Tom Turnbull’s Notebook

New steel beam along 2nd floor ceiling

Originally uploaded by Tom Turnbull.

New steel beams and posts have been installed throughout the house. This 1890s structure will be stronger than it ever was. (The steel beam here is the darker piece with metal brackets holding it in place.)

Chinese made three-wheeled electric vehicleOriginally uploaded by sponge888.

The Oregonian profiles Portland’s EcoMotion car dealership in today’s paper. If I didn’t have kids, I would buy Zap Xebra (pictured here). With three wheels, it is categorized as a motorcycle and are not subject to the federal 25 MPH speed restriction (the golf cart rule). Plus, I really love the way it looks.

The price starts at $10,000. No more buying gas. The monthly charging cost is about $10.

It’s made in China, so I won’t swallow any paint chips

I want to visit the dealership on Sandy Boulevard. Wonder if I could make this work…

The article also provides a good overview of currently available and upcoming electric vehicles.

This is a great article in today’s Wall Street Journal. Paul Steigler is leaving his position as Managing Editor of the Wall Street Journal. The reality is that the papers suffered from wanting to have the best of both worlds. This paragraph from the piece, in large part, sums it up.

A bigger problem was that newspapers often sought to copy fairly closely on the Web what they did in print, rather than offer new products taking full advantage of digitization. The most creative new products came mainly from enterprises with little connection to newspapers. And soon, if you named almost any bit of data you used to rely on papers for — sports scores, weather, stocks, movie times — there were Web sites offering more information faster, and free.

The article doesn’t directly address classified ads. This incredibly profitable business has withered even more rapidly than other categories. Stabs at shoring up this business by developing internal products never worked out. CraigsList, eBay, Monster, and the like, ran circles around the papers. Betting the legacy business was too difficult.

As a news junkie and newspaper fan, I wish that I could have experienced the newspaper industry heyday. By the time I worked at the LA Times in the late nineties, the more talented and ambitious employees were looking to learn and move to the more lucrative start-up world.

This is an interesting blog post. I think that the potential shift in terms of where and how people will view television content (not to mention what they watch) is somewhat overstated here. These shifts, however logical, always take longer to play out in reality. Also, I can’t see three minute YouTube videos replacing truly professionally developed and produced programming.

I may start branching out from iTunes. Amazon.com is now selling DRM free music from three of the four major labels. Warner is the latest.

I’m more than happy to pay for my music and am proud (stupid?) to say that I have no illegal music among my collection. That being said, all things being equal, I would rather buy DRM free music to keep my device options open.

Update January 4: Sony just announced that they are selling DRM fee music.  All four majors are in.

Foundation in back to support new wall and back deck

Originally uploaded by Tom Turnbull.

Things are slowly moving along. This level represents the third level of foundation under the house. This portion is being built partially over the late 1890s foundation. Amazingly, we discovered an even older foundation. Log cabin?

Tom and electric car

Originally uploaded by Tom Turnbull.

Two electric cars at Portland, Oregon recharging station. I really really want one.

I like this one.

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. Also, this wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.  

Walls being framed on 2nd floor

Originally uploaded by Tom Turnbull.

New walls being framed on 2nd floor. Steel beams will arrive shortly. Opening to attic is visible in this picture. Stairs to attic (not visible) are under construction too.

Upstairs early view of floor plan and framing

Originally uploaded by Tom Turnbull.
Some early framing upstairs. Boards on the floor outline floor plan. Measurements for steel beams were being taken. Steel beams in 1890s home…cool.