Automated Watering
This page describes how to set up a simple automated watering system for your outdoor plants and garden.
Basic Idea
A timer turns water on/off, which feeds a main trunk line. This trunk line feeds smaller lines that go out to micro-sprinklers. You can adjust each micro-sprinkler to suit your plants' needs.
Supplies
There are a few supplies you need to get from your Home Depot or somesuch place.
- Hooking up to your garden hose:
- A Y adaptor
- A watering computer
- (usually this will be sufficient, depending on the computer)
- Watering System:
- Main trunk line - This will be 1/2" PVC - 50 feet or more depending on what you're doing.
- Trunk connectors - 1/2 connectors - T's and elbows are useful.
- Delivery lines - 1/4" flexible tubing
- Mini Sprinkler heads
A note on frugality:
- Buying some of these things per-piece can get pricey, so follow these tips:
- Instead of the $5/piece special watering system connectors, go to the plumbing department and look for 1/2" connectors that you can squeeze into your tubing. They typically cost $0.50-$0.80. They aren't UV protected, so that sucks, but way cheaper. Depending on your pressure you may need hose clamps too, but probably not.
- I highly recommend the kit of many many micro sprinkler heads (I paid $30 for this), as it's super handy to have a lot of different heads to play with rather than buy them per-piece.
Pictures:
Main distribution hose (50"):
The cheaper plumbing connectors I use:
100" of the small 1/4" tubing:
The computer I use: (Gardenia++)
The kit of all the sprinkler heads:
Setting it up
First, get your computer and main trunk line hooked up.
The Trunk
Run the 1/2" trunk line around the area you want water to.
The Branches
Figure out where you want sprinkler heads to be, and then punch a small hole in the 1/2" PVC trunk. Put the sprinkler on some 1/4" line, and figure out how long that smaller line needs to be. Then cut the 1/4" line and put an adaptor (elbow or straight or T connector) and then push this connector into the 1/2" trunk. That's it!
Here you can see I have a T of the trunk, and then a small elbow pushed through to feed some plants.
And here is another one:
For our main garden we used soaker hose, tapped right into the trunk:
And then I spliced in a full circle sprinkler head into the soaker hose:
Usually I have one head feed 2 plants like this:
And here I used a half-circle against the fence to water several plants:
Test it
Being careful not to have too much pressure (IOW not full blast water pressure), turn on your water, and then turn your computer on to manual mode. Now watch as water fills your tubes and comes out your sprinkler heads. Don't worry about getting the sprinker heads just perfect - you'll want to tune them after you have everything connected.
Tuning it
After you've got all your sprinkler heads hooked up, turn on your system again. Then go around to each micro-sprinkler and tune it up-down and fine-tune the spray pattern. You may need to do this a few times until it reaches equilibrium.
How much water each plant gets will depend on how long it runs for and how strong the spray is. Some plants may only need a trickle of droplets, others may want a real spray.
Set it and Forget it
Use your sprinkler computer to set up timers. You should do it early morning and late evening when the sun is not strong. (The sun would evaporate the water.) Over the next few days or weeks monitor how wet your plants are and tweak accordingly.
Vipassana Retreat Thoughts
About an hour ago, I finished a 2-day Vipassanā Silent Retreat with the Westcoast Dharma Society. I had very few expectations about this weekend going in. Jennifer had registered us a while back, and the details weren't fresh when I left work on Friday for the opening evening session.
Friday night featured a talk, and some guided sitting meditation. We assembled in a large room, about half filled with chairs, and many people seated on pillows, blankets and stools at the sides and front of the room. Saturday and Sunday started with "sittings" or seated guided meditation. The guidance was from the retreat guest host - Michele McDonald, and it tapered off throughout each sitting. We would alternate sittings with walking meditiation, where you use the experience of walking as the focus. The weather was nice enough to do this outside of the UBC Asian centre, in the beautiful old forest there. After 4 morning sessions, we would pause for a silent (and wonderful!) home packed lunch. My wife made some amazing sandwiches (which should surprise no-one) which we both savoured. (Neither of us had ever eaten a sandwich that slowly.) The afternoon was the same as the morning, but with a Dharma talk near the end, where Michelle would go deeper on certain topics.
The first thing that surprised me was the ages of the people there. I would estimate half were 50-70, a dozen were over 70, and then tapering off to about 8 people in their middle to late twenties. I guess I haven't been in a group with that age distribution in recent memory.
