Pinterest - Social Photos

Recently saw Pinterest on the news.
http://pinterest.com/
Sadly cannot say found it on the web. High growth for idea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinterest
Can help facilitate craft/make projects? 
http://pinterest.com/all/?category=diy_crafts

Found some nice images in a search for "Model Railroad".
http://pinterest.com/search/?q=model+railroad
http://pinterest.com/rkalan/outstanding-model-railroads/
http://pinterest.com/source/miniatur-wunderland.com/
http://pinterest.com/noisescientist/trains-trees-tunnels/

And of course there is the obligatory search for "cute".
http://pinterest.com/search/?q=cute

American Manufacturing

Article in the Atlantic on American manufacturing.
http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/01/making-it-in-america/8844/

Knew manufacturung had changed, and even knew about details of machines, technology and communications. But the social and technical systemic re-arrangements were a revelation. Gets to low level reasons for changes that have high level effects in the overall economy. Without the personal stories, was like something would have stumbled across in Scientific American. But the personal stories made the piece flow.

Saving Money - Then and Now.

Thinking about how saved money in childhood in semi-rural Nova Scotia.
- burned wood (from wood lot).
- raised chickens (fed bread and leftovers).
- drove old car.
- gardened (potatoes, peas, tomatoes, strawberries).
- harvested field mushrooms.
- made maple syrup.
- passive solar (window warmth).
- insulated (straw, fiberglass, fabric window coverings and wall hangings).
- used old machinery for snow removal and yard care.
- used library.
- frugal with clothes and entertainment.

But spent money on lights, TV and telephone without much worry.

Today many things still apply in suburban environment, but it is different...
Save money by:
- efficient lighting (like LEDs)
- [burning wood is frowned upon due to smoke and CO2].
- wind/solar self sufficiency.
- insulate.
- drive new car and get new appliances which are more efficient and take less maintenance.
- use Internet (and still library!).
- take train and boats (mass transit).
- garden.
- raise small livestock, if ordinances and neighbours allow.
- manually mow lawn and remove snow for exercise (or at least use electric).
- frugal with entertainment and clothes.

But spend money on lights, Internet, TV and telephone without much worry.

Property/school taxes, water/trash bills and mortgage are significant costs in suburban home life.

Travel to and from AHR in Chicago

Interesting metering, dashboard and cloud showings at AHR... new devices/sensors/technologies too.

BUT report herein is about travel challenge for the day... to get all the way Home -> AHR -> Home without automobiles.

2:30 Up and tended to son/wife (sick) and prepared for travel.
4:50 Walk to Oak Grove.
5:15 First MBTA Orange Line train Oak Grove to State.
5:35 MBTA Blue Line State to Airport.
5:55 Airport shuttle 55 to Terminal B stop 3 AA.
6:05 No luggage. Had printed boarding pass. Through TSA.
6:15 At gate and get return boarding pass.
6:30 Boarding.
6:55 Flight departs - ginger ale - hour nap.
8:30 Flight arrives Chicago.
8:45 CTA Blue Line from O-Hare to Jefferson.
9:30 CTA Red Line from Jefferson to Cermak/Chinatown.
9:45 Walgreens for bottled water and walk to McCormick and AHR.
10:15 Arrive McCormick and get Exhibitor registration.
10:30 Walk AHR floor.
14:00 Granola bars - bottled water.
16:00 AHR ends.
16:10 Booth close up - bottled water.
16:30 Walk to Cermak.
16:45 CTA Red Line from Cermak to Jefferson.
16:55 CTA Blue Line from Jefferson to O'Hare.
17:40 Arrive O'Hare.
17:50 No luggage. Had printed boarding pass. Through TSA.
18:00 At gate and checked boarding pass - okay.
18:45 Boarding.
19:15 Flight departs - ginger ale - hour nap.
22:30 Flight arrives Boston.
22:40 Airport shuttle 55 to from Terminal B to MBTA.
22:50 MBTA Blue Line Airport to State.
23:10 MBTA Orange Line train State to Oak Grove.
23:30 Walk home.
23:50 Arrive home.

All completed with walking, mass transit and air flight.

Miniatures - Roadside America

Posting by Mark Frauenfelder about Roadside America in PA.
http://boingboing.net/2012/01/16/be-prepared-to-see-more-than-y.html
Tried to login and post comment using boingboing account, but something about "Real-time updating is paused. Logout Add New Comment Please wait..."

Great posting. Have been near there in PA and never realized. Minatures = wonderful.

Anyone been to Bekonscot? http://www.bekonscot.co.uk/
Legoland(s)? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legoland
Hidden gem found while visiting in-laws in MO... http://wfprr.com/
Anyone visited Romney Hythe & Dymchurch? http://www.rhdr.org.uk/
Kudos to Robert Little in comments to boingboing article for G&D reference http://www.gdlines.com/

Cutting Styrofoam

Wanted to cut inch thick (pink/blue) styrofoam insulation sheets. Considered hot knives/wire, but they are tricky to wield, generate odor/fumes, have small chance of burns, and often generate less than straight lines (like a jigsaw in wood). Some suggest using a fine saw blade (like from a hacksaw), but that generates a foam dust mess. Some suggest scoring and snapping (with varying degrees of sucess in getting a good clean edge), but scoring and snapping only works well for straight cuts. Arcs and curves are hard to score and snap.

Read about using a serrated knife coated with wax to cut styrofoam. Was skeptical. Was very skeptical after prurchasing an old beatup knife (Goodwill) and rubbing beeswax (A.C.Moore lifetime supply one pound block) on it. Knife looked a mess, with varying thicknesses of wax gooped all over the blade. Beeswax is not very fluid/smooth at room temperature.

Seemed like wax would do more to make the styrofoam chip and gouge, than help make a clean cut, but wax-on-serrated-knife worked like a charm. The starting carving stroke generates friction, but the serrated blade makes a initial clean cut. The side friction warms up the blade and starts the wax flowing and every stroke after warm up is superb. It is almost like cutting a stick of cold butter. Would not have believed it.

Caveat is that working too fast and cutting too far (say about a metre) completely cleans the wax off the working area of the blade. One must regularly get out the wax block/candle and coat the blade again. But that is a small price to pay for a clean cut (straight or curved).

LED Lighting

What technology has been revolutionary in the past quarter century? Many ways of looking at this. Even defining "technology" and "revolutionary" might be debatable.

LED lighting
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LED_lamp
(and even CFL when well implemented)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compact_fluorescent_lamp
are amazing.

LED bulbs are available at Home Depot, Lowes and Walmart. Such technology at retail here and now is amazing.

Even simple holiday lights are amazing. Can get at CVS a string of 60 warm white lights (string handles heat and light distribution) that consume about 4W (total) and put out about 400 lumens (total - like a 40W bulb). They twinkle a bit, but not a major annoyance. Thinking of supplementing lighting in basement and attic with LED strings.

"The Future of Light Is the LED"
By Dan Koeppel August 19, 2011 12:53 pm Wired September 2011
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2011/08/ff_lightbulbs/all/1

Article Points:
Brett Sharenow, CFO, Switch demos LED bulb. New regulations on light bulb efficiency upcoming. 100/60 watt race. Haitz law: x20 light /10 cost per decade. CFL problems. The L Prize (short for Bright Tomorrow Lighting Prize). LED history. Heat transfer (new idea) via fluid. History of Switch. Developments by others.

Sidebar: battle of bulbs (6) including:
+ Philips Ambientled - The first commercially available 60-watt-equivalent LED.
+ Switch60 Warm White