Friday, July 03, 2009
Thursday, July 02, 2009
Pony Games
Nope. Not some new kind of kink I'm into...
...or maybe it is...
The Steed* by virtue of the fact that it has no stupid dérailleur to go whirr-clickety-clackity-whirr-dzzz-clack and that it has skinny, slick tyres making minimal contact with the tarmac (not also, inflated to 105 psi!) is virtually silent. Seriously, the only sound is a faint buzz from the tyres...and me panting for breath.
This has led to me developing a new "game". Hooning it down the cyclepath surprising the day-glo commuters on their 'mountain bikes' from behind and hoping to hear a "tsk tsk"...I started out ringing my bell (honestly!), but the fucker broke on me. Then I tried shouting "On yer left!", but that just resulted in them looking round and wobbling into my path...
Surprising them is much more fun!
Hoping for no rain tomorrow morning as I'm planning to do the entire route to work, which is about 7 or 8 miles. Approximately 2/3 of which is uphill...
...then we'll see who's laughing**.
The ride home should be awesome (again, assuming no rain...it'd be like trying to ride a single ice skate)...and a cold, cold beer awaits at the end of it.
*Look Skeddy, you're just going to have to live with it...it's a steel horse I ride! ;-)
** Clue: It wont be me.
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guri / benguri
at
6:22 PM
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Labels: fixed wheel, life
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
A Psalm of Life
I recommend you read that poem (I think it's Longfellow...though I might be confusing it with someone else), anyway it was a bit heavy going to transcribe here I thought...and, well...I just wanted to mention one of the (many, many, many) things I am thankful to Luc for:
Being able to swear properly in French. And I mean stun your mother to death profanity!* I blush when I explain some of these phrases to my English colleagues.
You're still a crazy french connard!
RIP.
* Seriously not joking, the 1st time I used Luc's favourite phrase on a parisien taxi driver, he literally turned into the friendliest, most helpful cabbie I have ever had in Paris. And that says something!!
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guri / benguri
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7:57 PM
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Labels: life
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
R.I.P. Luc "Spooch"
Rest in peace, you crazy french bastard
x
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guri / benguri
at
11:29 AM
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Monday, June 29, 2009
The Bicycle Formerly Known As Sikness
Needs a different name.
I rode up to (OK, I rode halfway up and then did 1 stop on the train) "The Posh Bit" and back today after work and somehow I am not dead! Not due to traffic (that, I am managing) but because I have assumed that a fixie is all work, and no fun....how wrong I was. Hills are a bitch, there's no denying, but they end eventually and when they do...you can go back down them....as fast as fuck!
I am planning on cycling to work tomorrow. Unless there's major rainage, I will assume my normal routine, but instead of walking to the bus...I will ride:
THE STEED!
Posted by
guri / benguri
at
8:23 PM
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Labels: fixed wheel
Huzzah!
Finally. With a bit of luck and a fair wind, I'll be booking a business trip to Beriut for November...RAAAAAaaaaarRR!!1!one!
Posted by
guri / benguri
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11:11 AM
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Labels: lilpics
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Mistakes make learn
I got home from work and decided it would be nice to cycle to the nearby station, grab a train up "The Posh Bit" and have a couple of pints with a few mates...On the way to aforementioned station I bumped into an ex-girlfriend. Turns out, she's now married to a Nigerian and trying to import him....from what I remember, that is THE biggest "fuck you" she could ever giver her mum.
Anyway. So a train pulls into the station and I duly board it with "Da Sikness", I'm too engrossed in Ian McDonald to look out the window, but as we are about to pull into the station I realise I am not in Kansas any more...oh no. I have got a train that pretty much takes me back to work.
Shit.
Well, at least I went with the bike option. I duly decide to follow people on cycle paths....It turns out to be a relatively decent ride! I overtook several fatties on mountain bikes, though I'll freely admit that the relatively small rise before the insane drop down into The 'Hood was a royal pain in the arse.
I would not like to try it on Mrs Apron.
I should have started CardioTrainer on the G2, but going by the call log (17:20 - The Berber : "Oh shit I got the wrong train") and looking for my keys once home (17:37 on the phone), I think that is fucking impressive.
Not the fact I did the journey in 17 minutes, but that there is a journey whereby I could get home from work in about 40 minutes!
On the other hand, the journey to work in the morning would be almost all uphill, though generally shallow, I fear it like a bitch.
That said, someone brought a bike on the work bus this morning. And if they can do that with a 21 speed MTB then I feel more than justified doing the same with a fixie (though not with Mrs Apron, that shit's too pimped!)
Posted by
guri / benguri
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6:42 PM
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Labels: fixed wheel, idiot, life
Monday, June 22, 2009
Check!
- PSU & Mobo loaded into chassis and wired up : Check!
