Ryan Byrd’s Ramblings

As I am a transient (maverick?), I have had the challenge of moving a number of times in the last few years. Oddly, I have uniquely lived on top floors of buildings. The pain of moving heavy objects up and down narrow flights of stairs has not endeared me to friends who have helped me move. As a consequence, all the few furnishings in my current abode were chosen based on their portability.

This spartan lifestyle might not pay dividends now^*, however it should be a cinch to leave speedily, should that need arise.

One item that didn’t make the bring-it-to-the-new-apartment cut was an alarm clock. I’m a heavy sleeper and have been known to sleep through raging tempests. In fact, I have no less than four alarm clocks which in the past I had hidden around my room. It’s very hard, I’ve learned, to sleep through a scavenger hunt.

Those clocks were left in storage, and so I have had to rely on my cellphone alarm to wake me up. That cellphone hasn’t been particularly reliable. In short, I’m in the market for a better way to wake up.

Then my friend Kevin sent me a link to an alarm clock that caught my interest. This clock “gives you one chance to get up. But if you snooze, [it] will jump off of your nightstand and wheel around your room looking for a place to hide.” Now that’s cool. (Sadly, the clock only comes in pastel colors.)

* For example, I didn’t bring my mattress into this new apartment because mattresses are incredibly hard to move, but, well, sleeping without a mattress sucks

Regardless of what you call them, I got two and went out west of Lehi with Jon, Kristen and Charlotte on Saturday. No, it wasn’t raining and no, it wasn’t very cold. Click the photo below for a few pictures of our adventure. How much did the rental cost, including the trailer? A green paper clip. (Actually, just a fraction of a paperclip: remember ToyShare?!?). And yes, it was well worth it. Did I really get Verizon broadband access in the middle of the desert and then chat online and check my email? Yes. Of course. I’m a nerd.

Podcast

Have you played with Geomags lately? You should. They’re fun!
Each Geomag set is comprised of a number of steel ball bearings and plastic bars (with a magnet at each end).

Geomag is one of the coolest toys out there; you can build almost anything. These contruction toys have been a perpetual hit at the office since I introduced them a week ago. So far, three co-workers have gone out and purchased similar products and my office is a constant hub of magnet and connector building. Although some detractors might credit me for loss of office productivity, to the contrary I estimate that these toys have contributed to a vast increase in creativity, spacial problem solving, and general contentment.

Some places that sell Geomag: Fat Brain Toys Creative Brains Online Target Toys R Us

Something to think about while building with Geomag is the number of atomic shapes; how many are there? An atomic shape has two characteristics:
1-stable
2-irreducible (not composed of other atomic shapes)

I found five immediately, and another five after some effort. How many can you find?

Go to our partner site PicTars, create an account, upload all your Geomag photos and then send me links and I’ll post them here.

Walmart sells a knockoff called “Magnetix.” You get more pieces for your money (150 pieces fo $19.00), but
1-the magnets are not as powerful
2-the connecting bars seem to chip and break more easily

Still, you do get more pieces with Magnetix, and with more you can involve more people and build bigger things. Personally, I got a box of each.

They’re addictive (or are they addicting?)

For someone with lots of disposable income:
750 piece for under $400.00

Check out my Geomag page