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RainyDayMagazine's content can now be licensed for your print magazine or web site. Please contact us directly here. If you want to see something reviewed, then drop us a note with a link and we'll be happy to take a look.
NOTE: Click here to read more about our approach to product reviews. |
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June 29,2012- Mini-Blossom FirstLook... |
When we were out in L.A., we saw hummingbirds everywhere. As we had never seen them in Boston, we always assumed that they were warm-weather birds. The topic of hummingbirds came up during our origami efforts last week. We learned that they are indeed found in New England would visit our garden, if properly enticed. Intrigued by the possibility, we have decided to create an environment inviting to these tiny avians and to take on the challenge of obtaining photographic proof of their visit to the RainyDayGarden.
Our first task was to take a look at what kind of feeders were available for hummingbirds. Our favorite source for all things garden related, Gardener's Supply Company, had a few different choices. The Mini-Blossom glass feeder immediately caught our eye. We liked the design best because... [more] -Mini-Blossom Hummingbird Feeder FirstLook
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June 28,2012- Casio Edifice EFR-516 FirstLook... |
When we posted our FirstLook of the Timex Expedition, a few readers commented that while Timex watches are nice, we really should take a look at comparable Casio units. These readers' feelings were that Casio watches offer more value for the money. We are, of course, familiar with Casio. In fact, the first wristwatch we ever purchased (using our own "first real job money") was a Casio multi-function Pathfinder (compass, altimeter, barometer). The Pathfinder, originally designed for the outdoor enthusiast, was an instant hit and a quickly became a must-have item for many gadget-lovers. Even though our Pathfinder is more than twenty years old, it still works perfectly and is one of the favorites in our collection.
Emails triggered by our article on the iPod nano wristwatch reminded us of those exchanges. We have taken up the suggestion and have started a series on Casio's new EDIFICE line. In creating the line, Casio managed to blend the versatility of multi-function features with the retro-look of analog dials, a mechanically-sophisticated combination typically available only on much more expensive watches. The key behind this is Casio's proprietary "multi-function drive" approach to powering the different... [more] -Casio EDIFICE EFR-516PB FirstLook
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June 27,2012- IKEA FLYTTA Cart... |
A stainless steel cart is a helpful thing to have in the kitchen. It is a rolling platform which provides extra storage and additional counter space where/when needed. We have been looking for one for some time. Last week, we found one on listed on Craigslist by some folks who are moving out of town. A little haggling and we were the new owner of this IKEA FLYTTA stainless steel kitchen cart.
As with all IKEA products, this FLYTTA is (relatively) simple to take apart, move, and reassemble. We didn't bring any power tools with us for the pick-up, so two of us spent about 30 minutes taking the cart apart. It was... [more] -IKEA FLYTTA Stainless Steel Cart
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June 26,2012- Sizing Up The Universe... |
Last August we wrote a piece called "Two Hundred Light Years." In it we discussed just how enormous is the known Universe using the "200-light year" metric. 200-light years is the distance traveled in space to date by the very first radio transmissions broadcasted on Earth. Similar to a two-dimensional ripple on a pond, this first broadcast rippled out into space, but as a 3-D bubble in every direction. The photo in that article showed just how far that distance is relative to the overall size of the galaxy of which Earth is a part, and there are hundreds of billions of other galaxies out there...
Most of us can relate to the numbers 100, 1,000, and even 1,000,000. They are numbers we can visualize and say "Yeah, I see what you mean." For most of us, though, it is difficult to get a sense of how large the numbers quadrillion, googol, and googolplex really are (apparently "gazillion" is not a real number). Instead, we have to use scales like... [more] -Sizing Up The Universe
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June 25,2012- Hampton Beach NH... |
The heat wave that had been steaming up New England finally broke on Friday with some impressive thunderstorms across the area. When it cleared, we took it as a sign to go for a drive. A search for goings on within the 1-hour driving radius pointed us to the the 12th Annual Master Sand Sculpting Competition at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire. When we saw that, we knew we had found our RainyDayDestination for the weekend.
