These entries were submitted via Email to the Undomesticated Cyclist blog during the Summer of 2021.

A Strange Feeling

I feel caught off guard, but I can’t really say why. It’s like I’ve been bluffing about the idea of riding across the country for so long, and then my bluff got called. It’s a feeling of disequilibrium. I really don’t know what this is going to feel like two weeks in. You know I don’t even have to do this – my life at home is more than comfortable. Why am I here on this plane?

I remember feeling undomesticated like this before. At age 24, I left California and drove East to a new job in Westchester County. Like now, I hadn’t a clue what it would be like, and my entire hone was in my car. It turns out the drive was the best part. Westchester and I never came to any kind of understanding, and six months later, I was a resident of Oregon.

I think this trip will go better, especially since I do return home at the end. The bike riding is not the really big deal about this trip. The big deal is living for a month with only the things I carry in these bags attached to the bike and not submitting to indoor accommodations every night.

Day 1: Kansas City Airport to Pleasant Hill, MO

Sunday, August 8, 2021, 54 miles (87 km) – Total so far: 57 miles (92 km)

You can’t make this stuff up. After a lovely send-off and goodbye kiss at the airport, my flight was delayed. While waiting, I had the good luck to see my bike getting loaded on the plane.

Back at the airport, there is more delay. I have my bike in hand at 1 am, and I drag it off to a corner to start reassembling. By 2 am I’m ready to roll, tires pumped back up, lights blinking. It is 80 degrees outside, and the rain is just arriving. The roads are deserted.

It’s a three-mile ride to the hotel. After two miles, the handling gets really soft, and there is a hissing sound. Then the rain finally arrives in great earnest glops. It is 80 degrees, and there I am, changing a tube in the dark and rain.

I rolled my bike through the lobby at 2:40 am, somewhat soaked. The night manager looks up but doesn’t say anything. So much for an early start tomorrow. But I have my bike, and I’m free to go in the morning.

Day 2: Pleasant Hill to Windsor, MO

Monday August 9, 2021, 52 miles (84 km) – Total so far: 109 miles (175 km)

The Rock Island trailhead was just a couple of miles from the campground. It was a straight run to Windsor through farm country. The track is lined with trees giving some shade as the temperature pushed up to 95 in the afternoon. In the morning, I ran into these guys from Missouri State Parks. Their job was to do a “trail run” with their truck every Monday to clear downed branches and maintain gates. Their work meant the entire trail was in perfect condition.

Windsor is in Amish country. As I lay on my sleeping bag hours after dark, I could still hear the clip-clopping of horse-drawn carts going back and forth along the lane in front of Katy-Rock Junction camping where I stayed. Nice place for an overnight stay.

I felt stronger at the end of the day than I did yesterday. I’m most tired in my arms from supporting my body while riding. The heat just wraps around you. The overnight low was 81.

Day 5: Tebbetts to Marthasville, MO

Thursday, August 12, 2021, 54 miles (87 km) – Total so far: 289 miles (465 km)

Tebbetts is one of many towns on the Katy Trail where there were just a handful of buildings left in the station area, and those were all shut except for the post office, open 2 hours a day. The Turner shelter stands out because of its big sign in front and also because it comes from a big heart, Mrs. Leone Turner, who donated the building for use by youth groups and trail users. The guest log goes back 20 years. I had the whole place to myself. It was a very welcome refuge from the heat. $5 per person per night.

There was a restaurant across the street located in the old bank building.  There seemed to be another riverfront town every 10 miles or so. Each one had an old bank, long gone.

Day 13: Cincinnati to Morrow, OH

Friday, August 20, 2021, 56 miles (90 km) – Total so far: 771 miles (1,241 km)

It was a 15-mile ride from my hosts’ home through suburban towns that gradually transitioned to inner-city neighborhoods. Once across the vast rail yard that bisects the city I jumped on a wide bike lane the led straight downtown.

The Ohio to Erie trail starts at Cincinnati’s beautiful front porch park along the Ohio River. I saw a pair of cyclists just finishing a ride from Cleveland. It was a little tricky at the start to get from the Ohio River trail to the Little Miami trail, but once there, I had left crazy world and will be immersed in fantasy bike trail land for the next 5 days. Like the Katy Trail, the separation from road traffic is almost total. Unlike Katy Trail, the Ohio to Erie is paved, and there are lots of people on it. I passed half a dozen eateries on my way to Morrow. I finished at Morgan’s, a canoe outfitter that offers camping on the banks of the very clean and beautiful Little Miami River.

Day 20: Westfield to North Tonawanda, NY

Friday August 27, 2021, 80 miles (129 km) – Total so far: 1,398 miles (2,250 km)

This was probably the last long, tough day of my trip. It’s warm and humid, and there was a headwind that kept me down in the drops for much of the day. And a lot of miles to cover. I could have broken these two days into three to have less distance to travel, but there isn’t enough attraction here to spend extra time.

There are three routes that trace the lake shore: I-90, US 20, and state route 5. I took the latter because it was the smallest, but by mid-day, it was two lanes in each direction. Fortunately, there was a generous shoulder the whole way so everyone could pass me with lots of space.

The one highlight was the beaches: Evangola State Park after second breakfast and Woodlawn Beach State Park after lunch. The water was perfect and clear, and the warm sand invited indolence.

And then I rode through Buffalo. They are really trying to create bike routes to traverse the city, but there were a bunch of puzzling detours due to construction.

