tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74665090345020098562024-02-07T02:58:37.766-08:00Life ChangeNickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-4378734469539135802014-01-31T22:23:00.000-08:002014-01-31T22:23:01.000-08:00Guitar: Milling the Lumber<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I built a guitar... It is still fun to say! This will be a three part writeup. First the milling, then the assembly and last finishing. Bangladesh was a tough place for me to live. In order to cope I sort of threw myself into work. I needed the creative outlet. The idea to make a guitar started from looking at all the amazing wood available in Dhaka. I also wanted a small guitar that I could travel with and something that the kids could actually get their arms over. A friend of mine had a Baby Taylor which is a 3/4 size guitar. It has amazing sound for its size and I thought it might be pretty easy to copy. So I borrowed it and traced and measure and returned it.<br />
<br />
I think it took me three months of weekends and evenings to finish. This was not a kit and because of tool limitations each piece was a challenge. Once I had the basic design secured, next was choosing the wood. The woods available in Bangladesh are some of the standards for tropical hardwood. As far as tone wood goes, I would need to do something different as spruce was not available to me. I had heard of a few guitars that used Mahogany as the face and obviously plenty that used Mahogany for the back and/or sides. I did not want to have an all mahogany guitar though. Other woods available here are teak, iron wood, Korai, and a handful of other exotics. There was a nice piece of teak that really caught my eye so I started researching the feasibility of using teak in a guitar. My thinking was that using different woods would make for a more interesting guitar visually but more importantly different woods would resonate at different frequencies which would give the guitar more diverse character.<br />
<br />
I decided to mill up some lumber and see what it sounded like with the tap test. All of the lumber used was milled in Bangladesh and allowed had cured for at least 3 years before I started. The mahogany started out as a 3inch thick slab that I would need to re-saw down to get the thickness needed for the back and sides. Since the pieces were so wide, I could not cut them on the band saw in the shop. I ended up cutting as deep as I could on the table saw from both sides and hand sawing (yes, you heard right!) through the middle section. My arm hurt after that day. Here is a pic after table sawing:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGX7ebZgTzk_rUSCQIBGq76i_Bwv39i3ohAbDVNNvUe29hb8lJWz5bTW-TQchtIIO-CJtatF7-4g1IGCBm2cgkTgs5gzPSVG2IpbLcaWQ6IigQrQb2kAZkYgqkK_WkBBCcRtwvbS5713Mq/s1600/IMG_2320.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGX7ebZgTzk_rUSCQIBGq76i_Bwv39i3ohAbDVNNvUe29hb8lJWz5bTW-TQchtIIO-CJtatF7-4g1IGCBm2cgkTgs5gzPSVG2IpbLcaWQ6IigQrQb2kAZkYgqkK_WkBBCcRtwvbS5713Mq/s1600/IMG_2320.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<span id="goog_2075175265"></span><span id="goog_2075175266"></span><br />
I had to do the same thing with the teak. Yes with a hand saw again and teak is much harder to work with! Next was planing the pieces down to a usable thickness for tone wood. I had a 12 inch DeWalt planer, which is not exactly ideal. The issue is that the finished tone wood needs to be thinner than what is possible on the planer. So I had to run the 1/4inch stock through until I could not get any thinner and then run it through with a piece of thin balsa on the bottom to get even thinner. I blew through a couple of pieces of teak and the mahogany sides. The problem was that as I got to the right thickness the blades of the planer would chip out the entire piece. After sharpening and adjusting the blades, I was able to get some workable blanks. You can see in the picture below the plywood pattern for the front and back, the teak, the mahogany and the sides. Notice the chip out in mahogany pieces.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJZo5SQRCkdbPBTCYafgKYNkfsae7n923ULBV6nhBeP97j94UNPScqHf7U_t9LqcNJwBSBd9J_mBI_s_2lJY7G93zzOTE1bHv1MuQQ-O96R2Uurc2aUx-xjP8lPRRgB3nSiAOsPQK48kG/s1600/IMG_2321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJZo5SQRCkdbPBTCYafgKYNkfsae7n923ULBV6nhBeP97j94UNPScqHf7U_t9LqcNJwBSBd9J_mBI_s_2lJY7G93zzOTE1bHv1MuQQ-O96R2Uurc2aUx-xjP8lPRRgB3nSiAOsPQK48kG/s1600/IMG_2321.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I glued the front and back pieces together. Next I used the plywood pattern and a router with a pattern bit to cut out the front and back. At this point I still had not decided which was going to be the front and which was going to be the back. I loved the book matched teak and decided to use the white part of the mahogany as a feature strip down the middle. This picture was taken after I hand sanded the pieces down to 3/32 of an inch to get rid of any chip-out from the planer. More arm pain...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtohWOuXY6hOB9oIiJ9rBLnuy0leyI8yyXS4ABtjgj0hoRjGzwi0c_hzM1mv2sbQITVslfJtJ0NDZlOAVPrE5-0NFL-NtgkYLwbhWLQz4tFrL6iZ1pjleyUiVPVKfqJa6uITd9BQ3PCZGs/s1600/IMG_2323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtohWOuXY6hOB9oIiJ9rBLnuy0leyI8yyXS4ABtjgj0hoRjGzwi0c_hzM1mv2sbQITVslfJtJ0NDZlOAVPrE5-0NFL-NtgkYLwbhWLQz4tFrL6iZ1pjleyUiVPVKfqJa6uITd9BQ3PCZGs/s1600/IMG_2323.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
At this point I think I went on vacation for a week which allowed the wood to rest/cure/dry. When I returned I could hold the front/back pieced at one point on the edge and strike it with one finger as a way of getting to know its tonal properties. It was amazing how different they were. The mahogany was bright and crisp but the teak was more muted and deep. This was the first time that I actually got excited about the prospect that this guitar might actually sound good! I still could not decide which was the front or back so I decided to cut out the blank for the neck. I went with mahogany and found a piece big enough with the grain in the right direction and cut it out. I should mention that I designed a neck that is not a copy of the Baby Taylor, but more of a copy of Taylor's full size guitars. In front of the neck blank is the fret board which is cut out of Korai local to Bangladesh.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3nI0B3ccRGIW0UqLCKln0-tlIecxIZdvYxHyIEwMBiaMMtABw9-WJAkvizwyZ0Hrga_stASqfeME9U0_xl8FVPezx564_ss6hJ-52AzaTtmo7ZBCuNLumQORxC-JqKz60RgBHCPrr_ld/s1600/IMG_2345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil3nI0B3ccRGIW0UqLCKln0-tlIecxIZdvYxHyIEwMBiaMMtABw9-WJAkvizwyZ0Hrga_stASqfeME9U0_xl8FVPezx564_ss6hJ-52AzaTtmo7ZBCuNLumQORxC-JqKz60RgBHCPrr_ld/s1600/IMG_2345.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Stay tuned for the assembly!</div>
</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-26947003343504644342014-01-28T21:40:00.001-08:002014-01-28T21:40:04.133-08:00Back!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It has been a while... over a year! To put it another way, I did not write a single post in 2013. Felt weird, but I was busy and my life was changing again. To bring you up to speed: I built a guitar, moved back to California, started teaching Automotive repair again, got a dog, saw both of my kids age another year, went to France, bought vintage LandCruiser and have been buried with work.<br />
<br />
Why write again? Why not just fade away to the cemetery of dead blogs? Not sure. It has been calling me. I guess it is something I need to do. It is a way for me to look back and feel accomplished. On a day to day timetable I am not sure what I am getting done but if I go back and look at a year's work or a year's growth it is easier to see. Watching a tree grow is hard to do but looking at pictures of the tree taken at the same time every year would give you a different perspective. That is what this blog is to me. Over the next couple of days I will spend some time chronicling the past year and try to get up to date. I also make a pledge to myself to keep writing on a more regular basis. Here is to an ever changing life!</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-63621636471427391862012-12-07T03:30:00.000-08:002012-12-07T03:30:02.795-08:00Table<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I have finished my table finally! Here is a detailed process of the project. It all started with some amazing pieces of wood. Locally the wood is called Korai and it is grown here in Bangladesh. The pieces still retained the natural edge on one side which gave me some inspiration for the table. There were only three pieces that were long enough so I needed some other wood to mix in. I wanted to do a lighter wood to contrast with the Korai. Here is the original layout of the table top. This was before adding the lighter wood but I wanted to show the original condition of the lumber... Rough!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Qbom5TKHSEFIu9hGFICJzYM5wqGex1Sc3ufAsplYMbGuWBiq5RVK2EQS7Qq6HJRAHF-9Lgq9QWhZUBwVidk9utFRdW5AIu3WqjcVnZM-uQCM5jvnzcb89v52PXqw7SvkdM2u0HjYOxIV/s1600/IMG_0871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Qbom5TKHSEFIu9hGFICJzYM5wqGex1Sc3ufAsplYMbGuWBiq5RVK2EQS7Qq6HJRAHF-9Lgq9QWhZUBwVidk9utFRdW5AIu3WqjcVnZM-uQCM5jvnzcb89v52PXqw7SvkdM2u0HjYOxIV/s640/IMG_0871.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
Next step was getting the wood straight, flat and smooth. This was a 5 hour process with the small DeWalt planner in the picture below. It was challenging because so much material had to be remove and the feed roller did not pull the wood through so I had to push everything. Here is the top with the planing done.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpE7bMBMpoCZQjqzY2NFfBzjorMWKOn_HtQPeL_qXro14JmQqQGy9LCXt5kS8ItfIT1qriD89dqz8YKjKV9p_8US32sWgp4PQyfFHkHHSzMjBQng9tNPVQWKfSRTNDyznuOPNeDH2D3MYz/s1600/IMG_0872.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpE7bMBMpoCZQjqzY2NFfBzjorMWKOn_HtQPeL_qXro14JmQqQGy9LCXt5kS8ItfIT1qriD89dqz8YKjKV9p_8US32sWgp4PQyfFHkHHSzMjBQng9tNPVQWKfSRTNDyznuOPNeDH2D3MYz/s640/IMG_0872.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
Here is a pic with the edges straight and the the ends trimmed. It is hard to see in the pic but the outside boards are trimmed with a slight angl on them; it just seemed like the right thing to do.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqWmek8kH1QyUvlcklrT_QdAwJAJowOCuUr6GIK5iRg-r0qXQL0RAARpeUYTXZZSKLnE3OgEvPcgifsDUDJmHNlESBndRUlnrJTkHqh5ts181pJQ7WBHfckp2PYj1kAtvpOofX_grLNzg/s1600/IMG_0910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqWmek8kH1QyUvlcklrT_QdAwJAJowOCuUr6GIK5iRg-r0qXQL0RAARpeUYTXZZSKLnE3OgEvPcgifsDUDJmHNlESBndRUlnrJTkHqh5ts181pJQ7WBHfckp2PYj1kAtvpOofX_grLNzg/s640/IMG_0910.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
Next was joining the top together and gluing it up. I went with a very nice doweling fixture we had in the shop. The dowels are spaced every 12 inches.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7cIzhv4Yfkp5N6CmPypzGscMAGYvAkaG3MyzOPmt3oi3HwvXiUzxhcEQ7iwYGFCZ3OIVXmPr7BYs-OKAxRwE1Jn7l76qCAkjlzQ3VOzXnI56w3Z8S4AmmUHIL5Vf940gGeerrwZxymhG/s1600/IMG_0912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7cIzhv4Yfkp5N6CmPypzGscMAGYvAkaG3MyzOPmt3oi3HwvXiUzxhcEQ7iwYGFCZ3OIVXmPr7BYs-OKAxRwE1Jn7l76qCAkjlzQ3VOzXnI56w3Z8S4AmmUHIL5Vf940gGeerrwZxymhG/s640/IMG_0912.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Once all the holes were drilled it was time to clamp it up. This was challenging as I was by myself and the irregular sides made the top buckle so I had to clamp it down to the workbench.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JDOvmjDClml8qbrdrtDaOGwZM8ErmZEEK8wQwLmLjmLZNoHFu39pu0VVNFHccMV-ghE4vBeB5CAO8A1vdvQchZjOTKiz0XrGCtox7pcHpL-gmoW1DUOqqSI2dJmdhC1pDf5cXwlkyNd8/s1600/IMG_0913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9JDOvmjDClml8qbrdrtDaOGwZM8ErmZEEK8wQwLmLjmLZNoHFu39pu0VVNFHccMV-ghE4vBeB5CAO8A1vdvQchZjOTKiz0XrGCtox7pcHpL-gmoW1DUOqqSI2dJmdhC1pDf5cXwlkyNd8/s640/IMG_0913.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
