#Both to store/display all my future vinyl purchases and because i needed something to put the player on lol

[love-fireflysong]

My fancy new music player just arrived and I am oh so very happy with it! A *very* classic look to it obviously but my god if that doesn't add all sorts of charm to it 🥰

But it's a 6-in-1 machine that plays cd, vinyl, Bluetooth, cassette (compartment for that one is on the side alas), auxiliary, fm radio, and supports headphones! So obviously the sound quality isn't gonna be like shaking my walls with bass anytime soon, but as long as the music is legible and I can hear it clearly that's more than good enough for me. im not exactly in the market for something that I'm going to be partying with anytime soon... Or ever if we're being honest dhejdkdjdhd

(bonus video of me testing out the phono function and playing my very first vinyl ever, cause I havent listened to one since I was like 5 or something when my dad used to listen to them all the time dhdjsksjshs)

[keithos]

Building the PiWriter868

In November of 2012, I wrote a book.

I'd participated in a global writing challenge called NANOWRIMO - National Novel Writers Month - and managed to achieve the aim of producing 50,000 words in the 30 days of November.

Since that time, it's been my ambition to not just write, but to publish.  I've set that goal for myself every year when I do my year-end review.  I have handwritten outlines for books and stories in various places.  In attempt to kick start, I've also signed up for NANOWRIMO in subsequent years with limited writing success.

The 2012 novel also sits waiting to be edited and expanded; there's a significant time jump in it to get to the ending which I feel needs another 50 to 100,000 words to close.

It's my feeling though that a writer, just as any other craftsman, needs tools appropriate to their task.

In my more prolific teen years, that tool was Uni-ball’s Onyx fine tip pen.  It was a relatively costly but happy indulgence, and helped me to fill many a copybook with teen angst.  In later days that I carried a Palm PDA, Landware's GoType keyboard and eventually Palm's own portable folding keyboard were easy options for text input.

I wrote the 2012 book on the laptop that I owned at the time.  And future attempts at both writing and completing another November challenge were done on an Asus Chromebook C100.

I'd stumbled at one point across a company called Astrohaus who touted their distraction-free writing machines, THE tool for keyboard-dependent writers on the go.  Boasting e-ink screens like Amazon's Kindle e-reader line, long battery life, and keyboards meant for typing for long stretches, their Freewrite devices were a compelling solution to my writing goals, but for one thing.  There really was no way I could justify their price as an amateur writer who had never sold a piece of work.

At around US$600, a single-purpose device like that would have to be paying for itself, and I'm not anywhere  near where I could be in order to be making money from my work.  But Astrohaus planted a seed and a need, and I was sure that I could do what was necessary to build a tool that would serve me that one main purpose - writing.

A good friend did ask while I talking to them about the build mission, why not just use the Chromebook?  At the time, I had not long before performed minor surgery to replace a battery that had started to swell, and the replacement battery itself had stopped taking charge just weeks out of its stated warranty.  I didn't feel up to sourcing another aftermarket battery to possibly have that go that route again.  Yes, I could have coughed up the cash and bought something new.  The C101, the newer version of the C100, would run me around US$330.  But I liked the idea and the challenge of putting something together myself.

Research suggested that I could build something around the Raspberry Pi Zero W as its core.

The Pi Zero is a $10 single board computer that is so small it can fit into an Altoids tin with room to spare.   Powered by Raspbian, a Debian Linux based operating system tuned for the Raspberry Pi platform, it's a full computer capable of running a wealth of Linux applications, including productivity software like LibreOffice, a Microsoft Office clone.

There is a purity though to a command-line interface that had me leaning away from the windowed environment.  The key experience in the final solution would be the writing of words after all.  Point and click functionality would be secondary.

The best writing solution, to me and also to the people at Astrohaus apparently, was one that got out of your way and allowed you to just write.

Enter WordGrinder, a cross platform terminal-based application that runs on both UNIX and Windows, and gives me just what I need in order to write without thinking about anything but the content.  The app does permit some basic formatting that isn't displayed obtrusively on the screen - except for bold and centering - none of which you need to see when drumming out content.  It reminds me, honestly, of WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS, a word processor which I recall fondly.

Two other apps complete the software build.

Ranger, a file manager, makes browsing the file system and moving documents around a little easier than using the bare command line.

