Sui Generis

Farewellcome

2008-03-26T12:58:00.001-05:00

A Summers Day, originally uploaded by Haggis Chick.

I think I might abandon this place and leave it to naturally decay and grow weeds between the cracks. My life has changed away drastically from the original intention: from law student to bicycle commuter to craft show tycoon. I need a new space to sprawl out in, not fraught with the gravity that has accrued around the Sui Generis brand name, and disconnected from my other more public undertakings.

This blog I leave for the world and random Google searches.

But, there is another! I have started a blog elsewhere to chronicle my perilous journey into parenthood. For my family, acquaintances, and Internet friends (you know who you are) I extend an invitation: contact me, and I will send you the URL to my new webjournalspace, where you will be welcomed with open arms to the next chapter of my life. See you on the other side.

Nerd News: Spore is coming to the Mac

2008-02-08T12:26:00.000-06:00

At MacWorld '08, EA announced that Spore will be simultaneously released on Mac and PC. That would be great news for me, because the computer I built two years ago (when some folks first thought Spore would come out) is looking less and less capable with the new generation of games that has been released since then.

Unfortunately, they're using Cider to port the game, so it's only going to run on the newer, Intel-based Macs. Which means that the G5 we bought less than two years ago is already obsolete. Oh well, that's why our family has a Mac and a PC. To play games on.

Somebody filmed an extremely short clip of the game running on Macs, but that's not exciting. What is fun to watch is this half-hour video of Will Wright speaking at NASA in January.

Wine is good

2008-02-03T14:23:00.001-06:00

¿Nos tomamos algo?, originally uploaded by alfonstr.

In 2006, I won a box of wine from Crush, via a contest at Dr. Vino. To pay it forward, so to speak, I promised to review each of those six bottles as I drank them. But there was a problem. This wine was out of my league.

I'm excellent at enjoying wine, but ill-equipped to quantify or define the experience. The cheap wine that I'm more likely to pick up is relatively easy to differentiate: "tastes like jet fuel" for example, or "smells like feet." In contrast, I lack the breadth of experience to distinguish the nuances of fine wine.

Simply put, I knew that it was good, but I was hard-pressed to explain why it was good. And so, with apologies to the good doctor, I will happily remain an amateur appreciator and leave the reviews to a pro.

Cotton Monster

2008-01-24T12:54:00.000-06:00

Jennifer Strunge sews colorful plush creatures "made of old recycled sheets, blankets and p.j.'s... without a pattern, so no two are exactly alike." She incorporates excellent details on these fantastic animals, like contrasting fabric textures, that make them pop. My favorite Cotton Monster species is the Bottomfeeders, like the one shown here (with mutant third eye).

Link to Cotton Monster website (found at BoingBoing).

How's your drink? (SG book review)

2008-01-23T09:32:00.001-06:00

I like to have a martini, originally uploaded by KatColorado.

It's time to restock my bar. At about the same time I was getting bored with my strict beer and wine diet, Dr. Vino recommended an excellent little book on cocktails by Eric Felten. I used my Christmas money to buy a copy, and reading through it has made me very thirsty indeed.

Way better than a dry list of recipes, How's Your Drink? is primarily a collection of stories that highlight the origins of fifty classic cocktails. It is chock-full of interesting anecdotes, conflicting histories, and alternative recipes for mixed drinks. Now if only I had the ingredients to create tasting samples, so that I would have something to sip while I read!

Cars painted by stencil artist John Grider

2008-01-22T21:19:00.001-06:00

1948 Cadillac Hearse. Dallas., originally uploaded by broken crow.

John Grider is an incredible artist based in Minneapolis who I've written about before, tangentially. I first saw his work on canvas, and then he branched out to huge murals on house walls. I was looking through his Flickr photostream this week, and found that lately he's been decorating cars... like this '48 Hearse, bedecked in a pile of red skulls.

If you like that, he also used his trademark goat design to embellish vans and cars, including a Saturn that looks like my old car! Except that if my car had featured a paint job by John G., I would not have sold it.

SF Zero: a reality game

2008-01-17T11:38:00.000-06:00

beautiful photos by BlueberryMascarpone

SF0 is a web-based, collaborative, not-for-profit project. It's like an Alternate Reality Game, except that they're not trying to sell you anything and there's no overarching narrative other than the one you create yourself. It is a game that takes place in the real world and pushes the limits of the possible.

Players participate in "tasks," which are interesting actions you might not normally do. You get a set amount of points for posting your completion, and additional points are awarded in the form of "votes" cast by other players. So a particularly clever proof will gather a higher number of votes, and a correspondingly higher score. Earn enough points and ascend to the next level, where you can sign up for higher-ranking tasks, and continue to move up on the scoreboard.

Those are the mechanics of the game. But what is it really "about?" That's up to each individual player. For me it's community, creativity, imagination, beauty, art. Take a look for yourself. All scores were recently reset to zero for the start of a new Era, so it's the perfect time to join. See you in the Praxis!

SG Movie Review: Cloverfield

2008-01-16T07:52:00.000-06:00

I was lucky enough to get free pre-screening tickets for Cloverfield yesterday night before the theatrical release on 1-18-08. The basic premise of the film is a monster movie, from the point of view of people in the city, shot entirely on a hand-held camcorder. And it works. Let's get right down to it: this is an excellent movie. When it ended, all I wanted to do was watch it over again.

Without spoiling anything, I will say that the film raises more questions than it answers (what else would you expect from the creator of Lost?). I think they may intend to leave these mysteries unresolved, but--also like Lost--the movie has an accompanying ARG you can explore for background material on the characters and the monster. Cloverfield Clues gathers it all together.

"Mystery is more important than knowledge" --JJ Abrams

Citizen Police Academy: week 9

2008-01-10T15:15:00.001-06:00

060622-N-9742R-061, originally uploaded by milosz.reterski.

Our ninth class was Awesome Week for the citizen police class: dogs, bombs, and mounted patrol (horse & motorcycle).

K-9 Unit
German Shepherds are the dog of choice because they are agile, tough, and smart. On the other end of the totem pole you have Pugs, which are clumsy, dainty, and dumb (IQ rating just above a shovel). But, you would see a lot of Pugs on the beat if police dogs were picked for being adorable!

The drills were impressive. Our instructor hid a canister of black powder in the room and told his dog to "find bomb." The dog sniffed it out, eventually, then sat down and refused to move from that spot. Fun fact about K-9 units: when they spring a dog from that crate, it can't tell the difference between bad guys, cops, or bystanders. The dog will attack whoever looks threatening. Carry a chew toy.

Bomb Squad
For one reason or another, Minnesota gets a lot of bombs. St. Paul is a local leader and trains many regional units. By federal mandate, all U.S. bomb squads must have a robot by March 2009; St. Paul already has two. One of them is an older model "Ford truck" robot named Gary that's relatively easy to repair in the field. The other is a Packbot, an over $100,000 device made by iRobot (the same company that makes the Roomba). That's one of them in the photo above. It doesn't have a name.

Motor & Mounted Units
Motorcycles are now used primarily for traffic enforcement, and they are not allowed to do ride-alongs (lame). Horses are good for patrol because a mounted cop covers more ground than walking beat. They're also trotted out for crowd control, especially to clear the streets after big events (such as Grand Old Day). When a formation of horses comes walking down the street, people move out of the way. They know a police car isn't going to run them over, but a horse just might trample someone and not even care.

Incidentally, a lot of cops get hurt by horses too. We watched some painful videos of mounted officers falling and being thrown off their steeds. One former St. Paul mounted officer is now on permanent desk duty because of equestrian injuries. Horses, dude. They're scary.

Citizen Police Academy: week 8

2008-01-10T13:15:00.001-06:00

highscore, originally uploaded by baboon™.

