December 28th, on Continental 700 x 250, 25 - 622. Inflated to 105 PSI...that's a PR. Not a hint of snow, ice, slush, frost or my domestique.
In 2011, I spent 434.43 on race fees, and 1400.33 in bike shops. And I will be the happiest cyclist in St. Paul when I get to take my Bicycling calender off my wall.
Here is what I listened to while riding, in reverse order.
Hot For Teacher, Van Halen
Trampoline, Joe Henry.
One Step Closer to You, Michael Franti
Flying Saucer, the Wedding Present
Shake Your Foundation, AC/DC
I Don't Know Why, Muddy Waters
Under The Milky Way Tonight, the Church
Spanish Grease, Verve Standards
Distance Equals Rate Times Time, the Pixies
I Will Possess Your Heart, Death Cab For Cutie
Release Me, Thee Shams
Basket Case, Green Day
Music For a Found Harmonium, Patrick Street
Cannonball, The Breeders
Sunspots, Bob Mould
I Hope That I Get Old Before I Die, They Might Be Giants
Chase The Ace, AC/DC
Over The Moon, Luka Bloom
Revolution, The Beatles
Learning To Fly, Pink Floyd
Savion Glover, P.O.S.
Pop Song 89, REM
Blue on Black, Kenny Wayne Sheperd
My Mind is Rambling, The Black Keys
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Ireland history
Paddy's Lament, Ireland 1846-1847: Prelude to Hatred by Thomas GallagherMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
"They were standing near a shoemaker's shop, whose dangling sign resembled those of other shops in that it was written in letters that started large, quickly grew smaller and smaller, and finally ran down into a corner in search of the necessary space. If anything symbolized Ireland and the Irish at this time, it was these homemade signs that began with expansiveness and hope and ended with a downward slide to almost nothing."
Page 160
Very descriptive symbolism, something that could also be applied to business, relationships, law, politics - often the grandest of concepts are proposed at the start, only to have the smallest of accomplishments achieved at the conclusion.
Like an orchard ladder.
View all my reviews
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Rivers
TROUT
Hangs, a fat gun-barrel,deep under arched bridges
or slips like butter down
the throat of the river.
From the depths smooth-skinned as plums
his muzzle gets bull's eye;
picks off grass-seed and moths
that vanish, torpedoed.
Where water unravels
over gravel-beds he
is fired from the shallows
white belly reporting
flat; darts like a tracer-
bullet back between stones
and is never burnt out.
A volley of cold blood
ramrodding the current.
by Seamus Heaney
About a year ago, I got to writing down all of the rivers I had tried fly fishing on...between 1996 and 2009. Here is what I came up with.
Colorado
Frying Pan
Roaring Fork
Colorado
Crystal
La Poudre
Little Charleston
Elk
Boulder Creek
Blue
South Platte
Montana
Yellowstone
Firehole
Madison
Gibbon
Stillwater
Beaverhead
Bighorn
Soda Butte
Minnesota
Whitewater
Browns Creek
Root
Mill Stream
St. Croix
Mississippi
Valley Creek
Split rock
Beaver
Gooseberry
Cannon
Temperance
Baptism
Hay Creek
Michigan
Two Hearted
Fox
Pere Marquette
Little Mannistee
Wisconsin
Spring Valley
Namekagon
Rush
Kinnickinnic
Willow
Apple
Clam
Sand Creek
Cave Creek
Lost Creek
Bois Brule
Trimbelle
Bead Head Pheasant Tail Nymph, size 18.
Sulphur compara-duns, size 16.
Parachute Adams, size 18.
Light Cahill, size 20.
Partridge and Green, size 14 and up.
Stoneflies, caddisflies and mayflies. I get a little nostalgic when it's cold and there is no snow on the ground, which inevitably leads me to a fishing story.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Sunday Night Dance Party
Another sunday night run, same route, same distance, new playlist.
Chase the Ace, AC/DC
A Little Light, Bob Mould
Slow Turning, John Hiatt
Unsatisfied, The Replacements
Stop, Janes Addiction
Can't Believe, Firehose
Pardon Me, Incubus
Bamboleo, The Gypsy Kings
The Harder They Come, Jimmy Cliff
Twilight, The Raveonnettes
St. Charles Shuffle, Peter Lang
Punk Rock Classic, The Red Hot Chili Peppers
Cult of Personality, Living Color
Hang Fire, The Rolling Stones
Stranger Than Fiction, Bad Religion
Tightrope, Stevie Ray Vaughn
Tea For Two, Sarah Vaughn, (re-mix)
Raincan, Willie Wisely
Red and White, Leo Kotke
Blue Orchid, the White Stripes
Hot For Teacher, Van Halen
Over The Moon, Luka Bloom
The Way You Do The Thing You Do, Earl Van Dyke
The Picture, Jay Farrar
As near as I can recall, anyway.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Chilly run
I've been doing some core strength workouts at the Saint Paul Skyway YMCA, trying to make sure those jumpy knee ligaments and tendons are staying in place while I'm on my bicycle. I've also started getting back on the treadmill, and tonight, I guess I got a spur in my saddle and went out for a ten mile loop. Yesterday I rode the Raleigh xxix in the snow and on some trails, and besides having a little too much air in the tires, had a good time despite myself.
The snowfall has everything looking still and feeling quiet.
"Growing up in a place that has winter, you learn to avoid self-pity. Winter is not a personal experience, everybody else is as cold as you, so you shouldn't complain about it too much. You learn this as a kid, coming home crying from the cold, and Mother looks down and says, 'It's only a little frostbite. you're okay.' And thus you learn to be okay. What's done is done. Get over it. Drink your coffee. It's not the best you'll ever get but it's good enough."
-MPR coffee cup
Playlist:
Cripple Creek, Leo Kotke
California Soul (Diplo Remix), Marlena Shaw
Who Made Who, AC/DC
Pieholden Suite, Wilco
When Doves Cry, Purple Rain
Knock Me Down, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Strawberry Swing, Coldplay
Ramble On, Led Zeppelin
Start Me Up, Rolling Stones
Voodoo Child (Slight Return), Jimi Hendrix
Basket Case, Green Day
Let's Go Crazy, Prince
Pop Song 89, REM
The Ballad of John and Yoko, The Beatles
Tears of Joy (Live), Robert Randolph and the Family Band
Purple Rain, Prince
Distance Equals Rate Times Time, The Pixies
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Dicky Barrett & the Bulldogs
 |
| Photo Credit amiright.com |
Hope I Never Lose My Wallet lyrics
Never lose my wallet, it would put me in a spot.
Never lose my sense, at least how much I've got.
Never lose my family, never lose my friends.
Never lose my youth, I hope it never ends.
Hope I never lose my wallet.
And hell I hope to hell and only time will tell
I hope I never lose my mind.
Or lose my self somewhere not too far from here that nobody can find.
Never lose my hair, I would hate to go without.
Never lose direction and wander all about.
Never lose my courage, never lose my hope.
Never lose my girl, it would make it hard to cope.
Hope I never lose my wallet.
And last of all, not least of all
I hope I never lose my mind.
Or lose myself somewhere not too far from here that nobody can find.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Bearhat Mountain
Bearhat Mountain, 1994.
I traveled through Glacier National Park with a field class from Saint John's University in 1994 - my study was on freshwater ecosystems and invertebrate population densities, specifically, mayflies, stoneflies and caddis flies. 14 years later, after putting my studies into considerable real world practice, a friend asked me what mountain or what mountain range the photo was from. I couldn't answer with anything better than Somewhere between Sandstone Minnesota and Port Angeles Washington. Turns out, it's called Bearhat Mountain and it's along the pass leading into Glacier National Park...seems like the kind of thing a person wouldn't forget. There is a rock formation, near Dillon, Montana, looks a lot like a Beaver, or a Sakagaweea, depending on the lighting. And another in the BWCA, that looks like a bear.
I don't think this looks much like a bear's hat, is all I'm saying here.
Happy Thanksgiving.
(save now)
(save now)
(pause.........)
(building suspense....)
(save now)
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Bread, part 2
Mixed up another batch of bread, this time with
Organic white bread flour
Organic Wheat bread flour
All Purpose Flour
oil, egg, salt, honey, sugar
Ground dry Oatmeal
yeast
Levain
After resting a levain of water, pinch of yeast and flour for 24 hours, I mixed the levain in with Water, egg, honey, sugar, oatmeal, oil and wheat flour.
After mixing this into a smooth consistency with a whisk, I added the remaining organic white flour and some All purpose flour.
After the dough had been shaped, I rolled in the salt.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Bread, part 1
Here's this bread recipe I've been working on, it's a little rough, but if you follow it closely, you should wind up with four loaves of nice fully risen bread.
You'll need a big bread bowl, 4 loaf pans, measuring cups and spoons.
Organic Wheat and white flour.
Honey
Dry uncooked oatmeal
Yeast
Salt
Sugar
Egg
Canola oil
Measure 5 cups of very warm water, pour into the large bowl.