Most of the sittings went by pretty fast for me - they didn't feel like they dragged on. Each sitting was 30 to 45 minutes, with a few minutes at the front to get settled and then Michelle's guidance. I sat in the chairs each day, while Jennifer sat on folded yoga mat against the wall. This morning, I did a sitting cross legged in the chair and certainly felt some pain or "areas of intense sensation", as it is called. :) This presented a great opportunity to notice the pain, but not react right away - to "play with it".
One of the big things I take away from this retreat is an understanding of how vipassanā is helpful. Meditation can connect us with our breath, with our true self. None of this bullshit thoughts our brain tells us about "me". I'm talking about the mass of atoms sitting here breathing (Please forgive the reductionism). It gives us a safe place to be - despite whatever worries, fears, and insecurities we have. If that is all it gave us, we should be greatful.
But what I realized this weekend was that it also provides a laboratory for us to push and test those fears, with a safe retreat nearby. With practice, we can learn to develop new re-actions when we encounter those fears in real life, away from the safety of the retreat. I don't claim to be a master of any of this - but I got a glimpse into how this stuff works.
Jen adds: Luke may be glossing over an important detail here - that everyone chooses their reactions to anger/fear/doubt - even if they don't realize they're making a choice. The choice is fully yours to make - we create our own suffering. The converse of this is that we are are only ones responsible for our happiness.
This was my first time doing group meditation or guided meditation, and I have to say I enjoyed it. I remember thinking at the end of Saturday something to the effect of, "That was fun, but it's a lot of time. I may consider doing it again". At the end of today though, I really felt a deeper level of calmness when I left.
During one of the guided meditations, Michelle talked about the feeling inside an old growth forrest. They have this amazing sense of stillness. Perhaps it's my BC roots, but I really connected with this. Michelle suggested that we try to embody that same stillness.
So - it's Sunday night, time to prepare for the week ahead. I feel really well rested, and I feel an inner calmness or peace. Is we were leaving the Asian centre, I looked at the pond outside. All retreat long it had been covered in ripples due to dripping water and wind. But as I left it had a still, glassy, appearance. I felt like that water - initially my mind had it's usual Luke-chatter turned to max, as usual. But as I walked out the doors, I felt stable, peaceful and quiet - like the water.
The great thing is that you don't need to believe me on any of this - you can try it for yourself.
Luke, that sounds really cool. I just watched the video at: http://video.server.dhamma.org/video/vipassana/apvip.mov
Unbelievable stuff, but like you said...
contributed by scott schnaars on Nov 16 8:52pm
I have to be clear - the 2-day retreat I did is not as strict as the full traditional 10-day Vipassana retreat. (My wife did it recently and wrote about it here). We didn't take the oath not to kill/have sex/have intoxicants/..., and we could hang out with friends and drink beer in the evenings. So that was nice. It was a nice introduction.
contributed by Luke Closs on Nov 17 12:41am
Wow. I've never gone for the formal meditation thing before, although I always make sure to take a few minutes a day to meditate(feels good man). This description of your experiences certainly makes me rethink that. Sounds amazing.
contributed by on Nov 17 1:41pm
This is great. My wife is contemplating doing the 3-day retreat here in the bay area.
It reminds me a bit of the sesshin I did in Boulder while I was at school. It's a Zen meditation retreat and varies depending on the teacher. Usually, you're given a koan to meditate/contemplate on. The basic goal is to keep pushing yourself to answer the question posed in the koan, but as soon as you have a suitable answer, you say, "nope. that's not it" and continue on trying to answer it. Eventually, you're logical mind just gives up and you experience "direct insight" into the issue.
The koan we had that weekend was one of the more commonly used ones, "Does a dog have buddha-nature?". When Joshu was asked if his dog had buddha-nature, he said "Mu!" - which essentially un-asks the question. It's a negative response, but it's not the same as no.
Funny thing was, though, that during breaks I'd get on my motorcycle and ride up into the hills contemplating this and everywhere I turned I saw "MU" on the license plates of almost every truck on the road. I took it as an insight that I was focusing too much on the literal meaning of the koan. I didn't quite get the "direct insight" experience that weekend, but it was a tough and thoroughly enjoyable weekend.
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The rolex 18k gold Day Date Presidential is the luxury wristwatch for a truly successful man on the move. the reaction of any true fan is a bingo-like realization, a diamond bullet to the brain reminiscent of Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now: Here is an 18k gold Rolex wristwatch that matches the powerful presence of a hip-hop superstar like Lil Wayne!
contributed by on Jul 16 9:49pm
Top 3 Inappropriate Puns When Your Best Friend's Lung Suddenly Collapses
By popular demand, here they are:
- Jeez, that’ll take the air outta ya!
- You’re going to remember this for a lung time.
- This’ll be a gas!
I wish Luke the most speedy recovery.