Next was figuring out the legs. I wanted something modern and minimal to offset the chunky top. It took a month to find the right design and I modified it a bit to make it mine. Here is a shot of the legs being glued together.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYWiradh4xji2wySIEs1S-J8euV7EMmJKVmmQ-HpVIVOkG5fAjIAneovE4wzF6bsKxldA2uPGgGDWHq7Tv-FioY7wmoD-iBwfZsDpVDhIubKD6oipwEpHVP7HsiwC7NMHkHCQhfADt1fe/s1600/IMG_1628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipYWiradh4xji2wySIEs1S-J8euV7EMmJKVmmQ-HpVIVOkG5fAjIAneovE4wzF6bsKxldA2uPGgGDWHq7Tv-FioY7wmoD-iBwfZsDpVDhIubKD6oipwEpHVP7HsiwC7NMHkHCQhfADt1fe/s640/IMG_1628.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Here is a picture of the leg joint detail. I cut a channel in the face of the joint and glued in a contrasting piece of wood for looks and to strengthen the joint.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglO97RUeH3Ej0cBuHacYcV1-3b5G_63JNUoRhWRovtyZ1-GeZhbr28ONb3l2M74sdIZ0ogSYr5MJpBPNF3mPpeDLyE2fC-bsYDHrfcGKKapl33K9U4WC3WHoNntIPrXukAOYRPrBqKfTrs/s1600/IMG_1629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglO97RUeH3Ej0cBuHacYcV1-3b5G_63JNUoRhWRovtyZ1-GeZhbr28ONb3l2M74sdIZ0ogSYr5MJpBPNF3mPpeDLyE2fC-bsYDHrfcGKKapl33K9U4WC3WHoNntIPrXukAOYRPrBqKfTrs/s640/IMG_1629.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The next detail was to keep one of the pieces in the top from cracking. In the Nakashima style I decided to put a bow tie in the crack. Here is a pic... I am not all that proud of this part...</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDegiV8fFWGWCNFI1y5Dw6rnksCRVbpxdDC5SJ5FpDcGuqFlzBSG5vdagcltVyHudNWZAe20SYvxCzieh9I2d-NO3Gof-MozTD5Q155n_I1GQPDzizoeoZbia_3AMQ673_ZnRq7NNI_Oue/s1600/IMG_1688.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDegiV8fFWGWCNFI1y5Dw6rnksCRVbpxdDC5SJ5FpDcGuqFlzBSG5vdagcltVyHudNWZAe20SYvxCzieh9I2d-NO3Gof-MozTD5Q155n_I1GQPDzizoeoZbia_3AMQ673_ZnRq7NNI_Oue/s400/IMG_1688.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNh63HfynnwZnKVlqb8TUoMhqybSqNhuJN39M_XPFqNmANtBIkHXVudHA4QZ4y6YYcyD0X3mn3MmCJlV_nYx_EV_mrQ6OO4lZMpUnNDKZIrHPkiTLNEyD1RF52EyJift2vaXLUC3MGRprC/s1600/IMG_1690.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNh63HfynnwZnKVlqb8TUoMhqybSqNhuJN39M_XPFqNmANtBIkHXVudHA4QZ4y6YYcyD0X3mn3MmCJlV_nYx_EV_mrQ6OO4lZMpUnNDKZIrHPkiTLNEyD1RF52EyJift2vaXLUC3MGRprC/s400/IMG_1690.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzKMC2hicQnzRiF7c82m64-UVGf_p0OcwabrLaK3kQC7uAsx92gx9jlaRh8cvk_IbZb9PyA83qN4aKi_crYdyLcjzWkBbx2JNiLgKCPrC7SKct2V6Dbk-R8X5SHPz49EB81EtfKnmQmw1/s1600/IMG_1689.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJzKMC2hicQnzRiF7c82m64-UVGf_p0OcwabrLaK3kQC7uAsx92gx9jlaRh8cvk_IbZb9PyA83qN4aKi_crYdyLcjzWkBbx2JNiLgKCPrC7SKct2V6Dbk-R8X5SHPz49EB81EtfKnmQmw1/s400/IMG_1689.jpg" width="300" /><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kmHgAJEhCmXYHdt2yFTSNCND1K8xQ7vJk4a4hSYq8_SmLOaTf2S92rOh-NK0SGtXWJjbAUYsDgtuCfIU2Uq9xUrbLmkTe6F-tbIKT_Zch3sWGWrKPWLMT1ZPk6YG4uSLfZl5818AgGdj/s1600/IMG_1694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kmHgAJEhCmXYHdt2yFTSNCND1K8xQ7vJk4a4hSYq8_SmLOaTf2S92rOh-NK0SGtXWJjbAUYsDgtuCfIU2Uq9xUrbLmkTe6F-tbIKT_Zch3sWGWrKPWLMT1ZPk6YG4uSLfZl5818AgGdj/s400/IMG_1694.jpg" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1kmHgAJEhCmXYHdt2yFTSNCND1K8xQ7vJk4a4hSYq8_SmLOaTf2S92rOh-NK0SGtXWJjbAUYsDgtuCfIU2Uq9xUrbLmkTe6F-tbIKT_Zch3sWGWrKPWLMT1ZPk6YG4uSLfZl5818AgGdj/s1600/IMG_1694.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a> </div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Last was the sanding... hours of sanding and finishing. I had a minor snafu with the finish and it is a good thing I started on the bottom because the finished turned it green. Part of it was the way the wood reacts to water and part of it was a contaminated brush or something. Anyway the rest went without issue and the finished product turned out great. From a technical woodworking standpoint it is not my best work (See the bowtie insert) but the overall impact is what I had hoped. I love the two tone, the legs and the natural edge. The height turned out right on at 29 inches. Our old table was a bit too high at 30 inches. The final test is to get eight people around it and see how it performs!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5cvaMmo5T0Q_-DMeyRmoN369-KWdUh7W7XDPlfZr27SxggdGm_LvEguPVlMbpfForK62qY7oxmyKV-uIET8HuMc1iAIEIiApmzMZ5_VoVI94tr-d5nfYY_3rcVo9wfi1tI-OppGWHp39/s1600/IMG_1843.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5cvaMmo5T0Q_-DMeyRmoN369-KWdUh7W7XDPlfZr27SxggdGm_LvEguPVlMbpfForK62qY7oxmyKV-uIET8HuMc1iAIEIiApmzMZ5_VoVI94tr-d5nfYY_3rcVo9wfi1tI-OppGWHp39/s640/IMG_1843.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-169477359388211222012-11-13T06:25:00.001-08:002012-11-29T23:09:50.770-08:00Cambodia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7466509034502009856" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7466509034502009856" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7466509034502009856" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7466509034502009856" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7466509034502009856" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Times;">Feels like I have not blogged in a while... because I have not blogged in a while. We have returned from Cambodia and I need to write about it. We had a week off in October and flew into Siem Reap, which turned out to be the perfect spot for us. We stayed the entire time at a very nice hotel called Karavansara. I will review the hotel in a future blog post.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7466509034502009856" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7466509034502009856" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7466509034502009856" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7466509034502009856" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7466509034502009856" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqhkOquWS8OyWjmuSajy1pa0BtCRz_SmwlASu5_FvzkRiBhEsmeRN1T5dzoGj-oDl0SVUSMFfpquo3QV1RbAdsR24KJG7809gZsygnqnivB1NiQVgUS7J_4FTVqyZyQFGVcOVh7F8EIY_/s1600/IMG_1074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBqhkOquWS8OyWjmuSajy1pa0BtCRz_SmwlASu5_FvzkRiBhEsmeRN1T5dzoGj-oDl0SVUSMFfpquo3QV1RbAdsR24KJG7809gZsygnqnivB1NiQVgUS7J_4FTVqyZyQFGVcOVh7F8EIY_/s640/IMG_1074.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Times;"><br />Siem Reap is a small city with great character. The people are amazing; warm and friendly. There were ample restaurants that served a variety of cultural foods from local fare to Mexican and almost anything in between. For being such a small town it seemed like there was a vibrant nightlife, likely a result of the inexpensive ($0.60 US) draft beers and countless pubs. The markets were a shoppers delight; inexpensive (negotiating required) and full of treasures (provided you skip the stalls with the trinkets). The shopping experience is further enhanced by the fact that you can use US dollars for everything.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaJFkAEBS6zsYJ55fYvzysX2jVJbIxEGLD_PmI75JYsXMtTUfAGXWDk4u6_qfKd6qS6uYMac3KB7aBg08YDNcjEtrLIMVkWxDvJUWhyLIpHr1HUxsdrCUqmuYH4Wqwj4fKxBuATzoDKhr/s1600/DSC_0177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZaJFkAEBS6zsYJ55fYvzysX2jVJbIxEGLD_PmI75JYsXMtTUfAGXWDk4u6_qfKd6qS6uYMac3KB7aBg08YDNcjEtrLIMVkWxDvJUWhyLIpHr1HUxsdrCUqmuYH4Wqwj4fKxBuATzoDKhr/s640/DSC_0177.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Times;">There was a lot to look at as things are done differently here. It is relaxed; I do not think I saw anyone drive over 20 mph in the city. Mopeds are used for about 90% of travel. It is not unusual to see 3-4 people piled on one, or someone moving something large with one. Trailers are connected to mopeds and used as taxis.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3JEuKGWEhqAMwX9IxQDxdKsqyF66W90HzGJZ58I8RCB8g9wkN50TQIdb2NrtRAkEbJ3hPGkTipsEfIpGZDibwPSCm7BisPYMnEez9URnPlSINhjJKEZFfrrSpi3F5hwYf225G4QusChH/s1600/DSC_0147.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL3JEuKGWEhqAMwX9IxQDxdKsqyF66W90HzGJZ58I8RCB8g9wkN50TQIdb2NrtRAkEbJ3hPGkTipsEfIpGZDibwPSCm7BisPYMnEez9URnPlSINhjJKEZFfrrSpi3F5hwYf225G4QusChH/s320/DSC_0147.jpg" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkcYjSfIZLkRsLQQn_8MoxX9BB_tVHQxPOcxecF0_e9kQfZnR0o5voLzooVQjS5SzPR2aFgqHGMbH6xIxkEZnoKB5J7vVUZCetvJO4v4YBh6raRxyYDtEh6rmCP_frzBUUfsZD6wBQIoS/s1600/IMG_1184.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkcYjSfIZLkRsLQQn_8MoxX9BB_tVHQxPOcxecF0_e9kQfZnR0o5voLzooVQjS5SzPR2aFgqHGMbH6xIxkEZnoKB5J7vVUZCetvJO4v4YBh6raRxyYDtEh6rmCP_frzBUUfsZD6wBQIoS/s320/IMG_1184.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUlYnCEIzGr3RCBwnuEqbzltq1qtnHqLTIiTfLUyzVk8_mr6d1rKha2wiKVDJMBlxdEhVIkR767na0vk4jIsExP0ff9O01zyTVKQv2fJ9LkMZasnEBySbOVZoB37bUVEW0vs0PU4SbdDP/s1600/IMG_1175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzUlYnCEIzGr3RCBwnuEqbzltq1qtnHqLTIiTfLUyzVk8_mr6d1rKha2wiKVDJMBlxdEhVIkR767na0vk4jIsExP0ff9O01zyTVKQv2fJ9LkMZasnEBySbOVZoB37bUVEW0vs0PU4SbdDP/s400/IMG_1175.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times;"><br />The town is full of two and three story buildings that have a European feel making the town nice to look at. There are many Buddhist temples scattered through out the city, which are filled with interesting architecture. One of the newer ones is Wat Preah Prom Rath which was very close to the hotel and was the subject of a few of my pictures.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOFZ0VRVF_1P-Asy3VE03B26Bhkv4euAnLwZxCQABNS8pOpbcWqNnxMC4_hUKHmltgvUpbiC_Wb4qbpTsTXKaK2vM9CvrQ9XsRNDVNQivjgqFCdYmzpIQEFCaJnYwPE2OT83kgj8kTDNg/s1600/DSC_0215.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmOFZ0VRVF_1P-Asy3VE03B26Bhkv4euAnLwZxCQABNS8pOpbcWqNnxMC4_hUKHmltgvUpbiC_Wb4qbpTsTXKaK2vM9CvrQ9XsRNDVNQivjgqFCdYmzpIQEFCaJnYwPE2OT83kgj8kTDNg/s1600/DSC_0215.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: Times;"><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;">Of course no trip to Siem Reap would be complete without visiting the ruins of Angkor Wat and the dozens of other ruins close by. Angkor Wat is a part of the Angkor World Heritage Site for good reason. These ruins are impressive in their craftsmanship, their scale and their impact. We spent one day and went to three ruins (Angkor Watt, Angkor Thom and Ta Prohm). Feast your eyes on some pictures:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5hJiRKoa_aDJwX1kSZe-Zuzxe-h0wZnQMyiWvE-CS5m3BrNoh9k3kUvmLVGQTP5Wd08Qv7I9987ILEu3106T5pHTDjmkpf0mvgnuI-jw5zuIO8y6hK-1Y1yQK3Alj3eoRO9oiFE5mNLa/s1600/DSC_0343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ5hJiRKoa_aDJwX1kSZe-Zuzxe-h0wZnQMyiWvE-CS5m3BrNoh9k3kUvmLVGQTP5Wd08Qv7I9987ILEu3106T5pHTDjmkpf0mvgnuI-jw5zuIO8y6hK-1Y1yQK3Alj3eoRO9oiFE5mNLa/s640/DSC_0343.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBWAM7h4s_VznCNFDnOzmjffabZVKN8ENaYPiUz55D9eFBl54WfCWRhT1bzjboQS_BYBu46qT-YhHcuUKw_z5YdIeD9nrtMaZeKDNKZSivIwGSgujX9WhmMQIrCuQIYCLgVxkmjPAq9uS/s1600/DSC_0360.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBWAM7h4s_VznCNFDnOzmjffabZVKN8ENaYPiUz55D9eFBl54WfCWRhT1bzjboQS_BYBu46qT-YhHcuUKw_z5YdIeD9nrtMaZeKDNKZSivIwGSgujX9WhmMQIrCuQIYCLgVxkmjPAq9uS/s640/DSC_0360.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUh69gKazmcmU8pmpSmSSLUYdLPcvf8voK26HW8ljliPx9Qs3s6dRs_DltddtD055t7Ai-jAajzQMM7AB721ZRfcvOrOxhWLcpTah_PlLPQKYU68XumDr5cyaoU7ZG6-HDaU5wgCCULVd/s1600/DSC_0370.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUh69gKazmcmU8pmpSmSSLUYdLPcvf8voK26HW8ljliPx9Qs3s6dRs_DltddtD055t7Ai-jAajzQMM7AB721ZRfcvOrOxhWLcpTah_PlLPQKYU68XumDr5cyaoU7ZG6-HDaU5wgCCULVd/s1600/DSC_0370.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMInB0x28OkQ_Kl29X1ZfY0fQGxZFq2VdZFpfp9Eldnp9IFbxu-miNQ8vJ22ou3SP-cKoiSS2ew7KqDiRzf5Tj4sYSaiQKVW5iB6LSMS4wSPzqpjuY0nZx2mTSCtjYlY72xY-7p7i4L_9/s1600/DSC_0407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmMInB0x28OkQ_Kl29X1ZfY0fQGxZFq2VdZFpfp9Eldnp9IFbxu-miNQ8vJ22ou3SP-cKoiSS2ew7KqDiRzf5Tj4sYSaiQKVW5iB6LSMS4wSPzqpjuY0nZx2mTSCtjYlY72xY-7p7i4L_9/s640/DSC_0407.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqj-jESQ_C1dlOxPuPpnmtmFEwjgACLO5xV2mrMKs4pln9hnFzg6wF5fTuXgCs4iuoLOXvxyCZJnpzHPVJiKo-jaK84zHdv6wPqK6eBltfu_ELhyjQQT-hw_UwngZ5JxHADkA3ACS6jdO/s1600/DSC_0431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqj-jESQ_C1dlOxPuPpnmtmFEwjgACLO5xV2mrMKs4pln9hnFzg6wF5fTuXgCs4iuoLOXvxyCZJnpzHPVJiKo-jaK84zHdv6wPqK6eBltfu_ELhyjQQT-hw_UwngZ5JxHADkA3ACS6jdO/s640/DSC_0431.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJ8uuwLJs8tHlxDD6UY4lw7EzUjSmRjzVF-G_8wJgCAFNbeCtHTbZoOibtF_LEKCfVXgXM8HthJaWUK14swftIBWZWztf6F6vM4okhY-cBgEjO15EtKikiJ3RtCWM461SoEOX9TVPcxhP/s1600/DSC_0467.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEJ8uuwLJs8tHlxDD6UY4lw7EzUjSmRjzVF-G_8wJgCAFNbeCtHTbZoOibtF_LEKCfVXgXM8HthJaWUK14swftIBWZWztf6F6vM4okhY-cBgEjO15EtKikiJ3RtCWM461SoEOX9TVPcxhP/s640/DSC_0467.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUhLbkogp7JVXApljI7Tzx2S92WtpG-D9yJkvcgxgVZaiqHzXrBaJvPKEbEkDhvGETpfWYAYDTiAGkro-tQrL9DgvnWiWby8PL7UUB5LTzS_xDXFYj4bkoOBH2vT_Mk5JklrbupdJ1unJ/s1600/DSC_0561.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZUhLbkogp7JVXApljI7Tzx2S92WtpG-D9yJkvcgxgVZaiqHzXrBaJvPKEbEkDhvGETpfWYAYDTiAGkro-tQrL9DgvnWiWby8PL7UUB5LTzS_xDXFYj4bkoOBH2vT_Mk5JklrbupdJ1unJ/s640/DSC_0561.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVatHeaPIbNRiTQJGvQop3LPIJl5bJBLGAMb1bhLsdhuujQ3GMWyXA7LwumInwiEZiodk5Vy9Y26obSfgTwdNpFJLmQXou0iE_y1A9rcYoq9vLlGFIgujNAtsv8tP8Qd7YJMOM86bCblPw/s1600/DSC_0597.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVatHeaPIbNRiTQJGvQop3LPIJl5bJBLGAMb1bhLsdhuujQ3GMWyXA7LwumInwiEZiodk5Vy9Y26obSfgTwdNpFJLmQXou0iE_y1A9rcYoq9vLlGFIgujNAtsv8tP8Qd7YJMOM86bCblPw/s640/DSC_0597.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Times;"><br /><br /> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times;">Overall, Siem Reap is an amazing vacation destination and has a pull to it that makes me want to move there. It is relaxed and has a deep cultural history and is still modern and fun. I do not feel like 5 days was enough but I feel incredibly lucky that we were able to see this amazing spot in the world.</span></div>
</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-37286689045515651502012-10-13T08:42:00.001-07:002012-11-29T23:10:42.776-08:00Book of the Week: My Wilderness - East to Katahdin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7466509034502009856" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7466509034502009856" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>
My Wilderness - East to Katahdin</h2>
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
by William O. Douglas</h3>
<br />
