MTB - mountain bike research

Thinking about picking up a new or used bike to hit the local trails(Dogtown/Ravenswood primarily) this year-- My trusty old Giant Yukon ('96) has been a great bike, but its probably time for a major overhaul.   Some things have changed over the last decade in the world of mtn bikes, and i'm coming up to speed with the latest and greatest -- while trying to also keep costs under control. 

Disc brakes -- similar to motorcycle and car brakes, pad brakes are hard to find on intermediate+ bikes today...  stopping power seems to be good, but it does feel a bit different....

Suspension -- front suspensions are pretty popular, you get some extra shock absorbancy for downhills, but they are actually wasteful when you are on flat pavement or climbing uphill as some energy is lost.  some front suspensions have a 'lock-out' feature which allows you to lock your front fork solid.  rear suspension seems like a bit overkill for what I need, and it also adds costs and similar energy waste in most of the cases.  Front and rear suspension seems to be most important for big jumps/drops, or mountainous downhill which I'm not really into (yet?).

Wheels - the 29er... the standard 26" wheel is being seriously challenged by a larger wheel, the 29" aka 29er.....  It makes the ride feel a bit different, and I think deserves some consideration as I make my choice...
Gears--  some folks are jumping on an old school single-gear 1-speed bandwagon, personally I'm not seeing the appeal here -- i'll stick to my 18 or 24 speeds and rapid fire shifting...

thoughts?  I haven't decided yet if the 29er or front suspension is something I would enjoy-

Here are some that are in the running....

I ended up with a 19" aluminum frame 29er created by Motobecane, it includes a front suspension fork by Suntour (XCT V3 29) with 100mm of travel.  The front fork is considerend entry level, but it does have 'lockout' which allows it to be locked and perform similar to a fixed front suspension althoug it is most likely heavier.  The rear derailler is Shimano Deore, front Shimano Alivio -- it has Shimano Alivio rapid fire trigger shifting and a 27 speed Shimano cassette.  The wheels are 29" with quick release hubs, and it comes with Tektro Novela disc brakes.  Looking forward to giving it a spin! Some more detailed pics.

live().on()

$("#today p").live().on("click", function(event){
alert("and again, it ticks.");
});

$('p.accepting-contracts').next();

$("#resume doc").on("click", function(event){
$.get("gmamante_resume.doc");
});

Gloucester MA last frost date

With an exceptionally warm spring so far, everyone is thinking about gardening a bit earlier than usual. The above map source shows Gloucester probably in the clear in early May for the last freeze of the year. Historically it looks like the record for the last 32 degree low is May 7th. I typically plant around memorial day, but am considering some earlier planting this year with some lettuce seeds already in the ground, and some peas/beans right behind.

Indoors, I'm starting up Tomatoes(Cherry and Big Boy), Basil(Italian leaf and Thai), Cilantro, Sage, Parsley and Peppers. Chives, Thyme and Sage from last years garden seem to have come back and are already growing!

Hubway Hotspots

North Station and Gov't Center are the stations I use most frequently -- but I imagine cambridge street and the northend stations may see some visits this year.  This screenshot is taken from they iphone app called Spotcycle which gives you realtime updates to how many bikes are available and how many empty dock slots are available.

Angus and Julia Stone - Silver Coin

market demand for your major

while the ideals of doing what you truly love may make the workday more enjoyable -- the problem is the market needs you.


Top 50 Occupations with the Most Openings


Top 50 Occupations with the Most Openings w/ College degree


Top 50 Highest-Paying Occupations by Median Hourly Wages

maybe you would love to do something like this?



Courtesy of National Data Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics Survey and CareerOneStop is sponsored by the U. S. Department of Labor,
Employment and Training Administration

The Challenge of the Sea

We can't control the winds or weather ahead- we can learn about the forecast, currents and tides, but the variables are too many to understand them completely-- you need to be ready to change the plan.

I was not born at sea, and spending many years of my life on land and on calmer rivers and ponds, a degree of intimidation exists whenever I cast off from shore. Your preparation and initial judgement only take you up to the decision point, and once you set off -- there are only two options: turning around and giving up, or pushing forward and succeeding.

The sea has challenged me, and built my strength in a way which no course or classroom could. While some focus on their strengths and continue on with their weaknesses, I prefer to squash my fears, using all my strengths to do so. The fundamental driver of success is determination and knowing you can do it. You won't do it right the first time, but you did it. Next time you'll do it better, building upon each experience-- adjusting your course.