A Cup of Tea
Nan-in, a Japanese master during the Meiji era (1868-1912), received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen.
Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring.
The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. “It is overfull. No more will go in!”
“Like this cup,” Nan-in said, “you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”
Bell Unlimited
I feel like I have been ripped off by Bell Mobility after purchasing their Unlimited Data plan. This page serves to explain the situation of how this came to happen.
My Situation
As a telecommuter, reliable internet access is very important. After hearing about Bell's Unlimited data plan, I read through the TOS, felt that I could live with it, and so eagerly signed up for the service. Most of the time, I'm working off of wifi connections from home, but the Bell service was SO handy and freeing. Not having to hunt out a wifi access point was such a luxury. I loved this service. The coverage was great, and it was fast.
Not wanting to be locked into one of these ridiculous 2 year contracts, I opted to outright purchase the cell modem for $300, and pay month to month.
I use internet tools to get my job done:
- Web browser - for collaboration, research, development and testing
- SSH - for software development on company servers
- Mail, Chat, RSS - all keep me in touch
Process Notes
- A robot phoned me on the weekend, and asked me to call back during business hours
- I phoned back on Monday, and discussed with the Bell rep:
- Bell rep said that my account had been suspended
- I asked, "Why?"
- She could not tell me what I had done or why it was being suspended other than I used it "excessively"
- Should could tell me how much I had used it. IIRC, she said I had used it for 60MB last month
- I said that I had used it the previous week, when my home internet was sketchy.
- A few minutes later, she looks on my current usage period, and she says I used 1000MB
- I try to understand why this is happening based on my understanding of the contract: http://www.michaelgeist.ca/content/view/2249/125/
- I ask to speak with some manager that can help me resolve the situation better
- I leave the call understanding that my service is still connected, and a rep will call me back
- On Friday, Terrence Escourse, a bell manger calls me
- Terrence was honest, sympathetic, helpful and real in explaining that Bell was cancelling my account
- Terrence said that they are cancelling the unlimited plan, and moving people to other plans
- Terrence offered to accept a return of the aircard I purchased (provided I had the original packaging and sales invoice) (and they would refund me $300)
- Terrence explained that in Eastern Canada they have 1,2,3 and 5 Gig/month plans for similar prices
- Terrence offered to move me to a $100/month 250MB/month plan - this is the best he could offer
- Shockingly, this is more expensive than my current plan, and is 8.33 MB/day!
Overall Observations
- The Bell people I talked to were quite good - the store manager that sold me on the plan was great and friendly, and Terrence, the manager I spoke to after my account was cancelled, was very helpful and sympathetic
- The bell processes could use some improvement:
- Having a robot phone me on the weekend doesn't show a lot of respect for my time or attention
- Suggestion - When you need to contact your customers, use people, not robots
- I installed an application to track my network usage. To navigate through Bell's website to find their current rate plans, I consumed 1.3MB download.
- That's 20% of the daily usage of Bell's best plan!
- If I wanted to fill my 4Gig iPod Nano with legal music downloads under Bell's best plan it would take 16 months of exclusive use
- Or: $100 for the first 250MB, then $3 for the remaining 3750MB for a total of $11250.
Thoughts to take away
- What was the reason Bell cancelled the contract I had with them?
- The only reason was that I used the service "excessively" in their opinion
- This comes down to using "excessive network capacity in Bell's reasonable opinion"
- So what is their reasonable opinion? From their actions and their suggestion of alternatives, their opinion is clearly not reasonable!
- It is 2008!
- Did Bell ever have the intention to meet this contract?
I can come to no other conclusion that Bell was not prepared to live up to this unlimited contract when they brought it to market.
I loved paying Bell for this service, and I didn't even use it very much! I'm very upset that they have acted in this manner.
Hey so I thought I'd kick while you were down by pointing out that 1G = 1024M so 4G = 4096M not 4000M
Thanks, I guess the point is the same (or worse). :) --lukec
contributed by on Apr 6 10:29pm
Guest User: you may be right or you may be wrong -- are you talking about network transfers or file storage? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gigabyte
contributed by on Apr 9 8:30am
You and every other customer affected by Bell's unilateral and without notice change in the terms of your contract are grounds for a class action law suit. Bell was already successfully sued for pulling the same crap with their First Rate long distance subscribers:
http://www.classactionlaw.ca/content/claims/bellcanadafirstrate/bellcanadafirstrate.html
Bell NEVER learns from their past mistakes!
contributed by on Apr 13 8:28am
Why would Bell need you to send back the datacard if you are not on a contract, were they going to give you back $300?
