Treough

The Sadness When Someone Notices That You're Dying Inside

2012-01-07T19:53:00.013-08:00

One day you're there...

and then, all of a sudden...

there's less of you,

and you wonder where that part went,

if it's living somewhere outside of you.

And you keep thinking...

maybe you'll get it back.

And then you realize...

it's just gone.

Morning Tea

2011-11-28T16:51:00.007-08:00

I loved these when I was a kid growing up in NZ. At work I would pull the cord, and when the water boiled it would whistle and turn itself off. I'd then come back to the kitchen and make a pot of tea. The whistle would have alerted my coworkers to the fact that it was teatime (even when it really wasn't) and they would come into the tearoom for their morning or afternoon break. This way I could manipulate my coworkers to take a break whenever I pleased!

I haven't seen one in California. Must be an Australasian thing. It's especially useful where there is no provision for hot water.

Mirror iPhone Screen to TV Screen

2011-10-20T16:46:00.008-07:00

There's a feature of the new iPhone 4S that no one seems to mention: You can now mirror the screen and sound to your television using an Apple TV. And it's not an app, it's built right into IOS 5 for the 4S.

Here's how:
Double tap the home button and swipe your way to the very left. Tap on the AirPlay icon, chose Apple TV then chose mirroring. That's it. You're done! What ever is showing on your iPhone will now also be on your TV. Of course it only works when the iPhone and Apple TV are on the same WiFi network.

Next I want wireless mirroring for OS X.

Categories:Gadgets

Peep Show

2011-09-10T18:31:00.002-07:00

Click on image to watch an episode (NSFW)

I couldn't wait for the BBC iPlayer to become available in the US so I setup a UK Proxy Server (xroxy.com ~$10/month) so I could watch it. It's not as good as I'd hoped. Apparently I don't have the bandwidth to stream iPlayer, but I was able to download programmes to watch later. However, iPlayer is mainly limited to repeats of shows aired in the last few weeks and I couldn't watch my favourite shows from the 70's.

So I took a peek at Channel 4 and discovered this comedy called Peep Show. The last time I laughed this hard was watching "The Germans" episode of Fawlty Towers back in the mid 70's. Yeah, it's that good. And I real like the characters played by David Mitchell and Robert Webb. I laugh just looking at them and listening to there accents and inflection.

So I sat down and watched all 42 current episodes over a few days. Fantastic. No laugh track. Everything is shot with one camera in real locations in London - no studio. I had fun too using Google Maps and Street View to look around their outdoor shooting locations.

When Day Is Done (1975)

2011-08-05T19:46:00.016-07:00

Many years ago I caught a little bit of an excellent Edward Woodward programme on TV and I've been searching for it ever since. I only remembered that he was playing an upright piano and singing the song "Kalamazoo" in a hauntingly sad way. I couldn't get it out of my mind. Woodward tended to play sad and introspective roles. A shady government agent with no friends, carrying a pistol. Callan. But this was much sadder than that.

Now after 30 years I've found it! "When Day is Done", an episode of Thames Television's Armchair Theatre from 1975.

The DVD is sold on AmazonUS (~$64), or AmazonUK (~£17) but in both cases the format is PAL region 2. Sadly I live in NTSC region 1. Oh yeah, there are ways around this formatting problem.

Categories:Movies

How to Change the Appearance of iCal in OS X Lion

2011-07-29T18:10:00.017-07:00

I installed Lion, and I'm generally happy with it. But I might replace my mouse with a trackpad so as to take advantage of the shortcuts that the multi-touch gestures provide.

One thing I definitely don't like about Lion is the appearance of the GUI for iCal. It now reminds me of the calendars office workers used on their desks after they switched from ink blotters and fountain pens to ballpoints and Biros. It doesn't interfere with the functionality of the calendar app. It just looks bad. And it could well indicate the future graphic design direction for OS X.

Cult of Mac has the solution.

Categories:Gadgets Design

Hunky Dory

2011-07-27T18:53:00.024-07:00

Photo: BBC

Last night I started watching the British time-travel-cop drama "Ashes to Ashes". Just like on "Life on Mars" it uses David Bowie music and glam-rock.

DCI Hunt and two of his mates are back! And the first words out of his filthy sewer are "my friend, your diary entry will read: took a prozzie hostage and was shot by three armed bastards"!

The prozzie he mentioned is DI Alex Drake. She replaces DI Sam Tyler (deceased). And this time we're in 1982 and Hunt has replaced the Mk3 Ford Cortina with an Audi Quattro. The Ur-Quattro was a very quick car, but I don't think a 2 door car will be an effective plot device, given that DCI Hunt often travels with two other cops. I would have given him a 4 door Ford Sierra 2.0. He has enough attitude to make any car cool.

Anyway, Ashes is now in its 3rd series, and I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing great cars and music from my youth.

Update July 29th, 2011:
I just watched the second episode. They've got it all wrong!: The main character DI Drake is played as a basket case. She's flakey in a bad way (Sam Tyler was too). Breaks down, cries, changes her mind, gets drunk, falls apart. People (police) don't behave this way. She needs help, and so do the writer and director. They need to watch some "Law and Order". The show needs a strong female lead.

The other thing is the way she's dressed: Like a prostitute. I'd be surprised if woman detectives dressed like this in 1982. I think it's supposed to be appealing to male viewers. No. Is she really going to wear heels and makeup in every episode?

Anyway, I'll have Ashes playing in the background while I do other things. I'll miss the witty dialogue when it happens, but I'll hear the music and see the cars.

Use the iPhone as a Wireless Webcam

2009-09-29T02:28:00.004-07:00

I've been experimenting with an iPhone application called PhoneCam ($3 in the Apple apps store). It automatically takes a photo every x seconds, and uploads the image to your server. There are plenty of settings and adjustments, and the whole thing works well.

How to Tether an iPhone

2009-07-15T16:50:00.005-07:00

I've been using my iPhone 3GS as a modem for my MacBook. This causes me great joy!

CNET's Brian Tong has the instructions in his 6/26/09 podcast of "The Apple Byte":

Launch the Safari browser on your iPhone running 3.0 (and 3.0 only) and go to help.benm.at/help.php
Under "Tethering & Internet Settings" click "download" next to mobileconfigs and follow the directions. It just takes a moment.
Now Internet Tethering will be an option in your iPhone's network settings. Connect your phone to your laptop with the USB cable, then turn on Internet tethering on the iPhone and select "USB Only". Magic!

Categories:Gadgets

Keyring Key by Scott Amron

2009-07-14T10:21:00.007-07:00

The proof of concept Split Ring Key Blank (for KW1 or SC1 keyways) by Scott Amron is a key and keyring in one. Carry your other keys on the key.
Thanks TrendHunter
Categories:Gadgets

Ron Arad Design 'Rover' Chairs For Sale

2009-07-12T21:29:00.006-07:00

Two Ron Arad design 'Rover' Chairs have come up for sale in the San Francisco Bay Area! This is the same limited edition chair used by Jeremy Clarkson on the BBC's Top Gear car show. The beautiful pleated leather seats are taken from 1963-1977 Rover P6's.

From the seller: "I have two of them, not in mint condition, and would like to sell them. I was wondering if you knew of any potential buyers here in the Bay Area."

"I really do not know what the price should be. The only time I have seen them sold was in 2002 when they fetched $1900 each in auction. They were in good condition and my upholstery is not."

Categories:Furniture Cars

Presidio Spire by Andy Goldsworthy

2009-05-31T18:21:00.008-07:00

This spire showed up last year on the Presidio with no explanation. Now there is an explanation: The Spire was made by Goldsworthy from trees felled from the 300 acre Presidio forest. (Trees planted by the army between 1886 and 1900 are being replaced 3 acres at a time to create an unevenly aged forest that will be easier to maintain)

"...as new young trees grow up to meet the sculpture, it will disappear into the forest."

The International Language of Hucksterism

2009-05-23T08:17:00.004-07:00

This MINI advertisement is for Dutch consumption. It seems that American English is the international language of hucksterism.

Categories:Hucksterism

Tarantino Floor Exercise

2009-05-20T02:41:00.011-07:00

Thanks Diagonal View
Categories:Movies Sports

Harry Allen Branch Table

2009-05-19T10:51:00.004-07:00

Steal this idea, but make the top opaque.
Or pay $500 retail.

Categories:Furniture

You're Breaking Up

2009-05-17T21:27:00.000-07:00

He thought this would be a good time for them to break up. He was going to make a decision as to what was good for the both of them. As if he knew best. Of course he didn't know best. What he meant to think was "This is a good time for me to break up with you". Whether it was a good time for her was beside the point. He thought they should end now, and all it would take is for him to say "I think we should break up".

