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| Sunday, July 26th, 2009 | | 4:41 pm |
Talking while driving
Recent stories claim that carrying on a conversation while driving is as imparing as a blood alcohol level of 0.08, even if it's on a hands free phone. Supposedly it's the conversation that draws too much attention. So my question is what makes a hands free conversation any different than talking to a passenger? Do we need to institute a sterile cockpit rule like airlines use? | | Friday, June 26th, 2009 | | 1:13 pm |
My at-home vacation has been very relaxing and productive. I didn't get to many of my to-do projects but I did accomplish a big one. After a twenty six month gap I am now recertified as pilot in command. I studied the regulations a couple days and then went flying with an instructor on Monday. We spent two hours on the ground going over regulations and procedures, and then pulled the plane out for a trip from our base at Willow Run Airport in Ypsilanti to Jackson County Airport. With the long absence it took a little while to get comfortable again, mostly because of the feeling that I didn't know what I had forgotten and I didn't want to mess up.
The biggest challenge was the new IFR certified moving map GPS/Nav/Com unit. Very powerful, but with many buttons and knobs to fiddle with and lots of menus strange operation that has to be memorized. And I didn't do that ahead of time. So I found myself fiddling, twisting, pushing, and staring at the display trying to get it to point to Jackson. All the while my heading and altitude drifted around.
With a little help I got that dialed in and headed to the airport. I delayed the descent from cruise to pattern altitude so I entered the traffic pattern a little high, but managed to get down by chopping the power and slowing down. Not something I would want to do in cold weather, but with the heat of that day there wasn't any danger of shock cooling the engine. I flared a bit high on that first landing and had to add a bit of power to let it settle smoothly, but I got it down without a big bang on my first try. We taxied back and took off for several more landings, each one an improvement on the last.
The examiner was satisfied with that so we went out did stalls, slow flight, steep turns, and some basic hood work (simulated instrument flying). I credit the three trips out to California for aerobatic training for my good performance there. After turning an airplane upside down and driving around for a while, looping, spinning, and performing hammer-head turns you get a good feel for controlling an aircraft in all attitudes that doesn't leave you. I think I'll go back for another refresher this winter.
I didn't get signed off that night due to my lack of familiarity with the GPS unit, so we scheduled another flight for Wednesday. I fired up a basic training program I had for the unit and spent Tuesday studying. Wednesday we repeated the flight to Jackson, but this time I spun the knobs like a pro and passed the radio work so he signed me off. Now the challenge will be to continue flying so this doesn't happen again.
Of course this is just the opening act. I still have to regain my instrument proficiency and pass that check ride which is going to be much more involved. Fortunately for my wallet most of that study is actually best done on the ground with flight simulators, study programs, and books, most of which I already own. Allocating the time is going to be the bigger factor, but I do have three more weeks of vacation that I will likely spend just like this one. | | Monday, June 1st, 2009 | | 3:59 pm |
Projects
My project list is growing far faster than I can adress. I've probably got enough for the year right now. The latest addition is a set of raised beds for Maria's vegetable garden. I'm building them from cedar decking with buiscut joinery so they'll last a long time and that's a good deal of the reason the first has stretched to two weeks now. The boards are all warpped to some degree and that makes a normally trivial job a lot more tedious. I'm laying up the bottom and that means 80+ slots to align. I'm going to switch to 4' exterior vs interior dimensions so I can switch to better quality boards I found at a different box store. That should speed construction. I didn't relish digging through the first pile of boards for three more boxes and each time having less to pick from. | | Tuesday, May 26th, 2009 | | 11:49 pm |
