@trouble@masto.ai avatar

trouble

@trouble@masto.ai

#bicycle #cycling #recumbent #catrike #visionzero #BikeCommuterCabal I enjoy advocating for pedestrian and bicycle safety. It is no crime to go somewhere without a car!

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ascentale, to random
@ascentale@sfba.social avatar

And the last question (hope it's okay that this ended up being a Q8, @trouble)

Q8. What's the most recent thing you bought/added to your bike? Or clothing, or any cycling related thing. Anything new or fun?

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@moira @ascentale please post pictures of your cargo carrier! I'm always interested in new and unusual ways to mount and carry things

ascentale, to random
@ascentale@sfba.social avatar

This is a question from @RossA that I had missed from a while ago:

Q3. I'm currently struggling to find the ‘mojo’ to get out cycling regularly. What do others do to keep the cycling fresh and fun?

(If I've missed your question before, don't feel bad if you need to remind me as I have missed a few. Using the BikeNitePQ hashtag helps)

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@skyfaller @ascentale @RossA just make sure you choose the Enlightened. You know, the smart ones! :ablobcool:

Bike-gress is the best-gress.

That said, my average speed with all the stops is like 6 mph, so it isn't great for fitness, but certainly gives you a reason to go out every day. I've been playing for 11 years, and I still love it.

There are many different ways to play. Get bored? Try something different.

lauren, (edited ) to random
@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org avatar

***** A few words about Google's future *****

At I/O today, the firm is publicizing an array of new projects. Some of them seem flashy and relatively useless, others seem like they could be very worthwhile. How many of either category will still exist five years from now is of course a crucial question given Google's history.

But Google I/O is merely the gloss, in many respects what has become the so-called "lipstick on the pig". Because Google executives have permitted their race for the golden and in many respects false prize of "Artificial Intelligence" to cloud their vision, and to permit an increasing number of basic services that billions of Google users depend on every day to, in effect, rot away.

The collapse of Google Search, once a global technological wonder, has been profound. Often incorrect or even inane generative AI responses now often supersede links to the very sites from which Google is obtaining the raw material for their AI systems (usually without any form of compensation, while driving down user click-throughs).

A similar decline is obvious in various other core Google services.

Of great continuing concern to me is the very foundation of how virtually all Google users access most Google services -- Google accounts themselves. I continue to be flooded by persons who have problems with their Google accounts through no fault of their own, including lockouts and permanently lost crucial personal data, with Google's automated systems providing them with no resolutions, only horrific frustration. Google's frankly poorly conceived and rushed implementation of passkeys -- and the pushing of users to them who typically do not understand them and have more problems as a result -- is making matters even worse. What good are fancy new services when your Google account needed to use them may lock you out at any time with effectively no genuine ability to appeal?

Some groups of Google users -- such as seniors and other users with special needs who may not be technologically sophisticated -- are especially affected by these sorts of problems and suffer mightily as a result. I don't think Google actually "hates" these users -- I think Google simply does not want to make the minimal efforts required to help them, basically treating them with much the same disdain as you might flick a bug off your shirt.

There is so much that would be relatively simple for Google to do that would vastly improve the user experience for these users and others -- but Google seems to only care about the majority, and if you're in the minority, well, if you swing slowly in the wind locked out of your account, too bad for you. Google's got other fish to fry to keep the profit centers humming.

I could go on, but you get the gist. I don't hate Google. I still have major respect for the firm and especially for Googlers (Google employees) in general. But I am enormously disappointed with the direction executives are now taking the firm, and this seems to be getting worse at an accelerating rate.

And that's very, very sad to see. -L

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@lauren one thing I had not considered before: by reducing click through to other sites, ad revenue will fall.

vwbusguy, to Kubernetes
@vwbusguy@mastodon.online avatar

The library is over here making lists not iterable and harming my sanity this morning.

