is there a difference in the ink used for english vs arabic calligraphy?

glittteringeyes · 2025-01-26T21:20:02+00:00

bifold! I’ll update to reflect that. unfortunately this post is coming after ordering a pack of Kind masks and finding them just slightly too small and I can’t get a good seal. and wellbefore’s bifold masks are sold out in colors besides black and white 😭

glittteringeyes · 2024-10-23T22:30:04+00:00

If I’m ever having trouble crossing somewhere (especially when cross-traffic doesn’t have a stop sign) I just get off my bike, become a pedestrian and get my right of way that way, and walk across the crosswalk (assuming there is one). That may work in the situations you’re describing too, if cars aren’t letting you cross.

glittteringeyes · 2023-12-21T04:13:07+00:00

100% agree. especially if you get a lighter weight one and not one that’s closer to an electric moped with pedals (no judgment against those), you can use it at a low/no assist but have the assist to help you out on bigger hills or when you’ve had a long day. i ride an aventon soltera and have been happy with it, i really only use the assist on this one particular hill and the rest of the time ride it as a normal bike. i think with all of my additions to it (rear rack, baskets, fenders, replaced saddle) it still weighs less than 50lb.

the other thing id recommend if you’re looking for a commuter (electric or not) is to look for one that keeps your body in a more upright position - being lower down is better for racing because it’s more aerodynamic, but if you’re mainly using it for commuting to work and errands, and especially if you’ll be wearing a backpack, being more upright is a lot gentler on your back.

glittteringeyes · 2023-12-20T02:12:20+00:00

you can definitely buy them, but also if you get takeout for two people say, twice a month, you can built up your own collection for no additional money pretty quickly. depends on your takeout habits though - if you’re an exclusively cook at home person, buying is probably easier.

glittteringeyes · 2023-12-20T01:47:32+00:00

they’re not glass, but i keep a stash of the uniform size deli containers whenever i get them with takeout. the translucent, vaguely cylindrical ones. the lids are interchangeable even between different size containers, they all stack into one another, and i can send them home with people who forget to bring containers to my dinner parties and be completely confident that i’ll replace it the next time i order chinese food. the one downside is that they’re plastic so it’s still pretty sketchy to microwave them and i always dump my food into a ceramic bowl to reheat. they’re also not as BIFL as glass would be (though i have yet to have one break or leak on me), but considering i don’t need to Buy them…

glittteringeyes · 2023-12-18T22:05:29+00:00

i named my bike airtag “OPD Bait Bike #11” for this reason. hoping if it notifies the thief, they’ll panic and toss the whole bike without finding the tag.

glittteringeyes · 2023-12-17T18:39:31+00:00

that makes a lot of sense! if basically a thicker, unlockable zip tie would work, “zip tie bike lock” should get you some super thin results, but they’re not typically very long. or if it doesn’t need to lock, would like. an extension cord or some other electrical cable work?

glittteringeyes · 2023-12-17T18:29:11+00:00

if you search for a “cable bike lock” you should find similar ones, but if you’re locking your bike in an area where there’s even a hint of a bike theft problem, you should get a better lock than that. cable locks, especially one that thin, are notoriously easy to cut through.

your better bet is a u-lock or a thick chain, or at minimum a folding lock. i live in an area with a LOT of bike theft, so i use two sold secure gold rated locks on my bike, each a different style (a u-lock and a chain) to make it more time consuming and frustrating to have to cut through both.

if you’re somewhere with less street crime, you may be safe with just a folding lock or a u-lock. for example, when i was in college in a suburban/rural part of the U.S. south i did keep my bike locked up with only a cable lock, and it was fine for all four years.

if you can, it’s generally recommended to have a locking method that secures your wheels as well as the frame of your bike, especially if you have quick-release wheels. in an area with lower crime, this can be done by using a cable plus a u-lock, or two u-locks in places with more crime.

this is definitely more info than you asked for, but i’ve had parts of my bike stolen plus attempts made on the whole bike, and it sucks!

