Hmmm

I'm not awake yet but I figured out that I missed something in my design for oldbrowsers.org. See -- with both the Mac and Windows machines there were two subcategories. For Windows it was 16bit and 32bit apps. For Mac it was 68k and PPC (actually two different chips).

In my design I've only allowed for "Windows" and "Mac" categories. Now it looks like I've got to also add in Windows 16bit and Windows 32bit. I suppose I can add sections into the menu area on the left. Or maybe list the two types of platforms like: "Microsoft Internet Explorer 16bit" Actually I kinda like that second option. But it might make the list of browsers to large.

Argh!
I've also ran into a stumbling block where I'm trying to hide the "Comments" section if there are no comments. Just can't seem to do it! I'll finger that one out tho.

--B--

Okay -- once again the UK kicks ass...
Someone left a hamster outside in a little "hamster" car (a car with a hamster wheel in it). The hamster took off for some unknown reason and was picked up what is surmised as several hours later on a major highway.

Just makes you wonder...
http://www.blackpooltoday.co.uk/ViewArticle.aspx?SectionID=62&ArticleID=205993

Big title for a umm -- interesting outlook at Sept. 11th and the time since. Not that I disagree with it in any way -- it's just .. well .. weird!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/find_out/guides/newsid_2209000/2209407.stm

Zapata Espinoza is an editor for Mtn. Bike Magazine. He always is writing great articles that make you either go "hmmm" or "yah -- those stupid fucks!". Here are some of his better ones -- I was looking for the article where he talked about the DUI's in LA -- "Driving Under blonde Influence" is how I believe he termed it. Anywase here are a couple really good ones that I've always liked:

Whining by the Gallon
Come to your Sense

Unfortunately they don't have any archives of the '02 year yet. Oh well :)

--B--

I'm sure this is going to be an ongoing thread/rant/whatever.
Let's start with the behind-the-scenes story.

I comute to work on a bicycle. Why? Becuase I enjoy the exercise. It gives me time to wake up in the mornings. It's cheaper then a car. It's easier to park a bike. The list goes on and on. Many reasons why -- we'll leave it at that. I have ridden a bicycle to work since I was 18. I've ridden as much as 15 miles each direction to and from work -- and as short as half a mile. Distance is not a problem for me.

Here in Santa Rosa I can, if I leave at 5:00pm on the dot, get home in 2-3 minutes more then it takes in a car. I routinely run into the same cars over and over at stop lights. I average around 17mph on the way in to work and around 25mph on the way home. Not terribly fast but I'm on a mtn bike and I'm too lazy to switch tires back and forth (on a side note I might be getting my road bike finished this weekend...).

I ride my bike both deffensively and offensivley -- it really depends on the situation. If I'm needing to cross lanes of traffic I will be on the offensive. If I'm riding in a bike lane I'm happy to yield to cars -- when it's appropiate.

Now .. for the rant part.
It seems that every couple months drivers around the ENTIRE country go through a period of stupidness. We'll call it Stuipd Driving Syndrome (SDS). Now it's not ALL drivers. But it seems to be quite a few over the period of about three weeks. They stop paying attention. They don't look before turning. They assume that I'm on a bike so I can't be going *that* fast. They slam on their brakes for no apparent reason. I really think someone should do a study on this syndrome!

A couple of examples:
I'm riding *in a bike lane*. I am approaching a signal with a right hand turn lane. I arrive pedal on to through the so called "safety zone" in the bike lane. A car decides they want to turn left. Without looking, without thinking, without realizing they already passed a bicyclist, they blindly pull over into the bike lane and cut around cars to get to the turning lane. I've had this happen more then once. I've had to pound on peoples cars while they do this to not get run over. I've prepared to bunny hop onto the sidewalk to not get hit.

I'm riding *in a bike lane*. I pass a school where parents are dropping off kids. There is a line to drop of their kids in the parking lot so what do they do? They stop in the bike lane causing me to swerve out into a traffic lane as to avoid them. This happens every morning I come in at 8am and school is in session. I've had them pass me on my bike and then pull into the bike lane and stop. I've come across them just sitting there for what seems like 3 or 4 minutes waiting to unload their kids -- in the bike lane. Now last I checked, the side of the road -- when there is a bike lane -- unless otherwise marked -- is for EMERGENCY PARKING ONLY. Stupid people.

I'm riding on a street with NO bike lane. I'm over -- not in the gutter (I refuse to ride in the gutter on princible -- I've gotten more flats when I accidently get over that far -- where all the junk from the street has been pushed), but on the side of the road. A car, with plenty of room to pass me, drives up behind me, decides that I'm an easy target and sits there on their horn.

I'm riding on a street with or without a bike lane. I approach a side street. A car either pulls out of the side street making a turn onto the street I'm on -- OR a car is turning onto the side street. In both situations I, the moving person on the bicycle, end up getting cut off.

Now there are some drivers out there that actually follow the idea "share the road" and will yield to bicyclists. However these are few and far between. I've even had problems with busses!! However fire trucks always seem to be quite considerate of bicyclists.

I hate to point out a coeraltion without further evidence but 9 times out of 10 the drivers are a) Female b) On a cell phone c) Driving an SUV or Bimbo Box (Mini-Van). I read a great editorial in Mtn. Bike Magazine on this very fact -- that it is these people you have to be most wary of.

