A hacker's Christmas wishlist
writings.withoutfriction.com
writings.withoutfriction.com
I've been using it on a daily basis since September and it's absolutely phenomenal.
The extra heft was just enough to make the lead glide over the paper and to neutralize minor hand tremors as well as deviances caused by variations in the paper surface. It was and absolute pleasure to write with it.
I bought a Rotring 600 series mechanical pencil before they disappeared. Externally, it has a rather similar appearance. But it is lighter, and the action is stiffer and less precise. The Koh-I-Noor was at another level.
With some digging, I can find a page that describes them. But I've never found a hint of one for sale, not even on eBay.
[EDIT: why the downvote? You may disagree with the above sentiment, but I was trying to explain why there is a difference.]
And I agree with your reasoning - in another post that I had an Amazon affiliate code I remembered to put a disclosure, however this time I forgot.
On a reasonably related note, I found out a few days ago that StackOverflow and the StackExchange network of sites automatically insert their affiliate code into Amazon and presumably other sites links.
edit: and I just got back, so can do any edits you would suggest to the article
It's just good manners to always mention that the links are affiliate links because it can change the value of your review and/or recommendations when money is involved and it should be the readers choice. Just like if you're reviewing a book you wrote, or a company you work for.
In a marathon I did on Sunday there was a lady wearing VFFs who already had two stress fractures, but was still determined to run in them. We questioned that decision....
I think some people might be reading "Born to Run" and jumping full on into barefoot running and VFFs without taking the time to get their feet used to the minimalist style! That said, they do work for a lot of people.
There is often an evolutionist explanation for it that goes something like "the human leg and foot evolved to run barefoot", but isn't there a flaw in the explanation that running usually happened on dirt, grass, and not on the paved streets of New York? In other words our feet won't do well running barefoot on concrete or asphalt.
I am not a runner but just wondering, how many people use VFF for marathons successfully without injury? Is it a high number or it is still very very small minority?
I trained for years (12 yo+) as a middle-distance (10k) runner, so the biggest adjustment was to eliminate my "make this stride as long as possible," technique, which lends itself well to heel-striking.
Now that I run on the road in VFFs, I definitely know for days afterward if I tired enough on a run to fall back into old habits. I can barely walk and have to roll my calves and shins. Mind you, I'm too close to 40, and I think I could have pulled it off pretty easily when I was 15-20.
This seems intuitive when considering the difference in impulse between a sidewalk and a grassy lawn, but I'm not sure it actually makes any difference if you have good form - the idea there being that your calves take all the impact (remember impulse, again), versus your knees. Muscles can develop - whereas joints and bones can deteriorate. There's a good illustration of this in the following link from Harvard, which elaborates on the mechanics of foot strike with pretty charts showing the force generated in different scenarios: http://www.barefootrunning.fas.harvard.edu/4BiomechanicsofFo...
I started running in VFFs in September, 2009, but didn't seriously commit to running in them until January of this year. I've since logged 1,200 miles in them and haven't looked back. I've done numerous 20+ mile runs in my Vibrams, including a marathon within the past month. There were 2,700 entrants at that race, but only two runners (including myself) wore VFFs. I haven't had any stress fractures or other injuries since I've started wearing them, even when logging around 60 miles per week. (This is not to say that I disagree with the other comments in this thread.)
I'm pretty passionate about barefoot running. I love to see others joining the movement, so I try to encourage best practices to those making the transition. If any of you have questions about how to take the plunge, feel free to follow up here or contact me via email.
(BTW: another gift idea: an infrared thermometer and a copy of Cooking for Geeks.)
* Some sort of brewing vessel
* Filter
* Measuring spoon
* Whisk
* Bowls / Cups
* Wide selection of tea
a TI LaunchPad for the future microcontroller enthusiast ($4.30)
a bag of Sugru (http://www.sugru.com )
Ideas for the near-zero range:
a hand-made pen-and-USB-stick etui (http://zeughaus.pechfunk.de/post/2415508111/my-first-sewing-... ) made from a Tyvek envelope
For me, I will use a second 1tb drive as a raid 1 drive mirrored to my main drive, to prevent against drive failure. The really important stuff on there is saved in Dropbox anyway.