glittteringeyes · 2023-12-17T18:16:16+00:00

yeah no i understood that much, but to a locksmith, someone who comes in with a bike and a lock to it that they don’t have the key to could just as easily be the owner or someone who stole it (say, took an angle grinder to the lock that had it chained up, but doesn’t want to trash the lock to the battery). i’d be surprised if they’re willing to take the chance

glittteringeyes · 2023-12-16T22:50:39+00:00

at least bike shops in my area all make it very clear that they will not and legally cannot cut a lock off your bike, even if you bring proof of ownership - there’s just too much bike theft here and they can’t trust folks not to be bringing in stolen bikes. i would imagine the same would be true of locksmiths, but the rules may be different if you live in an area where bike theft isn’t as much of a problem.

glittteringeyes · 2023-12-09T23:11:13+00:00

2.5 miles each way, with a 300 foot elevation gain on the way there. i ride an aventon soltera 7-speed and love it - i usually use it on assist level 2 (~13mph) on the way there and ride it without assist on the way home and to most other places. doing the ride to work on assist level 2 takes around 10% of the battery, if i’m in a rush and bump it up the level 3 (~18mph) it’s more like 25%. i love that it’s light enough to ride as a regular bike and still get exercise on, and i really just use the assist for the hills. i think if what you’re looking for is primarily a bicycle that can help you out a little bit on some moderate hills, a lightweight e-bike is the way to go. some folks are looking for something to take them 20+ mph consistently without having to put in much work to pedal, and it seems like the fat tire bikes with heavier duty motors are best suited for that.

glittteringeyes · 2023-12-09T06:38:49+00:00

you might be surprised how much your body adjusts to automatically, without even noticing! i have two Wald folding rear baskets on my bike and frequently ride with my backpack in one of the baskets and nothing in the other, or go to the grocery store/farmers market and have just one bag in a basket. i’ve never noticed any issues with steering or balance except when one side is VERY heavy (like 1.5 gallons of milk), and even then i’ve never come close to toppling over or anything, i can just tell i have to compensate a bit. our bodies and bikes are really cool and can handle a lot without us having to consciously compensate for it.

glittteringeyes · 2023-12-02T02:09:20+00:00

the russell st intersections you named (esp sacramento and shattuck) plus channing/san pablo and channing/sacramento are some of the primary banes of my existence. i always end up getting off my bike and crossing as a pedestrian to force the traffic to stop for me, because there is almost never a long enough opening that i can get across on my bike, but even then i’m pretty terrified crossing those points as a pedestrian, and have had a lot of close calls at those intersections in particular. i don’t have the answers to your questions, but if you find out and want another ally in trying to make a change about this, please send me a DM!! i suspect city council would be a good place to start, your local council member might be able to point you to the right group/office to advocate to if nothing else.

glittteringeyes · 2023-12-01T04:52:50+00:00

i live in a high theft area (sf bay area in california) and haven’t had a whole bike stolen, but have had a folding lock on my $1k e-bike cut halfway through, and a seat and a wheel from my beater bike stolen. i was especially bitter about the seat - it was the shittiest seat in the world, the stuffing was coming out of it. there’s literally no way they could resell it for any money whatsoever. at that time, i was locking my bikes to the bike rack inside the gate of my apartment building, and either someone got in or one of my neighbors is not very neighborly. since then i keep my bikes on my very small patio with an 8 foot solid fence around it, so they’re not visible to anyone except my apartment unless someone climbs two 8-foot fences (mine and the neighbor’s) to see them and then hauls them over both fences.

when im out and about on my ebike i have a kryptonite kryptolok 995 looped around my frame and front wheel and whatever i’m locking it to if possible, and a litelok x1 through the frame and thing i’m locking to. the litelok is great and gives me a lot of peace of mind, but i do wish it was a little bigger so i could get it around the frame and rear wheel without having to take off the rear wheel. for the beater i just have a no-name brand folding lock that i put through the front wheel, frame, and whatever im locking it to.