I finished my day at the Royal Motel and Campground, which was full of huge RVs and one tent camper, and me. It wasn’t pleasant or unpleasant and certainly not royal, but at least I had a corner site by myself for sleeping outdoors in the clean air. That lasted until about 12:30 am when the manager sold my site to a second tent camper. They had their car headlights shining on my sleeping spot until they had their tent set up. I left the next morning before my site-mate, or anyone else in the place woke up.

Day 24: DeWitt to Marcy, NY

Tuesday August 31, 2021, 51 miles (82 km) – Total so far: 1,628 miles (2,620 km)

I got a late start. The skin rash seemed better already, but I went out in the morning to get some antihistamines, and I stayed at the EconoLodge until check-out time to give them a chance to start taking effect.

On the trail again, I was thinking about the mosquitoes. The Erie Canal was built in 3 phases. The original 1820 canal was widened around 1850, then in the 1920s it was replaced by the Erie Barge canal, which was much wider and deeper and followed a different path over much of the route. The trail often follows the historic canalway, and this has become bracken water or wetland forest in places.

My thought was that this was good habitat for mosquitoes. Later in the day, the path rejoined the new barge canal, and I was hoping there would be fewer mosquitoes here.

I passed through Rome and visited Fort Stanwix, originally built in 1754 to defend the colony in the French and Indian war. It was rebuilt from archeological findings in 1976. This national monument is really well done.

I landed for the night at the Lock 20 camping area for cyclists and boaters at Marcy. There was no potable water, but a boater had some extra water to share with me. The mosquitoes were bad again, shredding my theory about the big canal being a poor breeding ground. I slept in my tent on the deck of a covered pavilion which seemed to be a little less infested than the open grassy areas.

Last Day: Medway to Plymouth, MA

Monday September 6, 2021, 61 miles (98 km) – Total so far: 1,971 miles (3,172 km)

This was a beautiful day and a worthy bike ride to finish my big outing. Overnight showers gave way to a sunny morning with a few puffy clouds drifting by.

After saying goodbye to family in Medway, I continued my tour of suburban Massachusetts roads, heading southeast.

When I was a kid, we used to have a tattered atlas of local roads floating around in the back seat of both family cars. This wasn’t just for navigating the last mile – the detailed atlas was needed for the whole trip. Roads in Massachusetts don’t go straight, and they often don’t last more than a mile before ending in a confusing Y or T junction or just changing the name without reason. Even-numbered state roads seem to start and end in the middle and can’t be trusted to lead you where you want to go.

Now, of course, you just enter the address in google maps, and it figures out several optimized routes you can choose from. My day consisted of blindly following a sequence of fifty turn directions. Every town has its own Maple, Church, Center, and Main Streets. Every town also has its own Donut Shop, making this a nearly perfect place to ride a bike. The roads led through oak forests dotted with small farms, continuously lined with suburban homes large and small and almost all beautifully maintained, in contrast to the midwest states I rode through three weeks ago.

In the afternoon, the oak forests gave way to cranberry bogs and pine barrens. This is a unique ecosystem in coastal southeast Massachusetts. I rode through Myles Standish State Forest, another of the most beautiful places. Dad says we camped here when I was a kid, but I don’t remember it specifically.

Google maps wasn’t entirely clear on how to get through Myles Standish State Forest and kept wanting me to ride down a scrubby track into the Pitch Pine forest. There were a few extra miles to find a meandering route through the park. Once through, five more miles brought me to Dad’s home and the end of the ride.

Epilogue

Monday, September 13, 2021

Today marks one week since I rolled up to my family’s house in Plymouth. Today is the day I finally dunked my body into the Atlantic at Race Point Beach on Cape Cod. Now I have swum off both coasts in the same summer.

So how was this bike tour? Just like how I couldn’t give a reason why it was appealing for me to do it at the beginning, now I can’t think of a way to sum it up. It was great and bad at times. It was too long and too short. I was ready to finish a week ago. I wish I could ride some more.

Ok, maybe talk about some details. For me, a 50-mile ride is a long ride. I have done a few of these as day trips, usually with my kid, who is a big road cyclist. On this tour, I averaged over 60 miles a day every day for a month. It wasn’t hard because this is all I did from breakfast to dinner and sometimes after, seven days a week. My body felt tired after riding 300 miles in four days, and I felt rested and fresh after riding just 130 miles in the previous three days.

The really big aspect of this tour was not all the miles or the time spent on the bike. It was the near-complete separation from my normal life. I like my normal life, so it’s kind of goofy to separate from it, but it did ease most of the usual responsibilities. These were replaced by more primal things like where am I going to sleep tonight, and what can I find to eat. 6 hours of cycling burns 3000-4000 calories. I ate 4-5 meals a day.

Physically my body did fine. The first week was the hardest, and I felt the most discomfort on day 2 in my arms. My lower back threatened to spasm into pain that week but it fell in line with some gentle stretches and a little cognitive override to hold my pelvis on the correct orientation while pedaling. By week 3, it was no longer any concern at all. One knee thought about aching on the medial side, which seemed normal because I was not doing my usual knee routine at the gym that keeps this pain away. The skin rash that attacked me in Syracuse was easily diagnosed from the symptoms alone after a few days: poison ivy on arms and stomach. It’s a mystery how I was exposed, and I’m assuming it was an airborne source that stuck to my wet shirt and sun sleeves and was held there all day until I washed my clothes. It’s almost completely gone now.

How about the route? The long bike trails were great, even the Erie Canalway with 150 miles of mosquitoes in the middle. I liked all those miles of not having to share a road with cars and trucks.

What was the best state? Massachusetts. Such beautiful scenery and the cars are more savvy on how to be cool while passing a bike. Least favorite state? Southern Illinois. The only reason to be there on a bike is to ride to somewhere better.

