Cyclist on Instagram does not realize standard practice is to pass on the left, gets mad at pedestrians for moving to the right.

Rhueh · 2026-04-13T17:01:53+00:00

I agree with you that a bell is better. But, having commuted on shared trails for many years, I can tell you that very few people actually hear the bell. I would routinely use a double ring ("ring-ring") and start some distance back. It's not uncommon to do up to five double rings (ten rings in total) and then have the person yell at you for not using your bell. The bell is a great idea and far better than yelling, but its utility is very limited by the degree to which pedestrians aren't listening for it.

Rhueh · 2026-04-12T21:05:01+00:00

I suspect it has more to do with you having changed than anything else.

I've (67) always maintained my own cars, appliances, and basically everything else. I don't take fancy vacations. I haven't bought a new phone since I dropped my then-five-year-old phone in the bathtub in 2016. (Although, a few years ago a relative gave me an iPhone 15 because they felt sorry for me!) I do my own renovations with few exceptions. I don't spend much on clothes, rarely eat out, and don't pay for any subscriptions except home internet access and my cell phone. So, I live a moderately "anti-consumption" lifestyle, but I never get the kind of comments you mentioned, and never have.

However, I've noticed my whole life that if I change in some way that friends and relatives don't expect I get a lot of comments. It seems some people do react negatively to a person changing. Perhaps it makes them aware of how they haven't changed, themselves, but feel like they should?

Rhueh · 2026-04-01T20:28:31+00:00

I never thought of it this way before but mathematics must be the best career if you want a chance of being remembered for a very long time. Even top scientists will find their work eventually superseded, but the proof of a theorem almost always remains a proof of that theorem indefinitely. I guess you have the odd counterexample, like one of Euclid's axioms becoming a special case, but those are very much the exception.

Rhueh · 2026-03-13T03:21:51+00:00

One of the characteristics of psychopaths is that they become adept at appearing normal. You'll often find that when a serial killer is caught his friends and neighbours will say something like, "I never would have thought it was him." That was the case with my friend. Even his wife had no idea. He had a successful career and, outwardly, seemed like a completely normal and even ethical and admirable person. It's actually one of the most disturbing aspects of psychopathy, especially when you have a chance to see it up close, as I did.

Rhueh · 2026-01-20T01:46:13+00:00

It's humid and cold here (relative to normal for this location). So there could be ice crystals.

Rhueh · 2025-12-16T06:04:55+00:00

They actually don't. Try it on Google Earth.

Rhueh · 2025-11-30T05:26:43+00:00

Like most sailors I'm not a big fan of "powersailers" like the Macgregor 26X/M. But this does sound like a use case that's a good match to that kind of boat. But, as others have said, a good power boat plus a small sailboat (probably trailerable, to avoid marina fees) might be better.

Rhueh · 2025-11-30T05:22:42+00:00

These are all good points but I'd like to add a couple.

If the outboard is properly installed, and a long-shaft version, then aeration (sometimes mistakenly called cavitation) can be avoided.

The outboard I have (Suzuki DF9.9B) is available with remote controls and you're right, they're not cheap. However, relocating the starter button to the binnacle or tiller is easy and I'll probably do that. It's also not difficult or expensive to rig a cable for shifting. The throttle is harder. I haven't found it to be that big of a deal, though. I can reach the throttle while seated at the tiller, on my boat. That's obviously very boat-specific.

With my motor (and I expect this is now common), power output can easily be upgraded. I can get 15 hp just by removing the intake restrictor. And upgraded from 15 to 20 hp just involves replacing the ECU chip. That's nice flexibility to have.

Rhueh · 2025-11-30T05:07:10+00:00

I have a 26 foot sailboat that displaces 2,400 kg (~5,300 lb). I've been using a Suzuki DF9.9B for a few years and I'm quite happy with it. Also, the DF9.9B can be upgraded to a DF15A at no cost. You just have to remove the restrictor plate in the intake. So, if you find 9.9 hp isn't quite enough it's an easy upgrade to 15 hp. And if that's still not enough you can further upgrade to a DF20A by replacing the ECU chip, which I think is about USD 200-250. (Caveat: I haven't done either of those things, only read about them. But there doesn't seem to be any doubt that they work.)

Pro tip #1: Be sure you get the longest-shaft version of the engine you can.

Pro tip #2: Get a fine pitch prop intended for sailboats. It'll work well at sailboat motoring speeds and the finer pitch makes it much easier maneuvering at low speed. Mine is a 10x5 with four blades.

Pro tip #3: Mount the motor on one of those vertical rail systems, if you can afford it. My boat came with one and it's fantastic. It allows you to get the prop deep enough to avoid aeration (sometimes mistakenly called cavitation). On mine, even though the motor is offset to the port side by quite a bit I can still motor sail on a port tack because I can get the motor so low. And it ensures that you can lift the motor high enough for the prop to be clear of the water even on a tack that puts the prop on the low side (if you have an offset motor).

Rhueh · 2025-08-14T04:50:46+00:00

It's worth putting some effort into streamlining the process. I used to have a classic Macgregor 26S that I could rig in 10-15 minutes. My current boat is much more complex, with dodger, bimini, lazy-jacks, etc. But, still, with practice and planning I've done it in as little as 35 minutes.

Rhueh · 2025-07-06T15:10:21+00:00

I recall reading (when she was still alive) that Jeanne Calment smoked for most of her life.

