Setting up Subversion on Windows
Allow me to illustrate how straightforward it is to get a small Subversion server and client going on Windows. It’ll take all of 30 minutes, tops, I promise. And that’s assuming you read slowly.
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Archive for April, 2008
CH: Setting up Subversion on Windows
Monday, April 7th, 2008DIY Half Size Panzer Tank
Monday, April 7th, 2008Kettering University student Will Foster builds fully operational half-size Panzer tank
Roughly the size of a small car, Foster’s tank can reach speeds of around 20 mph with its three-cylinder diesel engine. Just like the real thing, the tank runs on treads and has a 360-degree cannon powered by compressed air from a scuba tank.
Its camouflaged plywood exterior has become a curious fixture at Foster’s Theta Xi fraternity house, where it is often parked next to a shed with a sign that reads “Panzer parking. Violators will be totaled.”
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Electric Motorcycle
Monday, April 7th, 2008I started thinking the other day about electric propulsion. Since, I don’t want to blow $30k on car when mine works well what am I to do? Maybe they have an electric motorcycle? My requirements are pretty light. Something to take over the commute during the ~4-5 months of really nice weather we have. About 10 miles both ways at 60 mph. There’s a big ass hill to climb when going home, but you rid down that when coming to work. Charge at home.
The goal is to reduce the wear on the red car, reduce fuel consumption and costs by going electric, reduce overall costs, and in general be more energy-wise. I’m thinking $2k-$4k. Any more and it costs too much.
So, what do they have? No much, unless you have ~$10K. For that I can get a used car and continue with similar maintenance costs. Not worth it.
Seems like speed is the main issue. Most bikes are glorified mopeds or throwbacks to the 1920’s. They max out at 30 or 45 mph with a similarly short range. Very few will hit 60 mph.
Bikes
on Wikipedia
Vectrix $11K @ 60mph
EMB Lectra $4K @ 40mph
Enertia $12K @ 50mph
EVT America < 45mph
Meditation Room Update
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008Last night I got an idea. There are several planks of flooring left over and a stick and a half of chair rail. Why not make a few shelves out of the scrap? It would not be hard and there’s plenty of material. The tools are still setup.
So, I got two 40″ boards and glued them back to back. This results in one 40″ long 1.25″ thick 8″ wide board. Then cut it in half, either equally or disproportionately. Saw off the teeth used to hold the blanks side by side and put chair rail around the edges. The chair rail turns out to be about 1 3/8″ tall, so there’s a slight overhang on a very thick shelf.
The colors of the floor and chair rail are very similar. It ties together the bamboo floor with the chair rail and puts it on the wall. An accent piece that joins the style elements of the room making it flow more evenly.
There are enough planks to do this twice and I might in order to pull the style of one room into the others. This room got a two color paint job with chair rail to duplicate the existing master bedroom, duplicating that style is one technique. I could put these shelves in a bathroom or bedroom to make the house seem like a whole project and not just pieces joined by a common foundation and roof. Thus, using another technique.
On the shelves, I’ll place a couple of picture frames that have almost the identical color of the light green wall. The picture frame plus shelves serves as a mini-version of the room, containing most of the style elements in the small that the room embodies in the large. A subtle suggestion to the observer’s subconscious.
A dark green Aztec ceramic calendar goes on the wall along with an antique green meditating Buddha on a shelf. In one corner about 6′ up a viney purple or green houseplant sitting on a quarter circle shelf overgrows and flows down and over. Taking advantage of the light and airness.
Blue bean bag in the corner to mediate on. A cycle machine against the wall facing an LCD TV mounted on the wall. Beside the cycle machine are two wall silver mounted speakers plus volume control connected to the stereo amp/iTunes laptop on the other side of the wall. Against another wall a narrow natural wood shelf that I built years ago to hold books, incense, etc. In the center of the room a blue or purple yoga mat can stay out all the time. With a couple of spares in the closet for easy access.
This is my mediation room.
Home RAID
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008A much longer post about a home RAID box will follow. For now, I’m looking at a Mirror setup on a pair 640 or 750 gig. It’s getting to be a necessity. The laptop is bulging with music files and pictures to offload. There are stacks of my mom’s photos to scan. I still haven’t recopied the 30 gig music library from RA. A “permanent” backup storage is needed to make sure I don’t lose everything again.
It looks to be $100 for the case and $100-$140 X 2 for the drives. Pricey, for storage that I will fill almost immediately.
John Adams Bio
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008I started reading the John Adams audio book that the HBO show comes from. It’s interesting. There’s so much they can’t include.
Meditation Room Update
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008Last night, Sara helped me put up the chair rail and repack the closets so that I have a living room again. Thank you very much Sara. It looks really good. Much better than the last time. It was worth doing over again and it’s much smoother to the touch than the previous molding.
This is a pine something or other (not chair rail) with a Natural stain and one thick coat of poly + steel wool. I tried 3 stains and this one was the closest match to the yellow bamboo floor color. The second was a Honey Pine + Poly in one can. It looks fantastic.
Here are the pics.
Here is one pic that happened to show the previous stuff on the wall.