Thank god this is the second week of what normally turns out to be three weeks of bad .. no TERRIBLE drivers and hopefully after next week things will return to the nice safe ride that I so enjoy.

So -- will someone please do a study on SDS and tell me why it happens and better yet -- how to avoid these drivers? Maybe we should make them get cars all painted a hideous orange. Maybe we can make them get a special sign for the back window. Maybe we can just shoot them and solve all the world's population problems. Maybe we can die the death they so richly deserve.

Or maybe, since I'm in the minority when I'm on the road, I'm just full of shit.
You decide.

--B--

Oh yah!
Almost forgot!

I've got a working (well sorta working) site up for everyone to check out. The overall idea is done. The layout I think is complete except for the first page. About 60%-70% of the behind-the-scenes code is complete.

It can be seen at:
http://oldbrowsers.org/oldbrowsers/

Enjoy!
Brent

We have this feral cat. We call her "Twin" because when she was born she looked exactly like another feral cat that we called Sia. Anywase, Tiwn has been hanging around more and more so we decided that we would get her fixed, get her shots, wormed, all the fun stuff. There is a program here in Sonoma County that pays for the fixing if you pay for the rest.

So Missy caught her and me, not liking to see animals in small cages, said we should just keep her in the downstairs bathroom. Now this cat is not stupid (like Zorgy). She is quite smart. When we were catching cats last year she was the one who sat outside the cage and used her paw to get the food and treats we had inside the trap. Twin discovered she could pull up the linolium in the bathroom in the corner. So she did that quite a bit -- she discovered she could open the window by pushing up on it, so she tried to get out that way. Finally everything got quiet and Missy headed off to bed. I was going to stay up and watch a show on the Tivo and then follow her.

About 45 minutes later I hear a crash in the bathroom and decide I should investigate. I walked down the hallway and stomped loud in front of the door hoping to scare her back. I cracked open the door to see where she was and she was right there at the crack. She managed to get her head out the door and I was reaching down to push her back in when she managed to get the rest of her body out.

I quickly pounced on her and pinner her to the carpet. She was trying like mad to get away and I had seen Missy grab her by the scruff of her neck and hold a quite calm Twin. That was what I was aiming for when she twisted like I thought only ferrits could do and sunk her teath into my thumb. In fact she did it a couple of times -- like a cobra striking at Jeff Corwin "Okay," I thought, "that isn't really hurting -- I'll grab her with my other hand." To which Twin decided my thumb wasn't good enough and grabbed the middle finger of my left hand. Now this one hurt right away so I let her go.

Blood slowly seeped out of the holes she had put in my fingers and I scrambled up stairs in a state of shock. I ended up waking up Missy (sorry!!) and she proceded to calm my adrenaline rush down.

All in all it was a not great close to a not great day.
*sigh*

In other news I did manage to get a V2 that I had been working on for a couple of times at the climbing gym. I am supposed to take the lead class on Monday (w00p). I'm not going to let these little teath marks keep me from doing that -- I've already decided! The holes on my left hand don't hurt at all -- the ones on my right hand's thumb frickin' kill. But they feel like when you get a wire splinter -- something that will hurt for a couple of days and then just kinda stop. At least I hope thats what will happen!

So I think at least three days of nice easy relaxation -- maybe get back on some climbs on Sunday! *sigh*

--B--

May the kitty RIP
http://www.napster.com

--B--

It's a build day here at LTI. What does that mean? It means that it's the other wednesday when people say it'll happen every other wednesday. It means that my stress levels go way up. It means that I've got to co-ordinate all the last minute fixes and problems that QA (Marta) finds. It means that I wish I were asleep. It means that I get no lunch. It means I work late. It means that it's just a rather crappy day all together.

On a more positive note, I had a great time down in Santa Barbara. I didn't get to climb (*waaaaah*) because Randy was too busy. But I got to hang out with an old friend, Jim, and got to visit with my brother, Ian. We also got to with my grandparents who live in Santa Ynez -- they are fun to visit -- and I get Pound Cake each time I go down!

Also got to meet the new headmaster for Dunn, spent money on some old gear that Randy was selling, and got to see Rose Knoles. She seems to be doing good. She's taught at Dunn for somewhere between 30 and 35 years. She's got an interesting band this year -- I'm gonna try and arrange some music for it. Three violins, two flutes (one is third violin), two saxes, a couple of guitars, a bass, a drummer, and a piano player. Wonder what I can do with that combination? We'll see!

Last night I managed to get my lazy ass up a 5.10d that I've been working on for just under a month now. Well I haven't worked *hard* on it -- in fact I worked on it twice and then gave up on it for two weeks. Tried it again last week and failed on the last move *yet again*. Tried it again last night and failed to do the last move a couple of times. Then I tried turning a foot and *poof* there it was. Skip the hold on the left -- it's not worth it. It's a pure grunt type of move. Just *grunt* and there you are at the top. At least if you are tall. I don't think short people could do it that way.

I'm gonna be taking the leading class next Monday (w00p). It should be fun. At least I hope it will be. There is a whole set of climbs that are lead climbs only. They are probably beyond my leading capabilities (I think the lowest is a 5.10b) but if I start now I should be able to get to them eventually.

Well I guess thats about it -- we didn't take *any* pictures on our trip. Mostly because I kept forgetting we had the camera with us. Oh well. Jason and I need to plan a trip down that direction in November(ish) to go climbing. It would be sweet!

L8tz!
--B--