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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in
feedle's LiveJournal:
- Orange County went so far with this Euclidean madness they actually named a major north-south boulevard.. “Euclid St.” [↩]
- It’s worth noting that even in South Orange County, which attempted to get away from the “uniform grid” style of city building, does the same thing except the roads are curvy and often don’t follow any general cardinal direction: but the tendency to build commercial strips along them and fill the spaces between with residences is still the norm. [↩]
| Saturday, May 4th, 2013 | |
| 11:16 am | pics.feedle.net Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. I’m currently migrating from the old Gallery site to the new one. If you need the old site for some reason while I’m doing this, it’s at “http://newpics.feedle.net” (yes, I know that’s counterintuitive). |
| Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 | |
| 3:39 pm | Warning: deep geeking follows… Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. So, I moved my personal website off of Dreamhost. It’s been kinda frustrating dealing with some of the issues.. the general slowness, the stuff simply “not working”.. and just general frustrations with shared webhosting. The time has come.. |
| Tuesday, January 8th, 2013 | |
| 8:50 am | Wow, really? Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. So, I have no idea if this is a legitimate E-mail or not. Please let this actually be scammy, because if this person’s English skills really are this poor, I weep for our Republic. I honestly don’t know where to begin. (OK, I do know where to begin: you’re doing “church missionary work” and you are willing to defraud public assistance programs? Even my religious ethics say that’s wrong.)
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| Thursday, December 20th, 2012 | |
| 6:41 am | Why the entire “gun control” discussion is irrelevant. Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. There are times when I feel like I’m the only person in the world who fucking pays attention. Right now, we’ve got this big debate going on here about whether or not certain guns should or should not be banned and all the wharrrggble that goes along with any time somebody tries to start a level-headed conversation about guns in this country. Am I the only one who has been watching what people are doing with 3D printers? Primitive “printable guns” already exist, that only require a small amount of actual metalworking to work. I’ll repeat that with details, for those of you who seem to be missing this. It is possible now to have only basic and rudimentary skills as a metalsmith or machinist to assemble a usable firearm using about $2,000 in computer-aided manufacturing tools one can build themselves, using plans and patterns easily obtainable on the Internet. As we move forward, the skill level required to manufacture these parts will only decrease, especially if there’s an “incentive” created by a partial or complete ban. Go ahead, ban the “manufacture and sale” of assault weapons. The reality? In the next 2-3 years there will be an underground network of people who posses the tools to build them anyway. And those weapons won’t be trackable, because they can be one-offs built from a machine that costs about the same as a good assault rifle costs today. Those weapons will be inherently “hackable”, coming right off the autolathe and printer as “full auto”.
Making a gun isn’t rocket science, it’s a late Renaissance invention that was made before we had computers, autolathes, 3D printers, composite plastics, and advanced metallurgy and chemistry. Even before CAD/CAM techniques anybody with a basic knowledge of machining parts could make a usable gun out of scrap metal parts probably in any metalsmith’s “junk box.” It doesn’t take a lot of technology to slam a hammer into the back of a percussive cap, detonating a small charge of powder to accelerate a metal slug to near-the-speed-of-sound, and having a long and straight enough tube to guide the bullet to it’s target. |
| Sunday, December 9th, 2012 | |
| 8:21 am | Urban Planning and the bourgeois tourist, or “Oh hell, how did I miss that?” Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. So, I have this friend James. James and I would, when we both lived together in Southern California, get in his Toyota pickup and drive to all sorts of weird remote places.. ostensibly to look for telephone company related crap (a lot of which is now gone). One of the side effects of this extensive traveling is I’ve discovered I get this weird.. well, “Spidey sense” for urban planning. I get this minor “unsettled” feeling when I’m in a neighborhood and I haven’t seen what I consider to be the “normal” parts of a neighborhood. ”Is there something I’m missing,” is the feeling. Even the worst planned neighborhoods typically contain a school, a gas station, a grocery store, a fast-food establishment (or, the seemingly Pacific Northwest variant of same: a coffeehouse), and a family restaurant somewhere within it. In post-war Southern California, the tendency was to build major boulevards about a mile apart on a Euclidean1 grid, put the businesses along those boulevards, and fill in the spaces between with residences.2 Since moving to the Pacific Northwest, I’ve noticed the trend is more or less the same. In Portland and Seattle, you need to think a little outside the box. The lines tend to follow old streetcar lines instead of the modern automotive street: in Portland, this has resulted in most of the major retail corridors being on east-west streets, and the pattern seems to imply the housing was built FIRST, and the commercial