For our defensive tactics class, we met at the old station in downtown St. Paul. The session was held in a dilapidated exercise room, with piles of old fitness equipment pushed into a corner. The windows were tarped over. When we began for the night, we gathered on a flotilla of wrestling mats that covered half the floor, and picked up punching bags.

Kick! Punch! I had flashbacks to my lessons in Tae Kwon Do. We paired up with a sparring partner and practiced the basic moves for unarmed close-quarters combat. After that, we got to swing around some padded Asp batons (for maximum force, you strike with the tip). One of our classmates wanted to tussle with the instructor, but his dream of sparring with a cop was denied.

Lastly, we discussed cuffing techniques and practiced with both chain and hinge-style handcuffs. (Officers might choose one or the other based on personal preference and the circumstances of the individual who needs to be restrained.) The training officer told us that some people can slip their cuffs from back to front. I took that as a personal challenge, and I learned a valuable lesson: with no shoes on, I can indeed step out of cuffs, but I can't do a whole lot afterwards.

Lace Starliner custom painted hot rod

2008-01-09T17:21:00.000-06:00

This amazing hot rod paint job was laid down by using two different lace patterns (one for the center, another for the side panels) as stencils. The owner plans to display the finished product at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona. I think it would be worth the trip just to see this car!

Look at the message board for notes and more beautiful close-up shots. (Link, Link, and Link)

found at BoingBoing.

The smallest announcement of all

2008-01-07T10:06:00.001-06:00

juno2.jpg, originally uploaded by -leethal-.

I didn't write yet about the most important thing to happen in 2007. Partly because I didn't want it to get lost in the shuffle, and partly because I couldn't think of a clever way to say it. But I guess it doesn't matter how I share the news. It's just awesome.

I'm going to be a dad!

So, my life is going to change, and I am very excited about that. I don't know how the blog will change. I'm not sure if I feel comfortable writing about very personal things on this very public forum. On the other hand, I don't feel qualified to plan for anything after the due date, so who can say which direction I will go? I just know that 2008 is going to be a very interesting year.

SG Retro: most popular posts of '07

2008-01-04T11:56:00.001-06:00

Sarah-2, originally uploaded by daverice.

I like to reminisce about my personal favorites, but after a year of tracking stats, I felt qualified to add a second category of links for 2007. The previous list was topics & activities that I enjoyed; these posts are the top hits for visitors to Sui Generis, based on keyword analysis.

5. Men's fashion. Who knew that so many people were interested in pocket squares? How to make them and when to wear them (always) were the most common queries.
3. Cars. The second half of last year was car-tastic! Unexpectedly, the new Transformers movie apparently inspired me to discover our automotive heritage. I went to a couple of car shows (parts 1-2-3-4) and bought myself a new car.
4. Bikes. Bicycle posts, though infrequent at best, remain popular. Usually my visitors are seeking information on a particular marque, such as Rabeneick, Sekine, or Bianchi (RIP); sometimes on more general topics such as fixed gears and British cycling.
2. Crafts. Our friends opened a store! I'm glad I helped so many people find I Like You, their new boutique in Minneapolis. As much as I'll miss being the first hit in Google, they have an I Like You blog now that has unseated me from the top spot.
1. Porn. 2007 is the year SG became an authority on tattooed models. For every 100 people who found me via Google, at least 2 or 3 went to that page first (and then immediately left, in disappointment). In hindsight, the popularity of this post is not surprising. Maybe next season, ANTM will consider having a tattooed girl on the show for more than one episode. I'm ready to provide ongoing blog coverage if they do! This is your SG ink correspondent, signing out.

SG Retro: my memories from 2007

2008-01-03T11:13:00.001-06:00

bookshelf spectrum, revisited, originally uploaded by chotda.

It's a good time for reflection. At the end of every year, I like to take a look back and review my exciting adventures, while I prepare for the future. It seems like only yesterday I was writing my recap of 2006 (maybe because I did it in March?). The following are my personal favorite memories from 2007:

Graduating from the Citizen Police Academy (I'm still catching up on posts--more to come)
NaNoWriMo was my fourth year in a row. In previous years, I dropped out of blogging during the writing process. This November I told my story through Flickr pictures.
Sibley Bike Depot moved to a new location just blocks away from my house. Now I have no excuse not to volunteer, or to ride a bike when I do.
My job sent me on a brief Vegas vacation.
I challenged myself to post once a day throughout October, and I did it.
Motorcycle BRC (day one, two, three, 1/2)
Our 2nd annual Craftstravaganza was successful.
Home brewing cider was fun.
Letterboxing is my new favorite outdoor hobby.

Lastly, I post about a lot of "stuff" over the course of the year; cool things that I covet. Most are passing fads that tickle my fancy only momentarily. Some stick around. As of today, these are still a few of my favorite things:

Blythe
Knockman
SWAKtopus
Custom-painted Consoles & Case Mods
Custom Action Figures
Vintage and Punk Rock Fishing Lures
Poketo Wallets (I'm now a proud owner of the model shown; thanks Jhenn!)

The Biggest Gainer

2008-01-02T09:25:00.000-06:00

jerk chicken @ mr jerk's, originally uploaded by lomokev.

So far, the weight gain experiment has been a huge success! I set a target to pack on one pound per week throughout the remainder of December, tracked my calorie intake with The Daily Plate, and stuffed my face with food. As a result, I'm up two pounds in 14 days. But there are other interesting side-effects to this exercise.

By recording what I have eaten, I become more mindful of what I am putting into my body. Now I know what it feels like to eat 2,570 calories a day. If I go for a few hours without any food, I have an awareness that it's time to eat something again, whether I feel hungry or not. And the nutritional information is staring me in the face, so when I eat something unhealthy, I know it.

I would recommend this practice to anyone, whether you're trying to gain weight, lose weight, or maintain it. And I would still recommend The Daily Plate as a tool to do it.

2007-12-31T07:29:00.001-06:00

2 0 0 8, originally uploaded by bunny ♥.

Citizen Police Academy: week 7

2007-12-28T07:34:00.001-06:00

Deep in Blue, originally uploaded by tal0w.

Shoot/don't shoot. That is the question we explored in this class, during our first simulated training exercise. Last week we got to handle a disassembled Glock and some different caliber bullets while discussing firearms safety. This week was a real hands-on experience, as we went through a training exercise that is used in the actual Police Academy.

We began with one-on-one classroom instruction with the Range Master. Using a laser training pistol, each student got a crash course in proper handling technique for a handgun. Next, we went individually into a dark room for a simulated police call. A filmed scenario played out on a giant screen on the wall in front of us, and we had to decide whether or not to pull the trigger. After the scenario was complete, it was played back (including a record of shots fired, if any) and our actions were evaluated.

I performed well on the my first solo situation: walking into a bar that was being held up, I coached the man into setting down his gun. Didn't have to fire. Disaster averted successfully. Then we replayed the scenario, but this time he turned the gun on me. I fired and scored a lethal hit with my first shot. Later, I did a partner scenario with a classmate. The setup here was that we were responding to an active shooter in a school. When the gunman walked around a corner, my partner took him out; I just fired without aiming and managed to squeeze off over a dozen shots, none of which hit. It was intense. The exercise was a small glimpse into the world that cops inhabit every day.

Polymer cephalopods on Etsy

2007-12-27T21:43:00.000-06:00

Bunny X Productions sells these beautiful hand-made octopuses on Etsy. They're crafted from polymer clay, and available in many gorgeous colors. Each one looks more amazing than the last, and they must be wonderfully jiggly when handled in real life, what with eight metal ring joints holding the legs to the body. This glow-in-the-dark "SWAKtopus" was a special order.

found via BoingBoing

TomTom Saves Christmas

2007-12-26T09:27:00.000-06:00

TomTom One, originally uploaded by Ludo2Besac.

