tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74209546074490565612024-03-05T08:26:12.401-07:00rorowe - Robert RoweThis blog's content has always ebbed and flowed with my hobbies, careers, and life. As of 2019, I'll revisit this blog as a space for my music and song-writing.
All archived posts will remain!
rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-44681276289524899042013-04-21T11:00:00.000-06:002013-04-21T11:00:00.036-06:00Disaster Relief Trials: BoulderQuick update, as this little passion of mine seems to be taking off, thanks to the help of Portland's <a href="http://transportland.org/">Transportland</a> and their Disaster Relief Trials.<br />
In June, there will be a Cargo Bike event, sponsored by Community Cycles as part of <a href="http://communitycycles.org/bike-month.html">Boulder's Walk & Bike Month</a>.<br />
However, the Disaster Relief Trials will be a separate, much more challenging event, most likely late Summer/early Fall. The idea, is that this will be a <i>series</i> so DRT events in multiple cities will be similar in the rules, challenges, distances, etc. Since last year's inaugural event was held in Portland during Pedalpalooza, a lot of the thoughts are being shared from their planning. Here are some of the details that will most likely be a part of DRTs in at least 4 cities this year, and hopefully many more to come:<br />
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<ul>
<li><b>Obstacle - </b>one meter barrier (Which a rider would have to lift their bike/trailer/cargo over.)</li>
<li><b>Obstacle</b> - 6+" water crossing (Which a rider would have to ride through with cargo.)</li>
<li><b>Obstacle</b> - 400 meter+ section of rough terrain (read: mountain-bikey)</li>
<li><b>Cargo</b> -100lb accumulated payload (including something fragile to simulate medicine, and something oversized like a pallet, rescue sled, etc)</li>
<li><b>Length</b> - 3+ hour duration for the fastest competitors (Portland's was about a 30 mile route)</li>
<li><b>Communication</b> - any level of checkpoint monitoring and event info dispatching by local ham radio operators</li>
<li><b>Communication</b> - event-proof, annotated checkpoint map, given to competitors</li>
<li><b>Rules</b> - Le Mans style start (running start to parked bikes), ALL traffic rules, no predefined route. </li>
</ul>
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I'll be using this blog as Boulder's DRT site for now, though we may move to a Google+ page in the near future. That way, I can share info on the other cities participating, and document our planning processes for future events. </div>
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<i>p.s. If you're in Boulder, and want to volunteer, donate, participate, or learn more, leave a comment, or contact me through Gmail or Google+ (DRTBldr or rorowe).</i></div>
rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-53861378453450013592013-04-07T21:54:00.001-06:002013-04-07T21:54:28.939-06:00The Shakedown RidesEveryone's done it: You buy a new bike, install a new component, make a repair, even explore a new route. This is the <i>shakedown ride</i>, and this weekend consisted of a few of 'em for me.<br />
Since I'm participating in #30daysofbiking, along with a #BikeCommuterCabal challenge of 30 days of consecutive riding (These should coincide, for me anyway.), finding ways to get on the bike when I don't otherwise <i>need</i> to, or have time to, gets tricky.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdycZLkXC-q69cjWcxIFyX2erOmJsUULI86s79TvsKM8F6oYb9BomDZoAjm3kqeKKtLRgo0X5YSSzTo3DXsKHOhPGoHym-B4nsYJpAvpIHnvJmQIek8tvk-wP_9DA1VPRIFj86jPdb-E4/s1600/2013-04-07+18.42.51-lr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdycZLkXC-q69cjWcxIFyX2erOmJsUULI86s79TvsKM8F6oYb9BomDZoAjm3kqeKKtLRgo0X5YSSzTo3DXsKHOhPGoHym-B4nsYJpAvpIHnvJmQIek8tvk-wP_9DA1VPRIFj86jPdb-E4/s320/2013-04-07+18.42.51-lr.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://app.strava.com/activities/47757347">The first:</a> McElligot, my "mountain bike". I haven't ridden him in awhile, because he needs some attention to the cables and housing. The dilemma is that I want to convert him to a single-speed for simplicity, so replacing cables and housing isn't really necessary...except that I haven't done the conversion yet. So, I removed the front derailleur (which had the worst of the cables), and made it a middle-ring and 8 speed in the back. Works great for that setup, but I still want to get it single-speed <i>lookin'</i> instead of just a broken mountain bike.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2E4AEauuEsycv-Rm9ap9SyLAENXP_F5omCKc8VroSnD978WtKK3FoEjHAJQ4A0bdzDZpvqTWL9KQ_E3qdEmMoVpMNQTpOIMKTD12tkAy716X4n0oEVbkltM9qmm9NiByfFP-tyNjxGaA/s1600/2013-04-07+18.43.06-lr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2E4AEauuEsycv-Rm9ap9SyLAENXP_F5omCKc8VroSnD978WtKK3FoEjHAJQ4A0bdzDZpvqTWL9KQ_E3qdEmMoVpMNQTpOIMKTD12tkAy716X4n0oEVbkltM9qmm9NiByfFP-tyNjxGaA/s320/2013-04-07+18.43.06-lr.jpg" width="320" /></a>The second: Wasn't actually a ride, because I realized right away that the situation wasn't terribly smart to even attempt. I've been wanting to test the bike tray on my trailer since the day I bought it, but was worried that the rear tray wasn't supported enough. Turns out, I'm right. Thankfully, I have a few fabricator/welder/engineer types who I can bother to come up with a solution...<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUW9YUyRxsT3cpvjujSg1k0UBb9ha3EypNHdSstfIjUPxIKfCTaIi-BT8voFnzvCNTOUB-AT7-qgEwDf2aLUBJJIC1bQFj9isEwTH71BNiUgCJ-SAzGEvG1uYMlNCz74kd0wZKIxknyM/s1600/2013-04-07+15.08.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUW9YUyRxsT3cpvjujSg1k0UBb9ha3EypNHdSstfIjUPxIKfCTaIi-BT8voFnzvCNTOUB-AT7-qgEwDf2aLUBJJIC1bQFj9isEwTH71BNiUgCJ-SAzGEvG1uYMlNCz74kd0wZKIxknyM/s320/2013-04-07+15.08.37.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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Thankfully, I got some proper riding time with my partner while we were looking for water. Sometimes it's the <a href="http://app.strava.com/activities/47757347">5 milers</a> with your beautiful partner, that make bicycling that much better.<br />
<br />rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0Boulder, CO, USA40.0149856 -105.2705455999999939.820449100000005 -105.59326909999999 40.2095221 -104.9478221tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-29863330424433687832013-04-01T11:00:00.000-06:002013-04-01T11:00:00.247-06:00It's the little trips...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_13FUEUok3v97P6WzE_zrhaFOTIjL16VLHDwec-6jw_GrVghFq9TacPT9jf5onINDyRk61AEEetp9c3Nv3jHRbeJJPubI6hQ_8dVLnNtNM-Tmq6aVEaOY9VLT7aLyE7FGTRxMUdbCXQ/s1600/IMG_0446-lr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_13FUEUok3v97P6WzE_zrhaFOTIjL16VLHDwec-6jw_GrVghFq9TacPT9jf5onINDyRk61AEEetp9c3Nv3jHRbeJJPubI6hQ_8dVLnNtNM-Tmq6aVEaOY9VLT7aLyE7FGTRxMUdbCXQ/s320/IMG_0446-lr.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
After a little prodding, Cecily and I decided to try grocery shopping by bike, <i>together</i>. We didn't need much, and it was beautiful out, so off we went.<br />
It's always tricky in the beginning, because my partner's bike, the orange e-bike, is much too heavy for her to get down the two flights of stairs on her own. Then, I need to unlock my trailer which lives on the other side of our building, and bring my bike down, and hook everything up, before we can even ride. Apartment living has it's disadvantages, for sure.<br />
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The other interesting part of this little adventure, is that the ride to our grocery store is only about a mile. Usually, it would be simpler to walk, and driving is never convenient unless we already have the car out for something else.<br />
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So, a few things to think about:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUUqTE0diG1raqPqZPf02FUtrO8gT9hKjBoMJp-AGelvUlw89YJCVkMmmfnMX4AEgiePzxrIjZeUmrjnW1uvnbMMR98maoNGpXQ98n6QqHC3Mwo_XkIydzSiL3PPtfCDHXokNfVAzKYk/s1600/IMG_0447-lr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUUqTE0diG1raqPqZPf02FUtrO8gT9hKjBoMJp-AGelvUlw89YJCVkMmmfnMX4AEgiePzxrIjZeUmrjnW1uvnbMMR98maoNGpXQ98n6QqHC3Mwo_XkIydzSiL3PPtfCDHXokNfVAzKYk/s320/IMG_0447-lr.jpg" width="240" /></a>1. What can I/We do to continue encouraging people (Not just women) who are nervous about cycling to feel safer and more confident?<br />
2. Why is it so hard to find ground-level, <b>secure</b>, bike parking? (Cecily always finds it hilarious to park her e-bike next to the car. The idea makes more sense than she realizes...)<br />
3. It doesn't matter how far, if you're doing it with the person you love, the ride is much more enjoyable!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSphofRZVamKUZ5Ihk8DSfk7QuMGDwv-6FUqj436H-c-PC09t4ZMgT2nb_Ifdj2UYSYFNE0UOgRjnfSqtnCpd6slgx2I10dZS3Yzf6YaC4EuHuhkph_dMjGSruYVx6Z2JZ-pi0NaG-7bc/s1600/IMG_0450-lr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSphofRZVamKUZ5Ihk8DSfk7QuMGDwv-6FUqj436H-c-PC09t4ZMgT2nb_Ifdj2UYSYFNE0UOgRjnfSqtnCpd6slgx2I10dZS3Yzf6YaC4EuHuhkph_dMjGSruYVx6Z2JZ-pi0NaG-7bc/s320/IMG_0450-lr.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-64128685565128975632013-03-26T06:45:00.000-06:002013-03-26T06:45:07.065-06:00Ride Report - Boulder Food Rescue 3/25/13On Sunday, I <a href="http://rorowe.blogspot.com/2013/03/the-night-before-my-first-boulder-food.html">posted</a> about my night-before jitters about my Boulder Food Rescue volunteering. Today, the day after actually doing the work, I can exclaim that I survived, and had fun! I didn't take any photos or videos like I had originally planned, mostly because of the weather and road conditions, and the fact that I was being shadowed by my BFR trainer, PD.<br />