Starting a break up is easy. Then it gets harder until all ties are cut. Then it gets better. That takes weeks. Weeks of mental discomfort. Weeks of physical dislocation. For it was he who was breaking up with her, and therefore it was he who must leave. He who must find a place to live.

They had no children, or really even close lives. Their friends were all hers. Their finances were separate. He worked night shift and she worked days. They saw each other on weekends.

So how did the end begin?
She was a naturally unhappy person. In the beginning this didn't bother him. Balancing the unhappieness, she was intelligent and they liked the same movies.

He had seen examples of her irrational anger. In the beginning he just laughed inside and walked away. As the years past it took him longer to recover from her rage. After eight years it was taking him 3 weeks to bounce back. Since she raged every 3 weeks his life was never happy.

He sent her the last paragraph in an email. Breaking up by email? Not really he thought. I'm just sending her something I wrote. What do you think of this? Does it ring true? Could you check the spelling?

Gruber Assist Electric Bicycle Motor

2009-05-11T11:28:00.003-07:00

This is clever! Install the geared bottom bracket and then slide the electric motor down the seat tube. The batteries fit in the seat bag. Instant stealth electric bike!

Thanks DV!CE

Cottage Living and Beyond

2009-05-09T15:44:00.004-07:00

I've never lived in a cottage before. With the smallness comes storage problems. My bed (but not the mattress) was delivered on Thursday and it takes up a lot of space. I see what I have to do. I have to find storage for all the odds and ends: work tools , gadgets, and supplies. My books take up a lot of space (I understand why someone would buy a Kindle, but I'm sticking with dead trees) and my books need a home. The First part of the solution is to buy a wardrobe for all the wearables now squeezed into the closet. The second part is to either put a door on my 'carport', which will then enclose a useful 100sqft, or put a locking storage box in there.

I've signed a contract to rent the cottage for 1 year. The commute to my job in Fremont is wearing on me. Our union contract is being renegotiated in August, and I'm tempted to accept even a modest buy-out offer. Then what? I'd like to work for the city of San Francisco. They pay well and the benefits are very good. If that doesn't happen then I'll consider moving to the UK. by then I'll have my US citizenship to fall back on, and I'm eligible for a British work permit. I don't know much about living/working conditions in the UK, but I have some idea that there are good paying manufacturing jobs in cities like Birmingham in the north of England. I could spend the rest of my life exploring the UK and holidaying in Europe!

Natali Del Conte Ruins 'Buzz Out Loud'

2009-05-07T11:57:00.015-07:00

Buzz Out Load from CNET was my favourite daily consumer-technology podcast. Hosted by the smart and quick CNET staffers Tom Merritt, Rafe Needleman, Brian Cooley and Molly Wood. They had chemistry! Four quick thinkers in one room: What a treasure!

(Now here comes the hate)
But when you replace the marvelous Molly Wood with the sloth Natali Del Conte, then the chemistry becomes poisonous, and the show dissolves into limp conversation. It's like putting ketchup on sushi. It's like putting a speed governor on a Ferrari. NDC interjects at the wrong time. Her comments disrupt the flow of the programme. She is nervous and she has much to be nervous about. I don't mind her voice. I don't mind her putty face. It's her insistence on being treated as equal to the others that I object to. She's not up to snuff. She's no match for the others. She should just read the introduction to each discussion topic, then shutup until called upon again.
(End of hate)

Interpretation of the Wegner Wishbone Chair

2009-05-05T11:27:00.006-07:00

From the 2009 Milan Furniture Fair.
This chair is clearly inspired by the Wishbone chair, but without the rope seat and without the complex bend rear legs/arm support. I like the result.

Thanks twentytwentyone
More 2009 Milan photos here
Categories:Furniture

My Cottage

2009-05-03T09:08:00.004-07:00

Last month I moved from our apartment in the Inner Sunset neighbourhood to a small cottage on the west side of Golden Gate Heights. I was heart broken to leave my partner of ten years, but that was her choice and not mine, and we are on good terms.

The cottage is small. A studio cottage. It sits at the front of the property. The main house is far back up a steep hill. From my back yard I can just see the top of that roof behind an enormous tree on the hillside. From the front windows I have a view of the Pacific, Sunset, Golden Gate and Marin Headlands. I can see the breakers on the beach. It's pretty nice really. My rent is a modest amount.

The streets on Golden Gate Heights are narrow and set out like a box of snakes: They go for a few blocks then terminate at sharp angles so as to climb the hills. The street outside is paved and footpathed, but the few cars that pass by must pull to the side if a car approaches from the other direction. Across the street, the roadway is supported by a tall retaining wall with steps down to the next street below it.

My little cottage is refurbished and clean. Most everything is new and quite nice: Hardwood floors. Tiled kitchen and bathroom floors.

There's a Mini Cooper size parking spot downstairs, and some storage space that I share with the owner who lives in the main house. There are 4 generations of family living in that house on the weekend. A 95 year old lives there with a housekeeper, and her family (all woman) stay with her on the weekend.

The houses on GGH are close, but do not touch. Street parking is easy, and parking permits are not required. It's very quiet.

Furnishing the cottage has been fun. It's fun to spend money! But having to buy many items at short notice means having to make compromises. And in the case of my bed, it means having to wait a month for delivery. I've been sleeping on an air bed. Very uncomfortable. So I bought a futon at IKEA for $150 and slept well last night.

Soon my two children will join me. Cats Che and Jawa. Che is too special to me. Jawa is a strong little boy, and I might let him go outside.

Categories:San Francisco

Emeryville IKEA Annoys

2009-05-02T14:10:00.004-07:00

IKEA is a fine place to shop if you're looking for bargains and you shop carefully avoiding the laminated woods and cheap plastic items. Some people even shop there to buy items they can repurpose into something creative and unique.

Yes, IKEA is a fine place to shop. But me complaint about Ikea in Emeryville is the inclined plane along which you must push your shopping cart from the store exit to the parking lot. Their shopping carts have all castor wheels, and pushing them along the inclined path is best accomplished in a slightly sideways crab-like motion. If someone is coming the other way then you must straighten-up and risk losing control.

Categories:Consumer

Ned Overend

2009-04-25T09:04:00.004-07:00

Photo by Rocky Arroyo
Mountain Biking legend Ned Overend scouts out the cross country course at the Sea Otter Classic last weekend.

Categories:Sports

Book Mark

2009-04-24T08:35:00.004-07:00

Mark is a bookmark in the style of Dead Fred (pen holder), Hanging Harry (light pull), and Splat Stan (coaster).

Another favourite of mine is Stress Paul the stress ball

Whimsical figures sold by SuckUK.

Categories:Gadgets

Sea Otter Classic 2009

2009-04-22T13:01:00.005-07:00

Photo by Rocky Arroyo
The Sea Otter Classic signals the start of the US mountain bike racing season. It was so hot that organizers shortened the Men's Expert race from 2 laps to one and a half. Cycling is held in and around the famous 2⋅24 mile Laguna Seca road racing track.

Thanks Rocky
Categories:Sports

Two $2500 Utility Vehicles for Sale

2009-04-19T11:48:00.011-07:00

Get yourself some 4x4 credibility for just $2500:

First choice is a 1962 Willys (pronounced Willis) wagon that seams to be original except for the wheels and mirror.
Seen today on the 100 block of 8th Avenue in the Inner Richmond.

Second choice is a 1969 Nissan Patrol black plate survivor. The Patrol was to the Toyota FJ what the Austin Gypsy was to the LandRover: Most people chose the latter, so they're not nearly as common as the former.
Seen today in Sausalito.

Categories:Cars

Petchitecture

2009-04-17T17:54:00.007-07:00

Designers, architects and artists have built unique pet furniture to raise money for PAWS (that is Pets Are Wonderful Support, and is not Pets Are Worth Saving, nor Progressive Animal Welfare Society).

Room and Board has some of these creations on show, and I was rather taken by the cat tree which integrates three types of scratching surfaces into the bookcase-like structure: Carpet, rope, and cardboard.

It's one-of-a-kind, but this one could serve as inspiration for your own cat tree. Or maybe a combination cat tree and bookcase!

Categories:Design

Maria Yee Furniture Design

2009-04-17T15:29:00.002-07:00

I looked in on Room and Board today. Specifically I was looking for the Arts and Crafts style couch by Maria Yee. Room and Board no longer sells it, but Maria Yee still makes this couch and sells it through furniture retailers listed on her website.

Which was where this Barrel chair caught my attention:

Categories:Furniture

DWR SF Potrero Sale

2009-04-17T15:26:00.001-07:00

The San Francisco sale is today and tomorrow.

The line waiting for the doors to open was around the corner. But the line moved fast as customers quickly noticed no hot bargains (up to 75% off? Yes, but not on anything good).