Add two whisked eggs
Add 1/2 Cup of sugar
Add 1/2 Cup of honey
Add Two Tablespoons of Yeast
Add Two Tablespoons of canola oil
Whisk all of that together for about a minute, so it is a yeasty solution.
Blend 4 Cups of uncooked dry oatmeal in a food processor, to the consistency of flour.
Add the processed Dry Oatmeal to the starter, again, whisk this solution.
Add 4 Teaspoons of salt*
Add 6 Cups of Organic White Bread Flour
Add 3 Cups of Organic Wheat Bread Flour
A word about salt,
"It is extremely important to use salt correctly, for undersalting results in insipid flavor while oversalting alters flavor and impedes fermentation." -Maggie Glezer, Artisan Baking
This may result in a slightly wet or dry loaf. Compensate for this by adding a little flour or water as necessary - the heavier and drier the loaf is, the more difficult it will be for the bread to rise against its own density. The wetter the loaf is, the more likely it is to not maintain a shape.
Knead the loaf into a smooth large ball of dough, preferably on a cleaned and prepared workspace - a countertop or table works well for this. After kneading, place the kneaded loaf back into the large bread bowl and allow to rise for at least an hour.
After the first rise is completed, you should have a larger, more porous piece of dough. Place this onto your workspace, use some additional all purpose flour if necessary for handling or shaping the dough. Cut the dough into four equal chunks. Each chunk of dough is then sliced into three pieces, rolled out and braided.
After each of the four loaves are braided, place each into a separate bread pan and allow to rise for another hour, or until the loaves are at least an inch above the edge of the bread pans.
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees, bake for 32 minutes.
Congratulations, you made honey oat wheat bread.
*Another way to add the salt is to combine all of the ingredients, form a large ball of dough and knead the salt into the dough...if you're that worried about it.
Next time, a sourdough. With a levain.
Obligatory Matt Damon quote from Good Will Hunting -
"See, the sad thing about a guy like you is, in 50 years you're gonna start doin' some thinkin' on your own and you're going to come up with the fact that there are two certainties in life: one, don't do that, and two, you dropped 150 grand on a fuckin' education you could have got for a dollar fifty in late charges at the public library! "
Followed by an obligatory Robin Williams quote from Good Will Hunting -
"Personally, I don't give a shit about all that, because - You know what? I can't learn anything from you... I can't read in some fuckin' book."
Love those libraries.
November 18th
This morning I had breakfast with my father, as we have been doing together since August of last year, when I moved into Grand Avenue in St. Paul. He paid for breakfast, as he has been doing for a long time. Even back as a kid, we would go to breakfasts together after church once in a while. Meg's Last Chance Cafe in Stillwater, on the corner of Main and Mulberry, which was the video arcade, before being made into Meg's last chance Cafe, was one of our favorite spots, also The Main Street Cafe, The Oasis, Savories and Perkins.
These days, here in St. Paul, we have been going to The St. Clair Broiler, Trotters, Coffee News Cafe and The Neighborhood Cafe next door to Cahoots on Selby Avenue. There is something nice about sitting down every friday and hashing over some old topics, and having the chance to catch up with my dad, who spent his career as a physicist for 3M, developing data storage techniques in a research department, (think tank), which eventually made computer data storage what it is today. Believe it or not, I don't care. I enjoy breakfast.
Today we talked about a book I had just finished reading, called River-Horse, about a man who travels from the Eastern coast of the Contiguous United States, through rivers and channels all of the way to the Pacific ocean, out of the Columbia river in Washington / Oregon. I wrote a review of it on Goodreads, and will link a copy of that review to this page. My dad's passions have always been bicycling, sailing, coaching and community involvement.
I have this memory, of playing soccer on one of my dad's VAA teams.
Another kid my age, named Toby, had a father who was a coach. Thobias, as I will call him now out of respect, and I knew each other all through high school. He was the Lemmon to my Matheau. For every effort I made to excel at music or soccer, Thobias was there, seemingly infinitely more capable of success and focused thinking than I. Anyway, Thobias's father was also a coach, and apparently didn't speak a word of English. Even during the game, he's standing on the sideline, screaming at Thobias in German...we were probably 10 or 11 years old, and for some reason the game carried a weight to it, even then. This foreigner was trying to beat my dad! I remember losing the game on a penalty kick - I was the goalie. Thobias actually scored the winning goal and strategized the screen play that made a quick penalty shot into what would forever stand in my mind as an astute play. I told my defense to make a five man wall, to help shield part of the goal. Thobias in turn, added three or four of his own players, to screen my vision of the shot. I never saw the penalty kick, just the ball going into the net.
This was 25 years ago.
This morning, my dad picks me up at nine in the morning, takes me to breakfast and tells me he still hasn't read his own copy of Cadillac Desert, which I read eight years ago. I tried to explain once, to a friend, the difference between a mountain and a river, from an allegorical perspective. One is defined by its obstinate lack of change, the other by its constant evolution - in that disparity are eons of erosion and flow, but little room for lack of definition.
Anyway, here's my review of River-Horse. A little Passage to Juneau, a little Cadillac Desert.
River-Horse by William Least Heat-Moon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Passage to Juneau had many of the same sentiments as this book. William Least Heat-Moon captures a quick summation from one of the strangers he encounters, "When a man takes to the road, he is running away from something. When a woman takes to the road, she is looking for something." While he tracks a course through the Midwest, having started from the East Coast of America, carrying a liter of the Atlantic ocean in a mason jar, William Least Heat Moon seems intent on holding himself to some ideal. He briefly mentions two marriages, as though the loss of those is not as important as the quest he imperils himself upon. Passage to Juneau frequently speaks of the author's distress and heartbreak, and occasionally allusions can be made to the sailing habits and the emotional status of the author. Taking port in a storm, as it were. The intent of that novel, it seems, is an attempt by the author to re-establish his sense of competence and self-worth in the aftermath of losing his wife. River-Horse, in turn, seems less involved in the sociological well being of William Least Heat-Moon, and more involved in describing the accomplishment of a goal.
To that end, I don't think Least Heat-Moon was specifically running away from anything so much as he was swimming upriver for the challenge it represented. After dumping his liter of the Atlantic ocean into the Pacific, he announces the journey complete, and turns his boat back East; considering the thousands of miles and hundreds of strangers he meets along the way, the ending seems anti-climactic.
View all my reviews
These days, here in St. Paul, we have been going to The St. Clair Broiler, Trotters, Coffee News Cafe and The Neighborhood Cafe next door to Cahoots on Selby Avenue. There is something nice about sitting down every friday and hashing over some old topics, and having the chance to catch up with my dad, who spent his career as a physicist for 3M, developing data storage techniques in a research department, (think tank), which eventually made computer data storage what it is today. Believe it or not, I don't care. I enjoy breakfast.
Today we talked about a book I had just finished reading, called River-Horse, about a man who travels from the Eastern coast of the Contiguous United States, through rivers and channels all of the way to the Pacific ocean, out of the Columbia river in Washington / Oregon. I wrote a review of it on Goodreads, and will link a copy of that review to this page. My dad's passions have always been bicycling, sailing, coaching and community involvement.
I have this memory, of playing soccer on one of my dad's VAA teams.
Another kid my age, named Toby, had a father who was a coach. Thobias, as I will call him now out of respect, and I knew each other all through high school. He was the Lemmon to my Matheau. For every effort I made to excel at music or soccer, Thobias was there, seemingly infinitely more capable of success and focused thinking than I. Anyway, Thobias's father was also a coach, and apparently didn't speak a word of English. Even during the game, he's standing on the sideline, screaming at Thobias in German...we were probably 10 or 11 years old, and for some reason the game carried a weight to it, even then. This foreigner was trying to beat my dad! I remember losing the game on a penalty kick - I was the goalie. Thobias actually scored the winning goal and strategized the screen play that made a quick penalty shot into what would forever stand in my mind as an astute play. I told my defense to make a five man wall, to help shield part of the goal. Thobias in turn, added three or four of his own players, to screen my vision of the shot. I never saw the penalty kick, just the ball going into the net.
This was 25 years ago.
This morning, my dad picks me up at nine in the morning, takes me to breakfast and tells me he still hasn't read his own copy of Cadillac Desert, which I read eight years ago. I tried to explain once, to a friend, the difference between a mountain and a river, from an allegorical perspective. One is defined by its obstinate lack of change, the other by its constant evolution - in that disparity are eons of erosion and flow, but little room for lack of definition.
Anyway, here's my review of River-Horse. A little Passage to Juneau, a little Cadillac Desert.
River-Horse by William Least Heat-MoonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Passage to Juneau had many of the same sentiments as this book. William Least Heat-Moon captures a quick summation from one of the strangers he encounters, "When a man takes to the road, he is running away from something. When a woman takes to the road, she is looking for something." While he tracks a course through the Midwest, having started from the East Coast of America, carrying a liter of the Atlantic ocean in a mason jar, William Least Heat Moon seems intent on holding himself to some ideal. He briefly mentions two marriages, as though the loss of those is not as important as the quest he imperils himself upon. Passage to Juneau frequently speaks of the author's distress and heartbreak, and occasionally allusions can be made to the sailing habits and the emotional status of the author. Taking port in a storm, as it were. The intent of that novel, it seems, is an attempt by the author to re-establish his sense of competence and self-worth in the aftermath of losing his wife. River-Horse, in turn, seems less involved in the sociological well being of William Least Heat-Moon, and more involved in describing the accomplishment of a goal.
