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By Dave, May 5, 2005 7:59 pm

Scripting News: 5/5/2005

And Dave Winer nails it again!

I mean come on folks. Treat your customers right and they will come back. Give us good info and we’ll click through. Put ads in the RSS feeds and some (like me) will remove the feed. Then where is your job, Mr. Marketing Drone?

Adding to this line of thought a bit.

I changed browsers from IE to Mozilla to get rid of popups. I changed OS’s from Windows to Linux because of virii. I changed again from Linux to Mac partially cause I was tired of futzing with Linux all the time to keep it up to date but mostly to get the work done without the OS getting between me and my writing. So I will certainly change my news source(s) if the ads even START to get in the way of what I am trying to read.

And a word to the IDIOT marketing droids that seem to think that the ads with all the moving, crawling, buzzing, flashing CRAP get more attention. You are absolutely right. They get my attention and unless its a REAL good article I WILL CLOSE the window unless there is a print this page link that I can go to that will stop the movement. It makes me physically ill to try to read something while there is movement in my field of vision. And I NEVER click on one of them. And I also make a note to remember to NEVER buy anything from a company that uses such marketing tactics.

I vote with my money. So if yall don’t need my business just keep throwing this crap that I am NOT interested in in my face and I’ll keep adding to my list of folks to NEVER buy from.

*Looks like I got a special on CAPS for this post…

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By Dave, May 5, 2005 8:04 am

Victorinox acquires rival Wenger

I never thought of Wenger as Victorinox’s rival. Their knives are not near the quality of the Victorinox knives. At least the ones I have owned. 2 Wenger’s and either 6 or 7 Victorinox’s. The philips head screwdriver is not near as good and the blades don’t seem to hold an edge as well. But I do abuse tools or so I have been told. Several times.

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By Dave, May 5, 2005 7:56 am

New Scientist Breaking News – Indonesia confirms its second case of polio

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By Dave, May 5, 2005 7:55 am

Crew Exploration Vehicle – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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By Dave, May 5, 2005 7:50 am

Citrus: Deputies report rampage of naked, shocking behavior
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You have to wonder what kind of drugs he was doing that day. Or what kind or worms were eating his brain. Or which god told him to to do what.

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By Dave, May 4, 2005 10:37 pm

Spent yesterday (tuesday) cutting brush and hauling junk.

Got the fence from the qhut to the road trimmed. Still got that in front of the qhut and on both sides of the road down to the barn to go.

Got Bertha cleared off and a load of wood on it now. Loaded it last light last night and didn’t unload into the burn pile yet. Trailer tongue is moved as is Martha’s greenhouse base. Almost to the point that I can cut some trees down and start reshaping the area. Going to put a terrace in just east of the 12 wide and lower the ground level to the north except around the holly and cedar trees. Guessing either parking or drive and parking. Will figure it out when I get there.

One thing that is becoming more and more obvious is that I am going to need a large area under roof if I am going to keep much of the junk I have collected over the years. At present we are consolidating it in one place and somewhat organizing it as we go but with the cars that we are planning on taking apart we’re gonna have to have storage under roof. Trying to use tarps in this environment simply traps the moisture and rots, rusts or otherwise destroys what you have covered.

I went to move some desks that had been under tarp yesterday and upon removing the tarp the tops of the desks were ruined. No biggie as I was planning on taking the drawer unit out and using it only but still pissed me off. So…

Guess the next step is to build a large area under roof to warehouse the stuff.

Thinking about using the motor and transmission from the Mercury Zepher to power the sawmill. And a generator. And heat water. And run an air compressor. On wood gas using chips for a fuel source. Use an auger for auto feed. Also may want to figure on a hydrolic pump being driven on demand, to power things like the auger. Or just use an electric motor which will be simpler, cheaper, and easier to interface to with a computer to control the whole thing.

Few more quick thoughts here follow.

check cement requirements for building slab behind barn where shed is now.

call ragland about buying cement by the 55 gal drum

ck w johnny about brother in law hauling gravel and sand

what will it take to get the mixer working well enough to pour 30 yards or so.

look into bamboo reinforcement for replacing rebar or wire as well as using the chopped twigs and leaves in place of fiberglass.

make a crush tester. I need to build a press so have got the transport dollies. get ass to work. use pressure gauge on cylinder side of pump to monitor pressure exerted. cone in press and crush. work or not?

get inverter to run power tools from battery.

get voltage regulator for welder to charge battery.

get post hole digger from bill brock.

add handles to gravel screen.

that’s all for now. going back out and at it again.