I was keen on this Eames designed Aluminum Group chair by Herman Miller. It had a patina from years of use in a DWR office. For me, that only increased its value. Sadly the price was $900, so I let it go.

Categories:Furniture

My Cats by Charles Bukowski

2009-04-16T10:24:00.006-07:00

my cats

I know. I know.
they are limited, have different
needs and
concerns.

but I watch and learn from them.
I like the little they know,
which is so
much.

they complain but never
worry,
they walk with a surprising dignity.
they sleep with a direct simplicity that
humans just can’t
understand.

their eyes are more
beautiful than our eyes.
and they can sleep 20 hours
a day
without
hesitation or
remorse.

when I am feeling
low
all I have to do is
watch my cats
and my
courage
returns.

I study these
creatures.

they are my
teachers.

1934 DeSoto Airflow

2009-03-29T18:42:00.006-07:00

Seen at Sears Point Raceway today:

The DeSoto brand was introduced by Chrysler in 1928 to fill the gap between between high-priced Chryslers and low-priced Plymouths.

This Car is the six-lite four-door saloon. 241.5 cubic inch side valve 100hp six. It has a modern monocoque frame, but old fashioned front beam axle and externally mounted spare wheel. The rounded styling was not a hit, and competitors questioned the Airflow's lack of a separate chassis.

Production of the DeSoto Airflow stopped in 1937. The DeSoto name was killed off in 1960.

Categories:Cars

Pogoplug

2009-03-28T13:58:00.004-07:00

Pogoplug combined with an external HDD behaves like a server and a NAS (Network-attached storage).

Pogoplug just finished manufacturing the first batch and they're available now for $79 if you order before March 31st. $99 after then.

The device plugs into a power outlet and connects to your router. You then connect your USB 2.0 external hard drive to the device and then you can access your HDD files from any browser (Windows),Finder (Mac), or iPhone anywhere in the world. It does all this by cramming a computer brain in with the power brick.

Not a pretty design, but cheap and useful.

Read the Engadget review.

Categories:Gadgets

Where the Rubber Sticks to the Road

2009-03-22T15:43:00.009-07:00

'R' compound tyres are not what they used to be.

Twenty years ago I competed in the CSP class of SCCA AutoX with a 1800lb Honda CRX. A set of 13" Yokahama 008R tyres would last a season and then go on to do 20,000 miles on the street as the compound heat-cycled and hardened.

These 16" Kumho V700 tyres lasted only 2 AutoX's on my 2800lb MINI before one front tyre corded, and the other front tyre got tread separation. I really miss those Yokahama tyres.

In the photo you can see the line where the two ends of the tread are joined together during manufacture.

Categories:Cars

Sniffing Packets and Throttling Bandwidth

2009-03-17T17:46:00.005-07:00

"Sniffing Packets" is such a catchy little term that I had to find out what it meant so I could then use it in a conversation:

For transmission over the Internet, digital information is broken down into small chunks called data packets. They are sent from server to server until they are recombined at the destination to make a file, web page, email, picture, document, etc.

Sniffing Packets refers to the ISP practise of inspecting the information inside these Packets to weed out Torrents that might be sucking up bandwidth. But would you know if your ISP was Sniffing your Packets or throttling your bandwidth because you're using BitTorrent?

Glasnost is an application from Measurement Lab that can tell you if your ISP is Sniffing your Packets or throttling your bandwidth.

Categories:Gadgets

Se7en

2009-03-11T16:57:00.009-07:00

I've seen 'seven' written as 'se7en' before, but I never realized that 7 was supposed to be a sideways v. That's clever.

The use started in 1959 with the introduction of a new small car by BMC. BMC was Austin/Morris, and the Austin version of new small car was launched as the Austin Seven (The name referenced a very popular small car made by Austin from 1922 until 1939).

Early marketing brochures made a game of the name:

The Morris version of the car was called the Mini-Minor, and the public soon began calling both cars 'Mini'. The Seven name was dropped after 1961. From 1969 onward the two models were consolidated under the Mini brand name.

Today, 'Se7en' is a popularly used name for the Lotus 7.

Categories:Cars

This Machine Kills Fascists

2009-03-10T20:03:00.002-07:00

Categories:Movies Cars

Test Pattern Cushion

2009-03-07T23:06:00.006-08:00

"When you see the test pattern it's time to go to sleep" -Unplggd, which would be clever if this was a pillowcase and not a cushion.

∏ Day and √ Day are in the Same Month

2009-03-02T17:21:00.016-08:00

I knew you'd be excited! This won't happen again for 100 years!

In an attempt to create popular interest in Mathematics, some educators are promoting the observance of these two dates:

March 14th has been designated Pi Day. Using the American Month/Day format, March 14th is written 3.14, and pi is observed every year on this date. And one day we'll get a parade.

March 3rd is being called Square Root day. Written as 3.3.09 in most countries.

Jaguar XJS by Banham

2009-02-28T13:16:00.008-08:00

The XJS was not a satisfactory replacement for the XKE. It was too big, less that beautiful, and a GT rather than a sports car.

But the styling of the Jaguar XJS begins to make sense when you see it after modification by Banham. The unnecessary buttresses are removed, and the side glass enlarged to reveal the beauty that was hidden. The car is now visually lighter, and I can fully appreciate the front styling without the distracting rear buttresses. It looks muscular, purposeful, and almost practical. This is the car Jaguar should have made. My only criticism is the tail lights. I would have used tail lights from the series III XJ6.

SD Card FAT16 Format using OS X

2009-02-26T18:35:00.003-08:00

I have a MacBook running OS X Leopard that will only format an SD memory card as FAT32. I have a toy camera that will only work with an SD card formatted as FAT16. So I've been using Lani's old Sony VAIO to do the formatting. But now I know how to format the SD card using my MacBook, and I'd better document the instructions here before I lose them.

In finder, open the Terminal application which is in the Applications folder under Utilities. Then enter this:

diskutil partitionDisk /dev/disk1 1 MBRFormat "MS-DOS FAT16" "TIM" 1000M

where "TIM" is the name I give this SD card.

Giddyup Rocking Horse

2009-02-24T16:46:00.005-08:00

For that real horse smell, designer Tim Wigmore makes the Giddyup Rocking Stool from a used saddle.

Traveling in a Group

2009-02-23T18:11:00.005-08:00

Part of an advertising campaign by the Duval Guillaume Agency for the Flemish (Belgium) bus company De Lijn, illustrating that it's better to travel in a group.

Thanks AdverBlog
Categories:Movies

Cameras at The Container Store

2009-02-17T20:12:00.004-08:00

The young woman who cleans our apartment called to see if she could clean today at Five. So while she was cleaning up after us, I went to The Container Store to look for the perfect travel mug. No luck. But I did buy a Swiss+Tech Utili-Key to replace the one I broke on Monday. And The Container Store had these nice old large format cameras as props in the shelving section.

The First IROC

2009-02-14T19:47:00.013-08:00

A.J. Foyt, Roger McCluskey, Bobby Allison, Denis (Denny) Hulme, Emerson Fittipaldi, Gordon Johncock, Richard Petty, Peter Revson, George Follmer, David Pearson, Mark Donohue and Bobby Unser.

This photo from the LA Times shows drivers the day before the first IROC at Riverside International Raceway, California which was on October 27, 1973. The event was 30 laps of the 2.5 mile road course.

IROC ("International" Race of Champions) was an American spec car racing series for invited drivers that used the Porsche Carrera RSR in its first year. The series went on to use the Camaro from 1975 to 1989. Over the years competition moved from road circuits to ovals, until the last IROC series in 2006. RIR closed in 1989.

Categories:Cars

Cadillac Fleetwood Station Wagon

2009-02-14T11:39:00.000-08:00

"Station Wagon" comes from the vehicle's original purpose, which was to carry passengers and their luggage from the train station to their home or hotel.

Early station wagons were trucks modified for this purpose. Then coach builders began making wooden bodies for car frames, and by the late 1920s car companies began to build their own wooden bodied station wagons. After WW2 station wagons routinely had steel bodies.

I saw this car parked near downtown Mill Valley. The logo on the door reads "Humboldt Cross Country". It appears to be a Cadillac Fleetwood with the rear of a Chevrolet Caprice wagon grafted on to it, and the whole mess covered up with a vinyl roof. It owes its existence to some coach builder adhering to those earlier conversion methods.

I didn't think much more about this wagon until I saw this similar car for sale:

This car was recently owned by David Swig, son of Martin Swig (SF Autocenter, California Mille Miglia), who used it to tow his race car to the track.

He wrote "This particular car was built for Mrs. Harris of Harris Ranch - her Christmas present in '79 from her husband. We just got the car after it had sat for some 20 years in a garage. Thunderhill was it's maiden outing as a race tow vehicle ."