To that end, I don't think Least Heat-Moon was specifically running away from anything so much as he was swimming upriver for the challenge it represented. After dumping his liter of the Atlantic ocean into the Pacific, he announces the journey complete, and turns his boat back East; considering the thousands of miles and hundreds of strangers he meets along the way, the ending seems anti-climactic.
View all my reviews
Friday, November 11, 2011
11-11-11 Bike ride
I got out on my 2005 Specialized Allez today, and wrestled with the triple crank for 68 miles. Sunny and bright four hour ride around and through the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, including the shady lowlands of Fort Snelling State Park, the resplendent Lake Minnetonka, the 12% gradient Ramsey hill and of course good folks.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
11-10-11
 |
| Photo Source mn350.org |
This is the bike I will be using to get around this winter. It's a single speed Raleigh xxix, with disc brakes and a very smooth direct drive. I don't have a lot more to say about it.
I have not owned a car for over two years.
I still walk and bus and ride my bicycle as much as possible.
I am still unemployed.
From a very distant perspective, this is beginning to feel like an argument about class, gentrification and wealth. A lot of the dishwashers I knew at restaurants rode their bikes to work, and didn't blog about it. Then again, a lot of guys probably darn their own socks.
In other news, the Keystone pipeline was stopped. Bill McKibben and 350.org demonstrated the power of democracy for the benefit of our ecology.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Darning socks
Repairman: [pointing to a Good/Evil switch on the back of the doll]
Yup, here's your problem. Someone set this thing to ``Evil''.
I've got some nice socks. I've had a lot of really good socks, in my life. And right now, I've got some really nice, warm, toasty, form fitting socks. Skiing, biking, running, every day walking around the city or riding the bus socks. There's a great poem by Pablo Neruda about socks-
Maru Mori brought me
a pair
of socks
that she knit with her
shepherd's hands.
Two socks as soft
as rabbit fur.
I thrust my feet
inside them
as if they were
two
little boxes
knit
from threads
of sunset
and sheepskin.
My feet were
two woolen
fish
in those outrageous socks,
two gangly,
navy-blue sharks
impaled
on a golden thread,
two giant blackbirds,
two cannons:
thus
were my feet
honored
by
those
heavenly
socks.
They were
so beautiful
I found my feet
unlovable
for the very first time,
like two crusty old
firemen, firemen
unworthy
of that embroidered
fire,
those incandescent
socks.
Nevertheless
I fought
the sharp temptation
to put them away
the way schoolboys
put
fireflies in a bottle,
the way scholars
hoard
holy writ.
I fought
the mad urge
to lock them
in a golden
cage
and feed them birdseed
and morsels of pink melon
every day.
Like jungle
explorers
who deliver a young deer
of the rarest species
to the roasting spit
then wolf it down
in shame,
I stretched
my feet forward
and pulled on
those
gorgeous
socks,
and over them
my shoes.
So this is
the moral of my ode:
beauty is beauty
twice over
and good things are doubly
good
when you're talking about a pair of wool
socks
in the of winter.
-Pablo Neruda
Unfortunately, a few pairs of my favorite socks got holes in them, from wearing them too much, or especially wearing them while wearing shoes with holes. I did a google search yesterday about darning socks, asked at a couple of nearby businesses and found a shop that sold a suitable wool for darning lycra / knit blended socks. Here's a link to the blog I found with a good post about darning-
http://zigzagstitch.wordpress.com/2009/02/26/how-to-do-it-darn-socks/
and here are some photos of the work. Socks darned in this blog: Smartwool and Darn Tough.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Etiquette
What follows is a craigslist posting and thread. I have no idea who the people are who replied, and I hereby make no verification of the situation
like triangle < mlmck > 10/23 13:35:51
I like a woman who is in love with a man who dislikes me. Every time I attempt niceties, he gets angry, wants to hurt me and becomes violent. The woman in question puts herself between he and I and subjects herself to abuse, coercion, manipulation and subjugation. She emerges from these conflicts with an appeasing attitude, as if nothing bad has happened, and hopes for continued peaceful resolutions to future conflicts. Then the cycle repeats. My kindness has become less and less out of fear that she will be hurt, and now feel that being mean to her will be the only way to prevent any interaction which might instigate conflagration, conflict or altercation. Any suggestions?
cut ties with all of them, after you give her < some-pamphlets > 10/23 13:53:23
from the local women's resource center on the different kinds of abuse.
wow! can I join? jk jk < curious-yaya > 10/23 13:53:33
I play on the other side of the fence?
Sounds like you like drama bud. Gimme a break.
If you really loved her you would leave her < - > 10/23 14:41:33
so she wouldn't be abused because of you. Stop thinking about yourself & walk away. She's made her choice. Stay out of it.
They are playing a game, you are the pawn § < stay-away > 10/23 15:17:50
1-800-JERRY-SPRINGER § < O_Rosio > 10/23 16:02:01
she's playing you like a cheap violin § < DrBallParkFrankley > 10/23 17:58:10
Can I play with your fiddle, DrBallParkFrankley? § < Tyler777 > 10/23 19:50:41
^^ a new troll § < DrBallParkFrankley > 10/23 20:51:42
Sad < GramaBeachyKeen > 10/23 22:15:45
This post doesn't say if you are male or female but it doesn't really matter. This man is a control freak and will do whatever to drive people away from HIS woman. She encourages this behavior and by making nice.Cut bait, run like hell. It will only get worse.
Let it go. You are a 3rd wheel. < - > 10/23 23:33:20
She doesn't value your friendship enough to stand up to him. You are only making problems for you and her.
Sometimes you have to take a stand to show people what you're made of; is her friendship worth it? I wouldn't have much respect for her. She loves someone who doesn't seem capable of loving her (he doesn't show it).
Cut ties with both of them as suggested. < EricTO > 10/24 08:22:46
It can be nicely gently and nicely. Tell your friend you are doing so because of this repetitive pattern. And ask her has she stopped to consider how much she values your friendship to keep putting you in this position? The cynical side of me causes me to suspect that she is subconsciously enjoying the drama.
Is he only like that when you come around? < - > 10/24 08:45:45
How do you know what he is like otherwise?
If he only gets like that around you/because of you, then leave them both alone.
ultimatum time < Bubbleface > 10/26 06:42:40
Either distance yourself from trouble, or give woman an ultimatum to leave the bastard, or you will be history.
like triangle < mlmck > 10/23 13:35:51
I like a woman who is in love with a man who dislikes me. Every time I attempt niceties, he gets angry, wants to hurt me and becomes violent. The woman in question puts herself between he and I and subjects herself to abuse, coercion, manipulation and subjugation. She emerges from these conflicts with an appeasing attitude, as if nothing bad has happened, and hopes for continued peaceful resolutions to future conflicts. Then the cycle repeats. My kindness has become less and less out of fear that she will be hurt, and now feel that being mean to her will be the only way to prevent any interaction which might instigate conflagration, conflict or altercation. Any suggestions?
cut ties with all of them, after you give her < some-pamphlets > 10/23 13:53:23
from the local women's resource center on the different kinds of abuse.
wow! can I join? jk jk < curious-yaya > 10/23 13:53:33
I play on the other side of the fence?
Sounds like you like drama bud. Gimme a break.
If you really loved her you would leave her < - > 10/23 14:41:33
so she wouldn't be abused because of you. Stop thinking about yourself & walk away. She's made her choice. Stay out of it.
They are playing a game, you are the pawn § < stay-away > 10/23 15:17:50
1-800-JERRY-SPRINGER § < O_Rosio > 10/23 16:02:01
she's playing you like a cheap violin § < DrBallParkFrankley > 10/23 17:58:10
Can I play with your fiddle, DrBallParkFrankley? § < Tyler777 > 10/23 19:50:41
^^ a new troll § < DrBallParkFrankley > 10/23 20:51:42
Sad < GramaBeachyKeen > 10/23 22:15:45
This post doesn't say if you are male or female but it doesn't really matter. This man is a control freak and will do whatever to drive people away from HIS woman. She encourages this behavior and by making nice.Cut bait, run like hell. It will only get worse.
Let it go. You are a 3rd wheel. < - > 10/23 23:33:20
She doesn't value your friendship enough to stand up to him. You are only making problems for you and her.
Sometimes you have to take a stand to show people what you're made of; is her friendship worth it? I wouldn't have much respect for her. She loves someone who doesn't seem capable of loving her (he doesn't show it).
Cut ties with both of them as suggested. < EricTO > 10/24 08:22:46
It can be nicely gently and nicely. Tell your friend you are doing so because of this repetitive pattern. And ask her has she stopped to consider how much she values your friendship to keep putting you in this position? The cynical side of me causes me to suspect that she is subconsciously enjoying the drama.
