Recent Posts
Burning Man 2019 Project
If you knew the likely cause of your death, what would you do? Mortorious counts the number of deaths in the United States, by cause, from the opening of the Gate for Burning Man 2019. Digital counters reveal mortality statistics along with 15 “cause-of-death” … [Read More...]
The Final Tally
Mike Case and I installed Bluster on August 25 at 7:00 pm. Then on September 3 at 10:00 am, 8 days and 15 hours later, I took the installation down. During that time, the column of air that blew by was 8,148,257 feet long. The top wind speed recorded was 38.5 … [Read More...]
Bluster’s Comment Book
At Burning Man I mounted a small twin-wire bound notebook on Bluster along with a Sharpie. Participants completely filled the notebook. Here is a PDF scan of its contents: Bluster Comment Book … [Read More...]
Bluster’s Lamppost
Bluster's lamppost is much taller than I had imagined! I'm very happy that I bought this instead of a short residential lampost from Home Depot. And buying a lamppost was much smarter than trying to build one. … [Read More...]
Cupcake Cafe 2018 Milestones
Here's what's left to prepare for Burning Man 2018. Last update: August 24, 2018. 16-foot Trailer I bought a new trailer to dedicate to Burning Man events. In the past I've used a 10-foot trailer, but because I use that trailer for other purposes, much … [Read More...]
Bluster’s Milestones
A simple project always looks more daunting after one lists its detailed milestones. Last update: August 22, 2018. And it's done! Anemometer I'm using a modified Adafruit Anemometer to sense the wind speed. The "zero-MPH" value of the original … [Read More...]
Burning Man 2018 Project
At Burning Man some participants bluster that they experience 60 to 70 MPH winds every day. "Bluster" is an anemometer constructed from a 13-foot commercial lamppost. The piece has an illuminated bargraph that shows the current wind speed and the peak wind … [Read More...]
Dusty Diner’s Juke-O-Matic
The Dusty Diner needs music! Diners of the 1950s had juke boxes filled with single-play records. "Wallboxes" on the tables of each booth let you play any of the songs by inserting a coin into a wallbox and pressing a pair of buttons corresponding to the song … [Read More...]
Dusty Diner Progress
Many thanks to Stacy who suggested the project name "Dusty Diner"! Platform Trike Options. The Worksman Cycles Model STPT front-loading Platform Trike has several options. I'm considering these: Parking Brake — to prevent it from rolling downwind … [Read More...]
Retro Pedicab
I'd like to bring an art car to Burning Man that looks like a 1950s diner and that will let me transport people on the playa while listening to popular 1950s songs. However, having an art car at Burning Man requires dealing with the Burning Man Department of … [Read More...]
After Burning Man 2017
Well, that was quite an adventure! After nine days in the desert running the theme camp "Cupcake Cafe" at Burning Man, I returned to the house exhausted but satisfied. I need to say that having excellent campmates makes it easier to run things. Here's how … [Read More...]
The TRAPPIST-1 Chord
Update: Since the original announcement, astronomers have obtained more accurate estimates of the planets' orbital periods, including the period of a seventh planet. This post has been updated with the new data. In February, 2017, astronomers announced that … [Read More...]
Architecture: Intimacy Gradient
I am inspired by architect Christopher Alexander's book A Pattern Language. One of its sections, Pattern 127 Intimacy Gradient, recommends ordering the spaces of a building so that public areas are closest to the entrance and private areas are more distant. … [Read More...]