TypeError: 'V1NamespaceList' object is not iterable

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@diji @vwbusguy

Agreed, but that code is also, um, 8 years old? https://github.com/kubernetes-client/python/blob/master/kubernetes/docs/V1NamespaceList.md and https://github.com/kubernetes-client/python/blame/94e42113a1fe5c580917decacdde879eab7406b3/kubernetes/client/models/v1_namespace_list.py#L21

class V1NamespaceList(object):
"""NOTE: This class is auto generated by OpenAPI Generator.
Ref: https://openapi-generator.tech

Do not edit the class manually.
"""

That header implies it's "caused" by reliance on OpenAPI.

ascentale, to random
@ascentale@sfba.social avatar

And the last question: I was riding earlier this week, and had just lubricated my chain, and had some very quiet tires on the bike I was riding. My pedaling felt like it was seamlessly converted to motion, with no clinking or rattling or any other sound. This is not usually the case 😅

Q8. What's a small but satisfying feeling that you experience via cycle?

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@ai6yr @ascentale A8. Sep 9, 2018 was a good day to bike to work. This stretch had an unusual amount of traffic. I passed 85 cars and trucks, 5 busses, and 1 motorcycle.
I also cut the video too short; 1 more stop light would've raised that to 100 cars and trucks! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMGZRES4yY8

ascentale, to random
@ascentale@sfba.social avatar

@xtaran asks about riding at night:

Q5. Do you also ride when it's dark? And if so, what precautions do you take to be seen? Just what's legally required or much more? Battery vs dynamo lights? Multiple lights? Additional reflective clothes or stickers?

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@InkySchwartz @enobacon @ascentale @xtaran A5 Personally, I won't use lights that spend any time in an "off" state. Consider what happens if a light were to be on/off for 0.1 sec/1 sec. at 10 mph, you would disappear for 15 feet (4.5m). Some of the "help you be seen" lights use this pattern. Instead, I only buy lights that are always on but "warble": lo for 1 sec, hi for 0.1 sec. Examples: Light & Motion vis 360 taillight and CatEye (unknown version?) headlight. lmk if you want a video

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@enobacon @InkySchwartz @ascentale @xtaran A5- I am also concerned with "bare LED" fixtures getting hidden behind a 2" sign post. If you buy one of these cheaper lights, prefer a horizontal one. A cheap hack: I bought two cheap chinese headlights, and just put one in steady and one in constant. I want to build some of those "halo" lights, and how to integrate that into a bike light setup i.e. 2" tall, 12" wide strip across the front of a basket, ~6-8" across the back of a rack

trouble, to random
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

I wish I had a complete (going back a decade) index of vehicle cargo capacity, so I could build a helpful selector that prioritizes smaller vehicles. Because lifting a 200 lb front load washing machine is no fun. Lifting it over 3 feet into a modern truck bed (37" for today's F-150) is practically impossible. For comparison, kitchen counters default to 36" high.
https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/24139147/suvs-trucks-popularity-federal-policy-pollution

LukeBornheimer, to random
@LukeBornheimer@sfba.social avatar

“‘It comes across as well-intentioned, but this is a classic delay tactic by people who oppose improvements,’ said Luke Bornheimer, an advocate who pushed for the [improvements]. He now fears the idea will be shipwrecked on the rocks of committee meetings and community feedback.”

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@enobacon @jef @marcprecipice @LukeBornheimer isn't this what they did in Hoboken, NJ and Emeryville, CA? first install paint and soft-hit posts to get people used to the idea / change, with less penalty for cars missing the change and getting it wrong (hitting the posts), but with the intent to replace it soon with cement. The intent to follow through is critically important. I honestly have no idea how to get city council, etc to not chicken out or change their mind one week into the process.

