Archive for think about it

Media Minimalist

March 1, 2010 · Filed under personal value, think about it

Mass media:

a medium of communication (as newspapers, radio, or television) that is designed to reach the mass of the people —usually used in plura

In February, I reflected on what media is to me, and what I want to use it for.  I think most people use media as entertainment and social currency.

It’s not that I dislike or even hate media.

I just find that time and life energy are a finite source.  I’m not trying to cut myself off from the world.  I don’t look down on others for a media fascination.  If that’s what you like, cool.

But, I find media to be a life energy drain, for me.

There are downsides to being a minimalist.  I’ll get information (more) second-hand, subject to another layer of bias and filtering.  I’m ok with that, though.

I don’t really know what I mean by declaring that I’m a media minimalist.  Ideally, I want to use the least amount of media to create the maximum positive impact on my life.

I think this is why I hardly watch television in my adult life.  I also think this is why I stopped keeping up with the news about five years ago.  And, it’s the reason for my craving of non-conventional blogs.

For me, being a media minimalist is deciding to budget my influence, which is very similar to financial and caloric budgeting.

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Rewards for the Cyclists

January 27, 2010 · Filed under bicyclez, sustainability, think about it

There’s a management idea of push versus pull.  I like to think of it as:

  • Push: “You better finish that ____, or you’ll be in serious trouble.”
  • Pull: “If you finish that ____, I’ll give you an extra ____ for doing so.”

Some people operate better in a push than a pull, but I think most people like the woohoo idea of the latter.  This morning I came up with a pull method for cyclists.

The ingredients are 2 of those weight sensors (currently used for cars) especially in the left turn lane. These particular weight sensors would be calibrated to a range of sensitivity to >50 lbs and <500 lbs.   I figure most riders+bike will be more than 50 and less than 500 lbs.  Also, the average car weight is 3000 lbs (wikiAnswers), so half the weight [in the bike lane] would be 1500 lbs which is less than the upper specification of 500 lbs above.

With two of those weight sensors and the same controller that decides to change the light for the left turning cars, the controlling system could calculate the average speed of the cyclist and have the light turn green for him right as he would want to enter the intersection.

Ideally this would entice more people to bike commute by drastically reducing any waiting time at lights, which is more of a mental downer than it is one on’s commuting time, regardless if you are in a car or on a bike.

Of course the idea is the easy part of doing it. . .

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Mandatory High School Curriculum

January 7, 2010 · Filed under think about it

Since my high school reunion invitation didn’t ask me, I post my suggestions on how I think we can change high school curriculum, here.

Dilbert

I think English and Math are important skills.  Poor English can only adds to the case that you are indeed a moron.  Algebra is also a nice skill to have, since I don’t think anyone wants to get ripped off via a bank statement or a restaurant bill.

However, one skill I wish I had was water cooler talk, office politics, brown nosing, and the ability to more naturally quantify my work.  I think this would fit well into second semester junior social studies, and in addition to proficiency can bolster job performance.  Yes, this is quickly realized in the first months in the real world. However, I don’t think corporate training can start too early; that is actually part of the first course of corporate training.

To teach the course, there needs to be a specialization added in The Schools of Education: Dogbert.

Personal Finances

The university system is the first step of the rat race for many.  By dumb luck, the interests of math and science, and a little elbow grease, I made it into a couple programs to exit college debt-free with a professional job offer in hand.  But, to note it was mainly dumb luck.

After going separate ways, I’ve reunited with a few high school classmates in the past few years.  By this point in our quest through life, those peers and I realize what debt amounts to.  Not just a payment schedule, but the psychological burden of servitude to something we’re not always passionate about.

It is weird to see some of the smartest kids from the class that sunk the deepest in debt.  Although, the smart kids were the ones learning what the teachers tested on . . .

While in college, I saw a drastic change of a 100% tuition spike; however, the college experience (of personal and intellectual growth) stayed the same before and after the spike.  What changed was a nicer campus appearance, financial focus on research, and an initiative to recruit more out-of-state students.  The transition from an attempt at a learning utopia to a business.

I value my learnings in future value calculations, annuity payouts, and the magic of compounding interest.  A higher education is cool, but so is [financial] freedom.  I think an advanced society would provide their young to better understand, as well as the capability to calculate the payback period of a cool liberal arts education.  I’m not trying to knock liberal artists.  If anything, I’m jealous of their four years developing crazy ideas.

