XML FeedsCategory: Everyday Thoughts
Labour Day - 2010
Sister #1 rang this morning to invite me to a simple little Labour Day barbecue. It was a gorgeous day for a barbecue with temperatures around 28°C (82°F). After consuming a scrupulous meal, we played a new game called "cornhole". The game is a toss game where you toss a corn filled bag with a mass of 1/2 kg (1 lb) to an inclined plane which has a hole near the top. The object of the game is to get the corn bag to pass through the hole for three points, or to rest on the inclined plane for one point. Since the plane is inclined, the corn filled bag will often slide off or bounce off. Playing the game is much harder than one would think; however, I did manage to get the bag to pass through the hole several times and this was the first time I had ever played the game.
A Hike in the Mountains
The summer is fast disappearing and I have not done much this summer at all. My lack of funds makes it hard to do a lot of the things that most enjoy during the summer months. However, one of my joys is nature and hiking in the forest. Therefore, I decided to take a trip to the mountains and spend a day hiking the trails. All I would need to spend was for the petrol to make the trip and my lunch.
I remember the trips we made as a family to the mountains. Mum would cook a nice lunch to take with us and we would all pile into the family wagon and head to the mountains. Sometimes we would get hungry before we reached our destination and Dad would pull over at the side of the roadway and we would have our lunch on the tailgate of the wagon. However, there was a place that we often visited and I decided that would be my destination for my hiking trip. The place is a picnic area with tables and toilet facilities. It also has a series of hiking trails both up the mountain and down into a gorge.
On the way I stopped at a small town just at the foot of the mountains to buy my lunch for the day. I got a couple of beefburgers with cheese at a takeaway and some sweets for afters at a small shop. I also brought some extra batteries for my camera. I am afraid that my camera is about to give up the ghost; the settings display is all but gone and it shuts off when taking shots with an error message. I have no idea how I am going to be able to afford a new camera.
When I reached my destination in the mountains, I parked in an out of the way location and secured any belongings that was not going with me in the boot. A small pack held my lunch and camera. I slipped my mobile into the side pockets on my shorts; more as a chronograph than a communication device since there was limited mobile service in the mountains. I deposited my keys into the other side pocket; I love the little side pockets with Velcro strips as they secure the contents in case I take a tumble. Once I had things situated, off I went up the side of the mountain to enjoy the beautiful day out in the forest. What follows will mainly be a series of photographs I took while I hiked. Most of the photographs can be clicked to open a larger image in a lightbox.
Trails are marked with either paint blazes or plastic or metal markers. I prefer the paint blazes over the plastic or metal markers as no damage is done to the trees. It is important to pay attention to the trail markers as they let you know that you are on the correct trial; you will be surprised at how easy it is to wander off the trail if you come across a well used animal path. Sometimes if two trails join together, you will see two different coloured markers. When the trail forks again, knowing which trail marker you were originally following will let you know which fork to take.
The mountains I was hiking in are the results of plate tectonics. In the photograph above you can see the striated rocks that are indicative that the rock was formed in horizontal layers. As the mountains were pushed up the horizontal rock formations were pushed vertical. These vertical rock formations are throughout this region and makes for some difficult hiking at times.
As I was hiking I came upon the tree that you see in the photograph above. Often when there is a small hole in a tree, squirrels or other animals will enlarge the hole so they can use the tree as a home. Normally a tree will grow scar tissue to heal the wound, but the squirrel keeps the hole open. You can see the massive amount of growth around the hole as the tree tried to heal the wound.
While hiking is fun, it can also lead to some serious injuries if one is not careful. A careless misstep can cause you to take a tumble that can easily result in broken bones. A serious enough fall can also kill. In the photograph above, the trail I was on followed along a ridge, with a rather steep slope down the mountainside. When hiking it is important to watch where you are placing your feet as well as the views.
Once I reached the summit I was rewarded with a gorgeous view of the surrounding mountains and the valley below. The next series of photographs shows the gorgeous views from the summit.
I had intended on eating my lunch at the trail shelter. I knew there was a trail shelter from the past visits to this area, although it has been a while since I was last here. When I arrived I found that the trail shelter was under repairs. Evidently it had been allowed to fall into some decay since they were not only repairing the roof; replacing rafters, but also replacing a great deal of the timber in the walls as well. I have no idea how old this trail shelter is, but my guess is that it was constructed around the time the park was being developed which was in the 1930s.
As I was hiking down the other side from the top I came upon a large area of ferns growing on the forest floor. On the other side of the trail was a large area of Japanese stilt grass. Japanese stilt grass has invaded a number of forests where it crowds out and kills the native plants. Japanese stilt grass grows tall and dense and there is nothing that forages on it. Deer and other native herbivores do not graze on Japanese stilt grass so it grows unchecked.
At one point as I reached the lower elevations the trail entered a pasture. I hiked across halfway and decided to return back and take an alternative trail that lead down into the gorge. However, rain clouds were starting to form and as I did not have any rain gear with me decided to head back to the picnic area. My timing was spot on; a few minutes after returning to my car and stowing my little pack a light rain started to fall.
On my way back I stopped and took some photos of two different types of fencing. The early settlers found old growth trees that had to be cleared for fields. Therefore, they had plenty of material for fence building. A quick method for erecting a fence can be seen in the first photograph above. The rails are simply stacked upon each other and to keep the fence upright a zig-zag style was used that was known as a snake fence. This style could be quickly built as holes did not need to be dug for posts. However, this style of fence did not have good lateral stability as the rails could be easily push out of place by livestock. If you look at the larger image of the first fence, you can see where wire has been added to help keep the fence together. The second photograph shows the double post style of fencing. Two posts are placed in a hole that is backfilled with dirt. The rails are then simply stacked on top of each other. With the double posts there is no need to do a mortise and tendon for the posts and rails. This style of fence provided good lateral stability as livestock could not push the rails out of position.