I left my apartment, braving degrees in the teens, at about 7:30am, to head to BeauJo's, a "Colorado Style" Pizza Restaurant in South Boulder. That's where the trailer and lockbox are kept for the two Baseline Ave. grocery stores that participate with Boulder Food Rescue. There, I was going to meet PD, one of the BFR coordinators, who would give me an on-the-bike training of my specific route.<br />
8am on the dot, PD arrived, we introduced each-other, and then began fighting with the "weatherproof" lock...which had frozen shut from the weekend's storm. We finally managed to free the shackle, and he gave me some tricks on using the seatpost style trailer hitch. We needed to bring the scale along, so I tucked it into my Green Guru "Dutchy" pannier next to my u-lock and seatbag (which I took off to utilize the seatpost hitch), and we headed to Sprouts.<br />
As we gingerly parked our bikes (and trailer) on the icy loading dock ramp behind Sprouts, and entered the back of the store, I saw two carts. A large cart with four banana boxes full of produce, and a shopping cart with some bread loaves and other pastries. We wheeled the carts outside, and began sorting the boxes by "squishability". Then came the weighing...<br />
For the first couple boxes, I was able to stand on the scale, holding the boxes, then subtracting my weight. Twenty pounds here, twenty pounds there. Then, I picked up the couple 40 pounders, and the scale gave us an error. (<i>I'm not overweight, but I did have my loaded backpack, coat, helmet, and gloves on...</i>). The reason, PD explained, that we weigh everything, is so we can keep a report and running total of Boulder Food Rescue's efforts. As the weight added up, I knew this was going to be big trailer-full. In fact, all said and done, it ended up being 200lbs of produce and bakery items.<br />
We loaded the trailer together, PD imparting some wisdom of stacking techniques, and using bicycle tubes as tie-down straps. I had to use the downhill of the loading dock to get moving, but once I found a usable gear, we were off.<br />
The ride up 30th was pretty painless, actually. Inertia and momentum are wonderful things, when they're working for you. It was nice having a ride-along as we were able to take the lane more confidently, in order to avoid the poorly-plowed, snow-covered bike lanes. PD encouraged and commented on my bike and trailer handling. If I could transport 200lbs of food in freezing, icy/snowy conditions by bicycle for my first run, it would only get easier.<br />
After climbing the last little hill, probably the hardest part of our ride, we delivered the food to the Family Learning Center, which is surprisingly close to my apartment (<i>One of the reasons I chose this particular route.</i>). I'm eager to learn more about their organization, and hopefully, get to spend some time meeting some of the people I got to help. I'll want to brush up on my Spanish, but it's worth it.<br />
Following the off-loading, we had to return the trailer and scale to the BeauJo's bike rack so it could be used later for the Whole Foods run. Again, we had to take the lane a few times, and I had to carefully navigate the trailer around "icebergs". The final hill on 30th almost killed me, but we made it, and after a handshake and a congrats, PD went off on his way, as I worked my way back to Foothills Parkway and the Arapahoe paths to get to Copy Experts.<br />
The route's below (including leaving my apt and getting to work). It's definitely going to build up some core muscle strength dealing with these loads, but the interesting thing is how great I felt both physically (it was a Monday, after-all), and mentally, by the time I got to work. I've been looking at the shifts-needing-covered, and thinking I may grab one for Saturday...at least the weather will be nicer this time!<br />
<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="http://app.strava.com/activities/45805276/embed/add9292ee2d4a4d2d39a09b47488f5285c3d505c" width="550"></iframe>rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-6864515395047221002013-03-24T20:54:00.000-06:002013-03-24T20:54:22.260-06:00The Night Before (my first Boulder Food Rescue run)Last time, I mentioned one of the organizations I was anxious to be a part of, <a href="http://www.boulderfoodrescue.org/">Boulder Food Rescue</a>. Well, since that last post, I attended the new volunteer orientation, and picked my first, permanent run. That pickup, starts tomorrow morning at 8am, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous.<br />
First, it decided to snow all Friday night and into the weekend, leaving quite a mess on the roads and paths. I've been cycling all winter, but pulling a hundred pounds worth of food behind me? Is this going to work?<br />
Secondly, being totally new to the system and process, I'm supposed to get a "chaperone" or at least someone to meet me to show me the ropes of collecting the food, weighing it, and delivering it to the right place. I know it's not rocket science, but I'm always overly-critical about "doing it wrong".<br />
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Now, don't get me wrong, I'm totally psyched and looking forward to tomorrow morning! I know that the small benefits I'm getting out of this totally dwarf in comparison to the benefits the food recipients get from BFR's service. I know that simply riding my bike, and hauling a little extra weight will literally feed people who could otherwise be food-insecure. And, I know I'll have fun no matter what...because I'm doing it by bicycle (<i>I almost lied when they asked me if I owned a car...I do...because I don't <b>ever</b> want to have to rely on it for Boulder Food Rescue trips.</i>).<br />
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So, tomorrow, I'll probably post something else, maybe with some photos or video of my route. Until then, I'm sharing BFR's informational video (that I've watched about a million times, myself). Wish me luck!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/54914610?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/54914610">Boulder Food Rescue</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user5862823">Daniel Fickle</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-87872973053209980822013-03-16T20:46:00.001-06:002013-03-16T20:46:38.032-06:00Charity and a BicycleI rarely give money to charities...not because I don't believe in it or want to, but because I rarely have enough for myself and my partner. What I do have, however, is:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">TIME</span>. </div>
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Now, while planning Boulder's Disaster Relief Trials, and watching and learning from <a href="http://transportland.org/">Transportland</a> like a sponge, I have a few interim plans for cargo bikes in the People's Republic.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tob1xbq21W4/UQ7RrcteSgI/AAAAAAAAFHg/iTszsS3mbSo/s1600/2424C17A-DDDE-446F-9826-E2BFF57DA4C6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="146" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tob1xbq21W4/UQ7RrcteSgI/AAAAAAAAFHg/iTszsS3mbSo/s200/2424C17A-DDDE-446F-9826-E2BFF57DA4C6.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bike & trailer at Naropa University donating some "free stuff".</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://www.boulderfoodrescue.org/">Boulder Food Rescue</a>:<br />
Ever since meeting them at my first <a href="http://www.bouldereast.org/">Boulder Transportation Connections</a> meeting, I've been curious and anxious to participate. Doing morning and weekend runs with my trailer, rescuing food that would otherwise be thrown out, sounds like exactly the type of thing I've been looking for.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4Qsog3nM8N8/UTQ6oXyEJ9I/AAAAAAAAGGg/efsk-Jdk08s/s1600/IMG_9630-lr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4Qsog3nM8N8/UTQ6oXyEJ9I/AAAAAAAAGGg/efsk-Jdk08s/s200/IMG_9630-lr.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Boulder Cruisers at the end of "Cranksgiving" last November. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="http://bouldershelter.org/">Boulder Shelter for the Homeless</a>:<br />
They have this <a href="http://bouldershelter.org/donate.inkind.html">list</a>, which makes it incredibly simple for people wanting to donate in-kind (instead of money) items. So, I've decided that once a month, I'm going to pull my trailer along on our <a href="http://bouldercruisers.com/">Boulder Thursday Night Cruiser Rides</a>, gathering any donations I can get. Following the ride, I'm going to ride up Broadway, and drop off everything at the shelter for their use.<br />
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Picnics:<br />
Okay, okay, I realize this isn't charity, but it <b>is</b> community-building, which I believe is just as important. The plan is to have some more picnics, inviting anyone with a bike and a few hours on a weekend to feast, play, and interact with the community. Cargo bikes and trailers provide the food, drink, games, tunes, and the bikes bring the people. The first <i>big one</i> is going to happen on the <a href="http://www.nature.org/">Nature Conservancy's</a> <a href="http://earthday.nature.org/">"Picnic for the Earth"</a> on Sunday, April 21st (the day before Earth Day).<br />
