OCD About OCWi

Open Courseware, Open Learning, and other acronymically tempting word combinations are being slung around by some big players in the educational community. Namely, Harvard Medical School, MIT, UC Berkeley, Tufts, Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon and a few others. There are quite a number of smaller schools in the same boat. Utah State University is a good example of a not-so-famous school with an extensive commitment to the Open Courseware Initiative.

What is this all about? Well, it's about sharing and improving curriculum for teachers and schools. For the rest of us it's about free education. Unless I need credit and/or teacher interaction - I can get a number of years of advanced education, including medical, without spending a dime.

Eventually, I'll share links.

Goldenfleece

Dangerous, But Oh So Tempting

I often look around for cool new balance challenges. These often become purchases under the guise of Christmas gifts that the children are required to share. The sharing requirement is also thinly disguised as a "share amongst yourselves" statement when it really means "share with me...please".

A waveboard was the first one. we graduated to Xsliders after that. I keep looking at the Freeline Skates but...Xsliders seemed like a better alternative. I purchased unicycles the next year. To date, the unicycle is unconquered. Mi esposa wants jumping stilts. These are boots with big springs on them that let you jump insanely high. This item is where we begin crossing over from challenging to just pure danger.

Speaking of danger - let me introduce you to the Freebord. This particular instrument of death lets you slide around like a snowboard. The carving movement is sort of like a skateboard but more fluid. They don't have full bindings but do have a little slot that your feet slip under. If you go to the website at www.freebord.com you will find videos of kids, without any protective gear, flying down streets. One of the videos shows how easy it is to stop by showing a kid just about getting creamed by a car. That is truly sickening. I need to thank them for making me break the first sweat I've had, in an Intel cube, ever.

Now I know why snow sports cost so much. It's because there is a surcharge for what I like to call "potential give". I'm not saying that snow will always be soft to land on - like a fluffy cloud. But, I'm almost certain that any kind of snow - not talking about the obvious relative, ice - is softer than a bite of asphalt, concrete, or car.

Having said that, I can't deny that I really want to try it. On the other hand, I'd like to live.

Coolest Research Engine EVER!

As I was finding out about software available for plotting math functions, I found the Mathematica website. Mathematica is the software that tortured me at school. I loved AND hated it. It helped me do my homework and it frustrated my learning experience in so many ways.

I actually owned early versions of MathCAD and Derive. Derive was my favorite. It was simple, logical and helped me get my homework done correctly and quickly. I'm over it now. Mathematica is still around and more powerful and flexible than ever. I can get it for Mac OSX, Linux and Windows platforms. MathCAD, in all its glory, is stuck with Windows. Sadly, Derive has been absorbed into a calculator maker's firmware or has died.

But, coolest of all is a very simple online research tool that will plot mathematical functions as well as tell me wild facts about my birthday. Here's where the company behind Mathematica surprised me. Go ahead and give it a whirl.

www.wolframalpha.com

See their suggested search entries on the website and, above all, don't forget to put in a little test function like f(x)=x/(x^2-1). You won't be sorry.

Gymathtics

I'm looking for open source stuff in Java or Python that solves calculus problems and plots them. It would be cool to see something show the solution by reviewing what little memorized proof or method is required. Then, showing some examples of real world uses with examples would be cool.

While I agree that solving a problem is a pleasure in and of itself, I have say that I think mathematics would be so much more interesting if I could see real world uses and practices for it in everyday living. Practice in math is equal to practice in a foreign language.

The use and application of calculus could be as addictive as a good video game. Maybe that's it. Maybe a little calculus video game could set up situations for characters to use calculus to solve problems at different levels (with and without prompted help).

Kayak Shopping

After a recent kayaking trip I began shopping around to find the perfect kayak for local paddling. This isn't a new fascination for me. I've liked kayaks ever since my Scout Troop build little kayaks when I was a kid.

The kayaking event I remember most is when we took the kayaks to the city pool to learn how to use them. We even tried turning them over and then recovering to an upright position. That was not as easy as the guys on TV made it look. I think my lack of hunger for the remainder of the day could be related to the amount of pool water I drank that day.

In early August, my family went on a little kayaking trip in Dungeness Bay, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The day was beautiful. The water was smooth. We had a little coaching, made some adjustments in the kayaks and got going. At first they felt a little tippy. We were in tandem kayaks that were roto-molded plastic. They felt heavy out of the water but in the water they glided nicely.

The most important thing I learned about the journey was that the foot pegs, along with working the rudder, were important to position correctly so that my legs could snug into the sides and top of the boat. I knew this was important before I got in but I didn't know how to get it done. I made the mistake of thinking that my legs should be able to fully stretch out.