Also btw: if you managed to keep the Bell's U720, you can change its esn and use it on Telus, see shadowmite's post at mobile files forum.
contributed by on Apr 18 11:35pm
They said I could send back the datacard and they would refund the purchase price. Thanks for the tip about Telus, but I don't know if they have a good data plan. --Luke
Why need to argue with the carrier, just use
http://www.shadowmite.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=24&t=3319
if you need to use MB/GB that the carrier considers excessive
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contributed by on Jun 11 8:46pm
Too bad you didn't opt for the 2 year contract. You could have charged them $100 per month left in the contract to cancel it.
contributed by bradroger on Jun 12 9:56am
Alopecia Barbae
A quick google search revealed the medical term behind the strange hole in my beard. Alopecia Barbae is a type of Alopecia Areata that happens in a Man’s beard. I started growing this hole (or anti-beard) in the year 2005:
The Alopecia Barbae wikipedia page says:
Alopecia areata is thought to be an autoimmune disease in which the body mistakenly treats its hair follicles as foreign tissue and suppresses or stops hair growth.
The more you know!
Update - June 21, 2007 - It's on the move (we knew that already, but here's the proof).
Now if you could just get that thing to migrate to yer ass crack! Look out cling-ons, it's Alopecia Barbae!
contributed by on Jun 23 9:08pm
Update, in 2008 all the hair grew back. Now it's back to how it was, basically.
contributed by Luke Closs on Feb 21 12:11am
hi luke C., did you cope this with any treatment ? if yes, i'd be glad to get to know with which one, because due to this alopecia barbae I suffer terribly ... maybe you have a good hint, thanks, c. from Berlin, Germany
contributed by on May 25 6:37am
I had no treatment other than a positive attitude.
contributed by Luke Closs on Jun 21 9:32am
I do not accept your forced firmware update
Hello Rogers Communications Inc,
I do not accept the premise that you can disconnect my paid data service unless I install your firmware on my device.
I understand and appreciate that you want your customers to be running stable, secure, bug-free phone software/firmware. However, I do not accept your premise that the only path is for me to install your firmware when you say. My phone is a small computer. I'm sure we'd both agree that it would be ridiculous for your Internet Service Provider to mandate what operating system you ran on your home PC or laptop. This is essentially the same issue.
Right now, as a customer of your service I have two options:
1) Use the firmware you give me. If I bought my phone from you I have firmware that you've chosen. I do not have access to details (read: code) describing what it does, it has no regular update schedule, it is locked down (restricting my freedoms), it is extremely slow to receive security updates (eg: a critical 911 fix left un-fixed for 4 months), the update process is bulky and difficult and it does not receive community support to add new features and improve it.
OR
2) Install the firmware I want to use. I can gain administrative access to my phone, and then install custom firmware created by an active open source community. I have full access to the source code (meaning I can verify it as well as improve it), regularly get new features and performance improvements, AND security updates are available within days of discovery (eg: the 911 GPS fix). It has an amazing built-in firmware updater ("over the air") and an extremely active community for support.
I assert that provided that my device functions correctly on your network, I should receive the service I pay for regardless of the software or firmware running on my device.
I would strongly advise all Rogers customers with HTC Magic or Dream phones to immediately take steps to remove the locked down Rogers firmware on their phone, and replace it with the high quality open source "Cyanogenmod" firmware. Rogers customers should attempt the process themselves, or get in touch with their local hackspace and ask if anyone can help.
Rogers, I will not assume any bad intent on your part with this update. You are new to this new world of next-generation phones (via Android), and likely do not yet have business processes in place to enable fast turnaround on security issues or the core abilities to quickly backport features and add new functionality to the firmware your customers use. It is great that you are fixing this GPS/911 bug (finally) for all your customers and pushing out a firmware update, but do not force this on customers that have had this issue fixed for months and are running much better, newer firmware.
Rogers, please focus on building a solid network and trying to give me the best data service at the best price.
Thanks,
Luke Closs
I like it!
I like the analogy to an internet service provider managing your operating system. Actually..it's not even an analogy - it's a direct comparison.
You could switch to Fido. They have no idea what kind of phone I use! I just upgraded my Nexus One in 5 minutes the day they released their updated firmware (less than a month after the release of the phone).
- Brad R.
contributed by on Feb 3 9:41pm
luke++ for mobilized communication!
contributed by Audrey Tang on Feb 3 9:44pm
Great post Luke!
Brad: I wish it were that easy! I have an android and Fido had me cut off for three + days! After countless phone calls and emails, and finally explaining that I "switched" to an Iphone, they finally refreshed my data plan - or whatever it is that Kevin convinced them to do that magically made it work again! I am still receiving those really annoying text messages and phone calls though!