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So, maybe money isn't everything. Maybe time is money. Maybe time is more valuable than money. All I know, is Boulder needs this, and so do I.rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0Boulder, CO, USA40.0149856 -105.2705455999999939.8193976 -105.59189559999999 40.210573600000004 -104.9491956tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-62976223857205624732013-03-10T12:04:00.000-06:002013-03-10T12:04:23.497-06:00Disaster! -Taking the Lane, volume 9<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNo59_Ev2YGQ250-0GqrW7ihc1rzQKWABJs-jaGLe67SAYDeECu0iAre38m_GnsuqVDJ2MgNbPAKHHg-fCESkGSM-b8eZ29oT_hZH1BHBg-FIP3B_1j3TqQReATvH1cqpcQ8bROqa87CI/s640/blogger-image-1721534870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNo59_Ev2YGQ250-0GqrW7ihc1rzQKWABJs-jaGLe67SAYDeECu0iAre38m_GnsuqVDJ2MgNbPAKHHg-fCESkGSM-b8eZ29oT_hZH1BHBg-FIP3B_1j3TqQReATvH1cqpcQ8bROqa87CI/s320/blogger-image-1721534870.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Last week, I received my copy of "Disaster" - <a href="http://takingthelane.com/">Taking the Lane</a>, volume 9 from <a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/108270377022498563231/about">Elly Blue</a>. I was previously unaware of how cool these little zines were until Richard Masoner, of the <a href="http://www.cyclelicio.us/">Cycleicious</a> blog shared a note about a Kickstarter for volume 9's printing/publishing. The zine is a collection of stories about how bicycles have, or should have a role in disaster relief, emergency preparedness, and all-around survival.<br />
Obviously, this is something that has sparked my passion recently, thanks to Portland's Disaster Relief Trials and my newly acquired trailer. So, I chipped in $5 to get a copy, and spent my past few nights reading each of the stories before bed. There was nothing remarkably new, but that's because I've been devouring anything and everything I can find on bicycles and disaster relief, however, it has confirmed the most important detail for me: That the world is currently blind to the role of bicycles in disaster relief and emergency preparedness. We need to continue to educate people on the simplicity and power of the bicycle, and it's benefits in versatility over a car in times of distress and emergency. Hopefully, when Boulder hosts it's inaugural Disaster Relief Trials <i>(hopefully this June)</i>, it will be enough of an interest to get everyone thinking about it more. <br />
<br />rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-33055309462520778982013-02-27T18:00:00.000-07:002013-02-27T18:00:01.888-07:00Disaster Relief Trials - Transportland<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/55149146" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <a href="http://vimeo.com/55149146">Disaster Relief Trials Trailer</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user586117">Cantankerous Titles</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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I realize this trailer is a little dated, but as I'm in the beginning stages of planning Boulder's own version of the <a href="http://transportland.org/2012/04/disaster-relief-trials-overview/">Disaster Relief Trials</a>, I thought it would be appropriate to share. As it stands, I'm brainstorming types of disasters Boulder should be prepared for, possible checkpoints, cargo, etc. I'm also researching and starting to reach out to organizations who I believe should be involved in the event to make it as authentic as possible. Over the next few weeks, I'll be blogging more about the steps being taken to make Boulder's "DRT" a reality.rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0Boulder, CO, USA40.0149856 -105.2705455999999939.8193976 -105.59189559999999 40.210573600000004 -104.9491956tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-86669661908729900892013-02-24T19:55:00.001-07:002013-02-24T19:55:57.258-07:00NAHBS '13 - Denver<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6cl1BDvhhxxbhOPvlXYbkWbFg0K5hkInve8sPkIJXETwx1JBYdPS13I5CcGDEq1W5nhpWvkm6Owz7Q9weTR0lca1ayH3rMqNFJVYhbVjGlkwbKiq1d4zVObeT0JwZjbAaNpOuxCrBWY/s1600/IMG_0224-lr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu6cl1BDvhhxxbhOPvlXYbkWbFg0K5hkInve8sPkIJXETwx1JBYdPS13I5CcGDEq1W5nhpWvkm6Owz7Q9weTR0lca1ayH3rMqNFJVYhbVjGlkwbKiq1d4zVObeT0JwZjbAaNpOuxCrBWY/s320/IMG_0224-lr.jpg" width="320" /></a>Every day, I'm reminded of how amazing it is to be a cycling enthusiast living in Boulder, CO. This weekend, the reminder was the North American Handbuilt Bicycle Show (<a href="http://2013.handmadebicycleshow.com/">NABHS</a> for short), which was held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, CO. </div>
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I won't post the of the 206 photos I took, since you can easily view them, +1 them, share them, etc, from my Google+ album (<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/photos/100112279295075843516/albums/5848194109560906609">rorowe's NAHBS '13 Album on Google+</a>). What I will do is post a couple of my observations. </div>
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<ul>
<li>Fat bikes! Everything from <i>roll-over-anything-beasts </i>to fat-tire tandems, to trail-maintenance fatbikes (the one by <a href="http://moots.com/">Moots</a> was freakin' awesome!).</li>
<li>Tandems. I was surprised at the number of tandems and specialized tandem-tech there was at the show. It might've been me, but seeing Gates Carbon Drive tandems, DaVinci drivetrains, fatbike tandems, etc was actually pretty cool, albeit unexpected. </li>
<li>I honestly don't know <i>anything </i>about half the things I saw on Friday. I'm just now starting to realize how much I don't know about lugs, welding, and any components not found on a very average commuter bike.</li>
<li>There are <i>SO MANY</i> local builders within minutes of my apartment, and even more if I'm willing to drive an hour or so. It first hit me on Thursday night when we were finishing up a print job at work for <a href="http://mosaiccycles.com/">Mosaic Cycles</a> (/drools). </li>
</ul>
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Enjoy the photos! Share 'em if you'd like (just keep the attribution, so I know that people are enjoying them). If you made it out to NAHBS this year, let me know what you thought!</div>
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rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0Boulder, CO, USA40.0149856 -105.2705455999999939.8193976 -105.59189559999999 40.210573600000004 -104.9491956tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-8003244597143869022010-04-22T21:14:00.001-06:002010-04-22T21:15:46.545-06:00My Earth Day, 2010<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMPNQAjmckzbW3RJ5-dy4oQyM68d8wk5dtogaVwicMVCYodIMQwADEpuG9pbgBy31fnBWxLFDxsM-fV6Oyr5Jk6NcR4hE3VjDbZUgX75sCJR2VcrwB1sPu6IzD8tnPUiKCsf2vTv103w/s1600/IMG_0514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMPNQAjmckzbW3RJ5-dy4oQyM68d8wk5dtogaVwicMVCYodIMQwADEpuG9pbgBy31fnBWxLFDxsM-fV6Oyr5Jk6NcR4hE3VjDbZUgX75sCJR2VcrwB1sPu6IzD8tnPUiKCsf2vTv103w/s320/IMG_0514.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> <b>Happy Earthday!</b> For those of you who read this<i>, </i>follow my <a href="http://twitter.com/rorowe">Tweets</a>, or have friended me on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/rorowe">Facebook</a>, you should know by now that I'm a <i>treehugger. </i>So, even though when I said, "Happy Earthday" to a customer, and they replied, "Oh! How old are you?", I put my best green footprint forward today.<br />When I first started commuting to work on my Trek FX 7.3 last August, I figured it would replace maybe 3 car trips per week. Over the past 2 months, I've driven to work <b>three</b> times, cycling the rest!<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWsTog-F2BDCcj6HDg6FtLU9S_bCrOJvb96XZEFCEkIyjxUpkkJATcv6o-Yosa-TOclatLldGbTsxg8K_h-uQD3nyHkqX6J_iJesn9gVQcydgJ4RuIZ87eROcQ1ve_6SBQrzFee_gGVo/s1600/IMG_0515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVWsTog-F2BDCcj6HDg6FtLU9S_bCrOJvb96XZEFCEkIyjxUpkkJATcv6o-Yosa-TOclatLldGbTsxg8K_h-uQD3nyHkqX6J_iJesn9gVQcydgJ4RuIZ87eROcQ1ve_6SBQrzFee_gGVo/s320/IMG_0515.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>The one thing I haven't gotten comfortable doing yet, is cycling in foul weather, so when it started to downpour an hour before I was finished my shift, I glared at my phone, wondering if I'd chicken out and call my mom to pick me up. I paced in the breakroom for a few minutes before changing into my cycling jersey, and putting my phone into it's home on the bike (the under-seat bag). <i>I rode. </i>Not only did I ride, but I rode to Home Depot to recycle the dead CFL that was sitting in my 15 year old JanSport Bag.<br />I was worrying that finding a safe place to lock my bike up at Home Depot would be difficult. Not only was it pretty easy, but an associate even offered her assistance! (The gesture didn't go unnoticed, guys, thank you.)<br />I recycled the CFL, unlocked my bike, and continued to my last stop of the day.