I have not even made it 60 pages into this book but I can't hold back with my Book of the Week post. There are a few reasons for this. First, I am currently living in Dhaka which is not an easy place to get outdoors for that wilderness solitude time that I need. So I crave the outdoors even if it is "Just my 'magination". Second, I just finished a teen novel so a book with substance is very refreshing. Douglas is a great writer and he has an amazingly judicious outlook on the world (no wonder he was a supreme court justice). Third, with the upcoming election it is a painful time for me. It is just incredible that there are so many people out there that have such fanatically different points of view that are so far from the truth. So 30 pages into this book I found a great commentary on our government and (shocker) even though it is written in1961 it is still true.<br />
<br />
So here are the pages scanned as I was not about to retype it. Start reading after the break:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5f1vxnjY7go4Ak4PdcPCottlSghm4vm0xlSsJ800M6h0b4OW-szJl7ZWKud6ZyQX-YRuzCen0LBBudJv9Lv1jtafcURFJFfJll21zR3xpOMJ8O3xAY96FST0BDWc6r5cOf8z-NZ_OX5c/s1600/William+O+Douglas+Quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5f1vxnjY7go4Ak4PdcPCottlSghm4vm0xlSsJ800M6h0b4OW-szJl7ZWKud6ZyQX-YRuzCen0LBBudJv9Lv1jtafcURFJFfJll21zR3xpOMJ8O3xAY96FST0BDWc6r5cOf8z-NZ_OX5c/s640/William+O+Douglas+Quote.jpg" width="386" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR2aAuiiuhangzwlt6OEZVJMKHloPsz5faemynMG0FPfjJLaNn26nrR-LdLEvE-7azfEPvog-PaZ9m1uoJlLiKhnBqHM-G5bYZXlSoDJM6Sfo6wHEB_uqe3CfQKJ9xT83U2RAidBtzx8P/s1600/William+O+Douglas+Quote-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFR2aAuiiuhangzwlt6OEZVJMKHloPsz5faemynMG0FPfjJLaNn26nrR-LdLEvE-7azfEPvog-PaZ9m1uoJlLiKhnBqHM-G5bYZXlSoDJM6Sfo6wHEB_uqe3CfQKJ9xT83U2RAidBtzx8P/s640/William+O+Douglas+Quote-1.jpg" width="372" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I love Douglas' take on the fact that two groups can have such dichotomous opinions on the same topic. He seems to distill it down rather eloquently. It is not about a government agency's regulation of the public land, it is not about the right of the public to have a wilderness to enjoy, and it is not about herdsmen claim to public land. It is about a missing ethic in our country and the fact that we have a responsibility to be stewards of our land. If left to their own devices grazers would plunder our wildernesses for all that they have and then they would no longer have that as a resource. When they are regulated (and it can easily be argued that they are not regulated strictly enough) they complain that they have a right to the land. It is true they do have a right, and so do I.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
All I can think about is that this is how the political climate is now. We are a divided country. We align ourselves with these two parties that do not match our beliefs because a 3rd party is not an option. We argue and disagree and support outlandish claims and carry a torch we might not even believe in because that is what we are supposed to do. Like Douglas, I believe that there are two (or more) opinions but there is only one RIGHT way to go. If we all look at the issues from an educated and non-emotional perspective it becomes very clear. There are these "issues" that the parties are oposite extremes and if we really look at it there is only one truth.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As an example let us look at abortion. There are two opposing arguments but only one right way to go. Our government should have no voice in the matter. There have been all these appalling statements about rape and totally uneducated statements about the resulting pregnancy. There is no reason that there should be a law about abortions. This is a decision to be made by only one person and that would be the person carrying the fetus. If someone decides that they are not in a place to take care of a child shouldn't we applaud them for making the right choice? The alternative is a child that will not be loved or cared for, do we really need more of those?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I love the question, "How can a woman vote republican after all that has been said?" Indeed it would seem crazy but what the Democrat questioner does not understand is that there are women that will. Why? It is not because of logic! We are all so intrenched in our parties that the reality is it does not matter what their policies are anymore. True, you should vote for the person/party that you think will make intelligent decisions and the "issues" are a way of testing there decision making paradigms. So even if one of your party's stances does not match, you should vote for the person/party that will do a better job. But, there comes a point when a stance on an issue will make you wonder weather that is the person/party that you want making decisions about your land, government spending, policies, etc. I will say this, I dream of a presidential candidate that runs on a platform of truth. Where the government is responsible for decisions of truth and justice. Not a poster boy for outlandish opinions and uninformed educations.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I want a country with small government and not because of some blind party allegiance but because if people did what was right we would not need big government. We would finally be able to get our spending under control and become a giving country. Not for our own self interests but because it is right. Why do we trade parties in the white house and congress and no real progress is made? Our government is broken and based solely on money. Lobbyists have more power than truth, religion has more influence than what is right. So go out and vote and realize that you actually didn't decide a thing. Here is where you can really make a difference: In your figurative and literal back yard.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Shop locally, not because it has anything to do with politics but because you are giving money to a person business that you can hold accountable. You can go see their farm or shop and see how things are done there. Imagine my lunacy if I had this crazy notion that illegal emigrants should not be allowed into the US and then I buy the cheapest produce in the store. Produce that can only be that cheap becasue it was harvested by low wage earners that probably do not have citizenship. That is called hypocrisy. Local businesses also do not give money to lobbyists in Washington so your money is removed from politics and politics starts to become about issues... so weird. This has gotten a bit out of hand so I will keep the rest short and sweet.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Know your neighbors, eat healthy, get outside and see the beauty of the world, give back to your community, stop using your car for short trips, break bread with friends and family regardless of opinions and be able to discuss different views. The word compassion is incredible but my definition is a bit different that Websters. I would say that it is the ability to understand where someone is coming from without having to agree with them. It is non-judgmental and it is not about changing them. When someone says something I just don't understand I think to myself, "How can they feel that way?" It is not because my poop does not stink, it is more that I have finally realized opposing views are not any less legitimate than mine and people believe their own opinions. If you want to change the way people think you have to speak truth. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-47913599587631537502012-09-28T06:11:00.001-07:002012-09-28T06:11:38.014-07:00Oktoberfest!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
What a wonderful time of year. I have been watching friends posts on Facebook that are in Germany for the real thing, but the next best thing is coming to Dhaka! The 12th of October marks the 11th annual AISDhaka Oktoberfest. Brewers have been ramping up production, the food wizards are mixing up their best potato salad and other German delights... and some brave souls are practicing a traditional Oktoberfest dance. Last year I was unable to enter but had the privileged of judging the beer competition. This year I will be entering 3 beers and I think my chances are pretty good. Here is a rundown of the three:<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Name: <u><b>Dunkel Wiezenbock</b></u> - The name translates to a dark, high alcohol, wheat beer. The flavor translates to an alcoholic wheat beer. It weighs in at 8-9% and has a great Belgian Wheat flavor, a little fruit flavor (pineapple) and mellow hops. The alcohol level walks a fine line between overly alcoholic and perfectly balanced. The beer is cloudy when cold as is traditional with wheat beers.</li>
<li>Name: <u><b>The Greatest Beer In The World</b></u> (tribute*) - This is a big one. 10% and it is balanced by depth of character and wonderful hop flavors thanks to three different types of hops. A beer that lives up to its name...</li>
<li>Name: <u><b>Rickshaw Wala Pale Ale</b></u> - This is the easy drinking crowd pleaser, named after the Bangladeshi word for cycle rickshaw driver (Wala). It is a dry ale with pronounced hops and a decent kick in the pants at 7% ABV. The label reads, "A refreshing beverage for a long day in the saddle. </li>
</ol>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
*note:
This is not the greatest beer in the world this is just a tribute, in
fact the greatest beer in the world does not actually taste anything
like this beer, this is just a tribute.</blockquote>
There is also a commemerative beer mug designing contest which I have submitted a design for (see below). I did the oval one for pint glasses and the square one for the mug.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A4xVbeJfm6okfOIqAX83KfBSElypugN97_B5hP7lcLtRuikDLsQ3BmPlfVvKPykgLKTPcwTq5K09ue1rNidZlsT5bjrjTev2J4JafpEs63Tcj7AsQavUdqq7vEyaOZbCnJT9USLfbH1K/s1600/Oval+Oktoberfest+Mug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2A4xVbeJfm6okfOIqAX83KfBSElypugN97_B5hP7lcLtRuikDLsQ3BmPlfVvKPykgLKTPcwTq5K09ue1rNidZlsT5bjrjTev2J4JafpEs63Tcj7AsQavUdqq7vEyaOZbCnJT9USLfbH1K/s1600/Oval+Oktoberfest+Mug.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzvpVZ5zKIvf5CaXowFE6R-0-rPdnq8OnqY4Kvh4TExLA8zD111LWVtL_x3XTSF6frBE8VxQ2b7LMttLwZLDweqKUn0OtHMB9VEp_76t_PGk_fgyMBBrhKNZFcgd3e0JvvuNJxCm55d-C/s1600/Square+Oktoberfest+mug.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzvpVZ5zKIvf5CaXowFE6R-0-rPdnq8OnqY4Kvh4TExLA8zD111LWVtL_x3XTSF6frBE8VxQ2b7LMttLwZLDweqKUn0OtHMB9VEp_76t_PGk_fgyMBBrhKNZFcgd3e0JvvuNJxCm55d-C/s1600/Square+Oktoberfest+mug.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The brewers also get together to pick a brewers choice, which I think is a great opportunity to talk about beer with their makers. Looking forward to the 12th and seeing how my beers stack up. I will post results... if they are good!</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-49566595583555771592012-09-09T08:48:00.002-07:002012-09-09T08:48:34.455-07:00Car of the Week: Alfa Romeo GTV<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
There are enough Alfas to do an "Alfa of the Week" and this one will probably seem a bit blah or mainstream to some... For some reason I just love the looks of this car. Then again I like the looks of a Volvo 240 so that might explain it. Here is a pic of a nice restoration similar to the look I would go for that I found on Bring A Trailer. Just look at it for a bit and read on.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://carinstance.com/pics/Alfa%20Romeo/alfa-romeo-gtv-04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Alfa Romeo GTV" border="0" src="http://carinstance.com/pics/Alfa%20Romeo/alfa-romeo-gtv-04.jpg" style="width: 100%;" /></a></div>
<br />
I love the subtle curve from front to back in two plains. I love the dainty pillars and that the b-pillar almost disappears. I love the double headlights with slightly smaller ones inside. I love the ridges on the front fenders and I love the one piece front end. Flush mount door handles and a cool grill. These happen to be my favorite wheels as well. Orange, maybe not but it does look good in just about any color. They made a deep eggplant purple that was nice.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/1971_Alfa_Romeo_GTV_Rear_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" id="il_fi" src="http://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/1971_Alfa_Romeo_GTV_Rear_1.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" /></a></div>
Here are some facts and figures. The GTV refers to many different redesigns over the years but my interest only lies in what Alfa calls the Series 105. They were made from 1963-77. Engine was Alfa's standard 4 cylinder twin cam motor ranging in displacement from 1290cc to 1962cc. They came with a 5 speed transmission and disc brakes. A friend of mine who has one say that they are not that inspiring to drive which kind of bums me out. He was comparing it to a Datsun Roadster with plentiful modifications but the only Datsun Roadster I ever drove, drove like a truck. I still want one because they look so great and I think I could sort it to be a ton of fun.<br />
<br />