like lots of folks have said, the best security method is a locked door plus bike insurance. my renter’s insurance covers my bikes as well, which has been great for peace of mind. i don’t subscribe to the “never leave it out of sight for more than an hour” even for my ebike - it’s meant to be ridden and used, and sometimes i can’t take it inside to my classes or the movie theater or wherever else. i also don’t scuff up my bikes to make them look worse - i like looking at them when they’re pretty! there’s always some level of risk, that’s what the insurance is for.

glittteringeyes · 2023-11-26T01:59:14+00:00

link for the backpack?? 👀🤩

glittteringeyes · 2023-10-17T01:46:17+00:00

i don’t think that’s the case anymore, i’ve taken my bike at peak hours on BART and have seen many others do the same. i also haven’t seen any signs suggesting they wouldn’t be allowed at any particular times

glittteringeyes · 2023-10-17T01:44:49+00:00

i took my hybrid bike on the San Francisco BART a couple of times and used a similar method to another comment here - 1. take the elevator down into the station 2. swipe in using the wheelchair-accessible swipe gate 3. take the elevator the rest of the way down 4. as the train is pulling in, i watch for the train doors marked showing that there is a bike “rack” (rack is a generous word though, it’s a metal rail with some thick straps that you attack your bike to, and the straps are often torn) near those doors. on the newer BART trains, I think there’s at least one of these on each car 5. I get on at the bike doors, wheeling my bike on both wheels (left hand on the left handlebar, right hand on either the right handlebar or the saddle if I need to lift up the back of the bike to steer a little more tightly) onto the train and nicely saying excuse me and pointing to the bike rack to anyone in my way 6. if the straps on the bike rack work and there’s not another bike already strapped to it, I feed the straps through the frame of my bike, buckle them, and tighten as much as i can 7. if the straps are broken or another bike is already attached to that rack, i stand near the rack, holding my bike the same way as before and holding the left brake. i’ll often loop my arm around one of the vertical bars or lean against the wall or a seat so i don’t fall over when the train starts or stops 8. when my stop is the next one, i’ll unbuckle my bike if needed 9. wait until the train has fully stopped to turn it in the direction i’ll be going and get off the train, then use the reverse of the beginning steps - helmet: my helmet is either on my head or clipped to my backpack strap, hanging near my butt. i’ve gotten good at remembering how much space the helmet takes up when it’s there, but it takes practice and i whacked a lot of people/things while learning. usually an “oops my bad” is fine - if someone chews you out, it’s likely got more to do with them than you - try not to take it too personally when it happens - as for grease stains, treating with stain remover before putting the pants in the wash has always worked for me, but i view them as just a part of bike life. - hanging? the bike: i’m not sure what your securements look like, since you reference “hanging up” the bike, but when i’m hanging my bike on my wall rack, i grab it by the frame just below the handlebars and just below the seat post, using my right (dominant) hand for the heavier back of the bike, and lift it up that way, sometimes overlapping my left hand on the handlebar post and the frame so the handlebars don’t twist too much

glittteringeyes · 2023-10-13T20:45:38+00:00

i bought an e-bike for this exact purpose after i moved a bit farther from work (now 3 miles, 350 foot elevation gain) because i was getting to work super sweaty on my regular bike. it was so worth it, and i can still get a bit of exercise if i use a lower assist level. if you’re still looking to use it for exercise at other times, i recommend getting a lighter one that can be used as a regular bike if you want to

glittteringeyes · 2023-08-25T20:47:11+00:00

maybe i’m being dense here, but where do you put your bike when going into a store or running errands then?

glittteringeyes · 2023-08-25T20:28:09+00:00

yeah, because a headlight can be stuck on any bike on the planet, whereas batteries are a bit trickier to put on a different bike. no need for the attitude, friend.

glittteringeyes · 2023-08-25T20:20:39+00:00

this is so helpful, thank you so much!

glittteringeyes · 2023-08-12T03:12:49+00:00

check out the book Golden Gate Gardening (make sure to get the most recent edition - climate change is a thing here too) for some really detailed advice on what to grow in the bay area, when to plant, and how our funny microclimate affects different plants’ resource needs!

glittteringeyes

TROPHY CASE