its load-bearing capacity will rival the hybrid’s, with less of the Frankenstein’s monster look. Chances are good it will begin with a Nashbar touring frame, but I’ll have to have a look at some of the area bike shops that sell parts and used machines before committing to any components.
4. Occupation
SIGINT sources report low to no chatter on this channel.
Posted on Sunday, January 30th, 2011. Tags: bike, LDraw, running.
2011
- Philadelphia Marathon.
(Conditioning corollary: sub-5:00 mile, finally.) - Brick Blueprints, a hobby venture.
- Build a bicycle. Tour some more.
- Career transition.
Further details as events warrant.
Posted on Friday, December 31st, 2010. Tags: bike, LEGO, running.
Snow Slicks
I don’t need no stinkin’ knobbies! (This is on a closed seasonal access road where sweet tailslides are an acceptable substitute for controlled stops. Roads with cars are clear and dry – otherwise, yes, I’d be riding winter treads.)
Update: Wow! Mattracks for mountain bikes: KtraK!
Posted on Tuesday, December 28th, 2010. Tags: bike.
Five Apps I Like
Last weekend I reviewed some iPhone games. Here are some other apps I use, sans haikus. I am not including built-in apps such as Safari or Mail, nor am I listing every third-party app I’ve installed; presented here are just a few of my favorites. Title links go to the App Store.
Stanza
Stanza is a free ebook reader application by Lexcycle. I use Stanza mainly for reading the ePub editions of online short fiction magazines such as Lightspeed. Pictured above is the glossy “jukebox” view of cover art, but I typically browse my library in list view. You can group the listing by author or by user-defined collection, and you can sort each listing in various ways. The reading view is highly customizable (fonts, colors, margins – you name it) and the interface is fairly intuitive (tap left or right side to go back or forward, pinch to change size, press and hold to annotate or look up a definition). Somewhat to my surprise, I have become accustomed to reading white text on a black background – perhaps because it feels more comfortable when the iPhone is the only source of light. Turning on the “Display Styles” option under Layout settings helps preserve some importing formatting (such as distinct typefaces for questions and answers in interview transcripts).
Stanza plays nicely with Dropbox, also available for the iPhone, which makes it easy to keep your files in sync.
I would like if it was possible to perform a text search across the whole library, not just the current book.
PlainText
This is a useful plain text editor by Hog Bay Software. You can title notes and organize them in folders. It is tightly integrated with Dropbox, so any notes you take on the go are immediately available on your computer, too (and vice versa). It works without Dropbox, too (useful even if you do have account, because you still take and save notes without an active connection – syncing is just deferred until it gets a chance). Free; you can pay a couple bucks to remove the unobtrusive ads.
AutoStitch
There are a number of panoramic photo apps available. This is the one I have, and it’s great. Take a bunch of overlapping photos, select ’em, and “boom” – panorama. It’s easy, it’s fast, and it’s fun.
Poke around the company website – the people behind the program have some other interesting image processing projects, too.
Kinetic
The built-in Maps app is great, but Kinetic by Mothership is a nifty GPS logger for those occasions when you wonder “just how far is that ride” or “I wonder how fast I can bomb down that hill with a bike full of groceries”. You can customize the display with everything from signal strength to pace, but in my typical usage I just turn it on and pocket the phone (screen off) before hopping on my bike.
It’s fun to examine the logs. As you drag the progress marker along the bottom of the screen, corresponding markers on the map and speed/elevation graph show where you were and how you were moving at that point in your ride. I think there are some minor improvements that could boost the utility of the graph feature, such as a moving the value labels from the endpoints to the vicinity of the marker when zoomed in (at present, you can’t see the labels when zoomed in to look at the details of the graph).
Star Walk
What star or planet is that? Launch Star Walk, hold the phone up to the sky, adjust the brightness setting to approximate what’s actually visible, and tap the object in question to see its name and details. It’s a clever use of various sensors to simplify search based on where you are and where you’re looking. To be honest, I haven’t made many opportunities to consult it out under the night sky yet, but I think just playing around with it can help you learn where to look for things.
(For another example of the powerful convergence of sensors and portable processing mojo, check out Word Lens. I’ve tried the demo, which just reverses words instead of translating them – even so, given bright lighting, it’s space-age cool.)
Posted on Sunday, December 19th, 2010. Tags: iphone.