They made a GTA which was an aluminum bodied and other lightening efforts throughout the car along with engine and transmission adjustments. There were only 500 made so these are the real collectors items. There were quite a few of the standard GTV's made and prices are not unreachable but they have been slowly increasing over the last decade. $10-20K will get you a clean to completely restored example. Small beautiful car with decent technology for the time that is usable today... Yes, I think I would drive one.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-76243434689943567852012-09-07T04:56:00.000-07:002012-09-07T04:57:42.903-07:00iPad Guitar Amp!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Ever wanted to have a bunch of guitar amps and various effects boxes? Yeah, I know me too! I just could never justify spending the cash or packing all that stuff around (mostly because my guitar skills are not very good). Well I have just figured out a cool way to get all those amps and boxes using the iPad and Garage Band. Here is what you will need:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEz6YOfpSyUo7XjE9bK6XzZItHmRpk1xcOlLMgspLrChi17RCimfxrSLNztelg_qec6SfmJ4YZkGnXF9J48F6m2qwHUNGGWcRYfF30fHq4h61h0Rl3vcBR84kMLTtZfCw3coV51kZeKbEd/s1600/IMG_0498.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEz6YOfpSyUo7XjE9bK6XzZItHmRpk1xcOlLMgspLrChi17RCimfxrSLNztelg_qec6SfmJ4YZkGnXF9J48F6m2qwHUNGGWcRYfF30fHq4h61h0Rl3vcBR84kMLTtZfCw3coV51kZeKbEd/s640/IMG_0498.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
1. 1/4 inch male (Stereo) to 3.5mm female (Stereo) headphone adapter<br />
2. 3.5mm male (Stereo) to dual female RCA adapter<br />
3. 1/4 inch male (Mono) to female RCA cable<br />
4. 3.5mm male video (has 3 rings as opposed to the 2 on regular headphone plug) to male RCA (there will usually be three colors: red white and yellow)<br />
5. An iPad with Garage Band App<br />
6. Guitar with a pickup <br />
<br />
This is how it will be set up.<br />
The video 3.5mm jack goes into the iPad.<br />
The yellow RCA hooks to the female RCA to 1/4 mono jack which pluggs into the Guitar.<br />
The Red and White RCA plug into the RCA to headphone adapter which you can either plug into headphones or you ca plug into an amp.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpBq017RPfsdlvJew4xacfgR3SxoPDUAL0-SjDDTA14QfKor7IBUs5ZPsJ_FmX6mgIbAsUA9ikKgyRzJ7-WjxEG2F6MDY00SUSn6Jnd1s6zEXzhjCHyS7c2Sn1fXDJB0rX0U1PG-w4APQ/s1600/IMG_0499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpBq017RPfsdlvJew4xacfgR3SxoPDUAL0-SjDDTA14QfKor7IBUs5ZPsJ_FmX6mgIbAsUA9ikKgyRzJ7-WjxEG2F6MDY00SUSn6Jnd1s6zEXzhjCHyS7c2Sn1fXDJB0rX0U1PG-w4APQ/s640/IMG_0499.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Now open Garage Band and select the Guitar amp. You will need to turn on the monitor in the input settings see picture below:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2VW1IebKHA4rLFVYDkpQDElq7KTaxJLwd-K_GlaKe2C8pje_b-xF-kV4v-Ia1-MHZltwLzCt7qJknMmmQ151RTc76e2WU3fCWtRjUv0F0_YPiiNuIg-f-KCLoA_KhQLKOt0sEW7cmT_C/s1600/IMG_0220.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2VW1IebKHA4rLFVYDkpQDElq7KTaxJLwd-K_GlaKe2C8pje_b-xF-kV4v-Ia1-MHZltwLzCt7qJknMmmQ151RTc76e2WU3fCWtRjUv0F0_YPiiNuIg-f-KCLoA_KhQLKOt0sEW7cmT_C/s640/IMG_0220.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Now when you play the guitar it sends a signal to the iPad. With the iPad you can use any of the amp and effects combinations available and it will send the doctored audio signal out to your headphones or amp. The sounds that you are capable of with this setup is pretty impressive. I have not figured out a substitute for the WahWah peddle but you could easily put one between the iPad and the amp. Now go get lost in the iPad and find the right sound for you!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br /></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-41710572335111160782012-09-06T22:44:00.002-07:002012-09-06T22:45:28.288-07:00Book of the Week: Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2>
Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne</h2>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjyfEO6jAqddZYF9atOZTpHs5-yLLbaqIKEG1tIRK01DMkzFY__8rAqyGv6Oza2niggi90mqNkbTR9jSNB1JUM0k3rGX2gvf7kYfNg1uzVJ2ZnJVRp3NRhSC3bb5-KTZobn7JZG4Lzw9b/s1600/Bicycle+Diaries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXjyfEO6jAqddZYF9atOZTpHs5-yLLbaqIKEG1tIRK01DMkzFY__8rAqyGv6Oza2niggi90mqNkbTR9jSNB1JUM0k3rGX2gvf7kYfNg1uzVJ2ZnJVRp3NRhSC3bb5-KTZobn7JZG4Lzw9b/s320/Bicycle+Diaries.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
Another example of how great books are stumbled upon. I was on my way out of the AISD library when I glanced at a new book display and boom, David Byrne... about bikes! This is a book more about society and cities than about bikes, but it is a collection of Byrne's experiences while biking in different parts of the world. I have been a long time Talking Heads fan and recently a fan of all things David Byrne. His solo albums are fresh and thought provoking. His artwork is fun, vibrant and has a great underlying cometary on our society. His interviews are deep, yet accessible. Then there is the bike element, one could say that this book was ordered for me!<br />
<br />
Basic premis is that Byrne has been keeping journals while he travels around the world on tour or for projects. He has been using a bike as primary transportation while at home in NYC and then thought, "Why not take my bike along..." He now has a folding bike (Full size, not a small wheeled thing) that he takes with him on all his trips. So his diary entries all seem to have a view from behind the handle bars of a bike. The result of which is that he has been keeping an informal record of the feeling each city has through the lens of a biker. He has also seen changes that have worked and changes that have not worked for various cities in regards to bike advocacy. It is great to hear his take on cycling, cities, and society as well as enjoy some of his ironic humor.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed the book as something to read, it is great to see that there are well off people that see cycling as more enjoyable and more convenient than cars, and it is great to partake in a line of thought that Byrne has been developing over two decades into an informed view and has research to back it up. The other nice thing is that it is not just about bikes so it does not get old or repedative. It is about art and people and culture and society and, well... everything. He has a great bit about art and what we consider art. Here are a couple of gems from the book to give a feel:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
I sense the world might be more dreamlike, metaphorical, and poetic than we currently believe---but just as irrational as sympathetic magic when looked at in a typically scientific way. I wouldn't be surprised if poetry---poetry in the broadest sense, in the sense of a world filled with metaphor, rhyme, and recurring patterns, shapes, and designs---is how the world works. The world isn't logical, its a song. (page 194)</blockquote>
<br />
I love the heavy aspect that is totally not intimidating but is accessible. He is writing about a great idea that you could spend the rest of your life exploring but while reading it, it just seems so matter of fact and I get a feeling that even if I can't prove what he is saying is true, I believe it. Or maybe more importantly, I feel it is true. Then there is this one about an event he was attending in San Francisco:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Just as I become resigned to the business of signing books, a marching band bursts through the front doors and begins to play the "Parade." The Extra Action Marching Band has been at a street festival nearby and has decided to stage an "intervention," as they do from time to time--bringing a pleasant dose of music, anarchy, and baton-twirling girls in skimpy outfits to random events that they have decided need enlivening. (page 225)</blockquote>
<br />
I feel like Byrne really captures the spirit of SF and the other cities he writes about. He seems to really get into the culture of each place and can distill those feelings into words. It is a fun and thought provoking book that I would recommend to anyone, even if you did not ever ride a bike. One final thing is that there is a little cyclist on the bottom of some pages that I notice are in different spots. I finally realized that the book is also a flip book with the little rider riding back and forth. Nice little touch.</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-69036525497292878652012-08-30T23:48:00.000-07:002012-08-30T23:48:32.115-07:00Book of theWeek: Shop Class as Soulcraft by Matthew Crawford<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
<i><u>Shop Class as Soulcraft</u></i> by Matthew Crawford</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mmOOXP_UuY4jnux3tjLiyXNBWm8thZlrR2bPTwXZU2Hcku8HjTwvBzjBZZKcHvGuwz7LQhDUNyR9zfZ0h0DoMhTSCATRpO6G9rAbDbDhRPRDKtB7_4V8uRCmSLousdIz0OOyByLog8-V/s1600/Shop+Class+as+Soulcraft.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><i><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-mmOOXP_UuY4jnux3tjLiyXNBWm8thZlrR2bPTwXZU2Hcku8HjTwvBzjBZZKcHvGuwz7LQhDUNyR9zfZ0h0DoMhTSCATRpO6G9rAbDbDhRPRDKtB7_4V8uRCmSLousdIz0OOyByLog8-V/s320/Shop+Class+as+Soulcraft.jpg" width="207" /></i></a></div>
<br />
The title of this book sums it up very well. This is a well written, deeply researched look into why shop classes are important. Me reading it is a bit like preaching to the choir but there is great research quoted and the author really walked the walk. He struggled through school, got a job in an office and then realized that he hated it. He now owns his own motorcycle repair/restoration shop and has taken the time to look into why he is so much happier now.<br />
<br />
Crawford attributes his happiness to three main points. First is job satisfaction, which has two components. At his current job he actually has a relationship to the customer and at the end of the day he can see what he has done and knows why he has done it. Second, working with your hands changes you cognitively. You think about everything. When you hold something in your hands you ask yourself, "how was this made". You appreciate craftsmanship in everyday objects. Third working with your hands requires creativity, problem solving and critical thinking that are rarely used in a profession where you do the same thing every day.<br />
<br />
His argument is that we are doing our kids a disservice (especially the ones that are going to college) by not providing them with this exposure to the industrial arts classes (insert whichever one you want here: wood shop, welding, auto shop etc.) One reason we have such a problem is that there are fewer and fewer do it yourself. Dad's no longer pass knowledge and skills down to their kids (either becasue they are always at work or because the dad's did not learn the skills because they were specializing in another are). There are fewer and fewer programs in schools that offer this sort of knowledge and training and the programs that exist need to cater to a lower and lower skill set because kids do not come with any prior knowledge.<br />
<br />
This is a quick summary and really on gives a feeling for the book. It is a good read because it was an interesting life story and had compelling argument for shop classes. I always knew shop classes were a good thing but this book creates a well thought and legitimate argument for why they are so necessary for society, for each person individually and for our own happiness. Everyone should take some sort of class in skilled labor no matter if it is cooking, sewing, welding or wood shop. The old adage "Idle hands are the work of the devil" actually has substance behind it.<br />
<br />
Further exploration of this topic can be found in <i><u>The Hand: How Its Use Shapes The Brain, Language and Human Culture</u></i> a book by Frank R. Wilson. There is also an interview with Wilson on NPR that is worth a look.<br />
<br /></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-55539049674302382392012-08-30T21:54:00.001-07:002012-08-30T21:55:27.263-07:00Car of the Week: AC Cobra<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: left;">
AC Cobra 1961-67</h2>