Alpine, a text-based email client gives the solution its connection to the world outside of it.  It's own dedicated Gmail address means I can both store documents in my inbox and flip docs to and from my main machine for more comprehensive editing after creative activity is done.

One of the biggest complaints about thin, light and cheap laptops is usually the keyboard.  But the RaspBerry Pi Zero W has both USB connectivity and Bluetooth, so the world of input devices is available to me.  And after shopping around a bit, I landed on the Logitech K380.

This is one of these best portable Bluetooth keyboards around.  Subjectively, the typing experience on the K380 can only be beat at its size by something more expensive with mechanical keys.  It’s quiet, has good key travel, is a literal joy to type on, and runs forever on a pair of AAA batteries.

The easiest way to attach a display to the Raspberry Pi is via its HDMI port.  Other technical options are available, but HDMI is the easiest.  In early fiddling, I was able to connect it to a 21-inch monitor and use it just like any other desktop.  Sticking to a command line interface though means that a big screen isn't a necessity.

Taking lead from the Freewrite, I tried an inexpensive five-inch LCD for size.  It's workable, but you don't see very much of what you're working on.  Five inches could be considered a truly focused writing solution, creating a narrow window around just the current thought.  But that felt way too small for me personally.

Seven inches at 1024x600 resolution proved to me to be a more optimal screen size for writing.  The screen I chose by electronics manufacturer GeeekPi is pretty well constructed, and was plug and play.

The Raspberry Pi can be powered via one of its micro USB ports, which means that a standard phone charger can power it up.  That also means that it can be run off of any commodity power bank.

Most power bank have a few lights on them to give you an idea of how much power they have left.  Here though it was also important for the power bank to give a more accurate read out of its remaining charge.  So I paid a little more for a battery with a percentage read out.    The selected 10,000 mAh battery powering the Pi Zero and seven-inch screen thus promised calculated run time of just under six hours before the battery dropped to zero percent.

The final basic technical solution comprised the following:

Raspberry Pi Zero WH - US$14.95 from PiShop.us

Pi Zero Case Kit - US$9.99 from Amazon

GeeekPi 7-inch screen - US$28.99 from Amazon.com.  The list price is actually US$59.99, but I had a $25 gift card to use when I bought it.

10,000 mAh battery bank with percentage level display - US$26.99

Miscellaneous ribbon cables for HDMI and USB connectivity - US$30.00

Logitech K380 Bluetooth Keyboard - US$21.95 from Amazon, as a certified refurb item

MicroSD card, to hold operating system, applications and data - Free, because I have a few of these knocking about

Software - Raspbian, WordGrinder, Ranger, Alpine - all open source - Free

Total outlay, before shipping and taxes - US$132.87

That's represented significant savings on the Freewrite's US$599 list price and even on it's fellow Freewrite Traveller's US$349 discounted price.  The Traveller lists at US$599 as well.

A brass standoff kit for mounting the components cost an additional US$7.99, and a power switch board, the RemotePi from MSL Digital - admittedly gratuitous but with much utility - cost around US$25.

The housing - Gary Aboud might be happy to hear - is made up of two covers of a vinyl-covered MDF storage chest available at Mode Alive at TT$89.00 a pop.

Honestly, the first box was acquired for its latch and the design of its hinges.  They support the cover and hold it upright when the box is open.  The cover was also the perfect height, width and depth to hold the seven-inch screen.

A second box was purchased when I realised that the cover was also just the right depth to accommodate all of the other components.  So two boxes were taken apart to make a slimmer box out of the two covers.  The bases weren’t wasted though.  They themselves were put together to make a larger storage box. 

(For ease of reference going forward, I'll refer to the final solution as the PiWriter868.)

Why go through all this?

The cost saving is the biggest and most obvious reason.  Granted some money was spent on components that didn’t make it into the final solution.  But ultimately, the final solution does cost less than something purchased out of box to meet the stated need.

Yes, a cheap laptop can be had for less than US$200, especially if you consider refurbs and open-box options.  But there are few differences between the PiWriter868 and a cheap laptop. 

Every component of the PiWriter868 is replaceable, and I can choose components that fully satisfy me personally or any specific requirement.

Further, the combination of a seven-inch screen, a full-size comfortable keyboard, and six hours of battery life would be virtually impossible to find in a laptop under US$200.

If any one component of a cheap laptop were to fail, the entire thing would be headed for a landfill because cheap portables aren��t constructed for repair-ability and upgrades.