The Hampton Beach exit was just at the border between MA and NH and it took us exactly an hour to get there on Rt 95. The vibe at Hampton Beach is 1950s Summer resort town complete with old-time arcades, fried-clam shacks, and a boardwalk which went for miles. A perfect... [more] -Sand Sculpting Competition: Hampton Beach, NH
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June 22,2012- Jardin plant supports... |
The Northeast is currently in the grip of some seriously hot weather. According to the forecast, cooler air will be moving in soon and relief should be here before the weekend is over. Because of all the rain in April and May, the RainyDayGarden has been especially lush this year.
While we enjoy having a verdant garden, we minimize watering if at all possible. Someday we will put in a soaker-hose system, but that's a maybe-in-a-coupla-years project. In the mean time, when we do water, we do it early (7AM) and enough in order to promote deeper root growth, not surface spread. Many of the perennials are well established and quite... [more] -Jardin Plant Supports
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June 21,2012- Hot Time Summer In The City... |
Yesterday was the Summer Solstice, or the first day of Summer. Normally the Solstice is on the 21st, but due to astronomical weirdness, it was on the 20th this year. Anyway, the temperature went from a comfortable 75º the day before to a sweltering 98º in less than twelve hours. It was as if someone said "Summer is here" and threw a switch.
What better way to enjoy the heat than to wait in line to see and smell a plant which entices its pollinators by mimicking the scent of rotting flesh? Super hot day, the odor of decay, it's a "can't miss" combination! We are, of course, talking about the Amorphophallus Titanum, otherwise known as “Corpse Flower,” which recently bloomed at the... [more] -Hot Time Summer In The City
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June 20,2012- Reviving the PC... |
If you got to the end of yesterday's post you know that, after spending an entire day reviving and configuring a 7-year old Compaq PC to use with the BlueChick, it refused to start up the next morning. We tried rebooting the Compaq using the Recovering CDs without success. The only thing that happened on power up was a repeating series of long beeps which, uh, beeped, repeatedly. A bit of research on the Compaq support site indicated that there was probably some kind of hardware failure, most likely the hard drive. (Some of the RainyDay staff indicated that it was the non-Apple-ness of the frigging' machine and thus refused to participate in this project, but that is for our "Rants page," which we don't have.)
The last time we really opened up a desktop PC was probably back in 2000. We remember the process as being a nightmare, which may explain why we have not attempted it since. However, PC construction apparently has progressed quite a bit since. For example, even this 2005 Compaq required no... [more] -CNC PC Recovery
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June 19,2012- CNC PC Setup... |
Getting the BlueChick CNC machine up and running is more than just assembling the deck. It requires wiring up the electronics, installing a host of software programs, and getting everything to work together. Over the weekend, we mounted and connected a few of the electronic components for interfacing the BlueChick with a computer. However, before we hook up the interface board to the CNC machine, we thought we should get the PC we will be using to run the CNC software up and running.
We have a bunch of ancient (more than 5-years old) WinTel laptops and towers sitting around doing nothing. Some of them were too old (Win95), but there were two Windows XT towers which looked to be suitable (PowerSpec, Compaq). The Compaq tower was purchased in 2005, and we have not used it for a few years. The last time we used it, we managed to completely mess it up trying to install an OS upgrade from HP. Fortunately, we still have the original HP/Compaq systems CDs, so we decided to... [more] -CNC PC Setup
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June 18,2012- BOB and SMD Setup... |
The movement of the router on BlueChick CNC machine is controlled by specialized software running on a PC. However, before the BlueChick and the computer can "talk" to each other that have to be connected up using a few pieces of electronics: a parallel port breakout board (BOB), and three stepper-motor drivers (SMDs). The BOB's purpose is to allow access to the individual pins on the cable connected to the computer; the SMD's job is to translate signals on those pins and use them to control the stepper motors on the CNC machine. This junction is where the digital world meets the real world.
