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By DesiredUsername (Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 01:07:16 AM EST) (all tags)
I have commentary, but no meta-commentary. So I guess I have meta-meta-commentary. Unless this counts. <-Meta-meta-meta-commentary

  • As it turns out, I can indeed play regular (and mp3, but that's irrelevant) CDs in the DVD player through the TV speakers. So I was able to dismantle the rarely-used (and when it is used, it's mostly for children's music so the TV speaker is fine) speaker superstructure, giving us a little more space in the living room.

  • I don't know if I mentioned this before: Our house was built in the 60s, so it had these stupid fake beams running across the ceiling. Several months ago I pulled down N-1 of them but I couldn't get the last one down. I even put a dent and hole in the ceiling trying. A couple weeks ago I realized that this one beam, alone among them, was nailed to the walls as well as the ceiling. Knowing that enabled me to get it down. Last weekend I Kilzed the water stains from the roof leak (had to use the oil-based original). This weekend I patched the hole and spackled all the nail holes and cracks (hmm...from the description the stuff I used isn't actually spackle). Either this week or this weekend I'll prime the stripes left by the beams.

  • I thought I'd get a cheap leather rollup goban instead of lugging around the depleted uranium ones from the AGA. Samarkand doesn't list them anymore, so I emailed them.

    Me: Leather gobans?
    Sales Guy: Yes, we have a few
    Me: Can I buy one? How much?
    Sales Guy: Turns out we are clearing them out, check next week for a sale.
    (two weeks pass)
    Me: Still haven't seen them. Can I just buy one directly?
    Sales Guy: Sure, I'll contact you later today.
    (week passes)
    Me: ?
    Sales Guy:Yeah, that's $50.
    Me: !!!

    I could have raised a cow and tanned its hide myself a) in this amount of time and b) for that cost. I mean, seriously--$50?? I can get a vinyl one elsewhere for $6. The only reason I haven't is that shipping on that one is another $6 for some reason. I should just make my own on felt or something.


  • Number One and I attended a bday party for a classmate yesterday. The bday boy himself was very unpleasant, but we had a good time since it's the first time Number One has ever been bowling (and first time candlepin bowling for me). The mother was incompetent, so I took over scorekeeping for the kids at my table. All 6 of us had a great time. If teachers could accept and reject clients to weed out the annoying kids, I'd be all over that profession. Anyway, I definitely plan to bring him back, though I'm not sure what to do with Number Two that will even it out--he's not old enough to bowl and they don't have gutter bumpers.

  • OK dammit, I need to stop hanging out uselessly online and start working on projects.

    Tonight
    --------
    Order Petrobond
    Get second voltage regular soldered for power supply

    Scratch that. Order the Petrobond today. When power supply is done and worktable freed up, make more patterns.


  • I totally had another item. What was it? Oh yeah, I remember. I read a design book and got a) semi-edumacated and b) inspired. Armed with a sub-rudimentary foundation of design, I revamped the front page of A Certain Person's website plus some tweaking of other parts. I'm borrowing a more basic book, but in the meantime my opened eyes have looked at my Go club cards and flyers and found them wanting, so those are being redesigned as well.

< Butterflies | BBC White season: 'Rivers of Blood' >
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Robin Williams Design Workshop - Robin Williams (2 comments, new)
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The Non-Designer's Design Book, Second Edition - Robin Williams (0 comments)
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Get A Grip On Yourself | 32 comments (32 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback
That Robin Williams Book by MohammedNiyalSayeed (2.00 / 0) #1 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 01:16:22 AM EST

So, if it provides semi-edumacation and inspiration, I presume that is a recommendation? I've had my eye on that book for a while now, but don't know anyone who's actually read it.


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You can build the most elegant fountain in the world, but eventually a winged rat will be using it as a drinking bowl.


Yes and no by DesiredUsername (2.00 / 0) #2 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 01:21:53 AM EST
It's more of a gallery than a textbook. The first few pages are devoted to directing readers to more edumacational books (by the same author, natch) to learn the basics.

That said, I learned a lot from it. It's like a series of case studies. "Here's a business card a retarded sea snail would design--let's punch it up a little." It covers a lot of material, from typography to layout to design theory and covering many print mediae including flyers, brochures, websites, newspaper ads, etc.



