one neat

bike safety idea

2015-02-05T12:23:00.005-07:00

Someone needs to develop a lightweight and inexpensive transmitter and receiver system for bikes and motor vehicles. The system would work like this: riders install the transmitter on their bikes. Vehicles equipped with a receiver get a proximity alert (sound plus lights, ideally) that tells them they're in the vicinity of a bike equipped with a transmitter. A yellow light and low noise means the bike is X yards away, switching to red light and a louder signal when they're very close to the bike. This helps address low light, distraction and line of sight problems by alerting the driver to slow down and look for the biker.

I think this idea has great potential to go viral. Any car/truck owner with a family member who bikes will be motivated to purchase the system for all the vehicles and bikes in their family. The manufacturer's marketing department could partner with tire and repair chains like Pep Boys and Jiffy Lube as a public relations effort: repair shops buy the receivers in bulk and advertise that they'll install them for free when people come in for service on Bike to Work day or something.

Public transit vehicles and delivery trucks/vans could market based on their use of the technology. Bike shops, bike clubs and civic organizations (Boy and Girl Scouts, PTAs, etc) could get involved, buying and installing transmitters on kid's bikes to increase awareness and visibility. The vendor could partner with bike manufacturers to have transmitters come already installed on certain models of bikes, and car manufacturers could integrate the receivers as original equipment on models designed for families or young, active drivers (i.e., those who likely bike as well).

What do you think?

adaptation

2015-01-14T06:38:00.003-07:00

We live in a global economy. Everyone wants and expects 24/7/365 services but businesses have not moved to meet this expectation. “Standard” business hours means most services (from repairs to professional services) are available from 8-5 – the hours most of us are working. At the same time, our infrastructure is strained by demand that is heavily used only a few hours a day.

The unemployed struggle to find work because those who are currently employed are working overtime. People cannot participate in extracurricular activities because gyms, houses of worship, leisure venues, etc are open a limited number of hours. Even if these opportunities were available, workers are expected to be on-call to meet the business's needs almost around the clock. People are exhausted, overwhelmed, and unable to find the time or energy to maintain a healthy, well-balanced life.

We need a change.

I propose we move to a truly 24/7/365 world, with shorter 6-hour workdays that begin on staggered schedules every 2 hours, 7 days per week. A shorter workday more closely matches modern attention spans, and staggered schedules mean services and infrastructure will be better matched to need. If schools and businesses move to more flexible schedules, overcrowded resources would become a thing of the past. People will be better rested, more engaged and more appreciative of the opportunities a fuller life affords.

A “standard” full-time workweek would move from 5 to 6 days/week for a total commitment of 36 hours. Yes, people would work an extra day/week, but they’d also have more time every day to live rather than pushing everything they enjoy to a few hours of freedom on the weekend. Early riser? Work from 4-10 am -- you'd feel like you have your entire day to yourself every day. Take a hike, volunteer at your local animal shelter, run errands, take a class, write a book … your life is your own.

Schools would work on staggered schedules as well: young children rise early, so the same facility that houses a kindergarten from 8 am -12 pm can be a high school from 2 pm – 8 pm, hours that are the best match for a teen’s biological clock. Workers with children can adjust their schedules to better sync with their children's schedules, or -- imagine this! -- have some time that isn't occupied by work OR child care.

A system like this means global enterprises will be more collaborative and more efficient as the schedules of employees living in different time zones overlap. Local businesses could be open longer hours because they’d have a fairly constant flow of clients. The increased business will cover the cost of hiring more employees, and those employees will be healthier, happier and more productive.

Although I don’t have the expertise to calculate the full environmental impact of this system, my instinct says it will be beneficial. Facilities would be smaller because fewer people would be using them at a time and would be maintained at a fairly constant temperature rather than massive swings to accommodate punctuated use patterns. Peak loads would equilibrate for utilities, removing stress on overloaded grids. New construction projects may no longer be necessary: instead, necessary repairs and upgrades of existing facilities could be accomplished. As people have a less harried existence, they’ll come to value quality of life over convenience and will be more likely to support a healthier lifestyle and a healthier planet.

programming change

2015-01-13T10:15:00.001-07:00

In the past I've used this blog as a way to share some of the strange, shiny things that catch my attention. It's great fun, and a plausible substitute for both real work and real engagement with my readers (all three of them).