Any epiphanies? Sure. I just don’t know what they are. Would I do it again? Not sure about that. The summertime road life was fun for a whole month but it was too long to be away from my wife and the kids.

So that’s it. It was an experience I’ll remember and appreciate, even if I can’t say why.

A lot of people think borrowing money is a sign of weakness, but it can actually be an act of strength. Borrowing money from the right money lender Singapore with the right terms at the right time can help you achieve your goals faster than if you had saved up all that money yourself. Borrowers often find themselves in this situation because they don’t have enough liquid cash on hand to pay for certain expenses or pay off their debt.

If you’re considering borrowing some money, here are 9 things to know before doing so:

Know your credit score

Check your credit score. This is known to be one of the most important steps to take before borrowing money because it will indicate how much cash you can borrow and from whom.

Non-traditional lenders might offer better rates for borrowers with below-average credit scores who might not qualify for a loan through a traditional lender. Lenders like Western Sky, for instance, offer loans that don’t require a credit check–and they’re available to people who other lenders have turned down.

You should also know if you’re eligible to be a guarantor of a loan. This is when someone agrees to take on responsibility for a loan if the borrower defaults. For instance, if you co-sign for someone else’s payday loan, you’ll be held responsible if they don’t pay.

Only borrow what you can afford.

Sometimes, borrowing too much money at once can come back to haunt you in unexpected ways–especially when there are recurring fees and interest rates that keep adding up every month.

Before taking out a car title loan or any other kind of loan, ask yourself: “Is this reasonable?” If not, it’s probably best to start saving or wait until you have enough money to cover your expenses without having to resort to high-interest loans. Titlelo.com can help you instantly turn your car into cash with simple title loan application processes.

Understand the interest rates and fees

When you borrow money, it’s important to understand the interest rates and fees associated with your loan.

Personal loans, for instance, typically come with an APR of 16 to 24%. Some credit cards carry APR rates as high as 29% or more. On the other hand, most commercial vehicle title loans often come with much lower rates, usually hovering around 8%. If you’re not sure what the terms are for your loan, find out before you sign on the dotted line.

There are also late payment penalties, which can include a fee of up to $25 or more. You might want to avoid paying this fee by setting up automatic payments every month through your checking account or PayPal.

Consider what you’re borrowing the money for

It would be ideal if you considered what you’re borrowing the money for before applying for a loan. Some people borrow money to pay off their bills, and others borrow money so they can travel and go on vacation. But some people borrow money so they can do something nice for somebody else. Doing this can feel like an act of love and kindness, and it might provide a sense of peace and happiness too.

Consider how much you can repay monthly.

The amount of money you can repay depends on your income. For example, if you have a good job, you might be able to afford to repay up to $1,000 a month. If you’re new in the workforce and don’t have a high-paying job yet, then going for a smaller loan that will be an easier repayment each month–say, $200 or so–makes sense.

You’ll also want to take into account how much money you have coming in each month after taxes are taken out. This figure is called net pay. It’s the amount of cash left over after paying taxes and other deductions from your paycheck.

If this number isn’t very high, it might not be wise to take out a large payday loan or cash advance because you might not be able to repay it when your next paycheck arrives.

Be wary of predatory lenders.

Some people get taken advantage of by unscrupulous companies who prey on their desperation and willingness to pay whatever price just so they can meet their financial obligations.

Some companies insist that borrowers have a job or can prove they have enough income coming in before they take out payday loans–even if the borrower is receiving disability benefits. If this happens to you, it’s best not to borrow money from these lenders because many reputable lenders don’t do this.

Ensure to read all the fine print before signing anything.

You should always make sure to read all of the fine print before signing anything. Many people think they understand what they’re getting into when they sign an agreement but later find out that they didn’t fully understand all of the terms and conditions.

It’s easy for lenders to hide sneaky fees in the fine print, like being charged excessive late fees if you do happen to be late on your payment date.

Beware of predatory lenders who might say things like “We’ll do anything so you can have some money” or “Just sign here, and everything will be okay.” These are red flags that show how these companies are trying to trick people into borrowing more than they realize.

Look for lenders who will offer flexible repayment options.

Some people might think they can only get a loan with a fixed repayment period, but some lenders will offer flexible repayment options. You might want to look for these lenders so you can have the flexibility of paying your money back over time rather than in one lump sum.

This can be helpful when you’re trying to repay debt with loans that have short-term obligations–for example, if you have a mortgage or car loan that needs to be repaid quickly. This gives you the option of paying small monthly installments without incurring penalties for late payments.

Avoid taking out multiple loans at once

You should avoid taking on too many loans simultaneously because this can make it difficult to manage all your payments and still make ends meet. If you need to take out a loan, wait until your existing loans have been paid off before taking on another one.

Around the world, people are suffering from sleep deprivation. Studies show that about 1 out of 3 people suffer from chronic insomnia, and up to 50% of all adults experience occasional sleeplessness. Sleep is essential for physical and mental well-being. The quality of your sleep affects your concentration, mood, weight, and more. The right tools can help you monitor the quality of your sleep while also providing solutions to improve it.