These cars were special when they were built and are still special today. It is an aggressive car with wonderful looks. This was in a time when there were amazing looking cars (Austin Heallys, Astin Martins, Triumphs, Morgans, Alfas, etc) but none of them could be considered aggressive performance wise. This car is a result of Carroll Shelby realizing this discrepancy. He started with a beautiful British sports car, the AC Ace, and shoehorned in a series of American V-8's. The smallest was a 4.3 liter and the largest being the 7 liter (427cubic inch) monster. These cars were fast, and they looked great. The main reason for the speed was the car's light weight. It was built with a tube frame chassis and covered with aluminum body work. With little creature comforts and no top the car was 500 lbs. less than the Corvette of the time. More horse power also helped...<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuN2DhLaq5ZoWLKJwMzqF51iRUIzA50CLgQZ3jCcOZ9ijnxtlDUdf2NtwkxukV82uvxobPW8qth41qY1ZPO66chXp9P5xIyPn0yiXYaGVPtLotBSQc1242Cn343ROgUrsVip8RdehhtQq/s1600/AC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuN2DhLaq5ZoWLKJwMzqF51iRUIzA50CLgQZ3jCcOZ9ijnxtlDUdf2NtwkxukV82uvxobPW8qth41qY1ZPO66chXp9P5xIyPn0yiXYaGVPtLotBSQc1242Cn343ROgUrsVip8RdehhtQq/s640/AC.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original AC Ace that the Cobra was based on. Photo from www.classicandperformancecar.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The speed is not the only reason these cars are so desirable. It is a great looking car and it sounded great. Current prices for a real Cobra are in 2 million dollar range. The main reason for this are the low production numbers. There were only 316 Cobras made and only 31 of those being the race engine 427. I know that I will never be able to afford one... or can I?<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWljcBO4ImZMEPIXmDS9W0siVRyuens_7qnU6gCzQBoz3YkBzhKkid19hSCJUCbv14OG0_eNPb4MXr4gP4PZLLdCY4Fcof7oZEge0gz3-WDBwCP-vG9E6mnsoDH2IhU1tf1gpjm44SqGBW/s1600/AC+Cobra+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWljcBO4ImZMEPIXmDS9W0siVRyuens_7qnU6gCzQBoz3YkBzhKkid19hSCJUCbv14OG0_eNPb4MXr4gP4PZLLdCY4Fcof7oZEge0gz3-WDBwCP-vG9E6mnsoDH2IhU1tf1gpjm44SqGBW/s640/AC+Cobra+(1).JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Real Cobra. Photo from http://scorpion-cars.blogspot.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Because of the low production numbers and the extremely desirable nature of the car, there is a booming kit market for Cobras for people that want one but can't afford the real thing (...yeah, that would be me).There are literally dozens of companies that sell kits of every possible level. Aluminum bodies, and fiberglass bodies, with engines or without and most of them are very true to the original. This just gets my juices flowing; thinking about all the engine possibilities, wheel choices, and interiors ideas. Sure they end up costing 30 K but that will get you a nicer car than some of the original Cobras that had transverse leaf spring suspension (Yeah, I know! Ewe.)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJny2ZfcJs9nzQxcRWChGdpefsNWmvhzPUBGRUi8mSldBqCXxMs2AxoodmV4jWnlEgpXYVQ5_tMe_w02t2OTmn8CBoh1aiv-y1EZZEAYdg0Vmlmn0-mHNTuDJ6LMJqJIyUrI1IRacCc54p/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-08-31+at+10.25.35+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJny2ZfcJs9nzQxcRWChGdpefsNWmvhzPUBGRUi8mSldBqCXxMs2AxoodmV4jWnlEgpXYVQ5_tMe_w02t2OTmn8CBoh1aiv-y1EZZEAYdg0Vmlmn0-mHNTuDJ6LMJqJIyUrI1IRacCc54p/s640/Screen+Shot+2012-08-31+at+10.25.35+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice example of one of the kits available. Photo from www.factoryfive.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-6186818617473008752012-08-26T08:42:00.001-07:002012-08-26T08:42:30.695-07:00Car of The Week: Porsche 911<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://imagehost.vendio.com/preview/st/stlouiscarmuseum/1970Porsche911T1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1970 Porsche 911</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Oh the Porsche 911. I have wanted one since... well since i can remember thinking about cars by name. When something has been made for so long without major changes, you know it has to be good. There are things about the car that I am not too sure about but it still tops my list of cars to own. There are a few reasons for this. One, it is unique. There are not too many rear engine cars around these days... in fact I cannot think of another one sold in the US. Even the Bug has gone front engine. Second, it is fun to drive (this is a statement that is not based on first hand experience) which is probably a direct result of the engine being in the rear. Third, it is a fairly affordable piece of everyday sport scar wonderfulness. Older versions are really starting to become collectors items but you can pick up a 80's or 90's 911 for fairly reasonably money. And what you get is a car that is a paragon for sports cars. You could not talk about sports cars and leave the 911 out of the conversation. This brings me to my last reason, it is hard to drive well. 911's are know for being very drivable everyday cars... but, when pushed to the limit the have a nasty side. It takes a driver to understand the difference in weight distribution and traction between the front and the rear wheels. It is also different because it is different than any other car in the way that it handles. Today you can buy the all wheel drive, liquid cooled, turbo charged,
traction controlled marvel of engineering, but what I really want is a
late 60's or early 70's 911 with manual steering, air cooling, rear
wheel drive car. I want to own the car that blew minds back in the day,
and has classy looks too. I want to drive a car that takes effort to
drive, where you can feel the mechanics of the vehicle. Not that I don't want the new, they are just way out of my league price wise and They are insanely overpowered. If I think of the 5 cars that I have had the most fun in and totaled up all the horse power it would probably just reach the new Porsche Turbo's power... and that is crazy. No I like the idea of a car you have to work hard to get to speed and the quickness is determined by how late you can brake in a corner and how much speed you can keep through the corners. The Porsche 911 is all of that, molded into the same shape that they have been making for 60 years.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="2010 Porsche 911 Carrera S" class="ImageWide" height="480px" src="http://1-photos2.ebizautos.com/1770/9240347/9240347_1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="2010 Porsche 911 Carrera S" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2010 Porsche 911S</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-50667963140017070172012-08-26T03:49:00.000-07:002012-08-26T03:49:30.583-07:00Book of The Week: Callisto by Torsten Krol<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqOCKXdVzu2p62Qbi-fDYpKov3Ho5yvjkdkiGjdYZ9fPh-vFxcBqf4CAa8_DJXqt1MIqjhsfmxkDNNtkwjXRzSt7p3LLsI8A3bcnVmhF4QE1asLZRhCmZu8hMbUO15oNT9c9VEEG1rzJH/s1600/Callisto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyqOCKXdVzu2p62Qbi-fDYpKov3Ho5yvjkdkiGjdYZ9fPh-vFxcBqf4CAa8_DJXqt1MIqjhsfmxkDNNtkwjXRzSt7p3LLsI8A3bcnVmhF4QE1asLZRhCmZu8hMbUO15oNT9c9VEEG1rzJH/s400/Callisto.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>
<br />
This is a great book on many levels. First it is funny. Second it is well written. Third it is a great commentary on the politics and society of the USA. Basic plot: The main character, Odell Deefus, is just as he sounds, a doofus. A nice guy that finds himself in situations beyond his comprehension. He has been compared to Forest Gump in his inability to see the reality in people and situations. So he sort of stumbles into the life of the small Kansan town of Callisto. While there he finds a body, falls in love, becomes a terrorist and more. It is a realistic account of what life would be like if you were to just float along and become the victim of the American machine. Odell ends up in way over his head which just makes everything that much funnier. If you enjoy Christopher Moore you will enjoy this book.</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-91367858207950915352012-08-20T00:54:00.001-07:002012-08-20T00:55:03.544-07:00Car of the Week: Lotus 7<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img alt="File:LotusMk4.JPG" height="300" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/34/LotusMk4.JPG/800px-LotusMk4.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful polished aluminum series 1. Photo from wikipedia.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<br />
The 7 was developed by Lotus in 1957(!) and it has been in continuous production since. Lotus stopped producing them in 1972 but <a href="http://www.caterham.co.uk/assets/html/showroom.html">Caterham</a> bought the rights and tooling will make you a kit or a complete car. The 7 is a sports car in very pure form. It is an open wheeled car with a fuselage main compartment. It will fit two people if they are not too broad in the shoulders. It is street legal but has no creature comforts... not even a roof. Curb weight started around 1100 lbs which endows the 7 with great handling, acceleration and braking. Downsides... well I would not enjoy the rain, the top speed is limited by a horrible drag coefficient and the front fenders produce lift at higher speeds. Other than that, I think I have been in love with this car from a young age.<br />
<br />
Open wheeled cars have a simplistic beauty and uniqueness in the current automotive design vernacular. The 7 also consistently reminds you why it was built. Would you like to pick up some groceries from the store? Fine as long as there is none in the passenger seat as there is no trunk. Are you a little cold? maybe you would like to turn the heater on? Not going to happen, although you could just rely on the engine heat being conducted through the uninsulated aluminum body work. This of course creates another problem in the summer... Roll up windows, stereo, dome lights, locking doors, and cup holders are all purposefully left out in favor of lightness. Every time you reach for one of these things, and whenever you notice that there is no safety equipment or crumple zones it adds to the mystique, to the knowledge that the car you are driving has one purpose... To blow your mind on the road.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjK27GMVvWwA9y57fkFqqJ8blKeZdtUBmlySif_iVu_B6-Q4b_xaIUQ0q1hRVZb0-9JNDJaFuH-2fnO96N7QqF3mHBBHWgMcree5nsh6btFL0Awec1Zx34f8g-efxPWfgYCQA5GbGopem/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-08-20+at+1.49.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYjK27GMVvWwA9y57fkFqqJ8blKeZdtUBmlySif_iVu_B6-Q4b_xaIUQ0q1hRVZb0-9JNDJaFuH-2fnO96N7QqF3mHBBHWgMcree5nsh6btFL0Awec1Zx34f8g-efxPWfgYCQA5GbGopem/s640/Screen+Shot+2012-08-20+at+1.49.56+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Why do I love it? This is no M5: it is not a family sedan with so much added that it needs 600hp to become a fast family sedan. This is not a inexpensive sports car (Ex: miata, Z3, MR2, etc.) that makes a bunch of sacrifices to be inexpensive and hence falls short in performance. This is a car with conviction. It does not apologize for not having air conditioning, it shows you why it does not have air conditioning. I also love that since Caterham bought the rights you can buy it in kit form. I love building stuff and would love to build my own car, pick the perfect engine, make my own steering wheel, lay out the controls etc.<br />
<br />
<br />
Is it realistic? Well, money does not grow on trees as they say. So having a car that only seats 2, and can only be driven on nice days, and has to be parked in a garage... not so realistic (I don't even have a garage!) But none of this stops me from wanting one and appreciating all that it stands for. Maybe I should start designing a garage.</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-81053942347799265532012-08-19T19:01:00.002-07:002012-08-19T19:02:38.642-07:00Book of the Week: The Complete Meadmaker<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h3 style="text-align: left;">
The Complete Meadmaker by Ken Schramm</h3>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img id="ctl00_store_ucDetail_ucZoomImage_imgImageURL" src="http://members.brewersassociation.org/store/images/resize.aspx?ImageURL=images-for-store%2f3100_487.jpg&MaxWidth=160&MaxHeight=245" style="border-width: 0px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from www.brewersassociation.org</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
This has been my reading companion for the last few weeks. It is a filled with knowledge and more importantly is entertaining to read. He goes into detail about the history of mead, the process of making mead, the ingredients and has a section of recipes. The "Complete" part of the title is not a misnomer, he goes into extensive detail in each of these section. The only thin part of the book is when he talks about sparkling mead but I think I will be able to figure it out. My second batch of mead is fermenting away right now and I feel 100% confident that it is a recipe that has been tested and will turn out amazing. The ingredients section will be useful for years to come as he talks about all of the ingredients to add to mead. He even has a heat chart for adding chiles! Each ingredient has a great section where he talks about its effect on the flavor, pH, fermentability, and aging. This book is makes technical information easy to read and understand. I would recommend this book for someone who does not know what mead is and I would also recommend this book for someone that has been making mead for years. At only $19.95 it has already paid for itself!</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-83754961376335928812012-08-17T22:53:00.001-07:002012-08-17T22:53:49.240-07:00Kitchen Sink Post<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Since I have been slipping on my blogging there is lots to catch up on. This is going to be the most random collection of thoughts ever so prepare yourself!<br />
<br />
Nico<br />
The little guy is growing at an alarming rate. Though he does just eat and sleep... The flight over was a breeze. Infants are amazing to fly with! He is full of smiles and has started touching stuff that he is aiming for. His eyes have been becoming more grey and less blue and there were hints of brown the other day.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCsYkRlA2qyqRei-ErZ8qkhSRb9C-SDCZz4UY2QJWw9VzVg3VWtypybUIV_wfOI8_hsnzF_Inz1UdiCTOCe_Fnc96BeRcH4TsbXYrA0obPbodqg0SdK8UQpswvrvhliE18O620-W-b7N3/s1600/IMG_0400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXCsYkRlA2qyqRei-ErZ8qkhSRb9C-SDCZz4UY2QJWw9VzVg3VWtypybUIV_wfOI8_hsnzF_Inz1UdiCTOCe_Fnc96BeRcH4TsbXYrA0obPbodqg0SdK8UQpswvrvhliE18O620-W-b7N3/s320/IMG_0400.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
Lola<br />
