chrismartin

It looks like stick-built / Type V / combustible construction, and they're giving everyone an e-bike, which is mildly scary given the trouble NYC is having with structure fires started by bike and scooter batteries.

Maybe I'm being too harsh, and new housing without included parking is major progress in Arizona. Thanks for sharing in any case!

I live in a relatively (for the US) bike-friendly city (Tucson AZ). There's a lot of cycling infrastructure, but sometimes you have to ride on a 7-lane stroad with distracted/aggressive/inebriated drivers, many of them in vehicle types that are especially dangerous to get hit by. I'm envious of places that don't have the USA's car culture.

I'm curious how you'll find living in Netherlands as an American.

Goofy stuff that I write for fun. Working on a book review now.

At the end of each chapter, there's usually a mostly-blank page. That's your spot to summarize or react to what you just absorbed.

The only downside is it requires your own dead tree copy, and anyone who borrows it later will inherit your goofy notes.

I've even tried printing out blog articles that I want to read more actively (2 pages per sheet, double sided).

If you're a cyclist, you may balk at the goofy design. But it's great for getting around town. You can zip-tie a milk crate on the back to hold your stuff.

Is it? I could imagine someone saying: "Driving my new Model 3 is much cheaper than my old truck, and more comfortable, so I take more trips around the city. Congestion isn't so bad with autopilot and podcasts."

Or, someone in a dense city: "We got by without a car at all, but we thought about buying an EV and this subsidy made up our minds"

I also suggest XC / blue / "intermediate" / rolling trails. They're less exposed and dangerous than steep descents, and better cardio. The MTB industry and press is increasingly downhill-oriented, but you can ignore that noise. Before you buy a bike, try renting a few, and riding them on your own local trails. It'll give you a better idea of what sort of bike and riding you want. If you don't have much singletrack nearby but you have dirt roads, consider a gravel or "all-terrain" road bike instead (like a Kona Dew, Kona Rove, or Hudski Doggler). It's not mountain biking, but still a lot of fun, and you cover more ground. (They're also simpler and cheaper than modern mountain bikes.)

Bike fit is important, take your time to get it right. Don't buy the wrong frame size! (I've made that mistake at least twice.) Find a shop (or experienced friend) to help you dial in the fit, and expect to swap some parts. This (and physical conditioning) makes the difference between riding kind of hurting, and being comfy on the bike for 2+ hours.

Obviously you can get hurt. MTB injuries tend to be less severe than road cycling, because you aren't riding in car traffic. But several years ago I tore out my triceps, going over the front of the bike in a rock garden and landing on my elbow. That was a surgery and slow recovery. I'm fine now, and even with that injury, cycling has been a benefit to my health and enjoyment of life.

It can be a gear-intensive hobby. I have a mostly-bikes room. It can also be an expensive hobby (though doesn't need to be). Still much cheaper than motorcycles, sailing, and so forth.

Sorry, one last thing. Be courteous to hikers. Yield to them by default, call out if approaching them from behind. Making hikers feel safe and respected is more important than carrying your speed. When riders forget this, angry hikers show up to meetings and agitate for closing trails to bikes.

They've already outdone every other laptop manufacturer: you can swap a new 13th gen system board into an original 11th gen Framework.

My friend's wife has a Framework, and she suffered a liquid spill which reached the system board. He ordered parts, did the swap, and she's back in action for less than half the cost of a new laptop. If it were Dell or Lenovo, you'd be trying your luck with used eBay parts. The housing would have ~20 tiny plastic clips that you break one or two of every time you open it up. (Or adhesive, ugh.) It's just a sketchier proposition.

1. I appended "iknowwhatiamdoing" to the existing alphanumeric password to unlock my phone, and disabled fingerprint unlock. I have to type that every time I want to use the device.

2. I've started asking myself "Does my phone need to remain powered on?" The answer is usually no; then I shut it off completely. This adds a couple minutes of delay / friction next time I feel the compulsion to use it.

Now, I routinely go an entire day with my phone shut off. Sometimes entire weekends, depending what's going on. I think it's been good for me!

Edit: I also realized that it's hazardous to use my phone as a wake-up alarm, because then you start every day half-awake with the info-drug delivery device already in your hand. It's too easy to stay in bed and open up Youtube. So, I've switched (back, after 20 years!) to using a dedicated alarm clock.

Yep. I agree we should accommodate medically necessary exceptions. Also, anyone can step out of the cafe to use their screen (medically necessary or not) at any time.

It's all good, kind stranger.

> Just today, I [...] just to sit and read the book

That sounds wonderful!

> What's the broader idea behind No Screens Cafe?

It's the same idea behind what you did today. We have this surveillance-capitalist, engagement-hacked, infinitely-scrolling, always-on infotainment economy. It delivers info-drugs which hijack our motivation and reward system. (The drugs are getting stronger: Facebook was heroin, now Tiktok is fentanyl.) With access to these, it's hard to engage in other relaxing, enriching activities like books and conversation. We can create a refuge for these other activities, but the refuge needs to exclude the info-drug delivery mechanisms (mostly screens).

When writing the post, I was thinking that Uncle Jeff (Bezos) has root access to a lot of people's e-book readers. These gadgets deliver advertising, spy on their users, and sometimes act against the users' own interest (by e.g. revoking access to paid-for books that Amazon loses their license to distribute). You can also gaze at the internet on an e-book reader, so I thought these devices probably don't belong at No Screens Cafe.

Give me a shout if you ever find yourself in Tucson AZ. It would be fun to talk.

A few minutes before I had this idea, I wrote down "Faraday Cafe. No wifi. No cell signal." But then I thought about how hard it might be to build one that blocked modern 5G/wifi networks. (Can any RF/electrical engineers weigh in?)

I scribbled these ideas with pen and paper while getting breakfast this morning (phone and laptop put away). Then I went to a park to write the post on my laptop (without a network connection). Then I turned on my phone and hotspot in order to post it. (An hour later, I'm still gazing at the internet.)

I'm super open to other ideas.

If you can't pay with cash, you're welcome to wash a load of dishes.

I'm not arguing against measures to decrease wealth inequality. But is the sum of (potentially richer) individuals' actions likely to address climate change in a better way than a hypothetical billionaire's geoengineering project? I'm not convinced in either direction.

(also, https://insideclimatenews.org/news/29062022/space-tourism-cl...)

From there I took a few liberties for a laugh, apologies if it didn't land.

For decades, the region has wanted for STEM employment opportunities. (It's the rust belt, a lot of industry moved away.) I get the impression Rochester weathered it better than Syracuse, even after the downfall of Kodak. Rochester feels a little more vibrant to visit. That said, to the extent Micron is willing to train people, I imagine they'll have an easier time hiring in Syracuse than a lot of other places.

[0] https://nyskiblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/ncdc-ny-sno...

(https://gimletmedia.com/shows/reply-all/wbhjwd)

"I would pay $44 for this, but my wallet is in my wife's purse. Can we shake on the deal, then I'll find her so I can pay you?"

Elon and the knitter shake hands. As soon as she turns away, he drops the scarf to the ground, unzips his pants, starts urinating onto the scarf and shouting.

"You failed to disclose that this scarf is now soaked in pee, so I lower my offer to $20. HEY, patrons in this booth! Beware, these garments may contain urine! Okay, I changed my mind. I don't want to buy it anymore."

An hour later, police arrive to find Elon getting ice cream with his kid or whatever. "Mr. Musk, can you step over here with us?"

"Look, is this about the scarf? I said I would pay $44, and hey! I found my wife, got my wallet out of her purse. That's all this was about. Now, will $44 please make you go away?"