Star Trek
I finally saw it last night. It was a good action flick for the most part, though I did have some problems with it. Ok, I'll accept the time travel as required to reboot in an alternate universe. And Kirk growing up witbout his dad might make him maladjusted, fine. But his flippant treatment of the Kobiashimaru (sp?) test bothered me. He just blatantly cheated like a petulant child. He has no defense. "I don't believe in a no win scenerio?". What about the Romulans? His cheat was no win for them. Guns? Didn't fire. Shields? What shields? Oooops, you loose. But all is forgiven when you save the universe. There was so much more class in the book version where he plausably argues that reputation can alter the scenerio. That is internally consistant and much more satisfying because you can accept it, unlike this divine interference. Then there are a few nitpicks, but they bothered me during the movie. Sulu claims fencing, then pulls out a katana. Fencing and Kenodo are not the same. And have all three carry enough explosives to do the job? Nah, that's to rational. We wouldn't have that hand to hand. It's the tech future but so many love to bring knives to a gun fight. The captain has the codes to earths defenses and walks into Nero/Nemo's clutches? The defenses don't require any hardware/encryption like my SecureID card? Guess they lost that bit of technology. OK, that moves the plot along quickly and gives us fun action sequences, but I hate being bumped out of my disbelief in the middle of the picture. | | Saturday, April 25th, 2009 | | 8:39 pm |
Maria found a doggy friendly outdoor mall called Partridge Creek, and we finally made the trip. It's pretty cool sitting in the Shi shoe store scritching Tasha as Maria looks at shoes. | | Saturday, April 11th, 2009 | | 2:48 pm |
Sewing Project
Maria and I were shopping last night when the subject of a new dog bed for Boo came up. She has been sleeping on an old folded blanket ever since Tasha ate the comforter we were using ever since she ate the last two dog beds. Tasha really loves to chew and at $45 to $90 a bed it is getting expensive.
I suggested we make our own to cut costs so we headed over to the fabric store. Once there my thoughts changed from making a cheap bed to creating a dog proof one. I looked at thicker canvas like fabric and rip stop nylon but neither seemed right. The duck cloth looked like it would yield to her teeth and the rip stop was too light. I Googled "Unchewable dog bed" and got a hit. It is constructed of 1000 Denier Cordura(TM) nylon. Another search revealed the fabric is used in all sorts of outdoor gear and goes for $12-$15/yd. That's just ticket.
Maria came back from her wanderings with a box pillow style dog bed pattern. The store was closing so we just bought that and headed home. Even though Maria has a very nice Viking sewing machine and a Huskavarna serger neither of us has much sewing experience. I figured out how to thread and operate the serger several years ago when we started a cape project that is currently sitting in the basement. Still, how difficult could it be? More research leads me to believe the Viking can deal with the Cordura so it looks doable.
I spent some time learning to read the pattern and deciding that it is a bit lacking. It doesn't mention any closure. Back to the computer and I find enough instruction on constructing box pillows and installing lapped zippers that I have confidence in the success of the project. One of pages even mentions making a pocket for the zipper pull. That's required since Tasha just loves to chew on the pulls and anything exposed is going to suffer her attention. Next up, research on "Indestructible zipper".