1. How to monitor your sleeping patterns 

One of the most convenient ways to monitor your sleeping patterns is by wearing a sleep-tracking device around your wrist or around your neck. These devices, one of which is Whoop, are available at many different price points, each with its own features and accessories. Some sleep monitors only track the duration of deep sleep, while others also track REM sleep periods. Heart rate tracking is another useful feature that can be found in some models. Another way to monitor your sleeping patterns is by using a smartphone app such as Sleep Cycle, which monitors your movements as you sleep and wakes you up during the lightest phase of your sleep cycle, so you feel more refreshed in the morning – plus it’s free. You can also search for sleep apps that offer features like soundscapes to help you fall asleep faster. Finally, there are tests that measure electrical activity in the brain and muscles to determine whether you have been getting enough quality sleep during the night. The test, called an actigraph, is typically performed in a sleep lab, and results are recorded over several nights. The report you receive will indicate whether your brain activity is optimal for deep or REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, along with information about the quality of your sleep.

2. The importance of sleep 

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, poor sleep could be responsible for at least 50,000 deaths each year. Sleep is a time when your body restores itself and strengthens your immunity against illness and disease. A chronic lack of sleep will weaken your immune system, which doesn’t help if you have allergies or any other medical condition that requires you to stay well-rested in order to avoid relapses. One key factor in this is an insufficient amount of sleep can unleash chemicals called cytokines on the body which markedly lower the ability of killer cells (called natural killers) to kill invading invaders, which leaves more opportunities available for diseases like pneumonia or flu to take hold. If you don’t get enough sleep, it will increase your risk of developing high blood pressure, heart attack, or stroke.

3. Improve the quality of your sleeping patterns 

One of the most common mistakes people make is sleeping in a room that’s too warm. A cool bedroom can help you fall and stay asleep. Other factors to consider: take care of your sleep schedule and don’t make compromises about it unless absolutely necessary. Sleep experts from Sleep Advisor suggest avoiding smartphones, tablets or other devices within an hour of going to bed.

Blue light emitted from these screens can interfere with a good night’s rest. Keep your bedroom quiet and dark for optimal sleep, so consider using earplugs if you’re a light sleeper. Lastly, don’t drink alcohol within four hours of bedtime, as it can interfere with the quality of sleep.

Sleeping is essential to physical and mental well-being. The quality of your sleep affects your concentration, mood, weight, and more. The right tools can help you monitor the quality of your sleep while also providing solutions to improve it.

Thanks to today’s technological advancements, everyone who wants to learn a skill or acquire new knowledge and expertise in any field they wish can do so in the comfort of their own homes. Gone are the days that you must file sabbaticals or longer leaves to pursue your studies. Many people have been learning many different skills and knowledge that they use in their careers or gain more sources of income using the skills they learned online.

Many people have seen the potential of these edtech startups in transforming the face of education around the world. Thus, many are using them for their educational benefit. Here are the six best edtech startups in the USA, as acknowledged by many people.

Course Hero

It is an online learning hub that is very useful for many college students because they will come out more prepared than ever, thanks to the wide range of online courses and test preparation programs available. What makes them so unique is that they offer a lot of study materials for different subjects and courses, from the small campuses in your state all the way to the top universities, such as Oxford, Cambridge, and Harvard.

Masterclass

It is an online platform allowing users to learn from the best experts online. They offer online classes in different categories that users will love. Through Masterclass, they can learn television writing from Shonda Rhimes, cooking from Gordon Ramsay, the basics of photography from Annie Leibovitz, and so much more. With their years of experience, learning the basics from the experts has never been so insightful.

Teachers Pay Teachers

Dubbed as the “Etsy of education,” this is an online marketplace where teachers and other educators buy and sell the resources needed in their classes. Ranging from worksheets, educational resources, and many others, more teachers, have used this for their classroom needs. Nowadays, it is said that more than 70% of the teachers in the US, Canada, and Australia have benefitted from the platform.

Pay to Write Essays

This is another platform where students can buy essays that they need for their academic requirements. With paytowriteessays, they have a team of highly qualified academic writers who can help you out with your research paper or essay that you can use to submit as your requirement in any of the subjects. Most of their writers are college professors and instructors, so you can be sure that the essays you buy from them will be professionally done.

Duolingo

If you study another language, you are probably familiar with Duolingo and its iconic parrot. This is a platform where everyone can learn a foreign language for free, complete with many updated resources and activities that will help you practice your acquired language skills in the comfort of your own home. What’s more, you can also download the app on Play Store or Apple Store to learn consistently anytime, anywhere.

Coursera

This list will not be complete without Coursera. Like Course Hero, it offers online classes from a wide range of universities, from smaller ones all the way to the big boys, such as Stanford and Duke, all in an open online format. Aside from the wide range of universities, the platform also offers various fields to study, from sciences to arts and other subjects and courses. Coursera also employs different learning methods, such as video lectures, discussion forums for students, and auto-graded homework.

Our Takeaway

Thanks to technology, more people now have access to education with different platforms catering to their needs. These edtech startups have successfully met the balance between the innovations of today and the thirst for the education of yesterday and beyond.

Auto insurance is a necessity for any teenager who wants to get behind the wheel. But, not all teenagers know what they are getting into when it comes to auto insurance. Many teens believe that driving without car insurance is safer than carrying it because paying premiums can be expensive. There’s less risk involved in accidents with other cars if one has no coverage at all. The truth is, you never want to drive without car insurance because this leaves you vulnerable in many ways! This blog will discuss why you should buy the best auto insurance for teens and its benefits.

Why Should Teenagers Have Auto Insurance?

Auto insurance for teenagers helps to protect them from many risks involved in driving. Teenagers are more likely than adults to speed, drive while fatigued or impaired, and not wearing a seatbelt. Besides this, one of the significant reasons you must have auto insurance for teens is the teenage cell phone use statistics. Fifty-two percent of teenagers talk on a cell phone, and 32% of adolescents text while driving, resulting in more chances of crashing than adults.

