The coldest winter I ever spent
Archive for the ‘General’ Category.
Why Sauron Is Secretly The Good Guy In ‘Lord Of The Rings’
I’m a big fan of Cracked After Hours videos. At first I thought this would be their standard “pretty funny” but they really knocked it out of the park with this one. Come be a fan with me:
Steep Streets in San Francisco
I came across a blog post mentioning the steepest streets in San Francisco. When Charlotte and I lived there, there was one favorite steep street that I loved to drive down… I’d pull up to the corner of 22nd and Vicksburg in my Sebring, put down the top (drizzle or shine!) and look at the magnificent view. Then I’d slowly pull the car up the edge of the cliff; you couldn’t see any ground in front of the car any more. We’d pause there, on the precipice and I’d ask, “Ready? Set… Go!” I’d give it just a bit too much gas and we’d lurch over the edge! For a second you weren’t sure if we were flying or falling. It was wonderful!
I looked at the list and can say that the street I found was one of two contenders for “best drivable hill” in the city.
Filbert between Hyde and Leavenworth ties our favorite street in steepness (31.5 degrees) and has a pretty darn good view. See it here!
Ripley and Peralta has the same steepness but the view is meh.
Baden above Mangels is steeper but it’s just a driveway. Disqualified!
Nevada above Chapman is another driveway with no view.
Prentiss between Chapman and Powhattan is another driveway!
Here is our view at 22nd and Vicksburg.
Just over the edge.
Here are the two blog posts I saw with all the hill info.
And just so it doesn’t get lost, here are the contenders:
The Steepest Streets In San Francisco, For Real
1. Prentiss between Chapman and Powhattan (37% grade)
2. Nevada above Chapman (36% grade)
3. Baden above Mangels (34% grade) *
4. Ripley between Peralta and Alabama (31.5% grade)
5. Filbert between Hyde and Leavenworth (31.5% grade)
6. 22nd between Vicksburg and Church (31.5% grade)
7. 24th between Grand View and Fountain (30% grade)
8. Kearny above Broadway (30% grade) **
9. Holyoke between Karen and Woolsey (30% grade)
10. 25th above Grand View (30% grade)
11. Jones between Union and Filbert (29% grade)
12. Dwight above Goettingen (29% grade)
13. Folsom between Chapman and Powhattan (29% grade)
Source: Stephen Von Worley.
Notes: Ties are broken by the length of maximum slope.
* Crude, single lane pseudo-street, ** Grade unconfirmed.
Annoyingly Incomplete Research Breeds Annoyingly Alarmist Message
I saw this article at ExpandedConciousness.com
“Why You Should Take Your Shoes Off Before Entering Your Home, Backed By Science”
It opens with:
While it may be commonplace in most Asian countries, the cultural norm of taking your shoes off before entering your home has yet to catch on in Europe and America. In Asian cultures it’s easily understandable as to why people remove their shoes before coming into a home as their meals are typically eaten on mats on the floor, and they sleep on rolled out futons at night.
A new study has researchers suggesting that maybe we might want to be more aware of what exactly we’re bringing into our homes via our shoes.
Bacteria in the home — Research conducted at the University of Houston found that 40% of shoes were carrying around the Clostridium difficile, or “C.diff”, bacterium. Infections caused by C.diff are highly resistant to antibiotics, which can lead to difficult and lengthy recovery times for anyone who becomes infected. C.diff is also able to survive in most areas of the household, including toilets, tops and surfaces, and wherever floor dust is found. Ready to take off your shoes yet?
Kinda scary, right? I’m always going to take my shoes off at home so me and my baby don’t get sick!
The trouble is, the article intentionally sensationalized and misrepresented the results of the research.
I read the research paper. The data and conclusions of the research did not match what the article implied. To paraphrase, the research said, “C.diff can get you sick. 1/3 of all our samples in homes had that bug on them. 40% of shoe bottoms had it, 30% of bathroom surfaces, 30% of floor dust. Wow, that’s a lot… we think… maybe.” And that’s where they left it.
So my takeaway is: don’t lick the bottoms of my shoes, the floor, or my toilet. Thanks for the tip, guys.
If they had compared rates of contamination in the different areas of the house, they might have come to some great conclusions. For example, maybe people that have shoe bugs are more likely to have bugs elsewhere in the house (IE, maybe people track the bugs in on their shoes) . Or maybe not. They’ve got the raw data, why didn’t they crunch the numbers?