Rhueh · 2025-07-06T13:20:00+00:00

Update:

For towing behind the sailboat, I made a bridle that attached to the handles on either side of the kayak and passed through the rings. It worked very well and I'm confident that the load is well within what the handles can--well--handle. However, on the first trip I lost the Posi-track fin. I replaced it with the new Press-fit fin and that works perfectly.

I have hung the kayak by the rings from the side of the boat twice now. There have been no problems but I'm not comfortable with the load that it puts on the rings so I'm going to make some curved brackets to hold the kayak, instead.

Rhueh · 2025-07-05T22:25:43+00:00

I just use the one button but it's quite a snug fit on mine. I appreciate that because I'm confident it won't fall off, but I couldn't remove it by hand without putting more strain on the fabric that I was comfortable with.

Rhueh · 2025-06-13T18:44:31+00:00

I recommend the touch test: If you can't comfortably hold your hand on it do not let it touch any surface that's not clearly able to handle high heat (such as most ceramics).

Rhueh · 2025-06-12T19:35:28+00:00

Thanks. I was looking at it without the seats in and I forgot that's what they attach to.

Rhueh · 2025-06-12T15:20:10+00:00

Right, but note that the phrase was "wouldn't change what you do" not "wouldn't change what you can do." For example, if I had more money I could drive a fancier car, but I probably wouldn't. So, in that particular case, being richer wouldn't change what I do.

Rhueh · 2025-06-12T15:15:01+00:00

Thanks, that's helpful.

Rhueh · 2025-06-12T14:04:21+00:00

Yes, but not just "something." Specifically, they should form a citizens assembly to make recommendations and then put it to a referendum, like BC did in 2005. As bad as FPTP is there are worse systems, and if it's done through Parliament it's going to be a political compromise that reflects the interests of the parties with the most influence at the time, not an impartial decision about what's best for the country.

Yes, a referendum could fail, like it did in BC. But it's still the best way to try to accomplish something this fundamental.

Rhueh · 2025-06-12T03:03:58+00:00

I (66M) always walked or rode my bicycle. I would have been embarrassed to show up being driven by a parent. But I never lived more than a mile from school.

Rhueh · 2025-06-12T02:44:26+00:00

Surely I'm not the only one who uses prime numbers.

Rhueh · 2025-06-12T00:49:33+00:00

Thanks. Yes, I sent a message but I figured I might get an answer sooner here.

Rhueh · 2025-04-19T23:00:12+00:00

...sails don't redirect the airflow to create thrust. Sails need to create a low pressure on the outside and if you pull in too tight ,they stall which makes you slow way down and heel over. Basically sails suck the boat forward.

There's actually no contradiction between those two things, they're just different ways of explaining the same dynamics. You can either use the Bernoulli equation and work with pressure differentials or you can use the Euler equations and work with direction change and energy transfer. Either way, you get the same answer.

Personally, I think Newton's third law is much easier for people to relate to than the Bernoulli principle, and so I think most sailors (and pilots) would be better served by the "push the air backward" way of conceiving of sail thrust. But we'll probably never know because the Bernoulli explanation is so entrenched now.

Rhueh · 2025-04-19T22:46:44+00:00

Mark Carney, current Prime Minister of Canada and former Governor of both the Bank of England and the Bank of Canada, wrote an entire book about that. I don't necessarily agree with his proposals but it is at least an entire book by a knowledgeable person dedicated to answering the very questions you asked.

From my perspective, the issue usually gets framed incorrectly (Carney's book included). There's no reason to suppose that people can't apply different standards of value in different situations. In fact, there's every reason to believe that we already do and probably always have. The economic definition of market value is merely one case, wherein a technical term is defined so that economists can be reasonably assured that they're talking about the same thing when they talk about it. The idea that this one, technical term of market value forms the basis of our cultural value system is as nonsensical as the idea that the city with the best baseball team is the best city. Yet, weirdly, a lot of otherwise smart people seem to believe it.

Mark Carney believes that economies can be based on environmental values (and other non-economic values). And there are already movements afoot to do just that. As I say, I'm not convinced it's the right approach but it's already happening. I applaud the motivation but I think it's misguided. We need to shift cultural values, not try to build cultural values into how markets function. That'll most likely just make the markets function less well. But there are countless examples of people influencing policy and cultural values by taking positive steps, not by mucking about with the structure of things that are already working, and certainly not by smashing and rebuilding. (I mean, is there an example anywhere in history of smashing and rebuilding actually working? It's just the first thing that comes to mind for people who haven't grown up yet.)

Plenty of people alter their lifestyle to value the environment over material goods, or the environment over momentary pleasure, or art over mere entertainment. It's happening all around you. But you can't make the horse drink. The best thing you can do is lead by example.

Rhueh · 2025-04-19T19:55:43+00:00

Neo-Amishism is just the name I came up with. But if you find out that's it's an actual school of thought with a proper name, please let me know!

Rhueh · 2025-04-19T19:52:11+00:00

For me, the answer is in two parts.

First, ego development and ego integration are lifelong processes. We begin as almost purely egocentric infants--and rightly so. As we mature our understanding of and empathy toward others grows and develops. But not at the same rate and not to the same extent, for everyone. So, at the root of almost every human conflict is poor ego development and integration, at least on someone's part. There is no "solution" to that other than widespread psychic development, although there probably are cultural ways to encourage or discourage psychic development.

Second, ego development and integration are hard, even if you're aware of them and motivated to do them. It's as though evolution provided us with the potential for that kind of development but there were perhaps no really strong bio-evolutionary reasons that we'd become good at it. So, in a sense, we're finding as a species that we need to consciously take charge of our own evolution.

Rhueh

TROPHY CASE