corridors added later. The point is, if any attempt at urban planning is being done there is somewhere within a neighborhood some commercial development for people to buy food and fuel. As a side effect of this observation, whenever I’m exploring a new urban landscape I always seek out these neighborhood commercial clusters, because they give you a great window into the demographic makeup of a given area. Five minutes in the grocery store and lunch at the neighborhood fast-food joint (or coffeehouse) will tell you more about a particular place than any map or Chamber of Commerce summary. You see (what the neighborhood considers) “normal” people doing the normal things people do. I recently discovered a neighborhood in Bend that had me stumped. There was no commercial corridor here. In fact, it was kind-of an island by itself, a little bit disconnected from the city (although still very much IN the city).. but it puzzled me. There was no grocery store I could find, no gas station.. nothing. It was a little unnerving: I wound up saying to myself “where the hell does Mom get the sugar she forgot to get at Fred Meyer?” Today I discovered the shopping district I missed. It was actually buried on the southern edge of the development. It didn’t have the gas station I would have expected, but it had the grocery store, the coffeehouse, and the sit-down restaurant I would have expected. When you looked at it on the map, you could almost tell that this wasn’t supposed to be where the city stopped, this was supposed to be near the center of this little development. The economic realities of the housing market bubble of the 2000′s stopped “progress” dead in its tracks. It’s interesting that I’ve developed this sort of “sixth sense” for knowing that there HAD to be a grocery store / strip mall there. But more interestingly, maybe if I spent less time as a young adult trashing around looking for phone company shit and more time with biochemistry maybe I would have cured cancer by now.
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| Tuesday, December 4th, 2012 | |
| 7:04 am | The reason for the Season Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. Thirty years ago, Christmas 1982, I got a Commodore 64 for Christmas. It wasn’t the first computer I owned (and in fact, it was the third!). It was clunky. I didn’t get a disk drive with it, which left me using the crappy cassette recorder that I had with the VIC-20. But it, along with the (later acquired) Atari 800XL and 1030 modem, pretty much cemented my lifelong obsession with cheap bitty-box computers.. |
| Tuesday, October 23rd, 2012 | |
| 10:14 am | Updated.. Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. Yes, I changed the template on the site. Deal with the retroness. |
| Wednesday, October 17th, 2012 | |
| 9:51 am | FOIA Shenanigans Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. In this morning’s E-Mail box:
So, some background. I’m on a couple of mailing lists that update you on the status of roads in certain ODOT regions. For example, when snow closes Mackensie Pass, I get an E-mail. Apparently, one particular state Representative thought it would be funny to file an FOIA request with ODOT and get a bunch of E-mail addresses. I don’t think it’s funny. |
| Tuesday, September 18th, 2012 | |
| 9:48 am | Off-Grid Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. For those who haven’t heard, I recently moved to a cabin in the middle of nowhere. I’m about 30 miles outside of downtown Bend, at the end of a dirt road.. surrounded on all sides by BLM land (and on one side, by the Oregon Badlands Wilderness). It’s a quite beautiful place, and I’m feeling a certain amount of peace living somewhere so remote and quiet. I’ll probably post some pictures later, as I can. At the moment, the Internet connectivity is still a bit weird (I have wireless service from my employer), but that should be fixed soon. All my power is generated by solar and wind. My water comes from a local well. I have a composting toilet, a greywater storage tank, and a collection of propane tanks. In an emergency, I have a 3500 watt Honda generator. So far, I’m loving it. We’ll see how I feel in the winter when the weather gets crappy.. |
| Monday, September 3rd, 2012 | |
| 7:10 am | Duck season! Wabbit season! … Faire season? Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. This is a telecom announcement. Faire is upons. This means that for the next week-and-a-half, I’m pretty much offline. We’ll see everybody on the other side (or at Shrewsbury!) |
| Thursday, July 26th, 2012 | |
| 7:35 am | We often become what we hate the most. Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. As a geek, I’ve been a victim of bullying in my life. Anybody who’s a little bit different has been subjected to this. In my case, it was my advanced development and intelligence that set me apart from my peers. The upside to being a victim of bullying is it makes one acutely aware of situations where somebody in a position of power uses that power inappropriately. On Tuesday, mc chris ejected a fan from his concert in Philadelphia after the fan posted a critical (but in the grand scheme of things, mild) comment about his opening act. He publicly called out the person in the middle of the concert, using his real name, and had security remove him from the venue. When one person uses their position of power (be it physical or situational) to embarrass somebody and cause emotional harm, that’s bullying. A person expressing their opinion about an opening act? Not bullying. Calling that person out, in public, in a crowded room (where there’s a concern for that person’s physical safety) and using your thugs to eject him from the facility? That’s bullying.