They didn’t have a control group. They said that floor dust was contaminated, was tabletop dust contaminated too? Maybe if they had tested silverware, frozen pizzas, and kitchen tables they would have had the same 30% contamination rates. But we’ll never know because they did bad science. I know all about bad science, I did some just last month.
Frickin’ grad students and their research projects.
Frickin’ sensationalist websites and their fear mongering.
You can find the abstract (a short summary) of the research here. You can find the full paper via a library that has access to scholarly journals. I used my San Jose State University library access.
I will try to attend this. See you there?
Workshop Weekend in Oakland! December 12 & 13
Join us on December 12 & 13 to make a robot, dissect a computer, make ice cream or a chocolate mold, learn HTML and plan your website, hack your tastebuds and more. At Workshop Weekend, a flat $40 admission gets you as many workshops as you can handle!
I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I’m writing to remind you that the deadline for early bird registration for Workshop Weekend istomorrow, November 29. Use code EARLYBIRD7715 at checkout to get a $10 discount! Don’t delay — some workshops have already sold out.
Register online by Sunday, November 29 and save $10 with code EARLYBIRD7715.Select your workshops at http://workshopweekend.net/
For families coming to Workshop Weekend together, we’re keeping our $10 discount for all parent admissions with the purchase of two or more admissions for children (under 18). Sign up on the same account and the discount will be automatically applied.
We have more than 20 workshops to choose from at this Workshop Weekend — a few old favorites are coming back alongside a number of new printmaking, food, and holiday-themed workshops — and more! Join us for:
…and more!
Register and select workshops online at http://workshopweekend.net/
I hope we’ll see you in December!
Cheers,
J.D., Shuai, Leah, Kevin, and the team at Workshop Weekend
How Do I Scroll in Adobe Reader?
99% of what anyone wants to do with Adobe Reader is to read a document. 99% of reading a document is the act of scrolling. Is there a keyboard shortcut or mouse gesture that will reliably and smoothly scroll through a document?
Adobe Reader has existed for over 15 years, how can this be a thing?
I Was Sick, But Now I’m Well
In September and October, I had a string of medical issues. It magically resolved itself but it was pretty weird and scary.
Starting in early September, each morning and evening I had terrible joint pain and muscle weakness. For example, I was completely unable to hold my big 32 ounce mason jar glass of water with one hand like I normally do. A few times in the late evening when Megan asked me to take the baby I refused, doubting that I had the strength to hold her. Scary! I found myself walking a lot slower on my commute, swinging my legs like lamb-chops. Everything hurt!
Then in mid-September, my legs puffed up with edema and red spots. I gained 10 pounds in water weight. Below my calf, everything tingled all day and I had trouble feeling some of my toes. My ankles were so stiff each morning that I walked ridiculously. To not move my legs was uncomfortable so I had to walk around and wiggle my legs. I went to the doctor after this kept up for a few days and my balance was suffering. I remember the moment walking down stairs needing to hold the railing lest I fall.
My doctor ran two batteries of tests. She knew I had elevated liver enzymes and decreased hematocrit (how many red blood cells I had) and she ran more tests which only told her I didn’t have what she was hoping I didn’t have (hep c, an autoimmune disorder, some vitamin deficiencies…) The end result of all the tests and the doctor’s opinion was, “It’s probably viral. It should start getting better soon. Call me if it doesn’t.”
That’s it? Yipe. Well, happily, it was already starting to get better and over a few weeks I returned to full capacity. But it was full-on-scary to be told, “Dunno.”!
My theory: a rare tropical virus made the rounds in Kensington
July: my niece and her boyfriend went to Vietnam. When they came back, they both complained of backaches and headaches.
August: My wife started having bad headaches. We went to the hospital twice, once because the headache was just so bad, and a week later because it seemed like she was having a stroke (!!!). All the fancy tests showed nothing abnormal and she was ok in a few days and better in a few weeks. Doctors said, “It’s probably viral.”
September: my shenanigans. My doctor said, “It’s probably viral.”
I Loved being an Airbnb Host. For a short time, I let people stay at my awesome pad in The Mission on the corner of 24th and Valencia. I met a lot of nice people, had fun, and made some money. At the time, Megan and I were getting closer so I was staying at home more infrequently. I started when Megan and I were going away for “Island Time”. We had a friend tend to the place. It ended when, well, my landlord didn’t approve. But by that time I was spending much of my time in The East Bay with Megan anyway, so it was all good. Notably, the wild-west of short-term rentals in San Francisco has just ended with the passage of a few laws.