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Gotcha. by MohammedNiyalSayeed (2.00 / 0) #6 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 01:31:09 AM EST

Sounds like I'd be better off checking it out from the public library. If I only knew where my local public library was...


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You can build the most elegant fountain in the world, but eventually a winged rat will be using it as a drinking bowl.
[ Parent ]

I think that's right by DesiredUsername (2.00 / 0) #7 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 01:35:32 AM EST
It's probably not that helpful on repeated readings. I got it from the library at work.

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It's very basic, very practical by R Mutt (2.00 / 0) #14 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 02:19:53 AM EST
Quite home-printing oriented though (posters, leaflets, business card, that sort of thing).

I thought it was great, but it's probably useless unless you're a total newbie like me...

[ Parent ]

Non-designers design book by R Mutt (2.00 / 0) #3 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 01:24:25 AM EST
Excellent. I certainly make sure all my designs incorporate CRAP principles.

There's also a web-specific book along the same lines, but I haven't read it.



I saw that, but... by DesiredUsername (2.00 / 0) #5 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 01:30:26 AM EST
Now granted Design Workshop was written in, IIRC, 2001 and the actual design parts were good--but the only "technology" mentioned was using tables. Not a word of CSS.

Technically that's not really a design issue--as the book said, I designed the look in El Gimpo with no thought given to implementation until I knew what I wanted it to look like. But still, it would be nice to get some tips on that front or at least feel like they were in the 21st century of intarweb technology.

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Petrobond update by DesiredUsername (2.00 / 0) #4 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 01:25:42 AM EST
My flask is on the small side of ~ 12"x12"x7". 12x12x7 = 1008 cubic inches. 50 lb ($88) of Petrobond is 1100 cubic inches. 100 cubic inches is a cube that's only 4.6 inches on a side, which isn't a lot of extra (and I believe a little is irretrievably lost during each cast). But the next biggest size is 100 lb for $142.

Gah. OK, I'll get the bigger one and tell Mrs U to garnish my allowance for March as well as February.

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Regular foundry sand is a lot cheaper. by Wise Cracker (2.00 / 0) #22 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:12:08 AM EST
I keep meaning to reply in your diary, but the list of items grows, and I put it off. But 142$ for molding sand would be better spent on a multimeter. And by now I've forgotten why you're using Petrobond instead of just making up the sand. I paid too much for the sand, and it was still only about 8$/bag. There was extra fireclay left over from the furnace, and wheat flour is cheap. It's a lot easier and cheaper to make your own.

re: twins. That's terrific. But you realize that now you'll be outnumbered four to two. No more pretensions of family democracy. "It's my way or boarding school!" Have you seen "Cheaper by the Dozen" ( the original documentary )? There's this really funny part where the father gives the mother the one thing she most wants: a nap! :-)

re: ultrasound. You know ... you can get barium titanate crystals on eBay, and from there it's just a power supply, some signal conditioning, and a USB interface until you've built your very own ultrasound fetal monitoring system. Convincing your wife of its practicality is left as an exercise for the reader.

re: old school student teacher relations. How are the kids in your Go club working out? Are you integrating them or sticking them at a kids' table?
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Caesars come, and Caesars go, but Newton lives forever
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Replii by DesiredUsername (2.00 / 0) #23 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:21:10 AM EST
I haven't placed the order yet for just that reason. But I can't find 75 mesh silica sand (or finer) anywhere. Where did you get it?

My fireclay was ruined in a flooded basement but I can get more. I thought the flour mostly just made it smell bad.

The old kid hasn't been there in a while (school? holidays?) and the new ones have never shown up.

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HOWTO: Buy fine mesh sand by Wise Cracker (2.00 / 0) #24 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:45:36 AM EST
Call a local sandblasting company and ask for very fine mesh sand. They won't have it ( probably. Don't let them sell you masonry sand or play sand ), but having established that, you can then ask where they get their sand. They will give the name of some sand and cement company with a sales office in $NEAREST-INDUSTRIAL-CITY. Call them and ask for very fine mesh sand. The company I bought from had never heard of 120, but did have very fine sand they called -20 ( minus twenty ). They very helpfully gave me the name of one of their customers who is much closer to me than they are. So I bought from their customer.

