Connected again :)

My phone as modem is working again, right now.

Solution:  take battery out and wait two minutes.  Replace.

Rebooting is a good thing… but you gotta know which boot…

Google may strike again…

Soap, when I was iced in I listened to public radio debate contest, the proposition being that Google violates its “don’t be evil” motto.  The pro folks won rather handily; at the beginning 48% were undecided, 21% for, 31% against.  When they were done, 47% each were pro and con respectively, the remainder undecided.

It wasn’t the skill of the debating, though I was underwhelmed when the “against” people’s closing arguments amounted to “we’re the winning side” (but not defending the statement).  THat’s not debate; that’s the old “be in the in crowd” marketing strategy.  It was the strength of the facts presented, which included that Google makes arbitrary decisions against people for which they have no recourse.

I switched our bike club’s email from the spammed-to-death prairienet.org.  This meant inviting a fair number of folks to join.  I didn’t sign ‘em up; I invited them.  I got the same causticity Google spewed at me about my blog, telling me that I had better explain myself and if I were spamming, I’d be kicked off Google and my group deleted.

Of course, it’s not “if I’m a spammer,” it’ “if you fit our algorithm for spam, and we don’t disclose our algorithms” (and I can promise, based on the fact that my utterly cycling blog was stamped spam, that the algorithm is flawed).  That’s the hubris mentioned in the aforementioned debate (one fellow went down the deadly sins per Dante).  I *did* explain, but I don’t always use language as normal folks do because I have this education thing.  Their algorithm might just deem it spam because it’s not as predictable as the usual crap.

I also get to deal with Sprint.  My “phone as modem” ceased functioning – it would seem the whole internet access from the phone has ceased functioning, and while I wasn’t sure my plan included the former, I know it’s supposed to have the latter.  Hey, mebbe that’s my ride for the day… to go pick on some poor Sprint employee…

messenger bags

I have long been bemused by messenger bags.  I put one on once, and it just didn’t hang right – I felt lopsided and things didn’t work in front.

Then, sometime this week, somebody mentioned that they scooted their bag around to the front so they could get something out of it, as in, without getting off the bike and taking off the thing (as I have to do with a backpack).  So, is that what people do with those things?  That would change everything – or at least make it worth exploring whether I could get the thing “on” right.

It’s a nice day.  I think I’ll go for a ride.

1-mile challenge…

at http://bikingbrady.blogspot.com/2008/12/xtracycle-vs-trailer-cagematch.html there’s a link on the sidebar to somebody’s contribution at the change.org site, suggesting that people be encouraged to bicycle.

It’s got 44 measly votes.  Of course, when I decided to go ahead and do the necessary registration and get on board so I could make it 45, I got a “server error” message that means either I can’t get on board, or I can’t vote…

reveling in dry pavement!

Morning jaunt to Lowe’s
Gaining on a bike but not too fast
Sleeping bag on the back rack… neatly folded pants and other clothes held against the handlebars.
Not so many teeth.
Good morning and dry pavement to all!

I’d have liked to ride more, but seems now is the time when I can get some rooms painted, being as my social life has not evolved to where it can be done Tom Sawyer fashion, much as I made several ineffectual efforts in that direction.  Besides, I rather like the idea that some of hte money not going into the automobile industry is paying for labor that makes something happen.

Alas, I decided I really wanted my jester to ride too… but couldn’t be bothered to securely attach him.  He’s somewhere between here and Lowe’s.  I think I *will* ride out there tomorrow morning, too, whilst the living room gets preened.

WIRED has a fascinating list of 12 “good gadgets for hard times.”  They include, uhm, a video camera and a musical instrument – so that later on when these were the “good old days,” you have records of the reality and welp, because you can make music when your entertainment budget is shot and even if the lights go out.  Also, though, a bicycle – especially with an Xtracycle (link to same), and happily (tho’ of course it’s primarily a function of the upscale angle of the whole article) you’re told you can get a bicycle for 3K if you want… or a good one for $400 at a bike shop or $40 at a thrift shop.  Wally WOrld is not mentioned as an option…

Gale Force

I looked at the radar (still tryin’ to get “phone as modem” power back so it was perching by the window) at, oh, 10:30… looked like the rainy stuff was moving off to the east.  It was pushing 60 so I opened windows to let the utterly tropical-level humidity in.  Planned out my day – 1:00 go for at least a 10 mile ride, then errands….

It was closer to 12:30 when I couldn’t wait and just grabbed the helmet and went out, without a pre-ride weather check, and discovered that the wind was *really* loud and I was working rather hard to go 8 mph.  ON the Trek so I didn’t even have weight on my side.  Got to Old Church and braced myself into the crosswind and really hoped it didn’t spontaneously abate ’cause I’d have slapped that pavement hard, and dang it, there was even traffic… and standing water.  I wimped out and didn’t try to beat the oncoming truck over the shallow part of the road (plenty of time, but I get into a “hold THIS line” mindset in adverse conditions and THIS line would have taken me through.. oh, probably not *that* deep, but I don’t know the effects of 30-40 mph winds on handling …)    and the 20-something lady driving stopped, rolled down her window and informed me that we were under a tornado warning.

Welp, I hadn’t heard sireens and the sky wasn’t green, but I did go straight home… with a tailwind coasting me at 17 down Race. Much easier Went by  LEslie McClintock out running… yea, addicts with cabin fever, what can you say?  … got home to hear all those warnings.  Fortunately the tornadic stuff was North of us and going that way, but I also duly noted on the radar that the weather hadn’t even gotten here yet.  Fortunately it did its usual calming thing as it got here, too… and fortunately I was inside

The wind pretty much howled all night – and seems to have blown basically every bit of ice outta here.  It was down below freezing again… but scarce ice.  I could take Xtra to church with all its regalia

Gonna check the wind and radar before trying to sneak out today… but I know tomorrow will be better

Bumpy Presents

So the wee one got one of those alphabet puzzles that are big and soft for little hands… and he assembled them without regard to forward or backward… btu *always* mirror image because he put the ridged side down so the correct visual was facing the floor.  Would be great to know the reason – not wanting it to slip on the smooth floor?

