FamiLee Life

Fn-F2: a laptop, a bike mechanic, wifi, and cats

My Dell Latitude X300 has been a trusty, small laptop computer. It is pretty bare bones; relatively slow; limited memory; and no built-in cd/dvd drive. Plus, it's old and now can be bought for cheap (less than $350 online). That all said, it has last 4 years now with no problems, except a replacement hard-drive that was under warranty. I have been told that this is old-old by computer tech folks.

But recently, I have come across a persistent problem. I have not been able to get a wireless connection at home or elsewhere. The first couple of times that this problem occurred, I called Dell, Qwest (DSL provider), and Belkins (wireless router). After lengthy phone calls and all sorts of clicking on this and that, it would eventually work again and then eventually not work again. Hm....

Working on papers at CRC coffee shop nearby my home the other day, I again had trouble connecting to the wifi. Argh. So what do I do? I consult B'Rose who was working the counter at CRC. B'Rose is a bike mechanic and all around nice guy. He assessed the situation and said, "Have you tried Fn-F2?" WHAT?!!! I had never heard of this function command sequence (those blue colored keys). Well, apparently, this command will enable (or disenable) the wireless receiver on the laptop. Amazing. A simple action led to an easy fix. Something that took the Dell, Qwest, and Belkins folks hours to do through more indirect means.

And what of the cats? Well, I have surmised that this recurring problem is due to our two cats! They love to sit on my laptop because it is (a) in a prime spot by a window and (b) warm for their furry bodies. I suspect they are somehow pawing the Fn-F2 command as they settle their plump bodies over the laptop.

Thus, the moral of this story is that there is none except to keep my laptop closed when not in use. Thank you.

Commuter Rankings: MSP as #9 and #2

Minneapolis and its vanishing twin, St Paul, have been touting its #2 ranking as a cycling city for the last couple of years. Recent efforts along the well-used Greenway bicycle path seem to support this ranking, such as the opening of the Midtown bike center and the Martin Olav Sabo Pedestrian/Bicycle bridge. We also see the popularity of bicycling, in the midst of rising gas prices, through the increased value of used bicycles for sale on Craigslist.

Well, that all said, MSP residents (and notably their suburban commuters) still love the car. In today's NYTimes online, there is a post about the top ranked cities for "commuter pain." I am not sure why IBM of all organizations completed this survey but so be it. The full press release is available here.

My friend Tom who lives in Los Angeles and used to work for CalTrans (CA DOT) once visited MSP and noted how horrible our highway infrastructure was designed. Of course, much can be said about California's freeways but I think their problems have more to do with the sheer number of drivers than the poor routing/planning of highways (granted, the two are interrelated). In MSP, the highways are a tangled mess and were just not built for the heavy flow of commuters, especially people who have no idea how to use the zipper method of merging. MnDOT is just now starting to address these deficiencies, leading to more construction and traffic, and thus adding to our commuter pain.

Of course, in the end, the best way to ease such pain is to reduce outward migration to the 'burbs, encourage city living, and to promote more sustainable methods of transportation, such as walking, bicycling, and buses and light-rail. Oh, and less cold weather would help too (ha!).

An index of commuter pain:

1. Los Angeles
2. Atlanta
3. Miami/Fort Lauderdale
4. Dallas/Fort Worth
5. Chicago and San Francisco (tied)
6. New York
7. Washington, D.C.
8. Boston
9. Minneapolis/St. Paul

Spanish twins who were separated at birth by mistake are suing the government

"The first right of any child is the right to their own personal and family identity," [Spanish attorney Socorro Perdomo] said. "In this case, that right has been violated."

The above quote is from an AP story (published in the Star Tribune) about twins in Spain who were mistakenly separated and switched with another baby girl and raised in separate families. One of the twins was reared apart from her biological family, while the other switched girl was raised by the twins' family. Then, a chance encounter at a store eventually led to the reunion of the two women as adults.

In the context of adoption, the ruling on this case may have international reverberations as it could be used as additional supporting evidence to pave the way for adopted individuals to have access to their birth records. Such access to birth records is already occurring in numerous states in the U.S. and elsewhere. In Minnesota, here is the current laws/rules on birth records.

Biking to Afton

We finally did it. After months of talk, planning, and waiting, a group of us (Liesl, Erin, Christopher, John, and I) set out on a biking trip to Afton State Park. It was not uber-far, just shy of 35 miles, but it was the longest in a day for some of us and the longest for us as a group. In the end, it was 34 miles in total (including a few wrong turns and random detours), with an average speed of 11.3 mph and a top speed of 32 mph (going downhill at the park entrance). We rode for a total of 3 hours with an additional 1.5 hours for a casual lunch in St. Paul. I will post a few pics shortly once I receive them from others, as I did not bring a camera. Meanwhile, enjoy this important video clip on bicycle safety.

Hmong Hip Hop

Local St Paul rapper and community activist Tou Saiko Lee is featured in the New York Times Magazine today. Check it out here. Toward the end of the video is a segment in which Tou honors this family's heritage through a collaborative art piece with his grandmother. It's pretty sweet and worth checking out. Plus, it's fitting for Mother's Day today.

BTW, last week's article on urban/gang violence is another worthwhile NYTMag read, but more importantly to me is the photography by my friend Reuben Cox. I am excited to own a great photograph by Reuben.

Reuben Cox for the New York Times

Back Again...with Random Things

It's been a little busy over at FamiLee, so I have been negligent in my blogging. But I am back again, sort of. Mostly, I wanted to give a few random updates and comments.

1. The mullet is making a comeback. A Red Wing boy won a contest for the best mullet. Apparently, the mullet is popular among hockey players, so their manes can be seen from beneath a helmet. Hm...will this become a new trend among cyclists? I have taken up this charge to the chagrin of HW.

2. Three local kids get suspended for not standing up during the pledge of allegiance. Read Strib article. "The school's handbook says all students are required to stand but are not obligated to recite the pledge." Funny to read because I got in trouble for the same thing back in the day. I was enough of a rabble rouser to take the same stance and, in the end, had to stand even if I chose to not recite the pledge.

3. The extracurricular activity for this summer is biking, camping, canoing, and my continued quest to become Minnesota without becoming Minnesotan. Enough said.