Ling and Luke in Malaysia this weekend. As of Friday night, my big plan was to get up early, buy a single-speed crankset for my vintage Czechoslovakian bicycle and finish putting it together.

So on Saturday, I woke up at the crack of eleven thirty.  Then found that TR Bikes, which ’specializes’ in singlespeed bikes didn’t have the parts. All he could offer me was a 49cog Campagnolo crankset “that ought to fit” and which cost $190. Too expensive and wasn’t even new (had a big chain-tear in its armpit), and it seemed sort of goofy putting an expensive Italian crank on the bike. It’s not period and not authentic. For 190$ I can buy a lot of interesting bike parts off ebay instead.

So I bailed out and went to Koba electronics at Peoples Park Complex. I handed them a list of parts for a simple regenerative receiver. After all, my Czechoslovakian numbers bike isn’t much good for an agent if it doesn’t include shortwave receiver to listen to infamous numbers station OLX.

Twenty minutes later I had most of the parts and headed home.

I didn’t really know where to start, so I spent half an hour identifying the parts to familiarize myself. Then I wired in the audio LM386 audio amplifier and started building out each of the components from there. I stopped when I’d get to an external device, like a speaker jack or a pot. I am missing a critical device, an air-dielectric variable capacitor for tuning. I also haven’t found a case to build into yet (I want something in a nice vintage bakelite). So I’m a bit stuck right now. Once I get it all together, hopefully it just works.

Uploaded with plasq’s Skitch!

Uploaded with plasq’s Skitch!

Uploaded with plasq’s Skitch!

Does anyone have, or where can I get, a 150-350 pF air-dielectric variable capacitor?

Nelson and RogerWarez both complaining about having too much access to sourdough bread.  Ugh, if I could be so lucky.  And trust me, the sandwich bread in Singapore is far softer, far sweeter than even the most unctuous Safeway brand.

My bread skills remain  lame.  I’m still fussing with poolishes as starters.  I made one stab at a wild sourdough starter and brewed up a noxious bucket of swamp slime.

Assembly Begins

Originally uploaded by karavshin.

I spent a productive afternoon in my workshop putting together the vintage Czech bicycle that I blogged about many months ago. Since I last wrote, I had the frame and fork sandblasted and repainted, with a customized Favorit Logo and my bike’s title ‘VVV DE OLX OLX 206 206 206.”

I originally thought I’d toss out everything but the frame, replacing the components with new stuff. Then I thought, “why bother? it’s just a simple bike.” So the I ripped out the grease and dirt-encrused bottom bracket and spent an hour with a soapy brush, a can of lighter fluid, and a dremel tool wire wheel until I got the stuff all cleaned up and passable. None of the parts are in great condition, but certainly enough to give many many more kilometers of service before they need replaced.

The components are very typical 1980s-era Shimano. Nothing obscure. So I have all the tools necessary to work with it.

I do seem to have lost the cranks. I may have pitched them during a purge. At any rate, it doesn’t matter. I need to do some research on what transmission gearing to set up as a single-speed bike anyway.

The wheels are totally shot, but I have a new set for the bike.

I’m going to chop the handlebars into bullhorns and install a single, front caliper brake (the old-style Favorit calipers should work).

The seat is a hideous hard plastic thing, so I’ll have to replace that with some more period, or at least neater or more comfortable.

Realized today how much I hate those injection-form plastic cases for equipment and how worthless they really are. Thus the Dremel case and the Bosch case both went into the bin.

Good for nothing.

I’ve already spent a lot of time complaining about the horrible Hayes hydraulic disc brakes on my Trek Liquid bike. I replaced them with trouble-free Avid mechanicals.

Except today I noticed that the grip lever had snapped. WTF.

Looks like a job for JB Weld

Ling has been debating about renovating her childhood piano and bringing it to our house.  It’s specifically built for tropical atmosphere (high heat, high humidity, and bugs).  I think it’s degraded regardless and might need some repairs.

Anyway, it made me think about what would be a good instrument to provide for Luke.

My theory is that I should find an instrument which you can almost immediately start making in-key music with.  Having to lay down a heavy base of memorizing scales and finger patterns in order to play in-key and make tonal music is too daunting.  (At least it was for me)  Why can’t the instrument, as a default, play in some sort of key?  I think it would be much more compelling to learn an instrument if you can actually quickly create some nice sounds from it, rather than having this huge investment before you stop sounding like shit. If the music bug bites, then you can invest the effort in the hard work of proper musicianship.