I just think it would be more fair to have our young apprentice in society, either saving up some money and/or earning “credits” for classes while deeper contemplating their career. I always value buying something after earning it, as opposed to abstractness of debt.

History as Research

I remember having an “aha!” moment reading Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States: 1492 to Present.  It was the first time that I learned history, like all other subjects, is open to human error.  Perhaps, Wikipedia is already opening this door.

How to Pack Heat Under a Trench Coat with Your Friends

Just joking.

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Evangelize Indifference

December 15, 2009 · Filed under think about it

Today on my commute, I saw a licence plate: “DIV NAKD.”  My initial thoughts were, “I wonder if the driver might be a SCUBA diver.  Sure enough two feet above the licence plate the sticker with the SCUBA DAN Flag, read “Discover Diving.”

NAUI certified me as a SCUBA diver a few years ago.  I don’t like SCUBA diving.  The actual diving, with Go-Go-Gadget lungs!, is fun.  But for the most part, I didn’t like all the preparation, clean up, and the general energy demands that the “sport” requires, like compressing air, transporting compressed air, sometimes getting a boat ride, and the need for all the gear that goes along with the sport.

I still value the experience.  It was a great way to actively learn about partial pressures and molecular diffusion that bores the average chemistry student, yet becomes suddenly more exciting when “death by nitrogen asphyxiation” is thrown into the mix.  And what better way to determine if you like a sport then to try it out!

Discover Diving.

It made me think: why?  Does DIV NAKD think my life will be fulfilled if I discover diving?  Is it the missing link to nirvana?  Will chicks finally dig me?

Then, I took inventory on my self-applied advertisements.

  • Bee Friendly (with a smiling cartoon bee on it).  Yeah, I’m ok with that one.* My main goal with this is for me to smile, when I see it.
  • Pass Gas (with a picture of a gas pump and a bicycle).  This is probably breaking my above rule to spread the message why have more foreign dependency than we need, if you can help it.  But, I like the implied fart humor, so I’m keeping it.
  • Yes, my bicycle has issues. If you don’t understand this sticker, then show up to any roadie group ride.  You will learn why I like this sticker.

Before this commute, I saw a message of camaraderie, #whyweride.  I decided that I liked this message.  It wasn’t so much, if you don’t ride a bicycle your life will suck.  It was a more: this is why I like to ride a bike.  The difference I see as evangelizing versus leading by examples.

*Although maybe “Bee an Ass” with an evil grin and a big stinger on its backside may bring out more emotions or entertainment, if that’s the end goal.

My next upcoming trip has two goals: alone time for my own reasons and POCAR training.  I’m going to areas people consider remote or rugged terrain.  So far, I’ve heard:

  • Sweet!
  • Huh, sounds like something you would do.
  • That is dumb; you are going to die.

I understand the first two.  I don’t understand the third.  Of the people that make this death statement, ALL of them have less outdoors experience than I do.  I think they might be extrapolating that with his experience, I would die.  (I don’t think he would.)

I’ve heard these statements before.  On one occasion, I learned the most culturally when I did NOT follow the nay-sayers’ advice.  So, I have experience tuning these pressures out.  I seek my own adventures and failures.

Just because you’ve gone down one path doesn’t mean that others should, too.  And, just because you seek to not go down one path doesn’t mean that it isn’t right for others.

So in general: unless you agree with me, I don’t want to hear your opinions.

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Slab City

December 1, 2009 · Filed under a real trip, sustainability

On the few bike tours I’ve ridden, my elevator speech to the question regarding “the best part of the trip” includes a favorite natural scenic landscape and a fun cultural experience.

On the Turkey Tour, my favorite cultural experience was visiting Slab City.

I like the summary of Slab City is Krakauer’s Into the Wild.

The Slabs functions as the seasonal capital of a teeming itinerant society — a tolerant, rubber-tired culture comprising the retired, the exiled, the destitute, the perpetually unemployed.  Its constituents are men and women and children of all ages, folks on the dodge of from collection agencies, relationships gone sour, the law or the IRS, Ohio winters, the middle-class grind.

And, my favorite visual summary is the school bus converted into a sailboat trailer.

I imagine the resident(s) live in the yacht year-round, roughly half the time on water and the other half on a school bus in the desert.