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@enobacon @jef @marcprecipice @LukeBornheimer that would be a good GIS project: what % of your area (business, residential) is reachable by bike.

trouble, to random
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

For @lauren - first bullet point mentions a real world case where a digital phone line conversion resulted in 2 deaths:
https://www.lightreading.com/regulatory-politics/eurobites-vmo2-customers-died-after-digital-upgrade-compromised-their-telecare-report

trouble, to random
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

SF Muni light rail sign with

trouble, to random
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

This is not my picture, but worthy of a tag

ascentale, to random
@ascentale@sfba.social avatar

I had two not-so-great interactions on the way home today. I'm ok, unhurt, and not in need of sympathy. Just annoyed, I guess, about how people on bikes are perceived.

I realized after passing the grocery store that I should buy some food, so I made a u-turn at one of the traffic circles nearby. It's a very small traffic circle with a 4-way stop in addition to the circle.

Now that I think about it more, the right-of-way rules are almost reversed in some scenarios where the person in the circle has the right-of-way instead of the person not turning, which is the case in many "traditional" intersections.

Anyway, I was aware of this and once I entered the circle, I rode slowly and signaled with my arm out wide, knowing that there was a high chance of conflict. And as I completed my u-turn, someone entered the circle and almost hit me with their car. The driver and passenger were shocked and stopped in time, and I did too. I made an attempt at a "I'm not mad at you" 👐 hand signal. They drove off.

1/2

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@ascentale there's always a driver somewhere that misunderstands road rules. I was yelled at for trying to make a left turn into my driveway across a double yellow line. Once in my car, once on my bike.

New infra (e.g. traffic circles) and new laws (e.g. 3 ft passing) requires learning new rules, but there's no actual system in place to teach these things. The only thing I can think of is to require "driver license update" tests every 5 years that only cover changes in the last 5 years.

clive, (edited ) to denver
@clive@saturation.social avatar

Denver people!

I'm writing a piece for Mother Jone about how Denver is subsidizing the price of buying an e-bike ...

... and what impact these programs (several other cities are doing 'em now too) have on urban mobility

I'd love to talk to someone in Denver who bought an ebike using Denver's subsidies

Any Mastodon people know someone who fits that bill?

If so, tell 'em to ping me -- love to hear their experience!

I'm clive@clivethompson.net, feel free to forward my email

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@VirginiaHolloway @clive To be clear, if you want to add questions to the hashtag-bikenite (friday after work), The process is to ask your question be included, and add the tag before Wed night, where @ascentale will work with you to get your question posed to the group.

lauren, (edited ) to random
@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org avatar

I have nothing against bicycles, but some of the most arrogant people I know are bicycle proponents. Who just don't seem to understand that not everyone can safely ride one. YA' KNOW?

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@PeterLudemann @lauren @KevinMarks There's a lot of justification, finger pointing, and confirmation bias here. But disproving any point of view is not my goal.
I'm simply asking for infrastructure to make safe, non life threatening trips to the grocery store, work, and other places within 15 minutes. It's not possible today. Not just for me, (able bodied), but also for those who can't drive or those who would rather walk.

ascentale, to random
@ascentale@sfba.social avatar

@sam is woondering about DIY rain covers:

Q2. Does anyone have examples of a bicycle that they've built a rain-cover for (for the rider preferably, but if you've built one for your kids in a cargo bike bucket I'd be curious about that too)? Not something you can buy, something you built. Thanks!

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@ascentale @sam for anyone who wants a custom cover, buy vinyl from the fabric store, and sew it just like cloth. True waterproofing requires taping the seams after sewing, but this is the ultimate in customizability.
For something like a helmet cover, start with paper and cut and tape to fit, then use it as a pattern. For the makers out there, look into vinyl printing/cutters for a final product.
I made a oversize visor from a manila folder template with a laser cutter and acrylic.