But I think it's time for a change.

For better or worse, I have a problem solver's brain. It gets hold of an idea and won't let go. It's kind of like this:

In some ways it's great, but it's also pretty annoying because when my brain is fixated on a problem it won't let me move on to the other things I need to think about.

I know there are other ways to handle this: I could try therapy, meditation, exercise or probably a dozen other strategies. But I'm going for the easy one. I'm going to share them with you.

In the future. look for blogs tagged "honey badger" -- those will be the wild hairs that keep me up at night. And who knows? Maybe they'll make for good conversation.

encapsulation

2013-03-06T09:29:00.002-07:00

kapil bhagat captures the essence

of scientists' most famous achievements

in this series of designs.

thanks to the curious brain

(how deliciously appropriate)

pratfall

2013-03-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

the falling man series by kerry skarbakka
reflects life's uncertainty

if god is a comedian,

i suppose all those made in his image must be as well

(c/o the guardian)

game

2013-02-18T13:41:00.001-07:00

haruki murakami's publisher has announced
that he'll be releasing a new book in april.
but why wait to find out the plot?

I could come up with BINGO out of the last 24 hours.
not sure whether to read something into that or not.

(bingo card courtesy incidental comics)

incarnation

2013-01-13T11:30:00.002-07:00

crayon creatures takes your child's drawings

and uses a 3-D printer to create a sandstone figurine.

I wonder if they'd do this with Robots & Monsters?

(courtesy the guardian)

beauty contest

2012-12-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

the museum of ridiculously interesting things

posted some great images from bizarre beauty contests

congratulations to the future mrs. abe froman

resolution

2012-12-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

thanks to laughing squid

for sharing a rule is to break: a child's guide to anarchy.

it's not too early to get started on those resolutions

stylesheet

2012-12-14T11:10:00.000-07:00

the awl published the style sheet for
george saunder's new book,

tenth of december

unfortunately, I have to wait until january 8th
to find out what vivistif(tm) is

focal point

2012-12-10T12:31:00.000-07:00

the guardian's travel photographer of the year 2012
gallery has some iconic images

wish you were here?

guide

2012-12-04T13:30:00.000-07:00

dr carmella's guide to understanding the introverted

I need this on a card so I can hand it to people

(preferably from a distance).

thank you, schroeder veidt

definition

2012-12-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

googlegänger

the person with your name who shows up in search results
when you google yourself.

(courtesy mental floss)

@schadenfreude

2012-11-29T11:50:00.001-07:00

the @YourInAmerica twitter feed catches the grammar police

making grammatical errors

objects in the mirror may be closer than they appear.

stupid human trick

2012-11-26T08:00:00.000-07:00

dan menendez (the piano juggler)
does some pretty neat tricks.

but this very quick trick was way too close to the scary clown of childhood nightmares

thanks for keeping me awake tonight, geeks are sexy

thought for the day

2012-11-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

from benjamin dewey's tragedy series

that is all.

memo

2012-11-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

the next internet meme:

please advise.
(c/o boing boing)

duet

2012-11-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

a miles davis and kermit mashup?

I am SO there.
(c/o laughing squid)

public service announcement

2012-11-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

a cheerful reminder from metro australia

courtesy pleated-jeans

vision

2012-11-16T10:21:00.002-07:00

photographer fabrice wittner's lightpainting project
enlightened souls
memorializes the christchurch quake in february 2011

more images and technical details
in his profile on behance.net

validation

2012-11-15T09:39:00.001-07:00

from an amazon top-500 reviewer

"Outrageously funny look at life in small-town America"

wOOt!

recognition

2012-11-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

lalage snow photographed soldiers before, during, and after
their deployment in afghanistan.
this is pvt. chris macgregor, age 24.

view more of the series we are the not dead
at my modern metropolis.

remembrance

2012-11-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

recently eiya iwata posted about visiting kobo abe's grave
at kamikawa cemetery on abe kobo's place.
This is kobo abe's headstone.

the image and the story keep returning to me.
I think this is what the japanese would refer to as yoin.

harmonic

2012-11-11T10:45:00.001-07:00

something bittersweet to go with your coffee
on a cold gray sunday morning

girlyman

use of negative space

2012-11-09T09:29:00.001-07:00

ddesignerr has a great post today
on logos that use negative design

less is more