5 ms·

Zooks! My normal-weird self. I gotta parse that...

hprotagonist 7y ago
It is seductively easy to become jaded and "too cool" to show how into something one might be. Kids are allowed to, but starting at about age 14, I've found that society tends to do its best to tamp this exuberance down. The other trap is to figure that even if you're really into something you somehow have to be "serious" about it in a way that means you can't admit that you're having any fun -- or that you have to work on "serious problems". You avoided the traps! You are an inspiration, as a direct result. The very best people I know all have this trait -- a very early mentor in my life, my graduate advisors... So, thanks. :)
- CliffStoll 7y ago
  And thank you for your kind note, Protagonist of H. Funny you should mention it ... round 14 years old, I stopped watching TV. I was too busy building a ham radio set; I'd come home and dive into electronics. And, well, I've not watched television since then. I've missed an enormous amount of popular culture & goodness knows what else. On the other hand, it's a bit like being given a few hours every day to build stuff or figure out how things work. I guess this tends to make my 'normal' into 'weird'.
  - hprotagonist 7y ago
    My advisor was a HAM, too. He briefly made the news as a teenager after (more or less accidentally) contacting eastern europe on a particularly good night after installing a massive antenna on the roof of his parent's house. I wasn't brought up with a TV, and don't own one now. I haven't done cool things with klein bottles, but i know a bunch about how bicycles work!
    - CliffStoll 7y ago
      I've wondered about old planetary gear bikes ("Sturmei-Archer") ... it'd be cool to take one apart.
      - hprotagonist 7y ago
        I have! they're weird in there. You can pick up a rear hub for short money on ebay -- refurbishing one is a good way to spend a week or so, and Saint Sheldon has all the details: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-archer_3-spd.html https://www.sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-archer_3-spd.html https://www.sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-archer/aw.html https://www.sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-archer/aw.html has teardown photos, to boot.
  - themodelplumber 7y ago
    Cliff, it's neat to see your jumping in here. Thanks for sharing your time with us. I have enjoyed periodically re-reading _The Cuckoo's Egg_ since my sister gifted the book to me in the early '90s. I didn't know you were a ham though; may I ask what was/is your call sign? And are you still active in the hobby? Just curious & thanks again. 73
    - CliffStoll 7y ago
      K7TA ... got the call when I was in grad school in Tucson Arizona. But I don't get on the air much ... a little bit of CW on the low bands, just to keep my fist in order.
      - themodelplumber 7y ago
        Only a little CW on the low bands! I love it. I hope to learn the code in 2020. Thanks for sharing.
      - wglb 7y ago
        Check out FT8
        taborj 7y ago
        I love FT8, but I think Cliff would probably find it a bit boring. It's too automated, it's basically computers talking to each other. To an introvert like myself, it's cool. I love seeing how far I can get (with my 40m Z-dipole mounted in my single story attic -- i.e. too low, and hiding inside a building -- I've gone 5150 miles on 10 watts). But it doesn't offer the challenges (and rewards) as CW, or even SSB phone.
  - StavrosK 7y ago
    In my view, television is entertainment, and if you have more entertaining things to do, why bother?
    - taborj 7y ago
      Well, television can also be informative. Documentaries are a start, but how many of us were glued to the TV on Sept 11, 2001, attempting to glean truth from the rumors? Not exactly an entertaining day on television.
- dcminter 7y ago
  Well put.

It is seductively easy to become jaded and "too cool" to show how into something one might be. Kids are allowed to, but starting at about age 14, I've found that society tends to do its best to tamp this exuberance down. The other trap is to figure that even if you're really into something you somehow have to be "serious" about it in a way that means you can't admit that you're having any fun -- or that you have to work on "serious problems". You avoided the traps! You are an inspiration, as a direct result. The very best people I know all have this trait -- a very early mentor in my life, my graduate advisors... So, thanks. :)

CliffStoll 7y ago
And thank you for your kind note, Protagonist of H. Funny you should mention it ... round 14 years old, I stopped watching TV. I was too busy building a ham radio set; I'd come home and dive into electronics. And, well, I've not watched television since then. I've missed an enormous amount of popular culture & goodness knows what else. On the other hand, it's a bit like being given a few hours every day to build stuff or figure out how things work. I guess this tends to make my 'normal' into 'weird'.
- hprotagonist 7y ago
  My advisor was a HAM, too. He briefly made the news as a teenager after (more or less accidentally) contacting eastern europe on a particularly good night after installing a massive antenna on the roof of his parent's house. I wasn't brought up with a TV, and don't own one now. I haven't done cool things with klein bottles, but i know a bunch about how bicycles work!
  - CliffStoll 7y ago
    I've wondered about old planetary gear bikes ("Sturmei-Archer") ... it'd be cool to take one apart.
    - hprotagonist 7y ago
      I have! they're weird in there. You can pick up a rear hub for short money on ebay -- refurbishing one is a good way to spend a week or so, and Saint Sheldon has all the details: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-archer_3-spd.html https://www.sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-archer_3-spd.html https://www.sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-archer/aw.html https://www.sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-archer/aw.html has teardown photos, to boot.
- themodelplumber 7y ago
  Cliff, it's neat to see your jumping in here. Thanks for sharing your time with us. I have enjoyed periodically re-reading _The Cuckoo's Egg_ since my sister gifted the book to me in the early '90s. I didn't know you were a ham though; may I ask what was/is your call sign? And are you still active in the hobby? Just curious & thanks again. 73
  - CliffStoll 7y ago
    K7TA ... got the call when I was in grad school in Tucson Arizona. But I don't get on the air much ... a little bit of CW on the low bands, just to keep my fist in order.
    - themodelplumber 7y ago
      Only a little CW on the low bands! I love it. I hope to learn the code in 2020. Thanks for sharing.
    - wglb 7y ago
      Check out FT8
      - taborj 7y ago
        I love FT8, but I think Cliff would probably find it a bit boring. It's too automated, it's basically computers talking to each other. To an introvert like myself, it's cool. I love seeing how far I can get (with my 40m Z-dipole mounted in my single story attic -- i.e. too low, and hiding inside a building -- I've gone 5150 miles on 10 watts). But it doesn't offer the challenges (and rewards) as CW, or even SSB phone.
- StavrosK 7y ago
  In my view, television is entertainment, and if you have more entertaining things to do, why bother?
  - taborj 7y ago
    Well, television can also be informative. Documentaries are a start, but how many of us were glued to the TV on Sept 11, 2001, attempting to glean truth from the rumors? Not exactly an entertaining day on television.
dcminter 7y ago
Well put.