Who Needs Newgrass When There’s Great Bluegrass?

March 27, 2011August 22, 2018 Lorin Olsen

So when I heard that she had released a sophomore album (entitled Daybreak), I just had to download the album. And like the first album, this one is magnificent. From the very first track, Hull distinguishes herself as an amazing mandolin player. More importantly, she has really extended her vocal capabilities. She is no longer the little child with a nice voice. She is a woman with a wonderful voice.

And her mandolin prowess has grown. She handles instrumental tunes (like “Bombshell” and “Chasin’ Skies”) with an easy grace. You can really sense her skill (and her love of the instrument) in both of these works. At the same time, she seems equally comfortable blending classic bluegrass themes (like faith and family) into modern musical harmonies.

My favorite song is “The Land of the Living.” This song expresses a simple and well-worn faith that is honest – and not trivialized. I would love to hear her sing and play an entire album devoted to her faith. But in many ways, the simple and understated faith motifs throughout this album may be even more catching for people who did not grow up in the church community.

Finally, this album makes no apologies for its traditional bluegrass appeal. She doesn’t hide the instruments. She doesn’t hide the messages. But she doesn’t bludgeon the listeners with them either. She simply sings and plays about what she has seen and heard. This is a remarkable album from a very remarkable young woman.

I can’t wait for her next album. But until then, I think this one is going to get quite a bit of play around my house.

-Roo

Who Needs Newgrass When There's Great Bluegrass?

March 27, 2011August 22, 2018 Lorin Olsen

In December 2009, I purchased a very nice mandolin for my wife. I did this because my wife Cindy is a fabulous musician. I had heard her play the ukulele earlier in the year. She played wonderfully – especially since the ukulele was a new instrument for her. So to assist her with the motivation needed to conquer yet another new instrument (i.e., the mandolin), I figured that I’d buy her an album of good mandolin music. Several people recommended Sierra Hull’s premiere album (entitled Secrets). I was blown away by the musicianship and the poised maturity that the then 16-year old Hull exhibited on the album.
So when I heard that she had released a sophomore album (entitled Daybreak), I just had to download the album. And like the first album, this one is magnificent. From the very first track, Hull distinguishes herself as an amazing mandolin player. More importantly, she has really extended her vocal capabilities. She is no longer the little child with a nice voice. She is a woman with a wonderful voice.
And her mandolin prowess has grown. She handles instrumental tunes (like “Bombshell” and “Chasin’ Skies”) with an easy grace. You can really sense her skill (and her love of the instrument) in both of these works. At the same time, she seems equally comfortable blending classic bluegrass themes (like faith and family) into modern musical harmonies.
My favorite song is “The Land of the Living.” This song expresses a simple and well-worn faith that is honest – and not trivialized. I would love to hear her sing and play an entire album devoted to her faith. But in many ways, the simple and understated faith motifs throughout this album may be even more catching for people who did not grow up in the church community.
Finally, this album makes no apologies for its traditional bluegrass appeal. She doesn’t hide the instruments. She doesn’t hide the messages. But she doesn’t bludgeon the listeners with them either. She simply sings and plays about what she has seen and heard. This is a remarkable album from a very remarkable young woman.
I can’t wait for her next album. But until then, I think this one is going to get quite a bit of play around my house.
-Roo

Milestones: Are They Worth Remembering?