The problem with stretching out is that my huge gut isn't used to keeping me in a sitting position. So, while paddling with all my might, I was sinking down in the seat and my paddle stroke was ghastly. I soon learned that pulling my food pegs closer would help me use my upper body in my stroke. The improvement in my paddle stroke due to being able to push my butt back in the seat and get my knees into the sides of the kayak was a huge relief.

Uh, my left leg is going numb. I had no idea that sitting on a relatively comfortable kayak seat would have the ability to make my leg go numb all the way from my butt to my toes. That can't be good. I still don't know exactly how to solve this problem but I know that the seat and my position in it are important.

So, the trip went well. I got the best upper body workout of my life. The beauty and wildlife was awesome. I was distracted by the views so much that I didn't really think about my leg problem or my fatigue. The outcome of this trip is still to be determined but my kayak research has yielded a few choice bits.

First, plastic is heavy and difficult to repair. Second, fiberglass is lighter and, allegedly, easier to repair. However, composites come at a price. Perhaps the most expensive of these are carbon fiber and Kevlar. Yes, some kayaks are made with Kevlar. The price range from plastic to Kevlar in the touring kayaks is about $900 to about $5,000. That's enough to make one think carefully before purchasing. I'm clearly more of a $900 kind of guy.

Having made my financial position clear, I can't deny that there are a couple of kayaks that make my glasses steam up. Feathercraft Kayaks make an amazing kayak that folds into a large suit case or backpack. This brand looks like an aluminum frame with a waterproof fabric shell. It's amazing. But, it has an amazing price at $3,400. This is the $2,400 price of coolness, lightness and portability.

A few of contenders for my purposes are the Dagger Alchemy 14, Perception Carolina, Perception Tribute (for smaller folks like my wife). These are all traditional touring kayaks made out of plastic or fiberglass. The new trend in kayaks appears to be the Sit On Top kayak. Of these, the Malibu Kayak X-Factor and Stealth 14 are pretty appealing (also plastic). These are all available in about 14 foot lengths.

Most of these boats range between 48 and 60 lbs. I've chosen a shorter length that should provide a good balance of maneuverability and speed. Typically, longer/narrower boats are faster but less stable. The SOT kayaks are the widest of the bunch at 33 inches. More stability will be nice for their stated purpose as a fishing and diving platform. Big guys with long legs should like being out of the confines of a traditional kayak. And, just so you don't worry about the lack of kayak to body connection, the SOT kayaks often come with knee straps.

The last bit of this long post is about kayaks you can build. Pygmy Boats (http://www.pygmyboats.com/) make a bunch of boat kits that get great reviews. These boats are plywood that is stitched together, glassed, and epoxied. They look beautiful when finished right. They are probably the lightest of the affordable boats. The combination of fiberglass and wood means less fiberglass and epoxy than a pure fiberglass boat. The relative strength is comparable with Kevlar. The price is right around $1,000 for their Arctic Tern 14. This boat weighs 32 lbs. But, it will cost me in terms of hours of labor, space in the garage and then the inevitable ballerina-shoes period where I won't want anything to scratch or touch it.

So, there you go. Of course, there is much more to talk about regarding wetsuits, Personal Floatation Devices, paddles, and stuff. These are the odd bits that drive me crazy. I hate collecting tons of stuff. But, I love researching it all. Fortunately, most of these boats can be rented.

GF

Cash for Clunkers or When Socialism Makes Everything Better

700k in new car sales result from the cash for clunkers program. You'd think that car makers might get the idea that in order to sell more cars they should consider dropping prices and controlling costs. Hmmmm, nah, dumb idea. Let's just wait until we're drowning in debt and unprofitable. Then, we'll beg the government for help and they'll hand us taxpayer money since the tax payers won't do it on their own.

Ahhh, socialism. Where have you been all these years?

Running With Knives (a follow up)

I recently purchased a few of the mid-length folding knives from Opinel. I can't wait to see them. Funny thing is that I thought I'd get a more competitive price by hunting around online rather than going straight to Opinel. Wrong. After digging around, I found the US distribution channel by looking at the Export section of the Opinel website. They have the best prices available online.

Now, I'm in that anxious limbo between having spent the money and actually seeing the product. In the meantime I'm eyeing a few items from flexcut and, more specifically, some short-bladed knives that are particularly for chip carving. I'll share more when I find what I want.

I'll also snag a few thumb guards and basswood pieces (including eggs), to start playing with.

GF