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX99EnmN3r6b1r1iTjifRKFfeN7u57bhspB7e1ZoNhN7iSK9hgSfdHgMiY3dNzylGjZ5vnZP5JtiFGa_72ubn10MXs222czgbT9vVvwnDktbNY0KfJZlZSBPeSG4O-sbUwYDWeN1hYoe0/s1600/IMG_0517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX99EnmN3r6b1r1iTjifRKFfeN7u57bhspB7e1ZoNhN7iSK9hgSfdHgMiY3dNzylGjZ5vnZP5JtiFGa_72ubn10MXs222czgbT9vVvwnDktbNY0KfJZlZSBPeSG4O-sbUwYDWeN1hYoe0/s320/IMG_0517.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>While eating gourmet ice cream isn't environmentally friendly, doing some fundraising for the MS Foundation, and having fun with my new friends and teammates was just as important as me honing my treehugger lifestyle (such as it is). Again, finding something to secure my bike to worried me earlier, but managed to be a pretty easy task again.<br />While bike racks aren't widely available in Warrington/Warminster like they are in more bike-friendly cities, there are plenty of signs, poles, railings, and other immovable objects with which I could lock up against.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />All-in-all, my EarthDay wasn't too eventful, really. While I would have loved to plant some trees, build composting bins, start a garden, or any of a million "green activities" I could have done to celebrate our planet, in the end, I did what I've been doing for awhile now. Now, back to tackling my <a href="http://rorowe.blogspot.com/2010/04/awakening-my-trip-to-boulder-co.html">"</a><i><a href="http://rorowe.blogspot.com/2010/04/awakening-my-trip-to-boulder-co.html">Boulder List</a></i>".rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-15062705111780579982010-04-15T21:59:00.002-06:002010-04-15T22:00:01.397-06:00Awakening (my trip to Boulder, CO)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4513721428_ac6fb2268c_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4056/4513721428_ac6fb2268c_d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>After my recent trip to Boulder, Colorado, to visit my girlfriend (she's currently attending Naropa University), I fell in love (with the city) and it's environmental consciousness.<br />One night, I took out my 2 year old moleskine, and made a list for myself. It was a list of environmental and health goals that I'm currently doing and want to do more, or goals that I haven't tried yet, but want to.<br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>I'm currently:</b><br />-Recycling (plastics, glass, and metal as directed by the township)<br />-Cycling (7miles roundtrip to work in fair-weather)<br />-Unplugging (vampire adapters, unused appliances, lights, etc)<br />-Laundry (using Tide Coldwater, full loads)<br /><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4523755153_4e6caf3f9b_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4035/4523755153_4e6caf3f9b_d.jpg" width="240" /></a><br /><b>I want to:</b><br />-Begin composting<br />-Take shorter "Navy" showers<br />-Cycle <i>more</i> (grocery trips, visiting friends/family, etc)<br />-Mowing using my reel mower (consistently instead of when I feel like a workout)<br />-Laundry (hang drying whenever possible)<br />-Gardening (at least a few vegetables, maybe get involved with a co-op garden)<br />-Spend more time outdoors<br /><br />So, there's my list. I definitely consider myself a tree-hugger, but by no means are any of these things "ridiculous" for the average person to at least try...<i>right? </i>My gameplan over the next few weeks is to tackle each one of these. Some I'll start immediately, while others I will have to ease into. Also, while I don't want to inconvenience anybody with my new environmental awakening, I <b>do</b> want to influence people to try living more sustainably in their own rights as well. I'll be thinking about how to do that as I go.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4483310726_c87a32ae68_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4483310726_c87a32ae68_d.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Now I ask, "<i>Am I nuts? What do you do that's Earth friendly? Any tips for me as I begin to whittle down these goals while making them habits?"</i></div>rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-30979993795438576692010-01-29T21:40:00.000-07:002010-01-29T21:40:16.725-07:00EduCon 2.2 (Friday Night Reflections)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4314866032_84dc9fe67b_m_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4314866032_84dc9fe67b_m_d.jpg" /></a></div>This morning, as I hopped on Septa to go downtown to the Science Leadership Academy, I knew this was going to be one of the best weekends I've had in a long time. Not only would I get to meet (or see again) some of my favorite "friends" on Twitter, but I would also get to listen and learn from some of the <b>smartest</b> people in the education field.<br />
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After my tour of SLA, led by Sophomore student, Jeff K. (who follows me on Twitter, after I attended his EduCon 2.1 session last year), I found some of my other Philly locals, and we planned out our day. I originally planned on observing some classes, then going over to The Franklin to see the new BodyWorlds exhibit. Instead, we took a few out-of-towners to the National Constitution Center.<br />
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We met up with a few others at Monk's Cafe for a late lunch (<i>yum!</i>), then made it to the panel discussion, <i>"What is Smart"</i>, at The Franklin. Listening to an author, a programmer (a graduated SLA student, who created Tweetie), a Princeton professor, a neuroscientist, and an artist college director try to define <b>smart</b> just made us all think even more. Is IQ genetic? Does <b>smart </b>mean "intelligent" or "street smart" or "talented" or maybe all of the above?<br />
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I don't know if any of the 500 educators attending <a href="http://www.educon22.org/">EduCon 2.2</a> this weekend will be able to answer <i>"What is Smart"</i> by the end of the conference, but I do know one thing: We will all be smarter by the end of the conference.rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-86936371955606297672009-11-15T17:41:00.002-07:002009-11-15T17:45:19.775-07:00Reflecting on BarCamp Philly 2009<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LeWrwL6VFaWYc611RPwVoskDA5yORNqIgKpPRFSmNSM2fEkzl8NkbNbe_RNYFURXOkoENOw6AhZNWl6CHiP2wk2meXjNPqGkFCxX7hLl58bpyfmpxPgArefXqGUA-ahdabQ7iQbSIEc/s1600-h/barcampphilly2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LeWrwL6VFaWYc611RPwVoskDA5yORNqIgKpPRFSmNSM2fEkzl8NkbNbe_RNYFURXOkoENOw6AhZNWl6CHiP2wk2meXjNPqGkFCxX7hLl58bpyfmpxPgArefXqGUA-ahdabQ7iQbSIEc/s320/barcampphilly2.png" /></a><br /></div>Yesterday, I attended Philadelphia's 2nd BarCamp, an organic, unconference, where the attendees dictate the sessions, and you get out of it what you put into it.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2654/4107459242_97c8718d0d_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2654/4107459242_97c8718d0d_d.jpg" width="320" /></a>This years' BarCamp was even more appropriate for me, as I had some of my personal learning network attend as well. We had never met in person prior to that morning of BarCamp, but through Twitter, Google Docs, and Wave, we decided we would present <i>something. </i>After some delicious bagels, freshfruit, and coffee (okay, I had a Pepsi), we posted 2 sessions, and found an empty classroom to begin planning.<br /><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/kjarrett">Kevin Jarrett</a> posted his session,<a href="http://s.barcampphilly.org/presentations/255"> "Teaching as a Second Career"</a> first thing, and had a small, but dynamic turnout. Being that most of the BarCamp attendees were developers, designers, consultants, and artists, it was a great session for anyone even curious about becoming a teacher.<br /><br />After attending <a href="http://s.barcampphilly.org/presentations/260">Things that SUCK (a group exercise)</a>, we decided to skip session 3, and grab some lunch at Cosi to continue our planning for the afternoon session, <a href="http://s.barcampphilly.org/presentations/290">Social Media Survival Guide for Schools</a>.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2630/4106692493_30da2586be_m_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2630/4106692493_30da2586be_m_d.jpg" /></a><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2796/4106691935_4f3e9d2713_m_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2796/4106691935_4f3e9d2713_m_d.jpg" /></a><br /></div>For a handful of educators, who hadn't met prior to the morning of BarCamp, to collaborate, and present, just shows you how powerful something like BarCamp is to a community. The best thing about it: We're still learning from it! (Our <a href="http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ARLYML9meo3SYWpoNmJybjkycGM2XzU5ZGpwd3FuZjc&hl=en">Google Doc</a>, my <a href="http://twitter.com/#/list/rorowe/edu-barcamp-philly-09">Twitter List of the 6 of us</a>, and the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/barcampphilly/pool/">BarCamp Philly Flickr Pool</a>, for example)<br /><br />Enjoy, and I hope to see you next year for #3!rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-27164987430831690892009-06-23T19:40:00.001-06:002009-06-23T19:43:51.092-06:00Thoughts before PrintingLast time I blogged, it was about fax machines. This time, I'm gonna get green on yas a little, with a simple message:<br /><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/2965877993_7dd18f2fcc_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/2965877993_7dd18f2fcc_d.jpg" width="200" /></a><br /><blockquote> <b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">"</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-large;">Think before printing."