Case in point here is what I described earlier about replacing the battery in my Chromebook.

By comparison, changing the battery in the PiWriter868 is as simple as unplugging the micro USB cable and plugging it into a new battery bank.  In fact, the next planned update is to replace the 10,000 mAh battery bank with a 25,600 mAh battery.  That would take current estimated run time from just under six hours to somewhere in the vicinity of 14 or 15 hours.  An upgrade like that wouldn’t be possible with most laptops on the market today.

Should the screen begin to go, the micro SD card begin to give problems, the switch start to behave flaky, even if the Raspberry Pi itself prove faulty over time, all components can be swapped out at cost.  Again,a cheap laptop would have to be replaced in its entirely or far more expensively repaired.

Software can also be readily updated or replaced as necessary.  If I found a software solution better than WordGrinder, it could be installed, configured and used.  With the Freewrite, I'd be stuck with whatever they'd be providing on their platform, and in this case, also stuck with their cloud solution if I'd decided to use that as well.

At the end of the day, the PiWriter868 gives me exactly the functionality I want  in a package that I can continue to tailor as I go along.

The PiWriter868 is also an argument for the use of more cost-effective technology in our schools and the country as a whole.  While I use it myself as a terminal-based writing machine, it is capable of running a full GUI and GUI-based apps.

If a fully functional computer can be built around a US$15 board that can use just about any modern TV as a monitor with any inexpensive keyboard and mouse combo on the market, why are we giving children in schools thousands of dollars worth of PC equipment?

What’s keeping us from doling out inexpensive single-board computers to our school kids and allowing them to construct solutions around them while learning about deskside and other sensing technology?

What’s stopping the country from licensing a single-board computer design, manufacturing and servicing a board with a Trinbagonian stamp, and rolling them out as part of a more cost effective solution to the deskside technology needs of the public and private sector?  In most cases, one needs only a word processor, spreadsheet application, presentation software, and a web browser, all of which are available.

But that discussion is for another post.

POSTSCRIPT: This text of this post was written on the PiWriter868.

[itsworn]

9,800-Original-Mile Unrestored 1967 Pontiac GTO Is Real Time Capsule

Kevin Beal has every Pontiac lover’s dream job, co-owning and operating Ames Performance in Spofford, New Hampshire. He oversees the largest Pontiac-only parts supply house in the country, catering to Poncho enthusiasts around the world. If you live and die by driving Tin Indians, chances are you have comes across Ames Performance on the hunt for those elusive parts and pertinent pieces.

Kevin likes to mix his passion for parts by also collecting great cars that have come out of GM’s performance divisions. For a few years now he has advertised in his extensive catalog that he’s interested in low-production, low-mileage original cars to add to his collection.

The 1967 GTOs were available in three body styles. The hardtop (pictured) was the most popular at 65,176 sold. Pontiac went on to sell 9,517 convertibles, followed by 7,029 post coupes.

That ad has already borne fruit. Through it, Kevin located the first Trans Am off the assembly line (“Forged From Fire,” May 2018; bit.ly/2J4oXG1). He then set his sights on finding a low-mileage, first-generation GTO to add to his garage.

It was Kevin’s son Kyler who got the call. A man in the Midwest said he had an original 1967 GTO that he had “pampered” since he picked it up at the dealership. With less than 10,000 miles on the odometer, and having never been through any sort of restoration, this time capsule sounded like it was exactly what they wanted for the collection.

Though this GTO is remarkably original, one thing the first owner did was modify the exhaust system, adding “cheater” pipes to get the edge on his brother. They exit under the car, which the owner liked better because that way he wouldn’t get any unsightly soot around the tips or bumper.

In February 2017, Kevin and Kyler made their way to snowy Michigan, trailer in tow, to get their prize. The trip through near-blizzard conditions was well worth it, as the GTO was everything the owner said it was and then some. The Goat was loaded up and carefully brought back to New Hampshire, where it went on display at Ames Performance.

One Goal The story of this Goat starts way back in the early 1960s. The first owner was a kid on a mission at an early age. He wishes to remain anonymous. He says, “I started working when I was 10, doing a paper route. I saved all that money with one goal: getting a cool hot rod to call my own.”

With south of 10,000 miles on the odometer, this Goat has been babied since the day it came home. Only the hoses and belts have been replaced. Thee buyer did remove the original radiator cap and master cylinder reservoir cover so they wouldn’t corrode, but replaced them before selling the car.