There are many ways to mount the components. A wooden tray, as suggested in the video, is an easy way to hold everything. We happened to have a piece of 12"x12" 3/4" plywood laying around, so we used that. With its 3/4" thickness, we could use wood screws and... [more] -BOB and SMD Setup
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June 14,2012- Back to the BlueChick... |
We posted a series of RainyDayProject articles on the BlueChick CNC machine last August. The RainyDay office quickly came up with a bunch of projects over the Winter that involved the machine. Like all plans, they quickly went awry during the implementation phase. However, we have now/finally sorted things out and are getting back on track.
We have not been entirely remiss on the CNC build. For instance, we have been exploring various dust-collection options to use with it. We may go with a portable vacuum unit, or we may install a larger filtered system for the entire shop. Also, we have cleared a space and made available a workbench for the BlueChick. Additionally, since the BlueChick was designed with the Porta Cable 892 router in mind, after a bit of looking, we lucked out and acquired a Porta Cable 892 router on Craigslist at a great price. (In case you are wondering why the the Porter Cable, it has a cylindrical motor housing which contributes to the structural integrity of the z-axis assembly. The straight cylinder of the Porter Cable allows the unit to be held in place by two mounts. As a result, the router will be much sturdier in use. Routers with more complex housings are difficult to... [more] -Back To The BlueChick
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June 13,2012- Origami Design Secrets... |
Recently, we watched a great documentary on Netflix called "Between The Folds." The program was an exploration of all the ways where the ancient art of paper folding meet up with the modern world of science and mathematics. Watching the show brought to mind a book we have had on our shelf since 2004, but have not really taken the time to dive into, Origami Design Secrets by Robert Lang. Inspired by the movie, we decided to spend a day with the book and see what we could do.
Origami (ori meaning folding, gami meaning paper) started in Japan around the 17th century. However, it may also have evolved independently in other parts of the world. Regardless of where and when the art originated, systematic study of it did not occur until the 1980s. In 2003, Robert Lang published the definitive work, Origami Design Secrets, on the techniques and the mathematics behind this ancient art. In order to describe how the folds are executed, Lang introduced a set of... [more] -Origami Design Secrets
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June 12,2012- Otterbox iPad Defender v3.0... |
Last July we did a series on heavy-duty protection for the iPad2. One of the cases we looked at was the Otterbox Defender. When the new iPad came out, a few readers asked if the same Defender case would fit the latest Apple tablet. As the dimensions were the same, we thought it should work. When we pinged Otterbox to confirm, we were told that there were some changes and the case for the iPad2 would NOT fit the new iPad. However, Otterbox did say that they have updated the case and that their latest Defender will fit both the iPad2 and the newest iPad.
With each redesign of the Defender case, Otterbox has kept what worked and reworked what did not. The unit for the original iPad was ground-breaking with its multi-layer approach. The three-quarter case and split back were unnecessarily complicated. Also, the lack of a built-in stand was a glaring omission. Otterbox addressed all of those issues when they... [more]- Otterbox iPad Defender Case v3.0 FirstLook
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June 11,2012- FirstGrill 2012... |
Summer does not officially start at RainyDayMagazine office until after FirstGrill. On June 3rd, we combined our annual FirstGrill event with a graduation celebration for one of our RainyDayInterns, who just got her walking papers from RISD the day before. (Also, it was BookClub for at least one of the staff, although everyone was welcome).
FirstGrill 2012 featured meats from Morgan Ranch and Good Land Beef. To help with the griller-uppering, we added a "new-to-us" infrared unit from TEC in addition to the three other grills. With four grills available, we could dedicate one for vegetables, one to... [more]- FirstGrill 2012
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June 08,2012- RDG Update... |
The RainyDayGarden is at its most lush at the beginning of June. The May rain, combined with the 70º day-time temperature, is a signal for many perennials to flower. The peonies blooms began to open up about a week ago.