Advantages Of Auto Insurance For Teens

 1.  Comprehensive Coverage

Auto insurance is essential for teens when they start driving and choosing the best car insurance policy can be tricky. They are more prone to accidents due to inexperience and lack of skill and an increased likelihood of being involved in a collision because their risk-taking tendencies may lead them into situations that cause accidents.

For these reasons, teenagers must have coverage on the car they use, as well. Comprehensive coverage is the most important type of auto insurance for a teen driver because it protects against accidents they may experience due to things out of their control – like weather and vandalism. Comprehensive policies cover everything from snowfalls and hail damage up to being stolen or vandalized by someone else.

2. Liability Insurance

Liability insurance is a form of coverage that protects you and your family members from injury or damages caused by other people’s actions. For example, suppose somebody rear-ends your car in an intersection because they were not paying attention to their surroundings. In that case, liability coverage will help pay for any repairs made to your vehicle. Liability also covers medical costs related to the incident and any other damages incurred as a result.

3. Collision Coverage

If you’re a young driver, collision coverage can be used to repair or replace your car. This is important because as a new driver in the United States, statistics show that you are much more likely to file an insurance claim for damage due to collisions than any other type of incident. Collision coverage also protects against “comprehensive” hazards like fire and vandalism–something else that your parents’ policy may not cover.

4. Personal Injury Protection

PIP coverage pays medical bills for your passenger if you are at fault in an accident. This can be worth up to $15,000 per person and up to a total of $30,000. You’ll also have coverage for any passengers that were not initially named on the policy, like family members or friends who come with you when you’re driving their car.

This is one-way auto insurance that covers more than just damage done by accidents; it also helps pay for injuries sustained by people other than the driver (like passengers). PIP coverage will typically reimburse costs such as doctor visits, emergency room treatment, therapy sessions, and even funeral expenses.”

5. Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Underinsured Motorist Coverage protects against what is called “gap insurance.” Gap Insurance (or coverage) protects you from the difference between your medical expenses and how much the other person’s auto insurer pays. For example, if you have a $500 deductible on your auto policy but are injured in an accident where it takes $5000 of rehabilitation to get back to 100% mobility, that additional 5000 would be out-of-pocket for you without gap insurance. Luckily with Underinsured Motorist Coverage, those gaps will be covered up to the limit specified in your policy as well!

Summing Up on Teen Auto Insurance

Everyone knows the pros and cons of auto insurance for teenagers. The low rates, high deductibles, limited coverage can make it a tough decision to purchase this type of insurance for one’s child under 18 years old. But with so many advantages that come with teen car insurance policies – such as special discounts and regulations just for them – there are usually more benefits than drawbacks when deciding whether or not to invest in protection against major accidents. 

There is no question; teens need good enough protection from their negligence should they cause an accident while driving without any help from others on the road. Here are five common reasons why purchasing an inexpensive car insurance policy for your teenager might be worth considering.

The invention of the radio as a broadcasting medium in the latter years of the 1800s is one of those moments that can truly be said to have changed the world. Radio communication is ubiquitous today and forms the core of all of our communication networks. There were three distinct wavelength groups in the early days of commercial radio: longwave, mediumwave and short wave. 

This article talks about shortwave radio, what it is and who uses it, and supplies some tips to those who want to begin using shortwave. Let’s start with an explanation of the name. 

What is Shortwave Radio?

Radio travels in waves. This was discovered in the 19th century by several remarkable scientists, chief among whom was Guglielmo Marconi, now accredited as the ‘inventor’ of the broadcast radio. Radio waves are a part of the radio frequency spectrum. So, why shortwave?

If you want to learn all about shortwave radio, there are plenty of resources available online where you’ll find more details than we’ve got space for, but summarise a couple of things first. Shortwave radio refers to radio waves shorter than 1500kHz. There are advantages to shortwaves not found in the other wavelengths, notably the ability to broadcast over long distances.

This is why radio fans use shortwaves as a hobby form of broadcasting. However, it is also used by aircraft and vessels at sea and numerous emergency services worldwide. In many countries – notably those in the developing world – the radio stations listened to for entertainment are often shortwave, unlike those in the developed work that tends to be a medium wave. Who uses shortwave radio and why? 

Who Uses Shortwave Radio?

The history of shortwave radio is an interesting one that brings up many interesting facts, such as the use of shortwave by Russian President Mikhail Gorbachev, who, when faced with an attempted coup and cut off from all usual communications, kept up to date via the BBC World Service which broadcast on shortwave.

Today, these wavelengths are mainly used for maritime communications, police radio bands, and similar, and many thousands of radio enthusiasts worldwide use the system as a hobby. Many amateur stations broadcast, and an enthusiast – or radio ham – will spend his or her time browsing the wavelengths for broadcasts, much as we browse the internet.

Radio transmitter sets can be purchased surprisingly cheaply, and it is – for many people – an addictive and yet rewarding hobby. Through the wavelengths, you will find many curious broadcasts, including the famous and somewhat mysterious ‘MDZhB’ – or ‘The Buzzer’ – which originates from Russia, and for which the real purpose remains open to speculation (if you want to listen to the short, strange tone it repeatedly broadcasts you can find it at 4625 and 4810kHz).