(right-click, open this screenshot image for best results)
Bright Private Studio on Valencia
Description
The Space
This cozy, private apartment is located in the heart of San Francisco’s historic Mission District literally at the intersection of the hip Valencia street corridor and the culturally rich 24th street corridor. This is the real San Francisco and you’ve got the apartment all to yourself! 2 blocks to BART, walking distance to the best culture, food, drink, and nightlife in the city.
FOR SILICON VALLEY BUS RIDERS: We’re at the closest bus stop to SV that is in a happening part of town.
ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD
Here’s a -partial- list of what you’ll find within 1 block of the apartment:
– Arizmendi Bakery – A true gem. This worker owned bakery opens at 7am with lines out the door. Eat their blueberry scones and die happy. Have their famous daily pizza and you will already be in heaven!
– Valencia Farmer’s Market – a fantastic small market with great organic and regular vegetables and all the staples
– Fiore Caffe – Italian espresso café by day in a super-hip environment, dinner plates like Pappardelle Al Salmone by night!
– La Traviatta (2 blocks away) is an island of calm and perfectly served Italian dishes on Mission Street. Famous for seating opera legends old and new
– Papalote Mexican Grill – I would tell you that it is the best local taqueria but rivalries run deep among the many local burrito houses
– Muddy’s Coffee House – A great local coffee dive: open early and open late!
– Gypsy Honeymoon – Find unique treasures and antiques
– Campfire Gallery – A super hip art gallery that just opened in 2013
– Yoga Tree – Bring your yoga mat to this serene temple of yoga. I recommend getting their intro pass for your stay: 3 classes for $20!
This is a busy neighborhood day and night, light sleepers might want to bring earplugs or take some from my stash.
The Valencia street corridor boasts some of the city’s best culinary delights. It honestly has too many places for me to list but some favorites include Boogaloo’s for breakfast, Range for lunch, and Garçon for dinner. It’s a very hip and comfortable place to stroll. And you -must- check out 826 Valencia, San Francisco’s best independently owned and operated pirate store!
The 24th Street corridor has terrific cultural diversity and food. Be sure to look for the famous Precita Eyes murals!
GETTING AROUND
The BART subway is just 2 blocks away and several bus lines are nearby.
At the gas station just across the street you can rent cars by the hour with the three major carsharing companies: Zipcar, City CarShare and Getaround. Consider signing up for one of these services before your visit. Try using Uber or Lyft as an alternative to a taxi.
Parking a car in the area is very tight during the week, parking is easier on the weekends. A paid lot is 4 blocks away.
HOUSE RULES
No smoking in the apartment or building
Maximum of 2 visitors at any time
Keep the noise down after 10 PM
Don’t hold the front door open for anyone, every resident has their own key
No parties
No pets
SOME TIDBITS
– The apartment building is quite secure with a locked gate
– You are fully welcome to use the full kitchen and have some of my coffee or soft drinks
My apartment home is the perfect starting point for your San Francisco adventure!
House Rules
No smoking in the apartment or building
Maximum of 2 visitors at any time
Keep the noise down after 10 PM
Don’t hold the front door open for anyone, every resident has their own key
No parties
No pets
Learn Arduino in one weekend. My super-teacher-friends are running this class in Oakland this weekend. They’ve got a few spots left. Look below for a discount code.
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Bring your ideas to life at Workshop Weekend: Arduino!
Join us at Tech Liminal this weekend, November 7–8 to learn about electronics, programming, and prototyping. Get your project ideas on the right track, whether it’s citizen science, home automation, kinetic art, musical innovation, wearable tech, a product to sell, or something else entirely!
We’ll spend the first few hours showing you the electronic ropes: voltage, current, resistors, motors, LEDs and the basics of Arduino microcontroller programming. Then, for the next 10 hours over two days, we’ll help mentor you through our labs and your projects.
Don’t have your own project yet? Just want to learn? That’s great too! We have plenty of projects you can cut your teeth on, to prepare yourself for that brilliant idea still percolating through your subconscious.
Learn more and register online at http://workshopweekend.net/
We’re looking for just a few more people to join us; sign up TODAY with special code ONEDAYONLY7887 to get $50 off registration and a special gift on site!
As always, discounted registration is available for those with financial need — please ask.
I hope we’ll see you this weekend!
Warmly,
J.D., Rolf, Anca, Smitha, Malcolm, Michael, Tenaya, Andrew and Gil
PS: Save the date! December 12–13 will be our next general Workshop Weekend. We are currently taking applications for workshops; if you’re interested in running a session, let us know: http://workshopweekend.net/
Here is the manual for our Frigidaire washer dryer.
Washer Dryer A02591501en
