Monday, March 18, 2024

Cougar Attack in Washington State



Good thing they were in a group.  Definitely something to keep in mind when venturing into the wilds.

Sunday, March 17, 2024

You're Probably Saying It Wrong



Generally I'm a big fan of simplified phonetic spellings, and I find these entirely confusing.  There are historic reasons though, and these are not easily fought.  From the article:
Another reason is that "there were different stages of spelling normalization in the Irish language.  In the 1950s, they decided to modernize the alphabet."  That's when a lot of simplified, anglicized spellings took off. 
Finally, Ireland is an English-speaking country where only a small minority claims to speak its native language "very well."  So, says O Seghdha, "Another part of it is, yeah, people just having a go."
Eh, I'm not about to go around telling people how to spell their names, especially not today.  As long as they take with my befuddlement and occasional mispronunciations in stride, I'll accept their corrections gracefully, and we're all OK.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

On this Pi Day...


Atlas Obscura has a few mathematically-minded things to say, probing the mysteries of:
  • Why do we always seem to be solving for x?
  • Oldest example of the symbol for zero.  I'm sorry, but it's still a big nothing.
  • One scary-ass prime number.
  • A mathematician proposes improved phonetics for numbers over radio.
I like that last one, though the article is from 2016 and this system has never caught on.  Here's a direct link to the mathematician in question's web site that gives all they why behind it, and here's the chart:


I kind of like these.  Better than saying "tree" or "fife" and sounding like a dork, and especially better than that jacked-up ITU system.  Wonder if it'll ever catch on?  It should.

ps: If you need more math humor, check out last weekend's Foxtrot.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Still Crimped


Legs are still feeling a little crimped after Saturday's 50 miler, so let's go over crimping wires today.


Huh.  You can learn something every day.  Wish I'd known this decades ago.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Santos Fat Tire Fest 2024


One more year, one more OMBA FTF!  Not as much in the tech details this year, more riding.  Here's a rundown on the proceedings presented as the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Good
  • Rolled in on Thursday with two leaky tubeless tires stuffed in on top of all the gear in my car trunk.  Whipped into Santos Bike Shop's trailhead shop, handed the leaky wheels to the mechanic.  Fifteen minutes later I was headed to the trailhead with two fixed tires and the tools & sealant for next time.  Score!
  • No Thursday chow included in the FTF camper ticket, but the Fat Tiki food truck was in the expo area, so seared tuna & fried shrimp (see pic), yeah man.  Couldn't stay away from that place.
  • On the subject of food, the FTF-provided meals were mostly very good (mostly, more in a minute).  The bbq on Saturday, after the 50 miler Epic ride, was outstanding and appreciated.
  • Interesting camping this year.  Only one of the Biloxi crew showed up, but the neighbors were all cool.  Ended up with a chem e, electrical e, rocket scientist, and a physicist all in close proximity.  Nerd-tastic.  Honestly, I have no idea how that happened, we just gravitated to the same area.
  • Speaking of nerd-tastic, I threw a slim jim up in a tree, texted the FCEM director to get on the EOC's ham radio, and we had a good chat on Friday afternoon.  Worked just as well as I could've hoped.  Pics below.
  • The Anthem had somehow gotten a bubble in its rear brake line.  Squishy brakes are not good.  The Shimano booth mechanic bled both front and rear in record time, no charge.  Good folks.
  • Speaking of the Anthem, it was a joy to ride the entire time.  Much more controllable on those trails than the 2013 Specialized, and much more forgiving on the drop-offs and in the rocks.
  • The 50 mile Epic was, as usual and as advertised, epic.  All the fun I wanted and a little more.
  • Got to the Epic's lunchtime turn-around point and realized I'd left my shin/knee guards back in camp.  Didn't matter, the rock garden was eight miles in the rear-view by then, only easy stuff ahead.  Glad I hadn't noticed this though, it would have put me off while picking through the rocks.
  • Good bands all three nights: Souljam (Thursday & Saturday) and Propaganjah (Friday).
  • The rains held off until after the Epic was finished, and only hit after everyone had turned in for the night.  Clear skies in the morning.
  • Made a stop on the way down at the Cypress Inn restaurant on the way down, and at the Taste of Dixie diner on the way back, both in Cross City.  Excellent quick lunch food at each.
The Bad (but not very)
  • Missed the second woods turn-in off the paved bike path 10 miles into the Epic.  A paceline line of roadies were zipping by, occluding the arrow sign, and I simply missed it.  Added about 3 miles  to the day's total.  My bad.
  • Ambiguous arrow at the 46 mile mark -- easy trail to the left, or double black diamond drop to the right?  The choice was left to exhausted riders, so choose wisely.
  • While trying to choose wisely (see previous), a guy rode up on a 2013 Specialized Epic just like my old one – with a blown rear shock, just like my old one last year.  Poor guy, his back was hurting too.
  • Don't forget your Official Fat Tire Fest Coffee Mug at the breakfast line!  Or no coffee for you!
  • Some of the FTF-provided meals were carbo-bombs.  Simple solution, see Fat Tiki food truck above.
The Ugly
  • After 23 years of faithful service, the tent need some waterproofing, and brother did I find out when that front blew through on Saturday night.  It wasn't too bad considering the driving rain, but everything inside got a mist of dampness.  In the mid-60's weather this wasn't even uncomfortable, but had it been into the 30's it could have turned dangerous.  Warning received & heeded, Nikwax tent waterproofing on the way.
OK, here's the picture dump.  Onward.

Souljam on Thursday evening.

Ham hang time.  The dummy cord meant for tying to a pack can be handy with the slim jim antenna too.

Spot the antenna!  Still can't believe that I got the perfect hang on the first throw.

Awakened Saturday morning to a bike tarp covered with tiny flower petals.  Either this was a good sign, or a funeral-ish omen.

Guess it was a good sign.  Well, I finished anyway, and without incident.

No trip back would be complete without a stop at the Taste of Dixie Diner in Cross City.

And that's a wrap for the OMBA Santos FTF 2024.  Back next year?  Yes, planning on it.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Just Unreal


I promise, some pics and words on the Santos Fat Tire Fest later today... or tomorrow.  In the meantime, today's APOD is pretty stunning:



Sunday, March 10, 2024

Deep Magic



I actually have an idea about Lagrangians that makes them comprehensible, after a fashion.  However, the ramifications are even worse than the usual "shut up and calculate" explanation.  More later?  More later.  In my experience, most physicists find the method both so incomprehensible and distasteful that they move on as soon as that particular semester is completed.

Just back from the Santos Fat Tire Fest.  It went well, but rained last night and now I have a living room full of tent parts and other camping gear drying out.  More posting, with pics, tomorrow.