Happy new year.

I've been thinking about both the past year and the past decade. Ten years ago I was finally making transition progress, after 15 years of fighting therapists and getting nowhere, but it was glacially slow. I wondered if the physicians were going to let me get anywhere before I was 50. I was working for … Continue reading Happy new year. →

The Bazaar 1999 (tech conference)

This was a conference that ran one time, December 14-16, in NYC. LWN.net's archives list it as "attendance is light" and there's a good chance this User Friendly webcomic is in reference to the event. The big features of the show were VA Linux Systems, who had recently had their IPO, and Andover's ".NET Pavilion" … Continue reading The Bazaar 1999 (tech conference) →

The DEAD_EATER

Tech memories from a former job. A past employer was a big DEC OpenVMS and Tru64 Unix shop in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and mostly on AlphaServers. It was also a school owned by a Christian religious order and physical plant took advantage of a short break in the spring academic calendar afforded … Continue reading The DEAD_EATER →

Downtime

I've been pretty sick off and on since late October so haven't done a lot. The spate of gear review posts were all done one day that I had energy. Mostly my riding has been necessary stuff like to the grocery store. Here's to more rides in 2020!

Gear review: Blazer PB-207 Pocket Micro Torch

Solid if imperfect. I call it a keeper. Tethered cover, piezio ignition, flame height adjustment, and lock and stand to use it hands free. Single jet that will light and burn even if held upside-down. I got it as a backup should the igniter on my camp stove fail. Issue: won't light in the lowest … Continue reading Gear review: Blazer PB-207 Pocket Micro Torch →

Gear review: Red Wing #968 Engineer boots

Daily wear 5 years and one replacement sole later. I wear these instead of the motorcycle gear brand boots for a simple reason: the motorcycle gear brand boots are really designed that you only wear them when riding and change out for walking about. Don't and you'll truck the sole off in a year.

Gear review: Fenix PD36R rechargeable flashlight

Reliable. Separate power and mode switches. Two-direction pocket clip. USB-C recharging port with dust cover. Con: Fenix cheaps out on the nylon belt sheath; I just use the pocket clip to attach it to my Leatherman Wave sheath. The smaller part of the barrel is 1" Tail cap switch for on/off, button near the head … Continue reading Gear review: Fenix PD36R rechargeable flashlight →

Gear review: Leatherman Wave original.

Solid multitool. Lacking a lock for the internal tools, but that was corrected on the new model.

Gear review: Kelty Galactic 30F/-1C sleeping bag

Rectangular type bag. Due to my weird body proportions the mummy type don't fit - women's are too tight in the shoulders and men's are too tight across the boobs. Only one photo as it's just a sleeping bag.

Gear review: REI Camp Dreamer pillow

Packs small, little pillow but works fine for me. Includes a pillow slip case integrated into the storage pouch. It officially self-inflates but I prefer to blow a little more air into it for the desired firmness. In the slip case