She was so excited to get back to her room and seems to be happy with being back in Dhaka. She was not excited about starting school with a new teacher and class. It seems to be that she complains but then is happy while there. She has already talked to her new teacher so that must mean Lola likes her! Lola starts ballet classes soon but has already been busy with play dates and swimming at the club. She is a great big sister and would probably smother Nico with kisses if we did not intervene!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0nbyxZTEDvw-w8K8LF8ZA_19rr9zHZ2eJ1zmKsuKV3Y_hF4Nx4qGNAXaCSu5gf9bunJNh09KFBcQYrUT327KXByKCiCIRatLvklRzcSrN7qWTXTvqAAZYRZTUyITrpwY5W1Xu4LwNo7b/s1600/IMG_0397.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0nbyxZTEDvw-w8K8LF8ZA_19rr9zHZ2eJ1zmKsuKV3Y_hF4Nx4qGNAXaCSu5gf9bunJNh09KFBcQYrUT327KXByKCiCIRatLvklRzcSrN7qWTXTvqAAZYRZTUyITrpwY5W1Xu4LwNo7b/s320/IMG_0397.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Jessica<br />
I am amazed at how quickly my wife bounces back to her old self after having a baby. You would never even know she had a baby two months ago. She seems content with life and happy to back in Dhaka as well. She has committed herself to taking pictures of Dhaka this year which is inspiring for me too. She has also been redecorating our house since we have bought the new couch. She is still on maternity leave and does not start teaching until the second week of September. Lucky!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDh0Qz7SqlXvPipOuS-d8_4umxzxGZKk2dzRMPI2vYpUPdz-eUnidu3wkeRAhyphenhyphenMkgg3zKMS8PN6hWI9P07deeea1iuieTC1xpijdw5gZSNtnsK2_hv4OxPaGhxDyNd43kvTuFCHOWQaXv/s1600/IMG_0213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRDh0Qz7SqlXvPipOuS-d8_4umxzxGZKk2dzRMPI2vYpUPdz-eUnidu3wkeRAhyphenhyphenMkgg3zKMS8PN6hWI9P07deeea1iuieTC1xpijdw5gZSNtnsK2_hv4OxPaGhxDyNd43kvTuFCHOWQaXv/s320/IMG_0213.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4mmQ0rmFonY_U9MSPCwYsdOMedWXJIJXqxmbcsR-i842Gs9t_HGulnY5nbkgWWYTbhJfFOWWMgYZ9d_zDNYCFdyRqVVttF9g2aEOnITT8HTJhENBGVeFS2U36JAbfBRdTN6OIDcuTOJ6/s1600/IMG_0212.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD4mmQ0rmFonY_U9MSPCwYsdOMedWXJIJXqxmbcsR-i842Gs9t_HGulnY5nbkgWWYTbhJfFOWWMgYZ9d_zDNYCFdyRqVVttF9g2aEOnITT8HTJhENBGVeFS2U36JAbfBRdTN6OIDcuTOJ6/s320/IMG_0212.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
The before and after of one of Jessica's latest projects<br />
<br />
Me<br />
I cannot believe how good it felt to be back in Dhaka. There was a huge sigh of relief when we walked into our apartment, our home. Even the drive from the airport to our house was fun. There is just so much happening here; it is an energy that you cannot deny. School has started and I am teaching a new class. Design Technology teaches the kids about the design cycle and we have a pretty decent wood shop for them to make things in. The kids are full of energy and ready to start working. I will keep you updated with pictures of their projects. Feels so great to have a creative outlet and a shop to build things! I have started using Pinterest to save all the wonderful ideas that I find out there in the world. Can't believe it took me so long to see the value in it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUis7MCScCHY1sl_k1kvaYIHa0BEJlIB2Cgi250mzb9WQEoe3znreoqNa9VUhRW1xTTb4i0KO-Ir2eOkseLxulTmSJk9PyiW81xTLd8r2RlaLba7j-46j-ggWIxh0FdgNcQoZ7LnIJ6hl/s1600/IMG_0416.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdUis7MCScCHY1sl_k1kvaYIHa0BEJlIB2Cgi250mzb9WQEoe3znreoqNa9VUhRW1xTTb4i0KO-Ir2eOkseLxulTmSJk9PyiW81xTLd8r2RlaLba7j-46j-ggWIxh0FdgNcQoZ7LnIJ6hl/s320/IMG_0416.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Brewing<br />
I have 5 gallons of a hoppy, high alcohol summer beer that just got moved to the secondary fermenter. I also made a 3 gallon batch of meed that is shaping up to be an amazing thing. I bought <i><u>The Complete Meadmaker</u></i> by Ken Schramm and it has proven to be a wealth of knowledge and I am excited by the collection of recipes. This will be the next book of the week so stay tuned.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyO_hKmNt3K9sQ-K8b6GrY6rV186KmW0IDYpwgi6Vt9INL2EtMAwz9w-w9ziUO5QFKaPrjJaPHR5tWyhJTmwdfnbmqnBW_P_Gl5a1mGGDNJGvLxU9bh2BiUn4Fkdt6oOB4AqYOBgtxlEpy/s1600/IMG_0419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyO_hKmNt3K9sQ-K8b6GrY6rV186KmW0IDYpwgi6Vt9INL2EtMAwz9w-w9ziUO5QFKaPrjJaPHR5tWyhJTmwdfnbmqnBW_P_Gl5a1mGGDNJGvLxU9bh2BiUn4Fkdt6oOB4AqYOBgtxlEpy/s320/IMG_0419.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Blog<br />
I plan on restarting my Car of the Week and Book of the Week Posts and get back into the swing of posting more regularly. Summer Break is over and life is busy again.</div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-60826194996273482042012-06-26T17:07:00.002-07:002012-08-13T06:02:10.575-07:00MIA (Come on, give me a break, I had a kid!)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Feels like forever since I last posted and in reality it has only been about two weeks. Hope you all were not left hanging... (I say this with lots of sarcasm and humility). Lots has happened and I will start with the most important. We had our second child! Nico, as we have named him, came into this world after a tough and nerve racking labor (Wife, you rule!). The first one shot out like greased lightning so we were assuming that this little guy would be the same... but no. We now have one boy and one girl which seems to be the holy grail of parenthood. I know more than one family that kept trying for a boy or kept trying to have a girl and cranked out 5 of one gender. I am not sure if I would feel any different with two girls but... I don't have to worry about it!<br />
<br />
He has been sleeping his way through his first days without issue, which has given me time to reflect on what number two means to me. I will site this quote from Jessica and say that it really sums up how it feels, "Our family just feels complete now." It really does, Nico and Lola... Lola and Nico... can't have one without the other the yin and the yang. The dramatic and the content. For those of you that do not have kids, kids pop out with personality and it may be too soon to tell with Nico but he seems to be calm patient and content.<br />
<br />
The second kid is not that much more work... yet... and I really can't wait for family outings as both kids get older. Nico is rather attached to mom (huh huh yeah literally) and it has given me a chance to increase the depth of my relationship with Lola. I feel like she looks to me to comfort her now where it was all mom before. We have been getting out to as a father daughter pair to give the recuperating members quiet time in the house. It has been good to take some of the pressure of Jessica (where Lola is concerned anyway). Lola is really growing up and she has become a pretty cool individual (as long as she is fed and rested!)<br />
<br />
For the most part we just feel blessed to have these two kids and that it all worked out timing wise to have a home birth and to have the baby during the summer vacation so that Jessica can recover and so that I can get some solid time with the little man. Alright, enough talking here are some pictures:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDUeVnHHtGIcbwMvCQVJc_thrvxX2FUh_nqmL9GPHUy2vekZjCsximn6L2WTfetqSikuhIJTtgGP15Soq6Mw34W8lPD3ge4LDGaC0b-A5wQFPMSHqwyPY9LrYV_UbIjvrL-htr2RReJnS/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEDUeVnHHtGIcbwMvCQVJc_thrvxX2FUh_nqmL9GPHUy2vekZjCsximn6L2WTfetqSikuhIJTtgGP15Soq6Mw34W8lPD3ge4LDGaC0b-A5wQFPMSHqwyPY9LrYV_UbIjvrL-htr2RReJnS/s400/photo+1.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The feet of newborns are so amazing! I put my thumb in for scale.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0EwdaCOYVBdf1mdcpv0qPkFfZTI6D30GIgWJylny2zDDQ55lDDv0A7_n1xUYScH8AjH-VPc0QIX4Gkb9dK3f-1UPmraaOB7erFrloe-J3dE-uKVrRyy_WXBQaPxMuu5I-N3igkzVt1aH/s1600/photo+2%281%29.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh0EwdaCOYVBdf1mdcpv0qPkFfZTI6D30GIgWJylny2zDDQ55lDDv0A7_n1xUYScH8AjH-VPc0QIX4Gkb9dK3f-1UPmraaOB7erFrloe-J3dE-uKVrRyy_WXBQaPxMuu5I-N3igkzVt1aH/s400/photo+2%281%29.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nico's first car ride. Big sister Lola offered up her finger to comfort him in a time of need.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj564aTDI8e8kBu9rHRnOcguMTWK7zLM-Ukw7Kk9_NV4Qih53dFLLKa6iPRFHMTnkTzXHFwJmqtQ3nFTLQ9ivuA9ErT4ZtIk4lSZBiS-yz0tWl9UyG4uA5LaNL_nEGxy6gvJx2xXSfIXi7U/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj564aTDI8e8kBu9rHRnOcguMTWK7zLM-Ukw7Kk9_NV4Qih53dFLLKa6iPRFHMTnkTzXHFwJmqtQ3nFTLQ9ivuA9ErT4ZtIk4lSZBiS-yz0tWl9UyG4uA5LaNL_nEGxy6gvJx2xXSfIXi7U/s400/photo+3.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Already a fashion trend setter...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpLeNGJY-v3EaPfiKw8nRtPlKGX29T5MF27WQPvxSvq326iou0uQ44oeWwtB59Qg2LJoFMFCBpFYx3CB2KlU62krDLMFIh6BcARd006WxfNkT8C1UM_AT-kLjSFYtmpldJh1xyEs_7Zoz/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvpLeNGJY-v3EaPfiKw8nRtPlKGX29T5MF27WQPvxSvq326iou0uQ44oeWwtB59Qg2LJoFMFCBpFYx3CB2KlU62krDLMFIh6BcARd006WxfNkT8C1UM_AT-kLjSFYtmpldJh1xyEs_7Zoz/s400/photo+4.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great to see Lola loving on her bro!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-82839091127977936552012-05-26T06:57:00.000-07:002012-05-26T08:55:21.838-07:00Car of the Week: Jeep CJ/Wrangler<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Jeep is infamous. It has spanned almost a century and is recognized by all (in the US and other countries). The new one still looks like the old one and it keeps its quirkiness. My current car search has dredged up all kinds of cars that I never thought about owning before and the Jeep is one. I just never really thought of it as a reliable, safe, versatile vehicle. This is what is so wonderful about the Jeep; it is versatile. They can be 4, 6 or 8 cylinders, gas or diesel, space for two or four or more with the new four door. Automatic or manual transmission, four wheel drive or two... took me a while to figure out why anyone would get a two wheel drive jeep. The reason is that does not matter is because you can take the top off, and the doors too!<br />
<br />
My first ride in a jeep was etched in my brain because of this openness. We were going to Blakely Island in the San Juan's of Washington State. We had friends that had a cabin there where we were going to stay for a week in the summer. There is no bridge to the island so you either need to fly or boat. I think this we went by boat and then we drove this ancient Jeep to the cabin. It was amazing! It handled poorly, bounced all over if there was a bump, there was no room, I think it would pop out of gear regularly and of course no seatbelts! All I remember is the road going by so close I could almost touch it, the wind and the view of the trees that I had never seen. The wind and the view were unparalleled in my car experience up to that point. Why weren't all cars topless?<br />
<br />
I have countless Jeep experiences and all of them were great. My uncle Bob had one with a V8 that was so loud. My uncle KL had one that we took out wheeling. A friend Kristy had one in high school and one time she was driving a bunch of us around and it started raining. None of us cared, were were all singing along to Dave Mathews Band and loving the feeling of rain in a car.<br />
<br />
So why the jeep? It is an archetype. They can go anywhere, not like a convertible sports car that you have to be careful with. The feeling that you get while driving around in a jeep is just so unique. You feel more in tune with everything. People can see you, you can see them, you can see the trees overhead or the clouds, and you feel it all, wind rain, heat, cold. Everyone needs a ride in a jeep. I am buying one this summer if I can find one for under a $1000!</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-16561546219342665902012-05-26T06:21:00.000-07:002012-05-26T06:21:06.861-07:00Book of the Week: FUP<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
FUP by Jim Dodge<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq26I6-pVpmVFavkXhlOTT8ipZoXS1y_Dg4iP74z-f7ViK9fSjFTILoRI8kd1gnHGvjhJ8GjOEm26HYLS8b-ruIOyq_MiVroCj5_yEukgHmke6Mb5_JyCQjJ4UVifsrFaLzlU2ghNfuieI/s1600/FUP.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq26I6-pVpmVFavkXhlOTT8ipZoXS1y_Dg4iP74z-f7ViK9fSjFTILoRI8kd1gnHGvjhJ8GjOEm26HYLS8b-ruIOyq_MiVroCj5_yEukgHmke6Mb5_JyCQjJ4UVifsrFaLzlU2ghNfuieI/s320/FUP.jpeg" width="217" /></a></div>
<br />
This book is H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S! I read it once as a teen and laughed my ass off. Then I reread it in college. I was in the Cal Poly library trying to be quiet about it, but I could not stop laughing. I was crying and my stomach hurt. I finally found my own copy while browsing a thrift store! I think it it the first hardback copy and it has some great illustrations. So what is it all about you ask?<br />
<br />
