Folder Size for Windows XP

Rather than just complain about how Windows XP does not calculate folder sizes like Mac OS X does, I decided that someone, somewhere must have done something about this already. It turns out they did. Click here for a nifty little tool to show folder sizes along with file sizes in details view.
In case you're wondering (as I'm sure my DW will) why I would even bother with this, it helps to know how big folders are when I'm cleaning out the hard drive, looking for junk to throw away to make more space. This is an issue because I run XP on a 10GB partition of my MacBook and Windows is such a bloated disk hog. Oops. I was going to try to not bash Microsoft, but I guess I just couldn't make it...

And Another Thing... :-(

Now there's no way to see file properties from inside Office since the file menu is gone and has been replaced by the "Popular Commands" section of the ribbon. Who determines what is popular? I was trying to find out where MS decided to save my file. No such luck. Save a new copy.
Just not on C:\ because (gasp!) this folder contains file that keep your system working properly, and you should not modify its contents! The horror!
Power away from the people. We know best.

Unbelieveable!!!! (Actually quite believable but totally outrageous)

So the ME computer lab has just recently switched over to the new version of Microsoft Office, Office 2007. The new version features a broad swath of occupied space at the top of the screen called the ribbon. This replaces the toolbars of the previous version that could be torn off, placed wherever you wanted, and customized to contain what you wanted in whatever order you wanted. The toolbars were good. Put power in the hands of the people.
I had naively assumed that the ribbon would be an improvement on this. Wrong! Since I mostly use a MacBook, my screen is wider than it is tall, and I typically tear off the toolbars and put them on the side of my screen so that I can see as much vertical distance on my document as possible. The ribbon, however, uses up something like a quarter to a fifth of my screen across the top so that I get a relatively thin sliver to view and work with. I've avoided using Office 2007 up to now, when the option to use good ole Office 2004 disappear on the lab computers.
So I set about trying to find out how to add superscript and subscript to the ribbon. These are vital engineering edits in combustion science, which is full of chemical names and variables with exponents. I've always added these easily to the toolbars and been quite happy. Here's what the Microsoft Help says: "Because each tab relates to a type of activity, such as writing or laying out a page, it is not possible to customize the Ribbon without using XML and programming code."
I'm floored.
Not surprised. Floored. They've taken away one of the best features and required us to learn XML to get it back.
I determined long ago that Microsoft's motto goes something like this: "The dumb get dumber, and we'll get richer because we know better than you."
How long until Google Docs presents a usable alternative? I'll jump ship as soon as I possibly can.
Now I need to get over my rant and get back to work.

Human Powered Car Gets Pulled Over!

Now here's a concept I can get into:

Four people pedaling a stripped out Buick Regal. It's a little funny that they got pulled over since the charges apparently were thrown out in court. Major bummer about the towing charges to get it back to the studio where it was built... Check out the full story here. Thanks to CommuteByBike.com for the tip.

Clearly this is not a motor vehicle, so does it fall under motor vehicle laws? Why would it not be OK to drive this when bikes are OK? I think we need more cars like this!

What is it about dogs and bikes?!

Last week I had a rather fun ride in to school in the morning. After running by Office Depot for printer ink, I turned south into a stiff headwind and started pedaling toward school. It was along this stretch of Guadalupe St. just behind the Texas Department of Public Safety (setting up the irony here) that I heard the noise that most bikers hate with a passion: the clickety-clackety growl and snarl of a dog giving chase. Sure enough, I glanced back (I have perfected doing this without swerving, an incredibly important skill for this situation) and saw a young pit-bull tearing across the street in my direction. I stood up to accelerate, but the dog quickly caught up to me and began circling. Another glance spotted the owner watching interestedly but doing nothing on the other side of the street. The pit bull started to snap at my heels (I was wearing shorts and sandals, so no protection there), so I had to take action. Another glance told me that the owner was still not going to be any help, so I reached down and took a hold of my U-Lock. When I raised my hand to start a swing aimed at the dog's nose, some conditioned response went off in the canine head and it backed off, swerving out into traffic in front of a car, which almost but unfortunately did not turn it into a read streak on the pavement. I very nearly turned around and swung the U-lock at the owner instead. Need I mention that there was no dog collar and no leash? Grrr!

Commuter Racing

See!!?? I'm not alone. Here's an excerpt from a guest post at Bike Commuters.com:

It’s often referred to as “commuter racing” or the “great race”, but it’s seldom talked about openly (the first rule of commuter racing is, of course, that you don’t talk about commuter racing). And one of the first things you’ll find out when you start bike commuting is, everyone does it but few people admit it.

...

 I know a number of singlespeed mountain bikers who dedicate their commuting lives to overtaking riders on geared bikes. You, the guy with the beard riding a vintage 70s touring bike you’ve owned from new - you’re telling me that you don’t get a buzz from passing a 20-something on $4k of carbon fibre?
No-one’s immune.

Read here for the full account.

Apparently, I've violated the first rule of bike commuter racing, but so did he, so I'm not too worried.

(smile)

Emergence of the Spandex Warriors

You've heard of the 11-year locust, right? It stays hidden out of sight for years at a time, and then once the conditions are right, a whole bunch of them emerge in a frenzy of activity for a few days, lay eggs, and then die off and disappear.
Sometimes I feel like we have a similar phenomenon on the bikeways of Austin. Through the winter months there are a few hardy souls pedaling with sweaty backs and frozen fingertips to and from work, and through the summer months we same few bring two extra shirts along with us to stay dry and partake of the three-shower day.
Then for a few short weeks, the weather is nice in April and in October, the spandex warriors emerge, and Shoal Creek Boulevard is crowded with folks in spandex and bright jerseys riding $$$$ bikes. Sometimes they're in big packs even. Some are very fast and some are slow. Although you may think you detect scorn in my tone, I am truly thankful for these folks, and here's why:

Nothing motivates me to ride fast like a spandex warrior, and this is definitely a good thing. My usual pace is something around 20-22 kph, if I'm just pushing easy and not in any particular hurry. I'm not normally motivated to do sprints on my own just for the workout. However, when I pull up next to a carbon fiber bike at a traffic light, it's impossible for me to avoid a sprint to stay up with the guy. It's hardwired somewhere in the Y-chromosome, and the more duded up he is and the less flashy I am, the better. Usually, when sucked into a friendly unofficial race with said spandex warrior, I find my speed is up near 30-35kph. Granted I'm a melted puddle by the time I get home, and he's still got 30 km left on his joy ride, but I sure showed him that the clothes and bike don't make the rider...

Right. Will you just listen to me? Is this pathetic or what!? I'll stop the introspection here and continue to enjoy the all-too-brief season of friendly races (all in my head, I'm sure) until the weather moves into three-shower-day season, and the roads clear up again, and I'm left alone with my thoughts on the road.

Thanks for reading, and please comment if you either identify with this or this I'm crazy.