Archive for July, 2008
iPhone Photos
The new iPhone takes surprisingly good digital photos (for a phone). Plus, it’s simple-as-pie to upload the photos to Flickr straight from the phone.
In what can only be described as a tadfad, I’m trying to take at least one photo every day to document my life (or something like that). In case you’re not actively following my flickr photostream (what, you got something better to do?) here are the latest :
Filed under Uncategorized : Comments (2) : Jul 30th, 2008
Wordpress 2.6
I updated the wordpress install powering tadfad.com today. It was much overdue, as I was running a very old, insecure version. Now I’m up to date and back online.
Another nice feature is the new iPhone wordpress app. (Which I’m using to compose this post right now.) With this new setup, I no longer have an excuse for not writing on tadfad.
Hooray for wordpress and iPhone!
Filed under hack, technology : Comments (0) : Jul 26th, 2008
Highways vs. Transit
In my last post (which attracted a few great comments) I suggested that the automobile infrastructure might not be the optimal investment for the coming decade(s). Some might take this as an all-out attack on personal transportation–to be clear, it is not. (I wouldn’t even mind highways if we raised the gas tax enough to pay for them)
Here’s a great graph showing the comparison between what we spend on highways versus what we spend on transit. To anyone who bemoans building rail, bike trails, or mass transit projects, please keep this in perspective.
Today we have a pretty clear problem : we have a national transportation infrastructure built upon the assumption that gasoline can be produced and sold for a few dollars a gallon. Now that that assumption is no longer valid, there are two approaches we can take :
1) Start investing public tax dollars in non-automotive infrastructure (the highways still get all the gas tax they want).
2) Freak out, drill every inch of land (and ocean) in the U.S., and pour all available public funds into delaying the inevitable decline of the oil-based transportation.
You can guess which one I’m rooting for. Which do you prefer?
Filed under culture, economics, energy : Comments (3) : Jul 23rd, 2008
Solid Truth
I’ve been thinking more (and more [and more]) about the approach to transportation in the U.S. It’s no secret that we’ve invested very heavily in the personal automobile as the preferred solution. This decision is often treated as a forgone conclusion–how could we possibly live any other way?
I stumbled upon this quote today :
“If there is one message writ large within the annals of anthropology, it is to beware the solid truths of one’s own culture. If we contrast our views with those of others, we find that what we take to be ‘reliable knowledge’ is more properly considered a form of folklore.”
From Kenneth J. Gergen’s often quite interesting The Saturated Self: Dilemmas of Identity in Contemporary Life.
If the U.S. is to flourish in this new century, we have to challenge even the most solid of truths. We just might discover that–dare I say–automobile infrastructure may not the best investment choice for our hard-earned tax dollars. We might even discover that–here comes the heresy–mass transportation and rail is a better option than personal cars and airplanes.
I know I’m not in line with the majority on this one, (as @b_samic told me last time I called for the end of cars, “be reasonable”) but to some degree the writing is on the wall. Cheap oil is over and we’re going broke. It’s time to invest what’s left in a sustainable future.
Filed under culture, energy : Comments (10) : Jul 18th, 2008
Bike to work : an update
This week I really hit my stride with the whole bike commuter scene. Somewhat by necesity (my car was in the shop), I rode to work 3 days in a row. After experimenting with a few different routes, I’ve found the optimal balance between distance, traffic, hills, and road conditions (in my case, Wisconsin Ave and State Street). I also discovered realized that my office building has a bike rack on the same side of the building as the gym (& showers) so I can minimize the risk of bumping into anyone in my sweaty condition.
I had my first roadside flat today, but fortunately I had all the necessary equipment to fix it. Surprisingly, it only took about 10 minutes to get back on the bike with a new tube. (I guess I just earned my bike commuter street cred?)
The biking itself is getting easier and faster. I can now consistently make the commute in 30 minutes, which compares very favorably to driving by car. I’ve noticed that I’m eating about 1000 more calories on the days I ride, but I suppose this is in line with the energy I’m using.
Final verdict : bike commuting is easy! fun! inexpensive! green! You should try it too.
Filed under energy, environment, frugal, work : Comments (3) : Jul 17th, 2008
Sourdough Starter
When I was a kid, my dad used to keep a sourdough starter alive in the fridge. On Sundays he would pull it out to make the best sourdough pancakes around. According to family legend, this particular starter was passed down through many generations of Quakers, until it came to my father as payment for legal services early in his career. Sadly, the starter is no longer alive in the Johnson household, but I’m sure the strain is still making great bread out there somewhere.
This history is why I was so excited to read in The Urban Homestead that starting a sourdough starter is really quite simple. Just combine flour and warm water, feed it daily, and within a week or two you’ll be making bread and pancakes that will impress all.
I opted for some [needlessly expensive] organic unbleached flour from Whole Foods but saved money on the container by hitting up the weekend rummage sales.
Today marks day 1 of my sourdough starter experiment. Let’s hope this tadfad lasts long enough for at least a few loaves!
Filed under frugal, hack : Comments (0) : Jul 13th, 2008
What does this mean to you?
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
I’m no lawyer, but the 2008 FISA bill sure feels like a blatant violation of the 4th amendment. Thanks, 110th Congress. Glad to see you upholding your constitutional duty as an independent body removed from the Executive branch.
[Insert slow clap here]
Filed under politics : Comments (1) : Jul 9th, 2008
Wilderness Therapy
Filed under environment : Comments (0) : Jul 4th, 2008