How to Get the Best Out of Shortwave Radio

The future of shortwave radio is long-term as it remains one of the few broadcasting methods over thousands of miles. Most radio enthusiasts will create a ‘radio shack’ in which their equipment is situated, which becomes their home from home. Some have quite sophisticated equipment, while others use simple radio receivers and transmitters, often built from kits. Here are a few tips that you may want to note if you are looking at joining the band of enthusiasts using shortwave:

Check for RFI

Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) is one of the main problems experienced by ham radio users. RFI is interference from electrical items such as plasma TVs and power sources for computers, and even the regular mains AC outlet. RFI is a background noise that makes listening to shortwave – which can be difficult in certain conditions anyway – even more difficult. The fewer extra electrical items in your shack or home, the better.

Find an Open Space

Another problem with shortwaves is that they can be badly affected by buildings and other solid objects. This is why many enthusiasts use a portable shortwave device if they live in a built-up area. To get around the problem of distorted reception, head to an open space free from buildings, and you will find reception to be much improved.

Create a Wire Antenna

If you are looking for better reception, a length of wire and a crocodile clip can become a useful and efficient aerial. Attached to the reception port of the receiver, you should play around with it to discover the optimum length for the best reception.

Listen with Headphones

As reception can be poor – see the reasons described above – listening with headphones is highly recommend. These are affordable items now that just about every smartphone is supplied with a set of earbud headphones.

That’s all for now, so if you are thinking of getting into amateur radio, enjoy!

In Portland, Oregon, we thought we would become a climate change paradise. Blessed with 150 days of rain per year, a cool maritime climate, and a low population, we looked at reports of warming weather and rising oceans as a distant problem for our sympathy.

That changed on June 24, 2021, when record-setting heat baked our region, killing 116 people and leaving our green landscape desiccated. In one short week, sleepy rainy Portland became the center of climate change in the United States.

It is easy for us to see the visible effects of warming. A sea-level city, most parts of Portland have an outstanding view of Mt Hood, 11,249 feet, just fifty miles away. Hood stays glaciated year-round. Ski season runs well into August. So in Portland, all you need to do is look at the mountain to see the rapid shifts of the melting glaciers.

What happened in June was not as much warming over three days. There was abnormally low rainfall in the preceding three months. This left the soil dryer than usual. When the long days of June arrived, the dry soil could not release the level of moisture needed to become local rain clouds. Without the normal rain clouds to moderate the direct sunlight, the 16 hours of June sun raised the heat of the stagnant air of Oregon’s inter mountain valleys.

The average daily high for Portland in June is 78 °F.

Before 2021 the record high was 107 °F.

On Saturday, June 26, the record was broken at 108 °F. Sunday 112 °F. Monday 116 °F.

In three record-setting days, the weather records for 100 years were broken three times. The new high-temperature record was 9°F higher than the previous record, and 40°F higher than average. 116 People died. Portland joined Las Vegas and Phoenix as the third record high for a major US city. Portland now has the highest temperature record of any city in the world north of the 45th parallel.

1. Understand what Drives Global Warming

No one knows the true driver of Climate Change, and anyone who claims to know is being mind-numbingly simplistic. But simply because the exact mechanism is not known does not mean you should not take steps.

There is clear evidence that climate change is linked to human population growth. We could quickly solve the entire problem by reducing the world population to the same as 200 years ago – the year 1820 – when the population was about 1 billion people.

Also in 1820 for the first time more than 50% of children in England lived past the age of 5. The C-Section of giving birth was invented in the 1600s. It took 200 years for the operation to be performed in a way that the woman giving birth lived through it. In 1820 – in an operation performed by a woman dressed as a male doctor. In 1820 women were not allowed to vote, because most people (including women) felt that women were not capable of becoming educated enough to vote responsibly. Finally, in 1820, the average life expectancy in the US was 28 years. So in a 1 billion person world, gentle reader, you are well beyond your expiration date.

The exact mechanism by which humans cause Climate Change is not known. Leading human-related candidates are CO2 emissions, methane emissions from our food animals, and deforestation. The leading non-human candidates are volcanism and sunspots (solar storms). Clearly, our planet is a series of massive systems in stasis; our ice caps drive weather, which causes wind and tides. If the weather were to change, systems that have been stable for millennia become unstable. The instability will make us uncomfortable.

2. Define your Role in this Battle

Your first and primary step is to define your role in this battle. You are perfectly free to state that climate change is based on volcanoes, sun spots, or is not happening at all. You are free here in Portland to not look up at our ever-present Mount Hood, to stay inside on warm days, and not to have a garden that becomes notably parched. You are equally free to join the Flat Earth society and fly to Flat Earth events on airplanes that circle the globe.

While Al Gore and Greta Thunberg can inspire you, acting like them will expose you to criticism that wastes your time and energy. You do not need to be a leader. Somewhere in the middle is an area to find a comfortable role. Today it seems altogether normal that women think and mature the same as men. One hundred years ago, women were considered so ill-adapted to education that the US became only the 22^nd country to allow women to vote. In US Elections for the first 140 years – women could not vote. If you stated today what politicians and scientists said in those times, you would be fired from your job and laughed out of the bar (by the woman bartender!)

Acknowledge that the world is changing, that the mechanism is not entirely clear, and that the people can make individual efforts to address the change will make you a groundbreaking revolutionary. As others around you change their thinking, it is better to be a voice of the future, and not an idiot from the past.

3. Encourage Corporate Responsibility

Google proudly displays “Carbon Neutral since 2007” on their web page. You see it every day. This does not mean that Google is Climate Neutral, their staff does not use energy, or Sergey Brin has given up flying to Davos. It simply means that Google has made a slight shift to ensure the power they directly use is created using green energy or offset by carbon dioxide mitigating procedures.