So what are you afraid of? Yourself.

do something great today

Today, not anytime this week, but today -- do something awesome.

I don't care what it is, I don't care if its for work, or for play, but just get out there and do it. Do something great!

After you do, find the biggest piece of paper you can find. Write it down. Celebrate, because today, was, a good day.

Copper Mountain, Colorado

Smarty Pig, Mint.com, Saltmoney.org

Dedicate a savings account to your goal, and even better -- auto deduct from your checking account so you are forced to meet it. Smarty Pig.com piggy banks.

Aggregate your accounts within your own banks website, or check out Mint.com

Learn about your student loan debt, and your repayment options from Saltmoney.org

If you have personal finance tools that you use regularly and speak highly of, I'd like to hear about them.

iPhone and iPads, moving beyond apps

While app development will continue to bring new fun and useful applications to the market -- this will be an important year for Apple in another way. Hardware paired with applications will further spur advancements in using the mobile phone and tablet as a user interface for control. Picture anything that today has a mediocre display screen and simplified horrible user interface -- now you can use your device to control instead. A truly universal remote -- not just for TV and AV equipment, but really anything that can be remotely controlled or interfaced.
Syma Copter
What have you seen already out there? What is coming next?

digital cash

it is the next big thing.

I want to be able to give you cash, as easily as it is to take a 20$ bill out of my wallet and hand it to you.

We are there, the technology allows for it. Who is going to do it?

Occupy First Chair

source: tetonat.com

Jobs

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.

How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that's never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

We make tools for these kinds of people.

While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.

Thanks Steve

Santorini, Greece

We explored the whole island, by walking, 4x4, taxi, bus, boat, plane...

What an amazing trip.

09-17-2011

and every day after :)



quonniewedding.com

'02 Nissan Pathfinder

It was time to retire my '96 Pathfinder, she was a great vehicle and we had a lot of great trips up to the mountains together.



I replaced her with a 6 year 'newer' vehicle, a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder w/98k miles, pretty much the same core truck with 6 years less rust. The added perk of working AC and a sunroof is great, although going from standard transmission to automatic was a bit of a transition. New front brakes, rotors, exhaust, evap canister+valve --

I had considered an older 4Runner too this time around, and hoped to have been able to find one that spent some time in southern states -- but after test driving several vehicles this one seemed to fit the bill right.

Now to plan my preventative maintainance--

Cold Cucumber Soup - NY Times

2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup chopped onion (or 1 leek sliced/cubed)
2/ cups diced, unpeeled garden cucumber (no-wax supermarket one)
1 cup watercress leaves
1/2 cup finely diced raw potato
2 cups chicken broth
2 large sprigs of parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1 cup heavy cream
chopped chives, radish garnish
1 pinch cayenne pepper (dads note)


Melt butter in sauce pan w onion, cooked until onions transparent. Add everything but cream, boil, simmer 15+ (potato tender), cool, puree in blender or food processor. Salt/Pepper to taste. Chill. Before serving, stirr in cream, add garnish.

Zuchini Bread Recipe

Good stuff, give it a try with some nice garden Zukes!

350 60-70 mins

2/3 c crisco shortening
2 2/3 c sugar
3 cups shredded zuchini
4 eggs
2/3 c water
3 1/3 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp each cinnamon + cloves

Love this one mom-- Thanks.

Boston's Hubway - Zipcar like rentals for bikes!

I love to bike.. I rarely bring it into the city on the commuter rail due to space and the commuter rails rules of no full-size bikes during rush hours.

Today, Mayor Menino launched a bike-share program called The Hubway which in its initial phase introduces 600 shared bikes to the city. I signed up for an annual membership after seeing the Mayor kickoff the program. I then had to wait for a key-fob to be mailed to me -- I couldn't wait, later today I decided to pay the 5$ 24hour fee and take a bike for a spin. Using a credit card, the process was pretty quick and painless.. Hopped on a bike and headed to my destination.

The biggest question in this programs infancy, is will there be a bike in the area you need it -- and will there be an empty 'dock' spot where you are going. The other catch is will I always have my helmet with me whenever I want to hop on a bike?

There is a useful SpotCycle app that is useful for looking at how many bikes are available and how many empty spots are around where you are heading!