Here is dre’s map of our Turkey Tour.  Slab City, or the Slabs, is near the far east point, Point F.  From this view, I think the Salton Sea looks phallic.

The Slabs are three miles east of Niland, CA.  Niland is a small town located within a few miles of the Salton Sea with a couple of restaurants, a gas station, a grocery store, and a laundry mat.

I find the amount craftsmanship very interesting in the Slabs.  Not just a sailboat on a school bus, but the way so many people are able to live not only independently, but also communally.

Most people reside in RVs.  Actually, if you look around the internet, it is frowned upon to camp in a tent.  The reason for the frowning is not the more common American housing value but in disposing human waste.  Like other biodegradable wastes, human wastes take much longer to biodegrade in harsh climates like the desert.  Junk waste is actually the biggest problem in Slab City.  There’s a lot of trash from transients, broken down cars, tires, regular trash trash, and dumping from Niland townees.

A part that I found interesting was the amount of solar cells there.  Virtually all of the RVs have renewable solar power.  Around a campfire, I learned the buzzwords in solar power: inverters, modified sine waves, and true sine waves took the cake in addition to the other more traditional electrical words.

I think it’s neat how independent these people are.  They don’t pay “rent” or pay for utilities like electricity and water.  Water is free behind the gas station, bee tee dubs.  In addition to that, the campfire we found included retirees making fun of home-buyers.  I don’t express the thought much because it’s tireless to someone with closed ears, but in society I am apart of the minority that thinks taking a large bank loan, in hopes of “my” housing value increasing is a bad investment.

Note that I don’t say it’s bad to have a house; there are pro’s.  But, I think a loan is a bad investment so much that I view it is as a liability and a speculative gamble which I’m not interested in even if you rent out a room or whatever. (In my opinion, an apartment building is more of an investment than a house.)

Anyways. . . it’s always nice to find your other birds of the same feather to flock together.  It was just a passing comment around a campfire, but it put a little smile on my desert chapped lips.

The community of the Slabs felt comforting.  In our short 24 hour visit, people constantly introduced themselves to us and our claimed patch of dirt in the range of young seniors, middle aged, young adults, and even a boy of about 10 years of age.  We were fortunate enough to make a connection earlier in the bike tour which catalyzed our ability to eat a great traditional Thanksgiving dinner which later led into the campfire.

Even without that catalyzed close knit experience, I think it is place worth spending some time to either winter over, stay a night, or even check out Salvation Mountain during an afternoon of your Southwest road trip.  It may pull you out of your consumerist and isolated housing comfort zone; it may give you renewable energy ideas; you may find cool trash or all the books you want to take home in the library; but, it will help your craving for a shower.

If you are interested in more pictures from the Slabs as well as the rest of the Turkey Tour, check out dre’s picture journal on the ‘book.

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Moore Good Energy

October 6, 2009 · Filed under think about it

I saw Michael Moore’s Capitalism: A Love Story this weekend.  I like how Michael Moore pushes the envelope, to get a reaction, in his topics.  I applaud him for sharing his true opinions, with his talented multi-media methods.

My problem with Michael Moore is that he presents a slanted hypothesis.  He only shares data that backs his beliefs: support for the Democrats and slamming Republicans.  If one were to only get their information from him, one could easily draw the conclusion that an euthanasia of the Republican voting people would solve our problems.  This is foolish.

The best response I have for this is NAFTA.  Although G. H. Bush started this, Clinton finalized this program to increase the US GDP.  I’m far from a political expert. However, I think there is more to success than GDP, and it this excessive GDP gluttony which Moore sets the tone for in the beginning of Capitalism.

Blame Clinton, too.  Republicans aren’t the only ones that are imperfect.

What I do like about Moore’s newest movie is his positive spirit: his encouragement for people to ban together if they don’t like something that politicians and owners tell them how to live.  He is pro-revolution, via activism.  I also like his advocacy for simple living, as in not judging success by your [appearance of ] monetary wealth.

In addition to activism and a revolution, people should change the focus from differences to similarities; after all, we are much more similar than different. The media — both news shows and opinion people like Moore, Limbaugh, Jon Stewart, etc. — are dividing Americans into binary states: the crazies and us.  They are crazy; we are rational.

I think we should change our paradigm: we’re all crazy, in our own different ways.