My wife gave me the TomTom ONE Portable GPS Vehicle Navigator for Christmas this year. It is the perfect gift because I am always getting lost on the road. I configured it right away (with "Tim," the British male voice, because he sounds a bit like The Current DJ Mark Wheat) and we left the house to run some errands.

My TomTom had an opportunity to prove its worth on that very first trip. The roads were icy and slick. A recent two-car crash was blocking our freeway entrance ramp. The TomTom immediately charted a new route, and Tim's soothing voice guided me through Minneapolis' East Bank neighbourhood and back to the road. It was a GPS miracle!

Happy holidays!

2007-12-22T15:26:00.001-06:00

White Christmas Tree, originally uploaded by Ronald Suello.

Best wishes from all of us at Sui Generis secret headquarters. May you have a magical Christmas.

"Hyperfake" reproductions from Da Fen Oil Painting Village

2007-12-21T15:40:00.000-06:00

Houses of Parliament, London, originally uploaded by jough [formerly jough].

Kevin Kelly has a fantastic write-up about a "counterfeit painting city" in China. Artists in Da Fen paint original reproductions of famous works. "Re-painting masters," Mr. Kelly notes, "is a venerable activity [...] What's new here is the scale of this re-work, which brings down its cost similar to machine reproduction."

If you could walk into an art store and purchase a re-painting for the same price as a print, which would you rather have? The machine-printed copy may be more technically accurate compared to the original, but a hand-painted image is infinitely nearer in spirit. Given a choice between the two, I would prefer to own an actual oil painting, even with some imperfections.

There is an energy imbued in objects that are created by human beings. I would go as far as to say that the Chinese reproductions are "art" more than a poster of the same painting is "art." Are they on the same level as the original work? Of course not. But I would value a human original, even if it's a "copy," more highly than a mechanical copy. Now where can I get my hands on one of these?

2008 Dodge Challenger

2007-12-21T13:24:00.000-06:00

2008 Dodge Challenger, originally uploaded by jalopnik.

If the Charger, Camaro, and Challenger are the main contenders in the new "muscle car wars," then I'd declare this one the winner. I'm enamored with the sleek styling on Dodge's concept 2008 Challenger. You might say that it moves the muscles of my heart.

There's actual information about this car at Jalopnik and Allpar.com.

Badger & blade: the classy way to shave

2007-12-20T22:42:00.000-06:00

Two Bits (Day 46), originally uploaded by sumbler.

All of a sudden, I have developed a weird desire to learn the gentlemanly arts. Before this year, I didn't have the slightest interest in Windsor knot-tying or pocket squares. Now I feel like the height of sophistication would be to come home from work, put a jazz LP on the hi-fi, change in to my smoking jacket, and mix myself a cocktail at the wet bar.

In that vein, I introduce the new allure of vintage masculinity. John Koontz wrote a compelling guest post on Zen Habits, in which he advocates reclaiming the ritual of shaving with a double-edge razor. He provides a list of 5 purported benefits; the most compelling of which, to me, is that "it's fun!" There's also a brief beginner's guide to wet shaving.

Almost as compelling as the tradition itself are the classic accoutrements of shaving. (Did you know that the bristles of a quality shaving brush are made of badger hair?) I am tempted to try it. Consider me intrigued.

Inspirational Vegas

2007-12-19T21:16:00.000-06:00

I Win, originally uploaded by Kevin Labianco.

When I learned that I would be taking a two-day business trip in the midst of novel-writing season, I was concerned that the distraction would adversely affect my word count. In fact, it did quite the opposite. This was due to a combination of two factors: long, uninterrupted time in the air, and inspiration from being in a strange environment.

I don't have to explain the benefits of working on the plane. With nothing to distract me and a three hour flight stretching out ahead, I just turned on my laptop and plugged away. I typed over 5,000 words on both flights combined. That's 10% of my novel right there!

Then, the atmosphere in Las Vegas was tremendously helpful for stirring up my imagination. Everything on the strip was bright and sharp and designed to get a reaction. Plus it was a great place for watching and meeting interesting people. On the taxi ride to the airport, I told my driver I was from the Twin Cities, and he told me that he served with the founder of Groth Music. There are stories everywhere.

Nutrition logging site review

2007-12-18T14:41:00.000-06:00

Reykjavík, originally uploaded by Stebbi.

I gave up on FitDay for tracking my daily nutritional intake. The interface is decent, but there were some glaring problems that quickly discouraged me from using it. For one, their food database was woefully inadequate. I could have forgiven this, except that it also automatically logs you out after an hour or so, so you have to log back in multiple times over the course of a day. I would have forgiven this in 1997, but not in 2007.

Next I explored Calorie Count, which is owned by About.com. Enough said? My least favorite feature was the weird lack of Google-standard automatic "and" queries, so that adding terms will expand your search results, instead of refining them. For now I've switched to The Daily Plate, a very Web 2.0 application with a massive user-submitted database and lots of fancy features.

As a dietary footnote, I tried taking fish oil supplements today. It's great to get those Omega fats, but there is a ghastly side effect. Every time I burp, it tastes like I'm vomiting salmon.

Citizen Police Academy: week 6

2007-12-17T11:26:00.000-06:00

Glock 40 cal, originally uploaded by IMAGO escandon.

Introduction to firearms! Now we're talking. This was the most interesting week to date for me, and possibly the most boring for Jenna. The Range Master showed us examples of guns and ammunition, and spoke about training, safety, and tactics. We learned:

the service weapons that St. Paul officers carry

(including the .40 caliber Glock pistol, above)

St. Paul cops must qualify at least once per year on all authorized weapons
that the majority of people shot by handguns do not die

Handgun ammo is designed to crush tissue and run the organism out of "hydraulic fluid" (i.e., blood), to shut down oxygen supply to the brain. They move at a relatively slow velocity, so the damage area is only as large as the hole caused by the bullet. The advantage of a handgun is versatility--you can roll around and fight with it. It's easier to handle when you don't know what you're getting into.

If you know that you're going to a gun fight, you bring a rife or a shotgun. A long gun bullet is smaller but faster. Liquid does not compress, so a high velocity bullet will create a shock wave as it explodes outward dramatically. Higher speed means more tissue affected and a wider range of damage, whereas a handgun bullet will only make a hole as large as the caliber of the bullet.

Geeky gambling in Las Vegas

2007-12-15T09:19:00.000-06:00

pong slot machine, originally uploaded by lokialbertson.

While I was in Las Vegas, I stayed at the Tropicana. It's a little worn down and frayed around the edges, and totally underwhelming from outside compared to the other casinos on the Strip. But when I first walked inside, it was an impressive experience for my first Vegas casino. I didn't do much on that first night except for dinner at the Eiffel Tower, but on day two I walked across the street to the MGM Grand. That place totally blew my mind.

I didn't intend to drop any money in the machines until I saw this post on Kotaku the week before my trip. After that, it was my mission to find the Pong slots. I spotted them while walking through the MGM Grand, sat down, and promptly lost one dollar. It wasn't very fun. I think I was doing it wrong.

On my way back to my room I decided to try again with the Alien machine. Right off the bat, I won 50 cents on a 10 cent bet. I considered cashing in my considerable winnings and celebrating with a drink. Instead, I kept going in an attempt to recoup my full dollar of losses from before, and ended up losing it all.

Citizen Police Academy: week 5

2007-12-14T22:45:00.000-06:00

Under Arrest, originally uploaded by Curtis Perry.

I was not able to attend this class because of my business trip to Vegas. I was very sad to miss a speech by Chief Harrington on Community Oriented Policing, and most of all, the SWAT section. Fortunately I am still allowed to graduate even if I miss a class or two. Stay tuned for posts on subsequent classes.