His brother was doing the same, working odd jobs and saving his money, both with the same intent of buying a hot GM offering from Detroit.

At 16 he bought his first car, a Morris Minor, for $100, which would serve him well over the years. A year later the time had come to purchase a new car. His brother had recently gone to the local Pontiac dealer to scout a GTO, and he soon found himself at the same dealer looking for his dream car.

He, too, became quite smitten with the 1967 GTO, though he had a list of things he wanted for his Goat. First, he wanted a dark green car, so he custom-ordered Sherwood Green (code 36), which was an available Cadillac color. The dealership obliged, and that started a short rundown of necessary options and deletions for our young owner.

All the original factory markings are easily visible in the pristine engine bay.

“I got the performance differential, the Safe-T-Track, with 3.36 gears, a Hurst-shifted four-speed, and did not get power anything, as I did not want to rob power from the engine,” says the owner. The only other options were an AM radio, Rally gauges, Soft Ray glass, and a set of Rally II wheels.

Because he was only 17, he had to get an adult (his 20-year-old brother) to sign off on the deal, which he paid for in cash. His brother also picked out a GTO for himself, nearly identical in options (except for the color), and paid in cash as well! His brother’s choice for skin tone was Mariner Turquoise Metallic topped with a roof painted glossy black.

The interior on this car is nothing less than stunning. It shows little or no wear anywhere. Even the cardboard assembly-line floor mats are still with the car!

The next issue was where to store the car, as our owner didn’t want his GTO out in the elements. His mother’s car already occupied the one-bay garage at home, so he had to think fast. His brother located a three-car garage with just one bay occupied. A pair of elderly sisters owned the building, and they were willing to rent out the two spaces to the brothers. The only problem was that it was 5 miles away from home. So the Morris Minor was used to shuttle back and forth. The owner figured it was a small price to pay to have his dream car safe and sound.

Since his brother owned a nearly identical Goat, it was only natural that the two would take them to the outskirts of town and pit them against each other. “It was always neck-and-neck. I mean, there was really no difference between the two cars,” states the owner.

Some 1968 parts showed up on 1967 GTOs built late in the model year, as this one was. The wooden shift knob, for example, was new for 1968 but original to this car. The option cost $3.96—money well spent!

However, one day our owner decided he needed to try something different. He bought a “sneaker” exhaust bypass and installed it without telling his brother. “That gave me the slightest edge, and I pulled away from him on our next drag race.”

The Easy Life The GTO lived a quiet life over the next few years. The owner ended up buying his mother’s house, and built a nice two-car garage to house his prized GTO. The Poncho was taken out sparingly, and in the winter it was put up on 10-ton jackstands and run regularly to keep it fresh. He also used aviation gas in the car, as his brother had a pilot’s license, and the go-juice was available for the taking. In 50 years of ownership, the car racked up a measly 9,820 miles.

This car rides on its original F70-14 Firestone redline tires. Yes, the ones put on at the factory. They are still in good shape, with no visible dry rot and still holding air. The Rally II wheels are original to the car as well, and have never been touched up.

After all that time the owner decided that the car needed to be passed on, as his family just wasn’t interested in muscle cars. Of course, it had to go to the right kind of car guy, and he knew that Kevin Beal would care for it the way he himself had for the last half-century.

The stunning GTO continues to lead a tranquil life sitting with other rare GM muscle in the Ames lobby, preserved for future generations to admire.

Factory special-order paint jobs came with a quart of touch-up paint. With it here are the GTO’s original assembly-line tags; the one on the left designates that this as a special-paint vehicle.

At a Glance 1967 GTO Owned by: Kevin Beal and Don Emery Restored by: Unrestored original Engine: 400ci/335hp 4-barrel V-8 Transmission: M20 Muncie 4-speed manual Rearend: GM 10-bolt with 3.36 gears and Safe-T-Track Interior: Black vinyl bucket seats Wheels: 14×6 Rally II Tires: F70-14 Firestone redline (original) Special parts: Pushbutton AM radio, Rally gauges, Soft Ray glass, special-order paint, reverb system

This window placard was used to indicate the day the car would be delivered. It can be seen in the vent window in the photo of the car sitting in the dealership parking lot the day the owner picked up the GTO.

In a photo dated October 1967, this GTO is parked with the owner’s brother’s GTO, painted Mariner Turquoise and with a black glossy roof.

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