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L1|\|u>< n00b

September 21, 2009 · Filed under personal value, think about it

That’s leet for Linux newb, or a Linux beginner.

The last time I installed Linux, five years ago, I learned: the newest thing is not the best thing.  I built a computer with a 64-bit processor, after the 64 just came out on the market.  I bought the processor for various reasons.  So it came down to either lots of frustrations or buying a $20 academic Windows XP Operating System (OS).  Yay for Windows.

song chart memes

This time, I installed Linux on hardware that is more common (Asus 1000 Netbook).  To install Linux I think you need:

  • an additional working computer with internet access next to you
  • gusto and the ability to not worry about screwing something up* (CTYA)
  • no project finish time expectations

*Don’t leave files you want on the same partition as the operating system.  It makes it easier to install a different “distro,” or re-install after a big mess up.

Jerry recommended Mint over Ubuntu.  I read that Mint is good for early [Windows] converts (me).  It’s also “light,” or faster with user interfaces (me since I have a relatively small amount of memory), and built for media users (me).  Me, me, and ME!

One thing I found neat is that you don’t need to have the image on a CD to install the OS anymore.  UNetbootin allows you to write and install the OS from a USB.  I installed Gloria, Linux Mint Version 7, using UNetbootin on a 2GB USB flash drive.

I had troubles which ended up being with the BIOS.  But, another small victory puts me at conquering bigger problems in the future.

I don’t know if I would recommend Linux over another broad type of OS. Personally, I like the advantages: independence from corporations as well as the interactions in the open sourcing community.  But, there are drawbacks, so it isn’t for everyone.

I find working on computers less enjoyable than my recent hardware adventures.  To me, there is something more enjoyable about physical project evidence over the digital enhancement.

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Aquaponics: Urban Gardening

September 8, 2009 · Filed under personal value, sustainability, think about it

After reading the aquaponics section of the Toolbox for Sustainability, I tied my TV Aquarium into an urban garden, termed aquaponics.

Say What

Aquaponics is a combined word, aquarium + hydroponics = aquaponics.  Here are three advantages of aquaponics [source]:

  • Recycles water and nutrients – environmentally friendly.
  • Uses 90% less water than ground crops.
  • Eliminates chemicals and pesticides.

By recycling water, aquaponics combines the disadvantages of aquariums and hydroponics.  Namely, aquariums need to flush fish waste, and hydroponic systems need to add nutrients for its plants.  Combining the two systems allows the fish to fertilize the plants, as well as conserves water and chemicals.

Structure

In its current version I have three cells: a fish tank, wetlands, and hydroponics.

Fish tank

I slightly modified my fish tank by placing a 1/25 hp pump into it.  The pump, at 5 feet of head, supplies 120 gph, which is plenty for this system.  This is the smallest pump at my Local Fish Store (LFS), and it was $50.

To put the pump into the undergravel filter system I connected the 3/4″ inlet adapter to a 3/4″ — 1″ connecter.  That connecter is also attached to a 1″ PVC tube that slips over the undergravel filter.

I drilled 1/16″ holes in the bottom tubing section.  This is for the Oh Shit Factor (OSF).  The OSF considered here is plugging from an above cell, preventing water flow into the fish tank.  This way the fish will still have a little bit of water to survive until I come home to see that the OSF was deployed.

Pump connected to the undergravel filter system.

Wetlands

The wetlands cell consists of:

  • three 12 gallon tool storage bins, $5 each.
  • six bulk-heads (how to put a pipe through a bin), $10 each.
  • two 50L bags of hydroton (clay balls), $35 each.
  • pea gravel, free.

The reason for six bulkheads instead of three is for the OSF.  There is a main bulkhead, which is dependent on gravity for flow; the additional bulkhead in the system is much like that little drain in your bathroom sink.  Here the additional bulkhead covers a plugged outlet, if the OSF is deployed.

I spent the extra money on hydroton, as opposed to using pea gravel, because it is so much lighter than pea gravel.  This is a luxury item.  If I were on a laycation or a reduced income, I would have used pea gravel.

inside the wetlands cell

Hydroponics

Yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaah, hydroponics!!!  To “mod” the fish tank I found, I just had a local glass shop drill two 1.5″ inch holes in it and then connected two bulkheads to that.  Again, one for the main flow and one for the OSF.  The glass shop charged me $30 for the two holes.

