Lee.org

I’m taking a trip to New Jersey shortly,  landing at JFK and spending the evening in NYC first. I was very frustrated that Google Maps didn’t point me the right way on public transit. I figured out what the issue is…

If you type “JFK” into Google Maps, it doesn’t show the right starting point. You need to type “JFK Airport” in.

If you just type in “JFK”, it thinks you are starting in the middle of the airfield and it figures you don’t want to take the Airtrain but walk 1.4 miles amid the planes to the nearest MTA bus stop. This trip understandably takes a little longer, especially when you’re hauling your bags down the runway.

I wrote a note to Google Maps asking if they couldn’t fix this.

(via Jon Sarriugarte)

This movie is an inspiration for art and community. Simply wonderful. I watched it all the way through on Vimeo.

local version:

That’s me under the second “n” in “Confidence”. This was taken during last summer’s youth program. I’ll be teaching again this year :-)

An acquaintance from Noisebridge built this and first showed it off at Maker Faire last weekend. It is a fantastic example of the evolution (as in evolved just last week!) of soft circuits. I believe soft circuits are going to be BIG.

Find out more at http://steampunkworkshop.com/north-skirt

local version:

Here are photos from the last night of the Electronic Controlled Flame Effects class I taught at the Crucible this past Thursday night. (by David Nichols, Tim Alexander and Lee Sonko)

Nice class, eh?

And here’s some videos. The last one is the most flame-tastic!

setting up for firing

Cuckoo flaming

Cupcake Poofer

more pressure poofs

local version:

If you are sending money to someone via Paypal, you can now avoid paying their 3% + $0.30 fee.

It used to be that you had to receive the money at a “Personal” Paypal account to avoid paying fees. I wrote about this in 2008.

Now it’s easier. When you are sending money to your friend or whoever, just be sure to select that you are sending the money as a “Personal” charge and not a “Purchase”. See the image.

As long as you aren’t funding your account with a credit card, there are no fees :-). That’s right, no fees to send and no fees to receive. This is how Paypal was when it first started.

I pay for the Crashplan backup service and I’m quite happy with it. There is an option where you can backup to your friend’s computer for free. I’d like to trade backup space with a friend (you?) “just in case”. My backup is about 250 gig. I would happily trade about 250 gig on my computer with 250 gig on yours. What do you think?

The app runs with very low overhead. It runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Don’t worry, without the secret password I can’t view your data and you can’t view mine (assuming you trust the Crashplan software, which I do)

Email me. Lee at Lee dat org.

I listen to podcasts in my car. I download the podcast with Juice, burn the mp3 files to a CD-RW and play it on my car stereo. It works quite well.

I just found this huge podcast directory. http://www.publicradiofan.com/podcasts.html. Check it out.

My Electronic Controlled Flame Effects class did their first poofing last night, testing with compressed air. I got very nervous when I heard the accumulator come up to pressure the first time. All those untested components under all that pressure!

It went fine. I’ll tell you this much, there are no cobwebs on the ceiling of the Kinetics lab any more! A few blasts from a 1/2″ solenoid valve connected to a 5 gallon accumulator solved that problem!

Next week there promises to be fire.

I’ll be teaching a class I’m calling “Quick Bread” this Sunday at the home of the founder of the Institute for Urban Homesteading. It’s not about quickbreads but about making a good, regular loaf of bread as fast as possible.

There are all manner of very affordable one-off classes at IUH. Things like Seed Starting, Cheesemaking, Urban Berry Patch, Butchering, Raising Rabbits, Beekeeping… and the list goes on!

Check out the IUH calendar for the summer

About Sunday’s event from the newsletter:

Hello Lovely IUH newsletter recipients!
Please join me at my open house this coming Sunday

May 16 1-6pm
839 60th Street
Oakland
1 block west of MLK.

Some things to know:
This is an opportunity to see my private garden & urban farm, it is the place that I spend my time to relax, rejuvenate and relate with beings other than human. Traditionally my open houses were annual gatherings for my friends, but since I started the IUH, I have opened my home-space to the wider public. So please be aware than when you come, you are not visiting “The Institute of Urban Homesteading” but the home & garden of founder & director, Ruby Blume. It is rare that I have so many visitors at once so I ask your respect of the space and especially the plants and animals in it. All that said, I wish for you to feel welcome and at home!

If you can bring an offering of snacks, drinks, or a small donation, it will greatly enhance the event and create a culture of sharing. There will be homebrewed beer, lacto-fermented sodas (while they last), goat milk ice cream (perhaps just enough for everyone to have a spoonful, since it is baby goat season and much milk is going to the babies), fresh baked bread with homemade butter and a few other goodies available for enjoyment on a donation basis.

If you can help out with greeting, manning the goodie table and helping people the people flow, please let me know, I need help! If you have a guitar and would like to play some music under the apple tree, that would also be lovely!

And here is the schedule of events. Sadly the puppet show has been canceled but we still have great mini-workshops and ice cream making!

Mini Workshops (suggested donation $5-10, no one turned away)
1:30 pm Quick Bread with Lee Sonko (20 minute segments at 1:30 & 2:30, bread comes out at 3:30)
2pm Micro-Farming: Raising Quail for eggs & meat with K.Ruby Blume
3 pm Quick Bread with Lee Sonko (20 minutes segments at 3 & 4, bread comes out at 5pm)
3:30 Goat Milk Ice-Cream Making with Jeannie & Frankie

Tours will happen on an informal basis.
Self-guided tour available at the front gate.

Donations go to support our scholarship fund and, if there are enough funds to support a free event or two.
If you wish to make a larger donation, it is tax deductible, please inquire to have a letter sent to you for your tax purposes.
Look forward to seeing you!
Ruby

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