</span></b></blockquote><br /><br /><br /><br />Since I've been working at Staples Copy & Print Center, I've witnessed more environmental atrocities than I ever thought possible. It's not my place as a "sales associate" to tell people not to print things, but there are limits. My quick list of things that should <b>never</b> be printed: Powerpoint Presentations <i>(</i><i>They're meant to be presented, not read! If you're printing a hundred copies for your audience, they're going to ignore you as you present, then either throw away the handouts or file/forget about them.)</i>, EBooks <i>(They're called "EBooks" for a reason, folks! Read 'em online!)</i>, anything Copyrighted <i>(Because it's usually against the law to do so.)</i>, and Wikipedia Articles <i>(Again, they're online, and not going anywhere anytime soon, so trust they'll be there, or save a version of the page on your desktop...but keep in mind, that wikis are designed to change so check back regularly.)</i>.<br /><br />I don't want this to turn into a rant, (which may happen because I just spent about $80 on printer cartridges) but instead, just ask that you think before printing that huge document. Ask yourself <i>"Why"</i> you need it printed as opposed to on the computer. Think about what your audience will do with the printed material after you give it to them. Test your ability to do without or work with less, maybe printing one desk reference guide instead of enough for your entire office, for example. You just may save yourself some cash, some trash, and some hassle of empty ink cartridges.<div><br /></div><div><i>photo credit: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><a href="Nieuwe cartiridges in de printer">http://www.flickr.com/photos/lykle/2965877993/</a> by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/lykle/">Lykle de Vries</a></span></span></i></div>rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-6538270040231955722009-04-03T21:57:00.002-06:002009-04-03T22:01:59.527-06:00Just the Fax 101<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2268/1977549318_f84fec2be2_o_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2268/1977549318_f84fec2be2_o_d.jpg" width="200" /></a>As I continue to work at Staples while I'm revamping my life's goals, I'm always amazed by one of the most interesting, annoying technological inventions ever created.<br /><br />Let's start with the important stuff. <span style="font-style: italic;">Lemme dispel some myths that cause people to get all miffed when they have to fax somethin', k?</span><br /><br /><br /><br />1. Fax machines <span style="font-weight: bold;">DO NOT</span> send your originals. You do not have to make copies for yourself before you "send them". Maybe <span style="font-style: italic;">"sending a fax"</span> is a misnomer. Or, maybe we've all just forgotten that <span style="font-style: italic;">"fax"</span> is our dumbed-down word for <span style="font-style: italic;">facsimile</span> which means, "An exact copy, replica, or duplicate."<br /><br />2. A fax machine is nothing more than a scanner, a telephone modem, and a printer. No teleporters, matter deconstruction/reconstruction devices, or even laser beams (usually) can be found anywhere near a fax machine. You place your original document so the machine can scan the print, which it then turns into data that can be sent over a phone line...(and this is important)...<span style="font-weight: bold;">to another fax machine</span>. Which brings me to #3.<br /><br />3. Fax machines are worthless unless there are two. You need a fax machine (I'm including computer-based faxing as well) to <span style="font-weight: bold;">send</span>, and another to <span style="font-weight: bold;">receive</span>. If the sending machine appears to not be doing anything...it may be waiting for the other to respond. One of the biggest complaints customers give us, is that our fax machine is <span style="font-style: italic;">sleeping</span>, when really, it's waiting for the receiving machine to <span style="font-style: italic;">wake up</span>!<br /><br />4. Read your confirmation sheet!!! You wouldn't believe the time wasted because confirmation sheets aren't looked over. Here's a hint: If it says <span style="font-style: italic;">"Okay"</span>, and the correct number of pages is there, and it displays the correct fax number...It got there, folks! I promise! (This doesn't mean the receiving fax still has paper or toner to be able to print the facsimiles, but the data got there.) On the other hand...if your confirmation sheet says <span style="font-style: italic;">"busy"</span> or worse, <span style="font-style: italic;">"no response"</span>...well, I'll give you 3 guesses.<br /><br />Personally, I think fax machines need to go away. Scan it, email it as an attachment, and be done with it. Not only does faxing waste paper, but it requires a landline phone, and again, at least 2 fax machines. Does anyone have a valid use for this antiquated junk? (bonus points if an 8bit musician comments) Got any other tips I missed?<div><br /></div><div>And...no matter how hard you try...it is impossible to fax a cat.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31333486@N00/1977549318/">anomalous via Flickr</a> </span></div>rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-82508340863684563852009-03-28T13:53:00.002-06:002009-03-28T13:56:48.918-06:00Earth Hour 2009: Turn off, Vote Earth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3539/3292761226_a8a6ea0454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3539/3292761226_a8a6ea0454.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>I've been Twittering about Earth Hour 2009 for a few weeks now, but the time has come to make the "official" rorowe.blogspot.com post about it. At 8:30pm (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">in your time zone</span>), flip off all your lights and unnecessary electrical items for an hour to show your support to keeping our planet livable.<br /><br />Last year, I turned my lights out, lit a few candles, but still played on my laptop. This year, we are planning a backyard campfire cookout. I plan on practicing my "night" photography, and Twittering to make everyone aware of the electrical power we waste daily with unnecessary lights, vampire power, etc.<br /><br />While I'm not doing much tonight for Earth Hour (maybe less is more?), here are 10 ideas (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">I borrowed ideas from others, for this list as well</span>) to celebrate Earth Hour 2009.<br /><br />1. Take a walk! Bring your camera, your dog, your children, and tour your neighborhood. How many houses have their lights off? (<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">Be positive today. Pointing out houses/businesses who are wasting energy isn't what today is all about.</span>).<br /><br />2. Play outside! Remember flashlight tag, manhunt, capture the flag? Have a glow-in-the-dark soccerball? Put it to use and gain the bonus of exercise!<br /><br />3. Do what my <a href="http://magickalworld.wordpress.com/2009/03/28/what-will-you-do-with-your-earth-hour/">girlfriend is doing</a> , and meditate, practice your yoga, and enjoy Earth's <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">natural</span> energy.<br /><br />4. Have an Earth Hour Rave like Rachel Depp (<a href="http://twitter.com/1indienation">http://twitter.com/1indienation</a>) did when she recorded a series of amazing Earth Hour commercials for <a href="http://12seconds.tv/">http://12seconds.tv</a>. Grab the glow sticks, and call your friends over, and have fun! Music <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">is</span> allowed!<br /><br />5. Ask your favorite restaurant is participating, or whether they could dim the lights for you for a romantic, Earth Hour, candlelit dinner.<br /><br />6. Blog, Twitter, 12 (seconds), and photograph your Earth Hour activities!<br /><br />7. Participate more than once, by coming to our <a href="http://sisouland.wordpress.com/2009/03/28/earth-hour-a-vote-for-the-earth/">Second Life Earth Hour party</a> tonight (during PST's Earth Hour). Sicily Heartsdale made free shirts!<br /><br />8. Join EarthHour.org's mailing lists and groups, join the World Wildlife Federation, and show your support for our Earth.<br /><br />9. Use the time while your lights are out to replace all your bulbs to compact flourescents (CFLs). Inspect your house for opportunities to let in more natural light!<br /><br />10. And the easiest...Take a nap! What better way to not use electricity, than to sleep for an hour. You'll wake up refreshed, and will have helped the Earth. :P<br /><br />What are you doing?