Alicia
contributed by Alicia Nijdam on Feb 4 1:00am
I totally agree. Great post. I have been wondering what to do about this upgrade myself - I have a Dream. The plus has been that I now realize that I don't need data service. I'll stop by my local hackspace for an upgrade. (I also don't like being harassed by daily auto-voicemessages and SMS)
Mike
contributed by on Feb 4 8:19am
I would like permission to repost this.
You have my (Luke's) permission and gratitude for helping to spread this message further. Please lemme know where you post it. Thank you, Luke Closs.
contributed by on Feb 4 9:09pm
Hi Luke. This is a great post and I appreciate the time you've taken to voice your opinion. I'll be sure to share this feedback with our team.
In this case, customer safety has been our priority. We cannot support unlocked or rooted devices because we don't know how that will impact the device on our network. All customers need to update to the version of OS 1.5 that includes this important safety feature.
Thanks,
Mary
@RogersMary
contributed by on Feb 6 11:09am
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contributed by on Jun 7 3:05am
On Critical Mass and Critical Manners
Everytime I think about Critical Manners I get a weird unidentifiable feeling. The idea leaves me feeling a little squirmish, but it wasn't clear to me why. While cycling home from downtown last night I started to get some personal clarity that I'd like to share. I am not going to dwell or defend Critical Mass in this post, I am going to focus on the interplay between Mass and Manners.
Versus
The similarity in name of the two events tricks your brain into comparing these two different events. I think for a lot of people within the cycling community that have had positive experiences with Critical Mass, Critical Manners is a bit of a face-slap. This gets people's backs up, and we start comparing CMass with CManners.
I think comparing these two events is a trap; we should be evaluating these events separately, on their own merits. We should do this not only because then we could think openly about how to improve each event and see what the benefits are, but also because these events each have their own spirit. When we evaluate Critical Manners in terms of the goals of Critical Mass, we are sure to be disappointed. And vice-versa.
What Critical Manners is not
Critical Manners is not a protest, it is not activist, it is not making waves, it is not confrontational, it is not pushing the limits. But that is OK, it doesn't need to be. It is not attempting to replace Critical Mass - it is attempting to be an alternative (and complimentary) choice. But with a name so close, I think people with experience with Critical Mass see Critical Manners as something weak, something watered down. This is because they are evaluating the event according to Critical Mass' goals.
On its own
One insight I had while cycling home last night is that Critical Manners is focused on the present reality. Riders will not be pushing the limits and trying to change laws - instead they will be riding within the current skillset and infrastructure available. The Manners ride should bring positive attention to many issues that Critical Mass does not.
By having newbie and experienced cyclists ride together observing the rules of the road, it should be a learning experience; new cyclists will see how veterans handle the common interactions. Where should they ride in the lane? How and when should they change lanes or move with the auto traffic?
The Manners ride as currently planned stays on bike lanes and the best areas that cyclists have to ride in. Against Critical Mass criteria, there is little utility in this. But on it's own, this has the possibility to inform a lot of riders about these lanes, about when they're great and when they are not.
Brainstorming
Once I dropped the Mass mindframe, I could start seeing more possibilities in what Critical Manners could accomplish. Here are some ideas.
Each Manners ride could have a skill theme to focus on. Perhaps an example is "left turns". Many riders are intimidated to turn like cars do (as cyclists are instructed to do in the Motor Vehicle Act). In a Manners ride, cyclists could see and experience how to do these things safely, in a place with support from other cyclists. Future Manners rides could consider other skills or common situations that riders experience. In this way, the Manners ride could be a place to improve and learn. Imagine if the Media were to catch on and support this! Perhaps this focus on a particular skill would bubble up to the Old Media's attention, and they could help inform drivers about how cyclists are supposed to "turn left" (say). In this way, Manners could be a way to teach cyclists and drivers.
Manners rides could also focus instead on skills on certain types of problems faced by cyclists today. In the first Manners ride, almost the entire route is on really safe bike lanes. Perhaps future rides would consider a route that went on common routes not supported by bike lanes. Again, this could help build confidence of new cyclists in riding on those lanes, supported by other cyclists. It could also raise awareness in the city about where more infrastructure is needed.
These ideas obviously have some drawbacks and concerns to be addressed. Perhaps skills learning is better done in small groups; large groups of cyclists turning left may block traffic (which would logically then be not "polite"?), or it may be unsafe with our current infrastructure.
Scalability and Safety
One of the first questions I found myself asking when I learned about Critical Manners is how safe it would be. I think this is an interesting and mis-understood question, so I will dip into it here.