Is he only like that when you come around? < - > 10/24 08:45:45
How do you know what he is like otherwise?
If he only gets like that around you/because of you, then leave them both alone.
ultimatum time < Bubbleface > 10/26 06:42:40
Either distance yourself from trouble, or give woman an ultimatum to leave the bastard, or you will be history.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Pottery class #2
I registered for another pottery class through the Community Education Program in St. Paul, this time at Central high School. Rather than working off of one communal piece of clay, I was given a block of clay to work with, and proceeded to kick and pull my way through it. I have been told a couple of times now by other members of the class that working on an electric wheel is a little easier, but after five weeks in the class, there has only been one instance when an electric wheel was available for use. The electric wheel runs on a right footed pedal which adjusts the speed of the revolving pottery wheel similar to a car's gas pedal- the kick wheel I used in the first class, earlier this year, was a spinning wheel, pushed counter clockwise with the right foot, while the wheel for this class uses a left footed pedal to spin the wheel either counter clockwise or clockwise.
The clay is also different, a white talc rather than terra cotta. A second block of clay was purchased after finishing off the first, with a result of thirteen fired and glazed pieces. The second block of clay is Raku, and has yielded eleven pieces, all of which are in the trimming, firing, glazing and finishing stages now. After working through the first class, and making a lot of pieces that were off balance, uncentered, uneven, thin-walled and thick-skinned, only to destroy them by pulling them off the wheel and walking them to the slurry bucket, I tried reshaping those pieces by reforming the clay after pulling a piece off the wheel. This might have saved clay and might have resulted in slightly better pieces, but the majority of the first thirteen from this class are also misshapen, off balance, uncentered and unessential.
Only 9,962 more pieces of thrown pottery before I'm a master potter.
(autosave)
(autosave)
(autosave)
pause....pause...pause...
(autosave)
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Review of Anatomy of an Epidemic
Anatomy of an Epidemic: Magic Bullets, Psychiatric Drugs, and the Astonishing Rise of Mental Illness in America by Robert WhitakerMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
I've only just begun reading this book, and I have to admit it seems very familiar, like a Po Bronson book painted another color of the self help spectrum. The gradual unfolding of the author's presumably coherent thesis seems to rely on the reader's ability to be concerned for their own mental health, without being capable of tolerating the health of others. Reading that a five year old child has been diagnosed with ADHD and Bi-Polar disorder, and is treated to a suite of psychopharmaceuticals, is not something I would really choose to read, were it not something I told myself I would read.
Here are some random thoughts / reader's notes so far
Homogenization of society and culture through medication
Pharmaceutical industry as catalyst and provider
The family's ability to discern and predict difference as a form of illness
The support system's ability to condemn
The lowering of personal stature through diagnosis
And of course, Aldous Huxley, Brave New World.
View all my reviews
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Craigslist and the toilet
I posted a question on Craigslist last week, after continuing to have trouble with the toilet in my apartment. The problem, addressed in various and frighteningly intimate detail in the following three threads, is one of capacity. After posting the same basic question in three different discussion forums, Housing, Legal and Fix-it, I followed the threads and was a little surprised at how many people stood in line at the pinata. Then again, who can resist a free shot at a toilet joke?
The three posts are followed below by the respective postings, minus their user ids / handles.
toilet query < mlmck > 10/13 11:29:47
I live in an older brownstone apartment building. the studio apartment I rent has a small kitchen, a living area, a bathroom and a large closet with a Murphy bed. I have complained a number of times to the landlords because the toilet does not have adequate water pressure to properly function. The problem appears most frequently in the mornings and the evenings. The maintenance worker who inspected the toilet has made attempts at increasing the water, lubricating the seal and adjusting the plunger. nothing has changed the fact that actually clearing the tank in the morning or evening requires upwards of three separate flushes. I am not amused. Is there something I can do, besides complaining every time it happens, until the landlords or building owners replace the toilet?
Thank you for any help in this regard.
buy a 3 gal bucket an flush it manual §
excellent §
water pressure is not the issue
the water is already present in the tank when you flush. so that just means the toilet is a relic. i just put in a cheap ass glacier bay from the hmom depot and got 50 from my water provider and it uses 1 gal per and flushes well.
But will 1 gallon of water in a 4" pipe move 1/2
lb of poop 30-50 ft? oR WILL IT MERELY LEAVE A SERIES OF LOGJAMS IN THE PIPELINE AND EXIT 1 LOG PER FLUSH TO THE SEWER?
The other post is correct, it is not a pressure
issue. Residential toilets do not rely on water pressure. However, you can get a pressure assist tank that retrofits inside your toilet. Just search for toilet pressure assist tank.
Third time: its NOT water pressure.
The water pressure is what will help refill the tank quickly. The flushing has nothing to do with that.
What flushes the toilet is the sudden release of the water in the tank to the bowl, which then overflows the internal water passage and siphons everything out.
Is the level of the water in the tank too low? Or is there something in the tank to reduce the amount of water it holds? People sometimes do things to save water, like putting a brick in the tank, or lowering the fill level. They may save a few ounces of water but not flush properly as a result.
The other possibility is that there is something obstructing the plumbing leaving the tank. Then, the bowl is slow to empty and won't pull everything out that it should. The bowl may come close to overflowing before leaving through the internal passage. In that case, you could try getting a mechanical drain cleaner (roto-rooter type) to clear that passage - thought that should be the LL's responsibility, not yours.
It is possible that the septic pipes are undersized for the apartment, or leave the toilet with too little slope or drop.
In that case, there is not much anyone can do short of putting in new waste pipes.. or raising the toilet!
VOLUME IS THE ISSUE. §
are you missing any toothbrushes?
something is stuck in the toilet trap
Maybe the turdballs he makes roll easily?
vent problems are another possibility
The fact that it happens more often in mornings and evenings could point to a vent issue...if the vents are undersized either by design (could have been adequate when installed but more/different fixtures were added later without proper re-engineering), are in the wrong place, or have some kind of blockage, multiple units flushing and running baths and sinks all at the same time (as happens mostly in the AM and PM) can overwhelm the vents ability to let the water flow freely.
The end result is the same thing that happens when you stick a soda straw in a filled glass and then put your thumb over the open end and pull the straw out and the water just stays there...in the case of the plumbing, water is held back by the vacuum created by a full pipe that has little or no ability to break that vacuum created when that much water is introduced in a short time.
This can act exactly like a clog with tubs not draining, toilets backing up into tub, etc. but the difference is that the vent issue will usually "fix" itself after the vacuum breaks (the seal is far from perfect) and will stay fixed as long as large amounts of water don't fill everything up and allow the vacuum to form again.
toilet query...
I'd be willing to bet that there is an ink pen, or toothbrush, jammed up in the gooseneck of the toilet bowl. This was a constant problem at the nursing home where I worked. I've pulled out plastic spoons, forks, a man's wallet, a check book,and a pair of safety glasses, so it could be most anything in there... Straighten out a coat hanger and snake around in there. Happy hunting!
maintenance query < mlmck > 10/13 11:28:21
I live in an older brownstone apartment building. the studio apartment I rent has a small kitchen, a living area, a bathroom and a large closet with a Murphy bed. I have complained a number of times to the landlords because the toilet does not have adequate water pressure to properly function. The problem appears most frequently in the mornings and the evenings. The maintenance worker who inspected the toilet has made attempts at increasing the water, lubricating the seal and adjusting the plunger. nothing has changed the fact that actually clearing the tank in the morning or evening requires upwards of three separate flushes. I am not amused. Is there something I can do, besides complaining every time it happens, until the landlords or building owners replace the toilet?
Thank you for any help in this regard.
Eat more fiber.
I kid.
Lots of people, renters and homeowners alike, have to flush the toilet more than once to *ahem* take care of bidness.
It's not the end of the world.
You could offer to buy a new toilet but since this happens in the mornings (when, presumably, everyone is taking showers and getting ready for work) it seems to have more to do with water pressure than anything so I doubt a new toilet will resolve the situation.
Maybe move to a nicer, newer building?
Get your terms right
You don't clear the tank, you clear the bowl. Is there a tank? You know, that rectangle thing you see in typical home bathrooms, but not always in commercial installations. If so, water pressure isn't the issue because the flush water comes from the tank.
What happens if you dump a 5 gallon bucket into the bowl? You don't even need to touch the handle--just dump it in (don't splash pee on the walls). Does it clear? If so, maybe it's an older low flow model--those weren't very good. If that doesn't seem to help or it fills up a lot before making that happy, flush sound then it seems like you have slow sewer lines.
Post in the fixit forum; there are lots of plumber types there.
First of all....
it may not have anything to do with the toilet, it is most likely the pipes in the old buildings. I learned long ago in NYC that I had to give up my fluffy CHarmen and get thinner paper and flush very little down the toilet.
But no there is no legal issue as long as it does flush, this is not a habitability issue. You can complain all you want (I'd put it in writing by the way) but in reality many older buildings are like this, so you may want to consider moving to a newer building when your lease is up. Of course when you go around looking at places be sure to flush the toilet. And I was always taught to also turn on the sink as well as the shower for a moment to see the water pressure.