The Harris car is for sale here in Sausalito, and the claim is that it is one of only 6 made. Given that I sited the other Cadillac just a few miles away in Mill Valley, I think that claim is possible, but unlikely.

Thanks Bring a Trailer
Categories:Cars

49 Geary

2009-02-10T19:35:00.004-08:00

Today I was at 49 Geary Street, an address that's home to some of San Francisco's best commercial art galleries.

In the Robert Koch Gallery I liked this image by Michael Wolf. It shows a new work shift marching onto the factory floor at a facility that manufactures industrial air conditioners.

Factory Workers, 27" x 34" cromogenic print, $6100

Categories:Art

The SupperClub

2009-02-08T17:51:00.007-08:00

Epocrates had their holiday party in January, and it was well worth attending!

Categories:Movies

Hillman Super Minx (1961-1966)

2009-02-06T20:25:00.002-08:00

The Super Minx (and similar Humber Sceptre, and Singer Vogue) was a less common sight on the road than the Minx. The Super Minx was based on the Minx, but with a longer wheelbase, spacious interior and more modern styling. It was the type of car a working class retiree might aspire to own. There were individual front seats and a proper floor mounted gear shift. I liked the later versions of the car which had the six-light profile, 1725cc engine, wood dashboard, and other improvements.

Note the black rubber caps on the bumper over-riders. The year this feature became popular was the year I began to be interested in cars. Also note the hole in the front bumper for the optional crank handle.

The front view of the car shows the indicators mounted above the headlights. This was a styling element I did not understand: The placement and radius of the turn signal lens seemed wrong relative to the headlight. Then I saw this car for sale on Craigslist, and everything was explained. The car is a rare 1965 Sunbeam Venezia based on the Super Minx and made by Italian coach builder Touring, who thought well enough of this styling feature to reinterpret it for their own use (or did Hillman copy from Touring?).

Categories:Cars

2011 US Ford Fiesta

2009-01-31T12:01:00.019-08:00

Photos of European Fiesta from Ford UK

Ford has invested $3Billion in their Cuautitian, Mexico factory to build a federalised version of the 7th generation European Fiesta (That factory used to build Ford trucks for the Mexican market). The car will go on sale in the US in early 2010.

The US version will differ from the European model (above) by having a longer front end, and being offered as a 4-door sedan in addition to the hatchbacks. I'm not very excited by the styling of the 4-door Fiesta. It looks like a Kia, and will detract from the better looking hatchback models. In fact I prefer the conservative styling of the previous generation. But I should withhold judgment until I see the new car in person.

For the US it will have a 1.6 litre engine and dual clutch gearbox.

It is my hope that we'll get a sporty version of the hatchback with a 2-litre engine and conventional manual gearbox like the 6th generation 2-litre Fiesta ST.

Categories:Cars Movies

Hillman Minx Series I II III (1956-1963)

2009-01-29T18:30:00.005-08:00

I'm sentimental for the Hillman Minx "Series" cars. They're a charming old car. My brother's first car was a Hillman Minx. At university my friend Patricia drove a Humber 80 (The Humber 80 was a rebadged Hillman Minx that was sold only in the NZ market).

It's a conventional front engine (1390cc, later 1592cc) rear wheel drive car that was very popular. I remember the body was made from much thicker steel than car makers would later use. It had 15" wheels when 13" wheels would soon be the standard. It had a bench seat and a 4-speed gearshift on the steering column when individual seats and floor mounted gearshift would soon be popular. Over the years there were only minor styling changes to the grille and rear quarter panels and tail lights. The Raymond Loewy styling (most noticeable around the "C" pillar in the profile) is a little bit roly poly. It was a solid car. Honest, unpretentious transportation. You could even crank start it! And I like the two-tone paint.

Categories:Cars

1976-1979 Cadillac Seville Milan Roadster

2009-01-25T19:22:00.010-08:00

There was a brief period when domestic car makers weren't building ragtops and aftermarket convertible conversions filled the gap.

This conversion of a 4 door Cadillac Seville was done with a kit sold by Milan Coach Builders of California for $1495. The Milan competed against the Mercedes SL and suffered in comparison. The proportions are not quite right. The belt-line is high and the wheelbase is short. It would look better with longer doors as a 2+2. But from some angles the Milan is almost handsome.

Only a hundred or so Milans were built. This one was parked in Sausalito CA.

Categories:Cars

McKinley Armchair

2009-01-21T19:17:00.012-08:00

Made by the Phoenix Chair Company. Oak with cane seat and back. 29"w x 24"d x 34.5"h

"Probably the earliest Arts and Crafts furniture built in America was an 1894 chair made in Grand Rapids. David Kendall of the Phoenix Furniture Co. designed a simple, comfortable chair with a curved front apron, cane back and seat and wide armrests. Made of oak and stained green, it became known as the McKinley Chair after President William McKinley put one in the White House. The McKinley chair was in production for 30 years."
- Barbara Garet, from her article "100 Years of Furniture Design"

Categories:Furniture

1945-1949 Unrestored Willys CJ-2A

2009-01-18T10:48:00.008-08:00

Only a few CJ1 and CJ2 (Civilain Jeep) models were made. But 214,202 CJ-2A's were produced for civilian use. This one was parked in Mill Valley yesterday.

The CJ is ~sixty years old and in remarkably good original unrestored condition. All the original equipment is in place, and even the seats look original. Only the wide wheels and tyres are out of place, and the front bumper/crosssmember is missing. I'd instal a front bumper because it appears to be a structural part of the frame, tying the frame rails together.

WWII didn't make it to my area of the South Pacific so I never saw any army surplus Jeeps. And in 1948 the first Landrovers were made, and they became our offroad vehicle of choice. I only saw Jeeps in the movies and on the tv series M*A*S*H. However, I've always liked these early Jeeps. I think they are one of the best American cars ever made: Simple, unadorned, small, and lightish.

Update March 7th, 2009:

Thanks Jim Allen
Categories:Cars

The Prisoner Died Today

2009-01-14T20:57:00.005-08:00

Patrick McGoohan died today. He was 80. He was my childhood hero.

In the TV series "The Prisoner" McGoohan drove a beautiful Lotus 7 series II. No. 6's character was strong, intelligent, angry, violent and misogynist. I was 9. I wanted to be No. 6.

1962-1965 Apollo GT

2009-01-14T17:55:00.007-08:00

There have been many European sports cars that have used large American engines. From my generation there was the Jensen Healey Interceptor and Bristol using Chrysler engines. The AC Cobra, and Sunbeam Tiger using Ford engines.

But here is a rare American/Italian sports car using a GM engine and suspension. I'm not fond of GM, but this car is good looking enough to keep company with any European exotic of the period. The styling is obviously inspired by Ferrari, but I think the result is unique enough.

At first the Apollo 3500GT used the new Buick 3.5 litre all aluminium V8. Light at 318lb, the car weighed just 2400lb (Later the copyright for this engine was sold to Rover who used it in the massive P5B, petite P6B, SD1 V8, and Landrover). And it has a 4-speed manual! The suspension and steering are from an early 1960's Buick Skylark. The rear live axle is located by four links and coil springs, so it might even handle well.

The aluminium body and interior were built in Turin, by Carrozzeria Intermeccanica. The body was mounted to the frame and then shipped to Oakland California where the drivetrain and suspension were installed.

Only 107 were built. That includes 76 Apollo coupes, 11 Apollo convertibles, a 2+2 prototype, and 19 Vetta Venturas built in Dallas, Texas. I'm guessing that it was those latter cars that used a larger and heavier 300cu.in. cast iron Buick V8 (Apollo 5000GT).

Photos from eBay
Thanks Bring a Trailer Intermeccanica Apollo/Vetta Ventura
Categories:Cars

Meccano Set for Furniture Design?

2009-01-11T19:34:00.005-08:00

This reconfigurable chair by Shizuka Tatsuno gave me the idea that some sort of "Meccano Set" for furniture designers would be a useful idea. I envision a variety of modular pieces that snap together and rearrange to make furniture prototypes that can then be tested for comfort and function. Just like the toys I made as a child using a Maccano set.

Thanks dezeen
Categories:Design Furniture

Hangman for iPods

2009-01-09T19:20:00.005-08:00

This is called the Hangman by neatproducts. It locks into the iPod/iPhone socket and its other end snaps onto a lanyard/belt loop/flak jacket. And it does a pretty good job of holding my earphones: Wrap the cord around the Hangman and slide the ends into the notch (like thread on a cotton reel). Leave it attached or remove it and stow the headphones neatly away.

I'm going to us it to store my headphones and I'll attach it to a lanyard for those times I have my iPhone in my shirt pocket and listen to music through the built-in speaker.

