Blog of Josh Hall

Life should be lived simply.  That means that it should not become too complex, too extravagant, or too forced.  Otherwise, you risk losing focus, losing touch, or simply losing.

Have you heard about the Bloom Box yet?  Probably not.  It’s been featured on 60 minutes earlier this year, but still is a pretty quiet technology.  It’s a clean energy source that can power the average american home in the size of a gallon of milk.

First off, this thing is legit.  This isn’t just some guy doing crazy things that work on paper or theory in his garage, but aren’t financially feasible.  This is NASA technology.  Or, at least, it was, until K.R. Sridhar spun off from his research there to pursue this.  This isn’t just some new start up firm looking for funding to complete it’s work.  Google, eBay, and WalMart are all using their fuel cells.  This just got real.

This is the future of energy.  Small, cheap, clean, and reliable.  Did I mention it runs on oxygen?

Read more:

http://www.engadget.com/2010/02/22/the-bloom-box-a-power-plant-for-the-home-video/

http://www.csmonitor.com/Innovation/Horizons/2010/0222/Bloom-Box-What-60-Minutes-left-out

here’s another memory of when I almost died, or at least, almost caused severe bodily damage to myself.  Twice.

I was changing the tires on my 92 ford taurus at my mom’s house one day.  I had it jacked up, and the wheel was off.  I was sitting down, with my legs out in front of me, and as I was reaching and rolling the new tire to me, a big gust of wind came, just enough to knock the car off balance from the jack.  The…circular part that the wheel connects to…went slamming to the ground and took a big chunk out of the driveway.  I think my feet were just barely in the wheel well area, safe and untouched.

Then, when I had my truck, I learned that just any tire on a truck won’t do.  I must have changed the tires on the truck a dozen times.  I want to say I had the truck fall twice…, but I only remember 1 time for certain.  I was changing the front passenger tire on Erin Street across from my house.  If you’re familiar with where I live, Erin street is at least a 30% grade hill.  Same thing as with the taurus, I nearly lost my feet.

Remember kids, always block off the opposite/diagonal tire from moving before you jack you’re car up.  It doesn’t hurt to block them all off either.  If you can, get to a flat surface as well.

– this message brought to you in part by safe tire changers of america.

#260 – All the worlds problems could be solved by games of Rock-Paper-Scissors.

#261 – Best of 1. Suck it up and accept your fate.

#262 – If it’s just a conflict of opinion, use http://googlefight.com

Why haven’t we found a better / easier / more efficient way to do laundry yet? Why do we need 2 devices to complete 1 process? At the very least, can’t we have a 3rd device that moves the laundry from the washer to the dryer automatically?

I mean, there isn’t even the option of 1 device. With those stacked units, you’d think you’d be able to make some kind of floor that drops out of the washer on top and as soon as it’s empty the dryer starts.

Is there something preventing this that I’m missing??? You can’t say it’s the direction that it spins, because you could just invent something that rotated itself. I just don’t get it.

We waste far too much time “watching” laundry or waiting for one to finish so you can switch it.

So I got a pairs of the Vibram Five Finger KSOs out of curiosity.  I tried grabbing a pair in stores, but no one had any stock left, at least in my size.  I was able to try on a size close to mine, so I could go online and order direct.  Even online was out of stock of the styles I wanted.

About the shoes specifically, the soles were thinner than I expected.  Because they were so thin, I would think that the material would be harder/firmer, but it’s not really.  It’s still very flexible, which I can’t knock since it will only add to the purpose of being able to use your toes individually.

So my first run was a little awkward.  Not physically, but mentally.  You have to get used to the sensation of running at a fast pace bare foot.  I can’t remember the last time I’ve done that.  I wasn’t expecting to be able to feel the cracks and separations in the sidewalk or the sewer grates.  Even the manhole covers are a new sensation.  I’m no longer putting flat surface to flat surface, which, I realize, is the point.

As a result, the shoes do get you to run on the balls of your feet.  I’ve been doing that all along, so that wasn’t a new pain to learn, but having the ability to react quicker as a result was.  Where I used to hit the corner of the curb and just naturally “see-saw” to the flat surface, I’m actually responding to the ledge and balancing and grabbing on with my toes.  After my first 4.5 mile run, the bottom of my calves were sore for 2 days.  After the 2nd run, which I ran much faster, my calves were sore immediately.  Pain means they’re working, right?

I do all of my running in the city.  There’s a track up at schenley that i can use, but I rarely do.  I like the different terrain.  I think that the vibrams would benefit from a softer surface like a clay track, but I also think their dynamic intent would be wasted there.

Over all, I think they’re working, and for the moment, they’re a little bit of a motivator to run since I’m ostentatious and enjoy people giving me weird looks and asking me what they are.  Once the novelty wears off though, I see myself going back, or at least sharing time, with traditional running shoes.  Even the guy at Elite Runners suggested that they’re not an end all.  I’ll ride out this season on them, with the Urbanathlon in October, and we’ll see if switching back becomes less agreeable.