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By Dave, May 4, 2005 6:26 pm

*Play the Flute, Make a Flute* MARK SHEPARD’S FLUTE PAGE *Playing, Making, Fingering Chart*

Cool!

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By Dave, May 4, 2005 9:22 am

NPR : A ‘Handbook’ to Robert Crumb

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By Dave, May 4, 2005 9:17 am

Finishing my morning cuppa at the kitchen table and fixing to go out and about for a bit.

Got the rest of the cars moved yesterday afternoon. Clown Vic is moved. Mercury Zepher likewise. Sunbird, Camero, and VW Rabbit likewise moved. Entire garden-side fence row is empty of cars anyway. Still got lots of other stuff there but the cars are in the junkyard area for now anyway.

Got most of the cut and uncut tires moved from the pile by the drive to the creek where they are being used as erosion control. Still got to cut drain holes in the sidewall that is left but that is a few seconds per tire. Also carried several truckloads of crap from Marthas pile and added to the junkyard piles. Getting closer.

Had 7 people on the bridge at one time yesterday afternoon. They just kept coming out of the woods it seems like though most of them came through the junkyard. Cat and I were taking a breather on the bridge when Herrington brought the trailer back and brought a friend with him to see the place. Then Neil and Aaron show up. Then Bill wanders in. Quite a group but didn’t note any structural problems at all.

Tea is gone and I am heading for the hill.

At the office by the power line cut 😉

Guess today will be taken mostly by cleanup again. Going to try to finish clearing the area under the cedars by the parking area by the qhut. Too many places I am working on. Guess I need to clear the stuff off the back of Bertha and use it. Will be much quicker just harder to get to where I need it. Needs a hundred feet to turn in or seems to. Do a lot of back and filling with it but it does have a 12 foot bed. Need to tear into the engine and fix whatever it’s problem is. And today is a good day to die. Need to find the compression tester.

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By Dave, May 4, 2005 8:44 am

The One and Only

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By Dave, May 4, 2005 5:12 am

Legal Fiction

Scary!

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By Dave, May 3, 2005 12:03 am

And I haven’t written anything but responses to links in a couple of weeks. Well I am still here. Kinda.

Been working around here but not getting out at all. Or only once in the last 2 weeks. Even then I was just the driver and didn’t go in anywhere. Damn odors!

Got to moving things that needed it yesterday (sunday).
Removed the log from under the 12 wide.
Got the parts washer to the barn.
Moved the screen door glass by the sawmill piles till I get ready for it.
That has cleared the way to move the Clown Vic. However, to do that I need help so…
It was on to the row by the old garden.
First up was the white Fiat. Put it in the field by the Jaguar. Moved so easy I went back for more.
Put the black Fiat by the white one.
Toyota Starlet went over by the 14 wide as a friend is supposed to come get it. If you are reading this, Johnny: It’s ready to load on the roll back. One rear wheel locked up I think but may have been in gear. Didn’t look. It started moving and I went…
Then the silver Toyota Corolla had both rear wheels locked up so only dragged it up by the barn to start cutting up.
Moved two more Toyotas that are destined to be art and parts, and put them by the Fiats.
Then started the excavation of the Camiro. Had to get the bush axe out for this one. There was about 5 feet of briars and vines between the car and the drive so after an exciting time removing these I found that there wasn’t much to tie to in the back. So went to the side and started cutting brush there. Got to the fender and again there wasn’t much to tie to that wouldn’t tear stuff up so back to the back. Got the strap around the bumper through the gas fill door in a manner that didn’t cause much damage. After moving the strap to the closest tie point on the boom I managed to break the car tires free while only lifting the front of the tractor a foot or so off the ground. And managed to get it to move a foot or so at the same time. So carried on till I got it out and on the drive. Then moved the strap to the front and pulled it into the old garden area beside the Sunbird and left it till I have a driver to help pull it to the field.