Exxon has spent 40 years denying and fighting climate change, only to now turn around and embrace it. If you stay away from the judgment that one part is wrong and the other part is good, you can come to understand the breadth and power of this remarkable shift in perspective by a corporate giant. Surely as individuals and small business owners, we can quietly make our shift. There is no need to commit, over-promise or launch at wild targets. Instead, just as we slowly shift vendors, work styles, and office locations over time, we can also choose to support carbon-neutral or climate-enhancing efforts deliberately.

4. Subsidize Green Alternatives

Like Google, here in the US, you can choose green energy from your electricity supplier. Unfortunately, it costs a little more right now. In theory, if oil goes to a higher price, green energy pricing will stay stable. Solar roofing and solar panels are impractical but improving. Support the people who are testing this technology. Turn your thermostat down, learn the value of walking rather than driving. Each small step is a simple choice.

Look into getting a solar inverter. A solar energy inverter’s advantages are inherent to the system as a whole. No solar power produced by your panels may be used to power your home without an inverter! They handle power feeding back into the electrical grid and/or a solar battery in addition to converting the energy from your solar panels. They make up a considerable amount of the system’s cost.

Nothing you can do today will have a real effect. Giving up meat, living in the cold or heat, driving an electric car with a super toxic lithium battery will not produce change. But change will happen because of the collective actions of many individuals. Take time to find and educate yourself, and remember, that yourself is the only thing that you can change. Do not tell other people what to do; it annoys them, and is toxic for you. Change yourself, and they can change by your experience.

5. Be Patient and Persistent

The headlines harp about “Atlantic Current Stalling” or “We must take action now to stop it”. These click-bait headlines are as ignorant as the women cannot be educated so they cannot vote, flat earth society, global conference. The Atlantic current may stall in 300 years, but you will have to live to be 150 to know whether it will happen. In 100 years there will still be glaciers on Mt Hood, the tide will still go out in Miami, and Portland will still have rain 150 days a year.

You can harass your local government today, but the high-temperature next year will not change.

In 2020 we participated in an amazing real-world experiment. Because of COVID, nearly the entire industrial world went many months in lockdown. Factories were shut. Cars were idle. For more than a year, restaurants, theaters, cruise ships, and airlines ran at minimal levels.

So what was the effect on climate change? None!

A year of lockdown for the industrial world is insufficient to budge one data point off climate change. The climate is so huge, our individual efforts are like a mouse trying to herd an elephant.

Your serenity and peace will come when you review your role. You need not be a leader, and you need not be morbidly stupid. If you are open and willing to make an effort when possible then great things are ahead for you.

Summary

There is a technological solution to climate change on the horizon. Just as a world of COVID shutdown did not affect the global climate, we are on the verge of new technologies that may begin to make a change. For example, Norway is backing an approach to decrease Global CO2 levels using carbon storage technology. Dubai has released a drone army to create a wetter microclimate for their sunny city. A similar drone effort in Portland may have cooled our days in June to preserve the previous 107F record.

For the rest of your life and the life of everyone you know, our climate will get warmer. This is set not just in stone but in the climate, which has proved to be even more enduring than stone. In addition, things we thought were stable, like Portland’s 150 days of rain a year, are now unstable and changing before our eyes. We cannot stop this. But we can accept it, learn about it, and make a positive contribution through individual choices.

School is not just walls. However, you must admit that I would like to study at a school with large windows, spacious classrooms and an unusual design. It is important to not only gain knowledge, write essays with an essay editor, or get grades. School is the foundation of outlook and communication with the outside world.

We have collected 7 schools – works of architectural thought. I want to come to them every day and even stay a little longer after lessons.

1. Denmark, Ørestad High School

Urban spacious gymnasium in a developing area of Copenhagen, where children from 15 to 20 years old study. The main principle of the school is the absence of classes and the openness of space. Schoolchildren study the humanities, art, media communications here. The heart of the building is a staircase, along which each student walks 5-6 times a day, a place of communication and new acquaintances. Despite the fact that there are no classes, the whole space consists of cozy small corners where lessons are held. Here you can always find a quiet place to do your homework or work on a project in a group.

2. France, Marcel Sembat High School

In France, “green” schools appear in different cities, which organically fit into the surrounding nature. The Sembat High School in Marseille specializes in technical education, training future engineers and mechanics. And when the school needed space for workshops, the municipality provided the school with a part of the park where the damaged houses stood. The houses were demolished and the new school building was designed to naturally blend in with its soft lines and slopes with the physical features of the park. In addition, according to the idea of ​​the architects, the green roof slopes resemble the body lines of retro cars.

3. China, ChiCheng No.2 Primary School

In Chinese cities, in general, there is an acute issue with the lack of land for the construction of schools. The architects decided to save space and build a sports stadium, consisting of a basketball court and a 200 m long running track, on the roof of the building. Thanks to this unusual architectural solution, there was no need to increase the number of floors and reduce the classrooms inside the school. The stadium at the top is fenced off with three levels of fence, so everything is safe. The project has turned from a unique to a typical one, now in China more and more schools are being built with stadiums on the roofs.

4. USA, Centerview Elementary School

Another example of school openness and flexible planning. This school in Blaine, Minnesota, was invented by the teachers themselves. And they got very creative with the design process. The walls separating the classroom and the public space can be folded and unfolded at the request of the teacher. Between different parts of the school, you can walk, or crawl, or crawl through tunnels of different sizes. All school furniture can be easily moved as it is on casters. A wide creative space is located in the center of the school, where an assembly hall, a cinema and a library are combined. It is pleasant to gain knowledge in such an atmosphere. Moreover, Editius.com will help you with some difficulties in writing works.

