And yes, I’m totally saying that the US should be more like Europe. Got a problem with that?
Why The US Should Do More to Encourage Biking to Work
Posted by Jay Andrew Allen
on December 19, 2011
Ice Skating Should Occur on Ice (Duh)
Posted by Jay Andrew Allen
on December 17, 2011
I had to re-post this article from Jen Graves at The Stranger. Like Jen, I grew up in upstate New York, and still carry with me fond memories of waiting for Port Bay to freeze up enough that kids and adults alike could strap on a set of skates. Sure, there was always the off chance that one of us could happen upon a soft patch and plummet to a watery doom. But what’s childhood without a few minor risks?
Also like Jen, I find it a terrible travesty that some developer in Capitol Hill thinks it’s fine to advertise his “ice skating rink” in Seattle Capitol Hill when it’s really a set of interlocking plastic polymer sheets.
Technologically, the rink is pretty amazing. But it’s not ice, and inventor Michael C. Gallant is the first to admit that anyone expecting anything even remotely resembling ice is in for a sad, sad evening of pseudo-skating:
Gallant asked me whether I liked the rink, and I told him straight-out no. He said I probably suffered from two problems: dull skates and unrealistic expectations. “The reality of it is, it’s not refrigerated water,” he said to me. “But we spend a lot of time studying the coefficient of friction on it, and there’s only about 7 percent more resistance than on real ice.” He told me a big part of the client’s job is to manage expectations. “If somebody goes there thinking this is gonna be ice,” he said, “they’re gonna go, ‘What a letdown.’ If they go there thinking it’s a remarkable advancement in plastic technologies, and if they appreciate it for being something that’s green, something that’s made from recycled materials…” his voice trailed off. “Have a little bit of holiday cheer in that article.”
I know that’s why I go to an ice skating rink: to behold “a remarkable advancement in plastic technologies.”
Fortunately, Seattle Center offers actual ice skating from now until the New Year. It’s cheaper than the fake-o rink on Capitol Hill, to boot.
The Days of Man are at an End…Thank the Gods
Posted by Jay Andrew Allen
on December 11, 2011
[Warning: Spoiler alerts for those who haven't read A Storm of Swords, the third book in George R. R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice trilogy. Turn back now, all ye unread.]
After taking a two-month hiatus, I finally returned to – and finished – A Storm of Swords. And while Martin’s tale is as depressing as ever, I’m glad I slogged through it.
Dreaming of iPhones and NPH
Posted by Jay Andrew Allen
on December 6, 2011
I dreamed that I worked at Best Buy corporate headquarters, which was stationed in the back of a Best Buy store in a strip mall somewhere in Bellingham. (Who knew, right?) The exit had a security hallway that required submerging yourself in a deep semi-circle of liquid and swimming to the outside world.
When I got to the other side, I was pissed to discover my iPhone had shorted out. Then I realized my iPhone was really a Gameboy, and I didn’t feel so bad.
It never occurred to me to question why we have a security moat at a technology company. Or, at least, why we weren’t issued waterproof iPhones.
But the best thing? One of my co-workers at Best Buy was Neil Patrick Harris.
Wouldn’t you swim through a security moat to work with NPH?
Yeah, that’s what I figured.