Eiffel Tower restaurant vs. the Garden Lounge: Contrasts in Vegas dining

2007-12-14T09:25:00.001-06:00

Paris Las Vegas, originally uploaded by Wolfgang Staudt.

On my first night in town, I made a reservation for dinner at the Eiffel Tower restaurant at Paris Las Vegas. This was a mistake. I was over-hungry after my flight, so I got a headache and felt sick. I only finished part of my five-course meal and sipped at my half-bottle of wine. On the bright side, at least I got to eat at a swanky restaurant with a great view of the fountain show at the Bellagio.

There was a doorman at the bottom of the elevator before you could go up to the restaurant; another man greets you at the top. They are clearly placed as roadblocks to keep out undesirables, but after confirming that you have a reservation, they are extremely polite. "Enjoy your evening with us," they said. After I got past the hostess ("we have a very nice table for you"), waiter, sommelier, and the guy in the bathroom who handed me a towel, I was thoroughly confused about who I was supposed to tip. I was throwing money all over the place. I spent almost $80 on dinner for one, and that was getting out cheap.

I had never done the ultra-fancy dining experience before, so it was interesting, but I also felt uncomfortable and out of place. Despite the impeccable service, tasty food, and nice atmosphere, I felt physically relieved to get out of there. The next morning, I broke my fast at the Tropicana Garden Lounge. Now this place was more my style. Kitschy decor, cheap food, smelled like syrup... and there was only one person to tip. I was at home.

Citizen Police Academy: week 4

2007-12-13T09:50:00.001-06:00

Goffin Cockatoo at 1 month old, originally uploaded by nybird.

There were only two sections in this week's class; I'll take them one at a time. I could not find an appropriately weighty Flickr photo for the topics of domestic abuse and officer training, so instead I hope you will enjoy this googly-eyed bird baby.

Criminal Procedure & Domestic Violence Investigations

Domestics are like homicides: police may press charges even if you don't want them to
St. Paul Police responds to 40 domestic calls per day

2-5 are felony level crimes

80% of strangulation victims show no external physical markings

Selection & Evaluation of Police Officers
I thought the most interesting thing about this subject was that St. Paul Police hire new cops based on character evaluation, as opposed to skills or experience. Assistant Chief Bostrom explained that they can train people to be competent, but character cannot be taught. He also had a great quote:

"We don't give rides to jail. You have to earn them."

January Challenge: working out for 1 month

2007-12-12T21:22:00.001-06:00

You Can Be A Real He-Man,* originally uploaded by mando maniac.

I'm on the challenge-a-month bandwagon. I ramped up my blog writing in October, and wrote my fourth novel in November. Why not tackle an ambitious challenge for the first month of the new year?

Lifting weights and gaining muscle are habits I have wanted to cultivate for a long time. They are also goals on my list of 101 things to do in 1001 days. I was inspired by the Zen Habits post, From Skinny to Muscular in 7 Steps. Not that I mind being thin--I've made my peace with that--but it would be nice to pack some muscle on top of all that skinny. Here's how I plan to tackle it:

Gain weight with a diet plan
Turn it into muscle with an exercise plan
I have the POWER!

With the remainder of December, I'm making a habit of tracking calorie intake with FitDay. Once I'm getting enough carbs and protein, I can start a full-fledged workout regimen in January. I've half-assedly started to research weightlifting methodology on StrongLifts.com, but I'm very open to advice on both diet and exercise from any athletes or body builders out there.

*I would settle for being a Master of the Universe

Blog rewind: remember October?

2007-12-11T13:58:00.001-06:00

Day 95: Rewind, originally uploaded by little_trouble_girl.

I was so focused on my novelling in November that I never recapped my successful completion of October's goal. It appears that I did, in fact, write one post per day throughout the month (and then some). It was fun!

While I was writing, a lot of folks were reading the blog too. One of my October posts caught the eye of a radio producer with the Canadian Broadcasting Company. At his request, I called him up and recorded my story about getting stuck in the Pirates ride at Disney World when I was a kid. I will post more on this later, when/if it's aired.

Blogging was sparse in November except for my photo-posts. But I didn't spend every waking hour writing a novel, and my life went on in the meantime, so I have some saved-up material for posts. I'll try to catch up in the coming days.

2007 Dodge Charger Daytona RT

2007-12-11T13:33:00.001-06:00

2007 Dodge Charger Daytona RT, originally uploaded by Roadsidepictures.

While I was driving to work in the pre-dawn darkness of Minnesota winter, a ray of green light caught my eye. I had to exceed the speed limit just a tad to see what it was, but my disregard for traffic laws was handsomely rewarded when I beheld the 2007 Dodge Charger Daytona R/T.

I liked the "Sublime Metallic Clear Coat" color, the stripes, and the low-profile spoiler on the back. But then I passed him and sadly discovered that there's something about the front end that makes it all fall apart. I couldn't put my finger on it at first. It's too high and too round. In a word, I guess, it's just too darn modern to truly recapture that classic muscle car feeling for me.

Maths: cost/burger analysis

2007-12-04T09:11:00.001-06:00

Takumi Wasabi-Avocado Burger @ MOS Burger, originally uploaded by yusheng.

I heard a stupid commercial on the radio this morning. How stupid? So stupid that I turned off my radio to do math. The premise of the ad is that a guy quits his new job after he has been there for five seconds, but he wants to get paid for his time to go buy a burger. His boss tells him that, in the five seconds he has worked there, he has earned "about two bucks."

I'm no math whiz, but two dollars in five seconds sounded like a pretty decent pay rate, so I decided to do some calculations. This fictional job would pay $24 per minute, or $1440 an hour. But wait! Our protagonist is planning to take his phenomenal five-second salary and spend it all on a delicious, juicy hamburger. Which must mean that the $2 he has earned are his net wages after taxes. His hypothetical gross five-second income must therefore be higher than $2, but how much higher?

Let's assume that he is in the lowest possible bracket and he doesn't owe anything in federal or state income tax. Social Security, Medicare and unemployment still get deducted, for a total of 8.85%. That's not a massive chunk for most of us, but it bumps this guy's hourly pay up to around $1580 pre-tax. Which means that if he had kept the job instead of quitting after five seconds, he would have pulled in a gross annual income of $3,286,400. With that kind of cash, he could buy an awful lot of burgers... or a franchise.

NaNoPhoBlo: THE END

2007-11-24T21:16:00.001-06:00

A love song., originally uploaded by Wajdi Blake.

NaNoWriMo: a winner is me

2007-11-24T14:24:00.000-06:00

I wrote 50,000 words in 30 days (actually within 24 days). I wasn't doing too well with writing on week days, so I decided to use this holiday weekend for a marathon novel finish. My final count when I stopped to check around 2:25 this afternoon was 50,100 words.

Here's a fun graph that shows my total word count creeping up towards the 50k goal. The blue line represents the minimum average words/day needed to reach that goal by November 30. The red line is where I would be if I stayed on track with exactly 2,000 words per day. I finished precisely one day ahead of schedule.

The next graph charts my daily word count. I was all over the place! This is why it's a good idea to aim high. Even though I completely missed a couple of days, I had built up enough of a buffer that I never fell below that minimum line.

This was my fourth year doing NaNoWriMo. It is always kind of tedious most of the time, with brief flashes of inspiration, and a great feeling of accomplishment at the end. This was my most solid effort to date. I wasn't done telling the story when I hit the finish line, so I still have to write the finale of my novel, and maybe one day I'll even edit this one into a legible first draft. Until then, please enjoy the photo journal (click to see all posts for the month of November and read from the bottom up for a visual approximation of my story).

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-24T11:42:00.001-06:00

Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down), originally uploaded by Yuga ☼ Sunshine.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-24T11:41:00.001-06:00

Lawman in the dark, originally uploaded by 6strings.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-24T11:39:00.001-06:00

CSA-2006-05-26-084718, originally uploaded by soldiersmediacenter.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-22T20:46:00.001-06:00

Facing the light., originally uploaded by LNpom [computer down].