March 27, 2011August 22, 2018 Lorin Olsen

Um, yes! They are DEFINITELY worth noting. At least I think so. And since I’m writing this post, I think I’ll remember an important milestone for this year: For those who are reading this from my blog, you’ll notice that my Wigle counter has tipped over 10,000 discovered access points.
Is this a Christopher Columbus moment of discovery? Of course not. All it indicates is that I live in an affluent area where access points are very prevalent. Nevertheless, reaching this milestone is important to me. The number indicates that I’ve found over 10,000 access points during my recent bicycle commuting efforts. It is a symbol for lots of miles on my bike. And it implies prestige points in an otherwise invisible ego campaign! 😉
If you think about this mathematically, consider a circle with a radius of about twelve miles. Since my path is varied (i.e., not just a straight line), I must simplify and say that I ride within a given fraction of the circle. For further simplification, let’s assume that the slice is roughly an eighth of the circle’s area. That means that I’ve found 10K “new” access points in an area of approximately 56 1/2 square miles. That equates to 176+ access points per square mile.
That doesn’t sound like much. And it probably isn’t. But here are the probable reasons that the number is so low:
1) I have probably overestimated the size of my “slice” of the circle. In fact, I guarantee that I have because I ride on roads. If I were honest, I’d have to say that while I have ridden around an arc that is similar to 1/8 of the overall area, I’ve probably NOT covered that area very thoroughly. Indeed, the area that I have thorough coverage for may only be a sixty-fourth of the circle’s area. If I used that number, I’d see 1400+ access points per square mile!
2) There is a lot of unusable (and/or undeveloped) land between home and my office. So we have a very uneven distribution of houses and businesses. But we could simplify and assume that we have an evenly distributed population. If anything, I travel the more populous areas to ensure that I have ample visibility.
Of course, I’m not the only person who has pondered this subject. In fact, there is an awesome paper (written by Kipp Jones and Ling Liu of Georgia Tech) that talks about some of the issues associated with WiFi density in and around population centers.
And there is an even more impressive article by Luke Driskell (Lousiana State University). In his article, Mr. Driskell attempts to describe how WiFi density is a solid indicator of differences in the economic makeup of neighborhoods in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Of course, there are distinct implications (in Mr. Driskell’s paper) about how public WiFi may bridge some of the economic differences. But for purposes of my analysis, I just wanted to know whether 176+ access points per square mile is indicative of a lot of access points or simply a few.
So what have I determined? First, if I want to make conclusions from numbers, I need to be more rigorous. Second, I need to map my thesis to real demographic data (i.e., neighborhood economic data). I certainly observed that some of the poorer neighborhoods I ride through have fewer access points. But if I want to prove the hypothesis, I have to actually posit a real hypothesis – and then rigorously test it.
Since I don’t have time to do that, I’ll just make wild speculations from incomplete studies. That means I’m either a journalist, a politician or a weird hybrid being from both strains of homo americanus.
So here is the provable claim: I am excited that I have cataloged so many access points. Have I bested Mr. Dunker yet? No, I have not. At least, I haven’t YET. But I need to approach his numbers slowly – lest he react and overwhelm my meager findings with his larger antenna rig.
So yes, it is about size and it is about numbers!
-Roo

Is 1W Really That Much Better?

March 20, 2011August 22, 2018 Lorin Olsen

This week has been wonderful. The weather has warmed from freezing in the AM to mid-fifties in the afternoon. And I think we have finally seen the last of the snow. So I’ve begun spring cycling in earnest. This week, I’ve put in over 110 miles of bicycle commuting. That is the best total for the year. I can’t wait for this to be the low point!
Now that I am cycling in the dark once again (due to Daylight Savings Time), I’ve needed to get even more serious about my dawn/dusk lighting. My CygoLite Mitycross front headlight has been fabulous. But the rear lights were not sufficient. After using a Topeak Redlite UFO for a few months, I’ve come to realize that it is a fine light for my kids. I would have no trouble letting them ride on the sidewalks at night. But it just isn’t enough for my daily commuting needs.
So I have been researching and planning my tail light campaign. I started with a Serfas Seat Stay light. This light is a very flexible light with seven LED’s (six small and one large). I had problems with the light due to poor battery contacts. But my local bike shop eagerly replaced the unit. Bless their hearts. I now use this as my secondary light assembly. It is a good light. And it can mount on almost anything. I have it mounted on an elevated stay that is part of my rear bike rack.
But I really wanted something with a “Wow” factor. So I invested in a Portland Design Works’ Radbot 1000 light. This light is absolutely outstanding. The light itself is bright – blindingly bright. And the unit has three distinct operating modes. I like the zZz mode which provides a gentle transition between flashes in the cycle. The second mode is euphemistically called the “Retina Blitz” – and it earns that name. I don’t think I would use this – unless I really wanted to piss off the motorists that are behind me. The third mode is an “always on” steady-light function. Finally, the unit has an excellent reflector just below the light itself.
This light can be mounted on almost anything. With its stiff clip, you can hook it onto your panniers, the rear of a saddle bag or even the back of your jacket. The product package also contains mounting accessories for almost any fixed hookup. My unit is mounted on the 5mm mounting bracket of my Surly Nice rack.
The battery life will be a challenge for many riders – and it was for me as well. Typical convenience store batteries won’t last very long. So I decided to invest in some high capacity rechargeable batteries. I chose Maha’s PowerEx 1000mAh batteries. Coupled with a good charger, these batteries should meet my needs. But since I can’t carry a tester with me wherever I go, I’ve decided to pack a spare pair in my saddle bag. They will now be part of my normal touring kit.
There is a great video about the light over at Youtube. I heartily recommend this light. BTW, one watt doesn’t sound like much, but it is REALLY bright. The “gold standard” that many commuters used to select was the Planet Bike Superflash. But the Superflash uses a 0.5W bulb. And the difference is really startling. And for those who know me, I’m all about being “startling” in everything that I do!
-Roo

The intersection of vision and action

Month: March 2011

Who Needs Newgrass When There’s Great Bluegrass?

Who Needs Newgrass When There's Great Bluegrass?

Milestones: Are They Worth Remembering?

Is 1W Really That Much Better?