Rick Plavnicky's Playroom

Actually, the world's my playroom!

Technology

Not only do I work with this stuff, it's recreation, too! And that's a good thing because, frankly, the family's IT needs can sometimes be a handful.

I run a fair-sized shop, especially when you consider that this is my home we're talking about. A number of VMware and VirtualBox virtualized servers are dedicated to tasks such as media, databases, Intranet, Web development, file and backup services, printing, scanning and so on. Gigabit LAN ports are in every room along with two full-time WLANs. All major equipment has battery-backed failover power. Utility power failures, rare to begin with, may merely drop us off the Internet for a bit while the internal networks hum along.

Overkill? Perhaps. My son grew up in this kind of environment so he believes hot-and-cold running broadband is as much a given as plumbing. It's kind of the way television was for my generation. Right? Wrong? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Motorcycling

It's a common story. I rode in my twenties then stopped for some years to concentrate on career and family. At my wife's urging I eventually made the time to return to the two wheel lifestyle, restoring my flagging sanity. I haven't looked back.

Today I ride at least one of the motorcycles - the garage has three sweet Harley-Davidsons - nearly every day. Less in the cold season, certainly, but even in the dead of winter I manage to get at least some miles in each week. No off-season storage here, everything's always tuned and ready to ride.

From time to time I'll write about motorcycle-related stuff. in my blog.

I can't let this go without mentioning the Usenet group rec.motorcycles.harley. Some of the reason is because r.m.h seems to be quite the anomaly. A long time ago, well before the Web took hold (or was even invented!) the Usenet was an excellent resource for all manner of stuff. But today, IMHO most of the Usenet is absolutely useless - a cesspool of all manner of depravity. Yet somehow r.m.h maintains a kind of quality that's reminiscent of earlier times. Styled as a biker bar transplanted to the virtual, r.m.h is populated with a diverse core of seriously no-bullshit people who manage to keep the riff-raff down to a dull roar. I've learned so much from r.m.h it ain't funny! Go have a look on Google Groups - perhaps not the best Usenet interface, but one of the simplest. The r.m.h FAQ is a meticulously-tended resource in and of itself, worthy of study if you're into Harley-Davidsons.

Unicycling

In the summer of 1994, around the time that Damian was learning to walk, I took up the unicycle. It was something I had always wanted to do as a kid and, well, what better way to empathize with the kid?

It was hard to buy a unicycle back in those days. Today it's easy: simply visit unicycle.com, plunk down a credit card, wait for the guy in the brown truck, you're ready to go! I bought my first unicycle from George Quigley, proprietor of Quigley Bicycles in Manville, New Jersey. George, an ex-bicycle racer from days of yore, had a Schwinn, unassembled, in a dusty old box that looked as though it had not seen the light of day for years. I wanted to take it home, assemble it and play, but Mr. Quigley was insistent; he promised to have it assembled and ready for me the next day. And he did. (Sadly, George passed some years back and the building that once held his shop was razed for new development.)

Today the Harleys keep company in the garage with two unicycles. My old 24-inch Schwinn is built like a tank and will likely outlast me. In June 1999 I added a Coker Big One - a 36-inch wheel. The extra 12 inches of diameter add considerable speed and range. I've customized it with an air seat and 150mm cranks. It goes way faster than I can run. Just think about that for a second.

In August 1999 I joined other unicyclists, and rode the Coker the length of Long Beach Island, New Jersey, a fundraiser for the Alliance For A Living Ocean. (The ALO site seems a little bit ill-maintained these days...) It's a fairly long ride (well, for this old guy, anyway) on one wheel but I've taken the annual ride a few times. There are a few pictures from the first unithon as well as the fourth.

Juggling

There are two questions that every one asks when they see someone on a unicycle. The first, of course: "Where's your other wheel?" The second: "Hey, that's pretty cool - can you juggle?" And I couldn't, so I decided to do something about it.

The Klutz book to the rescue! The book comes with 3 square cloth beanbags (walnut shells, actually). For a time those bags would accompany me just about everywhere and innocent passersby had to remain on constant lookout for my bad throws. That was April 1996.

My skills have improved some and now my arsenal of props includes rings, a variety of clubs, some glow-in-the-dark stuff, even - gasp - tiny anvils. That black area across the top of the image in the background is the bottom of an IBM keyboard. See? They aren't that big. They're big enough to break a toe, though, or injure small animals.

In the summer of 2003 I collected my nerve and added torches to my repertoire. If you think that throwing fire is exciting from a spectator perspective you ought to see it from the other side. It's hot - as expected - but it's also loud as the flames whoosh by your head. My neighbors have become accustomed to seeing me light 'em up from time to time.

I'm happy to point anyone that cares to the best place to purchase juggling gear, Brian Dubé in New York City.

Music

As a kid I played guitar. I've got a nice 1958 Gibson LG1 to show for it. Okay, maybe nice is debatable - an encounter with a 427 Ford crankshaft (don't ask) back in the 1970's left a scar on its face. Still plays well and sounds fine. So a few years ago I was in Sam Ash with my son to buy some drum sticks and I spotted a Splatter Strat on clearance. The rest, ahem, is history.

In winter I play some most every day. But in the summer? Nope. At this rate I should be good by... well, maybe never. I'm still having fun, though, and that's all that counts.

At the 2007 Digital Life show in New York City I couldn't pass up a chance to play a little with one of the most celebrated guitars in the whole world, the Gibson Les Paul. Doesn't it look like I'm having the time of my life?

I've been known to sing a little. But keep your ear plugs handy because I'm not very good at all.