The store is having a 1/2 off sale on all its foam next week so we'll wait on that. Meanwhile I'll draft a pattern to just match the inside of the crate and calculate the yardage required. | | Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 | | 11:36 pm |
Bad Dog
Tasha has been digging holes again. Only this time she didn't get muddy since she was in the kitchen. Oh well, we were going to replace the floor anyway... | | Friday, March 27th, 2009 | | 5:56 pm |
Projects
We have quite a few projects built up around the house, from fixing leaks in the basement to redoing the master bath to a kitchen remodel. The kitchen is the most problematic since it just doesn't have enough wallspace for all the counter, cabinets and appliances we want. I'm actually tempted to build a new kitchen off the back of the house. We could probably afford it if I did most of the work myself, though I would have to learn a few more skills and it would be a huge project. We'll see how I feel about it after gutting and rebuilding the bath. | | Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 | | 9:55 pm |
AKC Show at Cobo
Spent all Saturday at the AKC dog show at Cobo Hall. Maria hurt her knee tripping over the dog gate a few days ago so I borrowed a wheel chair and pushed her around. We got there before the first trials at 9am so we could catch the German Shepherd Conformation. Even though I've read up on it a bit I really don't understand the judging, nor do I understand the draw. The owners hire professional handlers to show the dogs, so if they weren't involved with the breeding they really don't have much involvement. Another thing I noticed is that those dogs are very short on obedience, to the point of dragging the handlers around like a sled dog. Even that wouldn't be so bad but the breed idea is the American Shepherd with its slopping back that I don't like. We spent a good deal of the day hanging out with the others from the Detroit German Shepherd club at the bench of Tasha's breeder Treu Schaferhaus Kennel. We watched Becka (Tasha's grandmother) compete in Advanced Novice Rally and win second place. There were three dogs from the kennel competing and I ended up holding one of them for a while. It was nice being able to pet one after only being able to look for so long! I got invested in his doing well in his first rally, and he qualified even though he failed the first down at the start of the course. It was already a moderately expensive day with the tickets, program, parking, overpriced food, and dog sitter but then we spotted "Dogwise". They are a huge bookseller with nothing but dog books! Maria and I dropped a big chunk of change, she on rally books and me on agility. Tasha can get started on rally right away, but she'll have to wait at least another year before her growth plates fuse to start jumping. The Ann Arbor dog club has a puppy intro to agility course where they have low contact obstacles and no jumps and I'll probably try her out in that when it is next offered. She took the A-frame, open tunnel, walk, and tire at the breeder's training facility after an obedience class and enjoyed them so I figure it could be fun for both of us. She needs something to burn all that energy and I can't walk it all out of her. I am gaining a real appreciation for how much work it takes to get ready for competition as I read the books. Not only does the dog need to master each obstacle, but the handler has to know how to run a course for the best time and to avoid traps. We'll see how it goes. | | 7:43 pm |
eBooks before flying cars
SF has promised many things that haven't come to pass, but one of the least flashy finally has. I've been using the Kindle for several months now and it is living up to the flavor of the many stories it has been featured in. I've got dozens of books in it and immediate access to hundreds of thousands at Amazon. Add a bunch of publisher givaways and I can't keep up with my reading list. I'm starting to take for granted the fact that I can slip it into a jacket pocket as I step out the door and I don't have to worry about running out of material or pause to consider which book to take or decide based on size or weight. It's starting to fade into the background, though I still get enough questions about it that it is still more notable than in most stories. Posted via LiveJournal.app. | | Tuesday, November 4th, 2008 | | 10:04 pm |
Michigan Proposals
It looks like both the medical marajuana and stem cell proposals are passing. I didn't think they would make it but it looks like rationality won out. Posted via LiveJournal.app. | | Monday, October 13th, 2008 | | 7:05 pm |
Looking for a decent Mechwarrior PS3 game...
I've had my PS3 for several months now and I've only got four games so I started looking for others that I might like. I remembered having a lot of fun with the PC Mechwarriors games and figured there would be something comparable for the PS3, but I seem to be wrong.
I found something called "Armor Core", but the demo tells me that it has at least three basic problems that kill it for me. 1) It has only a 3rd person view. Looking over the Mech's shoulder from above and behind turns me into a spectator rather than immersing me in the experience. It's too much like running a toy by remote control than a simulator experience. Not very satisfying. 2) No real storyline. Even a shootem-up benefits from a good narative. 3) Up is down: Push the stick forward and the view tilts up, pull back and the view tilts down. This is a deal breaker because as a pilot my instinct is to tilt down when pushing the stick forward and I just can't break it. A decent game will let you reverse the control and the best games notice when you are hunting and suggest a reversal. I can't understand any game not being able to deal with this. | | Thursday, October 9th, 2008 | | 10:33 pm |
“Now I’ll have my entire CD collection with me all the time!” was my thought way back when I bought my first iPod. There was a time I kept a Discman™ and a stack of a dozen CD’s at work, but now I had access to every track I owned. The funny thing is I listen to far less music today than before that purchase, and it’s all due to that little device. Oh, and podcasts… It all started innocently enough with “Ask a Ninja” once a week but over a few months my subscriptions have grown to over twenty. That may not seem like a lot, but you have to consider that any new cast I find might have seventy hours of archives to work through, and most of those shows reference others that I just have to check out. I’ve got several professional casts including NBC Nightly News, NPR’s Car Talk, Planet Money, and This American Life, Slate, VH1 Best Night/Week Ever, and Cooks Illustrated video. Then there’s a whole host of great stuff like Secret Pants Sketch Comedy, Skepticality, and Escape Pod (great short SF stories). So now I listen to podcasts on the way to work, at work, on the way home, when mowing the lawn, or even walking the dog. | | Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 | | 8:09 pm |
Puppy!