There seems to be a lack of understanding about why Critical Mass rides as a single blob, corking lanes and not stopping for red lights. For the moment, let's put aside the concerns about interrupting other traffic, and let's consider the issue of rider and driver safety. If there was to be no corking, or ineffective corking, or if riders were to stop at stoplights the cyclists would become interspersed with drivers. The necessary slower pace of cyclists (especially when the group is composed of all-levels riders) frustrates the drivers. The drivers and cyclists both become more erratic, and the theory (and practice from years and years of critical mass rides) shows that there are going to be a lot more accidents or incidents between drivers and cyclists. So by corking, the mass riders are staying together to reduce the overall likelihood of accidents for the ride.
I think of this as exactly the same as what would happen for a parade. You simply cannot have cars squeezing across a parade, even when the parade momentarily thins out. If you allow cars to drive in dense areas of pedestrians or cyclists, there is simply not the reaction time and too much going on for it to be safe.
I want to stress that this safety concern isn't just some theory, it seems to be learned from lots of events in the past. The support from the Police shows me that they also understand this concern and practice.
When my friend Jen announced Critical Manners, my first question was about scalability: Does 1 rider ride differently from 10 or 100 or 1000? It appears evident to me that when you have some large number (a critical mass?) of people/pedestrians/cyclists that the de-facto rules change. Navigating 3000 cyclists from point A to point B as a single mass is much safer than as a single file line that will have much more (net) mingling with cars. This single mass does come at the expense of a temporary delay of other traffic.
So my concern here for the Manners ride is one of safety. If the turnout is very large, it seems to me that there is more risk to individual riders than in the Critical Mass. I think we should be mindful of this, but not let it impact the Manners ride too much.
Judging
So I'm arguing here that it's ultimately not very useful to compare these rides. They have different goals, and different methods of implementation. Having such similar names of the rides may ultimately increase the conflict between these rides and the riders.
But I'm also suggesting that we should not judge the Manners ride immediately. We should give it some space and time to learn about it, to see how it goes and to appreciate it's place in the overall ecosystem.
I think it is fantastic that the Manners planners have taken this positive step.
When I think about Mass and Manners, I laugh and wish that we could get the public as catalyzed and passionate about issues that "really matter", like occupying foreign countries or the unprecedented transfer of wealth in our bailouts or the impending global environmental catastrophies.
Thank you for reading.
Some awesome comments, and a really well-thought-out piece, which I definitely appreciate!
I think a lot of people have gotten hung-up on framing the Manners ride inside the goals of the Mass ride, which has certainly led to some confusion (and in rare cases, outrage).
I'm awfully glad that there has been such a huge response to the Mass in its current state, the introduction of Manners, and the fact that cyclists recognize a need for change (though I don't think anyone has a clear idea yet of what exactly that change should look like). Manners is a part of that response, hence the name. I think it's appropriate, at least this time around.
And like you, I agree that Manners in its current incarnation should be short-lived. I would love to see it morph into a more consistent awareness of cycling safely and lawfully (lessons are a great idea) and advocating for better road-sharing by everyone. Cars will not go away, so let's all work on the most positive way to reduce their use that is attractive and productive for everyone.
I think Mass has gotten to a place where the protests are less "pro-bike" and more "anti-car," which doesn't really serve anyone very well. Perhaps this summer is its tipping point.
My standard response to the question of more Manners rides has been one of "wait and see." One of the core purposes of Manners is to promote unity and cooperation, so really I'd like to see cyclists re-uniting in a positive way under any umbrella, whether it's a re-vamped Mass where productive members actively discourage the disruptive behaviours of those only out for anarchy and mayhem, or Manners, or any of the other local cycling groups (pedal etiquette, VACC, BEST, etc.).
-Jen Watkiss (Critical Manners)
contributed by on Aug 14 2:29pm
While not my main point of writing this piece, I do want to state that I am entirely personally supportive of the current format and practice of Critical Mass. There are people in every crowd that are in it for themselves and not always acting so ... enlightened. I accept that and try to work with the other 95% of critical massers to have a great ride.