- CD/RW & DVD/RW packed with requisite cables : Check!
- Possibly broken graphics card + cables packed : Check!
- Extraneous cables of power and connectivity packed : Check!
- WiFi card, Bluetooth dongley-thing, LiveCD packed : Check!
- Notes on what to talk about or "an agenda" : Fuck that!
- Oh yeah, 2 or 3 hard-drives of dubious provenance & functionality : Check!
- Anti-static wrist straps : ppffffhh...Check!
- Ooh, wait....RAM!!! Yep, couple of sticks of 512Mb and a 1Gb : Check!
The plan (such as I have one) is to complete putting all my bits in my chassis and booting to LiveCD (Jackalope FTW!)...the plan has contingency, in that it may just degenerate into poking around at "bits" until it's all broken and I boot the donated system to rapturous applause.
Ironically it seems the best way to get a "free PC" is to ask www.justfortheloveofit.org or (as I did) answer "yeah, I know how to do that" when asked "can you build a PC for free?". Sunday morning I woke up (voluntarily at 5am I'll have you know!) to 1 email offering enough parts for about 6 computers and another of 6 WHOLE PCs with "some" RAM extra....jeebuz!
In addition to all this charitable hoohaw, I've been tweaking/implementing further whatsits with Dr Roboto...seriously, I've rarely been so captivated by a project and enamoured with a simple cardboard box. I will post some work-in-progress photos soon, but for the moment it's all pretty much mocked up with tape etc, though Flo does love trying it on and using the voice-changer. I have solved the "keeping it on the head" and "fuck me, it's gonna be hot in here" problems (in theory so far) with judicious use of second-hand camping equipment and some hardware from the local asian supermarket.
Which reminds me...forgot this photo yesterday...
Posted by
guri / benguri
at
7:03 PM
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Labels: life, lilpics, pc for free, robots
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Mode = Panic
Tuesday is looming. I could (if needed) have 12 free computers!!
All I did was ask!
Yesterday I picked up a parcel from Easton at 8, some gaffa tape from the hardware shop on the way back and then some cladding from "Geo. Jones" round the corner...fixed up some bits on Dr Roboto and then cleaned until heading out on the bike with Flo for an afternoon " sightseeing". She fell asleep at 4:30 and stayed that way until 6am Sunday morning.
Today? Today we went to the zoo....
I am so tired you get these in reverse (curse you blogspot uploader!!)
Posted by
guri / benguri
at
6:03 PM
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Friday, June 19, 2009
Microfame
Just been asked to do a local radio interview next week about building PCs for free/cheap and FOSS...yay me! But more importantly, yay for justfortheloveofit.org, freeskilling, FOSS and the fucking awesome community I live in!
Will be recorded early next week. I'll let you know when it's broadcast (internet stream/cast will be available) so you can listen to my dulcet tones ranting...
Posted by
guri / benguri
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5:55 PM
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Labels: foss, geek.freeskilling, pc for free
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Obsession...for geeks! [updated]
I has a one.
So. I was on ebay today buying a humane spider catcher for Rosie (7 quid delivered BTW!)...as you do.
"I wonder what fixie's are on here?", I thought to myself. Tappity-tappity-tap....
"£1100 for a bike?....WTF?...wait, what's this?"
Short story short. I've bought another fixie.
I will not turn this one into a retro, child-carrying, basket-adorned, fairground*. It's a bit more "proper", with a rear-brake (and so road-legal) and everything and weighs 1/2 as much as Mrs Apron when fully laden...Here, have a look!
Correct picture now shown...
I shall, however, start using this one (it's already shipped!!) as the "daily" bike and reserve Mrs Apron for Flo...and special occasions.
In other news, I'm working on "Doctor Roboto", my costume for next months microrave. So far it features:
- Voice changer
- Internal ultra-bright white LED lighting
- Mirrored eyes
- Tube & "Gun" for the Brainwave Transmission Weapon
- Sound responsive laser light show projected upwards!
- Rubber surround for neck/shoulders
- External "spotlights"
- Head/chinstrap attachments for security while "dancing"
- Lights, bolts, vents/grills and that....prettying it up.
- Silver fabric neck tube to cover scrawny human neck
* Actually, the crazy lights are removable from Mrs Apron, so they might go on from time to time....I have a huge bag of zip-ties I got from somewhere...
Posted by
guri / benguri
at
5:29 PM
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Labels: bike, fixed wheel, robots
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Hand pumped!
POV! Here's some hand to the wheel action...
I am expecting some kind of drive-by any day now. That or hauled over by the cops for driving a fairground ride...This shit is too gangsta for a skinny white ginger guy...especially if I really do end up gluing my bike helmet into the "Professor Roboto" costume. More on that later...FOOLISH HOOMANS!!!
Posted by
guri / benguri
at
9:30 PM
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