 The Saturday before last Maria asked "Can we go look at puppies?" Well OK, I thought it won't hurt to go look...
After half an hour of meeting all their dogs and the two remaining puppies from the litter Maria turned to me, pointed to the cute puppy with the yellow collar and said, "Say hello to your new puppy!"
Since then I've read "Ceaser's Way", "How to Raise a Puppy" by the monks of New Skeet, "Good Owners, Great Dogs", and part of "My Smart Puppy" with "How to be your Dog's Best Friend" waiting on the nightstand.
Neither of us was really ready but we were sold. I was impressed with the temperament of all the dogs. You could stick your hand in any of the kennels and get it licked rather than chewed on, and at least two of Tasha's litter mates went to Leader Dogs of New York. Tasha has turned out to be fearless, not bothered by the vacuum cleaner, garbage disposal, or the neighbors Bulldog. On the downside I call her my little piranha as she's a real ankle biter. We've gone through half a bottle of "Bitter Apple" spray so far to make ourselves taste bad.
Lullabell, our thirteen year old Basset Hound is helping to socialize her. She wasn't happy about getting a puppy at first, but they are warming up. They are both confined to the kitchen until Tasha is fully housebroken so Maria has moved her laptop from her upstairs office to the kitchen table where she can keep an eye on them. The weather has been fantastic the last week which allowed her to leave the doorwall open for the beasts to come and go as they please. | | Monday, September 15th, 2008 | | 1:17 am |
Hitting things with sticks
I started drum lessons a few weeks ago and I'm having quite a bit of fun with it. Hitting things with sticks is just as satisfying as it was when I was a little kid banging the pots with wooden spoons. A couple years ago I bought Maria an electronic drum kit from our local Guitar Center based on how much she was smiling when taking a demo spin on the set. Everyone in the drum room of the store, employees and customers alike, just seemed to be so positive and happy that we were sold. Unfortunately when it came time to select an instructor I found the one fellow who didn't share that attitude and he managed to turn her off drumming in three lessons. That's were it stood until I decided to make use of the kit. My piano teacher had moved to Texas a few months ago and I've been taking a break from the keyboard so I figured it would be a great substitute. One of my big faults was a lack of rythm so I figured this would be a great cure. No worries about melody, just concentrate on the beat. I went back to the Guitar Center in search of local lessons and found that "Axis Music" was only a mile or so away from my house, and only four or five stores down from the local pool hall. There I found Bob. Bob is positive and fun just like the first drummers I found. The half hour lessons just fly by, unlike some of my piano lessons did. One of the problems I had with classical piano lessons was the emphisis on memorizing pieces rather than training to be able to play from a lead sheet (fake book). So much of what I learned was not applicable to the next piece and so I wasted quite a bit of time. With drums I don't have to worry about that. Any groove or fill I learn will be applicable to many different songs. Eventually I will return to piano, but for now I am enjoying my new instrument. I think it was meant to be. I went back to the store to check on the extended warranty since a clamp broke and found out that the salesman who sold us the kit was Chuck Behler, a former drummer for Megadeth (1987-1988). | | Tuesday, September 9th, 2008 | | 7:58 pm |
More iPhone goodness
Google on the go, Amazon reviews in Borders, and RottenTomatoe reviews in the video store. Tried researching Tuscany brand crystal cordial glasses in Bed Bath & Beyond but was denied by "No Signal". | | Friday, September 5th, 2008 | | 5:51 pm |
Convergence