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@ascentale @sam Writing this toot finally got me to write up a (coarse) tutorial in how you can make your own custom visor. Please leave comments if anything is unclear; I didn't copy edit much.

https://rightsock.blogspot.com/2024/03/diy-custom-helmet-visor.html

There's no specific need that you make it out of plastic or use a laser cutter. Those just happened to be tools available to me. The last pictured visor was cut by hand on a scroll saw, but could be just as easily cut (carefully!) by hand with a jeweler's saw.

ascentale, to random
@ascentale@sfba.social avatar

This next question is from @edd about fixing a flat and what tools to carry when things are wet:

Q8. I recently ran into a small inconvenience and I've found a hole in my travel kit: a spare tube for wet days when patches just won't stick (or the tube is properly done). What's everyone's necessary road kit when a pickup isn't an option?

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@sanae @ascentale @edd for a dropped chain, I find a stick on the side of the road and use it to put the chain back on. Practice at home with a screwdriver, which will not break, unlike sticks! No messy fingers required.

lauren, (edited ) to random
@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org avatar

Anyone know of a practical way to make a PDF file appear darker when printed, when printer settings for this purpose are unavailable? Thanks.

Addendum: This is a 100+ page file. I'm not going to manually make changes on it as an image file page by page.

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@lauren not at a computer, can't test, but what about print to pdf, does that have darkening controls? I don't recall ever seeing that, but maybe...

robpike, to random
@robpike@hachyderm.io avatar

Can someone here explain why heatpumps are the new hotness? (Sorry.) Despite the hype, all I can discern is that they are just air conditioners that can pump in the other direction ("reverse cycle"), and the thermodynamics is poorly explained in the popular literature. Why are they suddenly the thing that can save the world? What am I missing?

My degree is in physics. I can handle the truth.

Thank you.

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@robpike If you're still in the SF bay area, I'd be happy to invite you over to see my new Mitsubishi heat pump. In my case, I went from a ~50% efficient natural gas furnace from the 1950's (i.e. half went up the flue), skipping resistive heating (100% eff), to a heat pump that for each 1 kWh of electricity in, I can get 2-5 kWh of heat (or cool) out. Also, there are other efficiency gains such as no duct losses and basically each room becomes a zone (heat only the room you're in). But pricey!

lauren, (edited ) to random
@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org avatar

TURN: Protect Our Emergency & Phone Communications / Don't Let AT&T Abandon Landline Phone Service! -https://www.turn.org/protect-our-emergency-phone-communications

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@lauren I received this apology from AT&T today (PST)

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@lauren Today, I got an email from sonic.net about my (2x AT&T copper) Fusion DSL (data only) uplink going up in price $10/mo on May 8

2016: Comcast said "...bringing service into your building within 60 days". I rejected 25/10 Mbit @ $115/mo

2021: monkeybrains.net, a terrestrial wireless ISP already in the building. I rejected 25/25 Mbit @ $150/mo

2024: No AT&T Fiber or sonic.net fiber available

Now I have no choice but to give up on sonic (and AT&T) and use Comcast

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@lauren http://rightsock.com/kjw/tmp/SonicServicePriceIncrease.pdf (will eventually be deleted at random some time in the future; it is tmp after all)

lauren, to random
@lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org avatar

It's fascinating that the experience of using computer CLIs (Command Line Interfaces) has essentially changed not at all since the early days of interactive computing and timesharing. In fact, for those of us using Linux systems, the experience is pretty much identical to what it was on the earliest UNIX systems of the 1970s, and in fact we still commonly use the same commands, utilities, and other command line tools. So about half a century. That's either amazing or terrifying depending on your point of view. Or more likely, both.

trouble,
@trouble@masto.ai avatar

@mark @cstross @lauren For a traditional small unix tool (grep), a man page should be enough / self-explanatory. For more complicated systems, long paragraphs are needed for concepts. For example, a router (e.g. Ubiquity, Cisco IOS, Juniper, man iptables) manual can tell you what a command does "add entry to the policy route table" but what is a policy based route? dhcp/bootp is similar, especially once fused with dns (dnsmasq). This is a specific example of the daemon overload I'm annoyed by.

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