It may not be properly vented
or a partially clogged. This will prevent the flow of water from leaving the bowl.
Female products, even childrens toys etc...can be stuck for years in pipes.
I would ask the landlord to have the pipes scoped for obstructions. If your a good tenant, a good land lord would do this for you.
housing query < mlmck > 10/13 11:28:52
I live in an older brownstone apartment building. the studio apartment I rent has a small kitchen, a living area, a bathroom and a large closet with a Murphy bed. I have complained a number of times to the landlords because the toilet does not have adequate water pressure to properly function. The problem appears most frequently in the mornings and the evenings. The maintenance worker who inspected the toilet has made attempts at increasing the water, lubricating the seal and adjusting the plunger. nothing has changed the fact that actually clearing the tank in the morning or evening requires upwards of three separate flushes. I am not amused. Is there something I can do, besides complaining every time it happens, until the landlords or building owners replace the toilet?
Thank you for any help in this regard.
Does the toilet work? §
since it does flush
even though it takes a few times, you have an iffy claim on habitability. probably not a legal angle for you to pursue.
Are you paying the water bill?
If not, flush away and know that every time the tank fills, it's costing the LL.
Eat less fiber §
God, Wanda, push away from the table.
Old brownstones can't take a humongous bear shit, you know.
Um, water pressure doesn't make it Flush
it makes it Fill. You can shut off the water to it, and if the tank is full, it will still flush.
its probably
low flow. eco friendly. small tank.
It's probably 5 squares/day and tons of snacks. §
Or better:
OP has a brick in the tank to save water.
Or a bottle! *stares at the departed Guts* §
Toilets just water down good booze. §
The problem appears to be the sewer line
The tank is designed to provide enough water to flush most turds. However, if you are dumping some bigguns in there, you might consider a stool softener. If you just tinkle and it still is slow, the problem is the system needs to be snaked. Have the maintenceman run a small snake through the toilet to check it and if still slow, pull the stool and use a bigger snake. An obstruction will slow the flow from the stool only.
p-pull the stool?! You can't mean ... §
You know this info how? stool xprt §
I deal with Shitty people all day long
besides, how do you think I made my fortune? I have become a master at toy retreival. How else was I supposed to provide christmas presents during the 'Toys for Tots' drive.
It can be mineral scale build-up where the....
...water exits the tank into the bowl, too. Google around for ways to use CLR or some muriatic acid preparation to get rid of it. (I found this out the last time a called a plumber for what I thought was a clogged toilet drain.)
Oh fine...so u got bear shits in your house too! §
It's all that fiber the wife feeds me.
Goddamn rabbit food!
*makes rabbit-tooth face* §
The pink ears are a nice touch! §
Wheeeeeeee! §
Water pressure is irrelevant
you either got a clog in the drain, a clogged vent, or the flapper is not adjusted right. Replacing the toilet is hardly necessary, although I would love to cannonball these eco-freindly ones. Your LL needs to get a real plumber in there besides a maintenance guy.
Maybe it's a huge dead rat in the line?
Just trying to be helpful here.
Beehives in the vent lines are not uncommon §
Yes, the early low flush toilets sucked
but, it is not a 'must fix' maintenance item. Try flushing before (and after) you wipe.
w-wipe? *faints* §
^^ Hard to believe this is legal advice ^^ §
The job's never complete til paperworks done §
holy fuck you're all pathetic assholes! § < mlmck > 10/13 11:56:50
The Refunds Kiosk will remain open for
5 more minutes. I suggest you gather your things and get a move-on.
why?
because we told you the truth (that you have no case) and offered you some plumbing advice?
you're an ungrateful fucker. piss off. have fun living in your shitty apartment.
BAM! You sunk his battleship! §
I wasn't looking for a case... < mlmck > 10/13 12:04:23
...just a little information. Do I have the right as a rentor to request a new, more economic and functional toilet? I am really not interested in being told the size of my bowel movements is an issue, regardless of your degree from Georgetown.
What part of "No" can't you assimilate? §
If the shits go down, no.
Try the bucket idea you got from fixit.
OOooooo! Shot across the bow! §
Either your tiolet works or not. So if you don't
have a functioning toilet that would be a valid legal problem. If it works but slowly, that's a non-issue.
i never said that
i said you don't have any legal recourse, which is true.
plenty of people have told you though how the problem might be corrected and what to tell the landlord, which if you were a little less full of *misplaced* righteous indignation, you might have realized.
You're a bit slow, aren't you? §
What part of "it may not be a toilet problem"
are you failing to understand?
There could be many other factors for a slow flushing toilet that have nothing to do with the toilet.
As I said, get a professional plumber in there. He may adjust the flapper, the float level, or find a clogged drain or vent. The toilet itself doesn't wear out.
And the plumbing advice was more practical...
...that what he got in FixIt/Home Improvement.
Ungrateful wretch.
Seriously.
Wait 'til someone comes in LeGo with DIY surgery.
We'll have 'em fixed up in no time!
Yea, but we don't shit logs like you
Next time call a logging company for information instead of coming here.
:-O
Oh, it's on now!
You got accurate answers, even if they..
...weren't the one you wanted.
So if a bear sh... oh nevermind! §
but!
he wanted his fucking pony!
Pony shits will probably be smaller than his own §
What the hell does "Murphy bed" have to do with
this issue?
Just giving a little context that he
lives in a hovel. Paints a picture ... lets us provide better free advice.
Lucky that he has indoor plumbing at all §
Very true.
I had to shit in a small hole in the ground in Checkoslovakia. Trying to aim kinda hurt my legs.
At least in America, you have options:
The first time I encountered a porcelain...
...squatter in Japan, I was extremely perplexed.
Now you know to ask for a "Western" room when
you book your hotel lol.
Yup. §
It's weird ... they got these lousy crappers
and yet they're so fussy about the bidet. We're completely opposite, a sparkling sit-down and no god-damned Frenchie bidet for us, TYVM.
It looks like a baby cradle. Don't poop
on my baby!!!!11
OMG BAAAAAAAAAAAAAABBEE WENT DOWN THE DRAIN!!!1 §
OMG WHY DID YOU SHIT ALL OVER BAAAAAAABBEEEEE??1 §
The one in Checko didn't have the big basin
Just a little ceramic bowl in the ground, like a breakfast cereal bowl.
Seriously, I walked in for the first time ... I'm like, "You can't be serious. WTF!"
Well thanks a lot. < mlmck > 10/13 12:19:18
@ net_snoop, you're right.
@ Hoofihotari, you got pom-poms with that cheer?
@ ignoranus, provoding context, like she said.
@ LyingLyingMan, I have no righteousness for you to mock. Fail.
@ Silentpat, no bears shit where no bees don't make honey.
@ observ1959, Thanks, should I stand or sit before or after the first wipe?
@ doublebarsinister, slow and steady wins the day, punk.
See you all in the plumbing aisle of the local Wal-Mart. I'll look for the nearest douche in a white tank top.
You seem dissatisfied with the service today.
May we offer you a voucher for your next family visit to Olive Garden?
"fail"
are you 12?
aye.. §
Perhaps if you weren't retaining so much anger
at the world, your bowels would function in a more normal manner and your crapper wouldn't plug up.
^^ Very good advice. §
And to think this used to be the helpful
forum!
Thats what you get for asking a plumbing question to a bunch of lawyers. Probably cheaper than asking a plumber though.
And frankly, the advice was better.
Attorneys can do anything. Except I still can't throw a lobster into boiling water. I have to leave the room.
you should chop them up
and grill them. tasty.
I can't be on standby for that either.
But I'd be delighted to join you once they hit the table!
you are always welcome at my table hoof! §
I can play a convincing sushi platter! §
Well, the quality of people in here was better
before we got here. ;-)
It just needs a new flapper or flush mechanism
assuming the water goes down the bend quickly enough.
How big are the shits you're taking?
Just askin'.
The three posts are followed below by the respective postings, minus their user ids / handles.
toilet query < mlmck > 10/13 11:29:47
I live in an older brownstone apartment building. the studio apartment I rent has a small kitchen, a living area, a bathroom and a large closet with a Murphy bed. I have complained a number of times to the landlords because the toilet does not have adequate water pressure to properly function. The problem appears most frequently in the mornings and the evenings. The maintenance worker who inspected the toilet has made attempts at increasing the water, lubricating the seal and adjusting the plunger. nothing has changed the fact that actually clearing the tank in the morning or evening requires upwards of three separate flushes. I am not amused. Is there something I can do, besides complaining every time it happens, until the landlords or building owners replace the toilet?
Thank you for any help in this regard.
buy a 3 gal bucket an flush it manual §
excellent §
water pressure is not the issue
the water is already present in the tank when you flush. so that just means the toilet is a relic. i just put in a cheap ass glacier bay from the hmom depot and got 50 from my water provider and it uses 1 gal per and flushes well.