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-22T20:45:00.001-06:00

a multitude of sins, originally uploaded by mugley.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-22T20:42:00.001-06:00

Hela Cell Lysing, originally uploaded by mblanks.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-20T21:47:00.001-06:00

Showdown, originally uploaded by tALSit de CoD.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-20T21:45:00.001-06:00

oxygen 1, originally uploaded by TommyOshima.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-17T21:11:00.001-06:00

zombie tribe number six, originally uploaded by CherryVega.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-17T21:09:00.001-06:00

Bionic Sarah, originally uploaded by ‹3//Josiah›.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-17T21:07:00.001-06:00

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter developmental pilot helmet, originally uploaded by Image Editor.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-14T21:27:00.000-06:00

Platform Discotique, originally uploaded by TommyOshima.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-10T22:12:00.001-06:00

, originally uploaded by brndnprkns.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-09T23:03:00.001-06:00

Angel In Disguise, originally uploaded by aqui-ali.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-09T23:00:00.003-06:00

London 2023, originally uploaded by Enigma Photos.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-09T23:00:00.001-06:00

Christiania, originally uploaded by ilmungo.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-08T10:19:00.001-06:00

Roadside Smoke - cp, originally uploaded by mrquick.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-08T10:16:00.001-06:00

Dua becak di Jalan Malioboro, originally uploaded by Farl.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-07T19:09:00.001-06:00

V-22 Osprey in Flight, originally uploaded by Kuby!.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-04T17:54:00.001-06:00

Popsicle, originally uploaded by Giant Ginkgo.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-04T17:53:00.001-06:00

The Bug Eyed Monster, originally uploaded by cliffsdepot.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-03T21:56:00.000-05:00

do androids dream of electric sheep?, originally uploaded by TommyOshima.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-03T21:50:00.000-05:00

, originally uploaded by Camila Bibas.

Not the girl. The bike.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-02T21:56:00.003-05:00

Winnipeg Skyline, originally uploaded by bryanscott.

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-02T21:44:00.001-05:00

DSP 55: Mech Eye 2007-07-11, originally uploaded by vernhart.

What if we could take a photograph just by blinking our eyes?

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-02T21:43:00.001-05:00

p3-0005a, originally uploaded by j03.

My lead male character. Hot stuff!

NaNoPhoBlo

2007-11-02T15:25:00.001-05:00

Tales Of The Fog // 5 of 6, originally uploaded by Lady Vervaine.

You guys, I just had a great idea! While I write my novel over the month of November, I'm going to post Flickr photos that illustrate the action. I'll try to make selections that fit the mood, characters, and settings of my book-in-process. You can watch the topical clues and guess what it's about. Sounds like fun!

My story begins with a chase scene.

What happens in Vegas?

2007-10-31T23:34:00.000-05:00

Fremont Street, 1979, originally uploaded by Roadsidepictures.

I just learned that I'll be traveling to Las Vegas next week on business. I didn't plan to blog much in November, but I have one request before I disappear. It's my first trip to Vegas, and I'm going to have some free time on Monday and Tuesday nights.

I have a room at the Tropicana, so I plan to entertain myself mostly by walking up the strip and people-watching, just taking it all in. I don't have a lot of money, but I do have a budget for some reimbursable expenses. Does anyone have advice on where to find the following things:

A relatively quiet pub (not a club) where I could get a well-mixed drink
A nice place to hear jazz (possibly the same bar as #1)
A fancy restaurant with good vegetarian food and wine

Also, are there any cheap can't-miss attractions on the strip? Conversely, which over-hyped attractions should I plan to avoid? Thanks, everyone! I am psyched about this trip.

NaNoWriMo: your novel is bad

2007-10-31T06:41:00.001-05:00

Ode to Jack Kerouac, originally uploaded by Olivander.

There are people who fuss about trying to make everything perfect. They delete. They edit. They agonize over the perfect turn of phrase. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking and guess what happens after all this work? They fail at NaNoWriMo and their first draft is still shit.

Don't be this person. Think of their example as the Goofus to yesterday's Gallant.

There is one essential thing you need to know about your novel if you want to get through this: it's going to suck. Make your peace with that. It's just a first draft. They all suck. The thing is, your first draft doesn't have to be perfect, it doesn't even have to be good. You just have to finish. The NaNoWriMo word counter doesn't care the writing is good or bad; if you managed to type 50,000 words, then you are a winner.

Good luck, writers! I'll see you on the other side.

NaNoWriMo: writing tips for new participants

2007-10-30T07:55:00.001-05:00

Underwood 1, originally uploaded by Isayana.

As a 3-year veteran of the month-long writing marathon that is NaNoWriMo, I feel qualified to offer a little advice, on the off chance that anyone aspires to follow in my steps. First of all, it's less like footprints in the sand and more like a butt-print on my desk chair. To type a 50,000 word novel in 30 days requires a serious commitment to sitting. If that sounds like something you want to do then read on, and Godspeed, dear reader.

Make a schedule. Set aside some uninterruptable typing time, if possible. I do my writing in the evening, when I feel most creative.
Type 2,000 words per day. It's a good, clear, round number goal. There's a cushion of 333 words/day if you fall short later, and you'll finish with five days to spare if you maintain this schedule. Party time!
Don't delete. Ever! Pry the backspace off your keyboard. The words you have typed are words in the bank. No withdrawals allowed.
Don't edit. There's a whole other month for this. Don't proofread, analyze, or agonize over what you've already written; keep moving forward.
Fix it later. This is the corollary to the previous rule. Make it your mantra: "I'll fix it in the re-write."
Free your mind. The rest will follow. This type of writing is a Zen exercise. Don't think; just write!

Here's most of the same advice in longer form and 3 years older. Tomorrow, I'm going to keep talking about this stuff, so check back in December everyone!

Sibley Bike moves to University Depot

2007-10-29T11:00:00.000-05:00

Dan Kueny inspects a pile of scrap metal with "Downtown" Dave Blessing

The Sibley Bike Depot is moving to new digs on University Avenue. After a summer of indecision, we secured a retail space on the block between Grotto and St. Albans Street. On Saturday I helped to disassemble bikes, load trailers, and most importantly take photos to document this historical event.

When I wasn't working, which was most of the time, I took "test rides" on children's bikes and low-riders. They're not so good for the road, but they're a lot of fun in the parking lot.

Minnesota women's rugby & flu vaccine PSA

2007-10-28T09:35:00.000-05:00

Detroit's left winger scores a try against the Minneapolis Menagerie

I've long been curious about the game of rugby, so I was determined to attend a game when I found that it's played locally. On Saturday morning my wife and I watched the Women's D2 Play-offs in Eagan. The athletic fields around the pitch were wide open and exposed to a cold wind. We stuck around long enough to watch them score, then we left to get our annual flu shots at Cub Foods.

She wouldn't be able to run like that if she had influenza

Now it's time for influenza fun facts:

You can't get influenza from the vaccine, because the viruses are inactivated.
You are infectious before symptoms appear, so you can give influenza to others without realizing that you're sick.
Influenza-related illness kills 36,000 people a year.

Get immunized, seriously. I don't want to hang out with you otherwise.

Bonsai grape vines from Sonoma

2007-10-27T21:17:00.000-05:00

Grape bonsai, originally uploaded by mai-ke.

The Sonoma County Winegrape Commission is selling 10-to-12-year-old Cabernet Sauvignon vines, in bonsai tree form (seen at Dr. Vino). I like bonsai and I love wine, so it's almost the perfect combination! Except that you won't get more than a thimbleful of juice from a vine this size, and wine grapes aren't all that good for eating.