<br /><br />Got more ideas? Share them! This is a GLOBAL event, and since it takes place during your individual timezones, you can even watch other parts of the worldrorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-58677332514079761652009-01-19T20:38:00.001-07:002009-01-19T21:34:35.078-07:007 Things: a meme<div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> It looks like I procrastinated long enough to be tagged with the "7 things" meme twice! First, I was tagged by the environmentally-conscious, amazing educator, <a href="http://middleschoolblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/7-things-meme.html">Matt Montagne</a>, followed by my fellow Central PA social media guy, <a href="http://brianpolensky.com/2009/01/18/7-interesting-things/">Brian Polensky</a>. </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">So, here goes:</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1) Most people know me as a cellist/violinist, but I originally went to college (Mansfield University) as an oboe major because my high school phased out their string program. I started cello in 3rd grade!</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">2) I have never been in a hospital (aside from visiting friends/family). *knocks on wood*</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">3) One of my favorite jobs, was a 4am-12pm shift at a corn/soybean seed warehouse operating a forklift. It was a summer job with Pioneer Seed, and finishing work at noon meant I had the whole rest of the warm, summer days to swim, spend time with family, etc. </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">4) I'm horrible at math! Really! Terrible! But, ironically, I love numbers, data, and statistics. If I could do anything with my life, it would be to improve my numbers skills and learn how to pass it along to students. </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">5) In college, I wrote a series of short (under a minute) 12-tone piano pieces based on my piano abilities. </div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">6) I have two younger brothers, neither of which finished high school, but both have respectable jobs that they are proud of and enjoy going to everyday.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">7) I didn't start driving until I was 22 years old (when I got my license before student teaching). My first car was a 1993 Ford Taurus.</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm tagging:</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/%20http://shawnfarner.com/blog/">@shawn</a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://kathleenld.wordpress.com/">@KathleenLD</a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://mystro2b/">@mystro2b</a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://corman/">@corman</a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.momgoesgreen.com/">http://www.momgoesgreen.com/</a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://magickalworld.wordpress.com/">@fallingwings</a></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">...</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(<i>I told you I was awful at math</i>)</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">THE RULES ARE:</div><div style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Link your original tagger(s) and leave a comment on this blog posting when you’ve “memed”.<br />
List these rules on your blog.<br />
Share seven facts about yourself in the post - some random, some weird.<br />
Tag seven people at the end of your post by leaving their names and the links to their blogs.<br />
Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their blogs and/or Twitter.</div><script language="javascript" src="http://s.bit.ly/bitlypreview.js">
</script>rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-65589873441103404242008-12-28T21:13:00.001-07:002008-12-28T21:38:45.798-07:00BarCamp Harrisburg! January 10th, 2009<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.barcamp.org/f/barcamphbg.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="http://www.barcamp.org/f/barcamphbg.gif" border="0" width="344" height="81" /></a></div>I'm a greenhorn when it comes to unconferences, social-media, and presenting, but <a href="http://barcamp.org/BarCampHarrisburg">BarCamp Harrisburg</a>, will be my 2nd BarCamp this year, and I gotta say, I'm pretty excited!<br /><br />My "virgin BarCamp experience" was in <a href="http://www.barcampphilly.org/">Philly</a> this past November. The one-day event introduced me to so many amazing people, and a ton of great ideas, that I was itching to find the next unconference to attend. Little did I know, Harrisburg would be the my next! This time, I even intend on hosting a discussion (based on using open-source apps), which is a little scary, but it's all part of the experience!<br /><br /><small><span style="font-size:small;">BarCamp Harrisburg will be hosting at Temple University's Harrisburg Campus, on January 10, 2009 from 9am-5pm. It's free for all social-media types (check the <a href="http://barcamp.org/BarCampHarrisburg">wiki</a> for registration details). With the size and popularity of our monthly Central PA "Tweetups", I'm excited to participate in BarCamp Harrisburg. I hope to see all my Central PA friends, and I'm looking forward to meeting new folks!</span></small><br /><br /><small><span style="font-size:small;"><i>p.s. if you have questions, find me on Twitter! <a href="http://twitter.com/rorowe">@rorowe</a></i> </span><br /></small>rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-32226187506625093432008-12-08T19:17:00.001-07:002008-12-08T19:32:23.314-07:00Catalyst's (can we recycle more?)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ6Bu8n_3TkTaYLS3xhXOhiD1kJvQIh6DNo1_mPlYZObMN0MmFYD_5eVHYOAHzMxKVpoTX-a1msFcFaCI4AXS1s3kvmHWdGw6KtdIWa296wTqwr_7bx1cMG2bixaVwUIHSUm2wDcdKqE/s1600-h/1115080755-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img style="width: 253px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZ6Bu8n_3TkTaYLS3xhXOhiD1kJvQIh6DNo1_mPlYZObMN0MmFYD_5eVHYOAHzMxKVpoTX-a1msFcFaCI4AXS1s3kvmHWdGw6KtdIWa296wTqwr_7bx1cMG2bixaVwUIHSUm2wDcdKqE/s320/1115080755-00.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>I have a great story today, which brightened my otherwise, hectic workday at Staples.<br />As a student at Upper Moreland Middle School, Mr. and Mrs. Rosenzweig both taught (math and life science, respectively). I only had Mrs. Rosenzweig, but I can tell you the few lessons I remember the most. Learning to spell her name <i>(which still comes in handy even as I write this post!)</i>, was as simple as singing the letters to the Mickey Mouse Club Theme Song. Learning the different parts of a cell was a easy as singing the cellular rap.<br /><br />and...<br /><br /><b>The letters we wrote, on unbleached, recycled paper, to companies asking them to recycle more.</b><br /><br />Fast forward to present day, I'm working at the Copy & Print Center at Staples, busily printing holiday calendars, Christmas letters, Masters Thesis papers, and so on. Mrs. Rosenzweig and her husband come in for a printing project. I recognize her and she recognizes me back (I think my name tag helped).<br />Then...she asks,<br /><b>"I noticed you don't recycle waste paper here?"</b><br />I instantly flashed back to that lesson, and told her, that it was one of my first suggestions upon starting my job at Staples. She said she was proud of me for speaking up about it, and then she took it a step further. She asked for Staple's Corporate phone number and address!<br /><br /><i>In these crazy times, economically, environmentally, and technologically</i>...<i>with our education system and parenting styles being forced into change...sometimes it just takes one small catalyst to put things into motion. If you're not that catalyst, who is? If you're not that catalyst, why not?</i><br /><br /><i>(<span style="font-size:x-small;">Yes, I was watching Heroes while I was writing this. Hence the title)</span> </i>rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-76638062597473027122008-11-19T10:00:00.001-07:002008-11-19T10:22:59.835-07:00Plodt what you're thankful for (a little experiment)<a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2116/2054095226_89339eaafb_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2116/2054095226_89339eaafb_d.jpg" width="181" /></a>Anyone that reads this blog (I know there's a couple of you at least, thank you!) either follows me on <a href="http://twitter.com/rorowe">Twitter</a>, knows me in person, or somehow found me from other social media. I also know that we all <b>CARE</b>. I've written and thought about how to leverage social media to help people before, but this time is a little different. Consider this experiment, a <i>test of the tool</i>, and a <i>brighten your holiday spirit</i> kind of project.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">So I bring you <a href="http://plodt.com/">Plodt</a>.</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSG0zpZUpkvcKl7SA-1gkrIbpkbqqWe99nXUNPJTH8A1JAcIeWaD0bEJzFJY_jiUppp_baRAihaX-sliA_U1hcr1YoGxuXURFFZ8iw12Y-fVhErryyVWBAJN1Higlv8xKbwie-HyIE7A/s1600-h/plodt2008-11-19_1212.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBSG0zpZUpkvcKl7SA-1gkrIbpkbqqWe99nXUNPJTH8A1JAcIeWaD0bEJzFJY_jiUppp_baRAihaX-sliA_U1hcr1YoGxuXURFFZ8iw12Y-fVhErryyVWBAJN1Higlv8xKbwie-HyIE7A/s320/plodt2008-11-19_1212.png" /></a></div>Plodt, simply gathers tagged Tweets, and graphs them for you and your friends to see. Once you follow <a href="http://twitter.com/plodt">Plodt </a>on Twitter, you enclose keywords in asterix along with a number. (it also tracks hashtags). So for example:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><i>"I just won the lottery!!! *happy10*"</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now for the experiment: Ya ready? For the rest of the month, when you're *thankful* for something (tying this in with the holidays, get it?), tag your Tweets! It will be fun to see what everybody is thankful for at the end of the month/season!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> <br />