Categories:Gadgets

70's Style Jeans

2009-01-04T16:43:00.007-08:00

I think the pocket designs on these jeans are supposed to be ironic. The pants are intended to be sold to hip young kids who want to make fun of the way people dressed in the 70's.

But these jeans were priced at ~$200 and being sold at Nordstrom's. And the men looking to buy them were almost my age! 50. There are too many things wrong with that.

Categories:Design

Rian Cantilever Collection

2009-01-02T14:16:00.004-08:00

I like the Rian desk by Semigood Design. It reminds me of an old American school desk. I can imagine myself using the crossbar as a foot rest. I'd find that comfortable.

I don't like the Rian stool. Where's the rest of it? It looks like the back was broken off in a bar fight.

Categories:Furniture

Clive Owen's Driving Lesson

2009-01-01T13:55:00.007-08:00

In the action movie "Shoot 'em Up" there's a sequence featureing Clive Owen's character (Clive Owen is also the title character in those rather good "The Driver" short movies made for the BMW website) giving a driving lesson. The sequence doesn't further the plot, but it does make a good point.

Categories:Cars Movies

Mini Trailer with MK1 Cortina Tail Lights

2009-01-01T12:35:00.003-08:00

I've seen plenty of car trailers made from pick-up truck trays or the back end of cars. This is the only time I've seen a trailer made from the front section of a car. A Mini. How clever to have replaced the headlights with MK1 Ford Cortina tail lights.

Categories:Cars

London Double Decker Bus Design Competition

2008-12-28T02:59:00.002-08:00

Today most large cities have focused on articulated buses to carry more passengers. While London (although they do have some bendy buses) has decided to evaluate new double decker designs. Good for them!

The main design dictate for the new London bus must be the open platform at the back because all the designs in this competition have it. The open platform forces certain mechanical restraints on the design: The engine can't be at the back because that's where the platform and stairs must go. And because the entrance is at the back, a conductor will be needed to collect fares.

In my opinion the design should also include a forward mounted drivers compartment with a bonnet for an unobstructed 180° driver's view.

Let's take a look at the 2 winners announced this month:

The AM/Foster. It imitates the look and function of a Routemaster worse than the way a new MINI imitates the old Mini. It's not bad. It's just too Toy Town. I can't immagine anyone being too happy about driving or riding in one of these.

However, I do like the curved rear of the bus. And since an open platform and stairs are the most essential parts of the design, the rear end of the AM/Foster night be a good starting point for a new bus design.

The Capoco Bus takes every element of the Routemaster design and smooths or rounds it. It's the Fiat Multipla(1998-2003) of buses. It's bug ugly. It might help a little if the windscreen (such a large piece of laminated glass is impractical anyway) was replaced with a proper drivers cab and bonnet. But now it looks a little bit like the LA:UK or the Welcome Back. And I like the Welcome Back much more than the Capoco.

Let's take a look at 2 of the runners up announced this month:

The LA:UK looks too much like a warmed-over Routemaster, and it would suffer in comparison.

The Welcome Back has taken the Routemaster and given it a stronger and more confident stance without changing the proportions. Nice! I say slap some round headlights on the Welcome Back. Fit the interior with cloth cushion seats. Ditch the vaguely Union Jack hubcaps. This is the best design. Not original, but the best.

The two winning designs will go to a manufacturer, yet to be chosen, who will have licence to include the best elements from both designs.

Photos from The Guardian
Thank you Dezeen
Categories:Design

My Favourite Bus

2008-12-27T00:19:00.040-08:00

This is the famous Routemaster double decker bus (1959-2005). These are the first buses I rode, and they remain my favourite buses.
I was on holiday in London in 1976 when I rode them. The buses were very cozy. Smoking was allowed on the upper deck so I'd only ride up there if there were no smokers. The conductors had an amazing memory for who had just got on the bus. Never was I asked twice for the fare, and never was my fare not collected.

This was the newer DMS (DaiMler Standee) one person operated (opo) bus then used on some routes. The DMS design had the engine at the back. Passengers boarded at the front and paid the driver. It was comfortable, but slow and dull. I avoided them if I could.

I preferred the older open platform Routemaster buses because:
1) I could run for the bus as it pulled away or jump off when it slowed in traffic. I never did those things. It probably wasn't allowed. But I could have.
2) I could hear the City through the open platform.
3) I could get myself seated and put my bags down before paying.
4) There was a conductor to keep everything running smoothly and dispense information. I felt as if every bus had a guide.
5) The stop for passengers was shorter than with the newer opo buses.

Categories:Cars

Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death

2008-12-25T17:39:00.010-08:00

The latest 30 minute Wallace and Gromit video is every bit as good as the others in the series. There's the usual 1950's British accents, innocence and charm. It takes me to a wonderful place and period that I never knew. Back to an innocent England that probably never existed. But for 30 minutes you'll believe that a very smart dog can prevent harm befalling his slightly dim master.

The bread van in the show is based on the Austin A35 van owned by creater Nick Park. Here they are together:

Park has since donated the car to charity.

The new video has only been shown on TV in Australia and the UK. So until it is released on DVD we have this quality BitTorrent download.

Photo of Park and A35 from AutoExpress
Categories:Movies Cars

Uncut Currency Wrapping Paper

2008-12-20T16:20:00.003-08:00

You can buy uncut sheets of freshly printed US bills in $1 $2 $5 $10 $20 and $50 denominations. The suggestion is to use them as wrapping paper!

The sheets sell for more than face value, so you might want to steal this idea and use a photocopier.

This comment on the materialism surrounding xmas will surely bring delighted smiles to children on xmas day as they recognize and approve your savvy and insightful political statement.

Thanks Uncrate
Categories:Consumer

Top Gear Road Test the Tesla Roadster.

2008-12-14T20:43:00.006-08:00

BBC programme Top Gear road tests the Tesla Roadster at Dunsfold Park, in Surrey, England.

The Roadster was quick in a straight line, but the Lotus Elise was faster through the corners.

Under harsh track testing the Tesla managed only 55 miles before needing a recharge. Is it possible that the Tesla could go 55 miles on a racetrack and still manage the promised 200+ miles in normal driving?

The test team generously compared the Tesla's lap time to other cars driven on a wet track.

Categories:Movies Cars

Big 3 Detroit 3 Bailout Bill Fails in the Senate

2008-12-12T03:14:00.001-08:00

And the fun begins! Here are my predictions:

Chrysler will disappear. They'll try to sell the Jeep and Viper brands, and then they'll mothball their assembly plants to sell after the recession is over. Possible customers might include VW/Audi.

General Motors will use voodoo financing to avoid bankruptcy. I can imagine GM selling off factories, machinery, brand names, assets, and then leasing them back. They'll try to renegotiate their UAW contract with no success. GM will then linger on like British Leyland did in the 1980's, until finally failing. Good riddance to bad rubbish!

Ford will be fine. They will inherit some of the market share surrendered by GM and Chrysler.

Please Welcome the Obama Generation

2008-12-10T02:52:00.000-08:00

It is now time for the children who paid attention in school to take over this country from the Baby Boomers who have sucked it dry.

And by "Baby Boomers" I mean "Self-centred Pricks". It's more accurate. After all, a surge in the American population can occur at any time. But a sick generation of SUV Pit Bull Support Our Troops drive-through McMansion jetski large screen tv .... can only occur once, one hopes?

Categories:Politics

London to SF: Preparation, Takeoff and Landing

2008-12-07T21:30:00.001-08:00

(I don't fly much, but when I do fly one of my complaints is that I can't see much out of the portholes. Given that many large aeroplanes have individual video displays on the back of each seat, why can't one of the video channels be a live view straight ahead of what the pilots see?)

The first vid shows the preflight preparation. The second vid shows the takeoff. The Third vid shows the landing at SFO right up to the terminal and the pilot pulling on the handbrake!

Each video is almost 10 minutes long.

Thanks MetBlogs and LaughingSquid
Categories:San Francisco Cars Movies

Timesculpture Viral Advertisement

2008-12-05T02:52:00.003-08:00

Interesting video punctuated by advertising gibberish.

Thanks LikeCool
Categories:Movies

Thankful for the Easy Killings

2008-11-27T17:15:00.005-08:00

From The Real Story of Thanksgiving by Susan Bates:

"In 1637 ... over 700 men, women and children of the Pequot Tribe had gathered for their annual Green Corn Festival which is our Thanksgiving celebration. In the predawn hours the sleeping Indians were surrounded by ... mercenaries who ordered them to come outside. Those who came out were shot or clubbed to death while the terrified women and children who huddled inside the longhouse were burned alive. The next day the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony declared "A Day Of Thanksgiving" ...