The pink peonies have very large blooms and a heady fragrance. The blooms are so heavy that they tend to overwhelm the stems. We have them in flower cages, but cages can only do so much to hold things up. In order to enjoy the blooms, we typically bring them inside and display them. In water, the flowers can last for up to... [more]- RDG Update
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June 7,2012- Cuisinart Grilling Tools... |
A good grill deserves good tools. Now that the TEC infrared grill is all cleaned up, we wanted to have some quality grilling tools to use with it. We compared a lot of different sets and finally settled on a stainless steel set from Cuisinart. The place with the best price? Everything Kitchens, of course.
We decided on the Cuisinart Grilling Tool Set for four reasons: first, Cuisinart's reputation; second, their quality—we have reviewed a few Cuisinart appliances (Griddler, Elite food processor, toaster oven) in the past and have found their quality to be excellent; third, the tools are stainless steel—we don't baby our gear and wanted something that could take a few hits without... [more]- Cuisinart Grilling Tools FirstLook
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June 6,2012- Hankook Ventus V12 evo K110... |
When we swapped out our Winter tires for the Summer ones a week or so ago, we noticed that the inside edges were quite worn. In examining our Summer tires, we noticed that they, too, had a similar wear pattern. The wear was not anywhere as bad as the snow tires, but enough that we decided to get things checked out.
After a bit of online investigation and chatting with Boxster owners on PedrosBoard, we have a better idea of the possible causes and potential solutions to the problem. Some PBers feel that the inside wear on all the tires was normal due to the negative camber of the Boxster. Others felt that the problem was not the camber, but the toe. Those unclear on the various alignment terms (camber, toe, caster, etc) should reference the excellent article posted on the Pelican Parts site. We could have the alignment checked, but would it matter given the current state of the wear? After some deliberation, we decided it was better to... [more]- Hankook Ventus V12 evo K110
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June 5,2012- Kryptonite Stronghold ITW... |
Locking things up on the streets of Boston is necessary if you want it to be there when you return. These days, the same is probably true everywhere. In 2008, we purchased a Vespa scooter to pop down to the village center. To secure the Vespa when it is parked outside the office, we installed a Kryptonite Stronghold above ground anchor into the concrete landing at the front.
Four years later, the Kryptonite Stronghold is still going strong. It is as secure as the day it was installed. The steel loop is rust-free and shiny. The NY Chain and the Evolution Series 4 disk lock have been outside right along with the Stronghold. After four years of daily exposure to the... [more]- Kryptonite Stronghold InTheWild
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June 4,2012- Franklin Park Zoo: Spring 2012... |
We started our Urban Safari series on January 1st at the Franklin Park Zoo (FPZ). We went back in early March and again at the end of May. It was interesting to see how how the FPZ and the animals change over the course of Spring.
The FPZ is open year-round. Many of the animals have no issues with the colder New England weather. Those which do are moved to indoor facilities for the duration and emerge when the temperature becomes more moderate. Animals like the bustard can stay outside all winter as long as they've access to... [more]- FPZ: Spring
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June 1,2012- FirstGrill: What we'll be serving... |
FirstGrill this year should be an especially tasty one. Besides the typical ribs, chicken, sausages, and other grilled meats, we will be featuring top quality steaks from two of America's premier ranches: Good Land Beef and Morgan Ranch. In addition, we will be introducing four new soda flavors from Sodastream to our guests.
Good Land Beef is the creation of ranchers Ken Klemm and Peter Thieriot. They ranch in Western Kansas and raise their animals in a sustainable way. Their goal is to offer healthful, tasty, grass-fed beef to consumers. Grass-fed beef is much higher in Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E than grain-fed beef. Of course, none of their cattle ever receive antibiotics or hormones to promote growth. It is more work to raise cattle this way, but Ken and Peter feel that... [more]- FirstGrill: What we will be serving
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