5. Russia, Khoroshkola

Russia, Moscow, there is also something to brag about. In 2017, in Khoroshevo-Mnevniki, a large, light high-tech school was built, where for each student there is 3 times more usable space than in ordinary schools. Inside, there is not only a swimming pool and open public spaces, but also equipped laboratories for various objects: an experimentarium, a megalaboratory, a fab laboratory, a culinary. And yes, there are glass walls and furniture on wheels here too.

6. Indonesia, Green School

Bali is warm, so the school doesn’t need external walls at all. The principle of space openness has been brought to its logical conclusion here. During the construction of the school, 95% natural materials were used – bamboo, local grass and traditional clay walls. The school receives electricity from solar panels and micro-hydroelectric power plants. The children are taken to school by buses running on biodiesel, which is made from vegetable oils. Everything here is very environmentally friendly, although schoolchildren have Internet and computers.

7. Russia, Point of the Future

In 2020, a modern school opened in the suburbs of Irkutsk – “Point of the Future”, a charitable project of a Russian businessman. It includes a kindergarten, junior, middle and high school. According to the project, the school will accommodate 1000 schoolchildren, including children from foster families, who will live in the boarding house. Russian and Danish architects (CEBRA company) worked on the creation of the school. 627 children entered the school this year.

The school meets the principle of open and flexible space, there are several public spaces with different designs, transparent classrooms with free seating, Finnish transformable furniture, and workshops for a variety of creative activities: from a choreographic class to a pottery workshop. Schools seem to be changing for the better. Perhaps the design will come to our native schools as well.

You probably must have heard of the new Nintendo switch which has had everyone talking. However, this new Nintendo masterpiece cannot run on any emulator properly. For this reason, we have compiled for you a list of the best software to play N64 on a range of devices including phones, PCs, and tablets. Apart from Nintendo, Sony is the other formidable opponent when it comes to creating controversial, yet unique consoles. But there is something about the old N64 that not even Sony can match – it gets great with age like fine wine. Let us get this rolling, shall we?

OpenEmu for Mac

It is considered one of the best emulators, the world of gaming has ever seen, thanks to its diversity and simplicity. Despite it being relatively old, this emulator has virtually every gaming feature you need. Most importantly, it allows the player to save games to resume them later. Also, you can configure settings whichever way you like without any difficulty. OpenEmu boasts of having the best video game library where the player can have a neat virtual shelf of their games. The shelf is arranged with beautiful box covers as well. Finally, as mentioned earlier, the emulator is very simple to use since it is well-organized.

NewGamePad for iOS

If you’re having a hard time using emulators from sites that restrict them such as Apple, then NewGamePad is your best option. It is one of the few places you can download apps to your various devices directly. However, you need to allow the app to access some areas of your PC, tablet, or phone to work properly. Once you have selected a ROM, you can start enjoying the game with it like any other emulator. Buying a wireless gamepad is the only thing you need to worry about because it might not work well with normal touchscreen controls.

RetroArch

Highly diversified and simple, RetroArch is a multi-platform software with a clean user experience record. Although not considered an emulator, it does most of the things an emulator does as far as N64 is concerned. The best thing about RetroArch is that it has amazing features that can be customized to improve user experience. With various cores such as parallel which improve vision and color greatly, this software is always a step ahead of mainstream emulators. The installation process may be a little cumbersome but you can always follow guides and do the right thing.

Project64 for Windows

Project64 is the easiest and most convenient emulator you can use if your device is running on Windows. The emulator is not only simple but it is also having some of the coolest features can find for an N64 console. Most importantly, you can always customize the settings to fit your needs. Many players look for an emulator that will allow them to save their game to resume later, and that is what Project64 gives you. The emulator’s official website has a comprehensive yet simple-to-understand guide on how to set up and use it.

Mupen64Plus FZ for Android

This is by far the best emulator to play N64 on your android phone. As simple as it is, Mupen64Plus uses the same base code as any other emulator. But its compatibility with N64 is what makes it worth sticking with. Most importantly, this software is updated regularly to include advanced features and improve existing ones. Mupen64Plus FZ has great color and visibility, unlike most emulators. Make sure to go for a Mupen64Plus emulator with ‘FZ’ to avoid downloading another software that might not serve you well.

MegaN64

Great android software to play N64, Megan64 has close to a million Android users worldwide. This according to the number of mostly positive reviews found on various review platforms. With an average rating of 4.7, it remains to be one of the most popular and efficient software to play N64 on various devices. However, you must load games onto a microSD card to be able to play using the software. Although it does not come with many features, what you get is quite impressive and will do the trick. Additionally, its production has been declining over the years but that doesn’t rule it out as a viable option for android.

ClassicBoy

Last on our list is this multi-platform emulator that is similar to RetroArch in virtually every aspect. Users are most impressed by the emulator’s unique graphics which give great resolution and colors. Additionally, the software comes with customization capabilities to allow the user to make modifications as per their liking. The only thing you need to worry about is the version of your phone because it might not work on very old ones. Otherwise, you can enjoy ClassicBoy’s amazing features such as auto-save and a great audio experience.

Conclusion

Nintendo, alongside other newbies such as the new Xbox, is quickly taking over the gaming market. However, these new consoles have features that are slightly different from the likes of Microsoft’s Xbox and PlayStation. It is for this reason that developers had to come up with new software to fill the gap. Our list consists of emulators that have been tried and tested as far as Nintendo 64 is concerned. As you will notice, this software comes with advanced yet simple features that let you have a great gaming experience. We hope you find one that will meet all your gaming needs as you proceed to download Nintendo 64 emulators.