"Cheered by their "victory", the brave colonists ... attacked village after village ...

"Following an especially successful raid against the Pequot ... the churches announced a second day of "thanksgiving" to celebrate victory ...

"The killings became more and more frenzied, with days of thanksgiving feasts being held after each successful massacre. George Washington finally suggested that only one day of Thanksgiving per year be set aside instead of celebrating each and every massacre. ..."

Thanks William Burroughs

2008-11-27T14:17:00.002-08:00

THANKSGIVING PRAYER
William Burroughs

"To John Dillinger and hope he is still alive.
Thanksgiving Day November 28 1986"

Thanks for the wild turkey and
the passenger pigeons, destined
to be shat out through wholesome
American guts.

Thanks for a continent to despoil
and poison.

Thanks for Indians to provide a
modicum of challenge and
danger.

Thanks for vast herds of bison to
kill and skin leaving the
carcasses to rot.
e
Thanks for bounties on wolves
and coyotes.

Thanks for the American dream,
To vulgarize and to falsify until
the bare lies shine through.

Thanks for the KKK.

For nigger-killin' lawmen,
feelin' their notches.

For decent church-goin' women,
with their mean, pinched, bitter,
evil faces.

Thanks for "Kill a Queer for
Christ" stickers.

Thanks for laboratory AIDS.

Thanks for Prohibition and the
war against drugs.

Thanks for a country where
nobody's allowed to mind the
own business.

Thanks for a nation of finks.

Yes, thanks for all the
memories-- all right let's see
your arms!

You always were a headache and
you always were a bore.

Thanks for the last and greatest
betrayal of the last and greatest
of human dreams.

2008 San Francisco Motor Show

2008-11-24T23:51:00.007-08:00

As usual, there was very little of interest at the SF Motor Show.

Chrysler had the best display of domestic cars:

They had the Dodge Sling Shot (four years after its American debut at the New York International Auto Show!) The Sling Shot is clearly based on the Smart Roadster, a car that is no longer made.

We also got the Chrysler ecoVoyager 4-door car that's just a concept ... a concept of what Chrysler thinks a modern Tatra would look like.

The electric Dodge EV would have been our first chance to see a Lotus Europa, but it was missing from the show.

In the exotic car area the lighting was low and the pickings were poor. We only got the run-of-the-mill exotics: Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lotus, Porsche. Nothing you haven't seen before.

Over in the European section I was delighted to see the Audi R8.

One of the more interesting cars at the show was a car we won't ever get to drive, but if we've very very bad we might get to ride in. It is a unique purpose built police car with suicide rear doors! It's called the Carbon E7. It appears to be based on the Dodge 300.

The most surprising thing about this years show was the embarrassingly low number of attendees. See for yourself. I used a toy camcorder to record the empty aisles.

Categories:Cars San Francisco

Beaux Arts vs Blah Arts

2008-11-24T21:48:00.002-08:00

I was standing outside the Apple store on Stockton at Ellis waiting for the traffic light to change when I noticed these two tower buildings. From this angle they seemed to be in harmony. From any other angle the Marriott Hotel on 4th Street is hideous. The Marriott is no better on the inside either (although the toilets were clean).

The older building is the Humboldt Savings Bank Building, which was in the early stages of construction when the earthquake hit on April 18th 1906. The Beaux Arts Humboldt was redesigned, and it was considered one of the most earthquake and fire resistant San Francisco buildings when it was completed in 1908.

There are two dates on the font of the building. 1869 when the bank was established, and 1906 when construction of this building restarted after the Great Earthquake.

Categories:Architecture San Francisco

2008-11-21T02:43:00.004-08:00

Thanks Avant Garde Retard via fedora.org
Categories:Movies

No Government Loans for GM

2008-11-19T02:34:00.003-08:00

The US considers subsidies by foreign governments to be unfair trade. I think a loan to GM fits in the same category and shouldn't be done. If we loan GM the billions they want, then they could still fail and we'd lose all. So instead of giving GM a loan, let the market decide what happens. And if necessary use the money to protect the pension plans and health care benefits of the workers.

I have no problem with GM Europe. Vauxhall and Opel are fine (they have such little in common with their American parent that perhaps they could thrive better on their own?). However, GM North America builds (mostly) tacky cars for people who don't know what a good car is like, or who can't get a car loan anywhere else.

And now GM NA sales figures are on a slide. Why is that? Let's ask GM president Bob Lutz (known in the industry as "Maximum Bob"). According to Maximum Bob it's not GM's fault that their cars and trucks are so poor. He says they were just building the cars and trucks that Americans wanted to buy. So Bob, that means that GM's problems were caused by the people who bought your cars and trucks? Bob, are you acknowledging both the poor quality of your cars and your contempt for the people who buy them?

At first it will be difficult for Americans to accept the demise of GM. But I think they can adjust to driving Toyotas and Hyundais instead of Chevrolets. They adjusted to watching Sony televisions instead of Zeniths. And they just elected a black man for president after 43 white men. They will adjust.

Categories:Cars Politics

iPhone Wireless Webcam

2008-11-15T21:50:00.003-08:00

I'm hoping someone will Google the words in this heading, find this post, and tell me that there is an application to turn my iPhone into a mobile webcam.

The application should take photographs every x seconds and upload the image to a Flickr account over the mobile phone airwaves. From Flickr I can re-post the images to a webcam viewer that's visible in a browser.

There are applications that automatically upload photos to Flickr. These apps just need to add a "save image every x seconds" feature. It shouldn't be difficult for some enterprising programmer to write the code.

That's all I want. Until the next thing.

Categories:Gadgets

Shameless Imitation of Wegner Chair?

2008-11-12T03:24:00.005-08:00

Maun Windsor Chair (2004)

The Maun Windsor Chair is designed by Patty Johnson and made by the Mabeo Furniture factory in Botswana. Normally $750. On sale at DWR for $375.

Except for the clumsy looking Windsor legs, this chair looks like a derivative of the Chinese chair (1945) by Hans Wegner:

If you're in the market for a chair like this then I recommend Wegner's Wisbone chair. It's as strong and as light as a skeleton:

Categories:Furniture

Trumpet Lamp

2008-11-12T02:37:00.002-08:00

The lamp formerly known as trumpet (2008)

Repurposed trumpet and stand by Dutch designer David Graas, a graduate of the Gerrit Rietveld Academie.

Categories:Design

2009 Honda Accord

2008-11-08T18:06:00.005-08:00

This week I've been driving a 2009 4 door Honda Accord. I have the base model four cylinder automatic which is well equipped with cruise control, tilt/telescoping steering, electric windows, and an excellent stereo. The stereo is a proprietary job, but that's not a problem because the sound and the controls are excellent. And the radio display is a large screen mounted high and far back on on the centre console where you can read it at a glance without refocusing your eyes from the road.

The air conditioning is powerful and the fan is quiet even at the highest of its multiple settings. I was surprised how quickly it could cool the interior without blowing cold air on me.

The rear window demister clears dew off the outside of the glass after a few minutes, but I miss having a rear wiper blade. I think all cars should have a rear wiper, not just hatchback cars.

The driver's seat is almost perfect. The seat cushion is long and provides adequate thigh support for my 6 foot frame. The side bolsters on the seat back held my upper body firmly in place around corners. The lumbar support was firm and pronounced.

Acceleration with the 4 cylinder and 4-speed automatic is strong enough around town and up to 50 mph. But don't expect it to sprint from 50 to 70 on the highway: The automatic will change down to D3, the rpm will jump by 2000, and there will be a strained engine sound from this otherwise refined car.

The suspension absorbs corrugations and potholes very well, but wallows over speed bumps. The spring rates are a bit soft, and the dampers and sway bars could be firmer. Having said that, this car can make reasonably good speed around corners. There's a lot of body roll, but the car doesn't understeer excessively. It almost feels sporty. It corners like my father's Hillman Hunter cornered.

The styling is a departure from previous Accords. It is somewhat BMWesque with a creased character line along the sides and those much copied BMW C-pillars. Which brings me to my main complaint: Visibility blind spots. The A-pillars are thick. The B-pillar blocks my offside vision. And those BMW-style C-pillars could hide a car on the nearside. If this was my regular car I'd stick convex mirrors onto the door mirrors.

In conclusion, I'd be happy to have the 2009 4-door Accord as my company car. But if it was my money I was spending I'd be looking for a used (get the depreciation discount) late model 3-Series BMW.

Categories:Cars

The US Presidential Campaign

2008-11-06T02:50:00.002-08:00

During the Democratic primaries Hillary Clinton's speeches began to sound insincere and cliched. She should have heeded her own repetitive calls for "change" with a fresh script to read from. By contrast Obama was fresh, focused, and seemed to mean what he was saying. He deported himself well throughout the primaries.