</i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>photo credits: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/turtlemom_nancy/2054095226/sizes/m/">turtlemom_nancy</a></i><i>, and Plodt's page via Jing.<br />
</i></div>rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-35963979787404279232008-11-11T16:48:00.001-07:002008-11-11T17:28:53.452-07:00Three Days Later, and I'm still on a BarCamp Philly High!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNohmO0YxNOIh7v96Tc_xQTxkNlj9SkLi8YgH30J0oltflY_FJAd5xsshlwAs6eVTR-2cNLAP2Pie9EHFBBdec9q3Bzc0oGdwDdYFybAH8LPT7Wc_NLOY9WW-6XyUzD6oURL3Gqn5UIFQ/s1600-h/1108081243-01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNohmO0YxNOIh7v96Tc_xQTxkNlj9SkLi8YgH30J0oltflY_FJAd5xsshlwAs6eVTR-2cNLAP2Pie9EHFBBdec9q3Bzc0oGdwDdYFybAH8LPT7Wc_NLOY9WW-6XyUzD6oURL3Gqn5UIFQ/s320/1108081243-01.jpg" width="261" /></a></div>Philadelphia's first-ever <a href="http://www.barcampphilly.org/">BarCamp</a> was held this past weekend (Saturday, November 8th, 2008) at <a href="http://www.uarts.edu/">University of the Arts</a>, and it was an amazing experience! BarCamp's <i>"unconferences"</i> where all the content, the sessions, the workshops, are all offered by the attendees. The schedule is created the morning of BarCamp (<i>not</i> preplanned in advance like other conferences), and everyone is invited to present, host, and participate. <br />
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You can see our <a href="http://www.barcampphilly.org/2008/11/10/the-final-schedule-from-nov-8th/">schedule</a> board as well as a few of our sponsors...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5zohdTitiT2I92eZ_i_OnyWMORT2ztyW1T7TNDz7BC0g-hUOKflyiR2VFXmaducKWL2Fsh60UPg6nKK9IxxYfsmA76_pOcnUGkw-nCOKcoIVMt1pDy0CveEl1oK_yCjYTlIxhMDIfAA/s1600-h/1108080957-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5zohdTitiT2I92eZ_i_OnyWMORT2ztyW1T7TNDz7BC0g-hUOKflyiR2VFXmaducKWL2Fsh60UPg6nKK9IxxYfsmA76_pOcnUGkw-nCOKcoIVMt1pDy0CveEl1oK_yCjYTlIxhMDIfAA/s320/1108080957-00.jpg" width="267" /></a></div><br />
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After <a href="http://twitter.com/stellargirl">Roz</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/jtoto">JP</a> welcomed all of us, we all rushed, excitedly to our first sessions, which were all about an hour-long. There were 7 sessions total, and I got to attend all but one (because I volunteered to watch the registration area from 12-1pm.)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGeiEAok_WnejjhPdzL1qTC-xMjRyXauqN1ie-pma8bOzkwzuWnccBbuYVy0Xig2QbT76wg7VUQaLLf7-v5CS4_n2V1aIVTecXa3MInJAXOqZURfdE5Wa_W9SYBm6ur6AUq7dSM-gjdPs/s1600-h/1108081620-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGeiEAok_WnejjhPdzL1qTC-xMjRyXauqN1ie-pma8bOzkwzuWnccBbuYVy0Xig2QbT76wg7VUQaLLf7-v5CS4_n2V1aIVTecXa3MInJAXOqZURfdE5Wa_W9SYBm6ur6AUq7dSM-gjdPs/s320/1108081620-00.jpg" /></a></div>Kevin, from Comcast Interactive Media, presented a discussion session on <i>"Your Great Idea and Why it Hasn't Happened Yet"</i>. It definitely had us all thinking about our challenges and psychological barriers that keep us from <b>DOING</b> our ideas.<br />
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In fact, while BarCamps usually don't have an over-arching theme, Philly's seemed to be <b> </b><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: large;"><b>"JUST DO"</b></span>. </div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuxuAYorGCaWqyjW0f3RCMmnXOaB75xqx4uCt31rdtCXJIUf0B4ETT12IIoeELe45nt7n90Ph_SVK7CRvtcj1X07lE5Zt3U-wQyUKTsrJsYD8QbuPJiQxGpg7WqIWFzWTbQmP0zndTW8/s1600-h/1108081438-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXuxuAYorGCaWqyjW0f3RCMmnXOaB75xqx4uCt31rdtCXJIUf0B4ETT12IIoeELe45nt7n90Ph_SVK7CRvtcj1X07lE5Zt3U-wQyUKTsrJsYD8QbuPJiQxGpg7WqIWFzWTbQmP0zndTW8/s320/1108081438-00.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Just doing...like my artistic business cards made during <a href="http://twitter.com/interjection">Rachel's</a> session: <strong><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">"Making Your Own Business Cards and craft it up / Nanowrimo - find out how to write a novel in 1 month!</span></i>" <span style="font-weight: normal;">despite having no visual arts background. </span></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">I also got to talk about motivation, as in, "How do you motivate yourself to write an novel in one month?"</span></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><strong><br />
</strong></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJZVQK6OgTvzgHS_6lKcJn_sN-HzXqO_rcah5IdfPRwLfJNoWh_EoIsmBpSvW4M8gpVOLg1GCaYZOVg2lp0HFqMTI2vUkSQmKWtq1zhbXm-nN2uN75NbC5CZTAjHT2Fss2pL2ju9hxBs/s1600-h/1108081802-00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzJZVQK6OgTvzgHS_6lKcJn_sN-HzXqO_rcah5IdfPRwLfJNoWh_EoIsmBpSvW4M8gpVOLg1GCaYZOVg2lp0HFqMTI2vUkSQmKWtq1zhbXm-nN2uN75NbC5CZTAjHT2Fss2pL2ju9hxBs/s320/1108081802-00.jpg" /></a></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">The final session, hosted by <a href="http://twitter.com/whitneyhess">Whitney</a>, was <i>"Quit Your Job! Pick my brain about going independent"</i>. She prefaced the session by telling us <b>not</b> to quit our jobs. Then, we learned how hard it can be to work for yourself, but that it can be done. </span></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Be highly organized with paperwork, charge what you're worth, <b>don't</b> pass-up benefits, and manage your time & money wisely, were all important talking points. </span></strong><i><strong></strong></i><strong></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">Every session was a learning experience, but so what every, single interaction I had with fellow BarCampers. All 170 registered attendees were intelligent, friendly, and ready to jump-in and participate, making the whole event, from the kick-off party at <a href="http://punkave.com/">P'unk Ave</a>, to the after-party at <a href="http://nationalmechanics.com/">National Mechanics</a>, a HUGE success! </span></strong></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">I'm not working in social media, or development, or webdesign, and I don't have a reason to start coworking yet, but that didn't stop me, or anyone else, from having an great time, at an awesome <i>unconference. </i></span></strong></div>rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-37782430503882966792008-11-07T13:32:00.000-07:002008-11-07T14:02:38.371-07:00My wish list to social-media sites (and Septa)...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/2760849340_c077b8e2a8_o_d.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2191/2116893834_1e3a089d53_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2191/2116893834_1e3a089d53_d.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>Dear Santa (or <a href="http://twitter.com/">Twitter</a>, or <a href="http://gmail.com/">Gmail</a>, or <a href="http://maps.google.com/">Google Maps</a>, <a href="http://septa.org/">Septa</a>, etc),<br />
<br />
I've been very good this year, trying out all of your awesome services, most of which are totally free. I've obeyed all the crazy Terms of Service agreements and privacy policies. When I've have problems, complaints, or just simple suggestions, I've used all of your customer satisfaction tools to report them.<br />
<br />
But, now I feel like I just need to rant a little, and I hope it won't move me from the <i>nice</i> list over to the <i>naughty</i> list, but I have to. Here are some of my biggest feature/failure requests to some of my favorite companies. If you have solutions, or similar requests, lets build a big list to Santa!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/2760849340_c077b8e2a8_o_d.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/2760849340_c077b8e2a8_o_d.png" width="200" /></a><a href="http://gmail.com/">GMail</a>: I only ask one thing...Why can't I assign multiple labels using a single filter? There are other services (i.e. <a href="http://blog.otherinbox.com/">OtherInbox</a>) that are stealing away my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bacn_%28electronic%29">bacn</a> because you make it too difficult for me to easily sort and organize the mass volume of emails that come to me.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://igoogle.com/">iGoogle</a> (with canvas view): Your top canvas-view apps are GMail and Google Reader...yet, for me to label, sort, and archive my emails, I still need to launch the sites in their own pages. Why only put half the app in a canvas view? It only wastes my time, adding an extra step to my process.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://twitter.com/">Twitter</a>: Ya know, actually...you guys have been doing awesome, lately. My biggest complaint lately, is that sms seems sluggish, delaying messages for sometimes hours! (<i>I woke up with my cellphone's inbox, including the 2gb memory card FULL! because it didn't recognize my "off" command.</i>) I know you guys are posting <a href="http://status.twitter.com/">status updates</a> when necessary, it's just frustrating when you post something I've known about first-hand for days. That is all. :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3229/2375247552_5f3955a463_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3229/2375247552_5f3955a463_d.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Oh, and <a href="http://septa.org/">Septa</a>...our transit company for Philadelphia area, and the company I love to hate. I realize you're not even close to participating in social media, but you should. Whoever's got the Septa account on Twitter, you're on the right track (no pun intended), but now that I'm back in the area, I've noticed how silly some of your policies are. Being forced to pay a $2 onboard surcharge for not buying your tickets in advance is fine...except when you close the train stations at noon (or don't open them at all on Sundays). Your refund policy for getting the $2 back, is just a waste of time for both your passengers and your company.<br />
