Lee.org

September thru December 2011 I beefed up my body a lot working out at CCSF. This semester I didn’t make nearly as much progress. On a lot of fronts I just kept things even. Here are the highlights:

Everything I do is 2 sets of 10 reps. On most machines I stayed even from last semester. Here are the differences:

Chest Press: 75lbs to 110lbs. Excellent… except that I had left off in December at 120lbs. Feh!

Lateral Raise (still trying to build up my shoulder profile) I worked it every time I went to the gym and went from 70 to 85. Importantly, just a few weeks ago I realized I’ve been sitting on the machine such that I’m mostly just using my anterior deltoids instead of the correct posture that would use my anterior AND posterior deltoids. Ugh, it’s waay harder to do the exercise the right way!

Bicep Curl: Still I’m hovering around 95lbs, but I still like how my biceps look and feel compared to before working out.

Yoga ball crunches: I lean back on top of the yoga ball and do a sit-up, it works the abs better than a sit-up, and it burns like someone is stabbing me repeatedly with a knife (joy). The knives used to be unbearable at about 8 reps, 2 sets. Now it’s about 11 reps, 3 sets.

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What’s next? I’ve always noted that I don’t have enough cardio. I’ve just been running on the treadmill to warm up for the machines. Well, over the summer I’ll be visiting Megan a lot, she lives in Kensington at the top of the Berkeley Hills, about 800 feet of elevation… I now have a nice bike… Bring it on!

Watch out for this scam. I just got an email seemingly from a professional  acquaintance  of mine saying that she had been mugged in London and needed money. It was signed with her usual signature so it looked reasonably legit. The email originated from (example) First_Last@yahoo.com. However, her email is actually First_Last@att.com! Note the changed domain!  Someone was trying to impersonate her with a new, real email address!

It was the tone of her letter that told me something was fishy. If something seems fishy, it usually is!  But man, those scammers are getting better.

Here is the message I got (I changed the name and email)

From: First Last First_Last@yahoo.com

I’m writing this with tears in my eyes, I came down to London, United Kingdom for a short vacation. Unfortunately,I was mugged at the park of the hotel where i stayed,all cash and credit card were stolen off me but luckily for me i still have my passport with me.

I’ve been to the the Police here but they’re not helping issues at all and my return flight leaves in few hours from now but I’m having problems settling the hotel bills and the hotel manager won’t let me leave until I settle the bills. Well I really need your financial assistance..

Please let me know if you can help me out?

I’m freaked out at the moment!!

First Last, Her Title
Her Organization
First_Last@yahoo.com

[Her usual email signature]

Thanks to J.D. and Gil at Workshop Weekend, I’ll be on a panel discussion Sunday at Maker Faire!

Nestled neatly between “Combining Soft Circuits and Hula Hoops” and “Creating a Middle School 3D Prototyping Lab”!

Sunday, Innovation Stage, 1:30pm. Be there!
Teaching and Inspiring New Makers – Anca Mosoiu , Workshop Weekend , Katie Dektar , Lee Sonko , Michael Shiloh
The hands-on discovery and exploration typical of Maker projects presents different challenges from traditional step-by-step instruction. Five Maker teachers with experience teaching Maker subjects discuss their experiences.

Six weeks ago I was in Florida seeing my folks. Here we are with my aunt having dinner poolside at my aunt’s place!

And sunset just down the street

Three weeks ago there was a parade here in the Mission. Here’s a shot rounding from Mission to east on 24th st :-)

I love da machines!

Two weeks ago Ben Cowden and I went out to the Monk’s Kettle at 16th & Valencia. I was passing the torch of Crucible Kinetics and Electronics Department Head to Ben. Our bartender really knew her beer and poured me this Cuvee des Jacobins Rouge beer.

I had asked for a sour tasting beer and BAM she delivered. My best description for it is “strange adult candy“.
And thanks for the beer Ben!

Last weekend I was at an engagement party at Megan’s place. It was great fun!

I just like this photo of Megan :-)

A few weeks ago in chem class we made cheese. This week we ate some eggs in vitro… eg. we digested eggs with hydrochloric acid and pepsin in test tubes. And we also digested some oil – presumably from the chips. The science of salsa is next week. Here you see some yummy oil digestion!

Lastly and certainly not leastly, the Kinetics and Electronics department set up a great table at the Crucible Fireside Lounge last night!
Rich brought his milk crate bots, Ben was manning Corpse Reviver and had some work in the gallery show. Jon and I brought our winning personalities. Darn it was fun.

I didn’t have any but I think it’s funny and amazing that products like this exist in the Bay Area:

Chronic Tonic Leisurely Lemonade

Why are things like this so hard to come by elsewhere in this fine country of ours? What a strange world we live in!

I just wrote this to BART:

I’m riding on a BART train with what I’m guessing is the new seat design… train #1773, April 30th, 6pm. They are very nice. But the seats and the whole car smells like antiseptic cleaner. Could you try to find a cleaner that doesn’t make the car smell so “antiseptic”? It kind of hurts my nose the same way that breathing Lysol fumes does.