contributed by Luke Closs on Aug 14 2:48pm
I agree that comparing Critical Manners to Critical Mass is counterproductive to promoting and encouraging cycling as an alternative to driving. Their tactics are not comparable because they are not the same thing as Luke points out. One is a protest. One is a bike ride. Both serve the cause of cycling, of reducing air and noise pollution, of increasing physical health, of saving money and oil, of creating community and physical connection to city streets and neighbourhoods. That said, I see nothing wrong in an anti-car sentiment. Automobiles, while certainly useful and needed in some cases, are killers. Literally. They are unsustainable, both in the wars they fuel and in the pollution they cause. If more people were connected to the very negative outcomes of overdriving, they would not drive, or would not drive as much. This is an important connection to strive to make. Is it confrontational? Yes. But much progressive social change comes with uncomfortable, sometimes dangerous, often illegal confrontation. Think Rosa Parks sitting at the front of the bus. Think students getting shot at Kent State. Think Mohamed Ali refusing to go to war. There are many many examples in recent history of confrontations like these changing the world, for the better. Critical Mass is a spontaneous, self-directed expression of democracy - people coming together to say and show want they want in their society. It's one of the few examples we've got these days. Which is why I'll keep riding! :)
contributed by on Aug 14 4:13pm
I wrote a post criticizing Critical Mass a short while ago where a lot of controversy arose (I criticized the disruptive nature of the ride). I like your balanced position, too (and well, Jen is also a friend of mine so I'm kind of biased there too - although my friends Karen F and Karen P do ride in Critical Mass). Good post.
contributed by on Aug 14 4:43pm
Great post, Luke. One thing I would ask, and this is a Critical Mass criticism that Critical Manners is addressing, is "How would the impact of Critical Mass be lessened if the route was made public?" You rightly mention parade safety, but parades inform the police of routes and allow traffic to go around them. I think a lot of Critical Mass criticisms would be removed if this one issue was addressed.
contributed by Chris Simmons on Aug 14 5:19pm
I am also hesitant about possible safety issues re Critical Manners if too many cyclists attend. However, it's a great evening to support our fellow cyclists so I plan to drop by David Lam Park at 5:45 and decide at that time if I want to join the ride, cycle around Stanley Park, or just find blackberry bushes.
Wally Commuter
contributed by on Aug 14 5:24pm
Sorry, I meant to sign my comment, third from the top, right after Luke's.
- Kate Milberry
And here's my post on Critical Mass occupying the Lion's gate bridge in June: http://misscommunikate.ca/?p=32
contributed by on Aug 14 8:16pm
@ Chris Simmons:
I tend to agree with your theory that many of the CMass criticisms would be removed if people were simply aware of the route ahead of time. While I'm sure a number of people would still be stuck sitting in their cars, others who prepared better would be able to alter their transportation arrangements to better work around the mass of bicycles. My personal concern is getting stuck on a bus in the middle of the Lion's Gate Bridge or somewhere on the Stanley Park causeway. If at least I knew if/when CMass was going to be hitting the bridge, I could either leave work earlier or later to avoid the congestion. Likewise, some drivers might choose alternate routes or timetables to reduce any problems that they might have.
Best of luck to Jen and Critical Manners, I hope that today's ride went well!
-Andrew M
contributed by on Aug 14 8:21pm
To both Chris and Andrew - I think what you are forgetting is that no part of Critical Mass is planned, aside from the meeting place and time, because there are no organizers. It's not that route isn't made public, nobody knows the route ahead of time - the crowd makes the decisions based on who is at the front at any given intersection and where they want to go. Maybe the route could be influenced, but even so, the crowd will go where it wants. There are no representatives, everyone has equal control. The crowd dynamics are actually quite interesting.
contributed by jroger on Aug 14 11:40pm
Yes, the route simply cannot be announced as there is no route.
Someone (you?) could make and announce a route. But you'd need that critical mass of people to follow it.
contributed by Luke Closs on Aug 15 6:33pm
Good one Luke.
I clicked here from another blog where someone wrote that you were wrong to write that Critical Manners is not a protest. Manners is protesting the Mass Ride. I'm glad I read this, your post. I hope it becomes, or at least the method you apply to thinking about the two events becomes a sort of touchstone in this local debate within the cycling community.
I love the Critical Mass Ride, and I mean that in the sense that my heart explodes in the mass. For me the ride is an intense emotional experience. (And yes, I've seen some riders behave rudely, but that is such a small part of the experience. Most, (...and this is where I applaud your method, I could write "All" the riders are intensely happy, in the Critical Mass Ride, which would be polarizing, and of course untrue, which doesn't seem to be a concern of those who paint all CM Riders as rude, selfish, uncivilized beasts.) yes, most of the riders are intensely happy and riding in a spirit of celebration and community. This is why I ride in the Mass, an while I'll continue to ride with you all.
That said, while reading your post, I began to understand Critical Manners as a positive expression of a part of the cycling community, this part was inspired by the Mass Rides. (Because the Mass Rides are inspiring. You don't read much about the car drivers stuck in traffic who turn of there engines, turn up their radios and dance and cheer in the street, but I've seen it, those beautiful scenes are totally worth it. (and by "it" I mean the shitty reactions the mass ride inspires.)