For several years I’ve been carrying a basic cell phone, an iPod, and a PDA to cover my communication, entertainment and scheduling needs on the go. Lately however the cell phone had been exhibiting poor reception such that a lot of calls are going straight to voicemail. The lack of Bluetooth was also being felt since I got Sync™ in my car. So when my wife’s voicemail stated “You need a new phone!” it was time to go hunting. The number of phones out there is truly astounding and it’s not all that easy to pick one. A year ago I tried a new one for a short time but turned it back in when I found that the speaker was just so weak I couldn’t hear well enough without stuffing the phone in my ear. The first decision was “Smart phone” or “Dumb phone”. Maria has had the 8525 smart phone for a year and it’s a heavy brick that’s only so-so as a PDA or browser. With the advent of the iPhone 3g I decided to give Apple another look. When it first came out the iPhone wasn’t a very good phone, and didn’t have enough PDA functions for me to consider it. Now it syncs with MS Outlook, has third party applications, and better reception. So I went for it. The phone does have better reception, but a huge benefit was that I no longer have a “Bat Utility Belt” with phone, iPod, and PDA competing for space. Many times I would leave the PDA home because it didn’t fit easily in a pocket, and other times I would leave the iPod to avoid the utility belt syndrome. Now I have all three functions in one device that fits in an understated black leather belt carrier. | | Thursday, July 24th, 2008 | | 9:44 pm |
One step closer
Dropped by the security office at the airport and obtained a security badge for the T-Hangers so I won't get chased off. Ordered the latest version of the ASA On-Top IFR flight simulator that integrates with the virtual Garmin 430 IFR GPS so I can practice using it at home in all sorts of scenerios without having to burn av-gas. The new version returns the ability to run an extended desktop so an instructor or flying buddy can use the second screen to change the weather or create failures as you fly. I'm going to try to get another club member or two to form a sort of study group to challenge each other by creating and running scenarios. | | Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 | | 3:06 pm |
Regaining my wings
Finally got myself moving and obtained my FAA medical this morning so I can get back in the air. Next challenge is to get to Willow Run in the morning and get my airport badge for the new security setup. Several weeks ago I attended the training and testing session so this will just be a matter of getting my mug shot and paying the fee. | | Tuesday, June 24th, 2008 | | 10:59 pm |
An Old Brain Learns New Tricks
I've been needing bifocals for a couple years now, but put it off since I didn't like any of my options. Since I have astigmatism and wear contacts I could increase the power of my contacts and add reading glasses, or just suffer with poorer distance vision in order to keep my close vision intact. I opted for the latter until recently.
A few weeks ago I was fitted in a beta program for a new hybrid style of multi-focal contact lens. It has a hard center bonded to a soft skirt for a combination of sharp focus and long wearing comfort. The center of the hard lens is set for close reading and the rest is set for distance vision.
On my first visit they had me insert them, then go into the waiting room for half an hour for the lenses to settle. I did some reading and noticed a weird 3-D effect. The text over a picture on an add jumped out and seemed to hover inches above the picture. When I was called in I was told that I might have a "pronounced 3-D effect" for a while. No kidding...
My close vision wasn't bad, but distance was a poor 20/30 or 20/40. I wasn't thrilled, but was told to go home and give them time. When I went back to the doctor three weeks ago it seemed a little better, but variable. They decided I needed touch more curvature in the hard lens to keep it in place and ordered another pair. Monday I went in and swapped them. A new check put my vision at 20/20 in each eye and almost 20/15 together (I missed one letter on the line).
So it seems my brain has learned to differentiate between the two focal ranges and use just the portion of the image that is in focus for the distance I am using. When I first got them it was using both focal ranges and messing up the image. I've read about experiments in the past where people were given distorting glasses to wear constantly for a long time and thier brains eventually corrected for the distortion, including one which flipped the scene upside down. |
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