But will 1 gallon of water in a 4" pipe move 1/2
lb of poop 30-50 ft? oR WILL IT MERELY LEAVE A SERIES OF LOGJAMS IN THE PIPELINE AND EXIT 1 LOG PER FLUSH TO THE SEWER?
The other post is correct, it is not a pressure
issue. Residential toilets do not rely on water pressure. However, you can get a pressure assist tank that retrofits inside your toilet. Just search for toilet pressure assist tank.
Third time: its NOT water pressure.
The water pressure is what will help refill the tank quickly. The flushing has nothing to do with that.
What flushes the toilet is the sudden release of the water in the tank to the bowl, which then overflows the internal water passage and siphons everything out.
Is the level of the water in the tank too low? Or is there something in the tank to reduce the amount of water it holds? People sometimes do things to save water, like putting a brick in the tank, or lowering the fill level. They may save a few ounces of water but not flush properly as a result.
The other possibility is that there is something obstructing the plumbing leaving the tank. Then, the bowl is slow to empty and won't pull everything out that it should. The bowl may come close to overflowing before leaving through the internal passage. In that case, you could try getting a mechanical drain cleaner (roto-rooter type) to clear that passage - thought that should be the LL's responsibility, not yours.
It is possible that the septic pipes are undersized for the apartment, or leave the toilet with too little slope or drop.
In that case, there is not much anyone can do short of putting in new waste pipes.. or raising the toilet!
VOLUME IS THE ISSUE. §
are you missing any toothbrushes?
something is stuck in the toilet trap
Maybe the turdballs he makes roll easily?
vent problems are another possibility
The fact that it happens more often in mornings and evenings could point to a vent issue...if the vents are undersized either by design (could have been adequate when installed but more/different fixtures were added later without proper re-engineering), are in the wrong place, or have some kind of blockage, multiple units flushing and running baths and sinks all at the same time (as happens mostly in the AM and PM) can overwhelm the vents ability to let the water flow freely.
The end result is the same thing that happens when you stick a soda straw in a filled glass and then put your thumb over the open end and pull the straw out and the water just stays there...in the case of the plumbing, water is held back by the vacuum created by a full pipe that has little or no ability to break that vacuum created when that much water is introduced in a short time.
This can act exactly like a clog with tubs not draining, toilets backing up into tub, etc. but the difference is that the vent issue will usually "fix" itself after the vacuum breaks (the seal is far from perfect) and will stay fixed as long as large amounts of water don't fill everything up and allow the vacuum to form again.
toilet query...
I'd be willing to bet that there is an ink pen, or toothbrush, jammed up in the gooseneck of the toilet bowl. This was a constant problem at the nursing home where I worked. I've pulled out plastic spoons, forks, a man's wallet, a check book,and a pair of safety glasses, so it could be most anything in there... Straighten out a coat hanger and snake around in there. Happy hunting!
maintenance query < mlmck > 10/13 11:28:21
I live in an older brownstone apartment building. the studio apartment I rent has a small kitchen, a living area, a bathroom and a large closet with a Murphy bed. I have complained a number of times to the landlords because the toilet does not have adequate water pressure to properly function. The problem appears most frequently in the mornings and the evenings. The maintenance worker who inspected the toilet has made attempts at increasing the water, lubricating the seal and adjusting the plunger. nothing has changed the fact that actually clearing the tank in the morning or evening requires upwards of three separate flushes. I am not amused. Is there something I can do, besides complaining every time it happens, until the landlords or building owners replace the toilet?
Thank you for any help in this regard.
Eat more fiber.
I kid.
Lots of people, renters and homeowners alike, have to flush the toilet more than once to *ahem* take care of bidness.
It's not the end of the world.
You could offer to buy a new toilet but since this happens in the mornings (when, presumably, everyone is taking showers and getting ready for work) it seems to have more to do with water pressure than anything so I doubt a new toilet will resolve the situation.
Maybe move to a nicer, newer building?
Get your terms right
You don't clear the tank, you clear the bowl. Is there a tank? You know, that rectangle thing you see in typical home bathrooms, but not always in commercial installations. If so, water pressure isn't the issue because the flush water comes from the tank.
What happens if you dump a 5 gallon bucket into the bowl? You don't even need to touch the handle--just dump it in (don't splash pee on the walls). Does it clear? If so, maybe it's an older low flow model--those weren't very good. If that doesn't seem to help or it fills up a lot before making that happy, flush sound then it seems like you have slow sewer lines.
Post in the fixit forum; there are lots of plumber types there.
First of all....
it may not have anything to do with the toilet, it is most likely the pipes in the old buildings. I learned long ago in NYC that I had to give up my fluffy CHarmen and get thinner paper and flush very little down the toilet.
But no there is no legal issue as long as it does flush, this is not a habitability issue. You can complain all you want (I'd put it in writing by the way) but in reality many older buildings are like this, so you may want to consider moving to a newer building when your lease is up. Of course when you go around looking at places be sure to flush the toilet. And I was always taught to also turn on the sink as well as the shower for a moment to see the water pressure.
It may not be properly vented
or a partially clogged. This will prevent the flow of water from leaving the bowl.
Female products, even childrens toys etc...can be stuck for years in pipes.
I would ask the landlord to have the pipes scoped for obstructions. If your a good tenant, a good land lord would do this for you.
housing query < mlmck > 10/13 11:28:52
I live in an older brownstone apartment building. the studio apartment I rent has a small kitchen, a living area, a bathroom and a large closet with a Murphy bed. I have complained a number of times to the landlords because the toilet does not have adequate water pressure to properly function. The problem appears most frequently in the mornings and the evenings. The maintenance worker who inspected the toilet has made attempts at increasing the water, lubricating the seal and adjusting the plunger. nothing has changed the fact that actually clearing the tank in the morning or evening requires upwards of three separate flushes. I am not amused. Is there something I can do, besides complaining every time it happens, until the landlords or building owners replace the toilet?
Thank you for any help in this regard.
Does the toilet work? §
since it does flush
even though it takes a few times, you have an iffy claim on habitability. probably not a legal angle for you to pursue.
Are you paying the water bill?
If not, flush away and know that every time the tank fills, it's costing the LL.
Eat less fiber §
God, Wanda, push away from the table.
Old brownstones can't take a humongous bear shit, you know.
Um, water pressure doesn't make it Flush
it makes it Fill. You can shut off the water to it, and if the tank is full, it will still flush.
its probably
low flow. eco friendly. small tank.
It's probably 5 squares/day and tons of snacks. §
Or better:
OP has a brick in the tank to save water.
Or a bottle! *stares at the departed Guts* §
Toilets just water down good booze. §
The problem appears to be the sewer line
The tank is designed to provide enough water to flush most turds. However, if you are dumping some bigguns in there, you might consider a stool softener. If you just tinkle and it still is slow, the problem is the system needs to be snaked. Have the maintenceman run a small snake through the toilet to check it and if still slow, pull the stool and use a bigger snake. An obstruction will slow the flow from the stool only.
p-pull the stool?! You can't mean ... §
You know this info how? stool xprt §
I deal with Shitty people all day long
besides, how do you think I made my fortune? I have become a master at toy retreival. How else was I supposed to provide christmas presents during the 'Toys for Tots' drive.
It can be mineral scale build-up where the....
...water exits the tank into the bowl, too. Google around for ways to use CLR or some muriatic acid preparation to get rid of it. (I found this out the last time a called a plumber for what I thought was a clogged toilet drain.)
Oh fine...so u got bear shits in your house too! §
It's all that fiber the wife feeds me.
Goddamn rabbit food!
*makes rabbit-tooth face* §
The pink ears are a nice touch! §
Wheeeeeeee! §
Water pressure is irrelevant
you either got a clog in the drain, a clogged vent, or the flapper is not adjusted right. Replacing the toilet is hardly necessary, although I would love to cannonball these eco-freindly ones. Your LL needs to get a real plumber in there besides a maintenance guy.
Maybe it's a huge dead rat in the line?
Just trying to be helpful here.
Beehives in the vent lines are not uncommon §
Yes, the early low flush toilets sucked
but, it is not a 'must fix' maintenance item. Try flushing before (and after) you wipe.
w-wipe? *faints* §
^^ Hard to believe this is legal advice ^^ §
The job's never complete til paperworks done §
holy fuck you're all pathetic assholes! § < mlmck > 10/13 11:56:50
The Refunds Kiosk will remain open for
5 more minutes. I suggest you gather your things and get a move-on.
why?
because we told you the truth (that you have no case) and offered you some plumbing advice?
you're an ungrateful fucker. piss off. have fun living in your shitty apartment.
BAM! You sunk his battleship! §
I wasn't looking for a case... < mlmck > 10/13 12:04:23
...just a little information. Do I have the right as a rentor to request a new, more economic and functional toilet? I am really not interested in being told the size of my bowel movements is an issue, regardless of your degree from Georgetown.
What part of "No" can't you assimilate? §
If the shits go down, no.
Try the bucket idea you got from fixit.