During the presidential campaign McCain's speeches were filled with hollow appeals to "Americans" and "My friends" and "this great country". He was insincere from the start. He was patriotic. He was full of it. Obama deported himself well during the presidential campaign.

During Obama's victory speech in Chicago, Jesse Jackson was shown in the crowd. He was crying. He was crying for himself because there will be no more political opportunities for his kind. Along with MLK and Al Sharpton, Jackson was a pulpit politician. Talking in a stilted southern accented voice. Preaching his politics. Sorry Jesse, we prefer an educated sophisticated well-spoken black man who we all agree we can identify with.

Obama will be president, and very little will change. But it is my hope that when faced with a decision to invade another country, to veto a child welfare bill, to blocade Cuba, to invade Grenada, to fund Contras, to torture prisoners ... Obama will make the right choice.

Categories:Politics

FaceBook has Too Many Advertisements

2008-11-01T23:56:00.000-07:00

Randall opened a FaceBook account. He said it would help him keep in touch with his friends and would I join? At the time it sounded like a good idea so I opened an account and examined the site.

FaceBook can nicely store all your notes/photos/videos/profile information in a one-blog-fits-all format. It seems to be a very good site for keeping informed about everything your FaceBook friends do. But I don't want to know everything my friends do. I want to be a little bit selective. I follow my fiends on Twitter, Blogger, Flickr, or Del.icio.us. Each of these sites has perfected its specialty. Each of these sites is advertising free.

If I used FaceBook I'd be clogging the tubes to my friends computers with strange photos and offbeat thoughts. They don't need to see that. And I don't want to censor myself. No FaceBook for me.

Rover P6 2000TC For Sale in SoCal

2008-10-31T02:20:00.001-07:00

The 4 cylinder 2000TC was European Car of the Year in 1964. The P6 (P- post war) was produced from 1963 untill 1977 as a 2000, 2200, and 3500V8.

Here's a rare opportunity to buy a very original California Rover 2000TC with manual transmission and air conditioning! (That little chrome box on the grille is an ice warning device)

The Rover competed in the near-luxury market with the 6 cylinder Triumph 2000. Both Rover and Triumph became part of British Leyland, and there was only room for one executive saloon. Rover won. And the result was the new Rover SD1, which also became Car of the Year in Europe (The six cylinder versions of the SD1 used an engine developed from the Triumph motor).

This car looks surprisingly original and unmolested except for a few dings and dents.
More pictures here. Contact seller here.

Categories:Cars

Citroen DS Cabriolet by Chapron

2008-10-30T02:33:00.001-07:00

The beautiful Bertoni styled Citroen DS (1955-1975) was transformed into a convertible by the French coach builder Chapron. Chapron's first conversions had an unsightly chrome strip covering the seam where the rear door skins joined the rear quarter panels. Later conversions commissioned by Citroen used single seamless panels, and they were sold by Citroen dealers. The DS Cabriolet is quite rare, but very rare in RHD.

Photos from Citroenet
Categories:Cars

Up To 34% Better MPG ...

2008-10-27T01:15:00.005-07:00

I'm adding a new category to the Treough Blog: Hucksterism.

According to The Free Dictionary a Huckster is "One who uses aggressive, showy, and sometimes devious methods to promote or sell a product" . Hucksters are con artists who know something different from what they’re telling their customers.

There have always been hucksters selling devices they promise will improve a car's fuel economy. I've seen their advertisements in Popular Mechanics magazine. Shame on Popular Mechanics.

With the high price of petrol and the downturn in the economy I would expect to see more of these devices offered. Here's one now. A $200 device called "Blade" that bolts to the end of your car's exhaust pipe:

That's $400 if your car has dual exhaust pipes.

The claim made for the device is that your car will get up to 34% better mileage and lower CO2 emissions.

The people selling "Blade" must have complete contempt for their fellow man to tell such blatant lies. These are the same people who sell exercise equipment on tv infomercials, and the same people who stole your lunch money.

Categories:Hucksterism

MacBook Disappoints Not Suitable for Me Pleases Me

2008-10-22T19:27:00.015-07:00

My new MacBook arrived Tuesday morning and I migrated all my files and
applications to it from my failing iMac. I used the Migration application and an Ethernet cable.

Then today I started using it... and then I noticed...
1) The display has a very narrow viewing angle.
2) The 13" display is small. I could only view one window at a time.
3) The bottom of the screen meets the keyboard at the hinge. I feel as
if my hands are blocking the screen.

If you're a notebook user you're probably wondering what I expected.
I expected a similar experience to using my iPhone.

The MacBook is beautifully made, just like my iPhone. But when I use my iPhone I get to hold it and touch the screen. It's a pleasant tactile interface.
With the MacBook I only get to touch the keys.

Perhaps if the MacBook was a tablet then I could enjoy it.

Categories:Gadgets

Update: 10/23/08
The display is much easier to read now that the sun has set and there are no annoying reflections on the screen. I'll try using the MacBook again tomorrow in the daylight. It's a good machine. I want to like it.

Update: 10/25/08
The MacBook has some tricks to get around the limitations of a 13" screen: Four fingers on the trackpad displays all windows. Two fingers scroll up/down and left/right.

The speakers aren't very loud, but the sound is good.

Update: 10/27/08
Click with two fingers on the scroll pad for a right mouse click. I'm starting to like the MacBook.

Update 3/26/09
I adore the MacBook. The lack of FireWire has not been a problem because the MB will boot from an external USB HDD, and I use my Canon SD1100is for video as well as still photography. The test will come this weekend when I use my Mini DV camera (I'll use my old iMac to load the video onto an external HDD, then edit it with the MB)

All in all, buying the MacBook was a good decision!

Open Houses Sunday, 2 - 4 PM

2008-10-19T16:15:00.009-07:00

(Between 2 and 4pm on Sunday is when San Francisco realtors show houses to the public.)

I was walking down the street to The Beanery for a cup of coffee and a pound of grounds for the coming work week when I saw a sandwich-board sign for an open house on 10th Avenue. After leaving The Beanery with my coffee I turned west on Irving and I saw another sign for an open house on 11th:

This building reminds me of our old flat on 6th avenue, except this building is much bigger and in perfect condition. The back of the building has been added onto creating a top floor studio and extra bedrooms/bathrooms/closets. Everywhere I looked there were more rooms and storage space. Very nice! I'd be happy living here. There is a small garden in back. They want $M1.4 for the building. That's what our old building on 6th Ave sold for! I'm glad we didn't buy that bag of hurt.

I turned back to walk to my original destination on 10th Ave. That's when I was distracted by this open house on Funston across from St. Anne's elementary school:

From the street it's an unassuming family home. Hardwood floors, but white carpet (yuck!) in the master bedroom. Everything in the house was new, remodeled, modernized, or well maintained. This is typical of the houses for sale in our neighbourhood. Good for a family. But too much of a family home for us. I mean it has space we don't need and can't use. $M1.3

Next is the house on 10th Ave that I first wanted to see. It's next door to a house that is almost unique in our neighbourhood: A freestanding bungalow with a front and back yard, and 12 feet clear on each side:

Spacious and immaculate. Barely recognizable as having been built in 1924. Everything looks new. Nothing needs repaired. Large. Perfect if you like house guests. Lonely if you don't. $M1.85

I was almost home when I saw this place on Kirkham:

Double glazing and good insulation keeps the Kirkham Street noise out. Nice but not special. $1.2M

lastly there's this top floor flat on the last block before I got home:

Lani and I looked at this flat three months ago. Ugly colour but that can be changed. We liked it but for one thing: No parking. The insides of the flat have been partly remodeled by cowboys with an IKEA credit card. But we're not super fussy about details, and we liked the spaciousness, backyard, and sundeck. Also, the bedroom was away from the street noise. There must be something very wrong with this flat because it's been on the market 3 times in 3 months. This time it's reduced again in price to $575K

Categories:San Francisco Architecture

Upgrading and Downsizing

2008-10-15T23:27:00.004-07:00

My iMac has been slowly dieing and I've been looking for a replacement. Found it: The new 2.4GHz 13" MacBook with 250GB HD, 2GB RAM, LED backlit display, and backlit keyboard. And the case is machined from a solid block of aluminium!

It should arrive in 3-5 days. That's enough time to get used to the idea of a 13" display (if I can write this on an iPhone then I can surely adjust to a 13" screen). And that's enough time to relocate the printer and scanner, and simplify my office-in-an-armoir. Actually sell the
armoir and free up that space for a comfy chair.

Treough Exclusive: We Ride the New Pi Prototype.

2008-10-05T20:09:00.017-07:00

I've always wanted to write a Motor-Trend/ Car-and-Driver/ Road-and-Track headline. Now that I have, I must take a shower.