“Real nerds” take criticism. “Real nerds” know how it feels to be singled out because you are different. “Real nerds” talk to each other to work out their differences and problems. The gentleman you ejected is a real nerd. He owned up to it, and left the venue without much of a fuss. I’ve got a better word for you, mc chris. “Child.” “Children” throw temper tantrums when things don’t go their way. “Children” seek sympathy when punished for their crimes, rather than own up to it. “Children” cry when they’ve been caught with their hands in the cookie jar. And you, sir, are a contemptible, immature brat who needs a spanking. Geek culture gave you one. Suck it up, stop crying, and make real changes. |
| Wednesday, July 25th, 2012 | |
| 2:47 pm | “Global Warming” Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. These two charts from NOAA scare the shit out of me. They should scare you, too.
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| Friday, July 20th, 2012 | |
| 6:58 pm | Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. This isn’t getting an explanation. Just .. download it. |
| Monday, June 11th, 2012 | |
| 2:14 pm | Makerbot.. Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. So.. purchased a used Makerbot Cupcake off my good friend BrianEnigma. Well, not so much a complete Makerbot, as a “big box of parts that’s kind-of in the shape of a Makerbot.” It’s got a few issues, but so far it doesn’t look like anything I can’t troubleshoot. But we’ll see.. |
| Wednesday, May 30th, 2012 | |
| 11:37 pm | I have written so little, so now I will write too much. Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. I’ve so been neglecting not only my public journal here, but my private one as well. So, here goes a long laundry list of things. I will apologize in advance if some of this is “too much information” in advance. I have a lot on my mind, and over the next couple of weeks I’m probably going to be posting quite a lot as I try to put some things into words that are hard. The past few months have been good, for the most part. No, I should correct that: generally, things have been REAL good. My job is all kinds of awesome, and I’m getting along great with my immediate cow-orkers, my boss, and for the most part pretty much everybody thinks I’m pretty cool. I’m not making a ton of money, but enough to get by at the moment.. and maybe even enough to get this goofy retail store off the ground. Life in Bend is pretty much what I expected. There’s some good things, and some bad things. I often feel lonely.. I don’t have a whole lot of friends here outside work, and my social circle is way smaller than I’m typically comfortable with. I am constantly reminded of why I loved living in the desert before. I’ve always come to the desert to heal, and that process has begun. The healing has begun. I’ve been without adequate health insurance for quite a long time, but that’s only been part of my “issue.” Over the last six months especially I’ve spent a lot of time in introspection, a lot of time looking at my personality, for better or for worse. For those who haven’t heard, I have a much clearer diagnosis on my neurochemical issues, and while I’m choosing to not take medication at the moment I can at least see what’s going on often times before it happens. I can’t always change it, but I can at least warn people when my mood swings down that I’m “cranky”, and perhaps do things to minimize the down times. I still struggle with feeling alone. Part of this is I have a real hard time of letting go. I still, after all these years, haven’t “let go” of people I haven’t seen since my teenage years. Even thinking of Melody, as distant of a voice as that is, causes me a moment of melancholy heartache. It’s not getting better as I’m aging. Part of me yearns to reach out to everybody I have known, to reconnect to my past. I used to say I was a man of few regrets. That is rapidly becoming an outright lie. Part of this introspective period has laid bare that I have quite a few, actually. I regret wasting so many years of my life in fear of a relationship. I regret not managing my money from my parents’ estate better. I regret not focusing on being healthy sooner: this regret really hurts now, because I’ve lost so much in the past five years because of this lack of focus. But mostly, I regret not being the best I could be for those who have spent these past ten or so years as part of my life. Andee, Chi, Norma: you have all suffered because I have been weak, and because I wasn’t the “best Feedle” I could possibly be. And I’m sorry. Andee: you stood by me when I was struggling with what sounded initially like a death sentence. As time went on and we discovered that medical science often overreacts when certain diseases seem likely, you were there for me. Even as we decided that our own individual health was more important than our relationship, you were strong. I only now realize the sacrifices you made to help me. Thank you, and I love you still, and forgive me. Chi: I only wish I can express to you the sorrow I feel for the way our relationship ended. We were both in pain, and I realize many of the ways I hurt you. I don’t expect your forgiveness, I don’t expect anything more than for you to be happy in your new life with the lover you deserve. I owe you a debt I can never repay, between your care of my own flesh and blood when I could not be emotionally strong to enduring my own suffering through the darkest nights of my life. Thank you, and I love you still, and someday, at least try to forgive me. Norma: the past two years have been especially difficult for me, but you never gave up hope. Even when I couldn’t see the opportunities that were in front of me, you encouraged me to reach for them anyway. You are an amazing woman, so vibrant and beautiful, and one of the smartest and most creative people I know. You’ve supported me through this long winter: now that Spring is here I want to take your hand and dance with you and celebrate. I hope I can learn to be worthy of your love by taking the lessons of this Winter to heart as we move forward. Thank you, I love you, and forgive me when I falter. Too everyone else, all and sundry: you have all been important in my life. I may not mention you by name here, but that’s not the point.. the point is, I love all of you. I might not always show you my best side: after all, the Queen of Swords is quick to temper, sometimes judgmental.. but lately, she has been “too busy” for her family. And that’s wrong, and I know it. All of you have played some part, small or large, in keeping me alive through this past Winter, and I have in some cases emotionally neglected some of you. I’ve outright pushed a few of you away in a fit of anger. I now realize this “anger” was not always appropriate, and it was rarely deserved. Thank you for what you have done, I love you still, and forgive me. My door is open to all of you, if you wish to knock and enter.