If you're going to grow a fruit bearing plant, why not just use normal grapes instead? They won't be fancy, but neither will they set you back $49.95 plus $30 shipping. Plus, you can grow yourself a tasty little snack.

Citizen Police Academy: week 3

2007-10-26T13:38:00.001-05:00

Whoop Whoop!, originally uploaded by mattdesmond.

A squad car races down University Avenue at 2 AM. What's going on behind the scenes? We found out in this week's CPA patrol segment. First off, the driver is probably a rookie cop, since new recruits tend to pull the midnight shift. If you look closely at the car, you'll probably see a 100 number since most of University Ave. falls into the Western Patrol District.* Also, when they pull someone over, it's not to reach a quota. They don't do that in St. Paul. Good to know!

Internal Affairs was up next. Everything I know about IA was learned from movies. It turns out that their primary goal is not to punish cops, but rather to establish innocence. They do mete out judgment when cops behave badly, but police departments get lots of complaints, and most of them don't result in disciplinary behavior. They use the following dispositions for classification:

Unfounded: Allegation is false or not factual.
Not Sustained: Insufficient evidence to prove or disprove the incident.
Exonerated: Incident occurred but it was lawful and proper.
Sustained: Allegation is supported by sufficient evidence to justify reasonable conclusion of guilt.
Policy Failure: Allegation is factual. The officer followed proper departmental procedures, which have been proven to be faulty.

The last third of class had to be cut short, which was a shame, because it had potential to be the most interesting part. We learned that half of the Crime Lab staff are civilians, and their job is not glamorous. They don't operate as shown on CSI, and forensic scientists don't all dress like Abby Sciuto.

*In fact, the district office is right up the street from us on 615 University Ave; the former site of the infamous Belmont Club.

My first handknit hat

2007-10-25T22:12:00.000-05:00

I finished knitting the hat! It turned out so well that I'm making a new one for my wife. She has another ball of yarn that's a different color (pink) but the same gauge, so it's a piece of cake. Soon we will have matching winter hats. Aren't we adorable.

As shown, the brim is fashionably turned up to cap the tops of my ears. Fully unfurled, it's the perfect length to completely cover to the bottoms of my lobes when the air gets really cold. Stylish and functional!

New car

2007-10-24T21:01:00.000-05:00

This is my new car, a metallic blue Saturn Ion, from the first year of production. It's pretty nice. It's taller than my old Saturn, and it feels more spacious without seeming significantly larger. There are some great features that were missing in my old Saturn, like a CD player and power windows. The remote keyless entry feature alone was worth the price of admission.

It was running perfectly until I decided to test its subaquatic capabilities. Our streets flash-flooded during a big thunderstorm and I drove my new car into a puddle that turned out to be the depth of my floorboards. Of course my engine died. My wife ran down the street in pouring rain and got in the car to steer while I pushed it out of the intersection. Two weeks and several hundred dollars later, it's in almost as good condition as when I bought it.

I put off this post for a while because I didn't have a lot to say about this car. Now that I've seen it through this disaster and the subsequent healing process, a bond has formed between us. I love my car!

You are too fat for this ride

2007-10-23T08:38:00.001-05:00

focus group dialogue, originally uploaded by bijoubaby.

When I visited Disney World, lo these many years ago, we had a tragic/hilarious experience on the old Pirates of the Caribbean ride. Our boats suddenly stopped in their tracks, and we remained stuck for what felt like a very long time. While we waited, the audio track looped and the animatronic pirates went OCD on us, chasing girls in circles and taking swig after swig from bottles of rum.

Eventually, a Disney "Cast Member" came along and helped an obese person to disembark from a boat further up the line. Relieved of its excess weight, the boat buoyed up again and the ride continued. According to MiceAge ("its [sic] a larger world after all"--scroll down to the third article), the phenomenon is more common than I realized. Disney is doing renovations on the Small World ride for this very reason:

Quite simply, the boats weren't designed to handle multiple adults weighing more than 200 pounds, and they now routinely bottom out in the shallow flume and get stuck. The Imagineers who designed the unique flume ride system for the World's Fair assumed that adult men would average 175 pounds, and adult women would average 135 pounds. Needless to say, those 1960's statistics are hopelessly out of date in today's world.

Exactly how out-of-date are they? The CDC reports that average weight in 2002 was 191 pounds for men, and 164.3 pounds for women: "nearly 25 pounds heavier on average" than in 1960. Really, though, it's not the statistical average that's the problem; it's the hyper-obese outliers that break the system. Or it could be that the weight of a typical park goer in the fattest place on earth is slightly higher than the national average.

Happy autumn!

2007-10-22T20:32:00.001-05:00

Best wishes for a pleasant autumn, from Lola to you! Next to spring, fall is my very favourite season. When the leaves start to turn, it's time to take out our warm clothes, and pack up our shorts and t-shirts. I start wearing slippers around the house. I drink apple cider and hot chocolate. I knit hats while the Cowboys beat the Vikings on Sunday afternoon football.

What are your most fun autumn day activities?

Minnesota RollerGirls home opener

2007-10-21T07:53:00.001-05:00

IMG_5692, originally uploaded by Bitwise.

After a series of away games, the Minnesota RollerGirls returned to the legendary Roy Wilkins Auditorium last night for their 2007 season opener. I didn't plan on attending, until the Current came through with a pair of free tickets for me, again! They gave away limited-edition t-shirts to the first 200 people, so Jenna and I took the bus down early to wait in line. Unfortunately, hundreds of roller derby fans had already beat us there.

Two teams from our local RollerGirls league took on visiting contenders from out-of-state. In the first bout, the Hood Rats from Nebraska's No Coast Derby Girls got dominated by the lovely Dagger Dolls. When the first half was finished, they went backstage to rest, while we watched the Cincinnati Rollergirls All-Stars put a serious hurtin' to hometown heroes, the Garda Belts.

Jenna started to feel unwell about halfway through the second bout, and eating a plate of nachos supreme didn't help. We packed up at the half time break and got home by 9:30. She lay down on the couch while I enjoyed a cold PBR for less than $4.75. Roller derby plus (cheap) beer equals one great night!

Knitting is weird

2007-10-20T09:59:00.000-05:00

It's very strange how using simple repetitive motions, with such basic tools and a single strand of fiber, can make anything from a potholder to a sweater. I haven't knit in a long while. Recently I picked up my needles again, and after a brief refresher course, my hands remembered everything they had to do.

I'm making a winter hat with some hand-dyed Merino wool yarn from Aisha Celia. I started out using the Center Square pattern from Knitty.com, but it wasn't working out and I had to rip it apart. After some re-calculation I picked up a new set of double-pointed needles at the Yarnery and started over.

Now I'm almost to the point where I had stopped before. Looks like this time, it's going to be the perfect size for a snug new hat!

Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together

2007-10-19T17:03:00.000-05:00

Dude! Finally! The fourth volume in Bryan Lee O'Malley's rock-and-roll comic series will be published soon, and there are preview pages on his website! You should totally look at them! I hardly ever read comics anymore except for on the Internet, but I am in love with these books.

I'll be checking this out from the library as soon as it's released. Scott Pilgrim is so good that I would actually consider buying the books one day... if I ever get volume 9 of Bone and finish that series.

Citizen Police Academy: week 2

2007-10-18T10:50:00.001-05:00

Hooker Tracks, originally uploaded by telethon.

Last time we learned--among other things--about St. Paul's historic bicycle patrol. This week we met a modern-day bike cop who told us stories about riding through the skyways of downtown St. Paul and hiding in plain sight on the streets. People don't see bikes. That extends to criminals and to bicycle police, who can ride up and apprehend bad guys before they can resolve the mental discrepancy of an officer who's not in a squad car.