And that was it for moving cars around. Too damn tired to do more than make a few half hearted swipes at the 6 to 8 feet of brush and briers between the Merc and the drive. Did get an old cart cut out before giving up so only got about 4 feet left to clear to try to pull it out. Being a beach car and rust bucket when it was given to me I suspect it will literally fall to pieces when I try to move it but gotta try.

Between some of the toyotas I did move a cedar log up to the 12 wide. Should be able to use it or parts of it for the coming building project(s).

Heard back from The Farm last night. They sent a infofmation on the stuff I ask about. Looks like Cat and I can both go for less than $400 per session but I’m still not sure I want to go that route. We may just take a few days and go camp out up there ($8 per person per day) and take a bunch of pictures and make notes on the buildings and things of interest. Or I may decide to do both, go camping and take one or both courses.

Sitting on the dam. Bit cool now that the sun has moved (or the earth turned) and I am in the shadow. Guess I will move somewhere else. Nice thing about using the tailgate of the truck as a desk.

*** time passes***

But not much. Sitting with the old desk in a new office. By the cedar thicket in the road going east then south. Almost facing the big oak. Sitting here thinking about building a tree platform instead of a deck or pavilion. I want a place we or whoever can come and cook out or picnic. Something with a floor (maybe) and a roof. Ideally 2 bathrooms (sawdust buckets and a washbasin and pitcher) and a fireplace.

But building it in a tree sounds much better to me. Not planning on the tree supporting it in any way. Piers or pilings with logs on top as floor joists. Then bamboo as floor underlayment (?) or subflooring and a thin shell of fiberglas reinforced concrete for waterproofing and smoothness. Or not. Plywood would work just as well but I bet will cost 10 to 20 times more. Now that I think about it I wonder if the weight would be much if any more with concrete over osmose treated plywood of the same thickness? Guess I need to run the numbers.

Going to look into this idea though. If the design works out I may build more around the property. Got a spot over in bamboo glen between a group of sweetgums that have grown up around an old tree that died. Spacing is about right for using the trees to support the main beams and then decking the same way with bamboo and concrete. Been reading on using bamboo fibers for the reinforcement in concrete too. Wondering if I can use a chipper and run the limbs through it to get and get small enough fibers? If not I guess I could add a screen (1/4 inch steel plate with proper sized holes drilled in it) on the output of the chipper and make it into (kinda) a hammer mill. More to do…

Getting warm here. Gonna move to the bridge.

And then to the trailer and breakfast…

And now lunch so gonna post this now and continue later.

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By Dave, May 2, 2005 9:22 am

SI.com – Racing – Dale Jr. triggers 23-car Talladega crash – Sunday May 1, 2005 5:07PM

Lotta souvenirs there today.

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By Dave, May 2, 2005 9:13 am

The Johnsonian – History professor gets medival with hobby

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Sounds like an interesting course and instructor.

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By Dave, May 2, 2005 1:08 am

This – Dowbrigade News: Suspicious Explosion in Harvard Square and this – Randy Fenstermacher’s Weblog: Fire at Johnston Gate – are the best examples I have seen recently as to why bloggers have it all over existing News distribution services. Not a word in the papers or on the TV or radio but here are 2 people that saw, took pix and REPORTED what they saw. Now that is journalism!

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By Dave, May 1, 2005 7:13 am

Wal-Mart closes down unionized store – Wikinews

Now we know how to run the SOB’s out of town, just get the employees to unionize!

Of course this is another strike against them (pun not intended) and goes to show just how little they care about anything at all but the bottom line.

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By Dave, April 30, 2005 10:58 pm

Time Management for Anarchists: The Movie

Don’t think I have posted about this before. Have had a window open in the browser for several days ( i think) but had not gotten around to reading it before this morning. Interesting. Informative. Something I need to do again. Soon!

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By Dave, April 30, 2005 12:54 am

FilmForce: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Douglas Adams

Good article!

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By Dave, April 29, 2005 1:42 am

BBC NEWS | England | Hampshire | Car lands in home’s upper floor

You just gotta wonder how FAST they were going!

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By Dave, April 29, 2005 1:37 am

Boing Boing: Extinct woodpecker rediscovered

Cool!