This is a story about a young boy and his father and a duck named FUP. The dad is known for his moonshine, the son is known for his fences and the duck is known for his never say die attitude. There are only 94 pages and you would read those pages quickly. I would gladly loan it out but I would need some collateral as this is my only copy and it is not exactly a common book. Well written and has a great commentary on what is important and what is fun.</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-66401222009719333642012-05-19T10:14:00.000-07:002012-05-19T10:14:53.773-07:00Car of the Week: Chevrolet Suburban (NOT the new one!)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Stay with me here! I know this is a big stretch but this is only because you are thinking of the last decades of horrible monstrosities from GM. Lets go back to a time when cars were designed to look amazing. In the 30's most of the big companies built a suburban carryall that was a large inclosed cargo area surrounded by windows and based on a truck chassis. GM had theirs as well and it was a beauty. My favorites came later on in the fifties when most other companies stopped making the suburban and GM latched onto the name that they would later get the exclusive rights to use.<br />
<br />
In high school the first car that I bought was a 1953 Chevy Panel truck. This looked exactly like the Suburban but it did not have any windows. I am sure that looking at that thing for so many years has given me an appreciation for that particular vintage but... From 1949-1954 Chevy built the best looking Suburban of all time. Here are some pics:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIWJtpl3OLOWCh55Unkh44IoRGEleI0X1yXAcrUOOjA4KQvapGXIhFENveEwJ41bd2d2IwCgczjlkoBkscpNunI_GawO9wn3dHfxSzumtu90vM796KK8dzjHqaX8vSmnhyphenhyphenErTUAzpkTDn/s1600/Suburban" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIWJtpl3OLOWCh55Unkh44IoRGEleI0X1yXAcrUOOjA4KQvapGXIhFENveEwJ41bd2d2IwCgczjlkoBkscpNunI_GawO9wn3dHfxSzumtu90vM796KK8dzjHqaX8vSmnhyphenhyphenErTUAzpkTDn/s640/Suburban" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Look at that thing! There is no way you could think that this was designed recently; it speaks of a time period and instantly takes you there. It is too beautiful, too much metal, too curvy to be contemporary. The looks were not the only thing going for it. They were good and useful trucks that were easy to drive. I drove my Panel truck everywhere (as long as it was in town. The top speed was about 50 mph.) There is no way that I can convey the way it felt to drive this truck. The only thing that made it difficult was seeing out of the back, and hence the reason for my love for the suburban. This experience can not be matched by the horrible beasts of today. The new ones really do not handle much better, though they do have a faster top speed. Here is a comparison of the old and new:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yp-tDDcl7CuEfDiFaVRrVD4fQ9b5a-n8hlAlR18EOm_EWjmW8X2V1YPZlQZrmen1VntRhqSdhT-POk2aOA_O7VXs1_gh2q7ayscz1avfX73EEc2vrdrjVIoZoWa6UVrFWtvCQU28LN0v/s1600/1951-chevrolet-suburban-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yp-tDDcl7CuEfDiFaVRrVD4fQ9b5a-n8hlAlR18EOm_EWjmW8X2V1YPZlQZrmen1VntRhqSdhT-POk2aOA_O7VXs1_gh2q7ayscz1avfX73EEc2vrdrjVIoZoWa6UVrFWtvCQU28LN0v/s640/1951-chevrolet-suburban-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
I dream about getting one some day, I mean what a cool family rig! I saw one on ebay a while back that was an old Fish and Game truck. I got so sucked into thinking about the history of that truck and the fact that it had seen more years than me. I love old stuff: I have old cheese graters because they are simple, they work. I have a spatula from the 50's. How old is you cast iron pan? I see no reason to buy new crap that was made in China that will not last because there is no connection between the makers and the customers. That is how I feel about the new suburban, it is plasticky crap, made by people I do not know and it will not last very long and does not look good doing it.<br />
<br />
My struggle would be to restore it to original condition, or add just a few creature comforts, or completely update it. I like the idea of trying to keep it as stock as possible but I would need to increase the cruising speed. Then what about a stereo that communicates with my ipod? Or what about air conditioning? What about safety features? Will all this stuff ruin the character and feel? I don't think so, I think I could restore it and keep the cool quirky stuff like the starter pedal and the manual windows and then hide some goodies behind the scenes. Air Conditioning using older controls and hiding the vents. Better brakes etc.<br />
<br />
To close, this is my Car of the Week for two reasons. First, its brother was my first car and there are lots of memories that go along with it. Second, to coin a phrase; they don't make them like they used to. They really don't, this thing was designed to look stunning and it was "just" a work truck. Work trucks now are like manifestations of machismo boy wet dreams. Tonka toys where everything is overstated and reiterated. No longer is there quiet beauty in things. I look at cars (and other things) and wonder how someone could have "designed" them. Some one intentionally designed this and it shows. The Suburban stirs me and it is more than just looks. If you have or could drive one you would notice the deliberate nature of the being the driver. You have to set the choke, you have to remember to turn it off, you HAVE to check the oil, tire pressure and coolant. You do not just jump in and go, you have to warm it up. It is a lively experience for those interested in living. Go buy an old car, there are cars older than you that are still ticking that we can learn something from.</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-19176123701663526592012-05-17T17:37:00.001-07:002012-05-17T17:37:47.565-07:00Book of the Week: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCqwqo0IOh9VXsOtBVXnUiPRirf5fxP1ikXQeNrLU0dM6bnSx0MAU25Kt0Dkwj3-PLWUjiclzGl-osK5sZC6uvoZ5pX4w-QWwxDEGNpHhaPENF41bs5WqQnZkqotm6TCmHDf7LMTRrQNU/s1600/Scan.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCqwqo0IOh9VXsOtBVXnUiPRirf5fxP1ikXQeNrLU0dM6bnSx0MAU25Kt0Dkwj3-PLWUjiclzGl-osK5sZC6uvoZ5pX4w-QWwxDEGNpHhaPENF41bs5WqQnZkqotm6TCmHDf7LMTRrQNU/s640/Scan.jpeg" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from my scanner.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I am careful about the words that I choose and I have thought about this for a while; If I had to describe this book in one word, I would say, "Masterpiece". I know, strong word and probably an overused one but I really think it applies here. This is a book that is based on the true events of the Chicago Worlds fair and the first known serial killer in the US. The amount of research and the depth of detail that Larson was able to conjure with this book is incredible. As was his intention, the contrast between the fair and the killer creates a great basis for a story and also mirrors the dichotomy of man.<br />
<br />
The main focus of the book is the planning, construction and opening of the Worlds Fair otherwise known as The White City. Larson's ability to create an image of what Chicago was like, how people felt, the smells and the sights (the reality not an incomplete and glorified version) is impressive. It was not until I finished the book that I really understood what an undertaking creating this book was. His list of primary sources is amazing in terms of length and also in terms of depth of research.<br />
<br />
In the final pages of the book Larson talks about his research, "The more I read about the fair, the more entranced I became. That George Ferris would attempt to build something so big and novel-and that he would succeed on his first try-seems, in this day of liability lawsuits, almost beyond comprehension." This is soon followed by 30 pages of sources... Incredible recreation of events that happened more than 100 years ago.<br />
<br />
I was hooked by the planning of the fair and was disturbed by the accounts of the "Devil": a man named H.H. Holmes. By all accounts a captivating individual with an un-remorsefully twisted side. The entertainment value of the book will have you saying, "There is no way that this is true." But the facts are there with little in the way of embellishments. Larson, did recreate scenes that no one could have witnessed but he did not do so blindly.<br />
<br />
This was an interesting read because it was entertaining, informative and made me think about what is possible and how we really do not push ourselves as a group like we did in the past. Think huge projects like the great wall and the pyramids. Are people still pushing themselves to achieve these seemingly insurmountable tasks? Could this be the reason why the youth are so ambivalent and wishy washy? Maybe what we need is a good old fashion worlds fair! Something to push our thinking to solve problems we might have thought were not possible to solve. Shifting thought and changing opinions but most importantly instilling some awe. People need that, and I feel like I got it reading this book. I could feel the emotions of seeing something like the original Ferris Wheel for the fist time (it was 246 feet tall! Taller than the tallest skyscraper of the day). Walking into a building that was the largest enclosed space in the world (the largest building enclosed over 40 acres of exhibition space). Experiencing new cultures face to face. It really was a magical thing and I wish I could have been there... but reading this book was as close as I will get without a time machine. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-46730469381239466992012-05-15T08:09:00.002-07:002012-05-15T08:11:13.040-07:00Movie Review: Blackthorn (2011)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHDW0OcqdGZsrzKLKOrn_J7hyphenhyphenX_tDyQ6iCN-8ZfCEVWU8GS4nTOGDypu0IQSw8RFQjY1HCfsc1Tcs0n5E6SiBMdAVeyBO2vlDvdDKyAxLGkw-8VElol-gYHPn1cVO85GQw8CM33Ojm3ye/s1600/photo_07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAHDW0OcqdGZsrzKLKOrn_J7hyphenhyphenX_tDyQ6iCN-8ZfCEVWU8GS4nTOGDypu0IQSw8RFQjY1HCfsc1Tcs0n5E6SiBMdAVeyBO2vlDvdDKyAxLGkw-8VElol-gYHPn1cVO85GQw8CM33Ojm3ye/s400/photo_07.jpg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the blackthorn website</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I didn't really know what to expect from this movie. I read the summary and it had good actors so I gave it a watch. The basic premiss is that Butch Cassidy did not die in the shootout with the Bolivian army as we once thought. He has been hiding out in the hills and finally decides to go home. There are some great aspects to this movie from the rugged yet fashionable costumes and the beautiful horses. The great casting of actors that actually look like young and old versions of the same man. The high plains and mountains of Bolivia as a breathtaking backdrop. The feelings of what it means to live by a strong moral code. The loneliness of the outlaw life. It was a pleasantly surprising movie and one that I would recommend to all. Good entertainment and some great lingering philosophical thoughts.</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-45789515715604998672012-05-10T21:34:00.001-07:002012-05-10T21:34:28.788-07:00Car of the Week: VW Alltrack (and a rant on lame car companies)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Car shopping has to be one of the most frustrating things ever. You would expect that if you had a stack of cash containing over $30,000 you could get the car you wanted. There is not a single new car available to me that meets all of my requirements and so car shopping becomes an exercise in settling and trade-offs. I would buy a Subaru outback if they sold a diesel. I would buy a Jetta diesel wagon if they sold it in an all-wheel drive version with some ground clearance... What is that you say? They make that car? You are correct, VW is making a beautiful thing called the Alltrack.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsbOdzXrTAX90WqM9JQ-It7c4PzsjJL7aZnZi2_IadwsFcPKSsyVKY0JNp262ibRSLwpcJLAlGQnFFrlfBafKMyeYyfjMx6meH7VeMIcJyEg-QmORtoS2MY15glQcjpcFzsqwvhrpgg_h/s1600/VW+alltrack" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJsbOdzXrTAX90WqM9JQ-It7c4PzsjJL7aZnZi2_IadwsFcPKSsyVKY0JNp262ibRSLwpcJLAlGQnFFrlfBafKMyeYyfjMx6meH7VeMIcJyEg-QmORtoS2MY15glQcjpcFzsqwvhrpgg_h/s640/VW+alltrack" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo from the VW UK web site</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The Alltrack is a Jetta wagon with a diesel engine and all-wheel drive and ground clearance. All of this from a company that has a reputation for making cars with great fit and finish as well as cars that are alive with nice handling and good driver feel. Sounds like the perfect car right? You can't get it.<br />
<br />
It will not be sold in the US. Aaaaggggghhhh! Why is this so ridiculously backwards and lame. I have money and I am stupidly willing to strap myself with a car loan so that I can have a reliable car that does what I want... But the car companies don't want my money. The list of cars that I would buy if they were shipped to the US is long: Audi Allroad diesel, Subaru Outback diesel (near 48mpg), Toyota Rav4 with a 2.2 liter diesel (40mpg), Nissan X-Trail diesel, Honda CR-V Diesel and on and on.<br />
<br />
The real insult to injury comes with US car companies that make diesel cars that are not available in the US! Though I loath most US cars as they are cheap unreliable and not very well engineered, I find myself willing to buy one if they would only offer what I want. I stooped so low the other day that I was on the Jeep site trying to see if I could get a wrangler in a diesel. It meets one or two of my needs but fails most, and I was still considering it. Why? Because I am so desperate for a diesel off road car. Cars that I would love to own are available but they are luxury cars way above my pay grade. Think BMW X-5, Audi Q7, VW Tourag or Mercedes-Benz suv's and crossovers which land in the $50,000 and above category. Even used ones are too much.<br />