Piping it together

I used a variety of pipe sizes and connectors.  I learned how to connect pipes reading two pages in the hardware store.  It’s easy and fun, and PVC pipes are cheap (~$20 to make this system).

I used $3.50 ball valves over the wetlands cell because I only care to control if the cell is on or off.  However, I used a $6.00 gate valve after the pump outlet because I want to control the amount of flow.

There’s one thing I learned about cementing pipes together: don’t do it an area without ventilation.  I got a little high off it one night and felt dumber than usual  the next day.

The missed point

I spend a lot more time appreciating and wondering about pipe installations now.  I’m sure I’ll get over this soon, but there’s something to be said about appreciating a field after you dabble in it for a bit.

Additionally, I’ve finally put a link together from my $500 beginner chemical engineering fluid transfer class and actually implementing the designs.  It actually feels pretty cool and full circle.

The next adventure

Let the experiments begin and learn how to garden!  What little I do know is plants where leaves are harvested (herbs) do better submerged in water (hydroponics), and fruits and vegetables do better is a drier environment (wetlands).

I assume that the plants will do better supplemented with potassium and phosphorous, rather than just nitrogen from the fish.  At first, I’m just going to put some worm tea in the system, and then go from there.

Who knew the Huntington Beach Public Library is stocked full of indoor gardening and hydroponics books?  So, I have that going for me!

. . . and of course, continue on with the revolution of freeing myself from the Man!

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Open-Source Water Filter Housing Thoughts

August 19, 2009 · Filed under personal value, sustainability

For aquaponics, I decided that I want to filter the water between the plants and the fishez.  After two failed designs, I ended with a simple design that I like (so far).

This was a fun project to transition from how-to into design into redesign and a finished project.  My first filter failed miserably, in both function and aesthetics.  Then, I designed (and redesigned) a filter emulating a common inline water filter.

I think that placing the inlet and outlet ports above the access threads causes unneeded strain on those threads.  That probably makes no sense to you.  So, I present this diagram of my filter design.

In my design the water inlets and outlets are below the cap cover.  So, the water does not place any pressure on the cap.  This eliminates the need for a strong seal. In the current off-the-shelf models, the manufacturers place an o-ring in the threads to keep the seal strong.  The end-user will eventually need to maintain and replace these o-rings.  (My design doesn’t need an o-ring.)

. . . and my filter is $15 using PVC parts, compared to about $30 for the same size off-the-shelf models (plus dependence on “them” for replacement filter cartridges).  For actually filtering the water, I’m planning on using lava rocks.  The media costs $1 to replace.  I don’t know how this filter changing frequency compares relative to off-the-shelf models.  I assume they are roughly equal.

I’ve passed a measly 15 gallons through this filter.  So far, so good. . .

UPDATE: I understand where the man is coming from now: unknown inlet water pressures.  For me, I know I am going to be at a trickle, ~2 gpm; however, if you have to design for possibly high flowrates, you might as well design for a more streaming inlet and outlet configuration with a bomb-resistant seal.  To quote the poet Ali G, “Booyakasha.”

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I GOT WORMS!

August 13, 2009 · Filed under sustainability

“My friend Harry and I are saving up to open our own pet store . . .  ’I Got Worms!’  We’re gonna specialize in selling worm farms. You know, like ant farms.” –Lloyd Christmas

I built the structure, and my newest roommate, Harry, ordered some red wiggler worms (eisendia fetida).  The purpose is to compost food scraps, in an urban setting, termed vermicomposting.  Here we are in Day 1:

This is easy to build:

  • find or fabricate one to three ~2ft by ~2ft bins.
  • drill 1/8″ holes near the top (not shown), for air
  • drill 1/4″ holes in the base so the worms can go to another layer (not shown), for harvesting the compost, called [worm] castings. The castings are solid fertilizer for plants.
  • initially, and possibly periodically, place dry or damp (depending on the food scrap moisture and pest conditions) newspaper as filler for the worms to play in.
  • place a lid or some type of liquid trapping device on the base to collect worm tea, Ma Nature’s form of Miracle-Gro (I’ve heard worm tea can kick Miracle-Gro’s ass).

I found the instructions on this website and from the rhizomecollective.org’s book Toolbox for Sustainable City Living: A Do-It-Ourselves Guide.  I’m pumped to see these worms eat!

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