Fun facts about the Ramsey County Emergency Communication Center (ECC):

A telecommunicator can take 400 calls in an 8-hour shift (that's 50 calls per hour!)
They can track a cell phone signal from the tower to within 50 meters of the calling phone.
Noise complaints are the lowest call priority. For example, if you report a barking dog, they will wait 75 minutes to dispatch. The dog's probably not going to be barking any more by then. Our presenter said that they don't get many of these complaints.

The highlight of my evening was an undercover Vice officer. Because some details had already appeared in the newspaper, he was able to talk about a recent case involving a prostitute named "Fancy." Myth busted: if you ask a cop if he's a cop, he CAN lie to you and say that he's not a cop. This is not entrapment. You will still be arrested if you sell him drugs or whatever. Stoners beware.

The most entertaining part of class was question and comment time. One of our classmates, apropos of nothing, told the bike cop that women don't like riding bikes. A woman tried to ask the ECC speaker something about squad cars connecting to satellites and calling other countries, except nobody could figure out what the question was.

The same lady also seemed to ask the Vice cop if he could remove prostitution from the Internet. He looked somewhat confused, but answered, "no, we can't do that."

"Well, you should," she said under her breath.

Fakeproject graffiti coloring book

2007-10-17T09:47:00.000-05:00

Fakeproject Corporation of America has made a coloring book for graffiti writers. There's a free PDF so you can print out blank illustrations and decorate them with the colors and designs of your choice. Use them as practice for tagging, or a legal alternative to vandalism!

Letterboxing in Como Park (part 2)

2007-10-16T12:06:00.000-05:00

With three fresh stamps in my logbook, I started following directions to my fourth and final box of the day. I saved 10,000 Lakes for last because it had the most cryptic clues. It took me into parts of the park that I had never seen before. First stop was the monument above. It was conveniently located next to a restroom building, which became my second stop.

I blew my nose on some two-ply, then back to the trail. I had to duck under an intimidating barricade to access the next location. The hole in this table is beautiful in an urban-decay kind of way. It's complemented by some charming graffiti.

This structure near the park bench looks like something you might find playing Oblivion, deep in an imaginary forest, although the chain link fence gives it away. This eroded architecture looks like it must have been part of a larger building at some point. I would like to find out more about it. Does anyone know its history?

Finding this letterbox was a fun little journey, but the best surprise was what I discovered next. Tucked inside the box was a tiny "hitch hiker." These mini-letterboxes are designed to travel from one box to another, carried to new locations whenever they're discovered. I stuck this one in my pocket to drop off when I go letterboxing again. I wonder where it will end up next?

Letterboxing in Como Park (part 1)

2007-10-15T07:29:00.000-05:00

This weekend I went in search of four letterboxes in St. Paul's popular Como Park. More than one set of clues contained instructions to "rehide well," since it's usually such a busy area. But on this cool, damp Sunday afternoon, it was almost empty. A perfect day for letterboxing!

The damp air near the conservatory was filled with cheery carousel music. I moved away into silence, following directions for the Claddaghs past the Japanese garden and into a small patch of woods. After uncovering these two boxes, and carefully re-hiding them again under branches and leaves, I went straight for the next one.

Snot was dripping down my nose and into my mouth by the time I found Fall 2007: Harvest. It was hidden beside a path that must be impossibly busy during nice days. It's a limited-edition letterbox, due to be removed on the last day of autumn (December 21). There was a nice two-color stamp inside. Alas, I only brought one pad of ink.

In part two, I find the best letterbox ever.

NaNo Technology: speech recognition

2007-10-14T10:04:00.001-05:00

PhotonQ-Nanobiobots BloodReplication's PetriDish, originally uploaded by PhOtOnQuAnTiQuE.

In previous NaNoWriMo years, I had lots of free time to write at home (or at work, as the case may be). This year, I'm spending up to two hours in the car every day, driving to a job that actually challenges me and keeps me busy. That doesn't leave lots of time to write a 50,000-word novel.

What's the ideal solution? Writing in my car, of course! By dictating during my commute, I could reach my quota before I get home, and keep my evenings open for family time. Therefore, I started researching speech-to-text solutions.

This PC World article lays out the procedure for pairing a digital voice recorder with speech recognition software. The writer sounds satisfied with the results he got using a Sony ICD-SX57 and Nuance Software's Dragon NaturallySpeaking 9, but other reviews have been less favorable. I'm leaning towards an O'Reilly-recommended Olympus DS-2. It's less expensive but still more than I can afford right now. Does anyone out there have a recommendation for doing this on the cheap?

Citizen Police Academy: week 1

2007-10-13T12:04:00.000-05:00

Saint Paul Police Bicycle Patrol outside T.C. Borg Cycle House (1897)

Starting this week, my wife and I are attending the St. Paul P.D. Citizen Police Academy. It's a free (taxpayer-funded), 11-week class, "to educate the citizens of Saint Paul with the operation of their police department."

Day one was introductions and the history of the department. We started with a speech by the chief. He is obviously passionate about his job, and proud of his department. I learned that the St. Paul police are the best in the world, but also, they are people like you and I.

Each week I'll be posting our experiences as we learn more about what these men and women do every day.

"American Vagabonds?"

2007-10-12T14:09:00.001-05:00

A controversial photo set has surfaced on a Spanish-language website. Click to see a series of more images like the one above (via Kevin Kelly). The subjects are compelling and well-shot.

More interesting than the photos themselves, however, are the comments at the bottom of the page. There's a lot of anger there despite the fact that nobody seems to know who the photographer or the subjects really are. Whether or not they're actually homeless, jobless 'vagabundos,' all you have to do is bring up these topics and people just start freaking out.

Hate makes me sad. There's too much of it in the world and a disproportionate amount online. This is why I try to avoid reading comments... except in my own blog, of course, where all my commentators are intelligent and friendly!

Spoon! all-ages show at First Avenue

2007-10-12T10:44:00.001-05:00

Spoon @ First Avenue 10/10/07, originally uploaded by jcbehm.

Spoon was in town this week for two nights of shows at the First Ave. The Current gave away tickets for weeks in advance. I called Mark Wheat and he added me to the guest list, plus one.

I was not very familiar with Spoon before the show, but hey, free tickets! So on Thursday night my brother and I went downtown to hear them play. Now I am a Spoon fan.

Have you been to any good shows lately?

Water ski champion

2007-10-11T19:11:00.000-05:00

This summer I went water skiing for the second time. Or perhaps, I should say, that I attempted to water ski for the second time. The first attempt was when I was just a wee tot in my church's youth group, and I barely pulled my head above water before bailing out. This time I almost got it right.

In total, I think that I made four tries. On round one, I took a face dive and swallowed half a gallon of lake water through my nose holes. I coughed and sputtered a bit and then found the skis, which had been torn off, and got ready for round two. For my next attempts, I was able to pull my body up so that my butt skipped across the water, but I couldn't quite get onto my feet.

Afterwards, I held on to a tube-type thing called the Y-Not (so named because it is Y-shaped) while my sister-in-law's husband's step-grandfather pulled me behind his boat. I was dripping with blood when I climbed out of the water, and discovered that I had suffered some minor battle damage to my elbows and bashed the hell out of my bad knee. It looked worse than the photo shows, but it hurt less than it looks. So it goes.

Calecia Biker in Lowrider issue #1

2007-10-10T09:03:00.000-05:00

page 22, originally uploaded by Iowahawk Blog.

Lowrider bicycles are making a comeback, but they don't build 'em like they used to. Here is an original model from the first ever print issue of Lowrider Magazine. I love how his saddle is practically scraping the whitewall tires, about one foot off the ground. Also, nice hat!

The IowaHawk blog has more scans, but sadly, this is the only bike-related photo.