Important note regarding sand and cement companies: the sales office will be in an industrial section of a major city, but the actual quarry will be in Timbuktu. Since you're buying a small amount ( anything less than a dump truck is a small amount to these people ), you don't want to drive all the way to their quarry, so if they don't immediately volunteer to connect you with one of their customers, then ask. They make money either way.
--
Caesars come, and Caesars go, but Newton lives forever
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Here's the really dumb thing by DesiredUsername (2.00 / 0) #26 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:51:49 AM EST
I live in Timbuktu. There's a quarry almost literally across the street from me. But I asked them about fire clay once and were totally clueless (worse, they thought I was crazy: "a foundry...in BUCKET??") so I've avoided calling them again.

I should sneak over there at night some time and see if they have any in easy-to-cart-off piles.

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... and your fireclay should be fine by Wise Cracker (2.00 / 0) #25 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:49:44 AM EST
You have to wet it anyway. Just let it dry out. Or you could geek it up and compute the density of dry fireclay and the density of your wet fireclay, then figure how much water is in the wet clay, then not add that much water when you're preparing the molding sand. But fireclay isn't going to react with water, so just let it dry out in the sun for a while.

And how did your crucible turn out?
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Caesars come, and Caesars go, but Newton lives forever
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Well by DesiredUsername (2.00 / 0) #27 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 06:55:45 AM EST
Haven't taken a picture of the new crucible yet. Will do so as soon as I have more than a short length of blue pipe to show for it.

Which reminds me: This weekend: As a project with the Numbers, make some crucible lifters. Need an anvil for blacksmith work. Or maybe the driveway surface will do.

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re: by Wise Cracker (2.00 / 0) #28 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 12:07:47 PM EST
OT: You may want to ask an editor to nuke certain portions of this diary, as your real name is discernible.

re: blue pipe. Why is it blue? It's not painted, is it? Because when it gets hot, it will gag bystanders with fumes.

re: blacksmithing. Is this just to make tongs? Or you could bend emt with a conduit bender, soften the joint area with a torch, flatten the joint area with a big hammer, and rivet the pieces together. Bend the two pieces of flat iron, then rivet them to the emt. An acetylene torch would be handy, but you don't need the forge / anvil / hood / blower / coke setup of a blacksmith.

re: quarry, 'clueless'. That's a good reason to never tell anybody why you're doing something. I suck at lying, but if you can do it, then you might figure out what normal people would use fine mesh sand for, then say you're doing that.

re: design. Obligatory book recommendation: Visual display of quantitative information

re: tofu. I gather you had a bad experience with tofu a while back. Cracker's breakfast: Take half a brick of regular tofu and crumble into a bowl. Add one thinly sliced banana. Top with two teaspoons of brown sugar. Stir. Mmm, mmm, good.

re: cats. Weren't you adopted by some welfare cat? Did you kick her out? My dog would be *happy* to take care of your cat problem.
--
Caesars come, and Caesars go, but Newton lives forever
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re: re: by DesiredUsername (2.00 / 0) #29 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 12:23:31 PM EST
Evasive maneuvers have already been implemented. OR HAVE THEY?

It is painted, but I'll be doing this outside so I'll just let it burn off before I get too close. The welder painted it, unasked. He knew I was going to use it as a crucible and he seemed pretty with-it, so I probably won't die. From the fumes, anyway.

I have been either clever or stupid in my crucible design (which you'll see in the picture when I take it). Either way, I don't need tongs, I need some really long hooks. I'm not sure what "emt" is, but I'm thinking I can heat up the ends of a couple lengths of rebar and bend them over and possibly pointify them with a small sledge.

Someone, probably you, has mentioned that quantitative information book before. I was interested then but couldn't/didn't follow up. Forwarded to myself at work--I'm sure they have it in the library.

I described your tofucipe to Mrs U and then we both sat looking at each other with our noses wrinkled. I had success with a silken tofu smoothie, though.

The cat found a happy home with a woman and her (semi-invalid?) mother.

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"noses wrinkled" ?!?! by Wise Cracker (2.00 / 0) #30 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 01:47:22 PM EST
It's delicious. I think I'll have some for desert.

re: name. I suppose it is too late, as you're prominently listed as the contact for the Milford Go Club.

re: tongs. Emt is "electromagnetic tubing", i.e. electrical conduit. Cheap, available, and what Gingery specified for tongs. But you're making hooks? Out of rebar? Huh. That stuff is kind of thick.
--
Caesars come, and Caesars go, but Newton lives forever
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And heavy by DesiredUsername (4.00 / 1) #31 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 01:55:04 PM EST
EMT, that's an idea. I could rivet (or otherwise attach) a hook onto there. Save me some blacksmithing (racist). I'll have to wander around Home Depot and get some ideae. Numbers haven't been in a while anyway, so they'll love it.