Definitely the beauty (the good) of the Critical Mass Ride inspired Critical Manners, and the same sort of madness that floods supermarkets with products like no fat ice cream and sugar-free, caffeine-free cola, is behind the desire for a community gathering of pure goodness. If I'm in town for the ride I'll do it, but I won't go with my 7 year old son, like I do for the Mass ride, because a stopping and starting mass of riders is going to be a chaotic mess. (that I can't wait to be a part of.)
Also, and this needs to be clarified in the local discussion, the ride like all masses isn't homogeneous. I ride in the stream, the happy, smiling, cheering, celebratory stream that is made possible by the corkers, who place themselves in confrontational spaces so the mass can ride freely. The free riders often thank the corkers for what they do.
contributed by on Aug 18 12:17pm
tl:dr
contributed by Alicia Nijdam on Aug 18 8:44pm
@Alicia - I think you mean to use a semi-colon, not a colon.
See http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=tl%3Bdr
contributed by Luke Closs on Aug 18 10:45pm
what is the point of commenting tl;dr? And Luke great post.Thanks.
contributed by on Sep 6 12:47pm
Reflections on a VanTrash Article
The Vancouver Courier just ran a story in this weekend's paper about VanTrash, a service I built with Kevin Jones and David Eaves. It's great for VanTrash to get the coverage - we'd love for lots more people to use the service. There were three things I found funny about the article.
- Guarantees - o noes, we're just a little software project but now we guarantee service? What if we have a bug or a glitch, now our volunteer effort to build something for our friendly citizens has turned into something that promises, nay guarantees something. And if that goes wrong, I can only imagine the repercussions! (I'm half joking here.) But it does raise interesting questions about the status of VanTrash. Right now it is a service I pay for (I'm of pocket ~$200 for the server it runs on, not counting time Kevin, David and I have spent. This aspect of this project has interested me from the start. If we create some plumbing that people start to use, we are actually creating a future burden for ourselves to manage and improve this service (or pass it off to someone else). More on this topic later.
- Spreading Awareness - Luke Closs hopes his vantrash.ca website spreads awareness about garbage pickup. This is pretty funny, it sounds like I'm a huge waste transportation and disposal fanboy. To be clear, the significant part of vantrash to me is not the subject of the website, but the process behind how it was created. The open data meme driving it, and what open source software means to our governments. How can governments and citizens cooperate to build and maintain (software) services?
- Impossibility - Close friends will know that I would never claim something is impossible. Vantrash has served ~23,000 ical requests, but it's hard to know how many actual clients that represents, because calendar clients poll the server every once and a while. Well stand back, because I HAVE DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE. Actually I mis-spoke when I said it was hard to know - I just hadn't done it yet. Well a little bit of shell-fu (grep -i '.ics ' /var/log/nginx/vantrash-access.log | awk '{print $1 $7}' | sort | uniq | wc -l) tells us that we've served up Calendar feeds to ~540 zone/IP address pairs. This undercounts multiple hits per IP address (eg: multiple housemates or shared internet access). But it's an interesting metric we should probably start tracking.
Services like Vantrash are interesting because they may not be economically viable as a standalone business, but they require resources to run which costs money. VanTrash may be a good candidate for an idea called Public Open Source Services (POSS):
POSS is an extension of open source. You start with some software that provides a service (we'll just say web service ... so it can be a web app or a web API, whatever -- it runs "in the cloud"). The code is open source. Anybody can fix bugs or extend it. But there is also a single canonical instance of this source, running as a service in the cloud. Hence the final S ... but it's a public service. Made for public benefit. That's it. Not profit. Just "to be useful." Like most open source.
Maybe this is a model for us to consider. I like how POSS suggests to be very explicit and up-front about financial costs. Clear metrics about the cost and the lifetime of the project are great incentives for people to help support projects, but they also show how cheaply things can be done for. Kevin and I spent 40-80 hours building VanTrash, but once it's built it should (ideally) remain solid and not need many changes.
The alternative to this kind of model that we have mostly been considering is to conform to the more traditional way that government organizations pay for services - with some kind of development and support contract. But this just feels very heavyweight for the little services that will likely emerge from the open data & open government scenes. Maybe the POSS meme provides a model for services that sit below official government supported projects? It will be interesting to see POSS used by some projects and if they migrate between different models as their popularity changes.
Your thoughts?
Vantrash might be economically viable with advertising as the business model. Especially since it could be used by local businesses who care about people that live close to them.
contributed by on Jan 5 11:49pm
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