OOooooo! Shot across the bow! §
Either your tiolet works or not. So if you don't
have a functioning toilet that would be a valid legal problem. If it works but slowly, that's a non-issue.
i never said that
i said you don't have any legal recourse, which is true.
plenty of people have told you though how the problem might be corrected and what to tell the landlord, which if you were a little less full of *misplaced* righteous indignation, you might have realized.
You're a bit slow, aren't you? §
What part of "it may not be a toilet problem"
are you failing to understand?
There could be many other factors for a slow flushing toilet that have nothing to do with the toilet.
As I said, get a professional plumber in there. He may adjust the flapper, the float level, or find a clogged drain or vent. The toilet itself doesn't wear out.
And the plumbing advice was more practical...
...that what he got in FixIt/Home Improvement.
Ungrateful wretch.
Seriously.
Wait 'til someone comes in LeGo with DIY surgery.
We'll have 'em fixed up in no time!
Yea, but we don't shit logs like you
Next time call a logging company for information instead of coming here.
:-O
Oh, it's on now!
You got accurate answers, even if they..
...weren't the one you wanted.
So if a bear sh... oh nevermind! §
but!
he wanted his fucking pony!
Pony shits will probably be smaller than his own §
What the hell does "Murphy bed" have to do with
this issue?
Just giving a little context that he
lives in a hovel. Paints a picture ... lets us provide better free advice.
Lucky that he has indoor plumbing at all §
Very true.
I had to shit in a small hole in the ground in Checkoslovakia. Trying to aim kinda hurt my legs.
At least in America, you have options:
The first time I encountered a porcelain...
...squatter in Japan, I was extremely perplexed.
Now you know to ask for a "Western" room when
you book your hotel lol.
Yup. §
It's weird ... they got these lousy crappers
and yet they're so fussy about the bidet. We're completely opposite, a sparkling sit-down and no god-damned Frenchie bidet for us, TYVM.
It looks like a baby cradle. Don't poop
on my baby!!!!11
OMG BAAAAAAAAAAAAAABBEE WENT DOWN THE DRAIN!!!1 §
OMG WHY DID YOU SHIT ALL OVER BAAAAAAABBEEEEE??1 §
The one in Checko didn't have the big basin
Just a little ceramic bowl in the ground, like a breakfast cereal bowl.
Seriously, I walked in for the first time ... I'm like, "You can't be serious. WTF!"
Well thanks a lot. < mlmck > 10/13 12:19:18
@ net_snoop, you're right.
@ Hoofihotari, you got pom-poms with that cheer?
@ ignoranus, provoding context, like she said.
@ LyingLyingMan, I have no righteousness for you to mock. Fail.
@ Silentpat, no bears shit where no bees don't make honey.
@ observ1959, Thanks, should I stand or sit before or after the first wipe?
@ doublebarsinister, slow and steady wins the day, punk.
See you all in the plumbing aisle of the local Wal-Mart. I'll look for the nearest douche in a white tank top.
You seem dissatisfied with the service today.
May we offer you a voucher for your next family visit to Olive Garden?
"fail"
are you 12?
aye.. §
Perhaps if you weren't retaining so much anger
at the world, your bowels would function in a more normal manner and your crapper wouldn't plug up.
^^ Very good advice. §
And to think this used to be the helpful
forum!
Thats what you get for asking a plumbing question to a bunch of lawyers. Probably cheaper than asking a plumber though.
And frankly, the advice was better.
Attorneys can do anything. Except I still can't throw a lobster into boiling water. I have to leave the room.
you should chop them up
and grill them. tasty.
I can't be on standby for that either.
But I'd be delighted to join you once they hit the table!
you are always welcome at my table hoof! §
I can play a convincing sushi platter! §
Well, the quality of people in here was better
before we got here. ;-)
It just needs a new flapper or flush mechanism
assuming the water goes down the bend quickly enough.
How big are the shits you're taking?
Just askin'.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
30 Days of Biking Recap, Shorthand
So, this will be a list of tweets for the month of September, when I participated in a project called 30 Days of Biking. Someday, it would be nice to revisit this concept and add little minutiae and details....pieces of broken asphalt I rode over, curbs I narrowly avoided, street signs I ignored, cars I didn't like driving near me, people I thought were giving me the stink-eye, mechanicals I didn't have to trouble with because the local bike afficianados quietly slipped into my apartment in the middle of the night and tuned up my bike for me, beautiful women seen while riding, crazy people avoided while riding, music listened to while riding, food consumed post, pre and during said bike ride, gears used, ratios attained, wattages produced, miles covered, amount of carbon saved from the environment, number of higher cost bicycles I passed on my way to the library, number of times I witnessed somebody stopping to ask another cyclist for assistance, the irony of following somebody else's footsteps and expecting different results, (the definition of insanity), number of sodudku puzzles completed, the quality of being constantly observed for anything which resembles anger or displeasure with my station in life, an anger which might be assuaged by racing a bicycle on city streets, which is just like racing a car on city streets, which led to my 11 speeding tickets, the amount of time I could have spent fly fishing, the week long self-destructive benders I could have gone on, the amount of time I could have been discoursing Platonic ethics versus Kantian ethos, the number of miles I might have run instead of bicycling, the irony of being proud to ride a bicycle in order to forgo the association of other professional sports and their "home run derby" attitudes, the number of miles I might have walked if my bicycle wasn't running so well, the number of shops I visited, the mechanics I talked to, the variety of tattoos I noticed other cyclists displaying, the the awkward pleasure of reading Steve Tilford's blog and agreeing with him about anything, because he is, in fact, a human being with two legs and two arms and a head on his shoulders...he just rides like a horse, an on, and on, and on....but mostly I should talk about my brother, or my father, or my sister, or my mother or my parent's grandchildren- despite anything I may have accomplished or learned in the month of September, it seems pointless in comparison to how far a person travels without leaving home.
Uh...thanks Steve.
30 Days of Biking, Tweets.
You're dangerous maverick! That's right...ice...man. 30daysofbiking group ride, FTW. 9-30-11
Day 30, first ride on a niceride Minnesota bike. 3 gears; tortoise, tree sloth and manatee.
Day 29, now with Boo-yah!
...day 28 seems a lot more like July 28th than September 28th. With the remaining 59 characters of this tweet, I'd like to
Really calm, peaceful, quiet, relaxing loop around the Ford Parkway and Stone Arch bridges, probably 18 miles.
...around the ford parkway and Franklin bridges. Baker's dozen, rounding up.
Day 25, forty miles into the wind.
movingplanet, 30daysofbiking, Minnesota350. A ride mapped on 09/24/2011 in St Paul, MN | Bike Map | MapMyRIDE: soc.li/oShFmbX
Beautiful day in St. Paul for movingplanet, riding bikes and 30daysofbiking. http://pic.twitter.com/LrkGUlfV
Riding from the Stone Arch Bridge in MPLS to the state Capitol in St. Paul; 350.org, a climate change awareness initiative.
...moment of light, outside the Birchwood, in Minneapolis; September mileage is over 500. http://pic.twitter.com/0lGzF1OL
Running errands, tootling around, being subversive.
To downtown St. Paul and back, with a few stops... http://soc.li/4SrsYPa
I still think this is what a "Studio" apartment is all about...or a trampoline.
5 miles...glad those hikers got freed. that would really suck donkey balls.
Breezy ride to Mississippi Market...for some coffee.
Wow. I thought it was colder, I dressed a little warm.
dropping Ramsey hill, in the rain, on vintage brakes isn't in my repertoire, so I noodled past the James J. Hill stairs.
Is there some big, regional cycling event today? Trails are spacious and friendly.
30 miles today, give or take. Windy enough to start wondering about rigging a sail, and how would that work?
2 bananas, 1 peach, 1 cup yogurt, 2 scoops Recoverite, 8 ice cubes, 1 cup OJ, blend and serve.
...most mis-quoted song. ever. My version, "sharie all night'ay, rock the casbah, rock the casbah"
Nice afternoon bike ride around Bald Eagle Lake, from Saint Paul.... http://soc.li/2DCFOve
Last night, a motorist gave me the bird, the finger, the international sign of F-you; today's goal, avoiding that motorist.
Nice ride to the Luce line and back on the Greenway. A bit windy. A bit surly ... http://soc.li/WrcPXfS
Rode to the St. Paul library. Locked my bike up. Walked to the YMCA. Locked my clothes up. Walked to Subway, ate.
I snapped a pick as the Birchwood group ride glided past me- a lycra clad TGV. http://pic.twitter.com/FhaKIHA
St. Paul Bike Classic.
Here's a photo from my bike ride to Wirth Park this morning. http://pic.twitter.com/xyVriWR
Running the Surly Trail Loppet today. Riding my bicycle to the start.
Looped Harriet Island and Lake Harriet for 45 miles. Number large flying bugs that hit me in the face- about six or seven.
...week one, for 30daysofbiking, about 165 miles, no mechanicals, no accidents and one awesome dog named Eleanor. http://pic.twitter.com/leGUeAm
Easy ride past Harriet Island, from Fort Snelling. 35 miles or so, round trip. http://pic.twitter.com/1l5mcnV
Phase one, in which Doris gets her oats.