Marcus Hays, founder and CEO of Electrobike, kindly allowed me to test ride this prototype for a new Electrobike Pi. The bike is clearly still in the final developement stage: The monocoque spar frame is the only major component whose design is finalized. And even it wasn't yet painted. Some components on this prototype were machined, or adjustable for testing: the chain stay is a one-off piece of machined aluminium that carries the bottom bracket and electric motor. The riding position is being worked out with adjustable handlebars. The design of the chain stay, and deletion of the seat post is the biggest visual difference between this and earlier Pi models. This test mule had an internal geared 4-speed rear hub that will be replaced with a single gear when the new electric motor is installed.

The prototype is designed within the legal constraints of the DMV's definition of a bicyle: The engine is at most 1hp, and top speed limited to 20 mph. Anything more than that and it would have to be registered as a moped or motorcycle. That's not to say Hays hasn't built an "unlimited" Pi. The 30hp Pi X gas electric hybrid Bonneville Racer is awesome.

So, how does it ride?
First, Hays adjusted the seat to fit me. The seat "post" is a parallelogram design that moves the seat down and forward for smaller riders. Nice. There's a keyed "ignition" for security. Below the key is a 12 volt outlet for accessories. The riding position is similar to a cruiser bike. The "throttle" is a small lever on the left of the handlebars, and the brakes are hydraulic discs (the front brake was still being assembled, so I couldn't test the stopping power).

I stepped on the pedals in first gear and the Pi moved forward. I then engaged the electric motor with my left thumb. The bike accelerated firmly with the low speed torque typical of electric motors. The bike was very well balanced and easy to control in slow turns. I stopped. Clicked it into second gear and accelerated again. It felt a bit sluggish this time. But remember this is not the production motor and gearing combination the public will eventually get. And the geared hub was probably there just to test various gear ratios.

Conclusion: While the Pi is worthy of an industrial design award, it is also practical transportation that is legal to ride anywhere a bicycle is allowed. The visual strength of the spar frame is as impressive as the light balanced handling.

25+ mile range
36-volt nickel metal hydride batteries
Recharges in 2.5 hours from a household outlet

Update 4/18/09:
Today I was able to examine the prototype's final design. The final components were in place. The internal hub gears in the rear wheel is an automatically variable item. Marcus said the gear range is equivalent to 10-speed cassette.
The front fork now has trailing arm suspension (designed by Martin), with the springs/shock cleanly hidden on the inside surface of the fork.
The parallelogram seat 'post' has been refined to perfection. There is a fine adjustment for the tilt of the saddle, and a quick-release lever to lock everything in place. The throttle lever is on the right of the handlebar.

Categories:Cars Design Science

Chris Bangle Explains BMW Styling

2008-09-30T02:30:00.004-07:00

In this video, BMW design chief Chris Bangle uses the GINA concept car to explain the ideas behind his styling themes.

And once more with music and without Bangle:

Whether or not you like the new look, you must admit that change was necessary. BMW has been under pressure. Their cars have been shamelessly copied for years. If BMW was to remain the styling leader in this game of follow the leader, then they needed to break new ground in automotive styling.

Videos BMW-web.tv
Categories:Cars Movies Design

Snap, Crackle, and Pop

2008-09-28T20:31:00.001-07:00

In Australasia this breakfast cereal is called "Rice Bubbles" rather than "Rice Krispies"

Once, as a trivia question, I was asked to name the three cartoon characters used in advertisements for a famous breakfast cereal. In a major malapropism I answered "Crack, Papple, and Snot".

Brian Hackney Interviews Lani Chin

2008-09-25T03:16:00.003-07:00

A few weeks ago, Lani (my long suffering partner) granted Brian Hackney a few moments of her time. Brian hosts a San Francisco television magazine called "Eye on the Bay", which airs weekly on local CBS station KPIX.

The theme of the September 23rd edition was SF fog. We live in it. We love it! Brian came to our foggy apartment to talk to Lani and find out why we/she loves the fog.

Categories:San Francisco Movies

Shell Formula 1 Commercial

2008-09-24T03:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks Intelligence.Arktip
Categories:Cars Movies

Bath Chair

2008-09-23T02:37:00.000-07:00

70L X 58W X 70H cm Steel by Reddish

The "Breakfast at Tiffany's" bathtub couch is as delightful as Audrey Hepburn.

This Bath Chair, however, is not delightful. It is an over thought attempt to re-purpose a bathtub into a chair. And the drain holes make me think it's an urinary incontinence chair. Yuck.

Thanks TreeHugger
Categories:Furniture

iPhone Email Folders

2008-09-20T14:30:00.009-07:00

(Note: let me know in the comments if I'm using any computing terms incorrectly)
I was using a POP email account from Earthlink to get email to my iPhone. That worked fine, but the iPhone email application doesn't support user created folders with POP accounts.

The iPhone does support user created folders for IMAP email accounts, but Earthlink doesn't have IMAP email accounts.

Now, what is the difference between IMAP and POP, and why would I prefer IMAP?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this is what I learnt:
A POP account stores your email on your ISP's server, and copies mail to your PC's email application when requested. When you edit, move, delete or reply to an email you are doing so from the email application on your PC.

An IMAP account stores your email and email folders on your ISP's server, and copies the mail and folders to your PC's mail application when requested. When you edit, move, delete or reply to an email, you are doing so on the server. So changes made to my iPhone email will instantly appear on my iMac email application.

The advantage of IMAP is that email changes are stored on the server, and so any changes made to the email using your PC will appear on any other PC. In my case, email read and deleted on my iPhone will also be deleted from my iMac's mail application. Saves time and keeps my email applications synchronized.

My solution to the lack of Earthlink IMAP support was to forward all email to my Gmail account, and set up IMAP email for Gmail on both my iPhone and Imac. As a bonus, my Gmail folders now appear on my iPhone!

Of course, this Gmail work-around requires some fine tuning. I didn't want the 8,000 old undeleted emails in my Gmail account to appear in my inbox! I could have opened a new gmail account to solve this problem, but instead I used the filters in Gmail to only place new mail in the Inbox. I can still view the other 8,000 in the All Mail folder.

Categories:Gadgets

New Earthlink Mail Settings for iPhone

2008-09-18T13:56:00.001-07:00

The last two days I've been confounded by an email problem: I could not send email from my iPhone using my Earthlink account.

The cause of the problem was quite simple: Earthlink has switched to password authentication for outgoing mail. This will stop miscreants from using your email account to send spam.

Change these settings on your iPhone: The outgoing mail server is now "smtpauth.earthlink.net", and Password authentication must be turned on.

So that solves that problem. Now Earthlink, how about allowing IMAP email?

We Don't Have Children. Can you Tell?

2008-09-16T04:12:00.003-07:00

New from SuckUK.

Happiness and Success

2008-09-16T02:07:00.007-07:00

It's a pity that human evolution does not select for happiness.

Evolution selects for fitness. Fitness is necessary for survival. Happiness is not necessary for survival.

Those people who are most fit to survive are strong, intelligent and adaptable.

Wouldn't it be nice if strength, intelligence and adaptability lead to happiness? It may lead to success, but not happiness.

Happiness is independent of success. A person can consider himself to be successful and yet still be unhappy. It's more likely to be the other around: Happiness leads to success.

But evolution does not select for happiness. I wish human evolution did select for happiness. I wish I was happier. I wish we were all happier.

Fast Food Fascist Nation

2008-09-11T03:21:00.004-07:00

For a few weeks after September 11th 2001 we had the world's sympathy and support. We were world citizens. But then we pissed it all away when we started the wars. We could have been a great nation. We could have shown some class.

Instead we are now the world's largest fascist nation. The rest of the First World cannot fathom us: Why we ban books and abortion, take religion so seriously, question Evolution, and consume consume consume. Why we let the profit motive control health care. Why we don't belong to labour unions. Why we won't get off our knees and kick the boss in the balls!

By our actions in Iraq, haven't we proved the terrorists were right?

Categories:Politics

When Cars Collide

2008-09-10T02:23:00.004-07:00

In California, when two cars collide, the drivers leave their vehicles where ever they come to rest until the police and tow trucks arrive. Sigh.

After a car accident it's either obvious or impossible to know who was at fault. So leaving the cars blocking the street is unnecessary. If you have a collision, collect your thoughts together and get your car off the road and out of the way.

Perhaps people really think the traffic police will perform a thorough investigation of the accident scene to find out who is to blame for the mishap? They won't. They'll just fill out an accident report for you to give to your insurance company. Just like the police do when a house is burgled, or a pocket is picked.

The California Department of Transportation must agree with me. They've been putting up these signs on Interstate 880.

Categories:Cars