<br />
I cannot justify spending the $30,000 unless it is a car that will meet all my needs. The closest I get is the Jetta diesel wagon; room, over 40 mpg. The problem is that I will never take it up to my dad's house (rough dirt road) and so it becomes a $30,000 car I can't use. Instead I spend my days searching for used cars and weighing the trade-offs. I land on 1980's Mercedes diesel wagons. They offer good fuel mileage, have room, and they are cheap enough that I would be willing to drive them on dirt. Of course they are aging and while they are reliable, with so many parts that are now 30 years old it is only a mater of time... weather stripping is aging, I worry about the lack of safety features and where are all the creature comforts that society says I need?<br />
<br />
So here is a message to all car makers (if only they would read it), What does it say about your car company if I would rather buy a 30 year old car than buy a new one of yours? Hint: it says that you have no clue about your market and your company makes cars they think the public will buy and not what the public wants. Let me give a few examples of how car companies are clueless. The Toyota Prius is a car that was not supposed to do that well... All the critics said it would not sell because no one would pay more for a car that was small and slow just to get better mileage. Shocker, lots of people bought them. By February 2012 over 2.5 million were sold world wide.<br />
<br />
Example two: There are endless car journalist that can be sited as saying that Americans will not buy diesels. And yet, VW diesels account for 23% of VW sales in the US. I would also be willing to bet that this number is low as they do not offer a diesel engine in all their models in the US. If I wanted the minivan I would not even have the option to buy a diesel version. If we could I bet the numbers would increase. There is a Facebook page titled "Bring Subaru Diesel to the US!" where they tout sales figures and goad Subaru that they are missing out. And they are. I would buy one.<br />
<br />
To close, I have chosen the VW Alltrack because it seems like the most likely of the diesels (that I want) to have a chance of making it state side. I like VW cars and have been impressed with the quality of their current models. I have driven the new VW Golf tdi and the Jetta tdi and I love the feel and handeling. I bet VW $30,000 that they don't bring the Alltrack to the US. </div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-37779403263459627272012-05-10T20:17:00.001-07:002012-05-10T20:17:27.194-07:00Book of the Week: The Tracker by Tom Brown Jr<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHG6yQN78pzyWe94nvOo8eoIl5U8PtHMrV5xPSSZ29bKCWtgxW052y9roOEIB3iVN8EpZYU0zl1TqZU661FXO6-4EvnSLFTJjFx9wMQ2VRgsuZ1HwCu_5QpKaGwy-qiH9SqJyG5I60BKYQ/s1600/The+Tracker.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHG6yQN78pzyWe94nvOo8eoIl5U8PtHMrV5xPSSZ29bKCWtgxW052y9roOEIB3iVN8EpZYU0zl1TqZU661FXO6-4EvnSLFTJjFx9wMQ2VRgsuZ1HwCu_5QpKaGwy-qiH9SqJyG5I60BKYQ/s400/The+Tracker.jpeg" width="246" /></a></div>
<br />
Tom Brown Jr grew up learning everything that he could from the teachings of an elder native American. He has written many books and each focuses on a different area of native American life. The Tracker is a collection of stories from Tom's childhood through adulthood. You will find details of how to track and stalk animals, insight into native American beliefs, the challenges of a young man dealing with a changing world, great philosophical argument of how people should be taught and riveting adventure stories. This book has affected my teaching more than any other source that i can think of. It is also a great read for being here in Dhaka where it is challenging to get out in nature.<br />
<br />
I don't know if I could pick a favorite of Tom Brown's books as I like them all for different reasons. Tracking has always fascinated me so this was a natural choice for the first of his books to be featured here. Makes me want to get in the woods and observe. I am also motivated to get my kids into the outdoors as much as possible; giving them an appreciation of the outdoors and confidence in their abilities to flourish in survival situations.<br />
<br />
Some of the principles of tracking presented in this book were used in the movie The Hunted. Tom Brown Jr was consulted to make the movie realistic. In interviews about the movie Tom says that there are some really good aspects to the movie but at the same time it is Hollywood and they took some liberties. He sights the knife fight scene as an example saying, "Any one of those wounds would have been fatal..." It was an entertaining movie and a good glimpse of how to track.<br />
<br />
You may also have remembered Tom Brown Jr's name from my bucket list. He also has a tracker school where you can go and learn the principle from the book. I would like to attend, and now I am thinking that going with my kids would be amazing.</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7466509034502009856.post-82285625818026978092012-05-03T20:01:00.000-07:002012-05-03T20:01:28.160-07:00Car of the Week: Volvo 240 Wagon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Volvo 240</h2>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yctilKz0sQbSEev_tRFRCgVVL0VsBuUoy1Vf2xU9sf-KJOuUSfrFEKIm6bLOCymeC7J6XrOMkmlIwruuewYIyWQLNwAMDsSSSjjt3YxM1cx6281412LgdcR9f998HE2WMi_0PDUf29aN/s1600/P1010186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1yctilKz0sQbSEev_tRFRCgVVL0VsBuUoy1Vf2xU9sf-KJOuUSfrFEKIm6bLOCymeC7J6XrOMkmlIwruuewYIyWQLNwAMDsSSSjjt3YxM1cx6281412LgdcR9f998HE2WMi_0PDUf29aN/s640/P1010186.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our 1991 240: 16 inch wheels from a 740 and IPD sway bars</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You knew the day would come! How could I not review a car that has been with me through most of my driving life? The Volvo 240 is a wonderful blend of reliability, safety, comfort, and driver feel. I also like its looks. Some crazy people will say that is a box but that is not true. There are wonderful lines that hide the hugeness of the car. It you want to see a poorly designed box look at a picture of the Volvo 740 wagon... yuk. Its reputation cannot be understated. Click and Clack (The guys of NPR's Car Talk) have recommended it as a the perfect car for the young driver. They are inexpensive, reliable, slow and safe; just what you would want from a car for a reckless teen.<br />
<br />
The 240 was produced from 1974 to 1993 with only minor changes. The engine had already been around for decades before the 240 started production. The world record for the most miles (2.5 million miles) is a 1966 Volvo with the same basic engine design. Of course there were changes over the years and there are more desirable years but any 240 with a 4 cylinder can be bullet proof. The best were the B230F engines produced from 1985 to 1993. I won't bore you with too many more details but the internals were optimized and a new fuel injection system made these the best.<br />
<br />
I am going to pay special attention to the wagon because of its versatility. With the back seats folded down it will fit a twin bed and make a comfortable camper. With the seats up it will swallow gear. I tested many of the newer wagons out there including Subarus, Audis, Mercedes, 850 Volvos and the new V70's and NONE of them can come close to the amount of space in the back of a 240. I have owned 3 different wagons in my life and each holds a special place in my heart. I wish I had my pictures with me so I could scan some of each of these beauties!<br />
<br />
The first wagon: 1982 240. This was a project from the beginning. I bought the car without an engine and the engine from a 1978 242 gt. Over a summer I did the engine swap where I had to rewire the engine compartment as the engine had a different fuel system than the car. I put a bunch of money into suspension because the 240 handles remarkable well with larger sway bars and some bracing. This car got me through some fun times at Cal Poly, trips to bike races almost every weekend, two trips to Washington and many trips back and forth from college to my Dad's house. When I sold this car I immediately started having 240 withdraws and soon bought my next one.<br />
<br />
1985 240 Turbo: My next project... this thing ran but barely. I would come to a stop and it would hesitate, cough, and die. Many hours of tinkering and fixing the many issues that it had made it drivable but it would still do weird things. I did not care because this thing was fast. I don't mean fast like V8 muscle car fast but more like I have been driving an underpowered Volvo wagon and now this seems fast. There was some turbo lag, so when it finally started doing its job it was impressive. This was a work truck for me while I was at Columbia Junior College. I ended up selling it when I moved up to Arcata. <br />
<br />
My family car: 1993 240 (this is the car pictured here). This was a solid running memory maker. At 260k miles it survived a trip up to Canada and back. Jessica and I reupholstered the seats which made it a special one. When we found out we were pregnant with Lola we decide to sell it and buy something with working AC, updated safety features and with less miles on it. We ended up with a 2003 Audi A4 wagon which was nice, and fast, and new... but it was no 240.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4d28V7Bx970DdFILqZlOinpfvJybhCfZz8aYzpulN6c2W0KSBM0WTUT0rO6fe0N7ZHNjzCN8z_MUdiGbNQDuqyf0bN_gynjYwTKaKFSQbeFcXxGlnzUvo-ghPAYsIj63AHjeU7AU-Y3WH/s1600/P1010189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4d28V7Bx970DdFILqZlOinpfvJybhCfZz8aYzpulN6c2W0KSBM0WTUT0rO6fe0N7ZHNjzCN8z_MUdiGbNQDuqyf0bN_gynjYwTKaKFSQbeFcXxGlnzUvo-ghPAYsIj63AHjeU7AU-Y3WH/s640/P1010189.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Picture of the reupholstered seats and the white faced gauges.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After periods without a 240, when I buy a new one and slide into the drivers seat and it just feels right. The driving position is more upright than other cars and all the controls offer wonderful feedback. The brakes are amazing for an older car, the steering is precise and gives you a feeling for the road. If the suspension is in good order, the car handles well and is very predicable. With a few upgrades the car becomes impressive in its road holding ability. The turning radius is unrivaled in any other car of similar size which gives it a maneuverable feel. I test drove the new Mini Cooper and its turning radius is way bigger than the 240.<br />
<br />
Obviously not everything is amazing, there are some issues. The are getting old now. Even the last one made is now 20 years old! So there are rattles, broken seat springs, a bad AC system design, the wiring the the trunk hinges is probably broken, suspension bushing are probably gone, there is a drive line support bearing that will need replacing, the vacuum line are probably shot, and the odometer might not work. Most of these are easy fixes especially if you know what to look for and once they are taken care of you will have a nice car that will do exactly what you want. For a dose of reality, it will never be a nice car in the way a BMW is a nice car. The 240 has a cheap plastic interior and there are no creature comforts like dual climate control and memory power seats... but one does not need to borrow $30,000 to buy a used one. Despite the issues I would take the 240 over any other Volvo. After the 240 was the 740 (similar mechanically but horrid looks and bad suspension) and then it just started going downhill. The 850 was a move to a front wheel drive 5 cylinder that killed the neutral handling of the 240. The current issues with Volvo transmissions make the newer ones at the bottom of my list of cars to own. As a rhetorical question: What is it about this 20 year old car that makes it more desirable than many newer cars?<br />
<br />
I still shop for 240's out of habit and still peruse the <a href="http://www.ipdusa.com/">IPD</a> web site to check prices (they make the suspension upgrades for Volvos). I hover over the bid button on ebay when I see a 240 with 60,000 original miles and daydream about how I would have it delivered to my house so that when I come home for the summer I will have one to drive... I have a collection of old 240 dealer literature, a model of a 240 wagon and a Volvo key fob that lays in wait to keep the key for the next 240 company. For those interested the price of a good 240 is on the rise. 5 years ago you could pick up a clean one for $2000 and now is is creeping up to the $5000 mark. Sure you can still find the deals for under $1000 but the interior is shot, plastic pieces broken, suspension shot and over 200,000 miles. Not to say that they should be sent to the junk yard, they are still great cars that with some money would be solid. But for the price of the "deal" and the money to fix all the problems you could buy a nice low mileage one that has been sitting in some old lady's garage for the past 20 years and is in great shape. There is no other car out there in this price range that will do it all the way the 240 will... I wonder if there are any new ones on Craigslist?</div>Nickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09390203054567695072noreply@blogger.com6