Yes, I’m “okay.” *chuckle* This is not a suicide note, by any means. This is change, however. When I changed my name, I wanted to be a better person. More aware, more refined, more confident. I wanted to acknowledge this force inside of me that has burned, often in hiding, and yearned to be expressed. I am stronger now, I’m more whole now, and I’m once again alive. I want to heal all wounds, make everything I’ve “broken” right again. I can’t fix everything overnight, but I stand before you with my hands open and my spirit ready to work to regain broken trust as I attempt to finally heal my broken mind, soul, and body over these next few months. In short, I want to be the “angel” I envision inside to every one I know and meet. A force of healing, of love, and of light to all, to the best of my abilities as a mere mortal man in a very messy world. To that end, I say with gratitude to all: Thank you. I love you. And forgive me.
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| Saturday, May 26th, 2012 | |
| 11:25 pm | |
| Sunday, May 20th, 2012 | |
| 2:43 pm | Today’s recreational electronics project. Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there.
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| Monday, May 14th, 2012 | |
| 3:49 pm | My hero. Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. I like The Oatmeal. But he really hit it on the head with this one.
Now, if there was only a way to join the powers of bacon with the genius of Tesla. Anyway, go visit The Oatmeal. Now, dammit. |
| Friday, May 4th, 2012 | |
| 7:38 am | One Million Moms vs. the other Three Hundred Million Americans Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. One Million Moms is at it again against JCPenney. And it would be humorous, if it wasn’t so sad. JCPenney, like most middle-class focused retailers, has been watching their classic demographic wither and die. They’ve already watched as many of their contemporaries.. once proud national retailers like Montgomery Ward.. and regional retailers like Mervyn’s.. have folded. Sears is a shadow of it’s former self. And even the upscale retailers have not been exempt, as chains like The Broadway and Meier and Frank have found themselves consolidated into Macy’s, while others have just simply vanished. JCPenney is smart to be inclusive. Increasingly, as the next generation matures into adulthood, they already carry a much higher level of tolerance to alternative lifestyles. With each passing generation American society is becoming more inclusive and more open. For the rest of us, let’s remind JCPenney that One Million Moms.. even if they do indeed represent “one million Moms”, is 0.3% of the population of the United States. We should not allow a small, hateful, bigoted organization to dictate terms under which we all should live. It’s time for that minority to go into the closet. |
| Friday, March 30th, 2012 | |
| 8:56 pm | Desert rain, and winter pains. Originally published at feedle dot net. Please leave any comments there. I miss living in the desert. Spring appears to have arrived in Bend. I’ve only lived here a few weeks and I can already identify the shift in the weather. In fairly short order, the snow has turned to rain, and the rain has a.. dryness to it that reminds me of the monsoon rains in the Mojave and Sonora deserts. It smells a little like home. And it’s comforting. I’m now surrounded by the odor of a desert coming alive. This smell is quite different from the odor of the past three weeks. It’s not as “cold” (even though the temperature still hovers around freezing at night). It’s inviting. It’s earthy. It invited me to get out of my car in the middle of the desert today (some 40 miles east of downtown Bend) to experience the rain. A lot of pain from the Long Winter I just lived through was washed away today. Spring is finally here again. |