Reminded me of Jesse Winchester and “Let the Rough Side Drag.”

It’s a good thing that the sea’s not dry
It’s a good thing that the cows don’t fly
It’s a good thing to make a joyful noise

It’s a good thing that beds don’t talk
Such a good thing that the chairs don’t walk
Such a good thing that GOd made girls and boys.

Let the rough side drag
Let the smooth side show
While you pull that load
Everywhere you go.

Light and lively stoicism

I suppose it’s the proximity of the Giving Season that is why Ican’t even get to the sprint downloads page to try to reactivate my “phone as modem” option … and it’s doing that “Rain. Heavy at times.” thing outside… glad it’s warm.  Windows open warm.

Time to bring this one out again.  Why isn’t it dated?  Submit your critique … oops, finals are over   (this was in “drafts” and I don’t know if it’s down there somewhere… so if you just saw it, grin and bear it! And when’s the last time you heard *that* chestnut?)

From this high midtown hall, undecked with boughs, unfortified with mistletoe, we send forth our tinselled greetings as of old, to friends, to readers, to strangers of many conditions in many places. Merry Christmas to uncertified accountants, to tellers who have made a mistake in addition, to girls who have made a mistake in judgment, to grounded airline passengers, and to all those who can’t eat clams! We greet with particular warmth people who wake and smell smoke. To captains of river boats on snowy mornings we send an answering toot at this holiday time. Merry Christmas to intellectuals and other despised minorities! Merry Christmas to the musicians of Muzak and men whose shoes don’t fit! Greetings of the season to unemployed actors and the blacklisted everywhere who suffer for sins uncommitted; a holly thorn in the thumb of compilers of lists! Greetings to wives who can’t find their glasses and to poets who can’t find their rhymes! Merry Christmas to the unloved, the misunderstood, the overweight. Joy to the authors of books whose titles begin with the word “How” (as though they knew!). Greetings to people with a ringing in their ears; greetings to growers of gourds, to shearers of sheep, and to makers of change in the lonely underground booths! Merry Christmas to old men asleep in libraries! Merry Christmas to people who can’t stay in the same room with a cat! We greet, too, the boarders in boarding hoses on 25 December, the duennas in Central Park in fair weather and foul, and young lovers who got nothing in the mail. Merry Christmas to people who plant trees in city streets; merry Christmas to people who save prairie chickens from extinction! Greetings of a purely mechanical sort to machines that think–plus a sprig of artificial holly. Joyous Yule to Cadillac owners whose conduct is unworthy of their car! Merry Christmas to the defeated, the forgotten, the inept; joy to all dandiprats and bunglers! We send, most particularly and most hopefully, our greetings and our prayers to soldiers and guardsmen on land and sea and in the air–the young men doing the hardest things at the hardest time of life. To all such, Merry Christmas, blessings, and good luck! We greet the Secretaries-designate, the President-elect; Merry Christmas to our new leaders, peace on earth, good will, and good management! Merry Christmas to couples unhappy in doorways! Merry Christmas to all who think they are in love but aren’t sure! Greetings to people waiting for trains that will take them in the wrong direction, to people doing up a bundle and the string is too short, to children with sleds and no snow! We greet ministers who can’t think of a moral, gagmen who can’t think of a joke. Greetings, too, to the inhabitants of other planets; see you soon! And last, we greet all skaters on small natural ponds at the edge of woods toward the end of afternoon. Merry Christmas, skaters! Ring, steel! Grow red, sky! Die down, wind! Merry Christmas to all and to all a good morrow!

-E.B. White, 12/20/52

Chilly and foggy ;)

Minnesota article on bicycle commuting in winter.

Glad I haven’t had to commute in the recent stuff; I wonder if Parkland would have closed Christmas Eve if it weren’t Christmas Eve.  Today it’s pretty dense fog … not quite as dense as that Monday last year when the air like this stuff (very humid and gulfy) charged over lots of snow and rendered us a huge, thick cloud.  Still, enough to preclude goin’ out on the prairie.  However, tomorrow I shall remember how good the prairie is, keep an eye on the radar, and see if I can find a window between the storms. (Don’t mind rain, but I’ve done my ride in lightning this year.)

Wondering if Tony from Atwood is doin’ his New Year Ride … Kent says Illini CHill is supposed to happen but he’s not doing it.  I sent an email to the illini chill address but haven’t gotten a response yet…

Fongspiration

Aw, shucks, I’m blushing and giggling   the aimless wandering thread over at bikejournal is where I discovered fonging… and shovelfonging inspired hootervillemayor to Seussify on the topic.  That’s not on his blog but an awesome anthology of cycling shots that exemplify diverse cycling is.  Yea, I’ll update my blogroll… but not when it’s between storms!  TIme to get out side and ride … oh, prob’ly *home* to take a nap (Tomorrow… freezing rain, then rain with flash floods.  However, I declared yesterday that the Weather would Improve starting Monday.  Fortunately, the forecast happens to agree!

(Part of the fun of the slideshow is the rolling credits… could be frustrating to future anthropologists, bein’ as they’re screen names.)

Oh, and from yonder at cyclelicious, check out the vimeo of what happens when a cyclist with a competitive streak takes on delivery   I feel a little sorry for the next three folks who get similar jobs at UPS… they’re not going to meet expectations…