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Thanks, Santa! <br />
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<i>photo credits (in order of appearance): <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/crazylegs/2116893834/sizes/m/">P Pogo</a>, <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/ivanlanin/2760849340/sizes/o/">ivanlanin</a>, <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/rorowe/2375247552/in/set-72157605771354622">rorowe (me)</a></i>rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-27965378081736066982008-11-04T21:37:00.000-07:002008-11-04T21:43:20.250-07:0044th President (elect), Barak Obama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2173/2235654836_7b1644455f_o_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2173/2235654836_7b1644455f_o_d.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Tonight, the United States makes history. Electing our first African American president. Incredible numbers of voters of all ages, ethnicities, beliefs turned out to vote.<br />
<br />
Watching the returns on TV, the commentary on Twitter, and having this overall <i>vibe</i>, has been an amazing experience for me.<br />
<br />
While I sit at home, day-dreaming of what our next four years could be, I'm ready for change.<br />
<br />
And <b>that</b> is progress, folks!<br />
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<i>photo credit: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/seno/2235654836/sizes/o/">jarito</a></i>rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-14303724116565055282008-11-02T20:06:00.001-07:002008-11-02T21:38:18.582-07:00Temporary Phone Numbers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/35/92160735_2cf82c6d00_d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/35/92160735_2cf82c6d00_d.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>So, last week we had the Phillies World Series parade, where I had planned on meeting up with friends from all over the state. I knew Twitter and my cellphone would be the best tool in the enormous crowds, but I didn't want to broadcast my cellphone number for the world to see.<br />
Alas, I couldn't find a running Septa train to get me to the parade, but I did find a solution for my phone.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://inumbr.com/"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">http://inumbr.com</span></span></b></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">I heard about Numbr.com a few months ago on Twitter, as some of my followings were preparing to attend an educational technology conference. They wanted to be able to contact each-other, without losing all privacy by giving out their cellphone numbers. The idea is simple (<i>I have no idea how it actually works, only that it does!</i>): You click on the "get a free number" link, it then assigns one (you can choose one in your area code, too). From that point, you put in the phone number you want it forwarded to, along with some settings like automatic forwarding to voicemail, blocking telemarketers, and more. Most importantly, you set how long your free, temporary number will last before it automatically expires. </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">The timeliness of this post is mostly due to the fact that I wanted to keep my current "inumbr" through the duration of BarCamp Philly (November 8, folks!!!), so I can network on the go. I'm hoping this solution works for others attending BarCamp, or any other event. For a brief video walk-through, watch below: </div><div style="text-align: left;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="686" width="854"> <param name="movie" value="http://content.screencast.com/users/rorowe/folders/Jing/media/90cf479d-fc54-47b7-a1c7-64384be3b644/bootstrap.swf"></param><param name="quality" value="high"></param><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"></param><param name="flashVars" value="thumb=http://content.screencast.com/users/rorowe/folders/Jing/media/90cf479d-fc54-47b7-a1c7-64384be3b644/FirstFrame.jpg&content=http://content.screencast.com/users/rorowe/folders/Jing/media/90cf479d-fc54-47b7-a1c7-64384be3b644/2008-11-02_2332.swf&width=854&height=686"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="scale" value="showall"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><param name="base" value="http://content.screencast.com/users/rorowe/folders/Jing/media/90cf479d-fc54-47b7-a1c7-64384be3b644/"></param><embed src="http://content.screencast.com/users/rorowe/folders/Jing/media/90cf479d-fc54-47b7-a1c7-64384be3b644/bootstrap.swf" quality="high" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" width="854" height="686" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="always" flashVars="thumb=http://content.screencast.com/users/rorowe/folders/Jing/media/90cf479d-fc54-47b7-a1c7-64384be3b644/FirstFrame.jpg&content=http://content.screencast.com/users/rorowe/folders/Jing/media/90cf479d-fc54-47b7-a1c7-64384be3b644/2008-11-02_2332.swf&width=854&height=686" allowFullScreen="true" base="http://content.screencast.com/users/rorowe/folders/Jing/media/90cf479d-fc54-47b7-a1c7-64384be3b644/" scale="showall"></embed> </object></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">p.s. I will post my inumbr via <a href="http://twitter.com/rorowe">Twitter</a> on Wednesday. ;)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>photo credit: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/agaylon/92160735/">Karmalize</a></i></div>rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7420954607449056561.post-10595534571176065512008-10-30T10:37:00.000-06:002008-10-30T11:16:55.699-06:00When Networks Collide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84YhQiG1Hypx0wIGOZ1pgSv82smswP8j2cJ51SP2GXlyc75KX8ZL27JlJcKSWV7Oh8Jw-q2Em22Of6S_uoF4cAGSH6-ZFqJR8wWyJtBBXAIwoeon-WiSCH_GEa_rFj3P4vMDSfzYqUdA/s1600-h/Green_in_Love_Park_by_rorowe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4pvzAFvARS31pOUcTxNDf964kLTDOCy4IGAdS419Y4dA-cBSDgjT82C7G8p-LIX-6xjK90RJFaRSBpTnLpM9n9E5mDT9ls6Okxo5Avnqp-YOQ9NSuuiVBb5KkzhUG9WTThJse-FLKj5A/s320-r/Green_in_Love_Park_by_rorowe.jpg" /></a></div>This past Monday, I ventured to the Old City section of Philadelphia for a planning meeting for <a href="http://www.barcampphilly.org/">BarCamp Philly</a>. I've never been to a BarCamp, a Podcamp, an Ignite event, or any other social media meetup aside from Harrisburg's monthly Tweetups, but I knew that by participating in the planning, I'd feel more comfortable attending the unconference on November 8th.<br />
<br />
So I met some of my Twitter friends, <a href="http://twitter.com/gloriabell">gloriabell</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/phillygrub">phillygrub</a>, then met some new ones, like <a href="http://twitter.com/interjection">interjection</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/stellargirl">stellargirl</a> at <a href="http://twitter.com/indyhall">IndyHall</a> (link to their <a href="http://www.indyhall.org/">site</a>). After the planning, though...the fun stuff happened.<br />
<br />
We made the decision earlier in the day to go to <a href="http://www.nationalmechanics.com/">National Mechanics</a> (an awesome Old City bar) to watch the World Series. This was game 5...the one that will go down in history as the first-ever, suspended (due to rain) World Series game. My new "Philly network" was about to collide with my "high school network" since some of my old high school buddies live in the city. After a few direct messages via Twitter, <a href="http://twitter.com/jcourts">jcourts</a> shows up, along with a few friends. THEN, a local (as in, lives near me, not near the city) decided to meet us at <a href="http://twitter.com/natmechanics">natmechanics</a> for the game. I ended up hitching a ride home with him (he's not on Twitter...yet), thus saving myself the jog in the rain to catch Septa home!<br />
<br />
With all the social networking these days, <a href="http://myspace.com/">MySpace</a> for "teens", <a href="http://facebook.com/">Facebook</a> for "students", <a href="http://linkedin.com/">LinkedIn</a> for "professionals", <a href="http://twitter.com/">Twitter</a> for...umm...everybody, it's interesting to start seeing these different networks <i>collide</i> like they did for me Monday. I only wonder how many of us are ready for these types of collisions...<br />
<br />
<i>photo credit: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/rorowe/2374414175/in/set-72157605771354622/">ME!</a></i><br />
<br />
p.s. WOOHOO PHILLIES!!! CONGRATS ON WINNING THE '08 WORLD SERIES!!!rorowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02118009594614181918noreply@blogger.com0