Problem is, I have no idea what instrument fits that bill.  (Mom will probably suggest an auto-zither; Megan will suggest the Pan-flute)  Guitars are too hard for a tiny little man’s hands.  I was thinking maybe it would be some sort of simplified keyboard.  But I have not got any clever ideas. When I look online, all I see is people trying to shoe-horn little kids into playing violin from young. Zzzzz.

Any ideas?

(As I sit here typing, I’m listening to Modern Jazz Quartet — it’s suprising how cool a Xylophone can sound)

Found two CDs of landsat imagery I bought from eBay last year. One is for Jefferson county. The other, for Clarion county. Took a look at Corsica last night. The image is quite a bit better than the horrible low-res imagery on Google Earth for Corsica. Am guessing the image is relatively modern — it looks like the Little House has a very reflective roof. I’m guessing it’s some sort of metal roof, which I vaguely recall that the new owners had installed a tin roof on it. Probably other clues of data in the picture. This is about as useful as the zoom gets. Beyond that it’s too pixelated.

Corsica, Pennsylvania

Friends with a dog he met

Originally uploaded by karavshin.

Waiting for an elevator at Tokyu Hands Shibuya on Sunday. The lift lobby was next to the mens’ grooming department. I saw this guide to mens’ facial hairstyles. I don’t even know where to begin.

Look at those magnificent styles

Last day in Tokyo. Laying in bed this morning and hear commotion in the hall. Sounds like a room service cart is careening through the hallway. Then I realize I’m vaguely giddy. Then I hear my bathroom door slamming back-and-forth. Then I realize, “oooh, an earthquake.”

I hung around the room for a while. I was on the 49th floor of the Ritz Carlton — a thoroughly modern building, so it is well-built against these things. After a while though, I thought, “screw this; just walk outside and get a coffee anyway.”

I packed up my newspaper and sunglasses and went out to the lift. An American women joined me. She had the look of serious grippedness. As the lift goes down I small-talker her, “were you shaken awake too?” “Yes,” she said, “what’s going on?” “It’s an earthquake,” I answered, and at this point the filial son in me broke out, and I started laughing hysterically. What the hell did she think it was? I don’t think my eye-watering laughter made her feel especially comforted, but I couldn’t help myself. She says, “why are you laughing?” All I could say was, “nothing to be done about it–go downstairs and have a coffee.”

This is my second noticeable earthquake in Tokyo. Each time I am surprised by how it lasts much longer than I’d expect, and it’s much more of a vague swaying/falling feeling than any kind of industrial shaking or vibration.

UPDATE:  Here’s a brief and bad capture I took with my camera.  For a moment when i pan to the window, you can sort of make out the swaying.   I have no idea what the terrible noise on the audio is.

Strong earthquake hits Japan

6 minutes ago

TOKYO (AFP) — A powerful earthquake measuring 7.0 on the Richter scale struck northern Japan Saturday, the meteorological agency said.

The earthquake hit in Iwate prefecture, some 500 kilometres (300 miles) north of Tokyo, and rattled buildings in the capital.

Television footage showed buildings also shaking in northern cities of Japan. Bullet trains were automatically shut down as a precaution.

The quake had a depth of 10 kilometres (six miles), the agency said.

There was no immediate word on potential damage or casualties, and the agency did not issue a tsunami warning.

A new earthquake warning system kicked in for the quake, with public broadcaster NHK flashing an alert moments before it struck.

Japan endures some 20 percent of the world’s powerful earthquakes. It has built an infrastructure intended to withstand tremors.

Ron Carter

Originally uploaded by fstop45.

…assuming no mass-murderers or suicide bombers attack the Tokyo Blue Note, I’ll be enjoying a night of Ron Carter, master bassist.

The Truck

Originally uploaded by karavshin.
This afternoon went to Akihabara ‘Electric Town’ in Tokyo, looking for an amateur radio store I’d been to years ago (Rocket Radio — defunct as far as I can tell).

Anyway, there had been some sort of traffic accident, but the police cordon was massive, there were dozens of investigators and detectives, and there was apparently evidence all over the street.

Had no idea what had happened till I checked Google News and found out that a lunatic had gone on a killing rampage an hour before I arrived. (I had spent the morning buying art supplies at Tokyo Hands and Seikaido). He rented a truck (shown here), drove it down a street, plowing into people, before coming to stop, jumping out, and stabbing a lot of other people before being subdued!

Happy Birthday, You’re Three

Originally uploaded by karavshin.

And more photos…