Steampunk keyboard & monitor

2007-10-09T15:12:00.000-05:00

This made the rounds a while back, but it's still awesome: Jake Von Slatt's steampunk keyboard. If you are so inclined, he provides instructions for modifying an IBM Model M into a beautiful, brass, typewriter-keyed computer keyboard. Next, he built an LCD monitor in the same style.

He hints that the desk is missing a mouse, but what will he build after that? One can only hope that it will be a steampunk case mod!

Custom Zelda DS Lite

2007-10-08T12:02:00.000-05:00

This Nintendo DS Lite is the platform for a brilliant mod. The gold paint job is reminiscent of the original NES cartridge, and a 3-D Triforce medallion on the cover is backlit with blue LEDs. Additional photos at Joystiq and Softpedia.

There are many more complex case mods in the world (see e.g. the Metroid Wii), but I'm overwhelmed at the level of skill required to do something similar. This DS inspires me to try a simple repainting on my own. "How hard could it be?" I wondered.

After reading Linear's painting tutorial, my naïve enthusiasm has been dampened, though not extinguished. It might be a good winter activity. Or I could get a Dremel kit for Christmas, and start a wildly ambitious project.

Photos aquatic & microscopic

2007-10-07T10:37:00.000-05:00

Image credit: Charles Krebs, water-scavenger beetle larva (Hydrophilidae sp.)

Today, links to a couple of recent photography galleries.

At Wired, winning photomicrograph images from Nikon's Small World competition.

The Smithsonian gallery shows photos of fantastic deep-sea animals. There is an amazing diversity of life on earth. I am getting some great ideas for my Spore creatures!

Dorodango no Tetsujin

2007-10-06T10:54:00.000-05:00

hikaru dorodango by master Kayo sensei, originally uploaded by iwishicoulddescribeittoyoubetter.

Craftzine's feature on hikaru dorodango ('shiny mud balls') made it look so simple that I had to give it a try. If Japanese schoolchildren can do it, than it couldn't be too difficult. Plus I already had everything you need: water, and dirt. I made a sifter by poking holes in a paper cup. Then I got to work forming my dorodango.

Playing with mud is fun. I like the smell and feel of it. As children, we can play in the mud for the sake of play, but as adults we need an excuse. Hikaru dorodango is an opportunity to reclaim this childhood activity. You may be surprised by how much you enjoy it! There are online instructions if you would like to create your own hikaru dorodango.

Chicken Run Rescue

2007-10-05T10:36:00.000-05:00

Mary Britton Clouse runs a chicken rescue out of her home on Lowry Ave. Some of the birds are abandoned, and others are saved from fighting rings or ceremonial slaughter. According to the Star Tribune article, it's the only chicken adoption organization in the nation. How wonderful that someone is finding homes for chickens right here in neighboring Minneapolis.

Custom action figures

2007-10-04T09:14:00.000-05:00

Photo swiped & cropped from Wired

A while ago, Wired ran an article on action figure modding. It's an interesting concept but I wasn't blown away by any of the examples in their gallery (except the seriously awesome Skeletor shown above). Then I saw Jin Saotome's Master Chief on Kotaku. I was so impressed by the incredible level of detail on this 8-inch figure, I'd be proud to own it, even though I don't play Halo.

I would love to have a modder selling these at a Craftstravaganza, except the price would probably have to be somewhere on the scale of a customized Blythe doll. Master Chief is on eBay and bidding is already over $300 with four and a half days to go!

Back to nature

2007-10-03T18:45:00.000-05:00

Nobody moved into my handmade bird house this year, but it's still providing a valuable function in our urban forest. See that big pile of morning glory vines at the corner of our backyard fence? The swallow house I built is buried underneath all that foliage!

I took this photo over a month ago, and the cluster has only grown thicker with time. This mighty bush grew from just five wimpy seedlings. It seems to be putting all its energy into bulking up the branches, producing only a handful of morning blooms. Meanwhile, all around our yard tiny morning glory plants are springing up, and burgeoning with dozens of flowers.

October Challenge: daily blogging for 1 month

2007-10-02T18:26:00.000-05:00

April 18, originally uploaded by hesmywatermelon.

I'm participating in the Zen Habits "October Challenge." From their site:

The purpose of these monthly challenges is to form a new habit in 30 days by doing them daily [...] The only rules:
1. Choose only 1 habit. You might want to do more than 1, but it’s pretty difficult.
2. Make it easy — you want to be able to accomplish it. Don’t make it too challenging.
3. Report daily, or as often as you can. Accountability is what makes this work.

I was going to pick weightlifting, because it's a habit I would really like to get back into. However, I've tried to start up again several times before and it's hard, so that violates rule #2. Instead, I decided to do one new blog post every day throughout October. I enjoy writing (it's good practice for NaNoWriMo!) and I haven't been very consistent lately, so I've got lots of catching up to do anyway.

Best part is, the daily reporting (rule #3) is automatic. Now it's your job to hold me accountable. My reader(s?) have permission to rake me across the coals if you don't see a new blog post daily before midnight (Central Standard Time). OK? Let's go!

Bicycle-lawnmower hybrids

2007-10-01T15:49:00.000-05:00

Look at the list of ingenious pedal-powered mowers on treehugger.com. Some of these contraptions remind me of the mutant bikes made by chopper clubs like Black Label and the Rat Patrol. In fact the "Suburban Intruder" pictured above was put together by Cyclecide, whose crazy creations never fail to impress.

Sadly, our urban yard is far too small to justify a riding mower of any kind, whether manual or run on gasoline. I did consider buying a modern reel mower. If only our home's previous owner hadn't left behind a perfectly good Toro, that's probably what I'd be using now.

KnockMan Family instrument toys

2007-09-30T17:09:00.000-05:00

I was at Robot Love today and became enamored with the KnockMan Family, cute little toys that you wind-up to make noise. All the figures are charming, but this one takes the cake: Pololon is a tiny guitar-man with strings you can tune (watch the video)!

I officially have too much useless plastic crap cluttering up my desk. Regardless, KnockMans have been added to my lust list. I could make room in my collection for one more gadget if I got it as a gift. Why, it could even be friends with my solar-powered Sunshine Buddy.

Pok Pok Pok...

Life After _______ (fill in the disaster)

2007-09-28T16:03:00.001-05:00

Hybrid Earthship Snow, originally uploaded by Earthship Kirsten.

Wired today has an interesting interview with a couple of controversial environmentalists. From the comments there, I went to a site about Peak Oil (subtitle: Life After the Oil Crash). I really enjoy reading about these apocalypse scenarios--so much so, that I'm using them as fodder for this year's NaNoWriMo.

Regardless of what the future holds, though, it's smart to become more self-sufficient. In the event of a global catastrophe, the only difference that most of us can make is an influence on our own, personal circumstances. So we have bird flu kits and canned food and bottled water. That's interesting for fiction but scary in real life. We stockpile emergency supplies and hope we never have to use them.

But, there are also fun ways to prepare for the collapse of civilization! Raising chickens and bees, growing our own food, and investing in sustainable energy sources, for example. My retirement goal is to structure my life so that if the grid goes down, I'll be so prepared that I don't even notice. Come on, everyone, let's all build earthships and live in a Sui Generis commune!

Zen Habits: Simple Productivity

2007-09-28T08:04:00.000-05:00

I recently discovered a wonderful blog on simplicity and productivity called Zen Habits. Aside from containing great advice and wisdom, the writer's style is very straightforward and accessible (good qualities for me strive for).

I find that just reading it makes me feel more serene. Highly recommended if you have ever wanted to find focus, replace bad habits with good ones, and gain control of your life. Check it out.

Stencil a t-shirt with bleach

2007-09-28T07:09:00.000-05:00

Stencil Revolution posts a step-by-step tutorial on using spray bottle bleach to "tattoo" images on fabric. The roadblock for me is taking time to cut a proper stencil. If I can tackle that, this looks like an easy application technique with awesome results.