I’m assuming the car received a “normal” cleaning and not some special bubonic plaque wipe-down.

Thanks,
Lee Sonko

Update: Michael M from Bart replied 5-2-12 at 2:58 PM

to Lee
Thank you for the message which I will share. We’ve had a very positive
reception to the new seats.
I believe the scent is just because the seating is new and the material
will “break in” after a very brief time.

Here is yet another followup post for my very popular and very useful “Nonyx Nail Gel” post. This topic has so many comments that it’s hard to sort through them, so here is another post.

Before posting a question here, please check my other posts on nail fungus:

1. Search my blog for the word “fungus”. . Make sure you read posts like the following:
2. Nonyx Nail Gel
3. Nonyx Nail Gel: Part 2
4. Nonyx Nail Gel: Part 3
5. Fungal Nail Infection Treatment
6. Zetaclear
7. Fungavir
8. Fungavir Review: Meh
9. Fungisil is a Scam

Thanks for everyone’s continued comments!

Drove it off the lot: September 22nd 1998
Drove it to the junk yard: April 20th 2012

Aged 13 years, 6 months, 30 days. 135,840 miles.

Man, I loved that car!

The day D and I brought the car home, September 22nd, 1998!

As part of the CAP program, the state of California bought the car for $1,500. I think the program exists because the state “feels bad” that their emissions standards are so high that they’ll buy cars that run OK but don’t pass smog test. Actually they have money for two related programs, one where they’ll take any car, and one where the car fails smog. This year (like most years) the “regular” program ran out of money but the “fails smog” program still had money.

At Burning Man 2005

The Check Engine light on my car kept coming on, giving a code of “random misfire”. 2 mechanics and $1,400 couldn’t fix it, and I really needed to sell the car since I’m tightening my belt and going back to school. So…

1998 CHRYSLER SEBRING JX Convertible, bright red
VIN: 3C3EL45H9WT315270
V6 2.5 liter
AC, power windows, power locks, cruise control, power steering, tilt wheel steering, powered driver’s seat, nice aftermarket Pioneer DEH-P6700MP stereo & Premium Sound System, powered soft top convertible roof

Other extras

Just before the drive to the junk yard, parked at Megan's in Kensington.

alloy wheels, dual air bags, automatic transmission, double wishbone independent suspension, full size spare tire, intermittent wipers, tachometer, reading lights, vanity mirror & light, anti-lock brakes, keyless entry, powered side mirrors, original owner, no accidents, complete maintenance records

Parked just down the hill from the continental divide, moving to California. At this peak, water rolls west the the Pacific and east to the Atlantic.

Issues with the car:
* Check engine light
* Fuel gauge doesn’t register properly below 1/4 tank
* fan only works on high or off
* due for a new timing belt soon
* Oil pressure light sometimes comes on, revving engine slightly fixes. One guess is the Oil Pressure Sending Unit
* cloth top is worn
* when filling gas tank, fuel stops before tank is full. A new gas tank vapor check valve is needed
* some scratches in the paint
* electric rear window defroster not functioning
* needs alignment
* brake rotors are worn
* wheels need balancing
* previous owner loves it very much

Single owner. I’ve got all the repair and oil change receipts.

What a convertible is made for! Cruising Yosemite, winter 2011-12.

In hope of keeping my bike seat out of some crackhead’s streetcorner sale, I have applied polycaprolactone (AKA Shapelock plastic or PCL) to the vulnerable hex-head bolts. I covered the top bolt on the seat (pictured), the seat post bolt, and the headstock bolt. It is impossible to remove by hand but can be removed in a few seconds with [redacted]! Then all you need is a bucket of hot water to reapply it.

Just last week, my neighbor Laurie had her bike seat stolen by loosening of the bike seat bolt :-(

If there is no update to this post, you know the PCL has done it’s job!

Coreyfro got a huge quantity of “CAPA 6800” at Tri-ISO and Noisebridgers split it up. I got 2 kg at $18/kg. I’ve made a couple things so far, over the door coat hangers that I use often, a headphone holder (Trebor’s idea, I expounded on it) that is awesome, a little plastic shield for a wire that goes through my window sill…

Great fun!

I’ve often thought how I really haven’t ever been addicted to anything. And how it would be interesting and useful from a human nature perspective to understand what it is like to have an addiction. So, for instance, when someone says, “I just couldn’t quit!” I want to be able to relate instead of just thinking (but never saying!), “Nonsense, just apply yourself.”

Well, I’ve been drinking coffee to keep my focus for my school studies. Sometimes I drink 2 cups/day and it totally helps!

When a test isn’t looming, I don’t generally drink, but now I find that I have to drink, whether I want to or not. I get a dull headache for hours on end and I have a little trouble focusing. I tried to get off it; for the last 2 weeks I’ve been drinking less and less, but I’m stuck drinking 1/2 cup a day whether I want to or not, lest the headache and dullness overtake me.

So I ask myself, “How does it feel to be addicted?”

Dumb.