Check it out, thehubway.com. Spend the 5$ and give it a try! If there are no stations yet around where you live/work, you can suggest them for a future phase!

Seamunkey Splashes

here she swims -- in Gloucester's Southeast harbor

After working on the hull and outboard for the majority of the spring, today was a very rewarding day in the books! Next year, hope to be in before fiesta and the fourth--

Last year I had her in the harbor half a month earlier, but there was minimal effort to get her ready for the summer season...

Yamaha 9.9 Head Gasket replacement

Above you see the valves and ends of the spark plugs, below we have the top of the two pistons. The area Bram is pointing out with a screwdriver is one of the sections that was clogged.

After isolating the cooling problem somewhere into the head, it was time to go in and plan on finding some problem with the head gasket. In the passageway of the head where the water exits, there were heavy salt deposits -- soo much so that one of the passages was completely blocked solid, and the other one was also pretty clogged. We think(hope) that was the problem. It looks like that could have been caused by the head gasket being previously 'repaired' instead of completely replaced.

Inland - by Edna St. Vincent Millay

Inland

People that build their houses inland,
People that buy a plot of ground
Shaped like a house, and build a house there,
Far from the sea-board, far from the sound

Of water sucking the hollow ledges,
Tons of water striking the shore,—
What do they long for, as I long for
One salt smell of the sea once more?

People the waves have not awakened,
Spanking the boats at the harbour's head,
What do they long for, as I long for,—
Starting up in my inland bed,

Beating the narrow walls, and finding
Neither a window nor a door,
Screaming to God for death by drowning,—
One salt taste of the sea once more?

By Edna St. Vincent Millay

Yamaha Outboard 1993 T9.9ELHR - Water Pump Repair (Impeller)

Picked up Yamaha part 682-W0078-01-00 (WATER PUMP REPAIR KIT) from Boats.net.



Planning to replace the impeller(#21) and surrounding gaskets and seals. The kit included the parts below.

UPDATE: Replacement was not too difficult, loosening the nut which connected to the shifting mechanism was the most difficult aspect. After taking the lower unit off, all of the parts below were replaced. This project was done because its something you should do every few years, but also water was not being pumped through the engine and therefore not cooling the engine properly.

Unfortunately, it looks like there may be a problem somewhere in the head unit, so further investigation is now required.

#18 682-44365-00-00
DAMPER, WATER SEAL

#19 97395-06040-00
BOLT

#20 682-44322-00-00
INSERT, CARTRIDGE

#21 682-44352-01-00
IMPELLER

#22 682-44315-A0-00
GASKET, WATER PUMP

#23 682-44323-00-00
OUTER PLATE, CARTRIDGE

#24 90280-03024-00
KEY, WOODRUFF

Iphone 3GS 32GB on T-mobile

I've had a few iphones, and am familiar with the unlocking/jailbreaking process to get them to work on T-Mobile. Although, before you jailbreak and unlock, it is wise to do your homework on which firmware and baseband versions you have installed on your device.

So it looks like I have Version 4.3.2 (8H7) for my iOS firmware, and Modem Firmware of 05.16.02. I'll post my research and findings here.

I updated my baseband to a strange version, the iPad baseband 06.15.00, because supposedly that was unlockable -- I have not had any luck yet. It is jailbroken so I can at least use it as a 32GB 'iTouch' on wifi for now.

Update: I ended up using a variety of iphone tools, to end up installing a custom version of iOs 4.1 (8B117). If you are attempting to jailbreak/unlock for the first time -- read up. The amount of knowledge and posts out there is overwhelming, especially as much of it is opinion and personal recommendations....

The utilities you should have handy:

Pen + Paper: write down your phones Version (iOS), Modem Firmware (baseband), Serial number may also come in handy.

iTunes - create a backup of your iphone today. Backup your contacts, anything of importance. Get familiar and comfortable erasing your iphone with an official Apple 'stock' firmware, and then restoring your backups. Firmware can be chosen instead of auto-upgraded to latest and greatest -- learn how to do this (Shift+Restore/Option+Restore). If you upgrade to 'latest + greateast' you could be shutting yourself out from unlocking/jailbreaking...

TinyUmbrella- learn about and create backups with this tool

iClarified - great website for tutorials and stock firmware

iphone-dev.org - learn about and possibly get redsn0w and pwnage, note that versions work well with firmwares from around that timeframes

Archive the utilities and firmware versions you used for later reference and use.