random juggernaut

What a week. A snowday off of work. Back in session at The New School. Back to reality. Back to life. Back to the beach on a Friday night.

This book, MediaPedia by Kit Laybourne, is what I’m reading for one class. It’s really interesting and I can foresee using it in the communications classes I teach.

Missed skating all week, and it looks like I’m missing out again on Sunday night… but at least a visit to Johnny B out in LA in two weeks will bring lots of stuntwood and slideboard time. Flying Virgin Airlines this time too… pysched.

It is really so easy to go out and buy new stuff. I just did it myself… grabbing a new Macbook when my Powerbook is at least barely cranking along. I bought new wheels for my bike instead of building up a new rim for the old hub (well, it was a lot less expensive for a whole wheelset and now when I get around to building it up again I’ll have a bike to leave in Chicago for when I’m back there for vacationing. Gotta end again.

NPR did a spot on the Makers, and there is some interesting stuff going on here. A different type of consumerism, and a real direction back to the future.

Mr. Jalopy kills it on so many levels. Above is what he terms “The worlds biggest iPod.” Sickness…

Here is the manifesto from Mr. Jalopy, the man on the bike up top…

The Maker’s Bill of Rights

*Meaningful and specific parts lists shall be included.
*Cases shall be easy to open.
*Batteries should be replaceable.
*Special tools are allowed only for darn good reasons.
*Profiting by selling expensive special tools is wrong and not making special tools available is even worse.
*Torx is OK; tamperproof is rarely OK.
*Components, not entire sub-assemblies, shall be replaceable.
*Consumables, like fuses and filters, shall be easy to access.
* Circuit boards shall be commented.
* Power from USB is good; power from proprietary power adapters is bad.
*Standard connecters shall have pinouts defined.
* If it snaps shut, it shall snap open.
*Screws better than glues.
* Docs and drivers shall have permalinks and shall reside for all perpetuity at archive.org.
* Ease of repair shall be a design ideal, not an afterthought.
* Metric or standard, not both.
*Schematics shall be included.

I’m even more psyched to get the wifey’s three speed Raleigh that I found abandoned refurbed. Powder pink and black, like the pirate she be.

On these cold winter days I dream of riding around, sweating and going to new and interesting places without having to drag out the big fricking car. I don’t own a fanny pack, though. The 80s are well over here, thanks.

(Grabbed the images from VeloOrange and from…Yazuriha.

Thinking of a few years ago when the crew was a couple crews and things seemed a lil simpler and there was more time to do, well, nothing.

And there was a lil surf flick that helped motivate a lot of us to get involved with each other a lil more than we did before.

This whole thing has been hard on me.

What did your kid eat today? mine had blknd catfish and blackeyed bean cakes. She rules.

I’ve been thinking lately of trying to whip myself back into the speed and agility I think I had a bit more of before swearing ON Bacchinalia for the past few years. The couple years I spent racing bikes was sorta fun and I think I’m going to make an effort to actually get the track bike ON the track…and go really fast to the left. Maybe I’ll try to work up a couple categories or something. I have also never competed in a Keirin-style race and would love the opportunity. Kissena or Northbrook are close (depending if I’m in CT/NY or Chicago) so I’ll have plenty of opportunity.

Some info about the Keirin. Good stuff.

On a related note, as far as crashing goes, the latest from Jeff at DayOne. I make a small crappy cameo.

christmas awarded me a new girlfriend and bike…

Trying out the whole mobile blogger thing. My moms in law got me a lil bag to keep some goodies in when far from home. That and stash space for booze.

Got the fixed gear up and running again… new and improved. Thanks to Rich at Tenefly Bicycle Workshop for the bars and the guys at Wheel&Sprocket for helping me out when in need… esp after crashing the last one so stupidly.

Congrats also to my buddy Joe who is taking the art work by storm after his showing at DayOne… three more shows lined up and a gig with Howell’s artsprojekt.That and my first Spitfire/DayOne wheel is about to be screened. PSYCHED.School starts up again next week at The New School… PostPhotography and Media Studies: Concepts. Reading for fun? Sure… Hells Angels by Hunter S. Thompson. Plenty of antibiotics and decongestants are making it go smoothly.