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Work for a non-public school by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #8 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 01:41:51 AM EST
ie. private or parochial or maybe charter. The pay is usually a lot less, but you can bounce kids that don't fit, and indoctrinate them in the dogma of your desire.




That's opt-out. I want an opt-in model. by DesiredUsername (2.00 / 0) #10 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 01:51:47 AM EST
Varley describes such a system in, IIRC, Ophiuchi Hotline. A teacher is a freelance professional and one of the best trained, highest regarded, ethically bound and paid. They accept some small number of kids and parents compete pretty heavily to get a good teacher.

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and the non-caring non0competing parents by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #11 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 01:56:54 AM EST
who's kids grow un uneducated, ignorant, hungry and angry, with no vested stake in a peaceful, productive society. What's the daily limit on killing them?


[ Parent ]

There weren't any by DesiredUsername (2.00 / 0) #12 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 02:03:44 AM EST
This was Heinlein-homaging SF, so everyone was supersmart, not to mention sexy and incest-prone.

Also, every human was allowed only one child (for good, barely fascistic reasons) so they were more careful with their investment, so to speak.

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That's what airlocks are for (nt) by ucblockhead (2.00 / 0) #16 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 03:40:15 AM EST

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We have a real lack of airlocks in USia by georgeha (2.00 / 0) #20 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 04:28:28 AM EST
I we could space disruptive people, society would be much better.


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hm by tps12 (2.00 / 0) #13 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 02:04:03 AM EST
Sounds more like The Good Old Days than science fiction.

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This is TOTALLY DIFFERENT by DesiredUsername (4.00 / 1) #15 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 02:49:08 AM EST
It was in space.

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It's a small world after all by Bob Abooey (2.00 / 0) #9 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 01:49:16 AM EST
I bought both of those books a few years ago (during my graphic arts phase) but I don't think I've given them more than a cursory look prior to stuffing them in my closet. I may just have to dig them out of the closet today and look through them.

Warmest regards,
--Your best pal Bob


Kids by ucblockhead (2.00 / 0) #17 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 03:42:40 AM EST
Sadly, you wouldn't actually have to boot that many kids to improve matters significantly. Probably just one or two out of twenty.

(I'm convinced that those one or two are produced by certain parenting...uh...techniques.)

I also have an appropos story to tell but given that it involves a lawyer and lawsuit threats, it can't be told in public.
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Re: by Lagged2Death (4.00 / 1) #18 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 04:09:50 AM EST
Re: Go Board: How about an Open Sores application that prints a paper Go board (may take several sheets) on demand? Heck, make it a web-based app (Java/JavaScript/PHP etc) and people all around the world could print a Go board from any Internet cafe.

Although I guess you could just go with an on-screen Go board simulator at that point, and save the paper, the need to carry around buckets of chips, etc.

Re: Projects: You've heard about this, right?

Re: Books: Thank you for pointing the design books out, I'd be interested in having a look.

Starfish automatically creates colorful abstract art for your PC desktop!


Welllllllll by DesiredUsername (2.00 / 0) #19 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 04:17:22 AM EST
If it came down to that, I could use pennies and dimes on a sheet of paper. Maybe the problem is my taste is outstripping my tightwaddery. I could also just get a folding/slotted board. What I really object to is the size, suprisingly high weight and bright yellow color of the one I've got here right now.

I have indeed heard of that microwave thing. I don't remember why it was unsuitable, other than the EXTREME DANGER OF N-RAY OVERDOSE.

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Red Alert by Lagged2Death (2.00 / 0) #21 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 04:31:08 AM EST
Maybe the problem is my taste is outstripping my tightwaddery.

We have an impostor in the House Of Geeks.

Starfish automatically creates colorful abstract art for your PC desktop!
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Pennies and dimes? by TypographicalError (2.00 / 0) #32 Mon Jan 31, 2005 at 05:16:25 PM EST
You just mobilized the Go style police.

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Get A Grip On Yourself | 32 comments (32 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

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