My hike in the mountains was an enjoyable one. I have been sitting around at home for way too much of the time this summer. Partly because it has been a very hot and humid summer and my funds are limited, but also because I did not have a companion to join me. However, solitary hiking also has it benefits; I can go when I want, stop when I want, and either hike as fast and hard as I want, or as slow and easy as I want. Still, there are times when it is nice to have a companion along to share it all with you.
Google - "Don't Be Evil", unless it's about making money
In: Everyday Thoughts
Recently Google, in partnership with Verizon, sent a proposal to the FCC concerning net neutrality. At first glance I thought that Google, champion of net neutrality, had manage to get a wireless provider on board. However, I was completely wrong. Google has toss their motto, "Don't Be Evil" aside in the name of making money. The proposal sent to the FCC from Google and Verizon was about trying to get the FCC to have a complete "hands off" in regard to wireless carriers and contained a lot of BS about why wireless broadband was different from wired broadband. In reality it is not; an IP packet is an IP packet regardless of the medium carrying that packet. The real problem is that even the fourth generation (4G) wireless networks can not handle the load. The wireless providers want to present to users that they can do everything and more with a wireless connection; I am sure you have seen the adverts. The reality is that one can not, unless the wireless providers can start throttling or blocking content at will; a concept that is completely opposite the idea of net neutrality.
So why the partnership with Verizon? Perhaps you recall the Google Nexus One smartphone? The Nexus one was suppose to be unlocked and available to use with the carrier of your choice. Well the Nexus One is dead and in fact is no longer available in the US. Instead of an open smartphone, one is now locked into whatever smartphone your particular carrier offers. A couple of announcements today presented a much greater connection between Google and Verizon. It is rumoured that Verizon is going to offer a tablet computer in time for the holiday season that will be running the Chrome OS from Google. Furthermore, Google is planning on opening a Chrome OS apps store in October. Are we starting to see a pattern here? Google is betting that with the increase use of netbooks, and now tablet computers, that the upcoming cash cow is in wireless networking and thus their partnering with Verizon, a wireless carrier. With the increase pressure for real net neutrality regulations, such regulations could threaten their new cash cow.
As a final note, I wanted to share a link to a blog that did a "tongue-in-check"; however, with a lot of truth as well, on the proposal that Google/Verizon sent to the FCC. The link is: http://brianshall.com/content/facts-about-our-network-neutrality-proposal
JailBreak is Legal!
Imagine buying a computer where you were forced to only install software approved by the computer manufacturer. Furthermore, imagine if you could only buy that software from the computer manufacturer. Not many would be happy with that situation. However, that is exactly the situation when consumers brought an Apple iPhone (yes, the name is stupid, but there is no creativity at Apple). User's of Apple's iPhone could only install applications approved by Apple, and had to purchase those approved applications through Apple's Apps shop. Many users did not like these restrictions at all. After all, it was their hardware and they should be able to install whatever application they wished. Many of these dissatisfied users used a technique known as "jailbreaking" to get around the checks that Apple used on the iPhone to prevent installing applications they did not approve. Apple in turn voided any warranty of a jailbreaked iPhone and claimed such phones were in violation of the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act). Thanks to a new ruling by Federal reuglators, that is not the case; users of Apple's iPhone, and it also applies to any "smartphone" on the market, are not in violation of the DMCA if they jailbreak their phone. Apple can still void the warranty, but unless it is a new phone, who cares?
On Monday (7-26-2010) Federal regulators stated there is "no basis for copyright law to assist Apple in protecting its restrictive business model." Finally some common sense is prevailing. I am sure it was only a matter of time before Apple started suing over jailbreaked iPhones as the movement has been growing. There is no real basis for Apple to prevent users from installing non-approved applications except to control the marketplace. I hope to see many iPhone apps shops opening up reaching out both to the apps programmers that get denied by Apple and to users of jailbreaked iPones.
To assist users of Apple's iPhone to jailbreak I have included a couple of videos. Personally, the only way I would use an iPhone was if it was given to me; I certainly would not pay for one of the crappy devices.
Update: A new jailbreak has been release and to jailbreak your phone all you have to do is visit the website using your iPhone. Go here for information: http://www.jailbreakme.com/faq.html
New Side Table for the Barbecue
I needed a new side table for my barbecue, so I decided I would make one with a tile top. The old side table was constructed of three slats of wood and they had warped over the years. Also, the old side table was a bit on the narrow side and needed to be a little larger.
I used a piece of plywood I had on hand for the base and purchased two small strips of popular that would border the base and hold the tile in place at a cost of $1.88; the tile was on offer for $1.32. I attached the small strips to the edge of the base using some small finishing nails. To attach the base to the side rails, I drilled four holes and countersinked the bolt heads below the surface so the tile would set flat to the base. I had to enlarge the holes in the side rails of the barbecue to accommodate the bolts. I wanted through bolts instead of the screws used by the old table to ensure the new side table would be securely attached. I would hate for the side table to fall while holding a plate of ribeyes. I drilled two holes in the base to make lifting the tile out easier. I coated all bare wood with a waterproof stain. Once the base was bolted to the side rails, I set the tile in place.
The new side table is approximately 46 cm2 (18 in2). The tile does add some extra mass to the side table, but it is counterbalanced by the mass of the side burner and fuel tank. I tested the balance and the barbecue was quite stable. If needed, some more mass could be added to bring the centre of gravity of the barbecue lower, although in my case I don't think that will be necessary. Now all I need to do is to finish installing the new burner and igniter and I will be all set for summer cooking outdoors.