Code Louisville 2.0, Shelving Various Things, New Tech

Tonight was my first night of mentoring at Code Louisville 2.0.  I don’t know if I’d mentioned it before; I volunteered to be a mentor in a program that the city is putting together.  The City’s viewpoint is, we need more skilled IT people (there’s a shortage).  My viewpoint is, I get to help somebody who wants to learn, to learn something, is good with me.

It went pretty well.  The program is using Treehouse for the source of instruction; the Louisville Free Public Library made a deal with Treehouse to make it available to all library patrons.    The quality of the instruction is pretty decent, and it takes the stress off me for being a source of instruction.  Instead, i just need to share my experience with folks.  Some of them are right at the level of the instruction, some are much more advanced.  It keeps it interesting.

To keep the mentoring / labs interesting, I’m trying to do a mini version of a standup at the start, and then circulate amongst everybody to keep things personal.   I’m trying to keep a live document editable by all going as class notes / links / what did we decide.  I hope its a good example for them, of how to use technology to collaborate.

As a result, though, I’ve had to shelve my architecture build.  I simply don’t have the 4-6 hours it would take for me to go to LVL1 and print out the 3D parts of my house model.  Each part.   Times 8 parts.   Times 4 levels.  Without being a hog.  

My current geeky project inventory:

  • A family project: old 35mm slides converted into slideshow project for delivery at Thanksgiving (where I’ll record everybody’s commentary about what the slides were about)
    • I need to find decent screencast recording software that will let me create a DVD later.  I think I’ll be trying SnagIt.
    • Planning on using Picasa as the presentation vehicle.  My wife has already scanned in all the slides from the negatives.
  • One more birthday song, for my stepson, coming up in December
  • One last soccer banquet slideshow, as requested by one of the kids I know.  He’s a good kid, and yes, I’d be honored. To be delivered probably late November or early December, i don’t know yet.

I’ve also had an infusion of new tech into my life:

  • Samsung_ATIV_Smart_PC_Pro_700T_35511640_06_610x436[1]A Samsung 700T that I got off a co-worker at about 50% of the list price.  This is a Windows 8.1 (thanks Anthony!) tablet device with a keyboard that makes it pass off as a laptop pretty well.  I’m writing this blog post on it.   However, while in tablet mode, the near field pen thingy works perfectly.  It even does the “hover” thing that mice do, that I really miss on the Apple.    And I’m getting used to the flexibility of reaching up and touching instead of trying to force the mouse to get to a certain spot on the screen.
  • A whole house water pressure regulator to cap water pressure at 75 psi.   What was happening was spikes up to the 150’s, which caused the pressure relief valve on the tankless water heater to dump scalding hot water onto the concrete basement floor.

Running wise, I (barely) ran my last half marathon of 2013 (time: 2h48m).  Due to a calf injury, i could not train much – my longest run the month prior was 5.5 miles – but thanks to Mr. Calvin Spears of Occupational Kinetics, I got put back together.  They also used a cool app – it seemed to be called SparkLines, but i can’t find it anywhere – to measure me while I was running, and detect that my form is lop sided when I’m in my right foot.   Good stuff to know.   They also say they can make me faster. 

My running schedule is currently clear of all races.  I intend to sign up for the Polar Express series (3k, 4k, 4mi) which runs Dec-Jan-Feb, as a way to have a goal to stay in shape over winter. 

Half Marathon Running Gear

I was thinking ahead to next week, about what gear I will be running in.  It got confusing, so I made a chart.

Half Marathon Running Gear

(Click to zoom in to the larger image)

  • From Left to Right is the order in which stuff goes on.
  • In case of extremely cold weather, the stuff on the right of the purple line comes in to play

In Detail

S1 Suunto Chest Strap Captures heart rate data, sends to S2. Helps me regulate my pace and gives me blog posting material for the future.  Deploys a protective armor nanoshield in case of attack.
S2 Suunto T6d Super computer watch which receives all the data and logs it.  It will also act as defensive laser in case of alien attacks.
S3 Suunto Foot Pod Has a built in Accelerometer and FancyMoMancyMeter to tell me how fast I’m running, accurate to +/- 10% depending on calibration.   Provides extra jumpjet fuel.  Uses invisible ants to send signals up your leg and down your arm to the watch.  No joke.  ANTS protocol.
SH1 Technical Shorts. TMI: These are the kinds with the built-in sweat wicking underwear.   They have pockets that are designed to loose things when you sit in your car.   I wish that were a joke.
SH2 Technical Shirt. Probably from the Bourbon Chase or one of my other favorite race shirts.  I like the loose mesh ones better than the tight mesh ones.   Designed to make me radar invisible to the aliens.
MS9 Motorola S9 Bluetooth Headset For listening to ma’ tunes from the Pace DJ.  Also used for communication with central agency in case of emergencies.  Volume and Track buttons.  Skips in high humidity.  Can be used on single ear only.
TFMH Tin Foil Metal Hat Hopefully the aliens don’t invade on Saturday.
IFB iFitness Belt To Store the I4S and some ID/Cash.  If taken off and whirled in a circular motion, can create a kinetic shield to ward off flying kitten attacks.
G1 Powerbar Gel – Green Apple – With Caffeine 25mg baby
G2 Powerbar Gel – Vanilla – No Caffeine ‘cuz Caffeine is a Diuretic, and the aliens may mistake porta-potties as enemy tanks and destroy them first.
G3 GU Powergel – Espresso flavor Hip Hip Hipster Hooray!  (less runny than Powerbar gel)
GCS GoPro Chest Strap I didn’t want the head mount, makes me look too techy and attract attention to myself.  Seriously.    Can double as an ammo belt for paper clips.
GP GoPro Because recording video on my iPhone is not sexy enough.  Will also spot creatures using phased light invisibility techniques because of the parralax they cause in the 117-th degree FOV filter.
PDJ Pace DJ Scans existing music library for tempo – you don’t have to choose the music.   Hopefully its all good.
CB1 CamelBak Hydration Pack Only need to stop every 6 miles, and I never have to ask when the next water station is.   Can also hold keys in the zipper part.   Can be used to squirt water at the aliens, because most aliens are allergic to water, and they forget to scan before they invade.
LSTS Long Sleeve Technical Shirt For when temperatures including wind chill drop below 50F
TFFFHP Tight Form Fitting Flab Hiding Pants For when temperatures (including wind chill) drop below 40F
GL Gloves To prevent attempting to warm hands in more publicly embarrassing ways.
SJ Sport Jacket The kind with Mesh on the inside.   Combine with LSTS to get it down to 35F or so.  You generate a lot of body heat when running.
WRH Winter Running Hat Keeps them ears and the bald spot warm.  Bald spot is the center of brain activity, if it gets cold, the eyes glaze over.    Machine Washable! Didn’t know I had sweat glands there.  Oh wait, Thai Food.
IEB IPhone Ear Buds (new kind) Cuz my ears are shaped funny, very few earbuds work; when wearing the WRH, the MS9 doesn’t fit, so I have to go wired.   The square shape of the container helps differentiate them from a hockey puck.
GAUBAC Gawd-Awful-Ugly Big-Ass-Coat Purchased at goodwill, to stay warm before the race and during the first few miles; abandoned during the route; also a decoy to confuse the aliens.   Pink with leopard spots is awesome.

Yep, I’m crazy.   What the heck, I’m owning it.

In case you hadn’t figured out, italics = for fun, not real.