Halfway through 33 miles, beautiful day to be riding. http://pic.twitter.com/8V20RFO
Uff-da. Such a nice day to narrowly avoid a side impact.
To lake Nokomis and back, maybe a little bell happy on the trails.
Gusty night for a friendly tour on the lauderdale, greenway and cedar trails.
Rode to Trotters on Cleveland Avenue for breakfast, stayed for lunch.
My ride to the St. Paul Central Library. In a word, drippy. http://soc.li/C9oKkmH
Quick ride to Linden Hills on the new Schwinn frame. I couldn't ask for another. It's just that smooth.
Also considered for further exploration / analysis, amount of money saved by not smoking cigarettes for the past 11 years, amount of additional energy produced on windy days, average speed and velocity concurrent with wind speeds in a given direction per day, amount of calories produced and consumed, meals made, meals eaten per day, amount of liquids consumed / voided, impact of professional sports teams relevant to my daily performance, amount of money saved by not drinking in excess or dining out...
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Moving Planets, 9-24-2011
After seeing a Facebook message about a group ride on September 24th, from The Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis to the State Capitol, in conjunction with 350.org, I thought I'd jump on my bicycle and participate. Little did I know the event was a worldwide initiative, and was being followed by Bill McKibben, pre-eminent global warming scientist, nordic athlete and all around good guy. The bike ride itself was mappable with mapmyride, (although the imapmyride app failed), and wound up being around 25 miles from my apartment and back. The worldwide effects and photos are on Flickr, as well as some of the St. Paul ride itself.
I'll add something more later.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Tweets
I participated in a project put forward by two Minneapolis based cyclists in 2009, called 30daysofbiking. I copied and pasted some of the tweets from my second 30daysofbiking experience, this April, 2011. I also added pictures of the bikes I have ridden for the 30daysofbiking projects I have participated in to this point, a Centurion Le Mans, a Specialized Allez Sport and a Schwinn Super Tour. I am currently tweeting another round of 30daysofbiking, as well as taking an occasional photograph, plotting the maps and distances on Mapmyride and trying to ignore how nice it would be to load a mountain bike on a car and drive to a Regional park...as I have no car and no mountain bike. So, sometime early next month I'll post the thirty tweets on another blog post....
These are from March, 2011.
milomck: getting an early start #30daysofbiking
milomck: #30daysofbiking Nice thing about riding through puddles is clean shoes.
milomck: I rode my bike in the wind and the rain and all, but Fred Armisen was all I could think about. #30daysofbiking #bikerights #portlandia
milomck: #30daysofbiking Ice, slush, heavy wet powder, car, ice chunk-a-chunk-a-chunk, slush, car, irate motorist, ice
milomck: #30daysofbiking Sunny day to ride.
milomck: #30daysofbiking Snow kiters on lake calhoun, visible from the greenway. photo currently unavailable, use your imagination.
The rest of these are from April, starting with April 30th and working backwards.
Dodged the rain and got a short five miles in the sun...with a stop for a late lunch. #30daysofbiking #herecomesthesun
Day 29, guesstimate 20 miles, windy. #30daysofbiking
sorta got lost on the way to the library, now waiting for summer with a muffin and some coffee. #believer #30daysofbiking
17.5 miles. Meh. #30daysofbiking
A short five miles in the rain, and the wind, and the cold. #trifecta #30daysofbiking #hatsofftoroyharper
60 miles on Sunday, 40 miles today, nearing 400 miles...Sort of wish I had a cyclometer though. #30daysofbiking
Minnesota nice, in an unironic kind of way. #30daysofbiking
...something kind of cool about living in a metropolis near a river, 4 river crossings in less than a ten mile loop. #30daysofbiking
"Hon, you're really hard to see at night! Be careful, you guys have had a tough week!" Concerned motorist on Snelling. #30daysofbiking
#30daysofbiking and the sun has returned.
Day 20. Short ride after two yesterday in the not insignificant wind. #30daysofbiking
I can't believe it's snowing in april. I can't believe I'm biking in it, again. Mostly, I can't believe it's not #butter #30daysofbiking
#30daysofbiking Short ride over the river to the Hennepin Central Library.
The reeds give way to the wind and give the wind away. -Ammons #30daysofbiking... http://soc.li/edn4Qzh
stayed in all day and read about meteorites and glaciers and NASA in a vain attempt to figure out snow in April. #fiction #30daysofbiking
Windy, cold fifty miles on the gateway trail. #30daysofbiking
a few more miles, a couple avoided potholes, a cup of coffee and a sandwich. Not so bad, after all. #30daysofbiking #centurion
Riding the Steel Frame Centurion today, with knobby tires and retro-fitted parts. Always a good day to ride. #30daysofbiking
Windy enough for tacking upwind. #30daysofbiking #REI #Caribou #vivacapitalista
Squirrel! #30daysofbiking. A ride mapped on 04/11/2011 in St Paul, MN | Bike Map | MapMyRIDE: http://soc.li/cgTIcRN
Missed a couple days at the start, opened a new twitter and rode again today. #30daysofbiking
"that sat down like a butterfly with sore feet". #themasters rode today too #30daysofbiking
Sunny with the moon visible. Gotta be spring. #letsgoflyakite #30daysofbiking #intothewind
Another beautiful day in Saint Paul. #30daysofbiking
#30daysofbiking All of a sudden, Spring Fever has a lot more to do with gear ratios, clipless pedals, tubeless tires and monocoque frames.
...to lunch. #30daysofbiking
...to the library. #30daysofbiking
Saturday, August 27, 2011
An inevitable post about bicycle logistics
So, if I haven't blogged about this, up until this point, I apologize. Facebook has monopolized about 85% of my online habits, and taken that rare naivety I possessed which may have been charming in small doses, but at 85%, gets a little nauseous.
This Centurion bike frame, the tan bike seen in seven of these nine photos, is a late model Centurion Le Mans, with a lugged frame and original components. I rode it from Mid-December 2010 until last week, mid-August 2011. for the Marvel and DC crowd, and for the sake of preserving naivety as generic innocence and not malignant ignorance, I'll offer a quick creation narrative: I'll admit I saw the frame, and stripped its parts about 6 years ago, thinking I could make it into a single speed, "Horizental Drop-Outs". However, that never happened, and I was left to pursue other courses of action.
the bike was re-assembled in Mid-December of last year to use as a getting around town, commuter bike that could also be willingly sacrificed if one were to be chased by wolves. As one of the the baddest snow seasons in history descended on the Metropolitan Twin Cities area, large roving gangs of wolves were rumored to have made the journey from the Northwoods to feast on slow cyclists caught in the mountains of snowbanks lining the sidewalks.
The original parts included Suntour Barcons, which held throughout the eight months of riding, despite having never been cleaned or adjusted. Parts replaced on the bike started with the wheels, then on to the rear derailleur, the headset, brake cables, chain, (x3), tires, new lights, handlebars, crank and on the barcons themselves, a lost washer and spring.
After being told the frame itself was a salvage, and rendered unusable by damage done in a previous accident, I was told by a mechanic that riding the frame was a bad idea. Such a bad idea that he would not work on the frame, in lieu of feeling responsible for my imminent destruction, I assume.
I proceeded to make my face recognizable, albeit more recognizable, at a variety of local bike shops who specialize in used parts, used frames, experienced mechanics and knowledgeable service. I had been down this road, last year, at the same time, and would have liked to avoid following my own footsteps, (although, as the unfortunate sand people can attest, storm troopers are really good at hiding their numbers by doing just that), but found myself again navigating the waters of the used steel frame marketplace.
*Editors note- last year I went to a bike shop with specifically used, re-built and re-cycled bicycles, looking for a bike that could last through the winter and maybe perform as well as the SlushPuppy did. I put money down on a frame, wheels, components and had a completed, vintage, Specialized Allez, steel frame, build-up, singlespeed. However, the tight geometry of the cockpit, the small size of the frame and the inflated tires rubbing on the frame itself determined that the bike was not for me. I went through the ringer with the shop owners and a couple of said shop's employees to get my money back, ("NO BIKE RETURNS" was printed in block letters on their sign, somehow, I managed to swim upstream on that one), because, frankly, I couldn't afford to have a bicycle that wouldn't work for specifically what I had paid for. The completed project failed that standard. Back to present day.
I found the replacement frame quickly enough, and was indecisive as to the next course of action- re-build from my own components and the new frame, or leave it in the hands of somebody who knows what's what? I went with the latter and found time to write this amazing blog post. Pictures are all property of me. Enjoy.
As I sit writing this entry, the bicycle is a work in progress, in a local shop, nearing completion. The new, (used) frame is a Schwinn, steel lugged, the right size, with clearance in the frame for knobby winter tires, is a deep blue color, has the right geometry and lacks only a few hours with a good mechanic.
Bicycle shops vaguely connected with this blog entry:
Art Doyles Spoke and Pedal
Express Bike Shop
The Hub
One on One
Re-Cycle
Sibley Bike Depot
Freewheel
Sunrise Cyclery
Now Sports
Boehm's Skate and Cycle
Big thanks to all who helped make it possible.
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